HAL's Poor Response to Corona Virus

[USN59-79]

5 hours ago, HokiePoq said:

 

 

A measured and very reasonable response given the CDC's  announcement.   A good reason to book air through HAL.    Thanks for posting.

Measured and reasonable, and they note that Hong Kong is at level 1, so they will embark passengers there.  What it doesn't say is that they are not going to return to Hong Kong on 14 March as scheduled.  Unfortunately, it looks like that relaxed rescheduling of flights is just for flights from Mainland China, not Hong Kong.

[millie-may]

15 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I feel the same, although slightly older than you. I am on Westerdam's April 14 sailing (Japan and Russia, no China) and am following this with interest but not too much concern for my own cruise. As more details emerge, I may change my opinion, but for now the virus appears to have similar mortality to the flu.

 

I too am on the 14th April cruise and following posts for information.  It's very concerning for everyone and must be so difficult for cruise lines to deal with logistically.  My hope is that avoiding China will be sufficient caution to allow the cruise to continue.  I'm onboard until it docks in Vancouver and at the moment my mantra is "carry on cruising".  This, of course, depends on how things evolve over the next 2 months.

 

[MAVIP]

7 hours ago, AncientWanderer said:

 One poster mentioned that when she went to cancel, HAL had the airfare all wrapped into the booking, and so she lost all her money for both the cruise and the flight -- even though the airline was offering refunds for that route, had she booked it independently.  I bring this up because I've never thought of it before and it kind of woke me up.

Good point to check cancellation and travel insurances before the decision to book one way or the other. In NL with "normal" cancellation reasons  (serious illness etc) the insurance only paid if all was "wrapped" in one booking (packet). However that changed only a few months ago and if I remember well, the insurance companies will pay now in both circumstances.  Do not like those "small characters"....

[kazu]

10 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

I just had a look at the February 15 roll call and evidently the new itinerary from HAL is a good one.  I can’t cut and paste to this thread as I’m on my phone, and I’m not very adept with it! But I hope everyone is going to be happy with the changes.

 

I went to look and here is their amended itinerary:

 

Saturday, February 15	Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan	7:00 AM	Overnight
Sunday, February 16	Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan	Overnight	5:00 PM
Monday, February 17	At Sea
Tuesday, February 18	Kobe, Japan	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Wednesday, February 19	Kochi, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thursday, February 20	Scenic cruising Kanmon Strait
Friday, February 21	Tsuruga, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Saturday, February 22	Sakaiminato, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sunday, February 23	Busan (Pusan), South Korea	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Monday, February 24	Jeju (Cheju) City, South Korea	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Tuesday, February 25	Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Wednesday, February 26	Nagasaki, Japan	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Thursday, February 27	At Sea
Friday, February 28	Shimizu, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Saturday, February 29	Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan	7:00 AM

 

 

[RocketMan275]

19 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

This has already been posted on this thread and it isn't up to date. HAL isn't cancelling cruises but they ARE working to change the itineraries. 

 

This website is run by a law firm. Are they trolling for customers?

cruiselawnews is always trolling for customers.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I went to look and here is their amended itinerary:

 

Saturday, February 15	Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan	7:00 AM	Overnight
Sunday, February 16	Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan	Overnight	5:00 PM
Monday, February 17	At Sea
Tuesday, February 18	Kobe, Japan	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Wednesday, February 19	Kochi, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thursday, February 20	Scenic cruising Kanmon Strait
Friday, February 21	Tsuruga, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Saturday, February 22	Sakaiminato, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sunday, February 23	Busan (Pusan), South Korea	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Monday, February 24	Jeju (Cheju) City, South Korea	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Tuesday, February 25	Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Wednesday, February 26	Nagasaki, Japan	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Thursday, February 27	At Sea
Friday, February 28	Shimizu, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Saturday, February 29	Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan	7:00 AM

 

 

 

That's actually a quite nice itinerary. Granted, probably not what people signed up for but (IMO) better than having cancelled the cruise.

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That's actually a quite nice itinerary. Granted, probably not what people signed up for but (IMO) better than having cancelled the cruise.

 

 

 

And not just a bunch of sea days to fill the time.

 

[MAVIP]

7 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

And not just a bunch of sea days to fill the time.

 

 

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That's actually a quite nice itinerary. Granted, probably not what people signed up for but (IMO) better than having cancelled the cruise.

 

 

And very nice prices too at this very moment. However, the price for the flight to and from Tokyo will be different. Otherwise......

[Krazy Kruizers]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That's actually a quite nice itinerary. Granted, probably not what people signed up for but (IMO) better than having cancelled the cruise.

