Alaska in 2021 after all !!

[RetiredRich]

When the virus started we had Alaska cruise booked for August.  We cancelled the booked cruise and all transport and rescheduled for August 2021.  Very worried past few months about loosing that cruise also.  Now we see HAL will be cruising then and we are sure happy.  So we both have our shots now and are looking forward to the August 29th 2021 Alaska cruise.  Now to rebook all the transport and motel.  We will fly into Seattle the day before.

[Oakman58]

I can't find any Holland cruises for Alaska in 2021, I'm only seeing 2022.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

And the CDC "No Sail" order is in effect until November 1, 2021.

[KirkNC]

And Canada is closed as well so say what.....

[Lady Arwen]

Uummm, I doubt it.   Canada has a no sail order within our waters until 2022.  PVSA restricts cruises in the US without a stop at a foreign port.  

[Lady Arwen]

I just went to the HAL website and no Alaska cruises are showing for 2021, only 2022.  Where did you see these cruises being offered in 2021?

[YXU AC*SE]

14 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

I just went to the HAL website and no Alaska cruises are showing for 2021, only 2022.  Where did you see these cruises being offered in 2021?

 

2021 Alaska cruises are on stop-sell, meaning no new bookings are being permitted.   Existing bookings are being honoured, until HAL cancels them.  Currently, they have cancelled through June.  Scott. 

 

Source: https://gohal.com/app/uploads/2021/03/Trade-FAQ__3.16.21.docx

 

[Lady Arwen]

5 minutes ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

2021 Alaska cruises are on stop-sell, meaning no new bookings are being permitted.   Existing bookings are being honoured, until HAL cancels them.  Currently, they have cancelled through June.  Scott. 

 

Source: https://gohal.com/app/uploads/2021/03/Trade-FAQ__3.16.21.docx

 

Yes, I was aware of this.  Unfortunately, we know Canada is highly unlikely to change their mind and it will take an act of Congress to suspend the PVSA.   Alaska cruises for 2021 would take a miracle.

[YXU AC*SE]

4 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Alaska cruises for 2021 would take a miracle.

It was more for the benefit of the [very hopeful] OP.  🙂     Scott.   

 

[Lady Arwen]

2 minutes ago, YXU AC*SE said:

It was more for the benefit of the [very hopeful] OP.  🙂     Scott.   

 

Gotcha!  I feel so bad for these folks who want to cruise to Alaska in 2021 so badly.  Maybe there will be a miracle for them.  Maybe not.

[cruisegirl]

Retired Rich, I sincerely hope it works out for you but like others I don’t see how it can. As long as the CDC ban on cruises until 11/1/21 stays in effect no cruises are going out of Seattle or any US port. I won’t be in any hurry to book flight and hotel arrangements. Have you spoken to HAL or your TA? 

[RetiredRich]

I don't know about the CDC ban but I don't think HAL would be offering the cruises if they were not possible.  I see where the cruise to Alaska will not be stopping in Canada and that is fine with me.  I paid in full for my cruise months ago to take advantage of perks.  Not booked all transport or motels yet.

[CruiseMGM]

I wish you luck, Retired Rich, but you may want to double check your dates, especially before looking for transport or motels. Not trying to burst your bubble, but HAL isn't offering bookings on any 2021 Alaska cruises now, and all Alaska cruises DO have a stop in a foreign port (part of the PVSA ruling), otherwise they're breaking the law. Doesn't matter if you stay on the ship, they still have to stop and passengers have to be allowed to get off, which Canada isn't allowing right now. I'm expecting your cruise is a Seattle round/trip cruise (?), but they all stop in Victoria (BC, Canada) as a requirement.

 

We have a booking on a mid-August 2021 cruise out of Seattle. HAL hasn't canceled it yet, but we think that event is just around the corner (personal belief, nothing I've read or heard). HAL has canceled all Alaska cruises through the end of June 2021, but they say they're still negotiating to try to keep some of the season going. We don't believe there's a single chance in Hades that ours will be a "go".

 

Good luck and very best wishes!

[KirkNC]

RR, I would bet with what I believe to be a high degree of certainty that your cruise will not sail.

[Lady Arwen]

3 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

I don't know about the CDC ban but I don't think HAL would be offering the cruises if they were not possible.  I see where the cruise to Alaska will not be stopping in Canada and that is fine with me.  I paid in full for my cruise months ago to take advantage of perks.  Not booked all transport or motels yet.

