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Business Profile

Travel Agency

Holland America Line

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Travel Agency.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Holland America Line's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 308 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 99 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/15/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Took ****** cruise in July, 2022, with family members. Diagnosed with COVID last 2 days of cruise, and was isolated on board and then in Vancouver ******. Cruise Line policy was to reimburse for expenses incurred. Claim submitted 7/29 and approved for $1,948 on 9/7/22- stating need to allow 8 - 12 weeks for refunds.It has now been 21 weeks. Impossible to get information from Holland America; have faxed info requests, have emailed info requests, have tried to call - but end up on hold for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs plus - when phone battery no longer lasts. Concern is that check *** have been issued, but lost in mail. Another member of our party was approved for reimbursement a month after my approval, and received her check over 6 weeks ago. Primary complaint: Holland America does not respond to requests for info., and can't reach anyone on the phone. UNBELIEVABLE!

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/13/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I was isolated in a cabin due to Covid from 11/29/22-12/6/22 and Holland America gave me a letter (uploaded) promising Future Cruise credit of 100% of the per day cruise fare for each day of isolation. I called, emailed, asked for assistance from my travel agent, but no response or credit has been received from Holland America. It has been over 2 months and the credit expires 12 months after the isolation date. Cruise #XQVC9R. Guest Name: ********************* Thank you for your help.P.S. I did receive a FCC on a prior cruise for missed ports, but that credit was not for this covid isolation.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/08/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Holland America case 1-9276274614, booking XLGJVT. We cruised in May 2022 and contracted Covid from another cruise guest and were quarantined for the last few days of the cruise. We filed a reimbursement request which was approved for ******. We received an a mail on 9/23/22 confirming approval from Holland America guest relations. The refund was due in **** weeks per Holland America. It is now 20 weeks and it still has not been sent.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/04/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On May 30, 2022, my wife and I submitted to Guest Relations a request for reimbursement of airfare charges (flight change for a different cruise) due to cruise cancellation by Holland America. On July 27, 2022, we received a response from Guest Relations (Case: 1-9221016163 / Booking: XWHL2M ) that the reimbursement had been approved and that we would be receiving a check for $1243.44 USD. It was stated that the check would be issued by a third-party vendor and that refunds can take a minimum of eight to twelve weeks to process. It is now Feb 3, 2023, and the check has still not been received by us (a total of 27 weeks = year). I contacted Guest Relations Nov. 14, Dec. 19, and Jan 26. Every time I am told the same story that it is in the hands of the third party vendor, and that the third party vendor has to review all the numbers before they issue the checks. This last time, I asked if they could give me the contact info for the third party vendor so that I could find out the status of the check, since Guest Relations is unable to do so. They told me they are not allowed to give out that info. I then asked if they could give me the info for the name or department above Guest Relations that I could contact to escalate the issue and get some answers. I was told there is no one higher than Guest Relations to contact. It is very disappointing that *** is blaming an unknown and unreachable third party for a reimbursement they committed to.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/02/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We, the family of five attended an onshore excursion sold to ** by Holland America. The excursion was terrible and I gave it one star in the review. So Holland America refuse to publish my review. they only publish the good reviews so they can sell more excursions. what they do is cheating. Below is my review:"Total disappointment and cheating This place is not a nature site for the wild animals. It is a man made site, not much to see. The man made wood box nest for the penguin are super small and dark. Could not see anything. We were rushed by the staffs all the time. There were about 20 some seals. That is all. The argo carts are totally a scandal. Before we got out of the bus, a site staff came up to brief us, He only asked us to buy their products, but did not mention anything about the argo carts. We did not not know there are not enough carts for everyone. After we used the washroom, we did not what to do for next and nobody is guiding us. Then I saw somebody got on the carts, I realized we need to grab seats. My 3 kids and I got on the carts, but we all sat on the back. Actually, only the 2 people sit on the front can see the view, 4 people on the back only get the dust. And there is no handles on the back. It is vert dangerous. My husband garbed a front seat on the way back but see nothing. only on the way going down can see the view. And there were a bunch of people did not get on the carts at all."

