Holland America pulling out of Bermuda for 2019????

[joekerstef]

Also, within the letter were offers of OBC, but only if we chose from a list of 'selected' sailings.

Don't limit yourself to whatever cruises they've offered you. Last year we had a Veendam 11 day Canada cruise scheduled for August 2018 cancelled on us because they decided to make a summer run to Cuba. We were not excited about any of the replacement cruises offered to us. We eventually settled upon the 11 day Panama Canal sunfarer on Zuiderdam in December 2018 and we got the "so sorry" OBC for that (and I think we got to keep the other OBC we had for booking the original cruise while we were onboard Veendam to Bermuda). You may have to insist, but the argument is look HAL, you cancelled the cruise on us. If you're really sorry you'll throw us the extra $50 (or whatever you qualify for). Just pick a new cruise within the two month time period they give you and then insist on the OBC.

[Haboob]

Has the company offered an explanation for the stopping of these popular routes?

 

It's a popular destination, but it is also a destination with cutthroat competition.

 

I don't have the data so I cannot confirm, but if you check upthread, you'll find

the assertion that HAL has been shedding Bermuda itineraries over the last

several years; sort of 12, 8, 4, then 0 in 2019.

[Charles4515]

It's a popular destination, but it is also a destination with cutthroat competition.

 

 

 

I don't have the data so I cannot confirm, but if you check upthread, you'll find

 

the assertion that HAL has been shedding Bermuda itineraries over the last

 

several years; sort of 12, 8, 4, then 0 in 2019.

 

 

Veendam did Bermuda from New York from 2010 to 2012. Then Holland America pulled out completely. The rumor was they were unhappy because they could not keep the casino open, ( cruise ships can now keep it open some evening hours) although as I recall the casino was small and I never saw many in there when it was open on sea days. Don’t recall the exact number of sailings but something like at least 12 sounds right sailing from Manhattan. They returned Veendam to Bermuda in 2015 from Boston with 6 sailings. And those were at the beginning of the yearly cruise season, not the prime part of the season. They then went to 4 and are now pulling Veendam out again. Doing 6 or 4 sailings is not a regular presence. More like an afterthought. Also there is nothing to say that Holland America won’t return the Veendam or another ship to Bermuda in the future. Certainly the decisions have been financial decisions, not political decisions.

[Greysandy]

I'm glad I stumbled on this. We were planning on doing the Canada/Bermuda combo cruise in 2019, so now we need to make alternative plans...

[William W]

It is most likely a business decision. Looking at the May 12 2018 sailing, it looks like there are still plenty of cabins still available. Thus, they will probably have to further discount to fill the ship.

[LMaxwell]

Would be interested if company addresses the business reasons

[Mumsysailor]

 

 

 

Also, within the letter were offers of OBC, but only if we chose from a list of 'selected' sailings.

 

 

We negotiated and have our OBC. In my opinion 3 of the 4 alternatives cruises were not suitable and we didn’t want to do Montreal to Boston return with the same ports both ways. We very nearly cancelled altogether.

 

 

 

 

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[kazu]

We negotiated and have our OBC. In my opinion 3 of the 4 alternatives cruises were not suitable and we didn’t want to do Montreal to Boston return with the same ports both ways. We very nearly cancelled altogether.

 

 

 

 

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Good for you Mumsy :). Glad to hear it :).

 

I didn't care for the choices that were offered as an "alternative" either.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Would be interested if company addresses the business reasons

 

The business reason is that they need a smaller ship to go to Venice now that Venice is restricting larger ships. HAL has fewer small ships than they used to, and it's likely that of their choices, Veendam was the easiest one to move, or the one with the fewest bookings and fewer passengers to disappoint.