Huge HAL Volendam Asia itinerary change, dropping Beijing!

[kazu]

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!

 

Congrats on the biz flights with points :). That is tough to do (I know as I try to do it all the time) and takes time and sometimes creativity.

 

It might be worth a look at your points website to see if there are biz class tickets available with maybe a stop or a slight change in itinerary so you can change (if you choose to do so.)

 

Most FF miles programmes let you cancel with a fee and restore your points as long as it is done before a certain time frame before the flight(mine is $180 and 22 days) so you might want to check your confirmation for the terms and conditions. Typically the change fee is the same as the cancellation fee. Taxes may be different though.

 

I consider information and knowing my options as power ;). It lets you make a rational decision and know the ramifications

 

Travel insurance typically does not cover points, but does cover the additional costs that you may have incurred (taxes) if you covered that cost. Most FF programmes refund those costs to you if you cancel in the allotted time.

 

Good luck.

Edited June 26, 2016 by kazu

[bennybear]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone! Storybook lady, our TA said HAL might help with changes.

Silver to gold I will ask about the new booking number for sure!

Kazu, I agree being informed is key before one makes the best decision. This boards experience is really helpful! I will checkout flight options if I were to change. I had just felt so lucky that flights worked with the cruise and cherry blossoms. And this has thrown a big wrench in it.

I guess we have been fortunate so far in never having a complete itinerary change! I have experienced changes in a port or two due to weather. I just wished they had done this redeployment earlier before flights were booked. I am still hoping for an explanation. I asked about a charter and was told that it wasn't that. So we will see.

[bknauer]

We booked this cruise a couple weeks ago and were in the process of booking our flights through HAL last Tuesday when HAL told our TA that there were changes being made to the itinerary. So our TA said we should wait to book the flights until after the changes were made. I'm glad we did. Beijing is a port we want to visit, so we are going to look at other options.

 

I think HAL changed this itinerary because they had 3 - 14 day cruises in a row with the same port calls. It looks like they have now added 28 day cruises around these so they can book people on the longer cruises and have different port calls. Just my guess, I have no inside information.

[blizzardboy]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone! Storybook lady, our TA said HAL might help with changes.

Silver to gold I will ask about the new booking number for sure!

Kazu, I agree being informed is key before one makes the best decision. This boards experience is really helpful! I will checkout flight options if I were to change. I had just felt so lucky that flights worked with the cruise and cherry blossoms. And this has thrown a big wrench in it.

I guess we have been fortunate so far in never having a complete itinerary change! I have experienced changes in a port or two due to weather. I just wished they had done this redeployment earlier before flights were booked. I am still hoping for an explanation. I asked about a charter and was told that it wasn't that. So we will see.

If it will ease the pain, after cherry blossoms, not being able to see the horizon or breathe without a gas mask due to the air pollution might make Beijing a disappointment.

Edited June 26, 2016 by blizzardboy

[bennybear]

We booked this cruise a couple weeks ago and were in the process of booking our flights through HAL last Tuesday when HAL told our TA that there were changes being made to the itinerary. So our TA said we should wait to book the flights until after the changes were made. I'm glad we did. Beijing is a port we want to visit, so we are going to look at other options.

 

I think HAL changed this itinerary because they had 3 - 14 day cruises in a row with the same port calls. It looks like they have now added 28 day cruises around these so they can book people on the longer cruises and have different port calls. Just my guess, I have no inside information.

 

That is what I was wondering too! I just think they need to be upfront and also offer some compensation for the disappointment and time it will take to resolve.

[OlsSalt]

If it will ease the pain, after cherry blossoms, not being able to see the horizon or breathe without a gas mask due to the air pollution might make Beijing a disappointment.

 

ITA. Plus the crowds and the noisy loud-speakers the Chinese tour group's use ....everywhere. Beijing does need to be a land trip on its own, over enough time to take it all in, and recuperate between sites. I was there first in the 1990's and then every ten years later.

 

Whowhee ...not sure I would ever go back after our last trip. Which made our silly little spur of the moment trip to Harbin China in the dead of winter for the Ice Festival even more welcome --since no one wants to go to Harbin in the dead of winter ...except for the Chinese internal tourists which have made an even bigger impact on all of these tourism sites, than all external visitors combined today.

 

When dealing in multiples of millions now eager and ready to visit their own country, there are crowds ...and crowds ...and crowds ... and busses ...and busses and busses .... and lines and noise ete, etc, etc. HAL may be doing you a favor in disguise providing alternate cruise ports.

[blizzardboy]

That is what I was wondering too! I just think they need to be upfront and also offer some compensation for the disappointment and time it will take to resolve.

I wouldn't wait on them to offer compensation. I'd politely demand it. Silent wheels don't often get greased!

