canceled Alaska cruises

[ewildcat7]

My family and I are scheduled for the 17 July Triple Denali on the Nieuw Amsterdam and we are trying to anticipate if we will get the cancelation notice from HAL.  My wife is monitoring a different cruise board and, between the two of us, we are very surprised at how few people are posting about cancelations.  Does that mean that it is not happening to very many people?  I know these message boards are only as good as the people who choose to write on them, so it is hard to figure out how widespread these cancelations are or which cruises/packages are the ones being affected.  Has anybody been able to figure out the pattern?

[BettyJJ]

@ewildcat7I've been thinking the same thing.  We are scheduled for the Double Denali on July 17th and am planning on it being cancelled, based on other posters.  I keep checking HAL's website, and although our tour was still listed for a while, it now shows unavailable.  Still no official word for us yet, but it sounds like others received it at two weeks out.  I guess this is a "expect the worst, hope for the best" scenario.  Hope you still get to go!

[steve4031]

Are cruises being canceled or are the land packaging cancelled?

[Mary229]

15 minutes ago, steve4031 said:

Are cruises being canceled or are the land packaging cancelled?

It seems it is only land and sea tours due to staffing shortages at the lodges 

[steve4031]

That's really hard on the affected passengers.  So they don't even get a cruise. 

[Mary229]

5 minutes ago, steve4031 said:

That's really hard on the affected passengers.  So they don't even get a cruise. 

The cancellation offer is pretty generous making it more palatable, the hardship is in the lateness of notification.   People are receiving notice from 10 - 14 days.    That is just too short a window to rearrange other plans 

[ewildcat7]

Our travel agent just emailed that she got an offer to upgrade us to a suite for what seems like a very reasonable extra charge.  Does that mean that we are NOT on the chopping block to have our cruisetour canceled?

[indychillin]

I contacted the HAL Shore Excursion number  Monday the 20th about an excursion for our upcoming June 29th 19 day sea/land/sea HAL trip and expressed to her the frustration of wondering if our trip would be cancelled at the last minute?  She said there was a list of cancelled land/sea tours  and put me on hold,  looked up ours and said it was not cancelled.  She said staffing was the issue that caused them to cancel so many.  So maybe call in and ask about your trip?

[Boatdrill]

9 hours ago, Mary229 said:

It seems it is only land and sea tours due to staffing shortages at the lodges 

Maybe the title of this thread should be changed.

Edited June 23, 2022 by Boatdrill

[Mary229]

6 hours ago, indychillin said:

minute?  She said there was a list of cancelled land/sea tours  and put me on hold,  looked up ours and said it was not cancelled.  She sai

If it is so easy why aren’t they informing guests.   It is not rocket science. 

[Sebbiesgrammy]

56 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

If it is so easy why aren’t they informing guests.   It is not rocket science. 

 

56 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

If it is so easy why aren’t they informing guests.   It is not rocket science. 

Notice of cancellation isn't going direct to passenger if you used a third party to make your original reservation.  Notice will go to your agent only.  This was confirmed yesterday when I tried to get a cancel advisory direct from HAL to invoke my trip insurance so I could change it to a new, different trip during the same time. Insurance requires a formal notice of cancellation.  My TA ended up fixing it for me since HAL website still shows my cancelled trip as active and leaving in 6 days.

[Mary229]

29 minutes ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

 

Notice of cancellation isn't going direct to passenger if you used a third party to make your original reservation.  Notice will go to your agent only.  This was confirmed yesterday when I tried to get a cancel advisory direct from HAL to invoke my trip insurance so I could change it to a new, different trip during the same time. Insurance requires a formal notice of cancellation.  My TA ended up fixing it for me since HAL website still shows my cancelled trip as active and leaving in 6 days.

My TA has heard nothing.  Every time I view my itinerary and my ship there is another week “unavailable “.  It is almost midway through the season, I think HAL needs to finalize plans.  They simply are not going to get more people to work at remote resorts this season 

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

My TA has heard nothing.  Every time I view my itinerary and my ship there is another week “unavailable “.  It is almost midway through the season, I think HAL needs to finalize plans.  They simply are not going to get more people to work at remote resorts this season 

I agree - by now they should know the situation for the rest of the season - these seasonal workers are not just going to show up for a couple of weeks work!  Plus, in the past during Sept. sailings we have noticed staff shortages in the ports and were told that it was due to college students returning home in late August.

