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They cancelled my cruise


tjhorrall
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We booked this cruise with Holland America. It was the second leg of a a two part cruise. The first leg was from San Diego to VanCouver and this was from VanCouver. We booked this in February and paid for precruise hotel and transfer. We bought insurance and prepaid gratuities. Now that we are lesas than 3 weeks out Holland cancelled the second leg saying it violated the Jones Act. The fact the the Jones Act does not apply to cruise ships is irrelevant. Why did they let us book it in the first place and thwen wait until just before the cruise to can cel it. We have been anticipating this cruise for some time and were counting down the days. They wanted us just to end our cruise in VanCouver but that was not the vacation we planned or the airline transportation we already booked. We insisted they cancel the entire cruise and refund all of our money. They sold us a package from San Diego to Seattle and then want to change the paln at the last minute, this is not acceptable. They have refunded most of my money but are still over $200 short. We are searching for a cruise line to be our primary cruise line and this would have been our first Holland cruise. We have cruised on Carnival, Disney and Princess and di not want to do them again. We are so disappointed with Holland tghat we will not give them another try. This would have been different if they had told us when we booked or shortly after but to wait until just before we are scheduled to go.We had to cancel our flights, supershuttle, pet sitter, house sitter and a plan to leave our vehicle with the mechanic for a week for a complete check up. Oh and my vacation I was approved at my job.

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A little more info, please. Did you use a travel agent to book your cruise? I'm guessing the second leg was from Vancouver to Seattle? As I understand it, and I am not an expert, this would be a violation of the PVSA (passenger vessel service act). You can't go from one U.S. port to another U.S. port without going to a far distant international port. Vancouver's not far enough out. You can do a round-trip itinerary, leaving from one U.S. port, and returning to the same port.

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We booked this cruise with Holland America. It was the second leg of a a two part cruise. The first leg was from San Diego to VanCouver and this was from VanCouver. We booked this in February and paid for precruise hotel and transfer. We bought insurance and prepaid gratuities. Now that we are lesas than 3 weeks out Holland cancelled the second leg saying it violated the Jones Act. The fact the the Jones Act does not apply to cruise ships is irrelevant. Why did they let us book it in the first place and thwen wait until just before the cruise to can cel it. We have been anticipating this cruise for some time and were counting down the days. They wanted us just to end our cruise in VanCouver but that was not the vacation we planned or the airline transportation we already booked. We insisted they cancel the entire cruise and refund all of our money. They sold us a package from San Diego to Seattle and then want to change the paln at the last minute, this is not acceptable. They have refunded most of my money but are still over $200 short. We are searching for a cruise line to be our primary cruise line and this would have been our first Holland cruise. We have cruised on Carnival, Disney and Princess and di not want to do them again. We are so disappointed with Holland tghat we will not give them another try. This would have been different if they had told us when we booked or shortly after but to wait until just before we are scheduled to go.We had to cancel our flights, supershuttle, pet sitter, house sitter and a plan to leave our vehicle with the mechanic for a week for a complete check up. Oh and my vacation I was approved at my job.

Could you please clarify this a little? Exactly which cruises are you talking about? I know the Nieuw Amsterdam has a 4-day cruise San Diego to Vancouver and the Oosterdam 4-day San Diego to Seattle, both leaving SD on 25 April. They both go on to Alaska after that. What cruise would have taken you back to San Diego? One other thing: The Jones Act does apply to cruise ships, as does a more specific one, the Passenger Services Vessel Act of 1886.

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Could you please clarify this a little? Exactly which cruises are you talking about? I know the Nieuw Amsterdam has a 4-day cruise San Diego to Vancouver and the Oosterdam 4-day San Diego to Seattle, both leaving SD on 25 April. They both go on to Alaska after that. What cruise would have taken you back to San Diego? One other thing: The Jones Act does apply to cruise ships, as does a more specific one, the Passenger Services Vessel Act of 1886.

 

The Oosterdam coastal leaves San Diego on 25 April and arrives in Vancouver on the 29th. Then there is a one-night cruise from Vancouver to Seattle. They shouldn't allow those two cruises to be booked together. San Diego to Seattle violates the PVSA. And adding the Seattle-Seattle cruise just extends the violation.