      Business Response

      Date: 03/02/2023




      March 2, 2023

      ************************
      Mr. *****************
      Email: **********************

      BBB #******** 

      RE:  Case: 1-9507201333
              Bookings: XC5V2G & XC5VXJ

      Dear ***********:

      Its always troubling when a guest is unsatisfied and we regret if our earlier response caused further ill will; that certainly wasnt our intention. We appreciate the time our guests take to share their experiences with us and we do try to resolve guest concerns in a thoughtful, considerate way.

      As previously written, you and your party were offered alternate staterooms which you chose to decline.

      Please know the letter you received from *********************** was written in error as we are unable to provide all 5 members of your party a Future Cruise Credit (FCC)in the amount of $500.00 per person. However, we have provided it to both of you and as an exception and a gesture of goodwill, we have provided ********, ***** and *********************** with FCCs in the amount of $250.00 per person. These can be viewed in their Mariner accounts on our website.

      Again, please accept our apologies for your disappointing holiday. We hope that despite the issues you encountered well have an opportunity to welcome you back on board.

      Sincerely,

      *******************************
      Special ****************** of the *************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 03/08/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and I have had futher communication via emails with Holland America guest service. Upon my request, they agree to give all 3$250 future cruise credits to my youngest daughter. And she can use the $750 in one time or multiple times of cruise booking. So far, I only see $500 credit in my ****** account. My husband did not see any credit in his ****** account yet. And my youngest daughter only see 2$250 in her ****** account. I wrote email to Holland America guest service again yesterday. Hopefully we will recieve the credits soon and put this issue behind us.

