Zaandam Itinerary change

[Cruisechik]

FYI for those of you booked on the 3/19 sailing, I just received the following message from my TA pertaining to the 3/19 Zaandam cruise. Does anyone know why they reduced the time in port? What kind of compensation can I expect? (just kidding on the compensation :) )




We have been asked by Holland America to contact you. They have made a very slight itinerary change to your cruise. On Tuesday, instead of visiting Road Town, Tortola, BVI from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, you will be there from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. All other ports/times are the same as before.

Thank you for your attention to this notice.

[michmike]

I'm going to be in the hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery on 3/19. Anyone perturbed enough by this itinerary change to want to trade places?

Enjoy and down one of those Pusser's Pain Killers for me.

[JaniceB]

I would like to know why they shortened the stay in port, but I assume we will never know. I am sure it isn't because we need the extra time to get to St. Thomas.

Michmike,
Good luck with your surgery.

Cruisechik,
Have you signed up on the roll call for this cruise? We are planning a CC meet and greet at the aft pool, 1pm on the first sea day.

Hope to see you there.

Janice

[Himself]

I would NEVER complain becuse we left Road Town earleir than scheduled. It is not my favorite call in the Caribbean Sea. Not by a long shot!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
Himself

[Time2sail]

I had my knee scoped a year ago--good luck-- and therapy will have you out and about in no time. Just think of warm climates and snorkeling:)

[localady]

Hello and thanks for the information! :)

This is the second cruise in 5 months that we've taken with HAL in the Caribbean and the other had last minute port changes too. HAL actually switched port days on us in December on the Rotterdam and we never received an explanation for that alteration. :cool:

Seems that this must happen pretty often,
or we are just extremely lucky:rolleyes: .

[Stakeout]

we were just on the Zaandam last week.. Eastern... they shortened the Tortola stopover from 11pm to 6pm also...

we were also on the Zaandam for New Year's and stayed in St Martin until 10pm docked... they somehow got permission to open the shops and casinos while still in port..first time we've seen that happen..

my guess is they wanted to utilize their facilities.. casino.. shops.. so decided to depart at the earlier time 6pm... ride around all nite a few miles offshore 'wherry wherry' slowly.. as St Thomas is just a stone's throw across the bay from Tortola.. if they stayed in port until 11 pm Tortola probably wouldn't let them open their facilities

on another thought...personally I'd rather be in St Thomas longer then Tortola which I think is way overhyped ..plus it's easier to get over to St John that way which to us is many many times nicer then Tortola

[Linda&Vern]

we were just on the Zaandam last week.. Eastern... they shortened the Tortola stopover from 11pm to 6pm also... we were also on the Zaandam for New Year's and stayed in St Martin until 10pm docked... they somehow got permission to open the shops and casinos while still in port..first time we've seen that happen..my guess is they wanted to utilize their facilities.. casino.. shops.. so decided to depart at the earlier time 6pm... ride around all nite a few miles offshore 'wherry wherry' slowly.. as St Thomas is just a stone's throw across the bay from Tortola.. if they stayed in port until 11 pm Tortola probably wouldn't let them open their facilities
on another thought...personally I'd rather be in St Thomas longer then Tortola which I think is way overhyped ..plus it's easier to get over to St John that way which to us is many many times nicer then Tortola
You are not the first posters to have this opinion. I can't understand it:

1. By requiring guests to be back on ship before 6:00pm - all those guests will now require dinner ... as opposed to a good percentage of those guests dining in port if the ship stayed later at night.
2. Unless I was on an unusual cruise (Holiday Maasdam) there isn't much chance the ship makes that kind of money in the shops (usually deserted IMO) or in the casino for those earlier departure hours.

Just curious why you and other posters think the ship makes so much more money if you are on it that they change the port times like that at the last minute. I would have a hard time believing it is to cause passenger unhappiness. Only exception to making money I can possibly think of would be the "bar bills." Would love other opinions.

[Stakeout]

didn't need your RED to make your point... and what's so hard to understand... you must live in a bubble.. just giving you back what you threw at me and others.. so you see it's not necessary to carry on.. just silliness.. and because others have opinions different than what you have doesn't make yours always the right one... no matter how bold or RED you get

anyway... if no one on board.. no make moolah..... fact... as far as dining off the ship...in Tortola.. I kinda doubt it.. most would be on board for the better meal.. we're talking Tortola here .. as for the casinos .. when they are closed.. nada.. zilch.. no money for the fat coffers at Carnival Corp... oh yes.. bar tabs... all that sounds kinda logical

I didn't state it caused anyone unhappiness..since you quoted me.. also in red... you read what you wanted to read not what I wrote..

like I said we all have opinions.. and if it's not what you wanted to hear so be it.. and opinions are like.. well.. everyone has one..

unbelievable is all I have to say... I was NOT being aggressive nor was I trying to be controversial... not my style..just stating my simplistic personal opinion ..so you would understand it.. as in 'NOT complicated'...you on the other hand sound like you are the message board police... e-gads..

