Received a call from HAL about Hawaii 2010 [Archive]

EbayCruiser

September 15th, 2009, 07:30 PM

When I got home today from work, I had a message from HAL saying that our Hawaii 2010 cruise was being changed from a 16 day to 15 day out of Vancouver to San Diego. :)

We like this even better because I was worried about being away from mine and DH work for the 16 days.

They have changed the cruise to leaving on Sat. 10/02/2010 instead of Fri. 10/01/2010. They lowered our rate $100. per person and gave us an onboard credit of $25.

They had to cancel our original booking and give us a new booking number and I had to call them to confirm that we had accepted the change.

The web site is still showing it as a 16 day cruise and when I asked about this, they said they had to notify booked passengers and get new booking numbers for this before they could reopen the 15 day cruise.

Just thought I would let you guys know in case you were interested in the 15 day that does include KONA!!

We're happy!!

atimetraveler

September 15th, 2009, 09:43 PM

Hmmm for those in So Cal a good deal with the saving of air fare unless they have already purchased nonrefundable airline tickets. But I question the price..what did you pay for the cruise...divide that by 16 days and that would be your daily cost...so is your daily cost over $125...in short are you getting a true pro rata reduction in fare for the loss of the day?

lka1012

September 15th, 2009, 09:45 PM

Thank you for this infor since I have been thinking about this voyage. But are they cutting out one of the Hawaii days? Kona?

atimetraveler

September 15th, 2009, 10:05 PM

I would ASSUME with the departure port changed from Vancouver to San Diego they are cutting out a sea day

EbayCruiser

September 16th, 2009, 06:45 AM

The cruise still leaves from Vancouver.

Sat. 10/02 Sail from Vancouver - Departs at 3:00 pm (was 5:00 pm)
Sun. 10/03 Sea Day
Mon. 10/04 Sea Day
Tue. 10/05 Sea Day
Wed. 10/06 Sea Day
Thu. 10/07 Hilo
Fri. 10/08 Lahaina
Sat. 10/09 Honolulu
Sun. 10/10 Nawiliwili Kauai
Mon. 10/11 Kona
Tue. 10/12 Sea Day
Wed. 10/13 Sea Day
Thu. 10/14 Sea Day
Fri. 10/15 Sea Day
Sat. 10/16 Sea Day
Sun. San Diego

They cut out one of the Sea Days going to Hawaii.

EbayCruiser

September 17th, 2009, 07:13 AM

The new itinerary has now been posted on HAL's webite. :)

jmm

September 17th, 2009, 08:19 AM

Nobody would have had air - air can only be booked 330 days prior...

Hmmm for those in So Cal a good deal with the saving of air fare unless they have already purchased nonrefundable airline tickets. But I question the price..what did you pay for the cruise...divide that by 16 days and that would be your daily cost...so is your daily cost over $125...in short are you getting a true pro rata reduction in fare for the loss of the day?

leoandhugh

September 17th, 2009, 12:53 PM

Although it may suit the schedule of the OP to not be away from work one extra day, it seems to me that a reduction in fare of only $100 plus OBC of $25 amounts to a sizable increase in the daily fare. Even assume booking the cheapest inside cabin and dividing the fare by 16 to get the daily fare, it would certainly be more per day than $125:(

lka1012

September 17th, 2009, 01:10 PM

As I said earlier, I would REALLY like to take this cruise, but with my life now, can't plan that far ahead.

Not only does this new cruise leave a day later, it now leaves at 3 pm instead of 5 pm.

Originally I planned to fly to Seattle and Amtrak to Vancouver the morning of the cruise. The time change kinda makes this cutting it a little to close. And for me to fly to Vancouver, it costs more, as well as, a more complicated flight plan.

That being said, I checked the schedule for the Zandam for the cruise before this one. Evidently, they changed the one ahead of this one to end a day earlier in Seattle and there is now a one day coastal cruise from Seattle to Vancouver.

I check the price of the coastal. It is actually cheaper for me to fly to Seattle, then embark in Seattle and sail to Vancouver. Plus will be a lot less trouble getting to Vancouver.

So check out adding the one-day coastal to the Hawaii cruise. If I am able to take a cruise next year, this is what I plan on dong.

