HAL cancels Asian cruises through 02-27-23

[sandiego1]

24 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

It is staying south of the equator as far as China and Japan are concerned.  Once it leaves South America does it even go north of the equator until after Australia?  Compared to the 2024 WC, I would consider it to be a "south of the equator" cruise.  T

According to the itinerary, the 2023 WC is above the equator 64 days and below the equator 64 days. So it's 50/50 🙂 We cross on 1/16 and 3/24.  We aren't going to Asia at all.

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Just read a Cruise article that says Westerdam will reposition to Australia and New Zealand. 

 

If the Noordam is sailing in this region, will there be the market for the Westerdam to do so as well?  

[hallpau]

20 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

The 2023 WC is headed to Europe towards the end of the cruise . The entire trip isn’t south of the equator.

You are correct....but I thought this discussion was about the Asian ports so I failed to include the entire World Cruise which does cross the equator as we go up the west side of Africa (which is no where near Asia).

[Tampa Girl]

15 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

According to the itinerary, the 2023 WC is above the equator 64 days and below the equator 64 days. So it's 50/50 🙂 We cross on 1/16 and 3/24.  We aren't going to Asia at all.

 

And given HAL's deleting Asian ports until at least late February, 2023, aren't you relieved that your WC is not going anywhere near Asia.  We are on the 2024, which does include Japan and China, so I hope things change by then.  Otherwise, it takes much of the attraction out of the WC.

 

[pralientje]

In April 2021 I booked a b2b cruise, 42 days in total.

Both cruises are cancelled, but HAL has decided to offer me a booking on two different cruises!

One leaving February 14, which is strange since their letter said they had cancelled cruises till February 27th! Plus the offered cruise is one day shorter.

The second one is leaving December 23rd!

This way I have to fly to Singapore twice, this will be quite costly.

I find the attention to detail quite annoying and have decided to cancel my bookings and get a refund. 

[sandiego1]

5 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

And given HAL's deleting Asian ports until at least late February, 2023, aren't you relieved that your WC is not going anywhere near Asia.  We are on the 2024, which does include Japan and China, so I hope things change by then.  Otherwise, it takes much of the attraction out of the WC.

 

Yes, glad the 2023 WC doesn't go to Asia. I, too, hope that things change by 2024. I'd like to do an Asia cruise in the future!

[loeb]

9 hours ago, pralientje said:

In April 2021 I booked a b2b cruise, 42 days in total.

Both cruises are cancelled, but HAL has decided to offer me a booking on two different cruises!

One leaving February 14, which is strange since their letter said they had cancelled cruises till February 27th! Plus the offered cruise is one day shorter.

The second one is leaving December 23rd!

This way I have to fly to Singapore twice, this will be quite costly.

I find the attention to detail quite annoying and have decided to cancel my bookings and get a refund. 

I agree, our replacement cruise is not even close to the cruise that has been canceled twice.  I know it's not Holland America's fault that Covid restrictions prevent them from offering the cruises.  However, they should have put more thought into the automatic rebooking on another cruise that is not remotely similar to the cruises that were canceled. We have no alternative but to just cancel the cruise with Holland America and look for a cruise with either Celebrity or Princess. 

[sambamama]

This is now the second time my Asia cruise has been cancelled. Of course both times airfare and hotels were all booked.  The big problems are we get absolutely nothing for the cancellation (not unexpected-but this is now the 7th cruise I've booked that has been cancelled), but the bigger problem for me is that just about all the cruises are 200% supplement, and very few are at any sort of a bargain rate.  That means I am basically stuck with keeping my Asian cruise which looks very unpalatable in a COVID world to get any sort of value for what I paid, or switching to a different cruise and losing 50% of what I paid, or just seeing if I can get my FCC back and giving up on cruising for a very long time as land travel is much more a bargain now for solos than cruises.  I am not happy with the way HAL has handled the cancellations at all.  They have had my money in full for 3 years now, and I have gotten nothing at all. It will be four years before the cruise sails.  They haven't even offered to give me a cabin upgrade or $50 in shipboard credit.  But if I shift to a different cruise and lose a bunch of value, I get $200 in shipboard credit.  Why don't you offer to give me that for my cruise for 2024?  Seeing as how you have now cancelled my cruise twice????

