HAL is surveying itineraries for future world cruises

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

19 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

I received and completed the survey.  Agree with cruisemom42, I would like to see Japan/China included.

2024 goes to Japan and China.

[sandiego1]

On 1/20/2024 at 10:34 PM, cruzingnut said:

 

That would be a great idea since they've discontinued the other Grands!

 

Linda R.

What do you mean they discontinued the other Grands? HAL had 2 Grand Africa cruises in back to back years and the Grand South America was recently completed. 
 

Friends are on the Grand Australia/New Zealand right now.
 

There’s a rumor there will be a Grand Asia in Sep/Oct 2026. We put a deposit on it as a future cruise request.

 

i think the only one that is missing is the Grand Med. But I believe HAL has only done that one a few times over the year (not sure how frequently or total # of times it’s been offered).

[Hygge!]

6 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

What do you mean they discontinued the other Grands? HAL had 2 Grand Africa cruises in back to back years and the Grand South America was recently completed. 
 

Friends are on the Grand Australia/New Zealand right now.
 

There’s a rumor there will be a Grand Asia in Sep/Oct 2026. We put a deposit on it as a future cruise request.

 

i think the only one that is missing is the Grand Med. But I believe HAL has only done that one a few times over the year (not sure how frequently or total # of times it’s been offered).

Is there any plans to do another Grand SA or Grand Australia?? Those are now on our bucket lists!

[sandiego1]

Just now, Hygge! said:

Is there any plans to do another Grand SA or Grand Australia?? Those are now on our bucket lists!

Don’t know as they don’t release the schedule more than 1-2 years out.
 

The Pole to Pole cruise in 2025 is like a Grand SA as it circumnavigates SA and goes down the Amazon. It also heads down to Antarctica.

 

You may be able to buy a few segments instead of the entire cruise (which includes a few stops in Northern Africa, Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and Boston).

[Hygge!]

2 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

Don’t know as they don’t release the schedule more than 1-2 years out.
 

The Pole to Pole cruise in 2025 is like a Grand SA as it circumnavigates SA and goes down the Amazon. It also heads down to Antarctica.

 

You may be able to buy a few segments instead of the entire cruise (which includes a few stops in Northern Africa, Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and Boston).

I didn’t think they were doing segments on the pole to pole? At least that’s how they advertised it when they released it on the world 2023. 

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, cruzingnut said:

 

I've been noticing how they have been extending the season on the Med!  I don't think that would be great weather wise.  Not sure I'd want to be there either at that time of year.  October possibly but I think November is stretching it a bit.

 

Linda R.

 

You can have nasty weather in the Meddy at any time, but it can also be pleasant year round. I sailed in the Meddy Jan - March inclusive, 2-years in a row, and most of the time the weather was brilliant. If anything, the temperature was much better than the temps we have experienced in the summer months.

[cruzingnut]

14 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

What do you mean they discontinued the other Grands? HAL had 2 Grand Africa cruises in back to back years and the Grand South America was recently completed. 
 

Friends are on the Grand Australia/New Zealand right now.
 

There’s a rumor there will be a Grand Asia in Sep/Oct 2026. We put a deposit on it as a future cruise request.

 

i think the only one that is missing is the Grand Med. But I believe HAL has only done that one a few times over the year (not sure how frequently or total # of times it’s been offered).

 

I guess I should have specified which Grands I meant.  For years they used to have the Grand Asia (or some combination thereof) and the Grand Med.  They stopped those and have added in the Grand Africa and now the Grand Au/NZ.  So yes, they haven't really discontinued the Grands; they've just mixed them up.  If they do have a Grand Asia in 2026, we would be VERY interested!

 

Linda R.

[sandiego1]

17 minutes ago, Hygge! said:

I didn’t think they were doing segments on the pole to pole? At least that’s how they advertised it when they released it on the world 2023. 

Right - they didn’t announce segments while we were on the 23 WC. But there are still many cabins available. I bet they will release segments as the date gets closer. Many of the regular WC-ers said they did want to do the P2P for a variety of reasons. Too cold, too many tender ports, like the current staff/mgmt team on the typical WC… Since both the WC and P2P leave in Jan for similar long durations, I think more people will go on the WC and HAL will have to sell segments to fill the ship.

[sandiego1]

22 minutes ago, cruzingnut said:

 

I guess I should have specified which Grands I meant.  For years they used to have the Grand Asia (or some combination thereof) and the Grand Med.  They stopped those and have added in the Grand Africa and now the Grand Au/NZ.  So yes, they haven't really discontinued the Grands; they've just mixed them up.  If they do have a Grand Asia in 2026, we would be VERY interested!

 

Linda R.

Call the WC desk and you can put a $100pp deposit on the potential Grand Asia. We did it. 

[montythecat]

When you look at the itineraries HAL put forward for comments

it seems to me that the absence of Japan is perhaps logical.

It is a bit out of the way. Kind of not on the way to anywhere else.

Pity, because it is a wonderful country. As for China I think it is a

destination which is, for various reasons, perhaps not particularly 

popular.