Twickenham

September 17th, 2009, 02:51 PM

I check the price of the coastal. It is actually cheaper for me to fly to Seattle, then embark in Seattle and sail to Vancouver. Plus will be a lot less trouble getting to Vancouver.

So check out adding the one-day coastal to the Hawaii cruise. If I am able to take a cruise next year, this is what I plan on dong.

You can't. The combined cruise would be a one-way Seattle-San Diego cruise, thus in violation of the PVSA.

RuthC

September 17th, 2009, 03:00 PM

That being said, I checked the schedule for the Zandam for the cruise before this one. Evidently, they changed the one ahead of this one to end a day earlier in Seattle and there is now a one day coastal cruise from Seattle to Vancouver.

I check the price of the coastal. It is actually cheaper for me to fly to Seattle, then embark in Seattle and sail to Vancouver. Plus will be a lot less trouble getting to Vancouver.

So check out adding the one-day coastal to the Hawaii cruise. If I am able to take a cruise next year, this is what I plan on dong.
Am I reading this itinerary right? You want to board in Seattle, then the ship goes to Vancouver, to Hawaii, then ends in San Diego?
If that's the route you are thinking about, it would be in violation of the PVSA. That cruise has to start in Vancouver to be in compliance.

lka1012

September 17th, 2009, 04:26 PM

Trip one starts in Seattle and is a one day trip to Vancouver. End trip one.
Trip two goes from Vanouver to Hawaii, then to San Diego.

Two separate trips, but you can go on both.

K&RCurt

September 17th, 2009, 04:35 PM

Trip one starts in Seattle and is a one day trip to Vancouver. End trip one.
Trip two goes from Vanouver to Hawaii, then to San Diego.

Two separate trips, but you can go on both.

I don't think that is how the government sees it. They look at the total trip from when you first get on to when you last get off the ship. Doing the one day "Back to Back" with the 15 day makes it a 16 day journy starting in one US port and ending in another, thus creating a violation.

I would call Hal and ask before getting your heart set on this plan.

sail7seas

September 17th, 2009, 05:05 PM

I agree.... don't thinik you can do that as b-to-b.

Let us know if HAL says differently.

Thanks.

Twickenham

September 17th, 2009, 05:14 PM

Trip one starts in Seattle and is a one day trip to Vancouver. End trip one.
Trip two goes from Vanouver to Hawaii, then to San Diego.

Two separate trips, but you can go on both.

http://www.mctf.com/pvsa.shtml

"No foreign vessel shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port, under a penalty of $300 for each passenger so transported and landed."

There's a reason HAL is selling this as 2 separate cruises. Indeed, it's the reason for the whole Hawaii cruise in the first place. In fact, there's a thread on the NCL board right now started by someone who booked BTB cruises that made it a Seattle-LA cruise, and when NCL finally clued in, they made them cancel one of the cruises.

However, if you found another ship doing a 1-day on the same day as the 1-day Seattle-Vancouver, you could take that cruise, as it would be on a different ship.

RuthC

September 17th, 2009, 05:55 PM

Two separate trips, but you can go on both.
No, you can't. Not legally, that is. That's the point; K&RCurt, sail7seas, and, Twickenham are all saying that.

If you board a ship in Seattle, then sail to Vancouver, Hawaii, and disembark in San Diego, it's a violation of the PVSA. If you were to board in Vancouver, sail from Seattle on a different ship and switch ships in Vancouver, or stay overnight on land in Vancouver, you could do as you planned.

lka1012

September 17th, 2009, 06:49 PM

I just went and searched the HAL forum for Jones Act and Passenger Vessel Services Act. You guys are right. I thought that since it was two separate cruises, I could do it. But I can't! All I have to say now is .. (well I can't post what I want to say.)

If I can take this cruise, I am back to getting to Vancouver. May look at HAL transfers, or fly into YVR. And when I researched this I found many one-nighters have many loud, rowdy folks. So this may work out for the best.

Thanks for alerting to me a potential disaster before it even left the, "gee this would be nice phase" and into the actual planning, booking etc phase.

Once again CC and poster rock!

