sparks247

She ends her voyage from Fiji in Bali on 2/8/25, if she is going to drydock in S'pore that will take her a couple of days. Her next voyage is April 1 from S'pore to Darwin. That leaves her idle for some 7 weeks! and she was last refurbished in 2021, so refurbishment is unlikely. Maybe she will be repowered with clean engines to meet the latest Nox requirements or she may have been chartered, who knows. So far nothing comes up with an internet search. Am booked on her fm S'pore to Fiji next year 4/1 and will sure find out!

Following from Cruise Industry News:

Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled sailings on the Norwegian Sun between March and November 2025, according to a letter sent to travel advisors and booked guests.

“As a result of a fleet redeployment, Norwegian Sun’s sailings from March 28, 2025 through and including November 3, 2025 have been canceled,” the company said.

The cancellations amount to 22 sailings, and Norwegian was quick to note the Norwegian Sky will be offering similar cruises during the same timeframe.

The sailings ranged from week-long cruises to two weeks and more, in Europe and the Middle East.

The ship’s current published deployment ends in late March 2025 in Singapore.

Update:

“As part of a fleet redeployment to accommodate strong demand for longer more immersive itineraries in exotic destinations, we have canceled Norwegian Sun’s sailings from March 28, 2025 through and including November 3, 2025,” said a statement from Norwegian Cruise Line.

“We will be redeploying her, and her new enhanced itineraries will be available to book soon. All changes are being communicated to impacted guests accordingly. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate the understanding of our loyal guests and travel partners as we navigate this fleet redeployment and optimization.”

On 10/6/2023 at 4:25 PM, pappy1022 said:

The commercial airfare looks like it is costing more than the cruise itself especially if you want to fly business class and even premium economy is getting up there. 

Have used French Bee (French discount airline) from SFO to PPT, they fly 2 to 3 times a week from Paris to PPT with stop-over in SFO. No business class, do have premium economy at a "premium" (2K+). Fly any airline from AUS to SFO and you have better control over the length of the trip. FB departs from SFO to PPT around midnight. 

Interesting new itineraries for '25. Put a deposit down on S'pore/Darwin and Darwin/Fiji trips.

Disembarked from R'dam on 11/20 (post Nicole cruise), guess 3 to 4 days before disembarkation came down with a cold, just nasal stuffiness. While having something to eat at FFL airport noticed that my smell was not as good as it normally is. Upon arrival at home did selftest and yes positive. Never felt sick or had a fever and I have been negative for 6 days now and my smell is good. Have been jabbed 5 times, it works. Never wore a mask, was on tours (some of them crowded) in every port. From now on wil wear a mask on cruises!

One thing I did notice was that the tables in the Lido were hardly cleaned, just barely wiped, if at all, and definitely not with disinfectant...........same with the bars.

Was on a cruise last Xmas and New Year with another cruise line and all tables incuding chairs, when vacated, were cleaned with disinfectant! The ship was Covid free!

37 minutes ago, sparks247 said:

Following both vessels on Marinetraffic, they are not heading for the Yucatan channel or Windward passage but heading in Northwesterly direction and are currently some 40 miles southeast of San Andres Island.

Looks like they are picking up (medical?) supplies at San Andres.

Following both vessels on Marinetraffic, they are not heading for the Yucatan channel or Windward passage but heading in Northwesterly direction and are currently some 40 miles southeast of San Andres Island.

1 hour ago, colbe said:

No excuses, just well thought-out reasons.

 

Eg:

 

Number one reason: All cruise ships not already in New Zealand waters are not permitted to dock. There is no guarantee that any ports along the route will allow entry, including the USA.

Number two reason: Look at a map and see how far from land (ie medical help) these fragile passengers will be during the journey.

 

Well, if you look at the itinerary of this world cruise, crossing the Pacific westbound the only stop they made with decent medical facilities was Hawaii. Now if these fragile people can't fly because of pre-existing conditions what other options do you have? The ship has to relocate to FLA anyway to start her next trip(s), if this is going to happen.

And a ship does not have to dock to refuel and or pick up provisions, this can be done at anchor or on the roads, with very limited or no interaction with vessel's crew. Done this many times in my previous life. 

