Former Non-cruiser

During the first week of March when HAL first announced that they had liberalized their cancellation policies due to the Covid -19 virus I contacted my cruise broker agent to discuss my options. The HAL agent informed my agent that if I cancelled my cruise scheduled for April 4 on the Maasdam, my FCCs would be $644.36 and would include $438.00 that I had paid for the Platinum Protection Plan.  This was in addition to a cash payment for 90% of the cancellation penalty. Therefore, I went ahead and cancelled the cruise. This agreement was later documented in an email from my agent. Yesterday I received a memo from HAL which informed me of FCCs of only $226.00. When I notified my agent of the discrepancy she contacted HAL. They confirmed the earlier statement to her that I would be reimbursed for the PPP but said that she had been misinformed by their representative and that they would not reimburse for the PPP, despite their earlier agreement. Backing out on an agreement seems to me to be very poor customer relations when they should be doing everything they can to retain customers.

I had already booked a March 2021 Sea of Cortez 12 day that I cancelled this year due to the crisis. I was now able to have it re-fared with all the incentives added. It was a great deal but I will pay attention to even better ones that I expect will be offered when it becomes time to entice passengers to return to cruising.

2 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

I guess you are right.  Not sure why they make it so difficult.  I tried that email but it just took me to the mariner society section of the HAL website.  They list a phone number if you have mariner society questions.  However, I did find a way on the HAL website to contact them by email, so I did that and posted my question.  I will let the board know if they reply.

They replied to me after 6 days. In summary, you will receive an email when the FCCs are posted to your mariner account, but will be invisible to you on the website. When you book another cruise after they are posted you will need to alert the agent to credit them to that cruise.

In response to my email, I received the following from HAL:

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line.

You will receive e-mailed notification of your Future Cruise Credits once they have been applied. Although these credits are attached to your Mariner number, they will not be viewable in your account online.

Please be sure to advise your travel professional or the Holland America Line reservation agent you wish to use your FCC and provide them with your Mariner number.

I received my 90% refund credit to my credit card in 3 days. The future cruise credits are not yet showing after 10 days.

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5 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

Can you please stop perpetuating the ongoing hysteria about cruising, and about cruising out of SD specifically?

You really should not accuse somebody of doing something when you don't know their motives. I was merely trying to inform people who were coming to San Diego to board a cruise, or disembark from a cruise they are on, of the current situation so they could  plan accordingly. Intelligent people prefer to make decisions based on information rather than hysteria or bias.

10 minutes ago, AlanF65 said:

Is the 7-31 date for Platinum or did they extend the 3-31 date somewhere for non insured travelers?

 

I would suggest you try to get an answer from them in writing before you buy the plan. I just went through a cancellation as part of their policy announced last week. My T.A. was on the phone with HAL and specifically told me that my PPP purchase would be reimbursed by FCCs, even though I invoked the Plan's coverage for the 90% reimbursement of "non-refundable" penalty .I have now read on these boards that several others have been told the cost of the Plan is not refundable if you invoke the Plan's coverage. I have not yet received anything in writing from HAL and  FCCs do not appear on my account. 

San Diego public officials have just declared (3-12-2020) the County of San Diego to be an area of community transmission of the virus and have recommended that all individuals over the age of 60 minimize being in areas that involve contact with the public. They have also ordered the cancellation of gatherings involving 250 or more individuals. I have no idea how this will be dealt with by Holland America concerning their scheduled departures.

San Diego public officials have just declared the County of San Diego to be an area of community transmission of the virus and have recommended that all individuals over the age of 60 minimize being in areas that involve contact with the public. They have also ordered the cancellation of gatherings involving 250 or more individuals.

8 minutes ago, newtocruiseinblue said:

Glad HAL did the right thing for you all. What is the significance of 22 days prior to the cruise? I have HAL PP and was just curious. I think it works out slightly better to invoke the HAL PP vs getting the cancellation fee in fcc by just a few hundred. My hubby is an accountant so any info that I can pass on to him to help our savings would be great! Thank you!

If you are  22 days or more before the start of the cruise the normal penalty is 75% of the non-refundable fare. After that it is 100%. The PP just  covered 90% of that 75% penalty, but the other 25% of the fare was refundable in cash returned. Their special program they announced today covered the balance of the non-refundable penalty (10%) with FCCs. I know its confusing because you are talking about percentages of percentages, but it won't be to an accountant. The simple part is I was made whole, including the return of what I paid for the PP.

12 minutes ago, roberts2005 said:

Not sure I understand the part where the balance is being reimbursed by FCC. Can you explain.

 

 

They are giving me future cruise credits (FCC) as per the policy they announced today for all my charges that the Platinum Protection Plan did not cover.

My wife and I both have health issues that make exposure to the virus more troublesome so I reluctantly cancelled a cruise I really wanted to take to the Sea of Cortez. I had the Platinum Protection Plan and was more than 22 days prior to the start of the cruise. Most of my fare plus taxes and fees will be refunded to my credit card. Ten percent of the remaining, plus the cost of the Platinum Protection Plan, will be reimbursed by the FCC. I was pleased that  they even agreed to refund the cost of the plan. My big box cruise agent took care of everything for me in less than a half hour.

I have never understood why there is not a better selection of draft beers. On my last Alaska cruise on the Amsterdam they had draft Alaskan Brewery beers from kegs at the Lido pool bar for part of the trip, otherwise just Heineken on draft. I would think it would be very easy, and cheap for HAL, to pick up kegs of popular craft beers at their various ports.

4 hours ago, chanc said:

Question for recent cruisers that just returned on the Oosterdam - what is the process for getting tender tickets for Cabo San Lucas ? 

 

thanks ! 

 

We were on this cruise from 12-7 to 12-14. Passengers not going on a HAL tour were told to report to the BB King venue at 10:00 am to wait in line to get their tickets. Once we got our tickets the wait for our group was not very long. The return tender process went smoothly. I don't know how they handled suite of CO passengers.

I recently used the Seattle Port Valet service. It was great and free. Here is a link:https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

For our September 9 Alaska cruise (14 day), we arrived at the port about 11:30 and were in our cabin by noon. We were also directed to the Lido for lunch but instead enjoyed a nice quiet lunch in the MDR, due only to having read this forum. I paid no attention to the boarding time schedule I was provided.

On 9/1/2019 at 2:31 PM, sirvegetables said:

Does anyone know if HAL will book a transfer package from Vancouver port to Victoria island following an Alaska cruise?  Or has anyone done it on their own?

In 2017 I used https://bcfconnector.com/  Very good service direct from Canada Place to Victoria.

Trying to  sign up for this service at FLL. Even though we are arriving the day before our cruise, and want our  bags transferred to the  ship the next day, which is a service they provide, their reservation site won't let me sign up because it says 4:30 p.m. is arriving too late. Anybody have suggestions or similar experiences?