Willsot

September 17th, 2009, 08:28 PM

RuthC

September 17th, 2009, 09:31 PM

DW and I are very interested in this cruise. Seems like a reasonable price. I wonder how the weather/seas are when sailing in October.
I've sailed the Vancouver to San Diego coastal followed by the San Diego-Hawaii cruise, and the round-trip from San Diego, each in October. Both cruises were smooth, and storm-free. The first day out of, and last day back to, San Diego can be cool, but the rest were warm to hot.
YMMV.

jimmy2x

September 18th, 2009, 11:02 AM

My wife and I are also interested in this cruise. We would be flying from Philly. Have those of you who have done this type of trip found the airfare to me much higher because of flying into one place and returning from another?

gummi

September 18th, 2009, 01:37 PM

jimmy, I am a frequent visitor to Vancouver and my girlfriend and I took this cruise (in reverse) this April/May. Live in Bucks County as well.

1-way airfare from Philly to YVR runs $350 about now on Air Canada, routed through Toronto, though current fares are exceedingly high. With notice I can go roundtrip for $400. Return from San Diego on Southwest or major airline is just over $100.

Not sure Holland America's fare structure, but no doubt it would be substantially more.

If you go, both cities are worth extra time.

jimmy2x

September 18th, 2009, 01:53 PM

gummi

September 18th, 2009, 02:04 PM

Also, look in to expedia's cruise ship center for a great fare.

We waited until February to book our cruise (16 nights) and went for about $1000/pp plus a $25 credit/pp. Then again, we didn't need airfare for Vancouver, so that would be the only worry of waiting to book for you.

At least email them for a quote.

NMLady

September 21st, 2009, 02:33 PM

I've sailed the Vancouver to San Diego coastal followed by the San Diego-Hawaii cruise, and the round-trip from San Diego, each in October. Both cruises were smooth, and storm-free. The first day out of, and last day back to, San Diego can be cool, but the rest were warm to hot.
YMMV.

We did the San Diego roundtrip to Hawaii cruise on Zaandam one October.
The weather over to Hawaii was great as were our 2 days in Honolulu.
But it rained all day in Lahaina.
[forget Kona. There was an earthquake and we had to leave port a few hours after arriving]
Hilo weather was sunny.
But all the sea days on the return were overcast.
We skipped Ensenada because the fog was too thick for the ship to go
into port [I think the pilot ship brought out the paperwork necessary for the international legalism for casino]

Even so, it was a WONDERFUL cruise!

Iris5383

September 21st, 2009, 03:30 PM

[quote=Twickenham;21286749]http://www.mctf.com/pvsa.shtml

"No foreign vessel shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port, under a penalty of $300 for each passenger so transported and landed." . . . /quote]

I understand the above, but how is this different than leaving CA, going through the Panama Canal, and disembarking in FL? I would check with a TA or HAL in this case to make absolutely sure it's not legal.
Laura

CRUZBUDS

September 21st, 2009, 03:44 PM

CA to FL visits a "distant" foreign port. Mexico and Canada don't count.

All panama canal cruises will visit South America (or the ABC islands - Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao).

Of course, I mean one-way full transit crusies

GLASSCRAFTER

September 21st, 2009, 04:30 PM

We took the 15 day rt from San Diego in April, it was an excellent package.

Thet make a 4 hour stop in Ensanada Mx to meet the foreign port requirement.

They did stop in Kona.

I do not rec the laua in Honalulu, the one in Maui is much better.

We rented a car in each port and did our own thing, go on line and loofor Hawaii discount car rentals, about $30/day

Ron

RuthC

September 21st, 2009, 04:31 PM

We did the San Diego roundtrip to Hawaii cruise on Zaandam one October.
The weather over to Hawaii was great as were our 2 days in Honolulu.
But it rained all day in Lahaina.
[forget Kona. There was an earthquake and we had to leave port a few hours after arriving]
Hilo weather was sunny.
But all the sea days on the return were overcast.
We skipped Ensenada because the fog was too thick for the ship to go
into port [I think the pilot ship brought out the paperwork necessary for the international legalism for casino]

Even so, it was a WONDERFUL cruise!
You must have been on my last Hawaii cruise---The Voyage of the Spammed. That earthquake was a shock! :eek:
The cruise back may have been cloudy, but it was still quite warm, imo, anyway.