[Karennella]

ITA. Plus the crowds and the noisy loud-speakers the Chinese tour group's use ....everywhere. Beijing does need to be a land trip on its own, over enough time to take it all in, and recuperate between sites. I was there first in the 1990's and then every ten years later.

 

Whowhee ...not sure I would ever go back after our last trip. Which made our silly little spur of the moment trip to Harbin China in the dead of winter for the Ice Festival even more welcome --since no one wants to go to Harbin in the dead of winter ...except for the Chinese internal tourists which have made an even bigger impact on all of these tourism sites, than all external visitors combined today.

 

When dealing in multiples of millions now eager and ready to visit their own country, there are crowds ...and crowds ...and crowds ... and busses ...and busses and busses .... and lines and noise ete, etc, etc. HAL may be doing you a favor in disguise providing alternate cruise ports.

 

We went to Harbin a few years ago and thought it was amazing. There were lots of Russian tourists there then.

[SilvertoGold]

We went to Harbin a few years ago and thought it was amazing. There were lots of Russian tourists there then.

 

Harbin is on my list! Did you go during the Ice Festival, too..

 

We've seen a lot of China, but not the northern area.

Edited June 27, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[OlsSalt]

Harbin is on my list! Did you go during the Ice Festival, too..

 

We've seen a lot of China, but not the northern area.

 

Do it. One of the best trips ever. It is worth about four days, and bring something to wear on your feet that lets you easily walk on ice, if necessary. Most paths are kept clear, but some are not. There are four main Ice Festival venues to explore, as well as the very interesting pedestrian shopping street that also displays ice sculptures as well as multiple food booths and shops for hats, boots and gloves if you need to get warmer.

 

The Four Main Activty Venues: (1)The ice festival site at night where the huge lighted, ice monuments along with fantastic ice sculptures are collected, (2) the huge snow sculpture site during the day that requires a lot of walking and the (3) ice playground for families and pedestrian street in the daytime. And then the (4) pedestrian street at night and the smaller downtown ice-carving and ice block structure park downtown

 

We stayed at the very modestly priced IBIS hotel on a DIY trip, which was perfect location and they run nightly tour bus to the Ice Festival itself. The rest you can walk to and take the overhead sky way at the end of the pedestrian street at the river to the Snow Sculptures which is in a lovely park across the frozen river. Though many people also walked across the frozen river to get to the Snow Sculpture site.

 

We went in mid February and luckily hit perfect weather -clear blue skies which cast shadows on the snow sculptures during the day time making then even more exquisite. Cold yes, but one can dress for it and there are warming huts where one can get some hot tea and things to eat -- like KFC chicken and egg tarts.

 

Going through Seoul, South Korea from the West Coast was a lot shorter for us to get down to Harbrin, than going to Beijing first and then up to Harbin.

Edited June 27, 2016 by OlsSalt

[SilvertoGold]

Do it. One of the best trips ever. It is worth about four days, and bring something to wear on your feet that lets you easily walk on ice, if necessary. Most paths are kept clear, but some are not. There are four main Ice Festival venues to explore, as well as the very interesting pedestrian shopping street that also displays ice sculptures as well as multiple food booths and shops for hats, boots and gloves if you need to get warmer.

 

The Four Main Activty Venues: (1)The ice festival site at night where the huge lighted, ice monuments along with fantastic ice sculptures are collected, (2) the huge snow sculpture site during the day that requires a lot of walking and the (3) ice playground for families and pedestrian street in the daytime. And then the (4) pedestrian street at night and the smaller downtown ice-carving and ice block structure park downtown

 

We stayed at the very modestly priced IBIS hotel on a DIY trip, which was perfect location and they run nightly tour bus to the Ice Festival itself. The rest you can walk to and take the overhead sky way at the end of the pedestrian street at the river to the Snow Sculptures which is in a lovely park across the frozen river. Though many people also walked across the frozen river to get to the Snow Sculpture site.

 

We went in mid February and luckily hit perfect weather -clear blue skies which cast shadows on the snow sculptures during the day time making then even more exquisite. Cold yes, but one can dress for it and there are warming huts where one can get some hot tea and things to eat -- like KFC chicken and egg tarts.

 

Going through Seoul, South Korea from the West Coast was a lot shorter for us to get down to Harbrin, than going to Beijing first and then up to Harbin.

 

Thank you SO much.

 

I have printed this out and will look into planning for next year. Was thinking of flying from Shanghai, but now have a better plan.

This will take a bit of work in the planning but I am so glad to have your help in this.

[OlsSalt]

Thank you SO much.

 

I have printed this out and will look into planning for next year. Was thinking of flying from Shanghai, but now have a better plan.

This will take a bit of work in the planning but I am so glad to have your help in this.

