Holland America Line extends cruise cancellations until December

Posted on 18 August, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

ms Nieuw Statendam, Holland America Line, cruise, cruising, offer, promotion

Holland America Line has become the latest cruise line to extend its pause of cruise operations, cancelling departures on all ships in its fleet until 15 December 2020.

The extended pause affects the Caribbean, Mexico, Panama Canal, Pacific Coastal, South America, Antarctica, Hawaii, South Pacific, Australia and Asia itineraries.

The line said the pause was due to “the continuation of travel and port restrictions due to global health concerns”.

Those guests with impacted cruises automatically will be cancelled, and no action is needed for guests opting for the future cruise credit (FCC).

Guests who paid in full will receive 125 per cent FCC of the base cruise fare, while those with bookings not paid in full will receive an FCC of double the amount of the deposit paid for the cruise. The minimum FCC is $100 and the maximum will be an amount up to the base cruise fare paid.

The FCC is valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be used to book sailings departing through 31 December 2022. All other funds paid to Holland America Line may be transferred to a new booking or will automatically be refunded via the method of payment used to purchase the services.

Guests who prefer a 100 per cent refund can visit the cruise line’s Cancellation Preferences form to indicate this preference no later than 15 September 2020.

Holland America Line has said that it will protect travel advisor commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full and for the total amount of the FCC when rebooked.

Holland America Line previously paused global cruise operations and cancelled all Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England cruises for 2020; additional departures from the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 2020; and select Hawaii itineraries for early 2021.

This week, both P&O Cruises and Seabourn announced that they too would be extending their cruise cancellations due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

Holland America and Seabourn extend cruise cancellations

Posted on 12 August, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Holland America Line | Bolsover Cruise Club

Holland America Line and Seabourn are the latest cruise lines to cancel sailings.

Holland America said it would pause its sailings on departures through Dec. 15, joining sister brand Princess Cruises. Holland America had already cancelled select sailings in Hawaii in early 2021.

Seabourn had announced a stop in its operations through Nov. 20, but now it said that the Seabourn Encore will be paused through Nov. 25, the Seabourn Ovation through Dec. 20 and the Seabourn Sojurn through May 24, which includes its world cruise.

The CDC’s latest No Sail Order expires at the end of September, but CLIA lines have agreed to voluntarily pause operations in the U.S. until at least Oct. 31. Some, like Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ brands and Crystal Cruises, have already extended their cancellations.

Holland America bestows Rotterdam name on its upcoming ship

Posted on 2 August, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

A rendering of the Rotterdam VII, the latest in Holland America Line’s Pinnacle-class. Photo Credit: Holland America Line

Holland America Line will change the name of it next newbuild from the Ryndam to the Rotterdam, making it the seventh ship in Holland America’s nearly 150-year history to bear the name.

The 2,668-passenger Rotterdam is scheduled for delivery on July 30, pushed back from its original May 2021 delivery due to the pandemic. The third ship in the Pinnacle-class series, it is scheduled to spend its first summer on Northern Europe and the Baltic cruises from Amsterdam.

The Rotterdam name holds a lot of significance for the line.

“The first ship for Holland America Line was the original Rotterdam, the company was headquartered in the city of Rotterdam for many years, and the name has been a hallmark throughout our history since 1872, so clearly the name is powerful and symbolic,” Gus Antorcha, Holland America’s president, said in a statement.

“With the current Rotterdam leaving the company, we knew we had a unique opportunity to embrace the name as our new flagship and carry on the tradition of having a Rotterdam in our fleet,” he added. “Seven is a lucky number, and we know she’s going to bring a lot of joy to our guests as she travels across the globe.”

Holland America said that the first Rotterdam sailed its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York Oct. 15, 1872, and led to the founding of the company in April 1873. The Rotterdam II was built in 1878 for British Ship Owners Co. and purchased by Holland America Line in 1886. The Rotterdam III came in 1897, and the fourth Rotterdam joined the fleet in 1908, also serving as a troop carrier when World War I ended. Following the war, it made regular cruises from New York to the Mediterranean.

The Rotterdam V, which was the line’s flagship for many years. It left the fleet in 1997.

The Rotterdam V, also known as “The Grande Dame,” set sail in 1959 and began sailing transatlantic crossings with two classes of service. It converted to a one-class ship in 1969 and sailed with Holland America for 38 years until 1997. It is currently a hotel and museum in the city of Rotterdam.

The Rotterdam VI, the most recent to cruise for Holland America Line, was introduced in 1997 and was the first ship in the line’s R Class. It was purchased this summer by U.K.-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Line which will rename it the Borealis. The vessel was among four ships sold off from the Holland America fleet, leaving the line with 10 ships, part of a broader plan by parent company Carnival Corp. to reduce tonnage during the pandemic.

The next Rotterdam will have the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi’s Sel de Mer and Grand Dutch Cafe and will feature performances each night from its Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard.