Email from HAL with information about Caribbean cruises

Here is a link to HAL's updated (as of September 20th) Hurricane information.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/pageByName/Resp.action?requestPage=Hurricane_Impact&showHeader=true&showFooter=true&legacy=true

I agree with the posts above. HAL is doing the best they can when the situation is so uncertain. I doubt any other line is doing better. If HAL loses business, it will be from people who don't understand this and choose to cancel rather than wait and see what happens. This kind of cancellation will happen to all cruise lines.

As for new bookings, I doubt there are many bookings being made for the Caribbean across the whole industry. I've got a cruise booked for January and I'm unlikely to cancel it. Certainly not right now. But if I were planning to book a cruise, I'd wait until the itineraries were updated and make my choice then.

One very good step HAL has taken is the offer to extend dates on cancellation fee increases. For customers, this gives them more time to evaluate any changes in their cruise. For the company (and the shareholders), this should reduce immediate cancellations.

My previous post somehow caused confusion. I did not mean that modified itineraries should already be known and made known.

The new statement, advising that information is expected September 26, is in itself useful information, of the nature which needs to be pushed out.

Cruisecritic home page leads you to article" Hurricane Season 2017: Which Caribbean Cruise Ports Are Open?" which updated status on the ports. Progress is being made.

the link:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8067

My Express Docs are finally available but I figure there no point in printing out my itinerary when I know there will be changes.

I'll just be patient and wait to see what else Maria has in store. Looks like my original thoughts that St Croix and San Juan could be substituted for St Martin and St Thomas isn't going to happen!

Breaks my heart to read about these residents and what they've had to endure and how dire the situations are on some of the islands.

They've begun the itinerary updates but they haven't finished.

I'm a little surprised that they've substituted St Croix for St Maarten. That was what I had expected originally, but that was before Maria blasted St Croix. I guess the damage there wasn't all that extensive.

Still waiting to see what they do about St Thomas. My original hope was San Juan, but that probably won't happen. But, honestly, I wouldn't mind. I love Old San Juan and can easily spend an entire day just wandering the streets. As long as they have electricity and running water, I could spend a day there and spend some cash. They certainly need the tourist dollars!

We'll see. Still anticipate that we'll just get an additional sea day.

They've begun the itinerary updates but they haven't finished.

 

I'm a little surprised that they've substituted St Croix for St Maarten. That was what I had expected originally, but that was before Maria blasted St Croix. I guess the damage there wasn't all that extensive.

 

Still waiting to see what they do about St Thomas. My original hope was San Juan, but that probably won't happen. But, honestly, I wouldn't mind. I love Old San Juan and can easily spend an entire day just wandering the streets. As long as they have electricity and running water, I could spend a day there and spend some cash. They certainly need the tourist dollars!

 

We'll see. Still anticipate that we'll just get an additional sea day.

I got my email this morning confirming the substitution of St Croix for St Maarten on my 10 December sailing on Eurodam. I'll be just fine as I've been to neither. We were meant to call on San Juan, PR and we are still going as of today's email. Hopefully FEMA will get its act together ASAP. It's not like tourism is important to the PR economy.

We are on the 12/24 eurodam and got St croix instead of St Martin. Still going to San Juan at the moment. Hoping for the best for the people of San Juan

We're on the 12/8 Veendam and got St. Croix for Tortola and Antigua for St. Maarten. San Juan is still listed as a port.

Did not receive a email since booked thru travel agent. itinerary shows, St Croix for St Maarten on the Koningsdam Nov 29th. still shows St. Thomas, which is doubtful.

I spent most of my lunch hour looking at the damage on St Croix and I'm really surprised they have this as a substitute for St Marten. One article says they hope to have power restored by December! :eek:

Oh well. We'll see how the recovery goes but I think HAL's being very optimistic.

But then, I suppose that if the souvenir shops and bars next to the piers are open, the cruiselines will return.

Would have loved having Antigua as a replacement port.

Oh well. Wherever they take us is fine with me.

I did check Carnival and they're scheduled to return their ship to the San Juan home port mid-October. We'll see if that date gets pushed back.

We are on the 11-12 sailing of the Eurodam and St. Maarten has been replaced with St.Croix...wondering if there will be any shore excursions available...we have been once...years ago with Carnival...but just walked around the port area...stopped in a restaurant and had a drink...

