Dutch newspaper reports extension of refugee housing on Volendam

[happywandering]

September 14, 2022 is all well and good for my November cruise====except my final payment is due in August.  Guess I  will have to see how conditions are my then.  Hope to know more by August.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, happywandering said:

September 14, 2022 is all well and good for my November cruise====except my final payment is due in August.  Guess I  will have to see how conditions are my then.  Hope to know more by August.

They really ought to extend when your final payment is due given the circumstances.

[bfgood2]

 This is real. I had an email from my TA this afternoon. It is affecting through Sept 14 sailings per HAL's email to her. We are booked on the 9/10 Eastern Med.Ancient Mysteries Cruise and "will be offered a comparable European Cruise." The message to the TA said we would be hearing from a reservations specialist appointed by HAL for further information.

 We will be cancelling completely, as we are very itinerary focused and will not be forced into a "Comparable Cruise" of HAL's choosing. The third cancellation for us.  I will be interested in seeing if they extend our FCC (again) from our  March 2020 Japan Cruise.

 Time for a few trips on our own where we have more control.

[Wayfairers]

I also got the cancellation notice from our TA today.  Oh well, guess it wasn’t meant to be and although it is frustrating to  start planning again because yet another trip fizzled we will now be returning back to the US via the VoV rather than flying so really better for us.  We are spending about 3 months on the road and it was going to be mostly Europe….now it will be mostly US and Canada.  C’est la vie. 
 

Now to remember how to update my signature!

Edited May 13, 2022 by Wayfairers

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, happywandering said:

September 14, 2022 is all well and good for my November cruise====except my final payment is due in August.  Guess I  will have to see how conditions are my then.  Hope to know more by August.

Me personally I would not make final payment on that.  It’s way too risky unless it becomes much clearer by then.  I’m not holding my breath on that one.

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, Wayfairers said:

I also got the cancellation notice from our TA today.  Oh well, guess it wasn’t meant to be and although it is frustrating to  start planning again because yet another trip fizzled we will now be returning back to the US via the VoV rather than flying so really better for us.  We are spending about 3 months on the road and it was going to be mostly Europe….now it will be mostly US and Canada.  C’est la vie. 
 

Now to remember how to update my signature!

Good attitude, making the best of the hand you were dealt.

[Ilex]

I am just devastated!  Our cruise that we have had booked for almost 2 years cancelled due to the refugees using ship.  I commend Holland America for their kindness and our hearts go out to all those of Ukraine (We have donated to the cause ourselves) but I don't understand why they would not use one of the ships they have in Dry Dock?  Or at least a ship that has short cruises that are not so bad and easily picked up if one is cancelled.  We have been booked for almost 2 years on this once in a life time cruise to Egypt and Turkey which is the only area of the World we have not traveled too.  It is very very difficult to find a cruise that goes to both of these places.  We were so excited to find one.  Then it was bumped due to covid and now they take it away completely???  I just do not know why they picked that particular ship.  I am literally sick to my stomach.  I am 70 years old and going downhill so I probably will never get to Egypt and Turkey.  

[Wayfairers]

1 hour ago, Ilex said:

I am just devastated!  Our cruise that we have had booked for almost 2 years cancelled due to the refugees using ship.  I commend Holland America for their kindness and our hearts go out to all those of Ukraine (We have donated to the cause ourselves) but I don't understand why they would not use one of the ships they have in Dry Dock?  Or at least a ship that has short cruises that are not so bad and easily picked up if one is cancelled.  We have been booked for almost 2 years on this once in a life time cruise to Egypt and Turkey which is the only area of the World we have not traveled too.  It is very very difficult to find a cruise that goes to both of these places.  We were so excited to find one.  Then it was bumped due to covid and now they take it away completely???  I just do not know why they picked that particular ship.  I am literally sick to my stomach.  I am 70 years old and going downhill so I probably will never get to Egypt and Turkey.  

