Veendam - redeployed July 2018it

Assuming you book a substitute cruise fairly quickly (I don't have a real time frame in mind, but at least up to 2 months), I would have my TA insist that any OBC associated with the cruise HAL canceled be transferred to that substitute cruise.

I have had cruises pulled out from under me before, and have found HAL to be reasonable about making it right.

 

ps: thanks for saying you'll miss meeting me. maybe someday???

I hope so, Ruth! I have been quietly appreciating the knowledge and experience you bring to this board since I joined early last year. Would be great to meet up over chocolate and share sea stories!

Currently exploring the options for a substitute cruise. Spent last night on the HAL website scouring the possibilities, which in my mind are limited because we already have a 20 day cruise on the books for 2018. If we do end up booking something else, I would absolutely insist that all of our OBC from the Newfoundland cruise be transferred to the new booking as well as receiving the sorry for the trouble OBC at the appropriate level. My mother though is the one in charge of making our arrangements; not sure she would stamp her foot down like I would, but I'd probably as to be on the line this time when she speaks with our PCC, who seems like a reasonable guy, just to be sure.... :D

Or, redeployed to a Cuba itinerary.

You are correct it will be doing some Cuba runs.

You are correct it will be doing some Cuba runs.

The HAL cruise planning section now shows the new itineraries for Veendam in July-August 2018. Boston to Montreal and then a 21 day run down to Cuba and back. Then repeat' date=' I think.

I am still working out what to select as a replacement for my cancelled Bermuda booking. Timing of the 21 day run does not work well for my vacation time.

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I'm confused. My TA has not yet confirmed that my Aug. 2018 cruise is cancelled and I just check my "active bookings" on-line with HAL and it's still "active." What gives? I had better call HAL this afternoon.

I'm confused. My TA has not yet confirmed that my Aug. 2018 cruise is cancelled and I just check my "active bookings" on-line with HAL and it's still "active." What gives? I had better call HAL this afternoon.

Try looking it up, and/or booking it, on the Holland America website. You'll find it is gone.

You need to call your TA to make other arrangements. Since you say you have a TA, HAL likely won't talk to you as the TA is your agent.

I just learned of Veendam cruises HAL is currently booking for June 2018 and August 2018, that include two stops in Cuba with an overnight in Havana,

I like the itinerary of the June 23, 2018 sailing down to Cuba. It is Boston round trip which would make it easy for us. Wondering if they will offer this in 2019.

Try looking it up, and/or booking it, on the Holland America website. You'll find it is gone.

You need to call your TA to make other arrangements. Since you say you have a TA, HAL likely won't talk to you as the TA is your agent.

I called HAL and they re-sent the cancellation notice to me and my TA. Got an e-mail from TA today... I'm not interested in re-booking the two HAL suggested sailings. Oh dear, where shall I sail to next???

I like the itinerary of the June 23, 2018 sailing down to Cuba. It is Boston round trip which would make it easy for us. Wondering if they will offer this in 2019.

If interested, I'd suggest booking it. With the Nieuw Statendam on the horizon, it's a good chance the Veendam will not be here in 2019.

Roy

If interested, I'd suggest booking it. With the Nieuw Statendam on the horizon, it's a good chance the Veendam will not be here in 2019.

 

 

 

Roy

If they do the same itinerary on a different ship I'd be fine with that. Next year I'm booked on the Rotterdam in August mainly because I want to sail on her again before she goes away.

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I'd imagine that they didn't offer the Cuba sailings because they thought you were more interested in the Canada/NE sailings rather than wherever the ship would be sailing. My PCC also offered me other Canada/NE itineraries but I declined because I really wanted to see Newfoundland and Labrador plus Havre Saint Pierre and Baie Comeau.

Received notice from our TA saying HAL cancelled our June 16, 2018. This was going to be my first HAL cruise.

Bad business.

I like the itinerary of the June 23, 2018 sailing down to Cuba. It is Boston round trip which would make it easy for us. Wondering if they will offer this in 2019.

I love the Boston to Boston part b ut not the J amaica part or much care about Grand Cayman.

I agree about Jamaica. I would just stay on the ship.

