HAL not leaving Mexico. The facts.

Emailed HAL and just got this response.

-------------------------------------

Bill

We are reducing Mexico capacity but by no means leaving. In fall 2009 through spring 2010 ms Oosterdam will be deployed in South America, replacing ms Amsterdam, which will sail our annual World Cruise that winter. Ms Ryndam will continue to offer Mexico cruises from her San Diego homeport -- 7, 9 and 12-day itineraries to a wide variety of ports. Ms Statendam will continue to sail repeated 14-day Panama Canal cruises between San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale, calling at three Mexican Riviera ports in each direction.

 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

Best regards,

 

Joe Slattery

VP Revenue Marketing

Holland America Line

Thanks for the sneak preview of the 2009/10 season.

 

I am thinking this is the first time the VISTA Class will be in S.A.

 

Anyone?

Thanks for the sneak preview of the 2009/10 season.

 

I am thinking this is the first time the VISTA Class will be in S.A.

 

Anyone?

 

Correctemundo!

Emailed HAL and just got this response.

-------------------------------------

Bill

We are reducing Mexico capacity but by no means leaving. In fall 2009 through spring 2010 ms Oosterdam will be deployed in South America, replacing ms Amsterdam, which will sail our annual World Cruise that winter. Ms Ryndam will continue to offer Mexico cruises from her San Diego homeport -- 7, 9 and 12-day itineraries to a wide variety of ports. Ms Statendam will continue to sail repeated 14-day Panama Canal cruises between San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale, calling at three Mexican Riviera ports in each direction.

 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

Best regards,

 

Joe Slattery

VP Revenue Marketing

Holland America Line

 

This information seems interesting and I wonder WHY HAL's own Web Site has the Oosterdam sailing out of San Diego starting November 2009:confused: I had heard something to this but just recently HAL added the Oosterdam for returing to the Mexican Riviera in November 2009.

Emailed HAL and just got this response.

-------------------------------------

Bill

We are reducing Mexico capacity but by no means leaving. In fall 2009 through spring 2010 ms Oosterdam will be deployed in South America, replacing ms Amsterdam, which will sail our annual World Cruise that winter. Ms Ryndam will continue to offer Mexico cruises from her San Diego homeport -- 7, 9 and 12-day itineraries to a wide variety of ports. Ms Statendam will continue to sail repeated 14-day Panama Canal cruises between San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale, calling at three Mexican Riviera ports in each direction.

 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

Best regards,

 

Joe Slattery

VP Revenue Marketing

Holland America Line

 

Bill, a bit OT but since you are in touch with Joe, can you ask him if they are considering the 7 night roundtrip from San Diego with Copper Canyon? When I have phoned I have been told that a lot of pasengers are asking for the same thing. For those of us that still work, it would be a great itinerary for that extra one week vacation cruise. Sunday to Sunday with Saturday available for the San Diego Zoo or Day in Disney prior to the cruise.....

Handy to have info direct from the source rather than a foreign newspaper with reports that may or may not be credible.

 

This is from HAL's OWN Web Site

7-DAY MEXICAN RIVIERA

Departure Port: San Diego, California

7 DAYS Ship: ms Oosterdam

Choose a Date: Jan 03, 2009 , Jan 10, 2009 , Jan 24, 2009 , Jan 31, 2009 , Feb 07, 2009 , Feb 14, 2009 , Feb 21, 2009 , Nov 21, 2009 , Nov 28, 2009 , Dec 05, 2009 , Dec 12, 2009

 

Inside OceanView Verandah Suite

from $693.99 * from $843.99 * from $1,043.99 * from $1,593.99 *

 

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/FindCruises.action?destCode=M&durationCode=&portCode=SAN&dateCode=&shipCodeSearch=OS

This is from HAL's OWN Web Site

Yes, Lisa. And we all know how techno-efficient HAL's website is! :rolleyes:

Yes, Lisa. And we all know how techno-efficient HAL's website is! :rolleyes:

 

Ditto !!!;)

Any insight to when they will announce cruises available for the beginning of Jan 2010 or even New Years sailings for Dec 2009?

Emailed HAL and just got this response.

-------------------------------------

Bill

We are reducing Mexico capacity but by no means leaving. In fall 2009 through spring 2010 ms Oosterdam will be deployed in South America, replacing ms Amsterdam, which will sail our annual World Cruise that winter. Ms Ryndam will continue to offer Mexico cruises from her San Diego homeport -- 7, 9 and 12-day itineraries to a wide variety of ports. Ms Statendam will continue to sail repeated 14-day Panama Canal cruises between San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale, calling at three Mexican Riviera ports in each direction.

 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

Best regards,

 

Joe Slattery

VP Revenue Marketing

Holland America Line

Thanks Bill for the info, when I posted that article, I was hoping someone had better information then what I was hearing and reading. But it is kind of surprising, that they (Hal) are cutting back on cruise doing Mexico. I wonder if it is still about the $5 tax that Mexico wants to levy on every passenger coming into their ports from cruiseships, ofcouse there could be other reasons too. I thought Hal did well doing that itinerary maybe I'm mistaken. There could be alot of upset repeat customers that will be disappointed in the fact that the Oosterdam will not be based in SD doing the 7 day Mexico cruises. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.

I do like the idea that the Ryndam will be doing 7-9-12 day cruises as it makes it nice to tie back to back together for longer and more diverse cruises. I guess the waves that were done on the Oosterdam will be over for awhile. Hopefully we can continue doing them from the Ryndam, I don't know about others but I look forward to those waves from SD every week.

