Veendam and Maasdam sold

[JimnKaren]

Our cruises:

Veendam 29 days

Rotterdam 42 days

Amsterdam 65 days

Maasdam 70

 

So sad!

[Djptcp]

Our Veendam cruise in Feb. 2021 has been cancelled with the sale of the ship. We are still waiting for our FCC from our April 1, 2020 Veendam cancellation! The Veendam was our favorite HAL ship and we are so sad. Especially sad since friends of ours were going to sail on her too and they haven't been on a cruise since 1996.

[BJzink]

4 hours ago, trishbk said:

 

It was announced today that both these ships have been sold to an unnamed buyer. Both ships are in the Red Sea right now. I cannot believe that Holland and other cruise lines are continuing to sell cruises for ships that they have earmarked to sell either announced privately or behind corporate doors. And then if you cancel after full deposit is paid you only get a FCC. Just doesn’t seem right or ethical.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I was booked on Maasdam in Sept. 2021 - just received email that 2 others are sold also - Rotterdam & Amsterdam.  I was on Rotterdam last fall & loved it.....so sad, I'll just have to wait to see which ships will sail Alaska next summer.

[Nanner]

This makes me sad, as fully half of our over 400 sea days were aboard the MS Maasdam. We always said we wanted to be on her last sailing, and without knowing it, we were.  We disembarked in San Diego on March 27 after crossing the Pacific on her. I will so miss those smaller ships, which were a large part of the reason we are now 5 Star Mariners.  I don't know that we will remain such HAL loyalists in the future. 

 

I could see us making a switch to less cruising, paying more for our trips, and trying to find a way to still be at sea long enough to make it worth those long flights from Michigan.  We feel robbed of the chance to join with some of our Maasdam cruise mates for a real "final" voyage, though!

[rkacruiser]

Surely a "small potatoes" post to many in my thoughts, I imagine.  But, the loss to the fleet of Rotterdam VI and the Amsterdam breaks the historical connection of Holland America Line of today with the Holland America Line in the past.  The unique funnels of Rotterdam VI and Amsterdam reflected the memory of the successful history of Holland America Line as the Company became less of a shipping company that was trans-Atlantic dominated to a Company that was a major player in the cruise industry with S. S. Rotterdam V.  

 

2020 is seeing so much history on so many levels trashed.  It hurts!

[DFD1]

The Holland America which so many of us remember and love has been dying a slow death for several years. The sale of these ships is sort of the last nail in the coffin.

 

Small ship cruising in the future will be on the premium cruise lines or, perhaps on some of the cruise lines owned and home-ported in other countries which may still operate smaller ships.

 

The bean counters finally won.

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, DFD1 said:

The Holland America which so many of us remember and love has been dying a slow death for several years. The sale of these ships is sort of the last nail in the coffin.

 

Small ship cruising in the future will be on the premium cruise lines or, perhaps on some of the cruise lines owned and home-ported in other countries which may still operate smaller ships.

 

The bean counters finally won.

It is not only the bean counters.  The culture just wants to go round and round to the same locations.  It is the modern time share 

[npcl]

More to do with the vaccine info from Moderna.  Several different travel related areas all popped today, not just the cruise lines.

[Sir PMP]

3 minutes ago, DFD1 said:

The Holland America which so many of us remember and love has been dying a slow death for several years. The sale of these ships is sort of the last nail in the coffin.

 

Small ship cruising in the future will be on the premium cruise lines or, perhaps on some of the cruise lines owned and home-ported in other countries which may still operate smaller ships.

 

The bean counters finally won.

Unless most ports won't let the big moguls in, then they will all be in the same ports together..

[St Pete Cruiser]

Wow! From what I've read, they are giving them away.  Very sad day, indeed. 

[knittinggirl]

So sad.  Those small ships can go where the larger ships can't.  I hope they have some small ship builds planned.

[caribill]

4 hours ago, tjcox9 said:

This is all I find on this, not official Carnival though.

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/holland-americas-maasdam-and-veendam-cruise-ships-expected-to-be-sold/40700

From Holland America

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/news/2020-press-releases/news-07152020-ShipNewsJuly20.html

[Vict0riann]

15 minutes ago, npcl said:

More to do with the vaccine info from Moderna.  Several different travel related areas all popped today, not just the cruise lines.

 

Why do you say this?

[Georgie562]

Goodbye my little girl (ms Maasdam) 😪

You will truly be missed and were perfect for great itineraries like my very first HAL cruise 

22 Day Roundtrip from New Zealand - South Pacific cruise.

 

So sad..... 😔

[DeeDee Groff]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

And there goes the HAL we knew.

 

Amen.....

[BSR]

Just received my email cancellation on the Maasdam.

[Copper10-8]

Sad day in HAL's rich history but to be expected in the current climate. Zaandam and Volendam are soldiering on for now 

[1ANGELCAT]

2 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

Sad day in HAL's rich history but to be expected in the current climate. Zaandam and Volendam are soldiering on for now 

John, do you think there with ever be another Rotterdam in the fleet ?

Do we have any idea who bought Veendam and Maasdam?

[sppunk]

Sad but not unexpected. Maasdam and Veendam were on borrowed time pre-pandemic. Amsterdam and Rotterdam are the long-haul ships and long-haul cruising is DOA for at least a year and a half, likely much longer. 
 

Be happy HAL still exists. I still believe a few lines will be consolidated before ships with US-bases companies sail again (maybe in spring 2021, it’s not happening before then).

 

The travel landscape will change substantially, I’m still alarmed some don’t recognize it. (Not anyone here, I mean in general)

Edited July 16, 2020 by sppunk

[caribill]

1 hour ago, VermeulT said:

Stock closed up $1.50 today ($17.48). Not sure if it’s related to the news of the ships being sold (see other threads).

 

It related to the progress on a vaccine.

[saltshell]

February 2021 Veendam cruise cancelled. Anyone willing to speculate another ship porting out of Tampa. I am so weary about these cancellation situations; total 4 this year

[Copper10-8]

13 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

John, do you think there with ever be another Rotterdam in the fleet ?

Do we have any idea who bought Veendam and Maasdam?

 

There will most definitely be another Rotterdam, the seventh, in the future fleet. It actually would not surprise me if they were to rename Ryndam IV, the one being built at Fincantieri, Rotterdam.

 

That buyer is still unnamed. Keep your eye out for TransOcean Kreuzfahrten, the German wing of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, since they already have/will be getting (next year) the other two original HAL "S" class ships 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

And another cruise cancelled. At this rate, I should redo my will to include FCC. It’s almost become an estate sized asset in its own right.

[iancal]

Shedding what are probably HAL's least profitable ships. or those that they do not feel will fit into their post covid strategy, at this point in time may actually be a good thing in the long run given HAL's current financial challenges.

 

There will no  doubt be other hard decisions ahead for HAL, and for  other cruise lines.

Edited July 16, 2020 by iancal

[Tiggerwudz]

Received an email today from HAL saying our Alaska cruise on Maasdam in July 2021 is cancelled due to the sale of four ships. Amsterdam, Maasdam, Veendam, and Rotterdam are sold. We will receive FCC for double the amount of deposit paid. If you are booked on these ships to cruise you are probably cancelled.