Alaska season.....? Is there one....?

[ski ww]

The Prime Minister was suppose to make an announcement this week about a policy on cruise ships. Like everything else right now it's wait & see. 

[Niagarawine]

I contacted Holland ,think they should cancel cruises as per Princess, and refund our fares. I would be much more amenable to sailing with their brand when this virus dissipates if they show good judgement and concern for their loyal customers by doing the right thing at this time.

[Qcruise]

2 hours ago, Niagarawine said:

I contacted Holland ,think they should cancel cruises as per Princess, and refund our fares. I would be much more amenable to sailing with their brand when this virus dissipates if they show good judgement and concern for their loyal customers by doing the right thing at this time.

Fares aren't refunded.....Princess is keeping your money towards a future cruise and adding an OBC......that's reasonable.......HAL should do the same.

[daisy-mae]

According to breaking news reports, Canadian ports will be closed until the end of June.

[ATC]

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/canada/breaking-cruise-ships-with-more-than-500-passengers-denied-entry-to-canada-until-july-1-423417/

[Vict0riann]

16 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Good points however, if "V and V" in beautiful British Columbia temp. shut down as welcoming ports to cruise ships during this year's Alaska season, a whole new issue, namely that ancient (1886) "Passenger Vessel Services Act" rears its ugly head. Vladivostok ain't that close 🤓

Hi, Copper!  Do you think the US might relax that rule for the season?

[anaco_angler]

8 minutes ago, ATC said:

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/canada/breaking-cruise-ships-with-more-than-500-passengers-denied-entry-to-canada-until-july-1-423417/

Article only references St. John's, N.L. so it's unclear whether it applies to all Canadian ports, specifically Vancouver and Victoria. I guess it's an evolving situation.

[Copper10-8]

4 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Hi, Copper!  Do you think the US might relax that rule for the season?

 

Hi Ann! No, I don't think they will, after the "avoid cruise ships" advisements by the CDC and U.S State Dept. 

[cashmeremypuppydog]

VICTORIA -- The federal government has temporarily barred all cruise ships and ferries that carry more than 500 people, including crew, from docking in Canada until July to protect against the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

In a public address Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that "cruise season is suspended until July."

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says that the government will re-examine the ban after June 30.

 

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/cruise-ships-over-500-people-banned-in-b-c-until-july-1.4851940

 

The Canadians!😎

[*Miss G*]

8 minutes ago, anaco_angler said:

Article only references St. John's, N.L. so it's unclear whether it applies to all Canadian ports, specifically Vancouver and Victoria. I guess it's an evolving situation.

 

Canada has an East Coast too!  😜

[rj42]

I think it would be far-fetched to think that Seattle would open its doors to all the Alaskan cruise ships, particularly give the pandemic centered there now and al the restrictions on public events and all schools in the Puget Sound closed for now. If Victoria and Vancouver are banning cruise ships, it's highly likely that Seattle would do the same, at least for now, and have already canceled the first two ship arrivals. 

 

The Canadian ban also leaves all the ships returning from Hawaii and California in limbo, since there are no places they can stop in a foreign port, except for perhaps Ensenada, but then if there's no Alaska season until at least July, there's no reason to send the ships there now. So I'm glad I didn't bite on the super-cheap Pacific/NW cruises.

 

I'm not sure if the new presidential emergency powers allow waiver of the foreign port rule--I'm sure his buddies who own Carnival and Norwegian are making some calls to try to persuade him and to beg for help. 

[anaco_angler]

2 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Canada has an East Coast too!  😜

And a beautiful one it is 😁. The thread was about the Alaska season, but you're right, us left coasters tend to forget where the sun rises.

[AlanF65]

7 minutes ago, anaco_angler said:

And a beautiful one it is 😁. The thread was about the Alaska season, but you're right, us left coasters tend to forget where the sun rises.

On the west coast the sun rises over The Pacific Coast Mountain Ranges; for me its the Sierra Nevada Range

😎

[Niagarawine]

2 hours ago, Qcruise said:

Fares aren't refunded.....Princess is keeping your money towards a future cruise and adding an OBC......that's reasonable.......HAL should do the same.

No they should refund my money,ports are closed

[daisy-mae]

4 minutes ago, Niagarawine said:

No they should refund my money,ports are closed

 

Exactly. 

 

There is a difference between a booking on an existing cruise and a booking on a product that is no longer available and for which I had already made a payment.

[Qcruise]

14 minutes ago, Niagarawine said:

No they should refund my money,ports are closed

They are refunding taxes and port charges only......your fare is held for future cruise......that's what Princess is doing.

[npcl]

19 minutes ago, Qcruise said:

They are refunding taxes and port charges only......your fare is held for future cruise......that's what Princess is doing.

No. Princess is giving cruisers the option of either getting a larger amount in cruise credit if people take a cruise credit refund 225% of cruise fare, or to get a full cash refund. That applies to the 60 days they are shutting down.  They are making the same deal to those that canceled feb 4 or after.

 

For cruises outside of that 60 day period one can still get full cash refund as long as they are outside of the penalty period as stated in the terms and conditions.

[sfocruiser]

3 hours ago, Qcruise said:

Fares aren't refunded.....Princess is keeping your money towards a future cruise and adding an OBC......that's reasonable.......HAL should do the same.

 

Dup sorry

Edited March 13, 2020 by sfocruiser

[dockman]

Princess offer on affected cruises.  Seems more generous than most.  Get cash and FCC or get bigger FCC credit.

 

[Boatdrill]

Let's wait to see what HAL comes up with. The posts about what Princess is doing only add to people's confusion

about how their bookings - on Holland America - may be impacted.     

[Qcruise]

As of now HAL is only offering us 50% back as future cruise credit......they had better step up like Princess......if they want us back.

[Kartgv]

4 hours ago, Qcruise said:

They are refunding taxes and port charges only......your fare is held for future cruise......that's what Princess is doing.

 

Not true.   We cancelled a May 9 Princess cruise 3 days ago and just now found a credit on my charge card of all except approx. $200.    We had the option of taking 125% future cruise credit, but chose the cash to keep our options open.   The amounts of cash back/future credit varies by original cruise date, etc.   

[mkkao924]

Is it possible that Canadian government will reopen its ports?

 

I am on the fence to cancel all the bookings, including air fare, hotels, excursions, and etc. However I haven't heard HAL's official announcement so I am not sure if I should start the cancellation process now.

[MudderBear]

6 hours ago, mkkao924 said:

Is it possible that Canadian government will reopen its ports?

 

I am on the fence to cancel all the bookings, including air fare, hotels, excursions, and etc. However I haven't heard HAL's official announcement so I am not sure if I should start the cancellation process now.

What is your cruise date?

[RuthC]

Anything is possible at this point, but I wouldn't count on the Canadian ports being open before the current timeframe, and maybe later. 
After all a few days ago it wasn't possible that schools would be shut down, restaurants & bars would be closed---for St. Patrick's Day!---, and that the shelves would be bare of TP. But it happened.