HAL Cancels ALL cruises through March 31, 2021

[Roz]

I'm waiting until the 2022 schedule is more fleshed out and more certain.  I'll be retired 😎 in December 2022 and want to see what's offered that month for a retirement cruise.  I have a European river cruise booked for December 2021, so that's my big trip for 2021.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

6 hours ago, Lazy Lakes said:

From what happened to me  if you paid with FCC you don't get the 125% only on the cash part you paid.

That was my experience as well. It also doesn’t seem to apply to cash payed for taxes and port fees.

[mskitty1]

We received an email today about cancellations until March 31, 2021.  But looking closer at the email, I see that it is for a Booking that we have in October, 2021.  It leaves from Barcelona on 10/30 and arrives in Ft Lauderdale on 11/13.  NOT sure why that is cancelled.  We are booked on the same ship (Westerdam) on 10/6-30/2021.  

 

AND we do have a booking for January (Nieuw Statendam--21 days) that is definitely cancelled with the "PAUSE", but have not received any email about that cruise.  Also have a 14 day cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Montreal in April that will be cancelled too.  UGH!!!  Guess my travel agent will be busy sorting this all out for us.  

[fatcat04]

Well, our 14 day Rotterdam TA has been redeployed from what was October 10th to October 20th, 2021. Just got the email. So that one was not cancelled just rescheduled. Might be messy for those who booked 1 or even 2 cruises before or after however.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

2 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Why did the cancel Grand Africa ??????

 

2 hours ago, Lido - Lanai said:

Grand Africa was not specifically mentioned in the announcement, but I suspect it will be canceled. Greater than 8 days.... departs from a US port prior to Nov 1st.

It wasn’t specifically mentioned, but our TA phoned HAL as soon as the announcement came out. She was told the 2021 Grand Africa is indeed cancelled, and there will be a 2022 GAV in its place. We will be sent an email outlining our options, which will include switching the booking over with the same price and stateroom.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

2 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Why did the cancel Grand Africa ??????

 

2 hours ago, Lido - Lanai said:

Grand Africa was not specifically mentioned in the announcement, but I suspect it will be canceled. Greater than 8 days.... departs from a US port prior to Nov 1st.

 

 

Grand Africa for 2021 HAS been cancelled - it was in the FAQ sent to travel Agents.  Booked Clients can have funds moved to a placeholder reservation for the 2022 sailing and are eligible for the bonus FCC for any monies on booking not already covered by previous FCC.  All Grand Voyage perks and pricing will be protected.

 

Here is the exact language:

 

Q: What about the 2021 Fall Grand Africa Voyage, is it being redeployed?

A: Yes. Transfer all funds on file from the 2021 Grand Africa to pre-reserve your 2022 Grand Africa voyage. Your booking will be at the same rate, in the same stateroom, with any early-booking bonuses, promotions or credits on your current booking maintained. You will also receive a bonus Future Cruise Credit for 25% of the base cruise fare if paid in full, or bonus FCC in the amount of deposit (up to the base cruise fare) if not paid in full.

[prescottbob]

2 hours ago, Lido - Lanai said:

Grand Africa was not specifically mentioned in the announcement, but I suspect it will be canceled. Greater than 8 days.... departs from a US port prior to Nov 1st.

 
2021 GA officially cancelled (rec’d notice from HAL today)

Let’s hope things will ‘clear up’ by the 2022 cruising ‘season’ in regard to CDC cruise ship protocols and foreign port health / vaccination requirements (and so much more, no?).

 

Be well & have a Great Holiday Season!

Bob

 

 

[boze9999]

49 minutes ago, fatcat04 said:

Well, our 14 day Rotterdam TA has been redeployed from what was October 10th to October 20th, 2021. Just got the email. So that one was not cancelled just rescheduled. Might be messy for those who booked 1 or even 2 cruises before or after however.

We received the same email so it's very confusing why others are receiving fall cancellations - all I can think is the change of ships is affecting the cruise they're booked on. 

 

[boze9999]

So far....we've only received 2 of 5 cancellations.......

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

7 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

So far....we've only received 2 of 5 cancellations.......

 

More will come..

