News on the Westerdam

[3rdGenCunarder]

32 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I think the person on the roll call misunderstood.  How can there be port fees if the ship doesn't get to port?  We just received a nice refund of all port fees for missing our last port on the Zaandam last month.

 

Port fees would have been charged along with the fare. It's always listed as a separate item and if a port is missed, the cruise line has to return fees and taxes for that port. 

[BarbarianPaul]

Was there any validity to those posts claiming that Thailand would not accept the Westerdam? They didn’t seem phony, but who knows....

[Taters]

36 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

Was there any validity to those posts claiming that Thailand would not accept the Westerdam? They didn’t seem phony, but who knows....

HAL is probably scrambling again...  Update at midnight?

[plettza]

7 hours ago, BarbarianPaul said:

I think a future cruise credit and refund is more than generous. But how’d you like to save up for an exotic cruise, look forward to it for months, than have almost every port cancelled while you cruise around aimlessly in circles, day after day, the trip cancelled, just waiting to hear who will let the ship actually dock? Does that sound like fun?

 

 

I never suggested that their predicament would be fun or any more fun than the original itinerary.  However, travel insurance is there to cover missed ports.  But good on HAL for not only refunding but also providing a cruise credit.  The people on board are getting a free cruise.  If this situation were like Diamond Princess, that's another matter entirely.

 

 

 

 

[cruiserchuck]

3 minutes ago, plettza said:

 

I never suggested that their predicament would be fun or any more fun than the original itinerary.  However, travel insurance is there to cover missed ports.  But good on HAL for not only refunding but also providing a cruise credit.  The people on board are getting a free cruise.  If this situation were like Diamond Princess, that's another matter entirely.

 

 

 

 

 

In the United States, travel insurance does not cover missed ports.  Does it cover it in Australia?  

[cruisingaussies]

2 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

In the United States, travel insurance does not cover missed ports.  Does it cover it in Australia?  

Some policies do, depends on your insurer/underwriter.

[plettza]

4 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

In the United States, travel insurance does not cover missed ports.  Does it cover it in Australia?  

 

All the policies I've had do but it's only like $50AUD per port depending on the policy.  With the excess (or I think you guys call it deductible) being $100 or so, you need to miss 3 or so ports to actually get money back.

 

Last year, we did a cruise to Tasmania which missed Port Arthur due to rough weather.  It wasn't worth claiming that one missed port.

Edited February 10, 2020 by plettza

[Rowsby]

This was posted 26 minutes ago by Orcas222....on the Westerdam Feb 1st roll call.....it doesn't sound like they know about Thailand denying their debarkation.......this is tragic...........!!!

 

"We’re landing in Bangkok. Thursday.

 

Everyone is on WiFi scrambling to rebook flights and travel plans. WiFi is so slow we can’t do anything, phones are jammed.

We were up till 3 am trying and got no where. Very stressful. If HA did not book your flight you’re out of luck and have no help."

Edited February 11, 2020 by Rowsby

[arabrab]

Reuters is reporting it based on the Thai Minister's tweet.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-thailand-cruiseship/thailand-bars-cruise-passengers-amid-coronavirus-fears-idUSKBN20503T

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, BarbarianPaul said:

Was there any validity to those posts claiming that Thailand would not accept the Westerdam? They didn’t seem phony, but who knows....

 

Bangkok Post reports Thailand won't let Westy disembark passengers. I have no idea if this is a reliable source, but Reuters picked up the story and I would think they would vet a source. I really hope it isn't true. Or, if it is, someone can convince the Public Health Minister to change his mind. 

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1855034/thailand-denies-westerdam-cruise-ship-entry-china-virus-toll-passes-1-000

 

What if HAL were to promise to keep passengers onboard until they are ready to fly home? No hotels, no touring, no visiting anywhere, just right to the airport and the plane. That would minimize risk to Thailand.  I think this health minister may be assuming things on Westy are as bad as they are on the Diamond. He had a hissy fit at some western tourists for not wearing masks, so his decision could be influenced by fear, not rational concern. JMO!

Edited February 11, 2020 by 3rdGenCunarder

[dreamers25]

It is really disappointing to see HAL still selling tickets for their upcoming cruises in Japan and Asia at extremely reduced rates. If people are to book them they will be able to get a refund for the fare if it is cancelled however all air fares will be lost. No travel insurance is now covering for Carona Virus if it was purchased after 20th January. Why are they putting people at jeopardy of this??

