HAL Itinerary Change Question

[CabinBoy2020]

To you experienced HAL cruisers:  I'm booked on the Oosterdam Dec 7 and Dec 14 Mexican Riviera cruise (B2B).  HAL just notified us that the schedule for all three ports has been changed.  We still go to each port but in a different order.  The sea days were also switched.  I don't have any problem with the new schedule, but just wonder about the reason.  No explanation was given.  Any ideas?  Thx.

 

 

[canadianbear]

We are on the 2 weeks as well but starting November 30 and our ports are changed.    They use “operational reasons” which could cover almost anything.  Maybe too many ships scheduled?   It doesn’t matter to us but I feel for people that have booked private excursions who are now scrambling to change.  

Edited November 21, 2019 by canadianbear

[Krazy Kruizers]

Most of the time when this has happened to us, it was because too many ships were scheduled for a port.  And it seems that HAL always volunteers to switch their itinerary the most as compared to other cruise lines.

[bennybear]

It can be extremely frustrating.  On our last cruise there were at least three port drops and changes before.  Then switching order during, shortening ports by three hours, arriving an hour earlier at others.  It was a real pain with private tours,  I sometimes wonder if that is the point.🤔

[Seasick Sailor]

Most tour companies roll with the punches and accommodate when possible. Viking made some changes on a 3 week cruise we took last year. We were thankful they didn't cancel or change the 2 Cuba stops, as now it seems we won't be going to Cuba again anytime soon. 

[Storylady]

Without knowing what days you were to be in port, it is hard to say. But I suspect it is because you would have been in Matzatlan with too many ships. One of which is much larger than the Oosterdam. 

[farjar]

5 hours ago, canadianbear said:

We are on the 2 weeks as well but starting November 30 and our ports are changed.    They use “operational reasons” which could cover almost anything.  Maybe too many ships scheduled?   It doesn’t matter to us but I feel for people that have booked private excursions who are now scrambling to change.  

The original itinerary was:

Dec. 2   Cabo   Oosterdam; Royal Princess; Seven Sea Navigator

Dec. 3   Mazatlán   Oosterdam only

Dec. 4   Puerto Vallarta   Oosterdam; Norwegian Joy; Visions of the Sea

 

New itinerary:

Dec. 3   Puerto Vallarta  Oosterdam; Rotterdam

Dec. 4   Mazatlán   Oosterdam; Norwegian Joy; Carnival Miracle

Dec. 5   Cabo    Oosterdam only

 

Since Cabo is the only port we plan on getting off the ship we actually like the change.  Cabo is a tender port so the fewer people the better.

 

[oakridger]

farjar I'm on the November 30th and December 7th cruises also and noticed that the December 2nd Cabo looked crowded for tendering, which may have instigated the change. Unfortunately the December 5th day starts so early (7:00am) and departs at 3:00 which cuts into the day for excursions to be finished in time to tender everyone back to the ship.  It doesn't matter to me because I have no excrsions booked but others may be unhappy with the Cabo timing. See you on the ship!!!

 

~Nancy

[sail7seas]

10 hours ago, peanuts5454 said:

Most tour companies roll with the punches and accommodate when possible. Viking made some changes on a 3 week cruise we took last year. We were thankful they didn't cancel or change the 2 Cuba stops, as now it seems we won't be going to Cuba again anytime soon. 

 

No cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports are permitted to sail to Cuba...   this is Not a Hal 'thing'.  It is the gov't. 

 

 

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by sail7seas

[Suzcruz57]

16 hours ago, bennybear said:

It can be extremely frustrating.  On our last cruise there were at least three port drops and changes before.  Then switching order during, shortening ports by three hours, arriving an hour earlier at others.  It was a real pain with private tours,  I sometimes wonder if that is the point.🤔

When do they notify you of a change in schedule?

[Seasick Sailor]

11 hours ago, sail7seas said:

 

No cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports are permitted to sail to Cuba...   this is Not a Hal 'thing'.  It is the gov't. 

 

 

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

Correct. That's why I said we were thankful we got to see Cuba LAST YEAR on our Viking cruise.. 

