HAL just canceled our June 14th 2022 Triple Denali trip

[BEAV]

6 hours ago, cruisingteachers4 said:

We are leaving on the 26th!  So far, on our 19 day, testing looks to be the following: 

1) Pre-cruise covid test for the 3 day cruise from Vancouver to Skagway

2) On the cruise, covid test before the land portion of the cruise, Skagway to Dawson

3) In Dawson, pre-flight to Fairbanks covid test

4) In Anchorage, pre-cruise covid test for the Whittier to Vancouver sailing

5) On our own, test to return to the US after the cruise. 

 

Phew!!  I have no idea what will happen at any of these points in time if one of us tests positive! 

 

Holy house of Jehoshaphat. 🤦🏻‍♂️

 

We did your itinerary in 2018 (loved it, BTW). We completed a Transatlantic last month and thought testing twice was stressful, but you definitely win the prize. 

 

I can sincerely say Good Luck! 😉

[Mary229]

14 hours ago, cruisingteachers4 said:

We are leaving on the 26th!  So far, on our 19 day, testing looks to be the following: 

1) Pre-cruise covid test for the 3 day cruise from Vancouver to Skagway

2) On the cruise, covid test before the land portion of the cruise, Skagway to Dawson

3) In Dawson, pre-flight to Fairbanks covid test

4) In Anchorage, pre-cruise covid test for the Whittier to Vancouver sailing

5) On our own, test to return to the US after the cruise. 

 

Phew!!  I have no idea what will happen at any of these points in time if one of us tests positive! 

Most of those are prescribed by laws or CDC except number 2.  Why on earth would they add that one?

[Sebbiesgrammy]

29 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Most of those are prescribed by laws or CDC except number 2.  Why on earth would they add that one?

I think #2 is the most important test.  Consider being on busses, trains and small planes for up to 10 days on a land tour group with folks who have come from everywhere, including other HAL ships, inbound flights to Canada and land arrivals and it becomes critically important.  These land/sea itineraries are a scramble of travelers and I, personally, am thankful that they are trying to protect me, my family and their staff.

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

I think #2 is the most important test.  Consider being on busses, trains and small planes for up to 10 days on a land tour group with folks who have come from everywhere, including other HAL ships, inbound flights to Canada and land arrivals and it becomes critically important.  These land/sea itineraries are a scramble of travelers and I, personally, am thankful that they are trying to protect me, my family and their staff.

I don’t think they need to make up rules. As it is we rely on both the CDC, US government and the Canadian government and that should be sufficient. Those who are very worried should travel independently 

[cruisingteachers4]

13 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I don’t think they need to make up rules. As it is we rely on both the CDC, US government and the Canadian government and that should be sufficient. Those who are very worried should travel independently 

Personally, we don’t mind taking a test every day if it means that we can travel again!! 
My daughter attends UCLA, and they test twice weekly. Quick and easy.

My only concern is what are the steps put in place if we test positive in a remote area, such as Dawson or Denali? It will definitely be an adventure!!

[Mary229]

11 minutes ago, cruisingteachers4 said:

Personally, we don’t mind taking a test every day if it means that we can travel again!! 
My daughter attends UCLA, and they test twice weekly. Quick and easy.

My only concern is what are the steps put in place if we test positive in a remote area, such as Dawson or Denali? It will definitely be an adventure!!

That is where independent travel comes in.  You can control your environment when traveling independently and don’t have to worry about enforcing your standards on others.   Always in travel you must have an exit plan when something does not work out.  
 

[quack2]

On 6/4/2022 at 2:14 PM, Storylady said:

Cruises are still operating. I just read that the Nieuw Amsterdam has not cancelled  any cruises, just the land plus cruise packages.

