April 1, 2023 Pacific Coastal on the Koningsdam Cancelled!

[disneyochem]

Received an email this afternoon informing us that due to a deployment issue, our cruise is cancelled!  It was on the Koningsdam on April 1, 2023 from San Diego to Vancouver.  
 

We received a $100 SBC for each person to be used on any other Pacific Coast voyage sailing Fall 2022-Spring 2023.

 

Disappointed but we had only put a FCC deposit down on the cruise.

[oaktreerb]

Our Koningsdam March 25, 2023 Mexican Riviera was cancelled.  The letter had the wrong date for my cruise but the right booking #.  The cruise was March 25, the cancellation letter said May 25, 2023.  

 

What is the Koningsdam doing between March 25 and the May Alaska itineraries?  Will it be out of service for two months?  It’s my favorite Pacific Coast HAL ship.  Very disappointing.

Edited June 8, 2022 by oaktreerb

[CruiserBruce]

If March 25 and April 1 cruises are canceled,  that's 2 weeks, not 2 months, as I read it. Drydock would be a reasonable guess. 

[VMax1700]

March 25th has a cruise ending in San Diego and next listing is April 8th from Vancouver.

Could be dry dock at Seaspan Victoria Dry dock as I believe K'dam is too long for the Vancouver dry dock.

[oaktreerb]

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

If March 25 and April 1 cruises are canceled,  that's 2 weeks, not 2 months, as I read it. Drydock would be a reasonable guess. 

They indicated my cruise in the letter as being May 25 and it was actually March 25.  So the letter had a 2 month gap which was possibly a typo or maybe a 2 month rearrangement of the Koningsdam schedule.  

 

It would be nice if they could offer more accurate information as to the reason for cancellation.  

 

[HappyInVan]

51 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

March 25th has a cruise ending in San Diego and next listing is April 8th from Vancouver.

Could be dry dock at Seaspan Victoria Dry dock as I believe K'dam is too long for the Vancouver dry dock.

 

Correct. Received notice that Koningsdam Hawaii cruise April 8-26 shifted to April 13 - May 1st. Cited drydock issue. 🙄

 

P.S. We are o/n at Hilo, not Honolulu..

Edited June 8, 2022 by HappyInVan

[mike x ftc]

We were on the 1st April cruise, it's just so disappointing and annoying!  We only last week booked all our flights for this with an extended stay in Vancouver.  After all the Covid cancellations over the last couple of years we were really looking forward to this - very frustrating, they didn't even have the decency to offer a reason.  

[HappyInVan]

5 minutes ago, mike x ftc said:

We were on the 1st April cruise, it's just so disappointing and annoying!  

 

Fortunately, they gave 10 months notice.

[oaktreerb]

1 hour ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Fortunately, they gave 10 months notice.

Some people who are not retired have to plan extended vacations a year in advance.

[cruisingrob21]

Looks like the schedule is blank from March 10th to April 13th. 

 

They cancelled my short 3 day getaway - drat.

 

Drydock could also be in Portland - the Westerdam was just here.  She was supposed to go to drydock in late 23 but perhaps that was a placeholder if covid lasted longer.

 

Either way, its a bummer for everyone's cruise who was cancelled or was shifted.

Edited June 8, 2022 by cruisingrob21

[Darfun]

Was booked on the April 26, 2023 cruise. Got a email yesterday saying it is cancelled. Looked at the Koningsdam cruises and have found many gaps in sailing. I’m wondering if they are shuffling a bunch of sailings and doing a dry dock in Victoria. 

[cruisingrob21]

1 minute ago, Darfun said:

Was booked on the April 26, 2023 cruise. Got a email yesterday saying it is cancelled. Looked at the Koningsdam cruises and have found many gaps in sailing. I’m wondering if they are shuffling a bunch of sailings and doing a dry dock in Victoria. 

Portland has been getting a lot of cruises for drydock while the Esquimalt drydock is out of service.  Although its more expensive, I think all the lines are rushing drydocks right now.  Not sure when Esquimalt's (Victoria's) large drydock will be back in service.

 

There's a similar voyage on the Volendam but with 1 extra sea day, a 5 day voyage on the Noordam with a stop in Astoria, and a 3 day voyage on the Crown Princess that ends in Seattle instead of Vancouver - so plenty of reasonable alternatives.

