For those booked on sold ships - check your bookings!

[Infi]

A PSA for anyone who had bookings on the Amsterdam, Maasdam, Rotterdam, or Veendam. We were booked on the Amsterdam's holiday cruise for this year, and just called our TA this morning. I wanted to move our booking over to the Volendam holiday cruise, and instead was informed that HAL had switched us to the holiday sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam. We never received an email notification about this from HAL beyond the announcement that the ships had been sold, nor does it appear in our personalizer online. Needless to say, this was quite the unwelcome surprise, so wanted to tell others to check their bookings. Hope this helps those who are in the same boat - HAL may have chosen your new cruise for you without your knowledge!

[RuthC]

Thanks for the alert. Will do. 

I was booked on the Rotterdam for the unusual New England/ Canada cruise that went to Newfoundland, and over to Greenland before turning around. I saw on a link that the ordinary New England/Canada cruise was considered the alternative. It is not. 
Since the letter I received noted that my booking was 'canceled' and not 'moved' or 'transferred' (or similar), it never crossed my mind to check. 

[DaveOKC]

25 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Thanks for the alert. Will do. 

I was booked on the Rotterdam for the unusual New England/ Canada cruise that went to Newfoundland, and over to Greenland before turning around. I saw on a link that the ordinary New England/Canada cruise was considered the alternative. It is not. 
Since the letter I received noted that my booking was 'canceled' and not 'moved' or 'transferred' (or similar), it never crossed my mind to check. 

On the same cruise (greenland) in mid August and nothing changed on my file.

 

[wesport]

I was on the Rotterdam Greenland 7/26. Got the email that it was canceled. I requested the FCC for double the deposit. Rotterdam cruise still remains in my account as the original booking. I just assume it hasn't been removed yet. 

[richwmn]

34 minutes ago, Infi said:

We were booked on the Amsterdam's holiday cruise for this year, and just called our TA this morning. I wanted to move our booking over to the Volendam holiday cruise, and instead was informed that HAL had switched us to the holiday sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

I was successfully moved from Amsterdam to Volendam. I called my TA Wednesday evening when the news came out, and let them know what I wanted. Yesterday morning I talked to them and got confirmation that I was moved over and even got the cabin I wanted.

 

[Infi]

21 minutes ago, richwmn said:

I was successfully moved from Amsterdam to Volendam. I called my TA Wednesday evening when the news came out, and let them know what I wanted. Yesterday morning I talked to them and got confirmation that I was moved over and even got the cabin I wanted.

 

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with successfully moving to the Volendam, I'm glad there is still space on that sailing. I need to call back my TA to move us over, but I was truly shocked HAL had moved us to the NA without our knowledge or consent. When I received the new invoice, HAL had simply ported over everything, including our cabin number, which does not even exist on the NA. The only thing that DIDN'T get ported over was our extra OBC we had earned for booking during a promo onboard. Sigh.

 

Interestingly, the Amsterdam cruise still appears in both the personalizer and the HAL app, and even allows one to make bookings for shore excursions. The same is also true in the HAL app for our canceled July 25th Rotterdam cruise, which still has a countdown and options to book onboard dining and shore excursions. One would think that with the lead time HAL likely had prior to this decision, they could have done a better sweep of the app, bookings, the website, etc. 

[Infi]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

Thanks for the alert. Will do. 

I was booked on the Rotterdam for the unusual New England/ Canada cruise that went to Newfoundland, and over to Greenland before turning around. I saw on a link that the ordinary New England/Canada cruise was considered the alternative. It is not. 
Since the letter I received noted that my booking was 'canceled' and not 'moved' or 'transferred' (or similar), it never crossed my mind to check. 

 

Agreed - there is no comparison between those two cruises. I saw that Rotterdam itinerary to Greenland and it looked like a lovely one, almost a mini version of VOV. 

 

Note to HAL - your version of a suitable alternative itinerary may not be the same as a guest's. 

[KirkNC]

They did the same to us when they sold the Prinsendam, moved us to a cruise on the Rotterdam which we promptly cancelled.

[Vict0riann]

2 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

They did the same to us when they sold the Prinsendam, moved us to a cruise on the Rotterdam which we promptly cancelled.

 

Same here.  I will be keeping an eye on my bookings to make sure nothing untoward happens like that!

[pschweig]

If HAL moves your booking to another ship, does anyone know if you still receive the FCC offer? 

[PROCRUISE]

We were scheduled on the Rotterdam, January 2021, Panama Canal.

Worked with our TA to be assured that we understood exactly what our options were with the HAL offer.

Now booked for Alaska in June, 2021 on the Volendam out of Vancouver - hopefully.

Our previous deposit was doubled, per HAL and within the next 60 days, this will more than cover the deposit with remainder applied to balance due. Picked up the three perks and some OBC too.

Now, to get this virus under control and a vaccine made available.

[Sharon in AZ]

3 hours ago, RuthC said:

I was booked on the Rotterdam for the unusual New England/ Canada cruise that went to Newfoundland, and over to Greenland before turning around. I saw on a link that the ordinary New England/Canada cruise was considered the alternative. It is not. 
Since the letter I received noted that my booking was 'canceled' and not 'moved' or 'transferred' (or similar), it never crossed my mind to check.

 

3 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

On the same cruise (greenland) in mid August and nothing changed on my file.

 

I was booked on the same itinerary for Aug 29, 2021.  Really loved the itinerary, some of New England/Canada with Newfoundland mixed in and so very disappointed that it is a no go.  It is still showing as a booked cruise for me along with a cancelled cruise that was to be this September.  Seems like the bookings don't get removed from the HAL website even if they are cancelled.

[BSR]

Thanks for the heads up.  I will check my booking.