Fatfish Posted November 18, 2020 #1 Share Posted November 18, 2020 From Crew Center website... Nov 18 Holland America Line is getting ready for a big comeback in the United States. In a letter sent to the employees, Holland America Line President Gus Antorcha said that after CDC issued a framework for conditional sailing, which allows eventual resumption of cruising, the company will deploy six ships in the U.S. waters in the coming weeks. "Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing." Mr. Antorcha said in the letter. The ships moving to U.S. waters for eventual resumption of cruising will be Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Specific arrival timing and locations are yet to be determined. “While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operations. Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees.” Gus Antorcha said. “Until we are able to communicate a specific date, we ask for, and appreciate your patience. We are committed to sharing more details as soon as possible.” 19 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0bnxshs Posted November 18, 2020 #2 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavArch64 Posted November 18, 2020 #3 Share Posted November 18, 2020 One important question for Gus ... when will HAL submit the Application for Conditional Sailing for each of the six ships to the CDC and will HAL provide a copy of each Application to the public. The date of the Application is of interest since it starts the 60 day clock defining possible dates of resumption of sailing for each of the six ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelhound Posted November 18, 2020 #4 Share Posted November 18, 2020 54 minutes ago, Fatfish said: From Crew Center website... Nov 18 Holland America Line is getting ready for a big comeback in the United States. In a letter sent to the employees, Holland America Line President Gus Antorcha said that after CDC issued a framework for conditional sailing, which allows eventual resumption of cruising, the company will deploy six ships in the U.S. waters in the coming weeks. "Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing." Mr. Antorcha said in the letter. The ships moving to U.S. waters for eventual resumption of cruising will be Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Specific arrival timing and locations are yet to be determined. “While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operations. Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees.” Gus Antorcha said. “Until we are able to communicate a specific date, we ask for, and appreciate your patience. We are committed to sharing more details as soon as possible.” This is very good news 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mary229 Posted November 18, 2020 #5 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thanks for posting this. The first vaccine is rumored to be approved very soon and older folks are first up for the vaccination. Now they need to get approval from the islands. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hflors Posted November 18, 2020 #6 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Where do I sign up for a cruise on one of these ships?????? Yay!!! Very good news!!!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pms4104 Posted November 18, 2020 #7 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Restarting is about more than CDC ... the corporation needs to satisfy separate requirements due to their dnvironmental crimes ... CDC cannot negate that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare puppycanducruise Posted November 18, 2020 #8 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Interesting. Thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising-along Posted November 18, 2020 #9 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Yippee!! Our next booking is on the Koningsdam out of San Diego, so good to see the K on the list. 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted November 18, 2020 #10 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thanks for posting that letter. It confirms my hunch that HAL will eventually cancel the Noordam's entire Asian cruise season (was supposed to be from Dec 20 into May). It would make no sense to move the Noordam to the USA if it were going to start cruising out of Hong Kong in January. If anyone at HAL sees this post I would add, It sure would be nice if HAL informed their paying customers of schedule changes and cancellations before final payments. Hank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted November 18, 2020 #11 Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) This is meaningless to us. We need some basic 'givens' before we even consider booking a cruise. The very first will be the vaccination jab in our arms. Not the announcement that testing is successful, not the announcement that the Health Authorities have passed it, not the announcement of how the vaccination roll out will proceed. And certainly not the announcements of cruise lines as they close their fiscal year ends and prepare shareholders, investors, and creditors for the announcement of those results. But the actual jab in our arms. Until then all bets are off for us. Announcements have proven to be quite meaningless to us given all that have passed over the past 9 months. Edited November 18, 2020 by iancal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted November 18, 2020 #12 Share Posted November 18, 2020 27 minutes ago, Hlitner said: Thanks for posting that letter. It confirms my hunch that HAL will eventually cancel the Noordam's entire Asian cruise season (was supposed to be from Dec 20 into May). It would make no sense to move the Noordam to the USA if it were going to start cruising out of Hong Kong in January. If anyone at HAL sees this post I would add, It sure would be nice if HAL informed their paying customers of schedule changes and cancellations before final payments. Hank That would defeat the whole strategy of getting final payments to keep the cash flow ongoing.