  Nothing wrong with trying to keep the dream alive.  Have you thought of at least checking out the 2022 sailings?  Maybe you could choose one as your plan B, just in case.  As others have mentioned, it would be wise not to book anything else for your 2021 cruise, unless it’s completely refundable.  I know the feeling of wanting something so badly, you just can’t imagine it not happening.   Cruising right now is not that reliable.  Many of us have had three, four, five and more cruises cancelled this past year and we were all terribly disappointed.  You are in good company, sir.  I will cross my fingers for your miracle.

[cat shepard]

5 hours ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

2021 Alaska cruises are on stop-sell, meaning no new bookings are being permitted.   Existing bookings are being honoured, until HAL cancels them.  Currently, they have cancelled through June.  Scott. 

 

Source: https://gohal.com/app/uploads/2021/03/Trade-FAQ__3.16.21.docx

 

And they canceled/rescheduled my September cruise from 2021 to 2022.

[Oakman58]

3 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

I don't know about the CDC ban but I don't think HAL would be offering the cruises if they were not possible.  I see where the cruise to Alaska will not be stopping in Canada and that is fine with me.  I paid in full for my cruise months ago to take advantage of perks.  Not booked all transport or motels yet.

 

Things have changed since you booked and will probably continue to change.  Currently HAL is NOT offering cruises for 2021.  Canada won't allow cruise ships in their ports until Feb 2022.  A cruise out of Seattle that doesn't visit a foreign port will face huge fines.  It will take an act of Congress or a Presidential Executive Order to temporarily suspend the Passenger Vessel Services Act.  The CDC extended the no sail order until November. 

 

If you are bound and determined to book transportation and lodging to Seattle then please be sure you can cancel without penalty.

[trivia addict]

We had HAL Alaskan land cruise tour booked thru a tour company for the middle of this August.

About a month ago, the company canceled our tour with options for a refund or the same cruise for August 2022 for the same price.

I would doubt that there are any Alaskan cruises this summer, but I guess you never know.

[HAL4NOW]

Many of us are in the same situation; we are booked on a cruise out of Seattle in September, 2021, on the Eurodam. It most likely won't sail, but HAL hasn't cancelled it yet. If we cancel, we lose all of the perks (we may anyway). HAL has changed how they compensate for cruises they cancel. It has been FCC of 125% paid, FCC of 200% of paid, etc. When the FCC was issued, other perks disappeared. 

Lately, HAL is replacing cancelled cruises with a similar cruise in 2022 for 2021 Alaska cancellations.

We play the wait and see game. (Five cruises cancelled for us so far during this pandemic).

[DaveOKC]

Has anyone looked into HAL's land only tours?  I heard that they were offering some and also that Delta has increased flights into Anchorage. 

 

[Loreto]

16 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

Many of us are in the same situation; we are booked on a cruise out of Seattle in September, 2021, on the Eurodam. It most likely won't sail, but HAL hasn't cancelled it yet. If we cancel, we lose all of the perks (we may anyway). HAL has changed how they compensate for cruises they cancel. It has been FCC of 125% paid, FCC of 200% of paid, etc. When the FCC was issued, other perks disappeared. 

Lately, HAL is replacing cancelled cruises with a similar cruise in 2022 for 2021 Alaska cancellations.

We play the wait and see game. (Five cruises cancelled for us so far during this pandemic).

Final payment for our July 10 Eurodam Alaska cruise ( rebooked from 2020) is due tomorrow.  I wish HAL would do something, but I am not optimistic. We will try again for 2022. I really don't want to be on the "first" cruise after the pause.  This will make 4 cruises cancelled since March 2020.

[trivia addict]

As I mentioned, we were booked through a tour company, not Holland America itself. I think the company read the writing on the wall, and negotiated with HAL to rebook the tour for next year. Our options were totally a result of our original booking with the company.

This NW company books cruise tours all over the world. Many great deals, but of course I can’t give the name

[Turtles06]

10 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

Now we see HAL will be cruising then and we are sure happy. 

I don’t know what you are looking at, but HAL’s web site does not show any Alaska cruises available to book in 2021.

 

5 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

I don't know about the CDC ban but I don't think HAL would be offering the cruises if they were not possible.

They aren’t offering them, see above.

 

5 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

I see where the cruise to Alaska will not be stopping in Canada and that is fine with me. 

 
Where do you see that?  Such a cruise would violate the PVSA, as others have noted. 
 

I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’ll be cruising to Alaska this summer. 

[rucrazy]

Could this be an early APRIL FOOLS post? LOL

[d9704011]

How about that Victoria stop on the itinerary?