mdkirshenbaum

I received the following email from HAL yesterday promoting shore excursions for this specific cruise....lol.  

WHAT WILL YOU DISCOVER? Now that you're only three months from your departure, you may want to think about booking your tours. We have exciting options in every destination, including Komodo Island, Indonesia, so you can really connect with the people and places you'll visit. http://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/holndamrca/contentlibrary/promotional/booking_series/bs_modules/images/AFAR_partnership2x.gif

Since I don’t rely on HAL for the excursions I just want to ensure that they have skin in the game and will reliably follow the entire itinerary as it is laid out.  I have no issue contracting with outside tour companies where it is necessary.  For those of you currently sailing on the Westerdam, have you skipped ports, other than for bad weather, for unknown reasons?  Thanks for all your comments and information.

Even when shore excursions are sold out they continue to appear on the website because they allow you to waitlist if you choose in case someone changes their mind.

Yes, My wife and I are very concerned.  We both on separate occasions have contacted the shore excursion desk and have been told that they are working on the excursions and that they will be released next week.  That was over two weeks ago.  My final payment is due this week and I do not want to tie up money on a cruise that appears to be in flux.  I don’t rely on their shore excursions per se, but it shows a commitment on the ship’s behalf that they are committed to the cruise and to the specific ports in the itinerary.  
 

Thankfully, for the first time we bought our airfare through HAL so we won’t risk airfare$$ if we feel compelled to cancel.  

We are also booked on the next cruise from Singapore to Tokyo and that segment has some excursions but not a full complement yet.  Our last cruise in August with HAL (Greenland and Iceland)  all the shore excursions were sold out months before final payment was due.