I just got off the phone with our HAL sales rep and it is true, the Oosterdam will not return to the Mexican Riviera after her aft is lifted. The Ryndam will continue on in San Diego. He was rather shocked that we could still book late 09 and early 10 sailing on the Oosterdam until I reminded him the same thing happend when she left the MR early last year to go into dry dock before the Alaska season.

 

As to why, it has much more to do with the Mariner of the Seas and the Carnival Splendor coming to town than it does any tax. I just wish one of them would take on the San Diego itinerary instead of leaving from LA.

In fall 2009 through spring 2010 ms Oosterdam will be deployed in South America, replacing ms Amsterdam, which will sail our annual World Cruise that winter.

:eek: :eek: :eek: Interesting. That is something, that if stays true for 2011, would get us to cancel our plans to repeat our HAL Antarctic cruise in 2011. It would be time to see what other lines/ships are sailing that itinerary. :(

:eek: :eek: :eek: Interesting. That is something, that if stays true for 2011, would get us to cancel our plans to repeat our HAL Antarctic cruise in 2011. It would be time to see what other lines/ships are sailing that itinerary. :(

 

You are alreasdy thinking of 2011! That is 3 years from now. What about 2009 and 2010.

This is from HAL's OWN Web Site

 

7-DAY MEXICAN RIVIERA

Departure Port: San Diego, California

7 DAYS Ship: ms Oosterdam

Choose a Date: Jan 03, 2009 , Jan 10, 2009 , Jan 24, 2009 , Jan 31, 2009 , Feb 07, 2009 , Feb 14, 2009 , Feb 21, 2009 , Nov 21, 2009 , Nov 28, 2009 , Dec 05, 2009 , Dec 12, 2009

 

Inside OceanView Verandah Suite

from $693.99 * from $843.99 * from $1,043.99 * from $1,593.99 *

 

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/FindCruises.action?destCode=M&durationCode=&portCode=SAN&dateCode=&shipCodeSearch=OS

 

When is the drydock? Are these all going to get canceled?

The Feb. 21, 2009 MR sailing will be her last one as it stands now.

When is the drydock? Are these all going to get canceled?

Dry Dock for the Oosterdam is mid March 2009

This is her first cruise after her Aft Lift in Dry Dock

24-DAY MAGIC OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

 

Departure Port: Barcelona, Spain 24

 

DAYS

 

Ship: ms Oosterdam

Choose a Date: Apr 25, 2009 , May 31, 2009 , Jul 06, 2009 , Aug 11, 2009

InsideOceanViewVerandahSuitefrom $4,172.23 * from $4,872.23 * from $6,072.23 * from $7,372.23 *

You are alreasdy thinking of 2011! That is 3 years from now. What about 2009 and 2010.

We have 69 days already booked for the rest of this year and 2009 (plus another 10 for me without DH). Since we just did 20 days in Jan/Feb of this year on the Rotterdam in South America/Antarctica, we're going to wait to return until Jan 2011. DH isn't retired yet, we have to spread things out. ;) Besides with a cruise like this, it does take some advance planning and booking. We booked over a year ahead last time.

I fore see Princess getting many new cruisers to their Mexican Rivera schedule.;)

Personally this is a HUGE mistake that HAL is doing:mad:

We have 69 days already booked for the rest of this year and 2009 (plus another 10 for me without DH). Since we just did 20 days in Jan/Feb of this year on the Rotterdam in South America/Antarctica, we're going to wait to return until Jan 2011. DH isn't retired yet, we have to spread things out. ;) Besides with a cruise like this, it does take some advance planning and booking. We booked over a year ahead last time.

 

That's a lot of days!

 

Have you considered an Antarctica cruise where you can actually do some landings?

I think RCCL will probably be the big winner, that itinerary is a young active demographic and the Mariner has a lot to offer them. I know a lot of my clients are excited about it coming to town.

Have you considered an Antarctica cruise where you can actually do some landings?

NO

 

I just wanted the no, but I have to have at least 4 characters.

I am shattered by this piece of news. We had just (onboard) booked Amsterdam for the repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Valparaiso for 2 Dec 2009. We have no wish to go on the Oosterdam - much too big for us. Really fed up.

:eek: :eek: :eek: Interesting. That is something, that if stays true for 2011, would get us to cancel our plans to repeat our HAL Antarctic cruise in 2011. It would be time to see what other lines/ships are sailing that itinerary. :(

 

You might -- note, MIGHT -- change your mind after the Eurodam Inaugural. I understand what you've said about your opposition to the Vistas, however they are lovely ships and they DO handle the high seas very well. I don't think that she will have any trouble sailing Antarctica, either. And, given how these cruises sell out it makes sense for them to put a larger ship on the run. That ... or, perhaps they could run two S or R-class ships?

 

This being said, it looks like HAL is doing a lot of rotating of their fleet around through the various regions of the world. Hence, it isn't necessarily a given that the Oosterdam will be doing the South American/Antarctica run in 2011. If, however, it looks like that's going to be the case I would be willing to investigate one of the Luxury-class Expedition ships (http://www.polarcruises.com/antarctica.htm?pole=Antarctica).

I am shattered by this piece of news. We had just (onboard) booked Amsterdam for the repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Valparaiso for 2 Dec 2009. We have no wish to go on the Oosterdam - much too big for us. Really fed up.

 

As I said to Mary Ellen ... the Vistas really are nice ships. Yes, they're much longer than the S and R ships, and the Rs are my favorite vessels. However, the Vistas have their really good points and should serve as excellent platforms for the rough-seas cruising that ship's experience down there.