😉 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir PMP Posted November 18, 2020 #13 Share Posted November 18, 2020 3 hours ago, NavArch64 said: One important question for Gus ... when will HAL submit the Application for Conditional Sailing for each of the six ships to the CDC and will HAL provide a copy of each Application to the public. The date of the Application is of interest since it starts the 60 day clock defining possible dates of resumption of sailing for each of the six ships. April 1st.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted November 18, 2020 #14 Share Posted November 18, 2020 The logistics of resuming operations (without even having any itineraries to sell) must be a daunting project in Seattle. Moving ships back to the USA means, in some cases, getting them out of warm or cold layup, and coordinating ship movements to pick-up crew as each ship moves towards the USA. Just notifying crew members, getting them to the nearest place where they can join a vessel, staffing each ship with adequate medical personnel, coordinating the necessary supplies, etc. is complex. The good news is by picking up crew along the way the line will have everyone (onboard) isolated for several weeks. By the time the vessels arrive at a USA port the ship will be able to certify that all onboard are COVID free (if not they will have bigger problems). It sounds like HAL expects to have a group of ships doing 7 day (or shorter) cruises by late winter. Whether this happens is still a big question but at least there is some movement towards restarting operations. Hank 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising-along Posted November 18, 2020 #15 Share Posted November 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Hlitner said: at least there is some movement towards restarting operations. Hank thank you for the positive post. We all realize the problems and hurdles that are ahead, but we don't have to be Debbie Downers either. 😉 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted November 18, 2020 #16 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Carnival lines has just canceled their US cruises through January but are also gathering ships for the eventual restart. I think we need to be realistic (some say negative) and set our expectations accordingly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising-along Posted November 18, 2020 #17 Share Posted November 18, 2020 6 minutes ago, KirkNC said: I think we need to be realistic (some say negative) and set our expectations accordingly. Of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted November 18, 2020 #18 Share Posted November 18, 2020 1 hour ago, KirkNC said: Carnival lines has just canceled their US cruises through January but are also gathering ships for the eventual restart. I think we need to be realistic (some say negative) and set our expectations accordingly. Not surprising if you carefully read the CDC Guidelines. They seem to be carefully drafted to guarantee significant delays in any restart. Compliance will likely take at least two months considering all the various hoops that must be negotiated by the cruise lines before they can even dream of getting a CDC certification. Add to this the surge in COVID and the transition to a new administration. Hank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue from Canada Posted November 18, 2020 #19 Share Posted November 18, 2020 7 hours ago, Mary229 said: Thanks for posting this. The first vaccine is rumored to be approved very soon and older folks are first up for the vaccination. Now they need to get approval from the islands. Forget the islands. I just want to get on a ship and sail away. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mary229 Posted November 18, 2020 #20 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Just now, Sue from Canada said: Forget the islands. I just want to get on a ship and sail away. I only mentioned the islands as I assume that is the first destinations planned. I feel your pain!! I just want to go somewhere besides the grocery store 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted November 18, 2020 #21 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thanks for the info .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavArch64 Posted November 18, 2020 #22 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Is anyone interested in seeing the applications to the CDC when they are filed? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted November 18, 2020 #23 Share Posted November 18, 2020 37 minutes ago, NavArch64 said: Is anyone interested in seeing the applications to the CDC when they are filed? Yes, please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drowelf Posted November 18, 2020 #24 Share Posted November 18, 2020 7 hours ago, Hlitner said: Thanks for posting that letter. It confirms my hunch that HAL will eventually cancel the Noordam's entire Asian cruise season (was supposed to be from Dec 20 into May). It would make no sense to move the Noordam to the USA if it were going to start cruising out of Hong Kong in January. If anyone at HAL sees this post I would add, It sure would be nice if HAL informed their paying customers of schedule changes and cancellations before final payments. Hank We cancelled our March 28 day B2B on the Noordam a couple of weeks ago. I figured that ports might not be open and even with the promising Vaccine news on the horizon, we did not feel comfortable travelling (24+ hours each way) that far from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drowelf Posted November 18, 2020 #25 Share Posted November 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Hlitner said: Not surprising if you carefully read the CDC Guidelines. They seem to be carefully drafted to guarantee significant delays in any restart. Compliance will likely take at least two months considering all the various hoops that must be negotiated by the cruise lines before they can even dream of getting a CDC certification. Add to this the surge in COVID and the transition to a new administration. Hank And doesn't Carnival also have to jump through some environmental hoops, resulting from some court actions. I believe they have to present that plan 60 days before they restart too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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