 

 

 

 

I have to agree that the new itinerary is very nice.

[sail7seas]

On 1/28/2020 at 4:11 PM, AncientWanderer said:

 

It's just so odd...seeing how very proactive China is being in this particular case.  It makes one wonder if there is more to it.

Well, time will tell.  

 

.

  Some are speculating China kept info about this virus from the world for a length of  t ime.   Thy still may be withholding  info the world needs and has a right to learn.

 

A f female pax on a n incoming flight from China to Boston's Logan airport this afternoon  was taken off the plane by EMS.  They were suspect she might have b een ill.  She was taken to a hospital,checked, cleared and sent on her way.  I imagine we'll hear lots of such stories

Edited January 29, 2020 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

The new itinerary is A LOt  ports in Japan. Yes, I know why yet too many IMO not that it matters as there is no   chance  I would be on that cruise.  I'd like  days in other countries .    Hard with China off the list.  Too far to go for that

 

 

I wish all who are going safe travel, be well and enjoy.  Have a great, time.

[USN59-79]

We thought we were in good shape with a B2B2B embarking and disembarking in Hong Kong.  Got the news last night that they are not returning to Hong Kong; we will get off in Yokohama on 14 March.  On the phone for an hour this morning to contact our airline; their U.S. office doesn't answer its phone.  So we decided to disembark in Keelung, spend 5 days in Taipei, then fly to Hong Kong to catch our flight on the 14th.  Looks like it will work for us.

[Mary229]

11 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

We thought we were in good shape with a B2B2B embarking and disembarking in Hong Kong.  Got the news last night that they are not returning to Hong Kong; we will get off in Yokohama on 14 March.  On the phone for an hour this morning to contact our airline; their U.S. office doesn't answer its phone.  So we decided to disembark in Keelung, spend 5 days in Taipei, then fly to Hong Kong to catch our flight on the 14th.  Looks like it will work for us.

You should first communicate with your airline.   Flights to all Chinese destinations are being cancelled. It is a rapidly evolving situation.  At best you may avoid change fees or even be compensated for your inconvenience by the airlines. 

[sail7seas]

A while ago, China announced they have            had 6,000 confirmed cases of this virus.I did not hear the number s of who survived or did not.

[sail7seas]

26 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

We thought we were in good shape with a B2B2B embarking and disembarking in Hong Kong.  Got the news last night that they are not returning to Hong Kong; we will get off in Yokohama on 14 March.  On the phone for an hour this morning to contact our airline; their U.S. office doesn't answer its phone.  So we decided to disembark in Keelung, spend 5 days in Taipei, then fly to Hong Kong to catch our flight on the 14th.  Looks like it will work for us.

Good luck and I certainly hope your travel goes smoothly, have a great time and stay well.  Bon  Voyage

[kazu]

47 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

The new itinerary is A LOt  ports in Japan. Yes, I know why yet too many IMO not that it matters as there is no   chance  I would be on that cruise.  I'd like  days in other countries .    Hard with China off the list.  Too far to go for that

 

 

I wish all who are going safe travel, be well and enjoy.  Have a great, time.

 

With all due respect, our itinerary later this year is primarily Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.  We think it’s fabulous and looking forward to it.  Japan offers a lot.  

 

It was chosen LONG before this worry came out.  As Canadians, we have no desire to try to visit China at this time.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

With all due respect, our itinerary later this year is primarily Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.  We think it’s fabulous and looking forward to it.  Japan offers a lot.  

 

 

....and my upcoming April cruise on Westerdam is ONLY Japanese ports except for one stop in Vladivostok. I love the itinerary and the opportunity to see more of Japan than one usually gets on land trips. (Have been to Japan twice previously and done the basics of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc.) 

 

The icing on the cake is being there during cherry blossom season.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by cruisemom42

[bennybear]

We did that cruise last year in cherry blossom time and it was wonderful.  Japan  is an amazing country to visit.   The smaller places were so interesting.   We were originally booked to China but with the hostage taking of Canadians we cancelled.   

Edited January 30, 2020 by bennybear

[Bostonjetset]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

....and my upcoming April cruise on Westerdam is ONLY Japanese ports except for one stop in Vladivostok. I love the itinerary and the opportunity to see more of Japan than one usually gets on land trips. (Have been to Japan twice previously and done the basics of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc.) 

 

The icing on the cake is being there during cherry blossom season.