We’ve hit a couple of ports in Turkey by cruise ship and were supposed to stop in Egypt on that cruise but those ports were cancelled due to security reasons.  My suggestion would be take a land trip…you will have more time and be able to see so much more.   If you don’t travel on your own, take a tour.  Just go.  

[Woofbite]

3 hours ago, Ilex said:

I am just devastated!  Our cruise that we have had booked for almost 2 years cancelled due to the refugees using ship.  I commend Holland America for their kindness and our hearts go out to all those of Ukraine (We have donated to the cause ourselves) but I don't understand why they would not use one of the ships they have in Dry Dock?  Or at least a ship that has short cruises that are not so bad and easily picked up if one is cancelled.  We have been booked for almost 2 years on this once in a life time cruise to Egypt and Turkey which is the only area of the World we have not traveled too.  It is very very difficult to find a cruise that goes to both of these places.  We were so excited to find one.  Then it was bumped due to covid and now they take it away completely???  I just do not know why they picked that particular ship.  I am literally sick to my stomach.  I am 70 years old and going downhill so I probably will never get to Egypt and Turkey.  

Agree.  Why don't they return one of the parked ships to service and use it or the Volendam to operate scheduled cruises.  They have screwed us around for three years and cancelled cruise after cruise after cruise all for good reasons but it has really wrecked havoc with any kind of planning and HAL takes forever to refund the money they've had the use of for two years.  We're finished with them for a while.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

8 hours ago, Ilex said:

I am just devastated!  Our cruise that we have had booked for almost 2 years cancelled due to the refugees using ship.  I commend Holland America for their kindness and our hearts go out to all those of Ukraine (We have donated to the cause ourselves) but I don't understand why they would not use one of the ships they have in Dry Dock?  Or at least a ship that has short cruises that are not so bad and easily picked up if one is cancelled.  We have been booked for almost 2 years on this once in a life time cruise to Egypt and Turkey which is the only area of the World we have not traveled too.  It is very very difficult to find a cruise that goes to both of these places.  We were so excited to find one.  Then it was bumped due to covid and now they take it away completely???  I just do not know why they picked that particular ship.  I am literally sick to my stomach.  I am 70 years old and going downhill so I probably will never get to Egypt and Turkey.  

So they should take a new ship because those are the ones that are generally doing the short cruises.  I’m sure hal leased the volendam out because the bookings were soft.  So now they move this large ship that will maybe sail 1/4 full meanwhile cancelling all the other cruises just so you can have your cruise.  That’s makes no sense.  Ships also miss ports due to random issues so you might not get there anyway.  70 is not old.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, Ilex said:

I don't understand why they would not use one of the ships they have in Dry Dock?

 

Please.  Inform me. Which -Dam ship is in drydock?  

[Florida_gal_50]

47 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Please.  Inform me. Which -Dam ship is in drydock?  

I wondered that too.  Maybe the westerdam?

[MAVIP]

8 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I wondered that too.  Maybe the westerdam?

Westerdam Anchorage near California.  The Volendam after dry dock was (anchoring?) near Malaga Spain and should have started the european season the 1st of May with the 1st cruise from Rotterdam when it was hired by the dutch Government/City of Rotterdam a few months ago on behalf of Ukranian refugees.

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by MAVIP

[VMax1700]

9 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Please.  Inform me. Which -Dam ship is in drydock?  

That was my reaction too, but then surmised that the poster was suggesting any other Carnival Corp ship that was in dry dock, not specifically a HAL ship.

[CoryG413]

So, here we are, several days later.  Still nothing from Holland America about either rebooking the cruise or getting a refund.  We completed their form about the rebooking, sent multiple emails and our travel agent has been calling every day.  And all that she has been told by HAL is that we have to wait.  Meanwhile any ability to make plans for the summer are ticking by.  And presumably HAL keeps taking reservations on the ships that the cancelled travelers wish to rebook.