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

A copy of the letter that HAL provided to the passengers was posted on one of these threads about the world voyage ending -- I cannot find it at the moment but it lays out a number of good reasons why it is not feasible for HAL to transport these passengers back to the US -- some of the reasons include the potential of countries closing ports to ships, even potentially for bunkering fuel and receiving supplies.

 

Another reason is the lack of medical equipment onboard for more than basic stabilization of ill patients, and only a few at a time. What would happen if coronavirus infection DID break out onboard (remembering that the disease can take 14 days to manifest....)?  Or what if passengers who elect to remain onboard suffer some other medical emergency that the ship cannot deal with -- but no country will allow them to medivac?

 

There was also a question as to whether the US would even allow the ship to disembark passengers, if it were to arrive back to FLL; and what about passengers onboard who then would not be able to fly back to countries OTHER than the US? (Not all world cruise passengers are Americans...)

 

Edited to add:  Look how much our world picture has changed in the last month. Who could possibly predict what these passengers might face in another month if they cruised back, rather than returning now?  I don't imagine things are going to have changed for the positive in the next 30 days.  Maybe in more like 3-4 months....

I have not seen the letter, sofar none of the HAL ships have had any covid-19 infections, at least that is what they said in their post on the website, I remember an issue with one passenger on Westerdam in Cambodia. 

You be surprised how well equipped the medical facilities are on these ships but then again they came accross the Pacific, westbound, with the same limitations.

Good point in that the US would not allow a ship to disembark passengers at all, if there are no covid-19 cases on board it would likely be better to stay on board then disembark, we are not even close to the peak here in the US, it does not look good.

Anyhow......was your hands and keep your distance!!!

What is HAL's excuse NOT to bring the ship back to Ft. Lauderdale? It's 11000 NM from Fremantle to FLA via the Panama canal with a stop in New Zealand to top of bunkers and provisions, with out letting anyone go ashore. The crossing from New Zealand to Panama is around 6700 NM, with an economical speed of 450 NM per day that is give or take 15 days. Top of bunkers/provisions in Panama and on to FLA which is 3 days.

It is 7 days fm Fremantle to NZ, one day bunkers/provisions, 15 days to cross Pacific to Panama, 1 day bunkers/prov., 1 day Canal, 3 days to FLA. Total days 28! Why is that a "DAM" problem? 

NCL apparently copied the CLIA proposal as reported by the Maritime Executive, see below:

BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE 03-11-2020 07:31:00

In an effort to reduce the risk associated with novel coronavirus, the cruise industry's biggest association has proposed new rules that would limit embarkation for vulnerable and elevated-risk passengers. The details have not been published, but accounts leaked to media outline several new measures. 

In a plan submitted to the office of Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has reportedly proposed to deny boarding to any person over the age of 70 unless they present a note from a doctor stating that they are fit to travel on board a cruise ship. Those with an underlying chronic medical condition that would make them more vulnerable to the illness would also be prohibited from embarking.

“In our meeting with him on Saturday, the vice president placed great emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable populations, which include travelers of a certain age and those with chronic health conditions, as specified by the CDC. We believe the plan that we submitted is responsive to those concerns,” a CLIA spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.

In a news conference Tuesday night, Vice President Pence indicated that the plan also contains provisions for airlift evacuation if the need arises. Two cruise ships have experienced serious onboard coronavirus outbreaks to date, and both have required airplane evacuation services to repatriate passengers or deliver them to other locations for quarantine. 

CLIA chairman Adam Goldstein told Travel Weekly that the plan also calls for cruise ships to carry coronavirus test kits on board, a measure that would accelerate testing in the event of a suspected case. The lab work would still be done on shore, but the vessel's medical staff would be equipped to collect samples on an expedited basis.

The federal government is reviewing CLIA's proposal and is expected to respond soon. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control currently recommends that all travelers "defer all cruise ship travel worldwide," citing the risk of person-to-person spread of COVID-19, but no administrative measures have been taken to impose restrictions on operations.

In the areas where COVID-19 has already hit the hardest - the East Asian and Italian markets - cruise operations have been heavily impacted by public health measures. Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled all Asia summer season cruises through the end of the third quarter, a decision affecting 40 sailings. Royal Caribbean has canceled 18 and Holland America has canceled seven more. Most of the affected vessels have diverted to other regions, allowing them to offer alternate itineraries for passengers who have already booked. 