[AtlantaCruiser72]

11 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

We received the same email so it's very confusing why others are receiving fall cancellations - all I can think is the change of ships is affecting the cruise they're booked on. 

 

 

ALL Holland America cruises Worldwide departing on or before 3/31/21 have been cancelled.  Additionally - any cruise of 8 days or longer departing on or before 11/1/21 that starts, ends or calls on a US port is being cancelled per the CDC guidelines. 

 

Any cruise that does not start, end or call on a US port on or after 4/1/21 is still scheduled regardless of duration.  Any cruise  that starts, ends or calls on a US port, and is 7 days or less in duration, and operates on or after 4/1/21 is still scheduled.

 

Does that helps clarify?

Edited November 21, 2020 by AtlantaCruiser72

[boze9999]

2 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

ALL Holland America cruises Worldwide departing on or before 3/31/21 have been cancelled.  Additionally - any cruise of 8 days or longer departing on or before 11/1/21 that starts, ends or calls on a US port is being cancelled per the CDC guidelines. 

 

Any cruise that does not start, end or call on a US port on or after 4/1/21 is still scheduled regardless of duration.  Any cruise  that starts, ends or calls on a US port, and is 7 days or less in duration, and operates on or after 4/1/21 is still scheduled.

 

Does that helps clarify?

Some on this thread have said they have had fall cruises cancelled......

[boze9999]

5 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

More will come..

Oh how I know - it's just random - we haven't received our January cancellations but received our February and March cancellations.....I know they're coming. It's just strange for sure!

 

[fatcat04]

Here is the letter we got from HAL.

 

November 20, 2020

 

Dear Valued Guest,

 

I hope this finds you safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. All of us at Holland America Line are looking forward to the future when we will once again have the opportunity to welcome guests aboard.

 

We are writing to advise you of some changes to our deployment schedule that affect your 14-Day Atlantic Sojourn voyage on board Rotterdam (booking xxxxxx). The voyage will now depart on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 rather than Sunday, October 10, as previously scheduled.

 

As a gesture of our appreciation, an Onboard Credit (OBC) of USD $100 per person will be applied to your booking. Non-cruise-fare purchases through Holland America Line, such as shore excursions, gifts, dining and spa, will be refunded to the original form of payment.

 

You or your travel advisor will receive an updated Booking Confirmation by December 8, 2020. Once you receive the updated information, should you have any questions please reach out to your travel advisor or contact us at the appropriate office:

 

Seattle Office (USD/CAD currency):
Contact us at 1-800-577-1728 or 206-626-7395.
We are available Monday – Friday, 7:00am – 6:00pm PT
Saturday-Sunday 7:00am – 4:00pm PT.

 

Southampton Office (GBP currency):
Contact us on 0344 338 8605.
We are available Monday – Thursday, 9:00am – 5:30pm.

 

Rotterdam Office (EUR currency):
Contact us on 00800 1873 1873.
We are available Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm.
For Netherlands contact us on 0800 724 5425.
We are available Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm.

 

Sydney Office (AUD currency):
Contact us on 1 300 987 321.
We are available Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 7:00pm.

 

We thank you for your patronage and look forward to welcoming you on board.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Holland America Line

[AtlantaCruiser72]

2 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

Some on this thread have said they have had fall cruises cancelled......

 

Yes - Any cruises that depart  between April 1st 2021 and November 1st 2021 are cancelled IF the cruise was 8 days or longer AND called on a US port.  This includes (but not limited to) Transatlantics, Hawaii, Grand Africa, Canada/NE, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Repositioning, etc.

 

Those are the "fall" cruises people are talking about that have been cancelled.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

36 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

 

 

Grand Africa for 2021 HAS been cancelled - it was in the FAQ sent to travel Agents.  Booked Clients can have funds moved to a placeholder reservation for the 2022 sailing and are eligible for the bonus FCC for any monies on booking not already covered by previous FCC.  All Grand Voyage perks and pricing will be protected.

 

 

 

We payed the full base fare for the Grand Africa 2021 with FCC from the terminated 2020 GWV. Obviously we don’t get any bonus FCC for that. We also shelled out a couple more thousand in cash to cover port fees, taxes, etc. Is that eligible for bonus FCC? Does it get refunded? Converted? Transferred? Donated to the Save the Chairman fund?

