Dear Sirs (Costa Management)
We do sincerely thank you for your input regarding our previous Blog postings...
We do sincerely apologise if in fact you have considered recent entries inflamatory, and we shall be very careful on future entries, and we take careful note of your comments regarding these.
We very much appreciate the fact that you have taken time to view the comments of your past, present and future passengers on your cruise ships.
I for one have recieved a reply to my claim for a larger compensation claim, which I have emailed to every passenger that has emailed to my email address with their past experiences with your Company..
In my claim for compensation I have reiterated everyones feelings about the drastic change of itinery, (partly due to the unrest in Madagasgar).
I have also stated the many other complaints that I, and many of your disgruntled passengers had during this voyage.
In your letter that I have recieved (which I shall post later), you only disclaimed any responsibility for the reasons for the withdrawal of various ports of call. This I was partly expecting from you, as I and everyone know from your contracts we all recieved.
You did not address any one single other complaint that I have put forward, and have not at any one time apologised for these.
I have to say that this amounts to one of the main things that your senior management staff (i.e. Captain down to other on board staff). That is lack of information, and no follow up to complaints actually stated on board.
I thank you for the courtesy of an early reply, although it really was worthless.
The insult that your company made to us was E300 or E600 voucher towards another cruise. This was then upped to E300 plus E600 voucher..
Of all the ports of call that was on the itinery we had Sechelles, Mombassa and a brief stopover in Reunion Island, and this was only for transfer of passengers. The 10 hour intinerised stop was only for approx 1 hour. The added insult to injury was that majority of passengers who tried to get ashore had to stand around for up to an hour for a transfer bus to town, giving in some cases only 50 minutes ashore. Dont you think that we deserve better than what we got.
We appreciate that the unrest in Madagasgar caused you a problem for Passenger safety, and we appreciate that. Nobody wants to risk life. But the complaint dont stop there and you HAVE NOT REDRESSED THAT SUBJECT.
Please put your hands up and admit the cruise was a total disaster. Even your own Captain admitted that " our cruise had been ruined"
We are not looking to be unreasonable in our request for a sensible compensation offer from yourselves.
Come up with something a lot more acceptable and you will find your desk with less letters of complaint on, or maybe even the demise of this blog.
Bad publicity is not good for any business in this economic climate. And you must realise that there are a lot of very angry people out there who will not let this drop.
All we ask is that you be reasonable with your offer of compensation towards this "unforgettable" cruise.
You also state in your letter to me that your "business is to ensure that you provide an EXCELLENT service to your customers whilst on the cruise".
This has not happened either.
It doesnt appear to be the case either in some of your other cruises prior to this
I have several hundred emails from passengers on this and other cruises, which I will gladly send copies to you as proof of what I say, you only have to ask and I will send.
IN FACT WHY DONT YOU AGREE TO MEET A SMALL CONTINGENT OF YOUR PASSENGERS TO DISCUSS THIS IN DEPTH. This would be a more appropriate way forward without all the threats of litigation from either side. This will create a better relationship between you and your past, present and future customers. My email address is terry_croarkin@hotmail.com and you have my address and contact numbers if you prefer.
I and all the unhappy customers look forward to your response and early contact
Regards
Terry Croarkin and all the other ship mates
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Dear Terry Croarkin,
ReplyDeleteI read the comment of Dieter Herk, and this gives me the opportunity to express my opinion as well. Thanks Dieter for your "stand alone voice"
I wish I can have in my life thousands, of what you call, total disaster.
1. I work on a daily basis, in Africa facing REAL total disasters, and my opinion is that if you and all your shipmates, can turn half of your time you spend on this blog, just to recover a thousand (or a couple of thousand) euros more - because let's avoid any human scope, this is the reality, just money - into some more attractive issues, the whole community will benefit. also yourself.
2. Please, when you use expressions like "all guests where furious etc.." please talk for yourself, and / or for the little community you have created
3. I was in the theatre when the captain said "The cruise have been ruined" and the only person with hands up I remember was you, trying to calm down your supporters who (some beside me and my wife)were continuously insulting the captain while he was talking (I remember expression ike "Bastard" "disgusting" fuck-off" "and many other bon ton expressions which I don't want to repeat) and not allowing Italian contingent to have his meeting after your supporters made their show.
4. When finally the Italian contingent start his meeting with the cruise director, you still were busy to calm your supportrs down.
5. I am quite polite, and don't want to report here the comments of the French contingent (the most numerous, to which I belong) had on your behaviour and the one of your supporters...in most cases acting as pure holigans
6. I kindly ask you to avoid using defintion like "insults" for 900€ per person, in the country where we did not call, to get that money people work 4 months. The only insults heard in the cruise where the one your supporters were used to address to costa, to captain, to staff etc...
7. I am sorry the captain did not accept to meet you and a small number of your supporters to discuss in depth, but there are rules. If the captain accepts to meet small group to discuss in depth for any letter he receives, and if in one cruise there are (fortunately not) half of guests like you, that means the captain should meet 600 groups for in depth discussions, i.e. in 12 days, 50 groups per days, i.e. more than 2 groups per hours if he helds meeting all around the clock... and if this happens who ride the boat...and in any case, I am still sure that if he manes to do that, there will be another Terry who - not satisfied of the lenght of the meeting - will address another letter to God and ask him to make a day of 77 hours, and claiming money back if this not happens.
Gerard Leblanc (French guest)