Veendam - Valparaiso to Rio - 12th Feb. 2013 - Cancelled?

[Cosmic Rays]

Has this cruise been cancelled does anybody know?

I have a reservation on it yet can find no reference to this cruise or others to South America round the Horn in early 2013 on the HAL website. Nothing shows either on my cruise personaliser!!!

[catl331]

I see two cruises on the Veendam in Jan and Feb. On Jan 30 the ship does a 21 day cruise Buenos Aires to Chile. On Feb. 20 it does Chile to Argentina 13 day. Did you book this through a travel agent? Seems confusing to me also.

[jtl513]

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruisesonmsveendam-feb2013.html is showing this cruise, but as catl331 showed it doesn't match up with what's on HAL's site. Time to contact your TA. :)

[Cosmic Rays]

.........just heard via email from my TA it has been cancelled!!! Not happy. Just waiting for their call to give reasons and to refund my enormous deposit paid three months ago..........

[Cosmic Rays]

Just had a very brief email from my TA to say that HAL have cancelled our South American cruise on the Veendam next February from Valparaiso to Rio..........

What usually happens in these circumstances? No reason has yet been given as to why - does anybody know?

I paid $1600 deposit when we booked in December - we have to here in the UK!!!

I presume we'll get it back or be offered an alternative..........what usually happens, does anybody know please?

 

Not a happy cruiser as it was to have been our first HAL cruise.

[KirkNC]

Sounds like a charter may have booked the whole ship, this does happen sometimes. Obviously you will get back your deposit, I think sometimes they offer a "deal" on another cruise.

[HealthyTouch101]

A quick search found this: http://bernews.com/2011/11/no-veendam-cruise-visits-in-2013/

 

Which is a Fall 2011 notice that the Veendam was dropping Bermuda as a destination. But couldn't find anything more current.

[marti2282]

This happened to us on NCL. It was a charter.

 

Can't confirm for HAL, but we were offered the same ship on any other date with the same itineary for the same price and a $100 OBC. We sailed a month earlier than we had planned.

 

Hope you can adjust your plans.

[pms4104]

The HAL website still is showing Veendam Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, 13 nights, sailing on February 20. Is that your sailing? Perhaps with a change in debarkation ports?

[jtl513]

Here's a couple of threads on the subject of what HAL does when it cancels a cruise:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1543012

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1529945

 

Sounds like a charter may have booked the whole ship,

No, it appears it's just a schedule change

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1588462

[Cosmic Rays]

My special retirement 'Cruise of a Lifetime' ruined................................Thanks HAL

[Cosmic Rays]

The HAL website still is showing Veendam Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, 13 nights, sailing on February 20. Is that your sailing? Perhaps with a change in debarkation ports?

 

No, this wasn't ours.

 

12th February 17 night South America Explorer from Valparaiso to Rio..........

[Sea42]

My special retirement 'Cruise of a Lifetime' ruined................................Thanks HAL

How disappointing!! Have you been in contact with your TA to see what alternatives are available to you? Different ship, line or dates? I hope you're able to find something that will allow you to celebrate retirement in style!

Best wishes to you!

[sail7seas]

All cruise lines do this and it is a risk of cruising. It doesn't happen all that often but from time to time.

 

I'm sorry for your disappointment but at least you have lots of notice in order to find another trip that interests you.

 

You will likely be offered another cruise on a different date and might even be a different ship. You will probably be given a small OBC for your disappointment.

 

[serendipity1499]

My special retirement 'Cruise of a Lifetime' ruined................................Thanks HAL

 

No, this wasn't ours.

 

12th February 17 night South America Explorer from Valparaiso to Rio..........

 

 

It looks like there has been a schedule change as JTL pointed out on your other thread..It seems the cruise is going from Valparaiso to BA instead.. Why would your cruise be ruined? It seems to be just a bit shorter..Couldn't you book the shorter cruise? Or couldn't you book another date since you are going to be retired? Your Travel Agent should check it out for you as HAL will probably offer you an alternative..Understand why you are disappointed about not going to RIO but hopefully there will be another cruise which is just as nice...

All the cruise lines & airlines have schedule changes from time to time & you are fortunate that they have advised you almost a year in advance, so you can make other arrangements.... Don't panic, just contact your Travel Agent for assistance..

Good luck & please let us know if you have found an alternative..

Betty

 

P.S. BTW you started two threads about this same thing..You might want to ask the hosts to combine them..

[cruz chic]

All cruise lines do this and it is a risk of cruising. It doesn't happen all that often but from time to time.

 

I'm sorry for your disappointment but at least you have lots of notice in order to find another trip that interests you.

 

You will likely be offered another cruise on a different date and might even be a different ship. You will probably be given a small OBC for your disappointment.

 

HAL cancelled a cruise for May 2013 and I got nothing...not even I'm sorry. While it was far enough ahead for me to book something it was very disappointing.

[RevNeal]

I am so very sorry for you. I hate it when HAL changes schedules and it ruins people's plans. However, if your schedule is flexible-enough you might want to consider shifting your booking to this particular cruise.

 

In 2011 HAL FCCs quickly sold out the January 10, 2013 South America / Antarctica by publicizing it as the last HAL regular cruise to Antarctica ... "book now or miss out forever." The demand was so great, and the waiting list has become so long after it sold out (more than a year in advance of sailing), that HAL decided to add an additional South America/Antarctica Cruise departing from BA to Santiago on January 30. It's an excellent itinerary, and one I would have preferred (slightly) over the January 10 sailing, but what's done is done. I am no longer on "the last regular HAL sailing to Antarctica."