The FCC for our cancelled Rotterdam cruises has finally appeared in our account, and the amount doesn’t really make sense.

[fatcat04]

12 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

Some on this thread have said they have had fall cruises cancelled......

30 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

We received the same email so it's very confusing why others are receiving fall cancellations - all I can think is the change of ships is affecting the cruise they're booked on. 

 

Lots of posts on the roll call for the TA about it. A few others got the redeployment letter for the TA. Apparently the 14 day Baltic prior is also being shifted 10 days later and a new 10 day cruise will be placed before that Baltic cruise. I don't envy the folks who have to organize cruise ship schedules atm. What a headache!! 😟

 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

1 hour ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

 

 

We payed the full base fare for the Grand Africa 2021 with FCC from the terminated 2020 GWV. Obviously we don’t get any bonus FCC for that. We also shelled out a couple more thousand in cash to cover port fees, taxes, etc. Is that eligible for bonus FCC? Does it get refunded? Converted? Transferred? Donated to the Save the Chairman fund?

The FCC for our cancelled Rotterdam cruises has finally appeared in our account, and the amount doesn’t really make sense.

Best answer I can give is either ask the magic 8ball or call your travel agent/HAL and see if they can get accurate answers.

[lstrong]

I have an April 3, 2021 San Diego to Mexico cruise booked. Sure don’t want to be on the first test cruise so thinking I need to cancel. So bummed. Laurie

[Cruising-along]

3 hours ago, mskitty1 said:

We received an email today about cancellations until March 31, 2021.  But looking closer at the email, I see that it is for a Booking that we have in October, 2021.  It leaves from Barcelona on 10/30 and arrives in Ft Lauderdale on 11/13.  NOT sure why that is cancelled.  We are booked on the same ship (Westerdam) on 10/6-30/2021.

Is it one booking or two?  We also got the cancellation notice for the 10/30 transatlantic.  We're booked on the Westerdam from Sept. 24 through the TA.  If you still want the 10/6-30 segment and it was all on one booking, you can do what we did.  DH spent 2 hours on the phone this afternoon getting that segment rebooked with the same cabin and perks so we can at least salvage that part -- of course who knows what may yet be cancelled, but we're leaving it this way for now. 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Cruising-along

[Horizon chaser 1957]

39 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Best answer I can give is either ask the magic 8ball or call your travel agent/HAL and see if they can get accurate answers.

Thanks! My TA is great, but only gets the info the person on the other end of the line thinks of at the time. The magic 8 ball might know. Luckily, we won’t be cruising any time soon, so there’s lots of time for the dust to settle and more consistent answers to emerge.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Given where we are right now with cancellations, the virus travel restrictions, uncertainties around vaccines and shipboard protocols we sadly cancelled our b2b on Nieuw Statendam for October 2021.  It was a lot of hard earned money to be throwing at a trip full of so many uncertainties.  We will be watching to see what the 2022 European schedule looks like and will most likely rebook with HAL for that fall. Until then we still have a 10 night Caribbean cruise booked with Princess for my 50th in spring 2022. Hopefully by then all this mishegas will be behind us!!!

[Btimmer]

What happens to those of us USA residents who cancelled a cruise in the spring of 2020 and received a FCC equivalent to the cancellation penalty but which has to be used on a cruise that occurs no later than 2021 AND booked prior to 12/31/2020?  Is this a way for HAL to get out from under their March 6, 2020 email promise?

[wesport]

7 hours ago, boze9999 said:

So far....we've only received 2 of 5 cancellations.......

 

I have only received 1 of 3.  Not sure whats going on. 

[Mary229]

I don't know if this has been covered, does anyone have an answer?

 

I used a FCC issued from a canceled cruise to book the VOV in 2021 with the Cruise with Confidence Guarantee in place.  That has now been moved to Summer 2022 with no details and outside of the Cruise with Confidence Guarantee window which ends April 2022.  

 

Can I now cancel this cruise immediately and receive a FCC under the terms of the Cruise with Confidence program?     Thank you