What Do You Like & Would Not Miss Doing On The QM2..... - Page 2 - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

lindaann · 04-26-2009, 12:44 PM

I've been dancing lately. Ten days ago my docs for the eastbound crossing arrived and the other day my docs for the westbound home arrived.
Unfortunately shore-side Cunard do not know about Cunard White Star service. The planning of these trips have been nothing but grief.
I booked them while aboard last Nov/Dec. It took 3 tries because the computers were always down. Before final payment I paid to upgrade my eastbound oceanview to a sheltered balcony (at time of booking there were no balcony cabins available). I discovered quite by accident while on the personaliser that the cabin had been upgraded. Since I had chosen the other cabin for various reasons and it was not to be upgraded I was totally ******with Cunard. By the time this was discovered they had sold my cabin and I had to settle for a substitute because I refused to accept the upgrade. There are upgrades and there are upgrades which to some people are useless.
Anyway there were no pre-cruise docs - they can't explain why and then we were told they couldn't send the docs because my cruise personaliser was not complete. Although it told me it was?? So the docs arrived and they were for the cabin that was taken away from me. I spoke to Cunard and they agreed to send me new luggage tags to reflect the new cabin. I was told they would order them and it would take two weeks. Two days later blank luggage tags arrived. Why should I have to fill them out? They could have printed new ones for me, there was time.

I have tickets so............. I know I am booked but I sure hope the the staff aboard won't disappoint me.
I'm sure when that reservations agent got off the phone with me he took a very long coffee break.
Linda

nealberk · 04-26-2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BklynBoy8

I don't wish anyone to experience Cruise from H***. We have cruised over 25+ cruises and never had one problem and don't expect to experience on the Mary 2.

Hope to post more Good Things about Mary2.

If you have anymore questions, do feel free to ask. Will be happy to answer them.

Our first cruise on HAL (2001) was phenomenal. A string orchestra at dinner, having them play in the lounge every other night, excellent service by the crew, and seated dining. We fell in love.

Our last cruise (just like you, on the Noordam) was terrible. Totally ignoring getting Noro and being confined to the cabin for three days, we were stuck in open dining and could not get either early or late seating. We booked three months in advance so fixed seating should have been available. Then there was the future cruise planning person who knew nothing about cruises and whose only suggestion was to read the books. Next there was the front desk staff who were very quick to apologize and give sympathy but who never seemed to correct any problem. Then there was the charges for the bottled water to mix the gatorade that they provided for the Noro and being charged for DVDs while confined to our cabin (not much else to do). Then there was the unwillingness of the staff to deviate from the standard fixed menu for room service while I was confined. French toast was available every day at the buffet for breakfast but since it was not on the room service menu, they would not bring it down.

Finally there was the exploding ship supplied hair dryer. While doing my hair the morning after I had recovered from Noro, the hair dryer exploded in my hand shooting sparks and burning metal over me. We called the ship emergency number to report the possible fire emergency and the medical emergency. What we got was a new hair dryer. A second call finally got a junior officer who make sure there was no fire danger but the only action we got for the burns that I had was "the ship infirmary will open in an hour, can you go down there then?" Rather than argue at this point, I waited the hour, got to the infirmary, and discovered that they do not have a first aid kit on the ship. While they could give me a prescription for codiene and some prescription burn medication, that was all they could do for my second degree burns.

No more HAL for us. We want a line where passengers matter.

lindaann · 04-26-2009, 08:53 PM

I did my first and last cruise on HAL last year - the Maasdam.
We arrived at the terminal to discover the ship had noro and had to be sanitized. Sat in the terminal for several hours until we could board.
We couldn't get traditional dining (booked last minute) and had their anytime but it's really two seatings, early or late. Their early is 5:15.
Consistently had cold entrees and the server didn't seem to care my dinner was cold. The menu is also seafood heavy with lots of sauces and spices. I'm allergic to all seafood so my menu was limited and with the sauces and seasonings I didn't eat much.
Being on noro alert there was no self-serve and the buffet closes at 8 pm. Several evenings they did a later buffet but at 11 pm I'm not interested.
They couldn't make tea to save their souls. By day three I had had enough. I had a sit-down with the Culinary Manager and after that when we entered the dining room the staff went on red alert. The dining room manager usually served our meals to make sure they were hot enough and he personally made my tea. My companion thought it a big joke but by the end of the 7-day cruise I had had enough of the sucking up. I could not get off that ship fast enough.
The entertainment was extremely poor, the same comedian all week and he was really bad.
But the scariest was muster drill. HAL conducts their drills outdoors under your lifeboat where you will gather in any conditions. The life jackets are hard to get on properly, long ties that most people did not have on correctly and were tripping on. You are made to stand out there in the hot sun and nobody can hear anything and if such a thing happened who's to say that your lifeboat can be launched if it hasn't caught fire or washed away. Then what do you do? People are in a panic and since your boat isn't available what do you do?
So that's my HAL story. Maybe some folks love it but it was NOT for me.

nealberk · 04-26-2009, 11:35 PM

You actually got service and not a "we are so sorry"? Wow, I am impressed!