Has this ever happened to you?

[songbert]

We just had to re-book our August 2009 Alaska cruise (that we reserved in Oct 2008) because the ship was switched to a full charter.....

I never knew that HAL could do that, so I was shocked! :confused:

HAL is working with our TA to rearrange everything; fortunately we were able to switch everything to the week before to get the same itinerary.

Has this ever happened to you?

[sapper1]

We just had to re-book our August 2009 Alaska cruise (that we reserved in Oct 2008) because the ship was switched to a full charter.....

I never knew that HAL could do that, so I was shocked! :confused:

HAL is working with our TA to rearrange everything; fortunately we were able to switch everything to the week before to get the same itinerary.

Has this ever happened to you? Booking a cruise a long way out has its advantages with regard to cabin selection, mealtime selection etc but you also take the chance that the cruise will be chartered out from underneath you.
We booked a 20 day Baltic cruise for July/August 09 back in June 08 and one month later the first ten days were chartered out. We were able to keep the last ten days and add another 16 days for a total of 26 days. We were given a very good price for the extra six days and onboard credits for our inconvenience.
From my years on CC I knew that this was a possibility when we booked so far out,so while I was disappointed initially, I was not shocked. I can see where it would be very upsetting to someone who was unaware of this practice. In the end I think we are getting a much better cruise as it includes a transatlantic portion stopping in Iceland and Greenland-----places that were never on my radar but now I am excited about going there.

[Northshorecruisers]

Oh yes, it has.
In April 2007 we booked our 5 year anniversary cruise for Oct 2008. It was special for us because it left on our actual anniversary. Friends of ours that we enjoy cruising with also booked the same cruise.
Since our cruise was the first one for the MR season, and because our friends live in Vancouver - we decided to add on the repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego and the 4 of us would have an additional good time!
In Jan 2008 the MR from San Diego was chartered. Big disappointment as our friends had booked their vacation time and couldn't change.
We changed our dates by 2 weeks and went with the Eurodam out of Ft Lauderdale. There was also a 3 day short trip prior to that week so we decided to add that on as well. The 7 day cruise got chartered. I was beginning to think I was a jinx.
Ended up back to the Oosterdam out of San Diego 2 weeks later than planned and had a fabulous time. We added 3 days in San Diego to sightsee so we got the 10 day vacation we'd been longing for.
Now - we've booked a cruise for Jan 2010 - hope it doesn't get chartered!

[Roz]

All cruise lines book charters, not just HAL. There are numerous threads on this subject.

A cruise I booked for 2003 ended up being a charter.

Roz

[GmaPajama]

HAL did switch one of our cruises, though it was due to itinerary changes rather than a charter. They were wonderful to work with - helped us find the right replacement cruise, kept the great pricing the same, and gave a small OBC. The cruise we ended up on turned out to be one of our all time favorites.

[songbert]

This is my 6th cruise (third on HAL) and it was a big surprise, since I didn't know that type of thing was a possibility. I'm just so grateful that we were able to switch our time off from work and get the same itinerary. My TA is presently working with HAL on the re-booking and she assures me that they are very helpful and accomodating.

[ROCruiser]

Which Alaska cruise is that, may I ask? We are booked for August also.

[Iris5383]

We had booked a late August 2007 cruise on the Amsterdam to Alaska, round trip Seattle. A month or so after we booked it, our TA called and told us the ship was chartered. Our party of four was able to re-book for mid July (a much better time weatherwise in Alaska) for the same price plus some OB credit and a free excursion in Juneau. It was a great trip!

[Boytjie]

Which Alaska cruise is that, may I ask? We are booked for August also.

It could be the Westerdam August 23-30, which is an RSVP charter.

[hammybee]

It could be the Westerdam August 23-30, which is an RSVP charter.

It looks like it was the 8/14 Zaandam sailing.

[Boytjie]

It looks like it was the 8/14 Zaandam sailing.

Well DUH for me! :o I did not think of looking at the OP's ticker....

[jcrandle]

There's an almost certain way to ensure that your cruise is not hijacked by a charter, book a 14 night or longer cruise. In fact, your are likely safe with a 10 nighter.

[hammybee]

There's an almost certain way to ensure that your cruise is not hijacked by a charter, book a 14 night or longer cruise. In fact, your are likely safe with a 10 nighter.

This works well for domestic ports.

It does not fly in Europe.

[songbert]

Just realized that my countdown clock is now wrong!!

We would have been on the 8/14, now we're on the 8/7 Zaandam R/T
Seattle including Glacier Bay.

These boards are great :)