Canada East Coast cruises 2013

[mancunian]

Has anyone heard if there is a problem with these cruises next year - for instance are they going to happen. These cruises, plus gaps on Veendam and Maasdam's itineraries are the only gaps on HALs progrmme next year for early summer cruises. We are anxiously waiting to book and really need toknow dates as we would like to amalgamate this trip with other plan whilst in the US next June. Sadly they seem to be the only line who does this cruise at this time of year most only doing Autumn.

[CruiserBruce]

This has been discussed. As you mention, for some unknown reason, Maasdam's schedule has been withheld for that time period, while the master schedule has Maasdam doing the Canada/New England routes. No one knows why, or when the schedule might be released.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There has been a discussion about this.

Some people think that the Veendam will be doing the Canada/New England cruises. And that the Veenda\m will be doing the Viking cruise.

And that the Maasdam will go to Europe.

Then some people think that Maasdam will continue the Canada/New England run along with the Veendam also doing it.

No final word has been released from Seattle yet.

[sail7seas]

Has anyone heard if there is a problem with these cruises next year - for instance are they going to happen. These cruises, plus gaps on Veendam and Maasdam's itineraries are the only gaps on HALs progrmme next year for early summer cruises. We are anxiously waiting to book and really need toknow dates as we would like to amalgamate this trip with other plan whilst in the US next June. Sadly they seem to be the only line who does this cruise at this time of year most only doing Autumn.

 

 

I've been inquiring for weeks/months and it seems HAL just is not ready to announce what Maasdam will be doing.

 

We have booked Maasdam, b-to-b, Boston to Montreal to Boston for years and this year may be our last time doing that. It's a shame if that is the case. We've enjoyed thoses trips immensely but ........

 

We have serious reservations about doing it on Veendam.

Hopefully HAL wil make an announcement at some timely point.

 

 

[sail7seas]

There has been a discussion about this.

 

Some people think that the Veendam will be doing the Canada/New England cruises. And that the Veenda\m will be doing the Viking cruise.

 

And that the Maasdam will go to Europe.

 

Then some people think that Maasdam will continue the Canada/New England run along with the Veendam also doing it.

 

No final word has been released from Seattle yet.

 

 

 

All rumors... :D

 

 

I have not seen any public announcement or heard from anyone in authority who is announcing what Maasdam will be doing after April 2013.

 

[PathfinderEss]

I've been inquiring for weeks/months and it seems HAL just is not ready to announce what Maasdam will be doing.

 

We have booked Maasdam, b-to-b, Boston to Montreal to Boston for years and this year may be our last time doing that. It's a shame if that is the case. We've enjoyed thoses trips immensely but ........

 

We have serious reservations about doing it on Veendam.

Hopefully HAL wil make an announcement at some timely point.

 

 

I agree I would have serious reservations about doing that trip on the Veendam too. :(

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have to admit I am waiting as well, a return to Canada /New England is what we want to do for 2013 and want to start planning but right now hard to do so. But also I do not believe they show where the Eurodam will be after August 27th sailing when she returns to New York on September 12th, so we are waiting for that as well. I am actually leaning more on doing the Eurodam but really wish she too would sail out of Boston rather than NY.

[sail7seas]

Eurodam can't sail to Montreal. She has to stop at Quebec City...... that is not the most convenient location to fly into and out of not to mention, Montreal is a great city and a shame to not visit a bit there if flying a long distance to do this cruise.

 

On the other hand, Eurodam doing ten days is nice.

 

Eurodam shows through to at least August 2013 itineraries; Maasdam stops at April 2013. Big difference IMO

 

 

 

[mancunian]

I am sorry I have brought up a subject already discussed on here. I guess it was probablly during my six week absence from the board during our Rotterdam trip.

 

Maasdam gets really good reports and we were hoping to do that trip on her. What are the reservations about Veendam? As on Rotterdam not too happy about promenade deck and retreat area but are there others? Eurodam no good to us as we want to do the summer not the autumn, but in any case prefer the smaller ships.

 

I have had another look today but think HAL is the only line who does the trip in the late spring/summer. Fingers crossed they will decide soon.

[sail7seas]

No reason at all to be sorry to raise any topic. Obviously there is interest in the subject you have raised as there is on-going conversation about it. :)

 

Welcome back.

 

Maasdam's Canada/New England itinerary is one of HAL's best IMO

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Eurodam can't sail to Montreal. She has to stop at Quebec City...... that is not the most convenient location to fly into and out of not to mention, Montreal is a great city and a shame to not visit a bit there if flying a long distance to do this cruise.