 

Could I switch? Yes. However, I have good friends on the January 10th sailing and am looking forward to cruising with them again. Also, the January 30th departure doesn't work as well for me because it would stretch over Ash Wednesday and the first Sunday of Lent and that just doesn't work well for me.

 

At any rate, if you have the flexibility give thought to switching to the January 30 sailing and see Antarctica too. I've done this cruise before and it is wonderful ... I wouldn't be repeating Antarctica if it wasn't amazing.

[Cosmic Rays]

Thank you all for your support and comments................

 

Yes, I do understand, and yes, it is 11 months away still, HOWEVER, this particular unique itinerary ticked all our boxes. It will be good to know in time all the reasons as to why and how it has happened..............

[Cosmic Rays]

I have had no apology, reason or regret from either HAL or my TA which leaves a sour taste. So much for customer service............

 

Three identical alternatives have been offered but each terminates in BA not Rio as we particularly wanted to visit there. Is it to do with the cost of a Visa in Brazil? A refund is also offered but I bet they will not be in a rush to send my $1600 back........does anyone have experience of this?

[serendipity1499]

I have had no apology, reason or regret from either HAL or my TA which leaves a sour taste. So much for customer service............

 

Three identical alternatives have been offered but each terminates in BA not Rio as we particularly wanted to visit there. Is it to do with the cost of a Visa in Brazil? A refund is also offered but I bet they will not be in a rush to send my $1600 back........does anyone have experience of this?

 

Yes, we've had many schedule changes & there was nothing we could do about it..As someone who has been in the travel field, I've learned to roll with the punches.. I just found out that this is the last year HAL will have a 14 day cruise to Alaska, so now I have to work around that..You have to accept the fact that this is a schedule change..

Every transportation company (cruise lines airlines etc.) often have schedule changes.. Sometimes it's because of a political situation, sometimes due to disasters, wars, & often it's because the routes are not profitable..HAL is not obliged to tell you why they changed their schedule....

Obviously HAL is not going into RIO anymore, so you will just have to find an alternative..

Why not take the cruise to BA & then catch a flight into RIO & stay for a couple of days on your own..Talk to your Travel Agent & see what she/he can offer you as an alternative..That's her/his job!

Experienced travelers understand that this happens often, & not just on Holland American!

BTW, once you turn your booking over to a Travel Agent you will never hear directly from HAL again..The rules are that they are not permitted to contact you once a Travel Agent is involved..

If you continue to travel after your retirement, you can expect situations like this to occur from time to time & you should try to learn to accept them & deal with them., or you will not be happy with any company..

Good luck & hope you find something which will be just as nice for your retirement..

Cheers...Betty

[serendipity1499]

Forgot to add that another reason they cancel cruises or flights is because the ship/aircraft is chartered..Obviously this is jnot the case for your cruise though..

BTW if you still have your heart set on cruise to RIO, & don't want to fly from BA, some of the Amazon cruises end up in RIO ..We've done the Amazon twice & loved it...

 

As another poster mentioned, the Veendam is leaving BA on Jan 30 for a 21 day cruise to Antartica & arrives in Valparaiso on Feb. 20....That's why your cruise was cancelled..

Cheers..Betty

[HalFan]

I have had no apology, reason or regret from either HAL or my TA which leaves a sour taste. So much for customer service............

 

Three identical alternatives have been offered but each terminates in BA not Rio as we particularly wanted to visit there. Is it to do with the cost of a Visa in Brazil? A refund is also offered but I bet they will not be in a rush to send my $1600 back........does anyone have experience of this?

 

There is a Rio-Valparaiso cruise leaving on December 20th for 21 days and it includes Antarctica. You might be interested and the price is less than the other Antarctica cruises even though it is a holiday cruise. The January 30th cruise is the last chance to see Antarctica on HAL. :(

[serendipity1499]

There is a Rio-Valparaiso cruise leaving on December 20th for 21 days and it includes Antarctica. You might be interested and the price is less than the other Antarctica cruises even though it is a holiday cruise. The January 30th cruise is the last chance to see Antarctica on HAL. :(

 

From the tone of her previous posts, don't believe she will be retired in Dec..

However, you just gave me some bad news.. Did not realize that HAL will no longer go into Antarctica after Jan 30..:(:(

We did RIO to Valparaiso in 2003 on the Amsterdam, but our cruise did not go into Antarctica..The cruise after ours went into Antartica..

I've been wanting to go back to Alaska, & figured the 14 day on the Amsterdam (my 2nd favorite HAL ship after the Prinsendam) would be great this Aug.. But DH today said why not Antartica instead..So tonight have been pricing out the Jan 30 cruise to Antartica.. Guess I should look at the Dec cruise too, even though we normally like to be home for Christmas..

Thanks for the tip..

Cheers...Betty

[Cosmic Rays]

Thanks Betty, your comments are appreciated and indeed understood. Thanks too for the alternative suggestions.

What really galls is their attitude but it seems they are not alone. If they said 'sorry, due to a schedule change the cruise you have booked has been cancelled. However, we are pleased to offer the following alternatives..............' That would have been customer service properly delivered, and having being in the hospitality industry all my working life not difficult to deliver surely?

[FredT]

I would almost guarantee you that Holland America DID notify your TA about this change... and the word simply did not get passed on to you. I know we just got off a HAL Antarctica trip and had constant updates from HAL after booking (But we booked through the company directly. )

 

BTW, After 14 cruises, Antarctica is one of the most increadable things we have ever seen.... consider it!