Status of HAL Seattle-Alaska RT cruises

[dreamgear]

Hi All.  Anyone else booked on HAL for Alaska from Seattle in August-September 2021 ?  What are you hearing ?  They're supposedly swapping the Nieuw Amsterdam for the Eurodam, but the itinerary is the same ?  We're also supposed to get a new booking number but we don't have it yet.

I know there's a tension between the PVSA and Canada not wanting ships to stop at Victoria.  But no real news. Got any hot info?

[CruiserBruce]

Probably the better place for your research is the HAL board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/103-holland-america-line/

 

because you are asking ship specific and cruise line specific questions.

 

The fact is NO mainstream cruise line is allowed to sail anywhere out of a US port right now. There are some noises about the CDC possibly allowing cruising to resume in July or later...but it is noises only. And then, with the legal requirement to stop in a foreign port, and Canadian is closed...there would need to be some other legal exceptions granted, beyond the CDC's requirements being loosened. There are many threads here and on the HAL board about the issues.

 

There is even a thread just down the board discussing some of the issues, here:

 

 

[LadyMac72]

4 hours ago, dreamgear said:

Hi All.  Anyone else booked on HAL for Alaska from Seattle in August-September 2021 ?  What are you hearing ?  They're supposedly swapping the Nieuw Amsterdam for the Eurodam, but the itinerary is the same ?  We're also supposed to get a new booking number but we don't have it yet.

I know there's a tension between the PVSA and Canada not wanting ships to stop at Victoria.  But no real news. Got any hot info?

This is what the travel agent in my book of faces group for our September Alaskan cruise posted:

 

Now this is what is coming from Celebrity Cruise. Alaska may go off. They are in negotiations with Canada to do a technical stop and will have an answer by next week. From Carnival I have heard nothing but if Celebrity goes they will go.

 

 

[Italy52]

56 minutes ago, LadyMac72 said:

This is what the travel agent in my book of faces group for our September Alaskan cruise posted:

 

Now this is what is coming from Celebrity Cruise. Alaska may go off. They are in negotiations with Canada to do a technical stop and will have an answer by next week. From Carnival I have heard nothing but if Celebrity goes they will go.

 

 

Very interesting.  Thanks for the post.  We have one more cruise that has not been cancelled yet; Princess August 2021.  Not banking on a "go" but would be nice if it did.  We do have a June back-up plan in which we will be flying into Juneau for a few days---got to get my Alaska fix some how.😊

[don't-use-real-name]

Also check the Princess Board -

 

Note HAL and Princess the parent cruise line company is Carnival

[Italy52]

54 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Also check the Princess Board -

 

Note HAL and Princess the parent cruise line company is Carnival

I have been bouncing back and forth between the boards and have seen nothing.

[middlehaitch]

Before ships can negotiate with Canada to make a technical stop there are a number of USA agencies that would have to clear it as technical stops are banned by the USA. 

 

Not being American I am not sure of the exact agencies but those involved in issuing work visas for crew would need to change the visa as the crew would be working in the USA (no foreign port where they could alight)

This brings in federal and/or state taxation for crew, and crew being paid a USA wage.

The USCG, PVSA, CDC, etc, would probably have something to say too.

 

So, once all the USA agencies have given their blessing, then can the cruise lines approach the Canadian government and ask them to set aside, in part or wholly,  a cruise ship ban that has been put in place to protect its residents.

 

(NB Canada, when it extended its ban to Feb 2022, did leave open the option to extend or contract the ban depending on the prevalence of Covid 19)

 

I honestly can't see how an Alaska season will happen.

 

Cheers, h.

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by middlehaitch

[don't-use-real-name]

Alaska will be a tough nut to crack because the closest foreign port(s) are in Canada -

Vancouver Victoria and lessor Prince Rupert and Nanaimo.

Yes the Mexican port of Ensenada would work but then the awful terrible number of sea days

to work this into play.

 

The cruise industry will be hurt because of this and so too the US ports of origin (Seattle)

and various east coast ports - but then shooting one self in the foot closing Canadian ports

hurts Canadian workers as well.

 

Get the vaccinations - wear masks until herd immunity is achieved and business can resume ! 

The sooner that is done the sooner cruising can resume and most all concerned can go back

to work making a (better) living.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Alaska will be a tough nut to crack because the closest foreign port(s) are in Canada -

Vancouver Victoria and lessor Prince Rupert and Nanaimo.

Yes the Mexican port of Ensenada would work but then the awful terrible number of sea days

to work this into play.

 

 

 

The CDC effectively removed that option with 7-days as the maximum length of cruise, if visiting a US Port.