[localady]

Stakeout-

Thanks for the information. You said you were on the Zaandam last week, how was your trip? We are headed out for the same itinerary this Saturday.
Thanks!:cool:

[dakrewser]

For all of those claiming the change in times relates to a desire for more chance to sell stuff on board - do you think that HAL's management simply woke up one morning last week and said, "gee, let's get hem back on board a few hours earlier! WE'll spend hundreds and thousands for the food they'll eat, but if each one spends $10 in the casino - we might break even!"

Ports and times changed based on reality - the number of ship's in port, the time between ports, the rules of the port and the desires of the pax. Perhaps they've found that 95% of pax were back on board by 5, or 6, or whatever. Perhaps the port decided to charge triple fees after 6. Who knows?

[Ziggy7]

I read on another thread last December ( sorry dont remember where, I think Port boards) but someone who lived in St. Thomas said that its up to the port authorties when ships can arrive and must leave, they have the right at anytime to tell a ship to leave. They are pretty good about sticking to schedules but if crimes are up, they will limit night time ports of calls. They do not want their port to get a bad rep for crimes again cruise pax, and most crimes happen at night when they have less authorities on patrol.

This made good sense to me :) I hope I explained it as close to his words as possible :)

[JaniceB]

Since the Zaandam returned from dry dock with the new times has anyone stayed until 11 pm in Tortola? The time was changed to 11pm after the drydock. The Zaandam has only been sailing for a month. I doubt crime played a factor in this decision. One thing I noticed is that HAL did not change the shore excursions offered. I was hoping for a champagne sunset sail or something comparable. I would assume this move was definetly done because of a loss of revenue. This is just my opinion.

[dakrewser]

I would assume this move was definetly done because of a loss of revenue. This is just my opinion.

Yes, it is. And the fact that it makes little sense shouldn't affect your opinion, either.

Or do you suppose that selling 1 more drink per pax can make up for lost excursion revenue as well as increased food costs?

[JaniceB]

Yes, it is. And the fact that it makes little sense shouldn't affect your opinion, either.

Or do you suppose that selling 1 more drink per pax can make up for lost excursion revenue as well as increased food costs?

Dave,

I just meant that HAL did not change the excursions offered to reflect the additional time in port and so my opinion is that they changed it back to the old time to keep the cruisers happily occupied on the ship. Sorry if I made it sound like they were trying to make up revenue.

Janice

[Linda&Vern]

didn't need your RED to make your point... and what's so hard to understand... you must live in a bubble.. just giving you back what you threw at me and others.. so you see it's not necessary to carry on.. just silliness.. and because others have opinions different than what you have doesn't make yours always the right one... no matter how bold or RED you get

anyway... if no one on board.. no make moolah..... fact... as far as dining off the ship...in Tortola.. I kinda doubt it.. most would be on board for the better meal.. we're talking Tortola here .. as for the casinos .. when they are closed.. nada.. zilch.. no money for the fat coffers at Carnival Corp... oh yes.. bar tabs... all that sounds kinda logical

I didn't state it caused anyone unhappiness..since you quoted me.. also in red... you read what you wanted to read not what I wrote..

like I said we all have opinions.. and if it's not what you wanted to hear so be it.. and opinions are like.. well.. everyone has one..

unbelievable is all I have to say... I was NOT being aggressive nor was I trying to be controversial... not my style..just stating my simplistic personal opinion ..so you would understand it.. as in 'NOT complicated'...you on the other hand sound like you are the message board police... e-gads..
Sorry about the red ... I do a lot of graphics work. I colored the sentence in your quote in red and my question in red to point out the sentence I had questions on. Was just wondering why a lot of people had that idea. I've only been on one cruise and I couldn't understand the theory. Thought maybe I wasn't seeing the whole picture. Nothing more.

[Linda&Vern]

For all of those claiming the change in times relates to a desire for more chance to sell stuff on board - do you think that HAL's management simply woke up one morning last week and said, "gee, let's get hem back on board a few hours earlier! WE'll spend hundreds and thousands for the food they'll eat, but if each one spends $10 in the casino - we might break even!"

Ports and times changed based on reality - the number of ship's in port, the time between ports, the rules of the port and the desires of the pax. Perhaps they've found that 95% of pax were back on board by 5, or 6, or whatever. Perhaps the port decided to charge triple fees after 6. Who knows?
Thanks for posting. I think you said it a lot better than I did.