 

I'm just bummed because I'd rather sail on the Kdam vs those other ships.  

[Darfun]

5 minutes ago, cruisingrob21 said:

Portland has been getting a lot of cruises for drydock while the Esquimalt drydock is out of service.  Although its more expensive, I think all the lines are rushing drydocks right now.  Not sure when Esquimalt's (Victoria's) large drydock will be back in service.

 

There's a similar voyage on the Volendam but with 1 extra sea day, a 5 day voyage on the Noordam with a stop in Astoria, and a 3 day voyage on the Crown Princess that ends in Seattle instead of Vancouver - so plenty of reasonable alternatives.

 

I'm just bummed because I'd rather sail on the Kdam vs those other ships.  

Yes some different options but was looking forward to the koningsdam. I was on the 2 day cruise in April on the koningsdam and have a Alaska cruise in September booked on the koningsdam. Hopefully they fill in the gaps in the calendar and I can book something I like. 

[cruisingrob21]

On 6/8/2022 at 12:12 PM, Darfun said:

Yes some different options but was looking forward to the koningsdam. I was on the 2 day cruise in April on the koningsdam and have a Alaska cruise in September booked on the koningsdam. Hopefully they fill in the gaps in the calendar and I can book something I like. 

Agree, I was looking forward to the Kdam as well.  I switched to the Crown but princess has now announced they are swapping the crown for the Royal which I've decided I'm not a fan of that class.  My last HAL voyage was on the Amsterdam so I know the Volendam is a near twin, but I'm also considering the Noordam's 5 day voyage.  Given the uncertainty in cruising, I'm wondering how long the Zaandam and Volendam will be around - great ships, but older, less efficient, and not profitable enough for CCL HQ probably.

 

I'm hoping the K dam will sail some coastal itineraries in the fall (I usually do these solo and get dirty looks from the kids when I don't take them with me, but they are a bit too young still).  In the meantime any advice on the noordam vs volendam.  Been on other vista class ships (O and W) but as I recall the Noordam is a bit unique.  The volendam is a special ship so I still might sail on her.  Who has a preference one way or the other between Noordam or Volendam.  I give noordam a slight edge as it goes to Astoria and that's one of my favorite ports (even though I live just 2 hrs away by car)

Edited June 16, 2022 by cruisingrob21

[Lido deck main]

I was on the April 2022 cruise to Hawaii on the Koningsdam.  I went to the crew talk the one with the head engineer, he advised at that time that Koningsdam was going into drydock in March 2023 ( he wasn't exactly sure which day in March 2023.  He said amongst other things they are planning to put a library in where the microsoft classes used to be held.  I advised the person who keeps track of the drydocks  on cruise critic of this already I believe at the end of April 2022.  It should be on the list already.

[cruisingrob21]

24 minutes ago, Lido deck main said:

I was on the April 2022 cruise to Hawaii on the Koningsdam.  I went to the crew talk the one with the head engineer, he advised at that time that Koningsdam was going into drydock in March 2023 ( he wasn't exactly sure which day in March 2023.  He said amongst other things they are planning to put a library in where the microsoft classes used to be held.  I advised the person who keeps track of the drydocks  on cruise critic of this already I believe at the end of April 2022.  It should be on the list already.

HAL used to allow TA's to view their drydock schedule, now they require us to ask via calling in .  It's too bad they did this, I have clients who have been burned by cruising right before a drydock and won't book a voyage on a ship that has less than a month before drydock or right after due to the possibility of closed venues or ongoing work.

 

The drydock in Victoria is being refurbished and I'm wondering if it's behind schedule.  The Westerdam's visit to the drydock in Portland OR in May was not scheduled as of last year when I could still view the full drydock schedule.  In fact, HAL has not used the drydock in Portland before whereas NCL and Princess use it quite a bit.

[JacobZ06]

On 6/8/2022 at 7:15 AM, HappyInVan said:

 

Correct. Received notice that Koningsdam Hawaii cruise April 8-26 shifted to April 13 - May 1st. Cited drydock issue. 🙄

 

P.S. We are o/n at Hilo, not Honolulu..

Pity about the o/n change.  Honolulu at night makes for some great photos.  Hilo not so much.