Huge HAL Volendam Asia itinerary change, dropping Beijing!

[bennybear]

Has anyone else received notice of huge ASia itinerary changes March 2017?

They have completely removed Beijing. On a 14 day cruise only departure and arrival port didn't change but the complete itinerary changed with only one other port Shanghai remaining but on a different day.

 

Not sure why? Completely throws my whole trip into disarray, and have already booked flights!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Cruise lines to have the right to change itineraries.

Have you called HAL or have your TA call HAL and ask why there is such a big change in your cruise itinerary?

[Essiesmom]

Where are you seeing this? Are you on the March 14 or 28th cruise? HAL still lists it on their website for the 28th - some sites list port as Tianjin instead of Xingang, but it is the same place, port for Beijing. How does this affect your airfare, as it is not the embarkation/debark port? EM

[HarR]

. How does this affect your airfare, as it is not the embarkation/debark port? EM

 

If OP is considering to cancel the cruise because the new itinerary is not to his liking he will be stuck with the air tickets.

 

In such case canceling the cruise is not really an option.

 

 

OT: Tjanjin cruise terminal is just a block away of where that HUGE explosion took place. Wonder if that area still looks like a warzone.

[bennybear]

Cruise lines to have the right to change itineraries.

Have you called HAL or have your TA call HAL and ask why there is such a big change in your cruise itinerary?

 

I received notice of this last night so had to wait until this morning to call TA, who then spoke to HAL. In TA's 15years of experience he has never seen a change this big other than a complete cancellation.

HAL forwarded him to redeployment desk who gave a pat answer of possible port issues or possible dry dock.

I realize they can and do change itineraries but 12 changes to a 14 day cruise!

[bennybear]

Where are you seeing this? Are you on the March 14 or 28th cruise? HAL still lists it on their website for the 28th - some sites list port as Tianjin instead of Xingang, but it is the same place, port for Beijing. How does this affect your airfare, as it is not the embarkation/debark port? EM

 

I received an email last night from my TA. It is the March 14 cruise. Beijing is totally gone, not a port change. As is Korea, gone, as are the two ports in Japan. They have added Taiwan, and two obscure Japanese ports. shimizu, and Hososhima (not Hiroshima). They have also added Osaka where I have already booked several nights. I have never been to Asia and wanted to see the Great Wall and Beijing. So I am reeling about what to do.

 

HarR is correct, I am feeling locked in because I have my flights booked! I am going to have to give this a lot of thought. I just would like an honest explanation of why? I am guessing the cruise was not selling as they have many duplicates but why they would completely change it? Is it for a different market? If I was to cancel I would take a financial hit.

[OlsSalt]

Trying to decide if the Berlin or the the Beijing turn-around shore excursion was the more daunting - I think I vote Beijing based upon the sheer traffic, crowds, pollution and congestion one finds during that exhausting day tripper.

[donaldsc]

Has anyone else received notice of huge ASia itinerary changes March 2017?

They have completely removed Beijing. On a 14 day cruise only departure and arrival port didn't change but the complete itinerary changed with only one other port Shanghai remaining but on a different day.

 

Not sure why? Completely throws my whole trip into disarray, and have already booked flights!

 

How much would it cost you to switch your flights as opposed to being forced to take a crappy cruise. Did you perhaps take "cancel for any reason" insurance.

 

Since the cruise is in March 2017, you do not have to rush and do something immediately. You can spend a few days and talk to your TA about your options. Also, is HAL willing to do anything for you?

 

Since the cost of changing your flights is probably less than the cost of the crappy cruise, if it were me I would probably find a better cruise and eat the cost of the flight rebooking.

 

DON

Edited June 24, 2016 by donaldsc

[Tampa Girl]

I received an email last night from my TA. It is the March 14 cruise. Beijing is totally gone, not a port change. As is Korea, gone, as are the two ports in Japan. They have added Taiwan, and two obscure Japanese ports. shimizu, and Hososhima (not Hiroshima). They have also added Osaka where I have already booked several nights. I have never been to Asia and wanted to see the Great Wall and Beijing. So I am reeling about what to do.

 

 

I'm not sure yof our point about Osaka since you have already booked several nights there. Do you mean that this new itinerary will add more nights in Osaka? If so, why not consider a side trip to Beijing from Osaka? I don't think that the cost is astronomical.

