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Is Ryndam August 21 chartered?

portofrome

By portofrome,
in Holland America Line

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portofrome

portofrome

Posted
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I’m booked on her in August 21, 2013 from Barcelona to Venice. Since last week I’m checking on Hal site and I can’t find it but going on my Reservations the cruise is still there. I tried also on a couple of different cruise site without any result. So, I sent an email to Hal but no answer yet…..Does anyone know about it?

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cruising cockroach

cruising cockroach

Posted
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Minnesota Public Radio has chartered it for the 2013 "A Prairie Home Companion" cruise. The cruise seemed to have only been announced during yesterday (Saturday) evening's show and wasn't listed/offered on the show's web site last week but is as of yesterday. Starts at $2,500 for a NN room but that does include port charges/taxes and service charge.

 

All categories available during the show last night but a fair number have sold out ~18 hours later.

 

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/cruise/2013/

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cruising cockroach

cruising cockroach

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Looks like you're booked on it but more than likely to get bumped now. If your command of English is good enough, you're a thinking person and it suits your budget, I'd rebook on it. It's a wonderful radio show (you can listen to the past shows on the previous links) and you won't lack for quality entertainment that you would on a normal cruise. I'd go on it but I'm far too cheap.

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doctork

doctork

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Yes, Garrison Keillor chartered the Ryndam last August 18 - August 29 for the Prairie Home Companion cruise and it was fabulous. He did say at the end of that cruise that he would like to "pick up where we left off" from Barcelona to Venice in 2013, and those of us who have made past charter cruises were offered the opportunity to book beginning last Monday December 3. Public booking opened last night.

 

I think I recall that there were a few passengers last summer who were booked on the cruise before the charter occurred, and they were offered the chance to keep the booking as is - a bargain if you like Prairie Home Companion. The charter is much more expensive.

 

I have wondered if one reason the Prairie Home cruises are so pricey is because so many other booked passengers are "bumped," given relatively short notice.

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portofrome

portofrome

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Looks like you're booked on it but more than likely to get bumped now. If your command of English is good enough, you're a thinking person and it suits your budget, I'd rebook on it. It's a wonderful radio show (you can listen to the past shows on the previous links) and you won't lack for quality entertainment that you would on a normal cruise. I'd go on it but I'm far too cheap.

 

Thanks for your imput but I checked the price and it is too expensive for my budget.

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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I have wondered if one reason the Prairie Home cruises are so pricey is because so many other booked passengers are "bumped," given relatively short notice.

 

Charters are more expensive because that is what the cruise line charges the charter - more money; it has nothing to do with who was booked on the cruise before they were bumped. The charter is responsible for filling it's cruise and handling all reservations; they take on extra risk. The cruise line is responsible for making the bumped passengers "whole".

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doctork

doctork

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Charters are more expensive because that is what the cruise line charges the charter - more money; it has nothing to do with who was booked on the cruise before they were bumped. The charter is responsible for filling it's cruise and handling all reservations; they take on extra risk. The cruise line is responsible for making the bumped passengers "whole".

 

I would think that one of the reasons HAL charges more for a charter is the cost of making those bumped passengers whole. But also a good portion of the higher price could be due to the 140 passengers that are part of the Prairie Home cast and their family members (at least that is what Garrison Keillor said about the cruise last summer) who do not pay their own fare; presumably the rest of us pay a higher fare to cover that cost.

 

And then there is the entertainment - a Prairie Home Companion show every night in the showroom, plus individual concerts and other events pretty much non-stop all day and night. Tickets to any individual PHC live show during the season run $40 - $80 per person.

 

The PHC cruises are not cheap but those of us who cruise on them repeatedly find they are well worth the money.

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portofrome

portofrome

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A couple of years ago we were bumped from a cruise as HAL changed the ships itinerary.

 

We were offered a couple of other dates for the same cruise but they did not work out for us as we had other obligations. So we lost out.

 

Wish you luck on whatever HAL offers you.

 

Do let us know what happens.

 

 

A week after my first email no news yet from Hal! I just sent another email.

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English_in_Spain

English_in_Spain

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'Til now I had great and fast service from Hal Seattle. All my booking were and are directly with them... I hope it is the same this time too.

 

 

Slightly off topic.

 

You live in Italy - correct?

 

How do you book with HAL Seattle?

 

I am in Spain and didn't realise that passengers in Europe could book with Seattle. I book with HAL UK but I am not too happy with that as the staff there are not very knowledgeable.

 

Do you pay in USD?

 

I hope you get your cruise sorted soon

 

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portofrome

portofrome

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Yes, I live in Italy and I book my cruises while I'm on board. So all my reservations are handle by Seattle. I booked once by Hal site and the reservation was direct with Seattle as well. My payments are in € and my big disappointment is that they don't let me to use for the balance my Amex but the Visa only.

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English_in_Spain

English_in_Spain

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Yes, I live in Italy and I book my cruises while I'm on board. So all my reservations are handle by Seattle. I booked once by Hal site and the reservation was direct with Seattle as well. My payments are in € and my big disappointment is that they don't let me to use for the balance my Amex but the Visa only.

 

 

That's interesting.

 

As I said, I live in Spain and I am always directed to SeaVacations UK Ltd (this is Holland America in UK)

 

Maybe this is because I used to live in UK and so that is where my account is held.

 

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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Yes, I live in Italy and I book my cruises while I'm on board. So all my reservations are handle by Seattle. I booked once by Hal site and the reservation was direct with Seattle as well. My payments are in € and my big disappointment is that they don't let me to use for the balance my Amex but the Visa only.

 

Have you ever asked Seattle why they will only accept your Visa and not the AMEX?

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portofrome

portofrome

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A couple of years ago we were bumped from a cruise as HAL changed the ships itinerary.

 

We were offered a couple of other dates for the same cruise but they did not work out for us as we had other obligations. So we lost out.

 

Wish you luck on whatever HAL offers you.

 

Do let us know what happens.

 

I got a call from Hal in Rotterdam and a very professional and kind lady informed me that ship is chartered and gave me some options for August or September but they didn't work for me. So I asked to move to the 11 day Mediterranean Explorer on the Noordam on the 24th July from Barcelona to Civitavecchia. I got the confirmation and they offered me also 190$ as OBC. Thanks Hal.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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I got a call from Hal in Rotterdam and a very professional and kind lady informed me that ship is chartered and gave me some options for August or September but they didn't work for me. So I asked to move to the 11 day Mediterranean Explorer on the Noordam on the 24th July from Barcelona to Civitavecchia. I got the confirmation and they offered me also 190$ as OBC. Thanks Hal.

 

Congratulations!!

Glad that you were able to switch to another cruise and get some shipboard credit!!

Enjoy your cruise.

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RuthC

RuthC

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I got a call from Hal in Rotterdam and a very professional and kind lady informed me that ship is chartered and gave me some options for August or September but they didn't work for me. So I asked to move to the 11 day Mediterranean Explorer on the Noordam on the 24th July from Barcelona to Civitavecchia. I got the confirmation and they offered me also 190$ as OBC. Thanks Hal.

Nice going, Fabio! Is the new cruise the same length as the canceled one? :confused: Or maybe longer??? :D

In either case, I do hope it's a pleasant substitute for you. But the Med in July??? Some like it hot, don't they. ;)

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