 

 As per my earlier post we are already booked on the Feb29th cruise and it was our fear that they would start selling empty cabins closer to the event at reduced rates. 

 

Still no answers from HAL or our travel agent as to the status of our cruise. My husband is now unable to cancel his holidays as it is to close, so he will be forced to take his leave even if we don't go, leaving us with little or no leave later in the year to cruise again. 

 

I feel for HAL and understand the predicament that they are in, however the money train must keep going it would seem at the risk of peoples safety and best interests.  Just wish that they would take a leaf out of other cruise lines books. 

Don't get me wrong we love HAL and will cruise with them again after all this. 

[kathy49]

14 minutes ago, dreamers25 said:

It is really disappointing to see HAL still selling tickets for their upcoming cruises in Japan and Asia at extremely reduced rates. If people are to book them they will be able to get a refund for the fare if it is cancelled however all air fares will be lost. No travel insurance is now covering for Carona Virus if it was purchased after 20th January. Why are they putting people at jeopardy of this??

 

 As per my earlier post we are already booked on the Feb29th cruise and it was our fear that they would start selling empty cabins closer to the event at reduced rates. 

 

Still no answers from HAL or our travel agent as to the status of our cruise. My husband is now unable to cancel his holidays as it is to close, so he will be forced to take his leave even if we don't go, leaving us with little or no leave later in the year to cruise again. 

 

I feel for HAL and understand the predicament that they are in, however the money train must keep going it would seem at the risk of peoples safety and best interests.  Just wish that they would take a leaf out of other cruise lines books. 

Don't get me wrong we love HAL and will cruise with them again after all this. 

just more of the same that got them here...all about $$ and in the end this will cost them more not to do the right thing.

[kathy49]

25 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Bangkok Post reports Thailand won't let Westy disembark passengers. I have no idea if this is a reliable source, but Reuters picked up the story and I would think they would vet a source. I really hope it isn't true. Or, if it is, someone can convince the Public Health Minister to change his mind. 

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1855034/thailand-denies-westerdam-cruise-ship-entry-china-virus-toll-passes-1-000

 

What if HAL were to promise to keep passengers onboard until they are ready to fly home? No hotels, no touring, no visiting anywhere, just right to the airport and the plane. That would minimize risk to Thailand.  I think this health minister may be assuming things on Westy are as bad as they are on the Diamond. He had a hissy fit at some western tourists for not wearing masks, so his decision could be influenced by fear, not rational concern. JMO!

too many sources reporting this to not be true and sad that the passengers are the last to know.

[npcl]

22 minutes ago, dreamers25 said:

It is really disappointing to see HAL still selling tickets for their upcoming cruises in Japan and Asia at extremely reduced rates. If people are to book them they will be able to get a refund for the fare if it is cancelled however all air fares will be lost. No travel insurance is now covering for Carona Virus if it was purchased after 20th January. Why are they putting people at jeopardy of this??

 

 As per my earlier post we are already booked on the Feb29th cruise and it was our fear that they would start selling empty cabins closer to the event at reduced rates. 

 

Still no answers from HAL or our travel agent as to the status of our cruise. My husband is now unable to cancel his holidays as it is to close, so he will be forced to take his leave even if we don't go, leaving us with little or no leave later in the year to cruise again. 

 

I feel for HAL and understand the predicament that they are in, however the money train must keep going it would seem at the risk of peoples safety and best interests.  Just wish that they would take a leaf out of other cruise lines books. 

Don't get me wrong we love HAL and will cruise with them again after all this. 

The other cruise lines are acting similarly, depending upon current ship placement.  The only major announcement for more than a month or two out is NCL canceling a ships deployment to Asia a couple of months from now.  Other have canceled or relocated China departures, made port changes, but still have ships in other somewhat threatened areas such as Singapore.

[CruiseMGM]

Latest on the HAL website, from just under an hour ago....in case it hasn't been posted here yet...:

 

Seattle, Wash., Feb. 10, 2020 (5:25 p.m. PST)  —Westerdam is sailing for Laem Chabang, Bangkok, Thailand, where the current cruise that departed February 1 will end on Thursday, February 13.  All guests will be disembarking in Bangkok for their forward flights home. This new schedule has been communicated to guests on board.  