[USN59-79]

I just looked up that cruise and am quite pleased with it. Of course, if I had booked something very different and this was substituted I probably wouldn't be. I have wondered why HAL seldom visited other Asia ports, such as Taiwan, Okinawa and the Philippines. This cruise goes from Hong Kong to Manila to Kaohsiung and Keelung, Taiwan, to Naha, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Japan, Nagasaki and then a day in Shanghai and disenbark the next day. We never book this early, but I will keep it on my watch list for this Winter.

[SilvertoGold]

I can't find this cruise on the HAL site.

 

Would love to see the itinerary, as it sounds good to me. Excellent selection of ports! Loved Taiwan, Nagasaki is a fav, Shanghai wonderful!

[bennybear]

Thanks Don, will be considering my options.

Silver to gold, it isnt listed yet. They have dropped Nagasaki, which was a place I wanted to see. Good to know about Taiwan

Tampa girl. It gives me another day in Osaka which for me will be too much. Beijing I think is more than a day trip.

Olssalt. Point taken. Berlin Is gruelling! We had booked a hotel overnight for Beijing.

usn 59-79. Not sure where you see Manila? This cruise is Yokohama to Hong Kong. Must be after Hong Kong?

I agree there are always pros and cons but we booked based on what was advertised. So as HAL said. This is a drastic revision.

I too like visiting off the beaten path ports especially in Europe. But as this is our first trip to Asia I had tried for the highlights. And I just can't understand a complete revamp.

[Tampa Girl]

Are you flying home from Hong Kong? If so, can you change your port of departure to Beijing and fly from Hong Kong to Beijing for a couple of days. I agree that you will need a couple of days. It would be a shame to be that close to Beijing and not visit it.

[blizzardboy]

I can't find this cruise on the HAL site.

 

Would love to see the itinerary, as it sounds good to me. Excellent selection of ports! Loved Taiwan, Nagasaki is a fav, Shanghai wonderful!

 

Ditto! I was curious, but not to be found. It was still on Costco's site.

[USN59-79]

Sorry, I made a mistake. I was looking at the March 14, 2018Volendam cruise.

[Karennella]

They changed our Konigsdam cruise quite a lot after we had booked it and paid for our flights. We chose if for the Spanish and Portugese ports and they removed two and added days in Rotterdam and northern France.

We went, we enjoyed most of it but would never book another cruise based on wanting to go to particular ports.

[bennybear]

Tampa girl, we fly home from Japan so not sure I can make it work unless I change all my flights. But I will take a look.

Karennella glad you still had a good time. I agree that you shouldn't book based on a certain port but in this case they changed 12 of the 14 days! With only one port remaining other than embarkation disembarkation.

We will give it a lot of thought to decide what is best for us, but I do wish some explanation was given as it makes me uneasy. I know other HAL cruises before and after are still including Beijing and one is the same exact itinerary as ours was, but the dates won't work for us.

[Tampa Girl]

Tampa girl, we fly home from Japan so not sure I can make it work unless I change all my flights. But I will take a look.

 

Hope you can make it work Do you disembark in Hong Kong or Japan? I thought it was Hong Kong, thus my suggestion. You will be so close, relatively speaking, to Beijing during that trip, and I well understand how disappointed you will be if you can't see that city. Good luck with your planning. . .

[veryseasonedtraveler]

We were on the Volendam in April 2015. Many on board were frustrated with issues while overnighting in Beijing such as disembarkation issues. Many passengers were required to get off the ship for some inspection our last day. if touring independently, we were told to be back on board two hours before the ship's tours. Remember hearing rumors about a crew member and officials. We were also 2-3 hours late departing Beijing. Remember the captain announcing the officials were going to release us hopefully at a certain time. There were probably many things going on we didn't know about. My guess is HAL just got fed up with the Chinese situation.

[blizzardboy]

We've had two cruises cancelled in 2 years due to charters. Fortunately it was before 11 months out so we had yet to book airline tickets. For just such an occasion, I get travel insurance on airfare as soon as I buy tickets, especially international flights, as there are way too many variables to self-insure. I won't fly coach anymore so there's usually too much expense to not insure the the ticket cost.