 

Here is a link to the hotel we used - reading these similar negative reviews filled us with trepidation (bordering on near hysteria) before we arrived but in fact it worked out just fine- you do have to be resourceful as there is little English language help in this city, but the price and location simply could not be beat. If you know IBIS hotels in Europe you know they are absolutely no frills but do provide a clean place to sleep and work around in a small bathroom. We brought packets of hot chocolate powder to mix up with the room tea kettle. They were perfect ways to start the day. And then on to our merry adventures in the next door Food Court for a "Chinese" breakfast - absolutely delicious.

 

There are other hotels that offer more luxury, but none have this really great location. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297433-d1400562-Reviews-Ibis_Harbin_Sophia_Church_Hotel-Harbin_Heilongjiang.html The hotel reviews offer other tips for a trip to the Ice Festival and restaurants.

 

Hopefully we have not gone too far off cruising here, but part of this is a discussion of when a port gets dropped how can one make up for the lost experience.

[SilvertoGold]

Here is a link to the hotel we used - reading these similar negative reviews filled us with trepidation (bordering on near hysteria) before we arrived but in fact it worked out just fine- you do have to be resourceful as there is little English language help in this city, but the price and location simply could not be beat. If you know IBIS hotels in Europe you know they are absolutely no frills but do provide a clean place to sleep and work around in a small bathroom. We brought packets of hot chocolate powder to mix up with the room tea kettle. They were perfect ways to start the day. And then on to our merry adventures in the next door Food Court for a "Chinese" breakfast - absolutely delicious.

 

There are other hotels that offer more luxury, but none have this really great location. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297433-d1400562-Reviews-Ibis_Harbin_Sophia_Church_Hotel-Harbin_Heilongjiang.html The hotel reviews offer other tips for a trip to the Ice Festival and restaurants.

 

Hopefully we have not gone too far off cruising here, but part of this is a discussion of when a port gets dropped how can one make up for the lost experience.

 

Thanks very much for the extra info. Will use your reference as a starting place. Agree that the hotel sounds the best.

 

Our first idea was to combine a cruise with the side trip to Harbin. We would still prefer to do that. Japan, too.

 

Will be spending some time reading the excellent review section of Cruise Critic to find the best cruise for this trip.

[Karennella]

We went to Harbin a few years ago and thought it was amazing. There were lots of Russian tourists there then.

 

Yes we were there during the Ice Festival. Relatives were expats in Shanghai at the time and they gave us the idea.

I would have preferred to have gone on a tour though as very little English was spoken. Even though we stayed at the Holiday Inn they had trouble explaining aspects of buying tickets and this was before smartphones etc. Having said that people were exceedingly helpful to us.

You can imagine how exciting we found coming from a city where it never snows. It has actually snowed this week in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, the type of snow that lasts about four hours yet it was saturation coverage in the media.

I find China fascinating and am in the middle of booking a land tour there for next year to Yunnan.

[bennybear]

If it will ease the pain, after cherry blossoms, not being able to see the horizon or breathe without a gas mask due to the air pollution might make Beijing a disappointment.

 

You may well be right. ;)

 

Thanks to all re the discussion re alternatives. It appears our original cruise is cancelled and redeployed to this new one. It also seems the cruises preceding and following have other changes but of only a few ports.

Would still love to know why.

I do understand the changes necessitated by weather or political unrest but this leaves me scratching my head. One of the possible reasons give was marketing, whatever that may mean.

[Tampa Girl]

You may well be right. ;)

 

Thanks to all re the discussion re alternatives. It appears our original cruise is cancelled and redeployed to this new one. It also seems the cruises preceding and following have other changes but of only a few ports.

Would still love to know why.

I do understand the changes necessitated by weather or political unrest but this leaves me scratching my head. One of the possible reasons give was marketing, whatever that may mean.

 

Have you decided whether or not to take the new cruise?

[bennybear]

Tampa girl, I think we will most likely stay with the cruise. We have booked two weeks in Japan and with already having the air we are pretty committed. Just disappointed about Beijing. We looked at switching and we would have to pay change fees and an extra flight so not sure we can squeeze it in.

[bennybear]

We booked this cruise a couple weeks ago and were in the process of booking our flights through HAL last Tuesday when HAL told our TA that there were changes being made to the itinerary. So our TA said we should wait to book the flights until after the changes were made. I'm glad we did. Beijing is a port we want to visit, so we are going to look at other options.

 

I think HAL changed this itinerary because they had 3 - 14 day cruises in a row with the same port calls. It looks like they have now added 28 day cruises around these so they can book people on the longer cruises and have different port calls. Just my guess, I have no inside information.

 

Just wondering if you decided to stay on this cruise?

[bknauer]

Just wondering if you decided to stay on this cruise?

 

No, we rebooked for the week earlier. HAL did give us 200 OBC for the inconvenience.