 

On the other hand, Eurodam doing ten days is nice.

 

Eurodam shows through to at least August 2013 itineraries; Maasdam stops at April 2013. Big difference IMO

 

I agree Sail but what I was getting at is that Eurodam does not show Canada/New England either which she has been doing the last several years before starting Caribbean. I do really want to go to Montreal but we are probably leaning toward the repo cruise that ends in FLL for the Eurodam in 2013. We like so many others are leaning toward the longer voyages. Although it will probably limit us down to two big cruises a year :o

It is fun speculating what HAL plans to do :D I personally would bet on the theory of both Maasdam and Veendam doing Canada/New England. (Although I have been wrong in the past :rolleyes: ) The itineraries are selling so much better than Europe as well as the Shore Excursions sell well. Let's face it the cruise lines are in the business of making money and with the changing economy especially in Europe they are trying to stay a step ahead which is hard. Then with Air costs I think having an additional ship doing Canada/New England would be more profitable.

[jtl513]

There has also been speculation that both the Maasdam and Veendam will be doing the Boston-Montreal run simultaneously, in opposite directions.

[sail7seas]

I agree Sail but what I was getting at is that Eurodam does not show Canada/New England either which she has been doing the last several years before starting Caribbean. I do really want to go to Montreal but we are probably leaning toward the repo cruise that ends in FLL for the Eurodam in 2013. We like so many others are leaning toward the longer voyages. Although it will probably limit us down to two big cruises a year :o

 

It is fun speculating what HAL plans to do :D I personally would bet on the theory of both Maasdam and Veendam doing Canada/New England. (Although I have been wrong in the past :rolleyes: ) The itineraries are selling so much better than Europe as well as the Shore Excursions sell well. Let's face it the cruise lines are in the business of making money and with the changing economy especially in Europe they are trying to stay a step ahead which is hard. Then with Air costs I think having an additional ship doing Canada/New England would be more profitable.

 

We can hope about Maasdam staying in New England. I don't even mind if they switch over to Veendam doing VOV. :)

 

People are budget concious these days and Europe is pricey. Our friends are in the process of booking a trip to Paris and while they and we are used to nice hotels, the prices they are being quoted are stunning!

 

We would do a reposition cruise, and would definitely be interested in Eurodam as we really like that ship, but lately HAL has not been stopping along the East Coast the way they used to. They used to port at Charleston and in several other ports but I think they mostly do a straight line straight up and down the coast on the repo cruises.

 

A stop in Newport would also be nice. :)

 

[wilsonqbc]

I do know that 2013 is going to be a very busy year...

The complete story of what ships and lines, still rumors maybe, all the info I do not know for sure, and would not dare to say, but Hal has been around here since the 90's cant see them just going away.

[sail7seas]

I do know that 2013 is going to be a very busy year...

what ships and lines, still rumors maybe all that I do not know, but Hal has been around here since the 90's cant see them just going away.

 

 

HI, NICE to hear from you, Wilson. :)

 

Noooo, I don't think for a minute that HAL will stop calling at Quebec City. I'm hoping it is still Maasdam that visits and not (just) Veendam. Eurodam is great, too, but she sails from NYC for Canada cruises. We like sailing from Boston...... on Maasdam.

 

Hopefully, we'll see you in August. We are booked for our annual two weeks aboard. LOVE that trip!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Now here is another speculation I could see happening :D And I stress speculation. They could have Maasdam doing her normal Saturday departures with Veendam doing a Wednesday mid week departure. Allowing for doing Cruise Tours in Canada like they do in Alaska. You could take the Maasdam North Bound, then do a 3 night Land Tour then board the Veendam for South Bound or any conbination around that ;) Setting this up would certainly take some time ......but then I could be thinking WAY out of the box here but again I am looking at what sells and profits.

[mancunian]

Thanks everyone.

 

I am horrified with the suggestion that they might put Maasdam in Europe. Europe is getting totally overun with cruise ships. We did a HAL trip on Rotterdam in October - 10 days Athens to Venice and back - probably our favourite cruise which we have done several times. Far, far too many people and cruiseships. There were four or five in Corfu, Split was heaving with people. Dubrovnik was packed out - three ships and the Costa ship had to tender and as a result there was a queue right round the harbour with people waiting for tenders. Although we are mainly trying to do the long haul stuff whilst we can still tolerate!!!! long haul flights we love the Med but I wonder for how much longer. Celebrity are putting yet another Solstice ship in this year too.

[wilsonqbc]

Hi Sail, Yes would be nice to meet you again, Yes August is a beautiful month, Its so pretty here in the summer, why so many lines choose just the fall when it is cooler, cant completely understand that.

