What has HAL been doing about cancelled cruises please?

[Djptcp]

So the OP's cruise is now cancelled as HAL as paused sailings through Dec. 15th.

 

After calls, chats, emails regarding my FCC from our cancelled April 1st cruise, I finally wrote to the HAL President the other day. Wonder if I'll hear back? Nice letter, not at all snarky, with lots of HAL praise on past HAL cruises. I included my log of contacts since March. We did receive a refund of taxes/fees in early June, but no FCC. I did mention that we have dealt with 3 cancelled Carnival cruises and all it took was a quick phone call, no hold time, to get our FCC and OBC applied to a future Carnival cruise.

[kazu]

On 8/3/2020 at 10:42 AM, Lido - Lanai said:

This would be an exception to the norm. You cancelled on your own and cancellation penalty typically applies. I hope you get your FCC when it's all said and done!

 

Yes it was an exception to the norm but HAL had posted the policy and FCC’s were to be granted if you cancelled due to covid 19 and the inability for many of us to fly anywhere due to the Government warnings and advisories.
 

We cancelled in that time frame not so much to get the FCC but because we had no choice.  With our Government travel warnings we would have been foolish to go.  In retrospect, we should have waited since HAL cancelled but with the facts in front of me at the time, I don’t regret our decision.  We did what we thought was right for us as heartbreaking as it was.

[Djptcp]

Well, I just posted earlier today that I had written to the HAL President about not receiving my FCC from our cancelled cruise. Was going to mail it tonight when much to my surprise I received the long awaited email from HAL Guest Services that our FCC was now available!!!!! 5 months to the day when the cruise was cancelled. I checked both my and DH's accounts and it was split between the two of us. Whoopee! We are booked on an April Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Statendam with a Verandah cabin and decided to use the FCC to upgrade to a Vista cabin. So, folks, there is hope that your FCC will finally arrive.😃

[cruise kitty]

Hi all :)   well,I am now glad I waited a bit.    Going to shift to the Thanksgiving 2021 cruise with the double deposit offer :)

 

thanks again for all the replies :)

[Floridastorm]

Have people been receiving refunds in a timely manner? We did get an initial refund of $480 although we paid just under $1,800 for the cabin. Notified HAL and they stated the balance would be forthcoming. It has now been two weeks short of 90 days and have not gotten the balance. They never told me why I only received $480 out of $1,800. Doesn't seem to make sense.

[KAKcruiser]

Is it possible that the $480 is for port charges and taxes?  

[wwcruisers]

On 8/11/2020 at 12:57 PM, Djptcp said:

So the OP's cruise is now cancelled as HAL as paused sailings through Dec. 15th.

 

After calls, chats, emails regarding my FCC from our cancelled April 1st cruise, I finally wrote to the HAL President the other day. Wonder if I'll hear back? Nice letter, not at all snarky, with lots of HAL praise on past HAL cruises. I included my log of contacts since March. We did receive a refund of taxes/fees in early June, but no FCC. I did mention that we have dealt with 3 cancelled Carnival cruises and all it took was a quick phone call, no hold time, to get our FCC and OBC applied to a future Carnival cruise.

 

On 8/11/2020 at 5:31 PM, Djptcp said:

Well, I just posted earlier today that I had written to the HAL President about not receiving my FCC from our cancelled cruise. Was going to mail it tonight when much to my surprise I received the long awaited email from HAL Guest Services that our FCC was now available!!!!! 5 months to the day when the cruise was cancelled. I checked both my and DH's accounts and it was split between the two of us. Whoopee! We are booked on an April Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Statendam with a Verandah cabin and decided to use the FCC to upgrade to a Vista cabin. So, folks, there is hope that your FCC will finally arrive.😃

 

Hooray and congratulations, on hearing back from HAL! 😃

 

But, as a New-to-HAL (not new to cruising) cruiser, who has long believed in the power of the appropriately worded (and directed) snail-mail letter -- would you be so kind as to post the name and address that you were planning to send your letter to? We (DH & I) are waiting patiently (60 days now) for our deposit refund to come through. And, while I know exactly who I would write to at RC or X, I have no idea of how to contact the President/CEO/Executive Resolution office of HAL. Still hoping that I won't need to, as we plan to wait the suggested 90 days, before contacting anyone. But, should all else fail, it's always nice to know how to reach someone at the top!

 

[Floridastorm]

23 hours ago, KAKcruiser said:

Is it possible that the $480 is for port charges and taxes?  