 

 

Oh that Westerdam sailing you are on calls at Otaru!  My husband and I honeymooned [land trip] in Japan and Otaru was one of our stops.  It is such a lovely, charming town and I hope to make it back one day.  Don't forget to stop by the Le Tao store and pick up some goodies; they have an amazing tea blend!  Japan is a wonderful destination and Hokkaido is especially beautiful. 

 

For all those who got rerouted from China, though it's a disappointment to have a wrench thrown into plans, at least take solace in the fact they you got substituted one of the best countries in the world to travel to; Japan is beautiful, exceptionally clean, and full of polite people.  China is great as well with loads of history and interesting things to see but it's understandable to pass it over due to current events. My husband is originally from Shanghai and we were considering another land trip there later this year but will most likely postpone it until 2021 due to uncertainties.

[Jammu2]

On 1/28/2020 at 7:45 AM, DeeniEncinitas said:

THIS IS DISGUSTING  !!!! Hal is only interested in the all mighty dollar and not IMO the interest of their crew or their passengers health and safety!! What the Hell.... I am so disappointed in HAL. 
I do not take these actions lightly and I might just be one individual who believes HAL is all about greed now. I truly believed 

they would of been one of the first cruise lines to step up and show they cared!

I pray HAL comes through and does the right thing for all the passengers and loyal crew!!!!!

Sorry, I just finally had to get this off my chest!

Denise😞
 

 

Which sailing are you on?

[ted144]

Bad HAL management decision- to tell people on a basically ONLY China trip (March 14-29) that a trip to Japan in its place is what they MUST take, or they can cancel on their own and lose half their money.  And deal with flight refunds on their own with the airlines. 
 

I don’t think it’s wrong to change ports on the March 14 (formerly China) two week cruise and offer Japan as a replacement. And it’s obvious they cannot go to China now. 
 

BUT, it’s obnoxious that HAL is not proactively at least offering refunds for those who signed up for China because that was the trip they booked.

 

Many, but not all, will be fine with a replacement trip to Japan.  It is a very different trip- only similar thing is the date.. How can they not give current passengers a choice?  Right now they have put some (previously loyal) passengers in a terrible position. Either take a trip you didn’t choose or cancel and lose 50% of your fare. Lots of irreparable damage to customer goodwill.  A very poor corporate decision. 

[Alphen]

On a side note, Costa's "Costa Smeralda" is currently in Civitivachia, with two suspected Corona virus infections on board. Authorities are going on board to investigate, nobody is allowed off. 

 

Some more shouting headlines are already blowing things out of proportion, but fact remains, these are SUSPECTED infections at this moment.

 

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-coronavirus-fears-6000-trapped-21392528

 

[cruisemom42]

38 minutes ago, ted144 said:

 

BUT, it’s obnoxious that HAL is not proactively at least offering refunds for those who signed up for China because that was the trip they booked.

 

Many, but not all, will be fine with a replacement trip to Japan.  It is a very different trip- only similar thing is the date.. How can they not give current passengers a choice?  Right now they have put some (previously loyal) passengers in a terrible position. Either take a trip you didn’t choose or cancel and lose 50% of your fare. Lots of irreparable damage to customer goodwill.  A very poor corporate decision. 

 

Have you cruised before? Have you read your cruise contract?

 

It states that cruise lines are allowed to change ports or itinerary in the event of any of a number of circumstances.  This is the "catch" of cruising and it always has been.  I can name more than a handful of cruises that were sold as "Holy Land" cruises where all ports in Israel had to be scuttled due to tensions (and perceived safety issues) in the area. How is that any different to this?  

 

Yes, it's a disappointment. But one of the first rules of cruising has been, for as long as I've been cruising, "If you are cruising only for a particular port, or set of ports, you are better off taking a land trip."

 

I certainly can understand the disappointment. But HAL has done what it can under the circumstances and has come up with what is actually a very good itinerary. 

[ted144]

To Cruisemom32:

Yes, I understand that HAL can point to the fine print. Let them replace the trip- but treat customers as if they were important...

[syesmar]

39 minutes ago, Alphen said:

On a side note, Costa's "Costa Smeralda" is currently in Civitivachia, with two suspected Corona virus infections on board. Authorities are going on board to investigate, nobody is allowed off. . . .

 

Prayers for all involved.  From what I understand, the Smeralda does 7 day Mediterranean cruises, with the same itinerary back-to-back-to-back.  There are 4 opportunities to embark/disembark during those 7 days (Savona, Marseille, Barcelona and Civitaveccia), so not all passengers arrive or depart from the same port.  I would imagine a great number of passengers were planning to disembark in Civitavecchia, as well as joining the cruise from there.  Praying that it’s not the virus.

Edited January 30, 2020 by syesmar