 

THU NOV 22, 2018 Embark In Miami, Florida on Viking Star 06:00 AM 06:00 PM

Penthouse Veranda - 6087
FRI NOV 23, 2018 Cruise The Caribbean Sea
SAT NOV 24, 2018 Santiago De Cuba, Cuba 12:00 PM 06:00 PM
SUN NOV 25, 2018 Cruise The Caribbean Sea
MON NOV 26, 2018 Cienfuegos, Cuba 06:00 AM 07:00 PM
TUE NOV 27, 2018 Cruise The Caribbean Sea
WED NOV 28, 2018 At Sea
THU NOV 29, 2018 Puerto Limon (San Jose), Costa Rica 07:00 AM 04:00 PM
FRI NOV 30, 2018 Scenic Cruising: Panama Canal, At Sea 04:45 AM 05:00 PM
FRI NOV 30, 2018 Panama City (Fuerte Amador), Panama 06:00 PM
SAT DEC 01, 2018 Panama City (Fuerte Amador) 06:00 PM
SUN DEC 02, 2018 Cruise The Pacific Ocean
MON DEC 03, 2018 Puntarenas, Costa Rica 08:00 AM 04:00 PM
TUE DEC 04, 2018 Corinto, Nicaragua 11:00 AM 06:00 PM
WED DEC 05, 2018 Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala 09:00 AM 06:00 PM
THU DEC 06, 2018 Cruise The Pacific Ocean
FRI DEC 07, 2018 At Sea
SAT DEC 08, 2018 At Sea
SUN DEC 09, 2018 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 07:00 AM 06:00 PM
MON DEC 10, 2018 Cruise The Pacific Ocean
TUE DEC 11, 2018 At Sea
WED DEC 12, 2018 San Diego, California, United States 07:00 AM 07:00 PM
THU DEC 13, 2018 Disembark In Los Angeles, California 05:00 AM 09:00 PM
= Anchor / Tender
Itinerary Comments
Important: All guests are required to have a Cuba Medical coverage provided by Viking and a Cuba Travel Card or Specialized Visa to enter Cuba and participate

[MarKandi]

23 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Most of the time when this has happened to us, it was because too many ships were scheduled for a port.  And it seems that HAL always volunteers to switch their itinerary the most as compared to other cruise lines.

There may be Financial incentives from the port(s) in question for them to change their schedule at the last minute.

[bennybear]

7 hours ago, Suzcruz57 said:

When do they notify you of a change in schedule?

Sometimes not until the night before and even then there was confusion.  Other times were  a couple of weeks before cruise.  Very frustrating.

[Floridiana]

The captain of the Koningsdam was asked for the reasons for port changes on our Med itinerary. He said, itineraries are made 2 years ahead. In the meantime one port introduced a new ruling that it wouldn't accept ships of the Koningsdam size any more (Ravenna). A new port was added as replacement, but people didn't like that port. Another port was found to replace it but it was only available on a different day which made it necessary to change the dates and line up of two other ports.

 

We were notified several weeks before our cruise. All ports were perfect for us. We rarely book private tours ahead of time. 

[bennybear]

We too were on the Koningsdam and they replaced Ravenna with Koper for us ahead of time.  But they also dropped a port in Malta.  I can understand changes well ahead but an explanation would be nice. 

 

Much later, like just a week or two before embarkation, They shortened Athens  by three hours and switched Mykonos and Kusadasi.  But the changes to Catania only became apparent the night before and even then it wasn’t clear.   This seems excessive.  

 

We were told no reason for the drop of Ravenna,  and weren’t given any other port, it was just changed to Koper the same date.   Was that the same on your cruise or did they switch it for something else?  

 

I would think if they actually explained  people would be more understanding.   As it was for us it was a major pain,  literally.   To be trying to contact your tour contacts while at sea is expensive at best.  

Edited November 22, 2019 by bennybear

[sail7seas]

Thus   a very real advantage to doing more  ruise line tours and fewer independent..   Yah, yah, yah,  I think most of us know  the usual arguments for and against , however, if it is such a "pain" when itinraries es are  changed.....  why  continue to   deal with the pain?   If HAL wered tgo announce he   reason for the change, would it be less painful? We  knoww they have every  right and   it is stated in the cruise contract    and igs  not an  unusual part of cruising.   accept  t his happens from time to time.  HAL does not cancel   or change on a lark,   there are   an y number  of  reasons but I dont' see a need fofr  a major announcement happens

 

If one c ruises enough, it is sure to  happen on   one ( or more  of their cruises) .

 

 

 

 

  A major  announcement will not void the change or cancellation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by sail7seas

[bennybear]

True Sail, perhaps that’s the point🤔.   I understand it happens, and it has happened to us a lot.   I for one,  would just appreciate an explanation, ie,  so many ships in port, ....

would soften the pain so to speak when things become inconvenient, especially after the fifth change to one cruise.

Edited November 30, 2019 by bennybear

[kazu]

On 11/22/2019 at 2:27 PM, bennybear said:

We too were on the Koningsdam and they replaced Ravenna with Koper for us ahead of time.  But they also dropped a port in Malta.  I can understand changes well ahead but an explanation would be nice. 