[SilvertoGold]

We were on the Volendam in April 2015. Many on board were frustrated with issues while overnighting in Beijing such as disembarkation issues. Many passengers were required to get off the ship for some inspection our last day. if touring independently, we were told to be back on board two hours before the ship's tours. Remember hearing rumors about a crew member and officials. We were also 2-3 hours late departing Beijing. Remember the captain announcing the officials were going to release us hopefully at a certain time. There were probably many things going on we didn't know about. My guess is HAL just got fed up with the Chinese situation.

 

Much of this sounds like our experiences in Petropavlosk. HAL hasn't been sailing there for a while.

 

Other HAL Asia cruises are still showing Beijing on their itineraries right now, so there may be some special reasons for the decimation of the OP's itinerary.

[Storylady]

Switch your cruise from the March 14th sailing to the March 28th if you can only manage the 14 days. Otherwise the 28 day March 14th itinerary is fantastic. If I didn't already have a cruise booked around that time, I would do it.

 

As for your air. If you do decide to switch the itineraries, ask Holland America to refund you the portion of your air that you can't get back. I would suspect it might cost you $100 to $150 to change your flights. We got back the amount of money that it cost to restore our points when our itinerary changed. Personally, I wouldn't want to board in the port of Beijing. It is a real hassle dealing with the Chinese immigration.

 

Also, you will have a better opportunity to see cherry blossoms with the later March itinerary and the smog will be less in April than what you will have in March. Good luck on whatever you decide.

[bennybear]

Tampa girl, we disembark in Hong Kong but have flights to Tokyo a few days later. So not sure if we have enough time to make Beijing work. We'll see.

 

Very seasoned, the cruise immediately prior and after are going to Beijing, so I am at a loss again as to why.

 

Silver to gold, I have found out out original cruise has been redeployed and we have been given a new booking number. Hmm?

 

Story lady, we'll be in Japan the beginning of April for the cherry blossoms for 10 days. The March 28 reverse original itinerary goes back to Japan mid April probably too late for the blossoms, and doesn't fit with our air.

 

Blizzard boy, Yikes! Two charters In two years! I do have travel insurance but not sure how It would apply in this situation. I also scored business class tickets on points which is very hard to do, so really don't want to give them up for such long flights!

 

So we may have to make the best of it, but I think I am owed an explanation at the very least!

[SilvertoGold]

Tampa girl, we disembark in Hong Kong but have flights to Tokyo a few days later. So not sure if we have enough time to make Beijing work. We'll see.

 

Very seasoned, the cruise immediately prior and after are going to Beijing, so I am at a loss again as to why.

 

Silver to gold, I have found out out original cruise has been redeployed and we have been given a new booking number. Hmm?

 

Story lady, we'll be in Japan the beginning of April for the cherry blossoms for 10 days. The March 28 reverse original itinerary goes back to Japan mid April probably too late for the blossoms, and doesn't fit with our air.

 

Blizzard boy, Yikes! Two charters In two years! I do have travel insurance but not sure how It would apply in this situation. I also scored business class tickets on points which is very hard to do, so really don't want to give them up for such long flights!

 

So we may have to make the best of it, but I think I am owed an explanation at the very least!

 

The new booking number is important. I would ask why.

 

HAL owes you the fees you might need to pay to get changes made to your air, at minimum.

[Storylady]

Tampa girl, we disembark in Hong Kong but have flights to Tokyo a few days later. So not sure if we have enough time to make Beijing work. We'll see.

 

Very seasoned, the cruise immediately prior and after are going to Beijing, so I am at a loss again as to why.

 

Silver to gold, I have found out out original cruise has been redeployed and we have been given a new booking number. Hmm?

 

Story lady, we'll be in Japan the beginning of April for the cherry blossoms for 10 days. The March 28 reverse original itinerary goes back to Japan mid April probably too late for the blossoms, and doesn't fit with our air.

 

Blizzard boy, Yikes! Two charters In two years! I do have travel insurance but not sure how It would apply in this situation. I also scored business class tickets on points which is very hard to do, so really don't want to give them up for such long flights!

 

So we may have to make the best of it, but I think I am owed an explanation at the very least!

 

Check out the February 28th cruise as it goes from Hong Kong to Yokohama and makes a stop in Beijing and Nagaski. Do that cruise if you can be away that long and keep your new one since you have plans for Japan and the Cherry Blossoms. And definitely get HAL to pay for the flight changes due to changed itinerary.