 

As for crew getting COVID onboard. When a crew member gets COVID, they are quarantined along with anyone they have been in contact with, Tina, the Pinnacle Grill Hostess was quarantined, but didn’t have COVID. One of the BB King Members tested positive, but 3 others were also quarantined. I am glad that HAL is being cautious. There might be a small number that actually tested positive for COVID, but lots more that tested negatuve that have to be quarantined, plus new crew members who are also quarantined. So it is hard to tell how many actually have the virus.

 

With masking being a simple, highly effective may to slow the spread of COVID, it disgusts me that there are so many people unwilling to take this simple step to protect themselves and others. 

[2inSETexas]

19 minutes ago, quack2 said:

 

With masking being a simple, highly effective may to slow the spread of COVID, it disgusts me that there are so many people unwilling to take this simple step to protect themselves and others. 

Only effective if it’s a medical grade mask.

[kangforpres]

so you are on your own once the northbound cruise docks in Whitter? Likewise you need to meet the ship there to head southbound if your land tour was cancelled.

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, 2inSETexas said:

Only effective if it’s a medical grade mask.

A surgeon told me if you can smell,  the mask is not working.  

[Storylady]

5 hours ago, 2inSETexas said:

Only effective if it’s a medical grade mask.

HAL hands out KN95’s that are very effective. But it would be wise to bring some of your own as these masks are generally one use on,y.

[Btimmer]

35 minutes ago, Storylady said:

HAL hands out KN95’s that are very effective. But it would be wise to bring some of your own as these masks are generally one use on,y.

We purchased 50 for around $15US off Amazon.  We had to have them to fly on Lufthansa and travel on the German train system last week.

[2inSETexas]

1 hour ago, Storylady said:

HAL hands out KN95’s that are very effective. But it would be wise to bring some of your own as these masks are generally one use on,y.

We did a river cruise last autumn on the Danube. Most European countries and this particular cruise line require N95, KN95, or FFP2 grade masks. No testing required except for one specific country and to fly home. The CDC and the ocean cruise industry could learn a lot from the European river cruise industry.

[WriterOnDeck]

21 minutes ago, 2inSETexas said:

We did a river cruise last autumn on the Danube. Most European countries and this particular cruise line require N95, KN95, or FFP2 grade masks. No testing required except for one specific country and to fly home. The CDC and the ocean cruise industry could learn a lot from the European river cruise industry.

That was before Omicron variant, which is much more contagious. I miss those days. I have several friends on cruises now who have covid. Apparently once the mask mandate was lifted, it really spread.

[Mary229]

22 minutes ago, 2inSETexas said:

We did a river cruise last autumn on the Danube. Most European countries and this particular cruise line require N95, KN95, or FFP2 grade masks. No testing required except for one specific country and to fly home. The CDC and the ocean cruise industry could learn a lot from the European river cruise industry.

Things have changed.   Many countries no longer have any covid restrictions.  I river cruised last month, masks were required in the hallways but no one really wore them. I was in Belgium and Netherlands.  On my ocean cruise I was in Portugal, Italy and Spain with absolutely no requirements except HAL required masks the last week of a three week cruise.  The only place we encountered restrictions was in Sicily where they require masks on public transportation 

[2inSETexas]

8 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

That was before Omicron variant, which is much more contagious. I miss those days. I have several friends on cruises now who have covid. Apparently once the mask mandate was lifted, it really spread.

Omicron hasn’t changed things much in Europe. Nearly all European countries (only 2 exceptions I can think of) only require vaccinations to enter, and this particular river cruise line still does not require testing, and is doing very well this year with their bookings. Cloth masks have never been widely accepted in Europe and are not allowed in most places. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by 2inSETexas

[TVlife]

On 6/3/2022 at 3:48 PM, KirkNC said:

Just got the email from Gus

 

