AMSTERDAM 2017 ROLL CALLS - Heads Up - Ship Switch

[Sequim88]

HAL is switching the 2017 Alaska R/Ts from Seattle from MS Amsterdam to MS Oosterdam. I found out when I had a new booking on Oosterdam and contacted my PCC who confirmed it.

 

I sent an email to Help@cruisecritic.com to advise that the Roll Call threads now in place for Amsterdam 2017 Alaska sailings (and maybe others) should be moved (if possible) to the Oosterdam Roll Calls board. Some with Amsterdam in the thread title would need that changed too.

 

So if your roll call thread disappears look under Oosterdam. Hopefully a Host will post details in this board so people will know about the move.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for me. I am/was booked on the July 2nd, 2017 14-day Great Alaskan Explorer. The email received today says my Alaska Cruise will now depart Monday July 3rd, on the Amsterdam, on the same itinerary as originally booked. A new booking number will be sent by September 2nd.

 

Thus, I suspect the Oosterdam is doing the Sunday sailings and the Amsterdam is now sailing on Monday. Are they both doing 7 and 14 day cruises or is the O only doing 7 day and the Amsterdam doing the 14 days?

I'll just wait and see. HAL reservations agents must be going crazy - luckily we are far out for the 2017 Alaska sailings.

 

Barbara

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the heads up.

We had booked the Amsterdam's 14 day cruise quite some time ago but cancelled it this past April.

[retafcruiser]

The Amsterdam 14 day sailing originally leaving Seattle on July 23 has been changed to now depart on July 17.

[zelker]

The email I received - and the person at HAL I just spoke to in the redeployment group - confirms that at least for the July 2nd 14 night itinerary, they're just moving it one day forward, to July 3rd. EVERYTHING ELSE STAYS THE SAME! Still on the Amsterdam and in the same cabin we originally booked for the same price. We'll be getting a new confirmation with a new confirmation number shortly. And the good news - we get some shipboard credit for the "hassle". Works for me! :D

[CaveDiving]

HAL is switching the 2017 Alaska R/Ts from Seattle from MS Amsterdam to MS Oosterdam. I found out when I had a new booking on Oosterdam and contacted my PCC who confirmed it.

 

I sent an email to Help@cruisecritic.com to advise that the Roll Call threads now in place for Amsterdam 2017 Alaska sailings (and maybe others) should be moved (if possible) to the Oosterdam Roll Calls board. Some with Amsterdam in the thread title would need that changed too.

 

Along with this, do you (or does anyone else) have an idea what the Amsterdam will be doing during the summer of 2017?

 

Scott & Karen

[zelker]

Along with this, do you (or does anyone else) have an idea what the Amsterdam will be doing during the summer of 2017?

 

Scott & Karen

 

It will be in Alaska. Not all Amsterdam cruises are being moved to Oosterdam.

[zelker]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for me. I am/was booked on the July 2nd, 2017 14-day Great Alaskan Explorer. The email received today says my Alaska Cruise will now depart Monday July 3rd, on the Amsterdam, on the same itinerary as originally booked. A new booking number will be sent by September 2nd.

 

Thus, I suspect the Oosterdam is doing the Sunday sailings and the Amsterdam is now sailing on Monday. Are they both doing 7 and 14 day cruises or is the O only doing 7 day and the Amsterdam doing the 14 days?

I'll just wait and see. HAL reservations agents must be going crazy - luckily we are far out for the 2017 Alaska sailings.

 

Barbara

 

Could Anchorage, Kodiak, and/or Homer accommodate the O'dam? I wonder.

 

Will be interesting to see if they will now add more 14 night itinerary dates on the A'dam.

[crazytomatoes]

We are booked on the Amsterdam to Alaska sailing out of Seattle for the 14 day explorer sailing May 28, 2017. I have logged into my account and nothing appears to have changed, I have also not received any emails as of yet. Does that mean our cruise not effected by this change?

[zelker]

We are booked on the Amsterdam to Alaska sailing out of Seattle for the 14 day explorer sailing May 28, 2017. I have logged into my account and nothing appears to have changed, I have also not received any emails as of yet. Does that mean our cruise not effected by this change?

 

Possibly not changed since that is the first one of the season. Did you book directly with HAL or a TA? If a TA, then HAL should be passing along any change info to them rather than to you.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

The Amsterdam 14 day sailing originally leaving Seattle on July 23 has been changed to now depart on July 17.

 

So there will be at least two 14 day Alaska voyages on the Amsterdam in July 2017 - one leaving on Monday July 3rd, and one leaving on Monday, July 17th.

[Chocolate Rose]

We are booked on the Amsterdam to Alaska sailing out of Seattle for the 14 day explorer sailing May 28, 2017. I have logged into my account and nothing appears to have changed, I have also not received any emails as of yet. Does that mean our cruise not effected by this change?

 

We also booked this cruise. The email I received today said that it will be changed to a May 22 sailing date.

[crazytomatoes]

Possibly not changed since that is the first one of the season. Did you book directly with HAL or a TA? If a TA, then HAL should be passing along any change info to them rather than to you.

 

We are booked through a TA, they are currently closed for the evening but I will be checking in with them tomorrow morning. We have not booked flights yet and we are flexible if the date changes since it is so far out. I just want to know one way or the other. Thank you for your response!