This week, both MSC and Costa Crociere said that they are winding down cruises in Italy, where a full-scale national shutdown is in progress. The two lines are allowing only disembarkation during Italian port calls to allow passengers to return home. Later MSC and Costa departures from Italy have been canceled through April 3.  

Measures for small passenger vessels

The U.S. industry association for dinner cruise, ferry and tour boat operators, the Passenger Vessel Association, is also emphasizing the importance of health and safety - and the similarity of its members' operations to shoreside options. 

"It is important for the traveling public to understand that most U.S.-flagged passenger vessels are small businesses operating short duration trips of just a few hours," said PVA President Colleen Stephens. "Whether dinner boats, ferries or whale watch vessels, which are U.S.-built and crewed by U.S. citizens, we have much in common with shore-side restaurants and other attractions."

The PVA has called on its members to strictly adhere to CDC guidelines for controlling the spread of illness, including: 

• Ensuring that employees who are ill or displaying signs of illness (fever, cough) do not come to work.
• Sanitizing (not merely cleaning) areas of the vessel in which passengers and crew come into contact
• Mandating that all employees frequently wash their hands according to recommended procedures.
• Emphasize the utmost levels of cleanliness during food preparation, serving and clean-up.
• Partnering with agencies and operators that book or sell tours to ensure that any guest identified with possible signs be immediately reported to crew

Visited Ephesus 6 months ago 5 hr tour (small group) with Curiotravel via Viator, tourguide Mrs. Selda.

At our request they ommitted the stop at a rug factory. Enjoyed the tour.

I travel solo as I am a widower. Sail with Costa, NCL and HAL and always select open seating. Every time I am asked whether I want to sit alone or join a larger table. Join other larger tables all the time, meet lots of interesting folks. And on the longer cruises on the smaller ships you run into the same people often. 

If i want to sit alone or in a hurry I go to the Lido or buffet.

2 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Thanks for that info! I was born, raised and grew up in Holland and, to be honest with you, I have never heard of that. I was never big into "zoute haring" (salted herring) either. Of course it would help if I would look up the Dutch name.....🤓

The Dutch name for roe is "kuit". And raw herring is delicious too!

9 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

roe¹

 

noun

 

1. the mass of eggs contained in the ovaries of a female fish or shellfish, typically including the ovaries themselves, especially when ripe and used as food.

   • the ripe testes of a male fish, especially when used as food.

      

     Whoa; people eat that stuff?? 

Yes they do and it is delicious, particularly when pan fried. When in Holland, go to any Dutch fish restaurant and I bet you they are as good or better than on the N S. Also try the slibtongetjes (small sole, panfried) and be careful you'll eat your fingers.

25 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

That is one ugly design!! Looks like it capsized.

Agree, but has certain advantages:

X Bow Hull Design vs Conventional Hull Design 

X-bow is a “backward sloping bow” or an inverted ship bow design which is used for increasing the fuel efficiency and safety of the vessel at sea. As the name suggests, the inverted bow design has its farthest point at the extreme point of the vessel (towards the waterline) which gives a continuous sharp bow shape to the hull. The sharp design at the extreme front helps the vessel to cut through the waves and improve overall stability, especially in heavy waves.

13 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Is this in service with the X fleet ?

None in X-fleet (as is Celebrity), Aurora Expeditions hase one (Greg Mortimer, see pict) and numerous OSV's are equipped with this X-bow (i.e. inverted bow)

1 hour ago, mcrcruiser said:

Then stick with the X ships .  We love our HAL fleet .

What about this Ulstein X-bow design............:-)

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I'm just in the browsing stage, but I'm interested in hearing about itineraries that I might not stumble upon just searching casually myself, or that might be more interesting than meets the eye. Any recommendations or past favorites?

Download HAL's  new 4/19-4/20 cruise atlas, available under E-brochures on their website.

Many interesting 14 day itineraries.

She was last refurbished in 2017.

