We paid our money and received our documents. Imagine our surprise to find out that we were booked on the cruise for the week of February 25. When our travel agent investigated, she found out that the cruise we originally booked had been chartered so we could not go. The cruise line had gone ahead and booked us for the next week and notified her by fax. However, she had not noticed the message on the fax when she received it, and thought it was just a confirmation, put it in our file, and forgot about it.

I refused to take a week off from my kids to go on a vacation, so our agent worked feverishly with Holland America to find us another cruise. We got lucky and are now booked on an eight day beginning the 17th. We have to go to the Eastern Caribbean, which we have been to twice already, but hey, sun is sun.

We did have travel insurance and would have received a refund, but we had really been looking forward to getting away. I didn’t know that a cruise line could arbitrarily change a cruise without notifying the passengers directly, but if it had to happen with any line, Holland America was the best. I don’t know if the other lines would have been so helpful.

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Originally posted by timber:
Sounds like your TA goofed...plain and simple...and is now trying to cover up his/her blunder.

Tim

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I agree. Charters do not happen at the last minute - particularly when the whole ship is to be taken over. In point of fact, it surprises me greatly that a ship of Maasdam's size could/would be chartered by a group.
Has anyone else heard of this on HAL or other Lines?

Stangirl, I'd be looking for another TA...you got lucky this time. As for the insurance, I doubt it would have covered you.

Have a great trip - east or west, sun is sun

HAL is our favourite Line and I'd like to feel secure about our space when deposit, required 7 days after booking, has been accepted and full payment has been made.

Stangirl - please keep us posted.

I'd hate to find out next week that our Feb. 16th departure has been changed!!!!! I'd be a lot more than

Our agent has taken full responsibility, even offering to teach my classes so that I can go. We can't wait. Mr. Stangirl wants to see the sun more than me.

We will keep you posted.

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Originally posted by stangirl:
Well, it's Sunday and we still have not received our cruise documents. HAL insists they were sent. We are getting very nervous.

I guess it's time for another cruise line. Wish us luck.

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This is our fourth cruise with HAL and I know that they send the documents to the TA. She knows what we have been going through the last two weeks and I doubt that she would tell us she doesn't have the tickets when she does.

When our credit card was billed for this cruise, it was billed by HAL. Our TA has fallen on the sword for this foul up but it would have cost Holland America a stamp to notify us of the change in the fist place. We paid them directly. And a "no response" does not constitute acceptance of a cruise change. They should have asked our permission in writing before changing us to a different cruise in the first place.

Now they are giving us the run-around about the documents. We know we are booked on the airlines because we called. But we can't get on the plane without the tickets. They could have started a trace on them last Tuesday when they were late.

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Originally posted by Green:
I agree. Charters do not happen at the last minute - particularly when the whole ship is to be taken over. In point of fact, it surprises me greatly that a ship of Maasdam's size could/would be chartered by a group.
Has anyone else heard of this on HAL or other Lines?

Stangirl, I'd be looking for another TA...you got lucky this time. As for the insurance, I doubt it would have covered you.

Have a great trip - east or west, sun is sun

[This message has been edited by Green (edited 01-28-2001).]

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I know that the Japanese chartered the QE2 back in 1990, prior to our July crossing.