[Bill S]

We are booked on the Amsterdam to Alaska sailing out of Seattle for the 14 day explorer sailing May 28, 2017. I have logged into my account and nothing appears to have changed, I have also not received any emails as of yet. Does that mean our cruise not effected by this change?

 

Jim & Donna Hannah are booked on the May 28th cruise (us too) and he posted on the roll call that he received an email (I assume from his travel agent) that said the Amsterdam is the ship for May 22. It sounds like that HAL is not changing ships, but only the day of the week on which that each ship will sail. I checked our booking today, as well & it still says the Amsterdam on the 28th. I guess we will just have to wait for HAL to officially clarify the situation. So far, as a passenger on one of the impacted cruises, I am not impressed with how HAL has handled these changes.

[crazytomatoes]

We also booked this cruise. The email I received today said that it will be changed to a May 22 sailing date.

 

When did you receive notice of the change? Are you booked with a TA?

[Chocolate Rose]

When did you receive notice of the change? Are you booked with a TA?

 

The time on my email says 3:06pm. We booked through a big box TA and they sent the email.

[crazytomatoes]

The time on my email says 3:06pm. We booked through a big box TA and they sent the email.

 

Thank you!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Jim & Donna Hannah are booked on the May 28th cruise (us too) and he posted on the roll call that he received an email (I assume from his travel agent) that said the Amsterdam is the ship for May 22. It sounds like that HAL is not changing ships, but only the day of the week on which that each ship will sail. I checked our booking today, as well & it still says the Amsterdam on the 28th. I guess we will just have to wait for HAL to officially clarify the situation. So far, as a passenger on one of the impacted cruises, I am not impressed with how HAL has handled these changes.

 

I suspect if one booked through a TA, one would hear direct from the TA which might take longer. Those of us who booked directly with HAL received emails from HAL. HAL will not contact directly someone booked through a TA.

[VermeulT]

Very VERY interesting news.... This may sway my plans for next summer....

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Along with this, do you (or does anyone else) have an idea what the Amsterdam will be doing during the summer of 2017?

 

Scott & Karen

 

It may not all be sorted yet but it looks like the Amsterdam is doing the Alaska 14 day cruises and the Oosterdam will be doing 7 day Alaska cruises.

[zelker]

Jim & Donna Hannah are booked on the May 28th cruise (us too) and he posted on the roll call that he received an email (I assume from his travel agent) that said the Amsterdam is the ship for May 22. It sounds like that HAL is not changing ships, but only the day of the week on which that each ship will sail. I checked our booking today, as well & it still says the Amsterdam on the 28th. I guess we will just have to wait for HAL to officially clarify the situation. So far, as a passenger on one of the impacted cruises, I am not impressed with how HAL has handled these changes.

 

WOW!! You "might" want to cut HAL some slack. Apparently this decision was just finalized yesterday. I received notice today but then I booked directly with HAL. For those who booked through a TA, that info goes to them first and it's up to the TA to disseminate the info to their clients.

 

Think about the logistics of redeploying a ship to the other side of the world from its original schedule. They have to deal with all the people who were booked on the O'dam for its transatlantic and then Europe next year plus moving what we're guessing will be all the 7 night cruises from the A'dam to O'dam and adding more dates to the O'dam, plus moving the dates for the A'dam 14 night cruises that were already in place and I suspect, adding more dates for the 14 night itinerary. Then they have to sort it out with all the ports for dock or tender space, vendors for excursions, get the O'dam through the Canal and up to Alaska when it was scheduled to go the other direction, move it out of Alaska next fall before it heads back to the Caribbean (another unplanned Canal passage) ... the list goes on. That's a lot of details to take care of. The plan is to have it all sorted out by mid-September. Oh, AND let's not forget that they're giving everyone some SBC to boot AND even more generous, if you don't like the date or ship if you've been moved to O'dam, you can carry that SBC to any other Alaska 2017 cruise. And BTW, the email from HAL states that we will have a new confirmation with new confirmation number by this Friday, 9/2.

 

So I must disagree with your comment. :rolleyes: I am MORE than impressed if they can sort this out in the coming 2-3 weeks.

[Chocolate Rose]

VERY frustrated. Trying to work this out through my TA, but HAL is saying she has to go through the Deployment Office which closes at 5pm. I can't make calls from work and they're not open before I leave for work and close before I get home. UGGHHHHH. just venting, kind of

[cp556]

I agree with those who are recommending just sitting back for now to see what HAL says after all the schedules are changed.

 

There are so many moving parts to this whole scenario that it's going to take them a few days to notify all booked passengers of any changes on their reservation.

 

Our agency received HAL notices this afternoon (Tuesday) and each one said that the 14-nt Alaska booked clients would be moved to another, different Amsterdam sailing date (e,g,: July 23 is now July 17).

 

I'd recommend taking a deep breath, seeing what the new confirmation looks like (promised by Sept 2) and if it doesn't suit, moving to another 2017 Alaska cruise date. The onboard credit will be applicable to any of the Alaska dates.

 

Note that if the reservation is changed, you will have a new HAL confirmation number, but your price will be protected.

Edited August 31, 2016 by cp556