seaoma

The FCC states Book By and Sail By Dec. 31, 2022.

I don't use a TA and I've been in touch with HAL several times, explaining to them each time the reason I'm canceling yet another cruise. I read these boards and I've yet to hear anyone getting an extension past Jan-Feb. Doesn't really help me much.

Under the section dealing with FCC on My Account with HAL, it states Book By and Sail By dates-they are both Dec. 31, 2022. Where are my other options? I think perhaps you think I'm some newby cruiser by my join date on these boards. My first cruise was in 1980 and I've seen lots and lots of changes on cruises. There has never been anything that has affected cruising that can compare to this. Sure, the rules for some of the Alaska cruises have changed. Your solution is for me to book my very expensive cruise and just hope the rule changes. The chance that they change in my favor are extremely low with the few cruises I can even book. Unless you can specifically point me to other options, I don't see any value continuing this conversation with you.

Great! You want to buy my FCC?

I know the rules. I'm booking with FCC from canceled covid cruises that will only return FCC that has to be used by the end of December. Rules weren't changing when I booked this cruise. There was no logical reason to believe they would change unless the pandemic no longer existed. So, while I can still cancel and get my FCC back, I will only receive FCC and it will still expire December 2022. I have kicked the can down the road. I've already canceled 2 cruises, but I'm running out of time. Do you have any another suggestion? Sure, the rules of the Captain worked real well when I was on my cruises last fall on the NA and the Rotterdam. The Captain didn't say boo to those who agreed to wear masks but didn't.

When I booked my cruise, masks, vaccines and testing were required. In fact, we cruised twice for a total of 28 days. How in the >>> was I supposed to know that even though we were still in the midst of a pandemic, that cruise lines would drop more and more restrictions? Sounds idiotic to me that they would even consider it, if for no one else, but their difficult to replace crew. You booked when things started changing, then it's all good for you. You understood that things with covid can and will change. You don't care about any of the restrictions and you're fine with getting covid. It's all good for you. The people who booked prior to all these changing restrictions and who still care about avoiding covid, are now put in the position of making a donation to HAL or possibly ending up with a health situation that they will have to deal with for who knows how long.

Some may, but I don't. I listen to the medical community involved with public health, not public health politicians.

@Gray Lady, since you are a new cruiser, I would suggest you contact your travel agent first to complain, if you used one. Then try HAL Guest Relations and the HAL Mariner Society. Next social media is supposed to be big when you wish to air grievances, like Facebook and Twitter. Finally, try googling Class Action Lawsuits for Cruises. They do exist.

Except in the midst of a global pandemic. Have you ever traveled in one before? I haven't but I can understand that when there is an infectious disease that is transmissible by contact with the public, that maybe a little more care for our fellow man is warranted. How is that going to help? My next cruise that HAL is forcing me to go on, so I don't lose more than $10,000, I'm going to wear as much protection as I can and test every morning before I leave my cabin. But that doesn't help me all that much if a majority of my fellow cruisers are pretending it's 2019. If my social experiment fails, then I'm the only one that has to suffer the consequences.

Sadly, that's not the only sickening thing mentioned in this thread.

So sad in so many ways.

What should we do if we have tens of thousands of dollars in FCC that has to be used before the end of this year? I'm not happy giving that to HAL just because my fellow passengers won't do what it takes to keep themselves from getting sick, much less the other passengers. At least, on HAL, I'm pretty much DAMed if I do, and DAMed if I don't.

Ok. This might work. https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/Health_Sanitation/2022/0614-alaska-canada-health-protocols.pdf

In Post #105, @Petronillus showed information received from HAL. If you follow the link that is included, you will see a grid that might prove helpful. It is page 2. Try as I might, I can't get that grid or link to show up here. Perhaps someone that is more tech savvy can accomplish this.