I am also wondering about San Juan....one of my favorite ports and we actually booked a shore excursion....the Bacardi tour....wondering now if we will be able to do that....I think it's just a wait and see for right now...have not bothered my PCC....know she is probably super busy...but might ask some questions in the next few weeks...

I tend to do independent tours. First time in St Croix, we booked a tour that did the Cruzan Rum factory then over to Christiansted with plenty of time to walk around and have a beer at the pub on the waterfront. I'm going to try to find that tour operator and maybe book the same again.

When in San Juan, I typically head to Cafe Mallorca, then wander the beautiful streets for a while, and sometimes tour one of the forts.

Lots of info on tours/things to do in both San Juan and St Croix on the Ports of Call boards.

We are on the 11-12 sailing of the Eurodam and St. Maarten has been replaced with St.Croix...wondering if there will be any shore excursions available...we have been once...years ago with Carnival...but just walked around the port area...stopped in a restaurant and had a drink...

 

I am also wondering about San Juan....one of my favorite ports and we actually booked a shore excursion....the Bacardi tour....wondering now if we will be able to do that....I think it's just a wait and see for right now...have not bothered my PCC....know she is probably super busy...but might ask some questions in the next few weeks...

Don't do the Bacardi tour through the cruise line. Take the local ferry across the port ($0.25 pp I believe). Then grab a cab on the other side to Bacardi ($5 or so). Bacardi tour is free. So for under $15 roundtrip - you have a great adventurous day and save the $40pp or more that the cruise line charges.... assuming of course that any of that is possible any time soon.

We received same letter yesterday with Nov 11 stop in St Marrten changed to St Croix

Don't do the Bacardi tour through the cruise line. Take the local ferry across the port ($0.25 pp I believe). Then grab a cab on the other side to Bacardi ($5 or so). Bacardi tour is free. So for under $15 roundtrip - you have a great adventurous day and save the $40pp or more that the cruise line charges.... assuming of course that any of that is possible any time soon.

Thanks will check this out...we were in San Juan this January..and waited an hour for hop on hop off buss...it never came!!! Wanted to see some more of the island this time...hoping we get to do this...

I tend to do independent tours. First time in St Croix, we booked a tour that did the Cruzan Rum factory then over to Christiansted with plenty of time to walk around and have a beer at the pub on the waterfront. I'm going to try to find that tour operator and maybe book the same again.

 

When in San Juan, I typically head to Cafe Mallorca, then wander the beautiful streets for a while, and sometimes tour one of the forts.

 

Lots of info on tours/things to do in both San Juan and St Croix on the Ports of Call boards.

Will check out Cafe Mallorca...always love to find neat places to eat...

Will check out Cafe Mallorca...always love to find neat places to eat...

We've been in this place a few times. Worth the visit. Wonder if its still there?

Just wondering......on our Nieuw Amsterdam cruise, I believe we are scheduled to dock in San Juan on October 31 from 1pm to 11pm (obviously the port is subject to change). What about the curfew that may be on Puerto Rico? Would they be able to adjust it for cruise ship passengers? St. John still has a 6pm to 8am curfew (I asked someone who lives there this morning).

My guess is San Juan will be replaced with another port.

...we were in San Juan this January... Wanted to see some more of the island this time...hoping we get to do this...

Ditto here - at this point, there's no way to predict whether or not we'll even get to SJ, much less get to visit more of it than last time. We're hoping for the best but not counting on it!!!

We were scheduled to go to St Thomas on Nov 16th (Koningsdam). We were just notified we're going to Punta Cana instead. I'm actually happy about the change. I didn't even know cruise ships went to Punta Cana.

We are scheduled a few weeks latter, still have St. Thomas.

We were going to SJ on November 14th, but just noticed our itinerary is now showing Punta Cana. We then were going to St. Thomas for Nov 15th and it's now showing Frederiksted, St. Croix. I haven't been to either so happy with these changes.

D Holland

This morning we got an email notifying us of the itinerary change:-

ITINERARY CHANGE NOTIFICATION:

As we continue to monitor the recovery efforts in the Caribbean, it has become

necessary to make port adjustments on the Nov. 25 Nieuw Amsterdam sailing. The

ship will now call at Samana, Dominican Republic (replaces San Juan); and St.

Croix (replaces St. Thomas)

We have endeavored to find similar ports with our alterations and are confident

our guests will still have a wonderful Caribbean cruise experience.

As a company we continue to work closely with the islands most impacted and

look forward to returning when they are ready to receive guests.