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We booked our substitute cruise today for our cancelled August 2018 Newfoundland trip. We decided on 11 day PanCan partial on Zuiderdam in December 2018. I am so proud of my mother; HAL's accounting department tried to take away $50 of the OBC that we had from the original booking. She did put her foot down and insist that we get the $100 we originally had plus the $50 "sorry for the inconvenience" OBC for our cabin category even though we didn't select one of their suggested substitute cruises. You cancelled our dam cruise, HAL, not us!!! (thanks for the tip, RuthC!) Guy in accounting said he had to go get his supervisor to approve the "additional" $50 OBC. Yep, you do that buddy. Can't believe they gave her a hard time over $100 total, but she got her way.

Just as an aside, I discussed this in the relevant thread, but she asked for the pricing without the current Explore 4 promo which offers no real benefit for us (I can certainly make use of the free drinks, but she can't so much, even non-alcoholic beverages) and it was only $15 difference, less than the Pinnacle Grill dinner cost, so she took the promo rate. Still disappointed about Canada, but I'm pleased with how this panned out for us. Ship happens. Hoping for Canada in 2019.

We booked our substitute cruise today for our cancelled August 2018 Newfoundland trip.

I'm glad it worked out for you all around! Hope you enjoy your substitute cruise (and the extra OBC ;)).

If the ship is being sold, I hope keep up maintenance. We sailed on a Celebrity ship once that was being retired/sold and it was not up to snuff. we just booked the Veedam for a Cuba cruise in April.

I'm glad it worked out for you all around! Hope you enjoy your substitute cruise (and the extra OBC ;)).

Thanks Ruth! You too! :ship:

If the ship is being sold, I hope keep up maintenance. We sailed on a Celebrity ship once that was being retired/sold and it was not up to snuff. we just booked the Veedam for a Cuba cruise in April.

I'm sure they will if (when) that happens. I recall people saying that her sisters Statendam and Ryndam, which left the fleet in 2015, were in good shape when they were on their last cruises as HAL ships. I was on Veendam in May and she was fine, couple scratches here and there as one might expect from a 20 year old ship but nothing to indicate that she was in a state of disrepair. I hope you enjoy your cruise to Cuba!

We booked our substitute cruise today for our cancelled August 2018 Newfoundland trip. We decided on 11 day PanCan partial on Zuiderdam in December 2018. I am so proud of my mother; HAL's accounting department tried to take away $50 of the OBC that we had from the original booking. She did put her foot down and insist that we get the $100 we originally had plus the $50 "sorry for the inconvenience" OBC for our cabin category even though we didn't select one of their suggested substitute cruises. You cancelled our dam cruise, HAL, not us!!! (thanks for the tip, RuthC!) Guy in accounting said he had to go get his supervisor to approve the "additional" $50 OBC. Yep, you do that buddy. Can't believe they gave her a hard time over $100 total, but she got her way.

 

Just as an aside, I discussed this in the relevant thread, but she asked for the pricing without the current Explore 4 promo which offers no real benefit for us (I can certainly make use of the free drinks, but she can't so much, even non-alcoholic beverages) and it was only $15 difference, less than the Pinnacle Grill dinner cost, so she took the promo rate. Still disappointed about Canada, but I'm pleased with how this panned out for us. Ship happens. Hoping for Canada in 2019.

I finally found a substitute cruise to the one HAL cancelled and I'm going to be as demanding as your mother for my OBC.

Our October 6/18 "Veendam" cruise from Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale has been shortened from 13 to 11 days and three ports (Martha's Vineyard, New York City and Charleston) dropped. We no longer wished to continue with this cruise because of the changes. Our TA, after a couple of long sessions with HAL, was very successful in rebooking us onto a 14-day Transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale in October/November 2018. HAL transferred our original on-board credits over to the new cruise, and the new booking resulted in a savings of over $2,000 compared to the original cruise. We are very pleased with the outcome.

Just a question. If you put your deposit down and did not want to take another cruise, did HAL give you your deposit back?

Yes, if we had cancelled the "Veendam" cruise and had not booked another one, I believe we would have had our deposit returned to our accounts since the cruise was originally booked as a future cruise while onboard a "Koningsdam" cruise earlier this year. Note that we also received $100 pp OBC for changing from the "Veendam" cruise to the "Oosterdam" cruise.

Yes, if we had cancelled the "Veendam" cruise and had not booked another one, I believe we would have had our deposit returned to our accounts since the cruise was originally booked as a future cruise while onboard a "Koningsdam" cruise earlier this year. Note that we also received $100 pp OBC for changing from the "Veendam" cruise to the "Oosterdam" cruise.

Thanks. I did get as far as putting a deposit down. I had it on hold and my TA advised against this cruise. So the money was never put down in my case.