[DFD1]

We too are looking at these itineraries for next year. If Maasdam is out, we'll likely sail Eurodam if she is doing a l0 day. Not going to Montreal again is not such a problem for us.

 

I've said this before, but I just can't believe HAL is taking Maasdam out of the U.S. fleet. If they do, they will lose an enormous amout of goodwill from the core of their passenger base.

 

I hope they don't prove me wrong...again.

[sail7seas]

Now here is another speculation I could see happening :D And I stress speculation. They could have Maasdam doing her normal Saturday departures with Veendam doing a Wednesday mid week departure. Allowing for doing Cruise Tours in Canada like they do in Alaska. You could take the Maasdam North Bound, then do a 3 night Land Tour then board the Veendam for South Bound or any conbination around that ;) Setting this up would certainly take some time ......but then I could be thinking WAY out of the box here but again I am looking at what sells and profits.

 

I like the way you speculate. That's great for someone who wants to spend some time in either Quebec City or Montreal..... both of which are FABULOUS places to visit.

 

Actually, it's really interesting.

 

I also would like to think maybe one (Veendam or Maasdam) sailing from Boston would do the seven day round trip. We have booked that whenever we've seen it offered and it seems to fill up fast.

 

Seven days from Boston with stops in either Newport or Martha's Vineyard and then Portsmouth, Bar Harbor and Halifax and back to Boston. Wonderful cruise. We actually did that b-to-b one year. It's been a few years since they had a seven day round trip to Boston.

[sail7seas]

Thanks everyone.

 

 

 

I am horrified with the suggestion that they might put Maasdam in Europe. Europe is getting totally overun with cruise ships. We did a HAL trip on Rotterdam in October - 10 days Athens to Venice and back - probably our favourite cruise which we have done several times. Far, far too many people and cruiseships. There were four or five in Corfu, Split was heaving with people. Dubrovnik was packed out - three ships and the Costa ship had to tender and as a result there was a queue right round the harbour with people waiting for tenders. Although we are mainly trying to do the long haul stuff whilst we can still tolerate!!!! long haul flights we love the Med but I wonder for how much longer. Celebrity are putting yet another Solstice ship in this year too.

 

As it is now, Maasdam does a 35 day round trip from Boston to either Rotterdam or Amsterdam every summer. It is called Voyage of the Vikings and that cruise has been done for many years. HAL would not be putting another ship in Europe by doing what they have done for a very long time.

 

The question is whether Maasdam might spend even more of the season there rather than split between Europe and Canada/New England.

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail, we did the Round Trip Boston that stopped in Newport in 2005. I think that would be good for HAL as well and maybe that is what Veendam might do. ;) We have wanted to return but did not have the time. We actually could do the North and South Bound now and may consider it next year. I guess we will just have to wait and see :)

[sail7seas]

Hi Sail, Yes would be nice to meet you again, Yes August is a beautiful month, Its so pretty here in the summer, why so many lines choose just the fall when it is cooler, cant completely understand that.

 

 

 

 

Shhhsh...... don't tell 'em. :D

 

We NEVER sail the early spring nor the late fall Canada cruises. We prefer late June or mid to late August..... before Maasdam goes to Europe or after she returns. :) Quebec is so beautiful with all her flower boxes in full bloom.... I adore how floral Old Quebec City is in summer. So beautiful.

 

AND it's hard to have a bad lunch there. No matter where we eat, we always enjoy a lovely meal and nice glass of wine. :)

 

 

[sail7seas]

Sail, we did the Round Trip Boston that stopped in Newport in 2005. I think that would be good for HAL as well and maybe that is what Veendam might do. ;) We have wanted to return but did not have the time. We actually could do the North and South Bound now and may consider it next year. I guess we will just have to wait and see :)

 

 

Is it possible we were aboard the same time and didn't know it? :eek: I don't think they did that cruise more than once that season but maybe it was a few times?

 

Let me know if you decide to book...... maybe we can, at long last, sail together? :)

[buckirj1]

I don't really care which HAL ship does it, but I'd like to see HAL offer a 7-night roundtrip Canada/NE cruise from Boston. The one-ways are so port-intensive they look exhausting, and the expense of getting to and from two different places is more than I'm willing to pay. A 14-night back to back isn't realistic for me, either.

 

For all I know, HAL might be waiting to see how the Carnival Glory sells its summer Canada itineraries from Boston before making a decision. Granted, those cruises are mostly 4 and 5 nighters, but the Glory is offering a couple of 7-night cruises before going to New York to finish up the Canada/NE season.