Holland America Line to start moving six ships for resumption of cruising in the U.S.A.

[Brewgirl1]

We're supposed to get on the Westerdam in 50 days down in Chile. I wish they would cancel already. I just don't think this would be a fun covid cruise.

 

[Hlitner]

36 minutes ago, drowelf said:

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. 

The last I heard, the Miami based Federal judge modified her ruling against CCL dropping the time frame to 30 days.   My info is a couple of weeks old so there may have been further mods.   CCL has been in and out of her court for years.  I thought it was interesting that she (the Judge) has put Arnold Donald personally on the hook to comply.  I guess she is laying the ground work to hold him personally responsible if CCL does not get into compliance.  Mr. Donald has apologized and says CCL will comply...but only time will tell.

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

44 minutes ago, drowelf said:

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. 

Our cruise does not leave until mid April but we have air reservations (through HAL) to fly into Japan in late March (for a couple of weeks pre cruise).  We see no reason to cancel at this time since final pmt is not due until just after New Years.  But, suffice it to say that we have not made any non-refundable land arrangements :). As of now, Japan will not allow any American tourists into their country.  Indications are they might start to loosen their restrictions by April, but this is even questionable.  

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

Just now, Hlitner said:

Our cruise does not leave until mid April but we have air reservations (through HAL) to fly into Japan in late March (for a couple of weeks pre cruise).  We see no reason to cancel at this time since final pmt is not due until just after New Years.  But, suffice it to say that we have not made any non-refundable land arrangements :). As of now, Japan will not allow any American tourists into their country.  Indications are they might start to loosen their restrictions by April, but this is even questionable.  

 

Hank

 

[rkacruiser]

10 hours ago, Mary229 said:

older folks are first up for the vaccination.

 

That is not correct.  First responders and health care workers are first in line.  Senior citizens with compromising health conditions are behind them.  Healthy senior citizens are further down on the list.  

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is not correct.  First responders and health care workers are first in line.  Senior citizens with compromising health conditions are behind them.  Healthy senior citizens are further down on the list.  

You are correct, I misspoke, but they are first in the general population.  I am assuming anyone in that population who wants to be will be vaccinated by February. This will save lives immediately.  The sooner the better.  

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

I am assuming anyone in that population who wants to be will be vaccinated by February. This will save lives immediately.  The sooner the better.  

 

I so agree with you!  February is a worthy goal to try to achieve.  I am very doubtful that it can be met.  

[KirkNC]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I so agree with you!  February is a worthy goal to try to achieve.  I am very doubtful that it can be met.  

It will be probably closer to July/August before we reach that point.  They can’t manufacture 700 million doses (and that’s just the US) that fast.  Last I heard was 20 million ready by January and then 500 million in 2021.

 

in some good news, the NYT reported today that it appears immunity lasts much longer then they originally thought.  The article said probably well over a year and possibly longer.

Edited November 19, 2020 by KirkNC

[KirkNC]

4 hours ago, Sue from Canada said:

Forget the islands.  I just want to get on a ship and sail away.

Sounds like you would like a circle cruise with no stops!

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

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

This makes me smile.  We are soon headed for a short vacation to Key West, the place that just voted to ban most cruise ships :).  I love to cruise...but I also love to spend time in neat places that do not have any cruisers.  Definitely a contradiction in my character to which I please guilty.

 

Most of us on this board are avid cruisers and on the HAL board many prefer longer cruises to interesting places.  But I think this kind of travel is not going to resume (without too many restricitons) for some time.   Meanwhile, we that love to cruise can either sit around and shed some tears over not being able to get on a ship or we can plan other types of travel that do not include ships.   Put me in that latter category.  But once HAL and others can resume what most of us call real cruising I will be there!

 

Hank

[sail7seas]

12 hours ago, pms4104 said:

Restarting is about more than CDC ... the corporation needs to satisfy separate requirements due to their dnvironmental crimes ... CDC cannot negate that

 Likely, paying the fines is all it takes and also, likely, that happened long ago.

 

 

 

[prescottbob]

Well, we’re certainly not overwhelmed with the HAL announcement nor with the the recent vaccine news.

 

Plenty of logistical & “scientific” hurdles yet to be addressed.

 

No “downer” opinion here, just reality. I wouldn’t be updating your packing list for a cruise (+ 7-10 days) the first three quarters of 2021 IMHO. 4th quarter could happen, perhaps, depending on foreign ports protocols, proof of immunity, yada, yada.

 

Hopefully (always a great word) I’ll be wrong. No worries here.

 

May everyone have a wonderful & “safe” holiday season.

 

Be well. 
Bob

[KirkNC]

9 hours ago, sail7seas said:

 Likely, paying the fines is all it takes and also, likely, that happened long ago.

 

 

 

I don’t think so.  I believe it required specific actions to be taken.

[Mary229]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

This makes me smile.  We are soon headed for a short vacation to Key West, the place that just voted to ban most cruise ships :).  I love to cruise...but I also love to spend time in neat places that do not have any cruisers.  Definitely a contradiction in my character to which I please guilty.

 

Most of us on this board are avid cruisers and on the HAL board many prefer longer cruises to interesting places.  But I think this kind of travel is not going to resume (without too many restricitons) for some time.   Meanwhile, we that love to cruise can either sit around and shed some tears over not being able to get on a ship or we can plan other types of travel that do not include ships.   Put me in that latter category.  But once HAL and others can resume what most of us call real cruising I will be there!

 

Hank

Oh, we are not sitting home but in our 25 year trade show career we have criss crossed the USA and Canada and parts of Mexico and our new found retirement was for foreign travel.    I think most of us aren't sitting at home but we are feeling our mortality and wondering if we are ever going to be able to see those long dreamed of locations.