[Tampa Girl]

14 hours ago, sambamama said:

This is now the second time my Asia cruise has been cancelled. Of course both times airfare and hotels were all booked.  The big problems are we get absolutely nothing for the cancellation (not unexpected-but this is now the 7th cruise I've booked that has been cancelled), but the bigger problem for me is that just about all the cruises are 200% supplement, and very few are at any sort of a bargain rate.  That means I am basically stuck with keeping my Asian cruise which looks very unpalatable in a COVID world to get any sort of value for what I paid, or switching to a different cruise and losing 50% of what I paid, or just seeing if I can get my FCC back and giving up on cruising for a very long time as land travel is much more a bargain now for solos than cruises.  I am not happy with the way HAL has handled the cancellations at all.  They have had my money in full for 3 years now, and I have gotten nothing at all. It will be four years before the cruise sails.  They haven't even offered to give me a cabin upgrade or $50 in shipboard credit.  But if I shift to a different cruise and lose a bunch of value, I get $200 in shipboard credit.  Why don't you offer to give me that for my cruise for 2024?  Seeing as how you have now cancelled my cruise twice????

 

Are there other 2024 Asian cruises besides the WC?  I have been wondering if they will try to schedule another Grand Asia in 2024.  The last one, I think, was in 2018.

[cruiseaholic78]

All, 

I was sorry to hear about these new cancellations, we have had four Asia cruises cancelled finally making a stopover in Tokyo on our way to Australia as a sort of compensation.

That said I was very interested to see the new options for October/November 2023 as maybe fifth time lucky. The itineraries are not  yet shown on their website presumably allowing people to rebook first, I wondered if anyone could enlighten me so I am well prepared when/if they become available.

My interest lies in the following:

15/10 2023 27 days

28/10 2023 28 days 

11/11 2023.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

Edited May 8, 2022 by cruiseaholic78

[Tampa Girl]

3 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

All, 

I was sorry to hear about these new cancellations, we have had four Asia cruises cancelled finally making a stopover in Tokyo on our way to Australia as a sort of compensation.

That said I was very interested to see the new options for October/November 2023 as maybe fifth time lucky. The itineraries are not  yet shown on their website presumably allowing people to rebook first, I wondered if anyone could enlighten me so I am well prepared when/if they become available.

My interest lies in the following:

15/10 2023 27 days

28/10 2023 28 days 

11/11 2023.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

 

You have no information as to what part of Asia these cruises will be going?  That, plus the fact that your dates are about 18 months out, makes it difficult to predict what will happen and what you can expect.  Given the present world situation and the popping up of various Covid strains, I would not venture a guess.  Are the above dates all for HAL cruises?

[cruiseaholic78]

The dates are all HAL cruises and my question is based on post 13 from this thread where alternative cruises were offered to people whose cruises had been cancelled.

As the precise itineraries were  not shown I was hoping someone here would be able to enlighten me.

Rosalyn

[cruiseaholic78]

19 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

The dates are all HAL cruises and my question is based on post 13 from this thread where alternative cruises were offered to people whose cruises had been cancelled.

As the precise itineraries were  not shown I was hoping someone here would be able to enlighten me.

Rosalyn

Okay, well spoke to my TA today and apparently the people on cancelled cruises have until the end of May to decide if the want to cancel or rebook.

So unless anyone has the info I guess I will just have to try to be patient.

Edited May 9, 2022 by cruiseaholic78

[Hlitner]

On 4/26/2022 at 8:34 PM, Vatch said:

Looks like they are leaving the March and April Asia cruises in limbo again!  Time to start looking at alternatives just in case.

