Rotterdam March 6-13, 2022 Cruise Cancelled

[bobjoek]

I have just received an email from Holland America stating that the March 6-13, 2022 cruise has been cancelled.  No reason given as why.  We have fully paid for this cruise.  A real bummer!

 

HAL suggested booking a 4 day cruise on the Rotterdam from March 6-10, going to Half Moon Cay and Bimini.  HAL has offered a very small $50 per person on board credit if we book the 4 day cruise.  If we don't book this cruise, HAL stated a full refund.  Of course, this is very inconvenient, as airfare and hotels have been paid.

 

Anyone else experienced this cancellation, or know the reason why?

 

Bob

 

[bobjoek]

Oops, on my previous email, i forgot to mention that the ship is the Rotterdam, and it looks like the March 6-13 cruise is being replaced by March 6-10.

 

Bob

 

[jchristi]

We were on this cruise also. Paid in full just last night....my cruise consultant is saying something about Covid restrictions but it seems so convenient that it was cancelled the morning after final payment was due. We also have other travel arrangements based on this cruise as well as trying to coordinate the schedules of 4 busy women.  I am not happy at all.....

[StLouisCruisers]

16 minutes ago, jchristi said:

We were on this cruise also. Paid in full just last night....my cruise consultant is saying something about Covid restrictions but it seems so convenient that it was cancelled the morning after final payment was due. We also have other travel arrangements based on this cruise as well as trying to coordinate the schedules of 4 busy women.  I am not happy at all.....

 

I can't believe they cancelled your cruise immediately after final payment day.  That's low.

[rothbury]

Literally, final payment was 12/6 and less than 24 hours later they canceled it.  Amazing!  Makes me wonder about HAL at this point.

[waiting2retire]

Let me get this straight…. HAL turned your 7 day cruise into a 4 day cruise on the same ship less than 24 hours after final payment??  And offered $50 OBC as compensation for the missing 3 days?  And did not offer to refund flights or hotel bookings if you chose to cancel?

 

Unbelievable!!

[OlsSalt]

Time for another international standard for cruise industry protocol;  beside the US and the CDC. 

[Divi]

Curious about why your final payment date was December 6th. Our final payment date for February 5th cruise was December 7th and for the February 20th segment, December 22nd.

[Cruise Suzy]

20 minutes ago, Divi said:

Curious about why your final payment date was December 6th. Our final payment date for February 5th cruise was December 7th and for the February 20th segment, December 22nd.

 

HAL extended the final payment date for most cruises several months ago. I believe Dec. 6 would have been the original final payment date.  Even though the final payment date was extended, on many cruises the penalty date remained the same. 

[Boatdrill]

Situations like this never create good customer relations.

Just curious, what was the original itinerary ? 

[rothbury]

Well, I'll answer the first comment about final payment.  Several people have posted about their final payment dates being moved/extended.  The final payment date for the March 6 cruise was NOT moved or extended.  I waited until Dec 2 to make final payment and that was 2 days after HAL sent me an email reminder that my final payment was due Dec 6.

 

To answer the second comment the itinerary was Half Moon Cay, Sea Day, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Sea Day and Key West.  In that order.

 

Ironically as of right now the Navigator App still lists the cruise as if it has not been cancelled.  

[RAS4331]

We are booked on the Rotterdam for a 14-day cruise Feb. 27 to March 13.  I called today to make sure it was still on since your cancelled trip was a portion of our cruise.  (The cruise was offered as 7 days Feb 27 to March 6, March 6 to 13, or as one 14-day trip).  I was told we were not cancelled.  She said that some cruise “adjustments were being made” but it had nothing to do with Covid.  I’m a little nervous now - it seems odd that you were suddenly cancelled like that.  I’m so sorry and hope you’re able to reschedule!

[Laminator]

There does not appear to be a cruise on the Rotterdam from Mar 13th to the 20th so they either have a charter or something needs to be repaired.