[KirkNC]

9 hours ago, prescottbob said:

Well, we’re certainly not overwhelmed with the HAL announcement nor with the the recent vaccine news.

 

Plenty of logistical & “scientific” hurdles yet to be addressed.

 

No “downer” opinion here, just reality. I wouldn’t be updating your packing list for a cruise (+ 7-10 days) the first three quarters of 2021 IMHO. 4th quarter could happen, perhaps, depending on foreign ports protocols, proof of immunity, yada, yada.

 

Hopefully (always a great word) I’ll be wrong. No worries here.

 

May everyone have a wonderful & “safe” holiday season.

 

Be well. 
Bob

I agree 100%.

[ontheweb]

36 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I don’t think so.  I believe it required specific actions to be taken.

Yes, the judge, especially sisnce she has told Arnold Donald that she will hold him personally responsible, has made it quite clear that she has no intention of just letting them pay the fines as a cost of doing business.

[drowelf]

16 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Our cruise does not leave until mid April but we have air reservations (through HAL) to fly into Japan in late March (for a couple of weeks pre cruise).  We see no reason to cancel at this time since final pmt is not due until just after New Years.  But, suffice it to say that we have not made any non-refundable land arrangements :). As of now, Japan will not allow any American tourists into their country.  Indications are they might start to loosen their restrictions by April, but this is even questionable.  

 

Hank

We were joining the Noordam in late Feb (27th?) so we were about 6 weeks earlier than you. As our final payment was coming due later this month, I wanted to cancel before HAL did. Glad I did as our FCDs showed back up in our account in just a few days, while the FCDs, converted to FCC, from our cancelled August 2021 cruise finally showed up after many months of our TA harassing HAL. Still not really happy that our FCDs from that cruise got turned into FCC (with a bonus). But oh well. 

[chengkp75]

16 hours ago, sail7seas said:

 Likely, paying the fines is all it takes and also, likely, that happened long ago.

 

 

 

No, there are concrete mile stones that need to be met, or the ship will not be allowed to operate in US waters.  It has finally come to that.  While the judge is not holding Mr. Donald personally responsible for any ship that is not in compliance, she is holding him personally responsible for an accurate statement that a given ship is compliant, and liable if that statement is shown to be false.

 

One thing I noted from a thread on the Princess board, and after looking at the CDC site, I see that no Carnival Corp ships have maintained a "green" status for crew, meaning that they have not been submitting the Enhanced Data Collection form weekly to the CDC (crew temperature checks and symptoms), so that will require at least 28 days to obtain "green" status, and then they can start to apply for the conditional sailing certification.  Why they didn't do this simple thing, even though the ships were not in or near the US, is simply beyond me, but so characteristic of the cruise lines' executives' attitude that "this will all go away".

 

As noted, they will also need to certify to the judge that the ships coming to the US will be in full compliance with all MAROL regulations.

 

As for seeing the application for conditional sailing, that just isn't going to happen unless someone wants to pursue a FOI suit.

[Mickb]

Tuned into a very interesting Zoom lecture on the current situation with HAL given by Captain Albert Schoonderbeek. His opinion was that when cruising eventually restarts in the US  voyages will not be longer than 7 days and will not stray too far from home ports. This will not initially suit the typical HAL cruiser who tends to book longer cruises.

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, drowelf said:

We were joining the Noordam in late Feb (27th?) so we were about 6 weeks earlier than you. As our final payment was coming due later this month, I wanted to cancel before HAL did. Glad I did as our FCDs showed back up in our account in just a few days, while the FCDs, converted to FCC, from our cancelled August 2021 cruise finally showed up after many months of our TA harassing HAL. Still not really happy that our FCDs from that cruise got turned into FCC (with a bonus). But oh well. 

After reading your post we decided it was time to take some action regarding our April Noordam cruise.  So today I left a message for my cruise agent asking her to give HAL a call and explore our options for changing that reservation to a late March 22 cruise.  Since we are under no pressure to do anything until early January this gives us some time to explore other possibilities.   If Europe were to reopen to tourism in the Spring 2021, we would likely opt to spend 1-2 months on an independent driving trip (we love to drive through Europe) instead of what will no doubt be another year of cancelled Asian cruises/trips.

 

Hank

[oaktreerb]

1 hour ago, Mickb said:

Tuned into a very interesting Zoom lecture on the current situation with HAL given by Captain Albert Schoonderbeek. His opinion was that when cruising eventually restarts in the US  voyages will not be longer than 7 days and will not stray too far from home ports. This will not initially suit the typical HAL cruiser who tends to book longer cruises.

This will fit nicely into the Alaska season where HAL sells a 7 day cruise with a land component of up to 7 days (Yukon might be longer).    Sorry I missed the lecture.

[Cruise Suzy]

I noticed the Eurodam was not on the list of ships repositioning. Maybe because it is/was scheduled for dry dock in December? I'm booked on it for a February cruise.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Cruise Suzy

[PigsCanFly]

1 hour ago, Cruise Suzy said:

I noticed the Eurodam was not on the list of ships repositioning. Maybe because it is/was scheduled for dry dock in December? I'm booked on it for a February cruise.

So are we. Ours is a 14 day (b2b 7s) out of Lauderdale.  Not looking likely.  We would be willing to take  either 7,  but still doubtful that either will sail.

[Himself]

Since I am booked on the EURODAM inearly February, I am nervous about the EURODAM not being mentioned.

[KirkNC]

Princess just canceled all cruises through March 31st.