 

A tough problem for HAL.  Will Japan reopen to tourism/cruise ships in 2023?  Nobody has a clue.  We have had the 3 previous Japan bookings cancelled and kept rolling it over to the next year.  Our patience with Japan has reached our limit and if the March itinerary gets cancelled we will take our money and run to another cruise line (recently had 3 great cruises on Seabourn).  The problems with recent HAL cruises and HAL cost cutting games (remember production shows?) have soured us on HAL although we are willing to stick with our 42 day Asian commitment.  We hope that if that cruise does happen the extra year will give HAL time to get their act together.

 

Hank

[sambamama]

I am so soured on HAL I have turned into a pickle.  The cost cutting measures bother me, but not nearly as much as the fact that there are basically no cruises for sale at less than 200% now, and at highly inflated prices as well!  HAL (and other cruise lines, I checked prices on Carnival today) have priced themselves right out of single cruiser budgets.  It is now cheaper for me to do land trips than cruises, and I can travel in a more lavish style as well.  The fact that HAL thinks it is OK to hold onto my money for 4 years interest free and not even give me a free Pinnacle dinner is beyond belief.  What would it cost them to raise my cabin one category, or give me $50 in shipboard credit for cancelling my cruise for another year?  the fact that they are offering me $400 shipboard credit to rebook on a cruise this year, but not a penny for them to hold my money for a third year really bothers me.  I am up to 8 cancelled cruises-all of which has cost me considerable time and effort as I book my shore trips, hotels and airfare long in advance and money as well, as travel insurance doesn't pay for cancelled cruises.  I don't think HAL can get its act together because it isn't HAL-it is the new management!

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, sambamama said:

I am so soured on HAL I have turned into a pickle.  The cost cutting measures bother me, but not nearly as much as the fact that there are basically no cruises for sale at less than 200% now, and at highly inflated prices as well!  HAL (and other cruise lines, I checked prices on Carnival today) have priced themselves right out of single cruiser budgets.  It is now cheaper for me to do land trips than cruises, and I can travel in a more lavish style as well.  The fact that HAL thinks it is OK to hold onto my money for 4 years interest free and not even give me a free Pinnacle dinner is beyond belief.  What would it cost them to raise my cabin one category, or give me $50 in shipboard credit for cancelling my cruise for another year?  the fact that they are offering me $400 shipboard credit to rebook on a cruise this year, but not a penny for them to hold my money for a third year really bothers me.  I am up to 8 cancelled cruises-all of which has cost me considerable time and effort as I book my shore trips, hotels and airfare long in advance and money as well, as travel insurance doesn't pay for cancelled cruises.  I don't think HAL can get its act together because it isn't HAL-it is the new management!

If Hal cancelled your cruise why didn't you get your money back?  Are you saying they refused to refund your money?  Prices are quite high.  Maybe because they are giving away too many free cruises to others.

[boze9999]

10 hours ago, sambamama said:

I am so soured on HAL I have turned into a pickle.  The cost cutting measures bother me, but not nearly as much as the fact that there are basically no cruises for sale at less than 200% now, and at highly inflated prices as well!  HAL (and other cruise lines, I checked prices on Carnival today) have priced themselves right out of single cruiser budgets.  It is now cheaper for me to do land trips than cruises, and I can travel in a more lavish style as well.  The fact that HAL thinks it is OK to hold onto my money for 4 years interest free and not even give me a free Pinnacle dinner is beyond belief.  What would it cost them to raise my cabin one category, or give me $50 in shipboard credit for cancelling my cruise for another year?  the fact that they are offering me $400 shipboard credit to rebook on a cruise this year, but not a penny for them to hold my money for a third year really bothers me.  I am up to 8 cancelled cruises-all of which has cost me considerable time and effort as I book my shore trips, hotels and airfare long in advance and money as well, as travel insurance doesn't pay for cancelled cruises.  I don't think HAL can get its act together because it isn't HAL-it is the new management!

The world of travel has changed and it has affected you and many others. Sadly, all hospitality venues and carriers have experienced tremendous losses and also are moving forward with tremendous price adjustments. Whether cruises, hotels, or airfares, the double digit increases are painful, but if we wish to experience any of them, we will choose to pay or not. Our personal choice is to pay what and when we can - the world is now, not what it used to be.  Do enjoy whatever methods of travel are best for you @sambamama.