 

OP, can you tell us which ship you're on? The Nieuw Amsterdam combo should be "legal," as it's San Diego to Vancouver and then Vancouver to Vancouver.

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Why do you need to cancel everything simply because HA scrapped your second leg? Just Amtrak or bus from Vancouver to Seattle and you are still good to go with the rest of your plan. There is alternative unless you refuse to consider and imprivise.

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My one question is this: Did you book the cruise at an Inter Agency price?

 

The one time I distinctly remember someone else coming in and venting (I would be mad also) about it.

 

Took us 3-4 days to discover they were booked on an Inter Agency booking (Super Low Price because a relative worked for the cruise line.) One of our CC Members is a Travel Agent and she explained the Inter Agency fares are basically on stand by and can loose their stateroom up to the day of departure. Hope I explained that right, if not one of our TA members will jump in to correct me (I Hope) :)

 

I am sorry this happened to you and I would be p'od as well.

 

Joanie

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I'm looking forward to more details. I have such a suspicion of travel agents that I could readily imagine that the travel agent tried to pull a fast one, perhaps booking the passenger on two legs to make the booking legit and then cancelling one leg.

 

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I'm looking forward to more details. I have such a suspicion of travel agents that I could readily imagine that the travel agent tried to pull a fast one, perhaps booking the passenger on two legs to make the booking legit and then cancelling one leg.

 

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Sounds like HAL is paying his expenses so that makes me think they are at fault.

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Sounds like HAL is paying his expenses so that makes me think they are at fault.

I believe you misread the OP: "They have refunded most of my money but are still over $200 short." That sounds like the cruise line is just giving him his money back... not "paying his expenses" at all and not even giving all his money back. Now that you point that out, considering what I just quoted, it makes it sound like the cruise line has determined that it is even less of their concern than I originally thought.

 

Has anyone tried to book San Diego to Vancouver to Seattle? Does Holland America booking engine even allow you to do that or is that only something you do by way of booking two separate reservations?

 

UPDATED: I just checked myself and no they do not offer any San Diego to Seattle itineraries. The only way arrange that kind of trip is to make two separate bookings.

 

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Edited by bUU
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It sounds like HAL refunded the money because the OP had insurance...the "just over $200" they didn't refund is probably the cost of the insurance.

 

That's about how much we paid for the travel protection ins through HAL for our upcoming trip.

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Clearly if he was booked San Diego to Vancouver and Vancouver to Seattle, that is not a legal cruise.

 

The booking engines on most cruise lines do not catch all of the possible violation combinations. Especially since one has to book them separately as two different cruises.

 

The double checking to make sure that there is not a violation is done by a department prior to the cruise. Usually prior to 3 weeks before the cruise. Though people have commented here on CC on getting notified at a wide range of dates prior to their cruise.

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I believe you misread the OP: "They have refunded most of my money but are still over $200 short." That sounds like the cruise line is just giving him his money back... not "paying his expenses" at all and not even giving all his money back.

 

3 weeks til sailing. They are refunding his money. To me it reads as though they screwed up.

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It sounds like HAL refunded the money because the OP had insurance...the "just over $200" they didn't refund is probably the cost of the insurance.

 

That's about how much we paid for the travel protection ins through HAL for our upcoming trip.

 

Then that might be the answer.

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I believe you misread the OP: "They have refunded most of my money but are still over $200 short." That sounds like the cruise line is just giving him his money back... not "paying his expenses" at all and not even giving all his money back. Now that you point that out, considering what I just quoted, it makes it sound like the cruise line has determined that it is even less of their concern than I originally thought.

 

Has anyone tried to book San Diego to Vancouver to Seattle? Does Holland America booking engine even allow you to do that or is that

 

Even if you make two separarate ookings, is there some rule you must stay inVancouver for some number of hours prior to boarding t he sh ip in order for PVSA to be satsified. Somehow I vaguely remember something about hosrs between bevgbin on thehr ship if same cruise line.. only something you do by way of booking two separate reservations?

 

UPDATED: I just checked myself and no they do not offer any San Diego to Seattle itineraries. The only way arrange that kind of trip is to make two separate bookings.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

 

Even if you make two separaate bookings, is there some rule you must stay inVancouver for some number of hours prior or boardsing he sh ip in order for PVSA to be satsified. Somehow I r vaguely rmember something about hours between bin on the ship if same cruise line.. only something you do by way of booking two separate reservations?

