Reader Austin and his fiance will be married on May 22, and their honeymoon cruise leaves May 29… without them. Holland America says that Austin (23), and his bride to be, Kelly (20) are too young to sail. Austin says he wasn’t told about this restriction when he booked and paid for the cruise.
Austin writes:
I don’t know if you can answer or can help in anyway, but I’m desperate.
I booked a 20 day Mediterranean Cruise with Holland America back in February for my Honeymoon. My wedding is May 22 and the ship leaves May 29. I am 23 and my new bride to be is 20. I have paid for everything already, the airlines, hotel in Rome, and cruise.
However, they have just informed me that they are not going to let us sail because Kelly, my wife, is too young. We are 2 weeks away from our wedding!!! They didn’t inform me of this before, nor do they say anything on their website. Because I am not over 25, they are denying us. On other websites, age requirements are waived for married couples if they are both over 18 and can show proof of marriage.
What should I do???
Well, Austin. We contacted Holland America for a comment on your situation but our requests for information were ignored.
We then took a look at their policy on passengers under 21 (which is on their website, but it’s buried):
Guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or chaperone who is at least 25 years old; one adult chaperone is required for every five people under the age of 21.
It seems that, unlike other cruise lines, they do not make an exception for young married couples. This is something they really should have told you when you booked the cruise.
We then took a look at their cancellation policy and have some more bad news, unless you paid for a “Cancellation Protection Plan” you may be in trouble. Holland America’s website doesn’t disclose how large the cancellation fee will be, but they do say: ” Cancellation fees apply regardless of the reason for cancellation, including medical and family matters. “
We’re not travel experts, so we’re going to toss this one out to the crowd. Anyone know how to get Holland America to make an exception? Anyone want to be Austin and Kelly’s chaperone?
(Photo: Todd Stewart )
UPDATE: It seems Austin and Kelly have a heroic travel agent:
WE ARE GOING ON OUR CRUISE!!!!!
My travel agent drove over to tell me the news, because she was so excited and couldn’t do it over the phone. She had got a call from her HAL rep at 8AM, 6AM Seattle time, who had been pushing this case with Holland America.
The HAL rep’s name was Alicia and I want to give a big thanks to her for really sticking it out for us. I know she had to reopen our case and go above and beyond to find someone who would listen. She said she got a call at 1AM from her director who was told that we would be allowed to board. I am so excited!!!
I can’t thank all of you enough, who kept posting all day yesterday and last night. There was so little hope because HAL had faxed over our cancellation notice yesterday afternoon and were only going to refund $400. But you guys kept talking and spurring debate on this arbitrary age requirement rule of being 25. I know they were listening to all of us, even if they didn’t say so.
If we had gotten no response by this afternoon, I had planned to start using all of your great ideas out there. I’m just so happy it didn’t have to make it to that stage. I’ve been on three HAL cruises with my family and always considered there service the best. That is why I selected them for my honeymoon. I’m so glad they didn’t let me down.
Alicia said it had made her day being able to come in to work early and make that call. It is her birthday too, so an extra Happy Birthday to you and a big thanks from us Alicia. Enjoy the flowers!
And thanks again everyone for your support, ideas, and help in this matter!!!
(Thanks, jamesdenver!)
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My only question is why Holland America?
@Dervish: I made good use of the consumption exceptions in my state as a teen, as my parents took a more European view of alcohol, and preferred to raise us to view alcohol as something to be enjoyed, in social settings, in moderation, and not a magical mystery fun-maker that unlocks when you level up to age 21. I started having half a glass of wine on special occasions at family dinners when I was about 14; by the time I went to college, there was no mystery about alcohol and my attitude toward drunkenness and drinking to get drunk was that it was pretty tacky.
Not that I didn’t indulge in some drunkenness later on, but it really took law school to drive me to it.
Glad it all worked out. Holland is kinda a stuffy upper end line though and I’m sure that the rule is to keep out the spring break college party crowd. I don’t care so much about college kids on a cruise, but I could deal without the young children.
@blackmage439: A number of us have decent jobs.
Damn, Me and my wife are both over 25, you could have took us
So glad it worked out! Congratulations!
TPK is exactly right. I’m glad you get to go, but your Travel Agent did you a disservice by booking you on a cruise line that caters to the 60 and over crowd.
@blackmage439: I would assume they started by earning money and then setting some of it aside until they had enough to pay for the cruise, but maybe they did something outlandish you never really know.
At 20 and 21, my wife and I were almost too young to get a rental car.
Holland America sucks. They don’t let you drink alcohol over the age of 18 once you are out in international waters. From what I’ve heard, other cruise lines allow for this.
Holland America is a line oriented for older folks. They don’t want us young-uns running around and upsetting the elders.
Our friend should have picked a different cruise line, or no cruise at all, since you couldn’t get me to ever go on a such a regimented, crowded, and unrelaxing style of vacationing ever again.
Anyways, congrats to the newlyweds and I hope their honeymoon works out.
@thenotwho:
“As a side note, car rental places screw their young customers in a similar way – either you can’t rent a car altogether if you’re under 25, or you have to pay a bogus fee per day.”
Uh… you do no they aren’t actually being spiteful or greedy right? They won’t rent because their insurance won’t allow it or they pay increased premiums so that they can rent to you. You are currently paying “bogus” higher insurance rates because you are a higher risk until 25, when your rates will drop.
Thus the reason you get to have one age requirement milestone left after the big 21, being able to rent a car and lower insurance! Not as exciting as drinking but I’m looking forward to it!
what a bs policy, 21 and 25 are adults, why do they need a guardian?