1 hour ago, tuolumne couple said:

 

I am not sure why you cannot see yours, but mine is completely intact.i see no fault with the holland america site at all.  i see every sailing and every credit for the past ten years. odd. is it your browser or something?? We just got a new computer that loads pages and programs that i could not open with my older operating system. i wonder why i can see every detail and you cannot. have you tried reaching out to customer service??

 

It has nothing to do with your new pc, HAL is having issues see their response to questions as posted by  0bnxshs a couple of posts up.

"The response I received from the Mariner Society only 2 day ago, like many others:

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line.

Unfortunately, there is currently an issue with recent sailings not posting fully to Mariner accounts. This is a known issue and we are working as fast as we can to get it fixed. We thank you for your patience on this matter and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance or visit us online at www.hollandamerica.com.  We thank you for your continued patronage.

Kind Regards,

Philip
Mariner Society
Holland America Line
U.S. and Canada: 800-547-9139
International: 206-286-3900
Mon-Fri  8am-5pm PST

Savor The Journey

Evidently, they are trying to do something about it and it's not working"

Two days ago all my history was gone, yesterday it was back, however the credits for my last cruise which ended October 28 are still missing. When was your last cruise?

Am sure that they will fix it eventually, may take some time.......

As of today some oceanview cabins are available for the 22 day Nov 27 return trip from AKL.

That cruise segment has sold out as per the HAL website, if you booked, paid and have a confirmation you are ok!

I travel solo, typically I pay from 1.5 to 2 times the "per passenger fare". Once on Costa I could not book a cabin for just 1 person. Called Costa and they advised to insert a "fake" name for a second person and use my passportnr for this person as well. Upon boarding the "fake" person was a no-show, no problem. Call the cruise line or a TA.

There was many times when we sailed HAL in the Caribbean and the ships were always full!!

There are too many discount cruises in the Carib, particularly with the Megaships. HAL likely makes a lot more money in the summer by deploying their few ships in Alaska, Med and NW Europe. And than again how many Caribbean cruises can you make? There is so much else to see, which is one of the advantages of HAL over the other run-of the-mill cruise lines.

My best guess is that if your official itinerary does not list visits to Doubtful and Dusky Sounds, your ship will not be sailing into them.

Well the Maasdam itinerary stated "Milford Sound and Fjordland", since this trip with the Noordam has an extra day at Fjordland, I am sure that they will enter a boatload of Sounds, including Dusky and Doubtful.

Thanks Sparks; I have some old binocs and a decent zoom, but I took your advice (sorta) and ordered a Polaris 12 X 50 Monocular which should come in handy.

I also cadged some of your handy advise from your other posts to get tour ideas in Australia and NZ. Did you end up going to the Waitomo Cave? Did you enjoy it.

I noticed you are a Hapag-Lloyd afficianado; I have almost booked several tours but my lack of language has stopped me; not to get too far off the topic, but can I assume with your background that language is not an issue for you?

Yeah rented a car in Tauranga and drove to Waitomo Caves, I did enjoy it, never seen anything like that before. Met some people from the ship while there, who arranged a tour with a local while they walked out of the harbor area, that way you see a bit more of the scenery while underway, when driving you have to watch traffic and stay on the left.

We always looked for itineraries with interesting places, irregardless of cruise line. Now solo, after my wife's death, I am still continuing that tradition. Also love tall ships, did barefoot cruising and Star Clipper, beautiful trips. With Hapag Lloyd we cruised the Norwegian coast, Spitsbergen, the Arctic icefields, Iceland, Faroer and Shetlands as well as Chile, Robinson Crusoe, Easter Island, Pitcairn and Micronesia on a Pacific trip. Language is somewhat of an issue as all announcements are in German, however everybody speaks English. I am pretty proficient in German, that helps. On the Spitsbergen trip we were the only non German speaking couple out of 600 passengers. On the Pacific trip with 400 passengers there were 6 non German speakers. The ships, service, excursions, food and pretty much everything else are excellent. And the cruise fare includes cancellation insurance, port charges and hotel service charges. Drinks are affordable or you can purchase a drink package.

Early last year, january, did a cruise with Costa Romantica, in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Reunion and back to Mauritius, absolutely incredible, so many beautiful places. The ship was awesome and the public places lively till deep in the night. Maasdam not! Ship is dead after 9pm.

Enjoy your cruise!