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A little more info, please. Did you use a travel agent to book your cruise? I'm guessing the second leg was from Vancouver to Seattle? As I understand it, and I am not an expert, this would be a violation of the PVSA (passenger vessel service act). You can't go from one U.S. port to another U.S. port without going to a far distant international port. Vancouver's not far enough out. You can do a round-trip itinerary, leaving from one U.S. port, and returning to the same port.

 

 

 

In looking at HALs itineraries, this appears to be exactly what happened. SanDiego to Vancouver to Seattle cannot be done. Many people probably have no idea the PVSA exists, or don't understand it, or realize that a B2B is considered one sailing.

 

 

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Even if you make two separaate bookings, is there some rule you must stay inVancouver for some number of hours prior or boardsing he sh ip in order for PVSA to be satsified. Somehow I r vaguely rmember something about hours between bin on the ship if same cruise line.. only something you do by way of booking two separate reservations?
Interesting question. I'll have to research that when I get a chance. My guess is that the two bookings probably have to have different disembarkation (from the first itinerary) and embarkation (to the second itinerary) dates.

 

 

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Interesting question. I'll have to research that when I get a chance. My guess is that the two bookings probably have to have different disembarkation (from the first itinerary) and embarkation (to the second itinerary) dates.

 

 

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That sounds right. I remember a discussion about it a while back when someone was trying to do a coastal and an Alaska cruise that ended in Seattle, something like you could do this April on Nieuw Amsterdam in three legs: San Diego to Vancouver, Vancouver to Seattle, and Seattle to Seattle. The way around that would be to skip the one night Vancouver to Seattle and take a bus or train instead, staying overnight in one of those cities and then reboarding the ship.

 

If OP was doing the two legs San Diego to Vancouver (4 nights) to Seattle (1 additional night), most of the trip, including air connections, could be salvaged by substituting a land connection for the one night cruise.

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That sounds right. I remember a discussion about it a while back when someone was trying to do a coastal and an Alaska cruise that ended in Seattle, something like you could do this April on Nieuw Amsterdam in three legs: San Diego to Vancouver, Vancouver to Seattle, and Seattle to Seattle. The way around that would be to skip the one night Vancouver to Seattle and take a bus or train instead, staying overnight in one of those cities and then reboarding the ship.

 

If OP was doing the two legs San Diego to Vancouver (4 nights) to Seattle (1 additional night), most of the trip, including air connections, could be salvaged by substituting a land connection for the one night cruise.

 

 

So the "they cancelled my cruise" was just a 1 night cruise?

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So the "they cancelled my cruise" was just a 1 night cruise?

 

I'm not sure. OP said it was two legs starting with the coastal. The cruise that follows the coastal is the overnighter Vancouver to Seattle. Maybe what he/she called the second leg was the one nighter combined with the following Seattle-Seattle Alaska cruise, which I think is one week. If so, that could be salvaged by using the land connection, too.

 

Until the OP comes back with more information, we're all just guessing.

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I'm not sure. OP said it was two legs starting with the coastal. The cruise that follows the coastal is the overnighter Vancouver to Seattle. Maybe what he/she called the second leg was the one nighter combined with the following Seattle-Seattle Alaska cruise, which I think is one week. If so, that could be salvaged by using the land connection, too.

 

Until the OP comes back with more information, we're all just guessing.

 

Gotcha thanks!

 

Hopefully they'll come back...this was their one and only post on here and we're all curious to hear the details. lol

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The OP is right that HAL should never had let the original bookings go through. But the software probably does not catch everything. When it finally caught the mistake, HAL asked them to cancel the one-night cruise from Vancouver to Seattle. There are plenty of other ways to get from Vancouver to Seattle, but apparently the OP was not satisfied and asked HAL to cancel both cruises.

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I tried to do something similar but with a lot longer cruise on Celebrity.I have a Hawaii to Vancouver cruise booked when the new schedule came out this is followed by a Vancouver to Seattle. I went to book the second leg onboard and they would not let me. Explained the same rule to me. She said if I just tried to make the reservation without mentioning the first cruise they would have cancelled the second cruise probably only three to two weeks before the cruise. Glad Celebrity caught this.

 

 

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