Veendam and Maasdam sold

[oofroggie]

Sale was posted on HAL website. It is a done deal.

[Beetlelover]

We were booked on the Rotterdam in May next year,we booked flights and hotels independently and now have the additional problems with cancelling and attempting to get our money back.Hopefully we will cruise again but I am not optimistic as this is the second cruise to be cancelled.

[YXU AC*SE]

11 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

 If Rottie isn't going until October, I wonder why our July cruise on her has been cancelled?

 

Umm, it was cancelled with the global pause?  Scott. 

 

[igraf]

5 minutes ago, Beetlelover said:

We were booked on the Rotterdam in May next year,we booked flights and hotels independently and now have the additional problems with cancelling and attempting to get our money back.Hopefully we will cruise again but I am not optimistic as this is the second cruise to be cancelled.

 

People should seriously consider using HAL's Flight Ease during these uncertain times.  Likewise, only book at hotels that offer 100% refunds.  

 

igraf

 

 

[iancal]

I would not  be booking anything on Volendam or Zaandam.

 

Nor would I even consider taking FCC's in lieu of cash refund.....IMHO they are a mugs game with all the pluses in HAL's favour.

[Sir PMP]

13 minutes ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

Perhaps we already have a new flagship and we missed this little piece of marketing bravado?   Scott. 

source: https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/topics/news/introducing-ms-koningsdam-name-of-new-pinnacle-class-ship-revealed/

 

Interesting they never called a flagship..

 

[Sir PMP]

Just now, Sir PMP said:

Interesting they never called a flagship..

 

Never called her a flagship..

[vms]

27 minutes ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

Long haul itineraries are likely gone for the foreseeable future. Looks like 3-7 day Caribbean/Med/Asia to the typical cruise ship tourist spots in those areas.

Maybe... my 7 day Western Caribbean for January 2021 was on the Veendam and was cancelled too. This is the second time I've tried to cruise to Costa Maya and been denied. LOL 

[happyglobetrotter]

I am glad HAL appears to have decided for now to keep Zaandam and Volendam, al least for the near future. It is important for a cruise line nowadays to look towards the future, and like it or not, the future is larger ships. We will all have to adapt or stop cruising, In our case however, it is not too bad since we really like Koningsdam and Eurodam.  Not to mention the four Zuiderdam, Westerdam, Oosterdam and Nordam, Lots of nice ships left. we just cross fingers that we will soon be able to sail again.   All in all, it is not a bad news since they need the cash.  

[VermeulT]

I was booked on Rotterdam for New Years which was to be my first on her.  My Maasdam cruise next Summer is done too. The Maasdam was my first HAL ship. I really liked her. 
Im not sure what I’ll do for New Year’s... I do hope HAL will have a variety of itineraries. The ships leftover have only done the same old 7 day routes....

[YXU AC*SE]

12 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Never called her a flagship..

 

No idea,  just reporting what HAL themselves have said. I was still under the impression it was Rotterdam and Amsterdam. But with that being said,  (1) I think the notion of a flagship is unique to HAL, owing to its long history;  (2) I expect making any huge announcements would um, trigger, the usual suspects;   (3)  I'm not sure it's a point of relevant marketing differentiation (ie does it command a brand premium) for most pax today.       Scott. 

Edited July 15, 2020 by YXU AC*SE

[RichNBets]

We were booked on the Rotterdam for September 2021 as a replacement for a cruise on the Zuiderdam in September 2020.  We really liked both itineraries because of stops in Newfoundland.  

[DaveOKC]

This is now 4 cruises cancelled for me - funny thing is we took one in Dec just to be sure we made 5 Stars - now it seems that HAL does not want us to travel as 5 Star Mariners!

 

 

[canadianbear]

56 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

It appears they have also cancelled the 2021 world cruise.

Yes, I saw on HAL’s Facebook page they said this: 

Holland America Line will cancel cruises for the four ships’ deployments, with some select itineraries being assumed by other ships in the fleet. The 2021 Grand World Voyage aboard Amsterdam will be postponed until 2022 and will now sail aboard Zaandam. The Grand Africa Voyage departing Oct. 10, 2021, aboard Rotterdam will also sail aboard Zaandam on the same dates.”

[wesport]

Our July Greenland cancelled even though the ship was to be sold in the fall.

 

[johnlcruise]

Wow. Second cruise also canceled on us. One was to Hawaii and the other from Montreal  to FLL.

I'm going to give it a week or so for HAL to work it out as I'm sure there going to be a lot of itinerary changes on all the other ships.🛳🙄

[DFD1]

I understand the 2022 World Cruise will be on Zaandam....if it operates at all.

[jay888]

Holland America Line announced that Amsterdam, Maasdam, Rotterdam and Veendam will be leaving the fleet and transferring to undisclosed buyers. The ships have been sold in pairs, with the S-Class Maasdam and Veendam transferring to one company in August 2020, while the R-Class Amsterdam and Rotterdam will move to another company in fall 2020.

[drowelf]

That bags our second attempt to go to Greenland. Oh well. Princess cancelled this year and now HAL is gone for next year. 

 

I wonder what ship will be the new Flagship of the fleet now that the Rotterdam is leaving. 

 

 

[kazu]

Well DAM 😞

The Rotterdam was a nice ship and it’s crew was my 2nd favourite next to the Prinsendam.  At least on my sailings.

 

Sounds like HAL has taken the big hit.  Sad 💔😓💔 but I guess not surprising.

 

[Lady Chew]

This is really no surprise.  Orlando Ashford & the senior management team were on the 2019 world cruise, had a presentation & Q&A session with passengers.  The theater was completely full.  It was very clear that the small ships were not and could not be profitable at the HAL price point.  Ashford stated that they could not create a business plan for a new 1500 passenger ship and make it work.  This statement basically said that any new ships would be in the 2500 passenger and greater class.  The key to this is, they were trying to build the business plan around the HAL price point.

 

The implication was that they could not put new capital into these old ships and operate them at a profit.

The current crisis has made things worse.  These ships will certainly not be worth more when this is over than they are now.  We are wondering if the new president of HAL is tasked with rebranding the line or overseeing a merger with the Princess brand.  

[Vict0riann]

40 minutes ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

Umm, it was cancelled with the global pause?  Scott. 

 

 

Of course, you are right.  Our cruise is/was next year, and she will be gone this year....

[Indianadaytripper]

1 hour ago, Sir PMP said:

I don't think they are done yet, Zuiderdam and Oosterdam are getting old too..

they may do it but they just ask for a 1.26 billion loan

[Cruizer Diana]

Fred Olsen bought the Rotterdam and Amsterdam... https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23248-fred-olsen-buys-amsterdam-and-rotterdam.html

 

[trishbk]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Agreed..."sold" doesn't mean it is leaving the fleet tomorrow. These things, under normal circumstances, can take a while. So jumping to the conclusion that HAL is doing something unethical is, @trishbk    at minimum, hasty, if not flat out wrong.

The ships are sold and leaving the fleet along with Amsterdam and Rotterdam. They will be gone by September. Also Fred Olsen bought the the  Rotterdam and Amsterdam.