All guests will receive a 100% refund for the 14-day sailing, as well as a 100% Future Cruise Credit. Complimentary internet and phone access is available for guests and crew to stay in contact with loved ones.

The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports. 

We have also received a letter from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment affirming that they have full confidence in all our medical reporting and the quality of our medical staff and services on Westerdam. This assessment was done in concert with the Ministry of Health of the Netherlands.

We sincerely thank our guests and crew on Westerdam — and their loved ones — for their patience during this extraordinary time.

………………...

There's more to their post, but I snipped it short, you can see the rest of it on the HAL website if you click on the "learn more about the current travel health advisories" at the top of the page.

Edited February 11, 2020 by CruiseMGM
Additional information

[rafinmd]

HAL is the only cruise line I've seen cancelling ANY Asia cruises.

 

Roy

[npcl]

1 minute ago, rafinmd said:

HAL is the only cruise line I've seen cancelling ANY Asia cruises.

 

Roy

Princess has canceled a few.  Royal Caribbean had a ship home ported in China that has canceled a number of cruises. NCL has stated that a ship scheduled to deploy to asia after a drydock will now deploy else where.

[cruiserchuck]

3 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

HAL is the only cruise line I've seen cancelling ANY Asia cruises.

 

Roy

 

Celebrity just cancelled an Asia cruise scheduled to depart 2/15.

[dreamers25]

5 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

HAL is the only cruise line I've seen cancelling ANY Asia cruises.

 

Roy

Cunard have also re routed all of their ships out of Asia until later this year. 

[Dr.Dobro]

Unfortunately (in this case), Reuters is a pretty reputable news organization. Gotta hope this is just one bureaucrat getting out ahead of his skis.....

 

BANGKOK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Thailand has barred passengers from Holland America’s cruise ship MS Westerdam from disembarking, its health minister said on Tuesday, the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the coronavirus despite no confirmed infections aboard. 

 

The company, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp, had said on Monday that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on Feb. 13 and that there was no reason to believe anybody aboard had the virus. 
“I have issued orders. Permission to dock refused,” Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post. 

 

The Westerdam has already been turned away from several countries, including Japan, the Philippines and Thailand, amid fears of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 40,000 since it was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan less than two months ago.

 

Holland America says no one on board has the virus. Media reports say it carries 1,455 passengers and 802 crew; its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which refused it permission to dock. 

 

“The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports,” the company said. 

 

It had earlier said the Westerdam was sailing toward Bangkok, and it is not immediately clear whether the ship would change course. 

 

Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, with 3,700 passengers and crew onboard, is quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, with 135 cases of coronavirus detected on the Carnival Corp-owned vessel. 

 

Most of the coronavirus cases have been inside China, but there have been 319 cases in 24 other countries, including one death, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday. (Reporting by Juarawee Kittisilpa; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Kim Coghill)

 

[Maya1234]

The Guardian, also reputable, also just posted that Thailand is a no-go. It’s really crazy. I feel bad for all the people on board who are in limbo w/r/t return flights. 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

HAL is the only cruise line I've seen cancelling ANY Asia cruises.

 

Roy

 

NCL has cancelled until December.

 

Several cancelled for this period of time when the Westerdam and Diamond Princess were sailing and they are re-doing itineraries.

 

With the predicament the Westerdam is in right now, it will be interesting to see what the cruise lines do.

 

Frankly, if I were in charge (which I’m not 😉 ) I’d change itineraries now and get the heck out of Dodge until the smoke blows over.  Better to bite the bullet than to have a Diamond Princess beleaguered with the virus and stuck in Yokohama or a Westerdam on a cruise to nowhere.  

 

But, heck what do I know?

[Bostonjetset]

This is such an awful situation to be in and I truly feel for those poor people on board.  Whilst I can understand a level of caution, even an overabundance of it, I can't believe some of these governments will not even make special arrangements for a ship, flagged in the country of an ally and owned by people of another allied country, to safely dock.  There must be ways to minimize risk to those ashore to at least let these people get home.  I wonder if they can sail to Indonesia as these is already a longstanding, special relationship with HAL and the country.  Surely there must be flights from Jakarta to many international destinations.

[debshomespun]

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1855034/thailand-denies-westerdam-cruise-ship-entry-china-virus-toll-passes-1-000

[atexsix]

This is getting ridiculous! Everybody's overreacting now, when the ship doesn't even have a single confirmed case (source: BBC).