Dear Travel Partner, We are very sorry to inform you that due to staffing shortages affecting the entire hospitality industry, we must regretfully cancel select 2022 Yukon & Denali Cruisetours. Your clients’ affected bookings are listed at the end of this letter. We encourage you to reach out to your clients as soon as possible to advise them of the cancellation of their Cruisetour, as we know the news will spread quickly once it is publicly announced. We are waiting until later 2:00 PM Pacific Time this afternoon (Friday, June 3) to send our email notification to your clients in order to give you time to contact them. Booked guests will receive a refund of all monies paid to Holland America Line to the original form of purchase. In addition, each guest will receive a Future Cruise Credit of 100% of the Cruisetour fare paid, which can be used on a new booking for any future voyage or Cruisetour that is booked by and sails by December 31, 2023. Please see below for terms and conditions for the Future Cruise Credit.  Our Future Cruise Credit program has been expanded and these credits can now be used for non-cruise fare items such as flexible Flight Ease flights (added before final payment), pre- and post-cruise packages, or standard or platinum Cancellation Protection Plan coverage for all guests on the new booking. We hope these credits will enable your clients to join us on another Alaska cruise this year or explore Alaska with us in 2023. We regret we are unable to offer a replacement Cruisetour option for 2022 due to the staffing issues which have resulted in reduced capacity on several journeys. As a further gesture of goodwill for your clients’ loyalty to Holland America Line, they will also receive $200 USD per-person Shipboard Credit on a new booking for any future voyage or Cruisetour that is booked by and sails by December 31, 2023. This offer will be in addition to any other promotion or incentives available. The credit may be used toward all purchases in the bars, boutiques, photo gallery and art auctions, as well as specialty dining, spa treatments and shore excursions. In the event any portion of the cancelled Cruisetour's fare was paid using a previously issued Future Cruise Credit, that FCC will be returned to their Mariner Account and extended to be used by December 31, 2023. Non-cruise fare purchases through Holland America Line such as Flight Ease air, pre- and post-cruise hotels and transfers, shore excursions, dining, gifts, and spa treatments will also be refunded to the original form of purchase. If any portion of your clients’ travel was not booked through Holland America Line, other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply. We recognize that this change may cause your clients to incur unexpected expenses, such as air change fees. Reimbursement of reasonable non-refundable expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. An Out-of-Pocket Expense Reimbursement Form is available ; please complete this form and submit it, along with any relevant receipts and documentation, for review by our corporate office. If they purchased independent vacation travel insurance, please submit a claim through their carrier before submitting a reimbursement request for denied or partially paid claims. Holland America Line understands and values the role our travel partners play in our success. Commission paid on paid-in-full bookings will not be recalled, and Future Cruise Credits are commissionable when applied to the cruise or Cruisetour fare of a new booking. Please do not cancel any affected bookings yourself through POLAR Online before our automated process runs, as this is necessary to protect commissions. Bookings cancelled outside of this process will not have commission protected.   Refunds will be processed early next week and should be credited to accounts within 10 to 15 business days. No further action is required, and please note the timing of the visibility of the funds is dependent upon your financial institution's internal process. We anticipate your clients will have their Future Cruise Credits applied to the Mariner Accounts by Wednesday, June 15. Should you have any questions please reach out to us at the appropriate office.

Kirk, was your land tour supposed to go to Copper River Princess Lodge?  I see that they are closing that lodge for the rest of the summer, starting June 17.  I’m booked for a tour, early August, that includes Copper. I’m now wondering if we will be canceled. 
https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/copper-river-lodge/

[jeh10641]

On 6/3/2022 at 2:07 PM, DaveOKC said:

I wonder how much of these problems are early season start up issues that will soon be resolved.  I know that many college students are used for seasonal help in Alaska and they may not have shown up yet.  Also foreign workers.  I sure hope that this is a fixable problem in short order.

 

From watching You Tube cruise bloggers, a major problem of getting staff is the lack of U.S. work Visas. Jamaica just announced the visa situation has allotted the country 10,000 work visas. Too little, too late for many cruisers affected.