[SUESEABE]

I did a copy and paste from Holland America site as follows:  

Cruises through February 28, 2022 have a 60-day final payment window. Cruises sailing March 1, 2022 and later retain their published final payment date.

 

That being said the 14 Rotterdam cruise Feb. 27 to March 13 has a Final Payment date of December 28, 2021. I sure hope that they don't collect final payment and then announce on December 29th that the 14 day is cancelled. That would be a raw deal.

 

 

[rothbury]

All I can do is try to paste the notification from HAL.

 

We are writing to let you know of a change we are making to our deployment that unfortunately impacts your cruise. The 7-Day Western Caribbean sailing you’re booked on is being cancelled. We sincerely apologize for this change as we never like to disappoint our guests. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and would like to assist you in reserving an alternate sailing.

 

We invite you to make a booking on the following voyage:

                                                                                                                                        

Rotterdam Y223O

4-Day Private Island Bahamas– Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale

March 6, 2022

 

Some of it wouldn't post but it was the itinerary for the March 6 thru March 11 modified cruise.  It leaves FLL and goes to Half Moon Cay, Sea Day, Bimini and back to FLL.  If you are talking to a TA and not directly with HAL, you might want to emphasis with them to check with HAL.

When I called for my refund yesterday, they said they had gotten a number of complaints and understood people weren't happy.

Over on the roll call people are adjusting flights and hotel stays that were already made.  

My biggest complaint is all of the bonuses that we are losing.  This was a cruise booked from a cancelled cruise in 2020.  We have lost the bonus for our cancelled cruise.  Certainly, the Have It All promotion doesn't go into 2023 so there is a lot to lose.

[terrydtx]

On 12/7/2021 at 3:36 PM, bobjoek said:

If we don't book this cruise, HAL stated a full refund.  Of course, this is very inconvenient, as airfare and hotels have been paid.

Just another good reason to book air through HAL, which would be refunded when your cruise was cancelled. In these volatile times booking air through a cruise lines just makes more sense.

 

I am sorry your cruise was canceled; we are up to 6 cruises canceled in the last 2 years and every one had air that was booked through the cruise line, so we did not lose any cash for tickets. We also made sure every hotel booked was cancelable as well.

Edited December 9, 2021 by terrydtx

[Homosassa]

Unfortunately, the cancelling after final payment does not happen only on HAL.

 

I had a seven night MSC cruise cancelled less than 48 hours after final payment and was offered a three night cruise departing one week later.

 

It was in the midst of the CDC changes for test cruises and vaccinations late last spring so I understand the reason why it happened.

[OVgirl]

Has anyone been given the reason for this change? Did they add those 3 days to the following cruise? Or maybe added a short 3 day charter?

[Damcruiser]

In the dark... very inconvenient and suspicious right after final payment.

[12cruise2]

Terrydtx, which airfare do you purchase with HAL to assure you get a refund if the cruise is cancelled?  Right now I don't recall the two different names, but I think I remember one had to be paid for when booked and one had to be paid for with final payment, something like that.  Thank you for your response.

[Spire2000]

On 12/8/2021 at 1:00 PM, Laminator said:

There does not appear to be a cruise on the Rotterdam from Mar 13th to the 20th so they either have a charter or something needs to be repaired.

Sure there is. We're on it.

[Spire2000]

Just want to add that my parents booked on the Rotterdam from Jan through April. I just called them and they’re also cancelled. We suspect this is a charter.

[Laminator]

36 minutes ago, Spire2000 said:

Sure there is. We're on it.

It must be sold out then because I can't find it online. 

[Spire2000]

53 minutes ago, Laminator said:

It must be sold out then because I can't find it online. 

Interesting. It’s March Break, at least it is here. Must be a popular cruise.

[boze9999]

In the past corporations would charter a cruise for their entity so you wouldn't see it advertised as a charter - just a private corporate charter. Not sure if that's the case or not ?