[tundra1]

I called the shore excursions number a week ago.  The very helpful HAL agent was able to confirm that our land tour was going to be held as scheduled, and could even give me the departure time of our Tundra Wilderness tour, the time the train was going to leave Anchorage, and the time the bus was going to leave Denali for Fairbanks.  She did not have the times listed for the flights from Fairbanks to Dawson City or Dawson City to Whitehorse.  She did confirm that we will fly from Dawson City to Whitehorse, take a bus to Skagway, and then take the round trip to the Summit excursion on the White Pass and Yukon Train prior to boarding our ship.  I had to wait about an hour to get through to someone, but it has given me a sense of security somewhat that the trip will actually happen!  

[Mary229]

4 hours ago, tundra1 said:

I called the shore excursions number a week ago.  The very helpful HAL agent was able to confirm that our land tour was going to be held as scheduled, and could even give me the departure time of our Tundra Wilderness tour, the time the train was going to leave Anchorage, and the time the bus was going to leave Denali for Fairbanks.  She did not have the times listed for the flights from Fairbanks to Dawson City or Dawson City to Whitehorse.  She did confirm that we will fly from Dawson City to Whitehorse, take a bus to Skagway, and then take the round trip to the Summit excursion on the White Pass and Yukon Train prior to boarding our ship.  I had to wait about an hour to get through to someone, but it has given me a sense of security somewhat that the trip will actually happen!  

When are you going?

[ewildcat7]

10 hours ago, tundra1 said:

I called the shore excursions number a week ago.  The very helpful HAL agent was able to confirm that our land tour was going to be held as scheduled

 

I called HAL yesterday to take advantage of the upgrade offer that they sent me and, while I had a representative on the phone, asked if she was able to tell me if my cruisetour was potentially on the list to be canceled.  She said that, as of now, it is good to go.  I asked if she know how they were deciding which ones to cancel.  She said she didn't know definitely, but it seemed like it was the packages that involve Yukon as she was hearing that is where the staff shortages are.  🤷‍♂️

[Btimmer]

We're leaving Monday, 6/27 for a triple Denali starting 6/28, and I confirmed with my TA earlier this week that all is still a go.  So, we're ready to head on out early Monday morning.

[54Carol]

We are booked on the 2-Day Denali/Cruise at the end of August.   When I look up that cruise, it now says all cabin categories are "unavailable".  Am I understanding from what is being said above that that means the trip will be cancelled?  Or does that mean that they have booked all available rooms?

[Mary229]

25 minutes ago, 54Carol said:

We are booked on the 2-Day Denali/Cruise at the end of August.   When I look up that cruise, it now says all cabin categories are "unavailable".  Am I understanding from what is being said above that that means the trip will be cancelled?  Or does that mean that they have booked all available rooms?

No one knows.   It could be either.  

[ewildcat7]

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

30 minutes ago, 54Carol said:

Am I understanding from what is being said above that that means the trip will be cancelled?  Or does that mean that they have booked all available rooms?

No one knows.   It could be either.  

 

When I had a HAL rep on the phone a few days ago I asked if they are booking ships at a reduced capacity and she said yes.  She did not say what percentage.  So it could be that they simply are not selling any more rooms and may cancel if they are booked over whatever their target number is.  

 

For what it is worth, my travel agent told me a few weeks ago when all of the cancelations started that she was told directly by HAL and Princess that they have committed to fixing the staffing issues by 1 July.

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, ewildcat7 said:

HAL and Princess that they have committed to fixing the staffing issues by 1 July.

That is very good news.  Perhaps we will hear something soon 

[ewildcat7]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

3 minutes ago, ewildcat7 said:

HAL and Princess that they have committed to fixing the staffing issues by 1 July.

That is very good news.  Perhaps we will hear something soon 

 

It is potentially good news.  There isn't much they can do if they can't find additional staff.  But it is good news that they are trying.  

[Mary229]

Just now, ewildcat7 said:

 

It is potentially good news.  There isn't much they can do if they can't find additional staff.  But it is good news that they are trying.  

For me it is good, I just want certainty.  I need to set up new plans by July 15.  I am happy to take the consolation package if only I have advanced notice. 

[tundra1]

On 6/24/2022 at 4:37 AM, Mary229 said:

When are you going?

August 24th - September 3.  The land / sea tour is Y6L.  Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks, to Dawson City, to the ship in Skagway.  It is a 10 night tour.  We are arriving 2 days early and spending that time down in Seward staying in an Airbnb and getting around in a Turo car-share SUV on our own.

[54Carol]

I just went back in and now it says "Sold Out" instead of "Unavailable".  That makes me feel a little better.