I suppose it is. Although have no idea why they would split up the refund. Guess I will wait until 90 days are up and contact them again with hoping they haven't forgotten about us. Due to the selling off and scrapping of ships, to include all of the negative news regarding current monetary status for the cruise industry with a few bankruptcies already, I am somewhat worried about HAL all of a sudden declaring bankruptcy. I seriously don't know how these companies are going to continue to survive with no income for the rest of 2020. The American airlines would have gone bankrupt in a month if they had not been bailed out by the government. I think we cruisers are kidding ourselves to think there will still be companies in business to begin cruising in 2021.

[CM1984]

 

Our 12/9-19 Eurodam Cruise was cancelled, we already had paid, and yesterday we had FCC on our HAL account, but it’s not close to the full amount due. (I know taxes are We will wait and see.  I have a few questions for you:

1.  We used our $200 FCD to book this cruise, it is. It showing as such, I am wondering if it will, since it is good for 4 years from purchase; and

2.  We had $300 OBC as part of the cruise, another $200 thru HAL in other promos.

 

So have any of you gotten your OBC’s back in your refund processes?  I’m glad we are getting 125%, but it surely would be nice to have that OBC, too. (It would have been the first time EVER we had gotten that much).

 

Thank you......  Mimi

Edited August 14, 2020 by CM1984

[Djptcp]

WWCruisers - my letter would have gone to:

Gus Antorcha, President

Holland America Line

450 Third Avenue West

Seattle, WA  98119

 

[wwcruisers]

12 hours ago, Djptcp said:

WWCruisers - my letter would have gone to:

Gus Antorcha, President

Holland America Line

450 Third Avenue West

Seattle, WA  98119

 

 Thank you, so much! I hope that I don't need it -- but, I'll have it tucked away, just in case!🙂

[KAKcruiser]

I don't think they are refunding OBC.

[rbtcpa]

It seems that HAL is in serious trouble. I had a Canadian/ New England cruise scheduled for Oct 2020 which was cancelled, but they offered a double deposit offer, so I booked a December 5th cruise worth about $ 2,500 for 2 of us.

That was cancelled and they offered me $600 refund or FFC of $600 times 125%. The way I figure it, I got screwwed out of $ 1,900. I took the refund because I'm not sure that HAL is a viable entity.

[KAKcruiser]

You should either get your money back or posted to your mariner's account as a future cruise credit.

[Charlie1422]

We had our December cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam cancelled last week. Surprisingly, we have already received our refund for the cabana rental and various other things we had reserved. We haven't been issued the FCC yet but our TA said she would stay on top of it. We hope to book the same cruise for December 2021. HAL hasn't listed that far away yet. Our TA said she would stay on top of it. Fingers crossed 🤞

[wwcruisers]

On 8/14/2020 at 6:45 AM, Djptcp said:

WWCruisers - my letter would have gone to:

Gus Antorcha, President

Holland America Line

450 Third Avenue West

Seattle, WA  98119

 

LOL -- Djptcp -- that address must have 'magical powers'! Not only did you not have to send your letter to corporate, to get results -- I didn't even have to address an envelope! 😄

 

When I suggested writing a snail mail letter to Mr. A at corporate, my DH suggested trying a Hal-chat first. The person he talked to was able to confirm that our refund had just been processed. We immediately checked our cc account -- and, there it was! 👍

 

Overall, we are quite pleased, and looking forward to booking another cruise with HAL -- once things calm down, and we can all travel safely, that is!😎

[49Marsha]

Our 28 day cruise scheduled to depart on March 28 was cancelled by HAL. We are still waiting for our refund, 24 weeks later. We read their Facebook postings that they’ve nearly completed refunds through July but then dozens of people respond that  they are still waiting refunds. I could care less at this point about a future cruise credit, I have no trust in the organization at this point. We had booked a tour through Road Scholar for May, the trip was cancelled and we received our refund within a month. When we can travel again, guess who we will trust.

[Mary229]

I was on a November 18 Volendam cruise, the original final payment date August 20, pushed up date to September. It canceled around the 18th of August.  I had only paid $600 FCD for two.  They doubled that to $1200 and immediately applied it to my new choice.  I had my new choice already selected.  My abundant OBC was not moved even though it was a FCD.   As a matter of fact   I think I will push back on that Monday.  If they reinstate my OBC I will let you know