 

Jim

[Guest ldtr]

On 6/6/2022 at 8:10 AM, 2inSETexas said:

Only effective if it’s a medical grade mask.

Which the masks that the ship hands out are.  No reason anyone should be using cloth masks at this time.  They were mostly a stop gap due to the lack of supply of medical grade.

[Guest ldtr]

5 hours ago, TVlife said:

Kirk, was your land tour supposed to go to Copper River Princess Lodge?  I see that they are closing that lodge for the rest of the summer, starting June 17.  I’m booked for a tour, early August, that includes Copper. I’m now wondering if we will be canceled. 
https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/copper-river-lodge/

Article in the Anchorage paper yesterday about Princess closing Copper River due to a lack of workers.

 

While a nice lodge it is probably the least visited of the Princess Lodges.

[denmor428]

We are on the last day of the triple Denali trip that started with the 7 day cruise out of Vancouver May 22. The cruise was wonderful and it has been downhill since we got off the ship. The HAL hotels are understaffed and the food ranges from ok to awful.We have been served a salad   greens turning yellow, old, dry meat and cold rubbery eggs. Excursions on and off the ship have been cancelled incl one of the "included" excursions.Whoever designed this itinerary never worked it. We had too much dead time, too much time in one place, not enough in another, etc..  I feel totally ripped off.  HAL took my money and failed to deliver the promised vacation experience. If your trip was cancelled, count yourself lucky. You dodged a bullet.

[Mary229]

5 hours ago, denmor428 said:

eggs. Excursions on and off the ship have been cancelled incl one of the "included" excursions.Whoever designed this itinerary never worked it. We had too much dead time, too much

I am sorry you had a bad experience.  We are still within the window to cancel for a FCC and I am torn between waiting for an offer and cancelling until next year.  Which of your tours were canceled? When you say dead time was this time designated as time they were supposed to do something.  I am doing Yukon with 2 days Denali, I thought 2 days was enough for me though the DH was spoiling for 3. It sounds like you think the triple Denali is not the way to go, is that right?   I look forward to your comments and any advice you have.

[KirkNC]

21 hours ago, TVlife said:

Kirk, was your land tour supposed to go to Copper River Princess Lodge?  I see that they are closing that lodge for the rest of the summer, starting June 17.  I’m booked for a tour, early August, that includes Copper. I’m now wondering if we will be canceled. 
https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/copper-river-lodge/

No, that was not on the itinerary.

[TheLizardHouse]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

I am sorry you had a bad experience.  We are still within the window to cancel for a FCC and I am torn between waiting for an offer and cancelling until next year.  Which of your tours were canceled? When you say dead time was this time designated as time they were supposed to do something.  I am doing Yukon with 2 days Denali, I thought 2 days was enough for me though the DH was spoiling for 3. It sounds like you think the triple Denali is not the way to go, is that right?   I look forward to your comments and any advice you have.

Following this closely, as we are in the same position. I don’t want to cancel the land portion of our D3C double Denali, leaving from Vancouver next Month. This trip was about using FCC, not accumulating more!  Looks like packing snacks is a good idea, also maybe the excursions from Denali that include dining. At least we know to have suitably low expectations.
 

@denmor428 thanks for the heads up, and yes, it would be great to know what excursions were cancelled, and why.

[Mary229]

27 minutes ago, TheLizardHouse said:

Following this closely, as we are in the same position. I don’t want to cancel the land portion of our D3C double Denali, leaving from Vancouver next Month. This trip was about using FCC, not accumulating more!  Looks like packing snacks is a good idea, also maybe the excursions from Denali that include dining. At least we know to have suitably low expectations.
 

@denmor428 thanks for the heads up, and yes, it would be great to know what excursions were cancelled, and why.

I alway pack snacks and coffee! Ditto on the foodie shore excursions, free excursion, free food    The only thing holding me back from cancelling are the high air prices I will incur in the future.  I locked in some pretty low rates and would expect to pay almost 3x more next year.