      Sincerely,

      *******************



    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/01/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We departed **** to go on a cruise in ********* on July 24, 2022, booking XPCW9W. Connected through ORD. In *******, we were notified that a family member had a medical emergency that required our attention. We decided my wife would return home. We contacted ****** Airlines and cancelled the balance of our outbound flight (***-AMS) and canceled our Delta return flight (AMS-***). We were told the airfare was a bulk rate and would be credited to Holland America. We also notified Holland America Guest Relations 7/30/2022.We purchased Holland America's Platinum trip insurance which is supposed to cover trip interruptions. We filled a claim, but never could reach AON (Holland America's trip Insurance partner). Out of frustration we filed a complaint against AON with the better business bureau. Within three days we received a response from AON and they gave us a partial settlement. They would not cover the Airfare, however. Said it was their policy that "If any part of the Airfare is used, it is not covered". We could not find anything in the policy that made such a statement, but at this point we at least had a partial settlement.We sent an email to Holland America Guest Relations since the airfare was credited back to them. We received a response indicating to send the denied AON claim and they would review. We sent it, and received a subsequent email requesting that we complete a "out of pocket expense form" which we did. Weeks went by so we sent an inquiry and they asked for the same form again. We resent. Haven't heard anything since. We've tried emailing and calling, but after hours of being on hold, no one answers. No email responses. It's has now been over 6 months and the issue is unresolved. Time to bring this issue to close. We also rebooked the same cruise for 2023 so my wife can have the experience that was interrupted in 22. If we cannot resolve the current issue soon, we will cancel all future cruise plans.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/30/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      The cruise we took was Jan 8, 2023 thru Jan 15, 2023 on the Nieuw Amsterdam of the Holland America Line. While the food and the ship's crew in general were excellent, all other issues handled by Guest relations were totally ineffective. I believe deliberately so. Prior to booking I was assured that I qualified for a one-time $100 on board credit for being a veteran. After a lot of @#$%^&*, I was told that it would apply to my next cruise. This was said to me before the ship had left port to begin the cruise. Then after cancelling an excursion, due to bad weather, and Wi-fi being useless for several days, we were issued credits totaling $80.77. I was assured by "Guest relation staff" that this amount would be credited to my credit card within a day of reaching port. It has been more than two weeks, no money and not even an acknowledgement of my issue. They have sent a number of e-mails about future trips. Like that is going to happen. Cabin # ****.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/27/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I took a cruise on Holland America Lines with my wife for our 50th anniversary. This trip was the ****** Double Denali which included both a land and a sea component. Voyage number was D3L and confirmation was XQ3XHC with the departure date was Sunday, August 7, 2022.During the cruise, the ship diagnosed me with COVID 19 and I was sequestered / quarantined. Per the Holland America COVID PLEDGE, I was given the form to fill out for reimbursement for incurred expenses for my extended stay in Vancouver, BC at the end of the actual cruise. The requested reimbursement included three components 1) hotel accommodations (actual ***** booked hotel) 2) a stated per diem of $100 per day and 3) airline change fee / actual.I filled out the form and all of the requested paperwork and receipts and, on October 9, I forwarded it to **************************************** per the instructions. The indication at that time was that the reimbursement would take between 4-6 weeks. I received an automated response indicating that the information was received and the reimbursement would now be **** weeks. I have tried contacting HA on numerous occasions, both through the email (only automated response) and via telephone, spending up to two hours at a time only to get disconnected without talking to anyone.TODAY IS 110 days or **** weeks since I submitted the information requested, in good faith, expecting either the reimbursement or information as to the status of the claim. The current **** weeks is three times longer then was committed to on the initial claim and almost twice as long as even their revised indication of **** weeks.THESE PEOPLE HAVE MY MONEY, ARE NON RESPONSIVE AND DID NOT / ARE NOT LIVING UP TO THEIR WRITTEN COMMITMENT.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/24/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My wife, daughter, and myself cruised on the Oosterdam in June of 2022 in the Mediterranean. Our daughter, *****, developed medical issues, visited the medical center (June 8? 9?), was given prescription medication and it was suggested she return home for treatment. She flew out of ********* on June 10. We had purchased the *** ******** plan, this promises reimbursement of 90% of cost of the cruise, unforeseen travel expenses, etc. We filed paperwork with AON (claim #********) the insurer of the plan. Spoke to ***** (T?H?agliarelli) of AON *************). He stated they've repeatedly requested medical records from *** about this but to no avail. In earlier e-mails they stated that they've received all the needed information. My daughter has submitted the proper forms: Medical Release of Information, etc. We've tried contacting *** via phone and e-mails but to no avail. E-mailed the *** (***********************) twice. Again no response. It seems that *** is refusing to forward the medical records to AON.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/19/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We have a Future Cruise Credit for $618 expiring 01/01/2023. I booked & paid for a cruise on Dec 31st. but could not apply the credit, it was no longer shown. I called Holland America on Jan 4th and asked it be applied retrospectively. Response was as I had paid in full there was nothing to which it could be applied. It was suggested the *** be applied to another cruise that I should book during 2023. Additionally the *** is in ******** paid in CDN. I asked the *** be applied against Shore Excursions which are charged in USD. HL responded. I've researched this and it looks like the future cruise credits were issued in USD as that is the currently the booking they were built from was in. The booking you are trying to apply them to is CDN. We are unable to change the currency on the future cruise credits in order to apply them to your CDN booking. The future cruise credits have a sail by date and book by date of 12/31/2023 so they are pulling up still and can be applied to a booking in USD.HL website states. Can a Future Cruise Credit (***) be applied to an existing booking?Yes, ***s can be applied to an existing booking. Please contact your Travel Advisor or your local Holland America Line reservations *********** for assistance.I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on another cruise to recover the credit I received for a cruise cancelled during Covid. Nowhere does it state *** can only be applied in the currency in which it was issued.I am not asking for my money back only that the credit be applied to my on board account so it can be spent during our booked cruise.

      Business Response

      Date: 02/08/2023




      February 8, 2023

      Mr. ************
      Email: ******************

      BBB #********

      RE:  Case: ************
              Booking: CCVRGG

      Dear **************:

      Its always troubling when a guest is unsatisfied, and your feedback is important to us. Therefore, after reviewing your issues once again wed like to take this opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to our guests.

      Please know, per your request, we have cancelled your Future Cruise Credits in the amount of $618.00 USD per person and have reissued them as an onboard credit for the same amount. For your convenience the credits are associated with your Mariner numbers and once processed will be applied to your upcoming cruise on board Koningsdam sailing in October, booking XV8X4P.Please note, the credits are non-refundable and may not be used toward a cash advance or casino postings.

      We look forward to welcoming you aboard another sailing very soon. Until then, we wish you all the best.

      Sincerely,

      *******************************
      Special ****************** of the *********

      Customer Answer

      Date: 02/09/2023

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      *************************

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