Reach Holland America Corporate Office Headquarters 

Holland America, I embarked on a 14-day southern Caribbean cruise with Holland America. Please find the attached booking confirmation for your reference. During our cruise, we encountered significant negligence regarding our dietary restrictions, which resulted in severe illness for my wife and me. Despite our detailed dietary requirements, including vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and organic options, as communicated to the representative during booking, we were consistently met with inadequate meal preparation. Upon boarding the vessel, we promptly informed guest services and the dining room staff about our dietary needs. However, despite our efforts, none of the meals prepared for dinner during the first five days (December 21st-25th) met our dietary specifications. Our waiter, Abel, was exceptional in his service and even suggested creating a menu based on our home-cooked meals. However, this did not resolve the issue. We repeatedly requested meals from the vegan menu, only to be informed that the items were unavailable and alternative meals that did not align with our dietary requirements were provided. Despite Abel’s efforts to escalate the matter to the restaurant manager, Pooh, he failed to address the issue promptly.

On Christmas Day, December 25th, after numerous attempts to rectify the situation, the fifth day of the cruise, the food served was so unacceptable that we had to leave dinner and seek alternative dining options at the Lito restaurant, which was closed. We had to wait until 10:30 pm to obtain a late-night snack. Recognizing the need for immediate action, we engaged in a conversation with Pooh and the head chef, who assured us that they would implement the necessary changes to accommodate our dietary needs. For the subsequent two days, the crew demonstrated exceptional service and successfully met our dietary requirements. Despite our initial success, our vegan experience took a severe turn on December 28th. We discovered chicken in our meal, which marked the most significant violation of our vegan lifestyle in our 25 years of abstaining from meat. As a result, we experienced severe gastrointestinal distress, including abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. We promptly informed our waiter, Pooh, and the sous chef, who apologized profusely. The sous chef admitted that he had no knowledge of the chicken contamination, as he was only responsible for preparing our meal. However, the head chef revealed that the sous chef had simultaneously prepared chicken and our meal, resulting in the meat being inadvertently mixed in. To address the issue, we requested a meeting with the hotel manager, George, and the restaurant matron, Mohammed. They apologized sincerely and assured us that the kitchen staff would implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. They also offered bottled water and a bottle of wine as a gesture of goodwill. Unfortunately, our condition worsened, particularly for my wife. She continued to experience vomiting, abdominal pain, and nausea, leading to a traumatic experience that prevented her from enjoying dinner. She subsequently sought medical attention on the ship medical center. I also continued to suffer from diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. The medical professional recommended that we continue drinking water, ginger, and lemon water/tea to flush out the toxins. However, despite these measures, we were unable to fully recover throughout the remainder of our trip. This experience has undoubtedly made it our most unpleasant cruise to date. We have made an effort to contact the hotel regarding the incident, but we have yet to receive a response. As a result, we are considering seeking legal counsel to pursue further action. …Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. Thanks…With best Regards,

I Remain Truthfully Yours