Holland America Cruises Complaint - Disappointment in Western Caribbean Cruise - Ports Food and Service

Ports Food and Service - Complaint

Review by GeorgiaRose on 2009-01-23

TAMPA, FLORIDA -- I have sailed on Holland America 3 times in the past and each time was very pleased with everything about the cruise. This January, however, that was not the case. My whole family (8 adults) went on the trip, my parents having a large veranda suite on the navigation deck and all the others have promenade deck rooms. The food was a terrible disappointment-it was bland, often overcooked, sometimes inedible. An example of the cheapening of the food was substituting milk for cream at coffee service, but calling it cream in every instance. The table service in the dining room was so slow-and the food quality so low-we often chose to eat in the Lido-where the food was no better but at least you could leave sooner!!! The ports of call for this cruise were for the most part absurd. Key West was fun. When I first looked at the cruise it was scheduled to to to Cozumel. At booking, it didn't. One port was Belize City, where you could at least get off the ship and look around a bit. At the Guatemalan port, the port was a cargo port-nothing else. A small building had been set up simply to separate cruisers from their money. Out final port, a Mexican one St Thomas-was canceled due to wind and high seas. No substitute port was offered-so we simply sailed around with bad food and bad service for and extra day. What fun!!!!

I used to refer all my friends to Holland America-but my husband and I will most likely NEVER cruise on th line again-for the above reasons and many more I cannot begin to have the time to write.