 

Much later, like just a week or two before embarkation, They shortened Athens  by three hours and switched Mykonos and Kusadasi.  But the changes to Catania only became apparent the night before and even then it wasn’t clear.   This seems excessive.  

 

We were told no reason for the drop of Ravenna,  and weren’t given any other port, it was just changed to Koper the same date.   Was that the same on your cruise or did they switch it for something else?  

 

I would think if they actually explained  people would be more understanding.   As it was for us it was a major pain,  literally.   To be trying to contact your tour contacts while at sea is expensive at best.  

 

That’s a shame that you missed Ravenna.

there are some amazing mosaics in that city.

 

I hear you and totally understand on itineraries changing.

 

I need my internet for various reasons and the tour contacts is one of them in case of changes with them or by me.  It’s worth it for me to have the joy and flexibility of a smaller group of 6 - 8 people which lets us see much more in more detail than in a bus with 40 people.

I blame HAL for giving me a taste of that with their “Secrets of the Vatican” tour with just 8 of us.  A shame they don’t do more of them 😉 

 

[bennybear]

Fortunately,  we had visited Ravenna previously because the mosaics are incredible!  

I agree the small tours are totally worth it, and our tour guides rolled with the changes even less than 24 hours notice!   Just made for a very intensive experience.  Thanks for the understanding.

[Floridiana]

On 11/22/2019 at 1:27 PM, bennybear said:

 I can understand changes well ahead but an explanation would be nice. 

 

The captain explained it in one of his Q&A answer hours. The city of Ravenna had unexpectedly banned ships of Koningsdam's size starting Jan 1, 2019. The itinerary planners had to find alternatives which pushed several ports around due to distance and availability. Itineraries are made 2-3 years ahead and lots of things can happen  which make it impossible to stick to the original plan. I just go with the flow, especially in the Mediterranean where you can walk around and/or pick up a tour in port.

 

 

[Homosassa]

Read through this thread. A HAL bridge officer explains what is meant by operational reasons.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2712911-due-to-operational-reasons/

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

Cunard is pretty good about explaining changes. On a Caribbean cruise, they swapped ports around to get us into St Maarten on a day where there would be only one other ship. The original itinerary would have had us there on a day when the port was maxed out with big ships.  Another time, maybe 15 years ago, the day before we were to go to Cartegena, they announced that the stop there would be replaced by a stop in Curacao (a better port IMO, so I was happy), due to "unrest in Colombia." Child of the sixties that I am, my first thought was "Weren't the SDS sit-ins at Columbia U over a long time ago?" 

 

[bennybear]

2 hours ago, Floridiana said:

 

The captain explained it in one of his Q&A answer hours. The city of Ravenna had unexpectedly banned ships of Koningsdam's size starting Jan 1, 2019. The itinerary planners had to find alternatives which pushed several ports around due to distance and availability. Itineraries are made 2-3 years ahead and lots of things can happen  which make it impossible to stick to the original plan. I just go with the flow, especially in the Mediterranean where you can walk around and/or pick up a tour in port.

 

 

I understand that one and appreciate you sharing it,  and that was done months earlier as was the change in Malta.  Can you share the reason  for all the other changes? 

 

But the one just weeks ahead flipping Kusadasi and Mykonos and shortening Athens was a real pain.   I am unaware of the reason for that one.  

 

Yes, you can walk off the ship and wander. But if like us you have been many times and are planning an overnight to see Meteora, three hours less has a big impact.  As does flipping ports to Kusadasi and rearranging a private tour to three ancient  cities as was this was our fourth trip to Kusadasi. 

 

Just seems like an inordinate amount of changes on this cruise.   Not to mention the dropping of a port in Malta,  and last minute within hours  timing change in Catania.   Do you know why those were changed?  

 

So for me an actual explanation at the time would have been appreciated.

Edited December 1, 2019 by bennybear

[Floridiana]

If I remember correctly, the ship stayed in Valletta overnight because divers did repairs on the ship. That cut off the second port.  I don't even remember a time change in Catania, but it might have been the technical issue that was resolved in Malta. The only way to find out about the reason for changes is the captain's Q&A session. I understand that port time changes are annoying when you plan private tours.

[sail7seas]

More often than not  when  we have had a port cancelled we have gotten a day a sea.  Okay, as long as the   ship is operating properly and  all are safe there are worse ways to s pend a 'relaxing day'.  Disappointting

 

 

   Yes, life is  full  of small and large disappointments.

 

 

IMO, we sound like  bunch of whiney  spoiled  young children.   🙂

 

 

How many people would walk on hot coals  for the chance to do some of the  cruising/traveling  many of us here have been so privileged  to experience?.

Edited December 1, 2019 by sail7seas