 

I am glad that the refugees are being helped.  But that help is coming from the government, not HAL.  Holland America is not donating the Volendam, they are renting it under a contract with the government.  And that contract had AT LEAST ONE option to extend, which was exercised.  I would not feel comfortable if I had a Volendam booking in the fall -- it is likely that the same thing will happen to those cruisers.  Again, HAL knew that we would not be sailing, but kept taking reservations, holding our money and allowing us to make ancillary travel arrangements.  And now they are simply not responding to requests for rebooking or refund.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, CoryG413 said:

So, here we are, several days later.  Still nothing from Holland America about either rebooking the cruise or getting a refund.  We completed their form about the rebooking, sent multiple emails and our travel agent has been calling every day.  And all that she has been told by HAL is that we have to wait.  Meanwhile any ability to make plans for the summer are ticking by.  And presumably HAL keeps taking reservations on the ships that the cancelled travelers wish to rebook.

 

I am glad that the refugees are being helped.  But that help is coming from the government, not HAL.  Holland America is not donating the Volendam, they are renting it under a contract with the government.  And that contract had AT LEAST ONE option to extend, which was exercised.  I would not feel comfortable if I had a Volendam booking in the fall -- it is likely that the same thing will happen to those cruisers.  Again, HAL knew that we would not be sailing, but kept taking reservations, holding our money and allowing us to make ancillary travel arrangements.  And now they are simply not responding to requests for rebooking or refund.

I don’t think anyone is under the illusion that hal is donating the ship.  It’s been mentioned over and over that they are getting paid.  I wouldn’t touch a booking on the ship with a ten foot pole.  I don’t think the volendam will be freed up any time soon.   Of course this was not known initially so passengers would have been in the dark.  That’s a different story.

[Wayfairers]

4 hours ago, CoryG413 said:

So, here we are, several days later.  Still nothing from Holland America about either rebooking the cruise or getting a refund.  We completed their form about the rebooking, sent multiple emails and our travel agent has been calling every day.  And all that she has been told by HAL is that we have to wait.  Meanwhile any ability to make plans for the summer are ticking by.  And presumably HAL keeps taking reservations on the ships that the cancelled travelers wish to rebook.

 

I am glad that the refugees are being helped.  But that help is coming from the government, not HAL.  Holland America is not donating the Volendam, they are renting it under a contract with the government.  And that contract had AT LEAST ONE option to extend, which was exercised.  I would not feel comfortable if I had a Volendam booking in the fall -- it is likely that the same thing will happen to those cruisers.  Again, HAL knew that we would not be sailing, but kept taking reservations, holding our money and allowing us to make ancillary travel arrangements.  And now they are simply not responding to requests for rebooking or refund.

My TA is trying to get my FCC/FCD freed (yes my money) so it can be put on a cruise that will be leaving a couple of days before my Volendam cruise was supposed to leave.  Very frustrating that they can’t just transfer it over.  I’m certainly not going to put new money down until they use my money they’ve been hanging on to for 2+ years.   

[scottcaps]

Following up -- curious to know if anyone has managed to get thier refund for cancelled July 3rd Vollendam sailing (Norway Midnight Sun)? We made our full payment at the delayed 60 day deadline on May 3, then cruise was cancelled on May 13th. We were not able to rebook to the new cruise HAL assigned to us (a late Aug 2022 cruise, which we cannot do as we have school age kids). We booked a HAL Norway cruise for July 2023 instead and did get our FCC (which has been carried over for several cruises since 2020) moved to that 2023 cruise. But, credit card bills due soon now and we are wondering when the credits for all we booked for July 2022 (cruise fare, airfare, excursions, dinners) will hit the credit cards. 

[loveapug]

We received our full refund about a week after we submitted the request to the HAL site, for the July 14 Volendam sailing. It was a pleasant surprise!

[Btimmer]

When our 5/15/22 voyage on the Volendam was cancelled on 4/1/22, it took 19 days to receive the refund.

[Mandalay1903]

Our fully-paid Volendam sailing date 6/12/22

Cancellation notification received 4/1/22

Submitted cancellation request form 4/4/22

Received refund into our cc account on 4/8/22

 

Very fast if you ask me. I think the key is to make sure you submit your cancellation form ASAP.