I've been to the Memphis club also. We have always heard good music there and had a great time. If you enjoy rock music, you'll like the Rock Room, as long as the musicians are good. I was on the Rotterdam last November/December and those guys were very good. For me, they were among the top bands I'd experienced at sea. I just hope they continue to employ very talented musicians. Since the occupancy was low and we were on for 21 nights, we had opportunity to speak with the band members. They could play hundreds of songs and they only repeated songs at patrons request. It's loud, but Rock music is loud. We did not find it excessive, but I grew up on that kind of music.

I honestly don't understand why everyone thinks the BBK Club is only BBK Blues music. Has anyone ever been to the BBK Club in Memphis, TN? The club at sea is affiliated with the club on land. Read what their All-Star Band plays. I would say it aligns with what I have heard onboard HAL. THE BB KING’S BLUES CLUB ALL-STAR BAND As house band of B.B. King’s Blues Club, these guys know how to jam. This group is the most talented collection of musicians in the Mid-South. The band is found weekly on our stage playing rhythm and blues favorites with emphasis on Memphis music, as well as a variety of other styles including soul, pop and classic rock.

Perhaps trying to appeal to a younger demographic on these older ships?

Come back and post and let us know how it went. I don't want to end up on the Covid corridor either, nor do I want to end up isolated in a city other than my hometown.

They will not be. My husband and I cruised on one of the first cruises in 2021 and that was the stated policy at the time. They didn't enforce that policy then and they won't enforce it now.

Any signs of waning that you can share? It's all spikes, as far as I'm concerned. I'm watching for waning.

I'll agree with vaccine and testing. Masking....very rare today. Just in the last day or 2 have I heard of any requirements. Recommendations has been the usual but we can see that a majority aren't following recommendations. I look at it more as you have to add all of those concerns together, potentially. Thus, someone cruising has the problem with catching/spreading covid, protocols, price, cancellations and unruly passengers. That's enough to keep a huge number of cruise passengers home. The largest percentage of people are worried about catching or spreading covid. HAL has the ability to minimize that but chooses not to. Perhaps whoever they are listening to isn't giving them good advice. Land travel has a lot of these factors in play also, but it's a lot easier to pick and choose where the weak or dangerous activities are. I spent weeks in our motorhome and we only had contact with someone across the gas pump.

Fodor's polled around 1500 of it's readers. This is what they think about the situation with travel during Covid. COVID-19 COVID-19 has ruled travel talks for more than two years and even now, it’s a big source of anxiety. In fact, 51% of readers are concerned about catching and spreading COVID-19 while traveling, making it the number one travel concern. In fact, 53% of readers would cancel their trip if the destination experienced a COVID-19 surge. The myriad rules and protocols around traveling in the age of COVID are also a big concern–39% are worried about restrictions, which include testing requirements and travel limitations. However, while many readers are concerned about COVID protocols, only 16% think COVID protocols are the single most annoying thing about travel right now. What’s more annoying? Flight cancelations (27%), unruly passengers (25%), and the price of travel (22%).

I hear you about the mental health part. I'm very fortunate that we are retired and travel quite a lot, both cruising and land travel. I even travel solo for at least a few weeks every year, starting that habit about 30 years ago. In 2020, I made it till November, then I told my husband we had to get the motorhome on the road. We spent a few weeks sightseeing in between weeks at home until the middle of April. Even though we were distanced from everyone, it was enough and very beneficial to my psyche. I can't imagine what you went through having to wait until November 2021. If my husband were to be the one to get Covid and have to isolate in Canada, things would not go well for various reasons. If I could rest assured he would be isolated on the HAL ship, it would, at least, make our lives and decision easier.

It's not just that things can change, it's that HAL has said on their website what they will do, but people say they don't appear to be doing that. So that is what is making me crazy trying to decide whether I want to keep my B2B. As it's written, they will test on turnaround day at the port and if I'm positive, I will be isolating in Canada. If that is not what will happen, I would be ok with that. If that is what will happen, then I'm not sure I want to roll the dice. The only thing going for me is the fact that I have some more time to make up my mind.

Gotcha. I agree the website is difficult to maneuver.