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, montythecat said:

When you look at the itineraries HAL put forward for comments

it seems to me that the absence of Japan is perhaps logical.

It is a bit out of the way. Kind of not on the way to anywhere else.

Pity, because it is a wonderful country. As for China I think it is a

destination which is, for various reasons, perhaps not particularly 

popular.

 

It's not really out of the way if you planned a westward itinerary that headed north after doing Australia/New Zealand and visited some SE Asia ports along the way. Including South Korea, Taiwan and China would make the upward dip worthwhile....especially if they continued on (as someone suggested earlier) and visited more of India. That would certainly be a draw for me.

 

After all, Sydney is about 3765 miles south of the equator. Tokyo/Osaka is only 2397 miles north of it.

 

 

[mwj]

11 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

Right - they didn’t announce segments while we were on the 23 WC. But there are still many cabins available. I bet they will release segments as the date gets closer. Many of the regular WC-ers said they did want to do the P2P for a variety of reasons. Too cold, too many tender ports, like the current staff/mgmt team on the typical WC… Since both the WC and P2P leave in Jan for similar long durations, I think more people will go on the WC and HAL will have to sell segments to fill the ship.

 

There are some travel agencies that already show segments for the P2P. The segments are Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires (47 days), Buenos Aires to Barcelona (42 days), and Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale (44 days). The segments are NOT bookable, and they do exist.

 

In talking to an FCC recently, they expected P2P segments to open at a later date. They also said that the Grand Asia was the most requested FCD.

[cruisemom42]

11 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

Call the WC desk and you can put a $100pp deposit on the potential Grand Asia. We did it. 

 

Is there info about this Grand Asia somewhere?

[Tampa Girl]

11 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

Right - they didn’t announce segments while we were on the 23 WC. But there are still many cabins available. I bet they will release segments as the date gets closer. Many of the regular WC-ers said they did want to do the P2P for a variety of reasons. Too cold, too many tender ports, like the current staff/mgmt team on the typical WC… Since both the WC and P2P leave in Jan for similar long durations, I think more people will go on the WC and HAL will have to sell segments to fill the ship.

 

I think that HAL's policy is to first sell the full itinerary and just accept guarantees until a certain time has passed.  Segments have always been sold, but not during the initial announcement.

[Tampa Girl]

15 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Is there info about this Grand Asia somewhere?

We are also very interested in a possible Grand Asia.  We loved the 2018 sailing.

[Sir PMP]

11 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

We are also very interested in a possible Grand Asia.  We loved the 2018 sailing.

That was on the Amsterdam.

[mwj]

Here is a small picture of the 2018 Grand Asia

 

[whogo]

When you see how often 'hot and humid' complaints come up in world cruise blogs, a Japan and China route is tempting.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

32 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I think that HAL's policy is to first sell the full itinerary and just accept guarantees until a certain time has passed.  Segments have always been sold, but not during the initial announcement.

If 2024 World Cruise continues to be so unbelievably great. I would not be surprised if there were no Segments on the 2026. Holland is giving their AAA World Cruise.

[Tampa Girl]

13 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

If 2024 World Cruise continues to be so unbelievably great. I would not be surprised if there were no Segments on the 2026. Holland is giving their AAA World Cruise.

 

 

It will undoubtedly depend on how full the WC will be.  There are usually several empty spaces.  How many are there on the present WC?  

[mwj]

BTW, if you must do a Grand Asia/Pacific in 2026, Seabourn has an offering ...

 

[DCThunder]

3 minutes ago, mwj said:

BTW, if you must do a Grand Asia/Pacific in 2026, Seabourn has an offering ...

 

I'd have to win the PowerBall to pay the fare for that Seabourn cruise.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

2 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

 

It will undoubtedly depend on how full the WC will be.  There are usually several empty spaces.  How many are there on the present WC?  

1200 are on the 2024 W.C.

I think because of 2 reasons.

Volendam leaving from the West coast.

Performance of the 2023 W.C.

[Tampa Girl]

25 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

1200 are on the 2024 W.C.

I think because of 2 reasons.

Volendam leaving from the West coast.

Performance of the 2023 W.C.

 

I think you are correct.  I thought at the time, that the many, many complaints from the '23 WC'ers was a little shortsighted, given that there had been no full WC since '21 (do  I have the years correct?), and a large portion of the '23 WC were utilizing OBC's or were being comped from the aborted '21 cruise.  By the time of the '23 WC, HAL's coffer was greatly reduced, and the several cost-cutting measures were both predictable and probably necessary.  At least that is IMHO, for what it is worth, as a total outsider.  

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

3 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I think you are correct.  I thought at the time, that the many, many complaints from the '23 WC'ers was a little shortsighted, given that there had been no full WC since '21 (do  I have the years correct?), and a large portion of the '23 WC were utilizing OBC's or were being comped from the aborted '21 cruise.  By the time of the '23 WC, HAL's coffer was greatly reduced, and the several cost-cutting measures were both predictable and probably necessary.  At least that is IMHO, for what it is worth, as a total outsider.  

And on 2025  W.C. they are competing with the Grand Pole to Pole.