@NoWin:
But isn’t the mix up entirely the agent’s fault? I mean, between the OP and the agent, who should know about Holland America’s age restrictions?
Just one more reason to pay the $10 or more to have a travel agent. They’re your advocate when needed and they’ll even explain the nuances of travel insurance for those expensive outtings).
We long-ago ditched Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz after a repeated and a consistent lack of service (many caused by the online booking agencies themselves!)
When you’re in a bind (including a canceled flight), you can call a travel agent to help you out. Which is more than you’ll get with the online travel sites.
Bad customer service at the online shops is resulting in a resurgence for real-life agents who are much more likely to help you out.
“Guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or chaperone who is at least 25 years old; one adult chaperone is required for every five people under the age of 21.”
They don’t consider you a adult at 21? I’m glad I live in Ireland.
The issue here is medical: Under age 25, your immune and GI systems aren’t able to handle the enormous amounts of norovirus and chlamydia that are found on the typical cruiseship. This is why cruise ships only hire people from third-world countries where the lack of medical care, combined with powerful strains of hepatitis and yellow fever, evolve support personnel with indomitable resistance to infection.
Holland America knows that these two married tykes don’t stand a chance–they’re just being realistic. My suggestion is that before this couple goes on a honeymoon cruise, that they build up their systems by becoming Peace Corps volunteers, or maybe getting jobs changing diapers at a day-care for a few months.
Let’s hear it for that travel agent and her contact at HAL! If more companies listened to their customers when they are making a logical and reasonable argument and bent their “rules” and “policies” in the interests of keeping all their customers happy and treating them fairly, there would be a lot fewer unhappy posts on places like The Consumerist.
@B: Says who?
To be fair, if you’re under 40 you’re too young to go on a cruise.
@blackmage439:
I’m Austin’s age and would have no problem booking that kind of cruise given my income after graduating college and getting a good job. Also, he likely received some financial gifts to help make it possible. Just because I “could” afford it, doesn’t mean I’d spend that much on a honeymoon! Saving money is more fun!
Both are old enough to vote, drive a car, join the military and die for our country, the husband can purchase alcohal legally, but sorry, you’re both too young to take a cruise. What a joke!
From what I remember whenever I booked a cruise in the past I had to get the birthdays of the passengers. We had to add it to the booking. Did the travel agent screw up in the beginning? They should have known what the ages of the passengers were. I mean I’m glad they are going now but how did this happen in the first place?
This is a fantastic story. Bravo to the agent for going out of her way to help this couple!! Wow, there are still some people in business who actually like people and want to help them. Great to know.
That agent would have my business for sure if only I knew who she was. Once again, a post about someone who did something good and their name and/or company info is left out. I find that to be a bit ungrateful on the poster’s part. If an agent did something like this for me, I would be shouting their name from the rooftops so everyone would know exactly who she was and where to find her. Oh well.
And bravo to Holland America for ultimately doing the right thing. I understand the need for the age rule but it really should be waived for a married couple on their honeymoon. They aren’t going cause trouble–if they even leave their cabin at all.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if the young couple totally misbehaved on the cruise?
Besides the fact that it is absolutely moronic to get married at such a young age, WTF on the cruise line??? What are they, Big Brother???
I’m glad to see this happy young couple got their way. The HAL “customer service” folks are stupid and offensive. The first time I took a cruise on their BRAND NEW maiden voyage ship, the AC was out in my room, they wouldn’t put us in another room or fix it for four days. The fifth day they did show up to fix it, but couldn’t. I called when I got off the ship requesting 50% off for inconvenience (it ruined most of the trip for us) and the pathetic reply was “well, you ate the food…”
I then proceeded with my more extreme version of the Consumerist ECB, which I refer to as the CEO Extortion Communique – in which I spelled out precisely how I would cost his company $10 million in bad publicity over the next decade if he didn’t meet me half way. I got the check the next week…but if he hired people with common sense who gave a damn, I wouldn’t have had to to that.
Sounds like the travel agent screwed this up. It should be noted, since the original story is misleading by blaming the cruise line. This is probably why the travel agent got is fixed, the agent was probably desperate. A flop like this could have ruined the agent’s business.
@awolcfh5150: I agree that inconsistency in the required ages is completely ridiculous (esp in terms of military service and alcohol). However, what’s kind of annoying is that marriage is actually considered a reasonable exception. This really used to chap my ass on financial aid applications. Despite the fact you could be entirely self-supporting, you weren’t considered a “real adult” until the age of 25 unless you were a veteran (totally reasonable), or MAAAARIED.
Sorry, just because you say some vows doesn’t make you more responsible by default than any other 20 year old. What if, for instance an unmarried, mature 20 year old who had worked his or her ass off wanted to take a cruise? Somehow I don’t think you would have half of society advocating on this person’s behalf.
Wow, huge kudos to Alicia! And I want to know the name of your travel agent, since she’s apparently got the right contacts.
@richcreamerybutter: I believe if you’re in a military branch and under 21 you’re able to drink on base. It’s been years since I was told this though, so I might be wrong.
@CatMoran: I would avoid that agent – while I’m glad she resolved things, it’s her fault they were in a bind. It’s the travel agent’s responsibility to make sure the guest knows all these details — cruise lines pay agents 10-18% of the fare, and they’re expected to earn that money with their expertise.
It’s not like it’s a new rule. Only RCI and Carnival make an exception for married people, and only Disney and Oceania allow other people 18-20 to cruise unaccompanied.
An overview of age restrictions for each cruise line: [www.cruisesavvy.com]
That said, I think HAL should add the married couple exception. Anybody who takes the big step of getting married AND booking a high-end cruise seems unlikely to get wild in the bars.