US pauses cruising for 30 days

[leerathje]

2 minutes ago, thyme2go said:

I did not see HAL mentioned........did I miss it or are they missing?

 

HAL is owned by Carnival.  Carnival was mentioned.

 

L.

 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

1 minute ago, Love the beach said:

Wonder how this will affect cruises already under way.

they will either return to a US port at end of current sailing, or return early.  The sailings underway will be permitted to disembark passengers

[Vict0riann]

I think I read that when Crystal cancelled cruises they said their World Cruise would be disembarking passengers at "the next convenient port".  I suppose HAL might do something like that, too.

Edited March 13, 2020 by Vict0riann

[cruiserchuck]

3 minutes ago, Love the beach said:

Wonder how this will affect cruises already under way.

 

The CLIA press release states that:  "CLIA ocean-going cruise lines are focused on the safe and smooth return of those currently at sea onboard ships that will be affected by this decision."

 

Not clear what this means.  However, with more ports closing all the time, some may return early.

[awhcruiser]

14 minutes ago, thyme2go said:

I did not see HAL mentioned........did I miss it or are they missing?

See post #12

[Wehwalt]

A $100 credit just showed up on my Koningsdam account. I called front desk they said it was from head office

[neuronbob]

39 minutes ago, TampaMike said:

 

Same neuronbob from AZ?

Yes.  Is this TampaRL?  If so, virtual bro hug!  Small world!

 

Back on topic, I am so bummed.  Only eight days from embarkation....but I understand.

[AlanF65]

52 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

So there is literally millions affected by this....and people are expecting the cruise lines to have reacted and fixed everything in what...a couple of hours???

Yes, they should have gone out and hired 200,000 temps and trained them in a hour so we could have instant answers. 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

So there is literally millions affected by this....and people are expecting the cruise lines to have reacted and fixed everything in what...a couple of hours???

 

I cancelled a cruise on Cunard and my TA said to expect paperwork to take a week, more likely two. It's a mess and it can't all be fixed in, as you said, a couple of hours.

[mame42]

1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

I think I read that when Crystal cancelled cruises they said their World Cruise would be disembarking passengers at "the next convenient port".  I suppose HAL might do something like that, too.

I hope not.   Currently aboard Amsterdam near Darwin.  Not looking forward to flying from Perth to anywhere in the US.

[mame42]

1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

I think I read that when Crystal cancelled cruises they said their World Cruise would be disembarking passengers at "the next convenient port".  I suppose HAL might do something like that, too.

I hope not.   Currently aboard Amsterdam near Darwin.  Not looking forward to flying from Perth to anywhere in the US.

[gphb]

We were departing Saturday from San Diego for the Oosterdam.    We received the cancellation notice from HAL, relatively quickly.   They are handling this extremely well under the circumstances from my perspective.

 

Dear Valued Guest:

 

We are very sorry to inform you that your Oosterdam cruise departing March 14, 2020 has been cancelled.

 

Increasingly, we have faced operational challenges in maintaining our scheduled itinerary in light of rapidly changing restrictions related to COVID-19. Given these quickly developing limitations and our inability to guarantee you the cruise experience you expect we have made the very difficult decision to cancel your cruise.

 

Please accept our most sincere apologies. These extraordinary circumstances are beyond our control, and the decision was made with the deepest regret. We of course share your profound disappointment at this news and know you have been looking forward to your trip, and we are sorry we cannot provide the cruise vacation you expected.

 

All guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, Holland America Line Flight Ease air, pre- and post-cruise hotel packages, prepaid shore excursions and other prepaid items, and taxes, fees, and port expenses. Your refund will be processed automatically via the method of payment used to pay for your cruise.

 

As your cruise has been cancelled so close to departure, each guest will also receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 100% of the base cruise fare paid on this voyage. The terms and conditions of this Future Cruise Credit appear below.

 

If any portion of your travel was not booked through Holland America Line, other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply. Please consult with your Travel Advisor or Tour Operator for more information.

 

We understand this cancellation may cause you to incur additional expenses, such as air change fees. Reimbursement of reasonable non-refundable expenses will be considered. A Change Fee Reimbursement Form is available at [webaddress]; please complete this form and submit it, along with any relevant receipts and documentation, for review by our corporate office. If you purchased a Cancellation Protection Plan or independent vacation travel insurance, please submit your claim through your carrier before submitting a reimbursement request.

 

If you are already in San Diego or en route and booked your flights through Holland America Line’s Flight Ease® program you may contact us at (206) [xxx-xxxxx] for assistance with your return flights. Guests with independent travel arrangements should contact their travel advisor or airline directly.

 

[gphb]

Note the extra 100% FCC on these cancellations is specific to new bookings only per the stated policy.

[Sskarmar]

2 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

they will either return to a US port at end of current sailing, or return early.  The sailings underway will be permitted to disembark passengers

We are On HAL Rotterdam going from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale, currently near Puerto Vallarta. The Captain announced 30 min ago that we would continue to FL but might miss ports and arrive early. (Given the outbreak in San Diego I’m glad we are not turning around 3 days out).
 

Edited March 14, 2020 by Sskarmar

[HappyInVan]

???

 

The guy with the red cap is taking credit?

 

Not going to be enough. Canada has closed its ports till July 1st...

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2741531-canada-cruise-ports-closed-until-after-july-1st-for-ships-of-500/?tab=comments#comment-59653741

 

The problem isn't going to go away even if the USA manages to mobilize testing this month. There's a cycle and it will take months to arrive at an All-Clear, in the best of circumstances.