A cruise line has been forced to refund passengers who were left stranded in the Bahamas after the company failed to inform them of their cancelled voyage.
The norwegian cruise line cancellations 2021 is a recent example of how not to handle guests. Norwegian Cruise Line has been known to forget to inform their guests of the cancellation of their vacation.
Have you ever planned a cruise and counted down the days before it departed, only to arrive at the dock and discover there is no ship and no voyage? According to ABC 10 News San Diego, this is what nearly occurred to a couple from Nevada.
Holland America Company acknowledged that the cruise line made mistakes in how it notified the affected passengers.
Zuiderdam has been canceled.
With the Zuiderdam, Holland America Line was scheduled to begin cruise operations from San Diego, California, on September 18. However, on August 26, 2021, the Seattle-based cruise company canceled the trip. According to sources, the firm sent emails to all passengers who had purchased tickets for the trip. Except for one couple who never received the email.
Kurt and Liza Maier booked the cruise on August 17, only nine days before Holland America Line canceled it, and a month before the ship was scheduled to leave on a California itinerary that included stops in Ensenada, Mexico, San Francisco, and Santa Catalina Island, California.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/Just Dance
When Liza Maier contacted the cruise company with a COVID question, the person she talked with never indicated the trip had been canceled, thus the couple was unaware of the cancellation.
On a follow-up call two days later, the cruise line informed the passenger that their trip had been canceled. Another staffer informed Mr. Maier on a subsequent conversation that the trip had not been canceled, adding to the uncertainty.
“This is the first time she’s heard about the trip being canceled. Even if the trip was canceled on the 25th, as Holland America said, and they sent us an email that we never received or mistakenly deleted, we still have three individuals – one on Monday and two on Wednesday – assuring us the cruise was still going,” Kurt Maier said.
The Cruise Line Acknowledges Errors in Information Flow
Is it possible that Mr. and Mrs. Maier misplaced or deleted an email? According to the cruise company, this is not the case. Holland America confesses to making a mistake and accepts full responsibility in a statement from a corporate spokesperson:
“Holland America Line apologizes for not informing Mr. and Mrs. Maier of the cancellation of their Zuiderdam trip. Our cancellation system should have notified all guests, and we apologize that this did not happen. We’re investigating what went wrong so that we can enhance our processes and training in the future. We will work with the Maiers to rebook them on a cruise of their choosing at the same great rate they were offered.”
It’s natural that cruise companies make mistakes due to the many changes they face on a daily basis. For the time being, it seems that the cruise company is in charge of the issue.
What Does Holland America’s Future Hold?
The Holland America Line has chosen a cautious approach to resuming sailing in 2021. The cruise company currently has two ships in service.
The Nieuw Amsterdam, which was constructed in 2010, is traveling to Alaska from the company’s home port of Seattle. Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, and Ketchikan are among the ship’s frequent stops in the Northern State.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/Solarisys
The Eurodam, the second HAL ship to enter service, is presently sailing a Mediterranean itinerary that includes stops at Corfu, Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and other destinations.
Holland America Line plans to resume operations for the Noordam, Oosterdam, and Westerdam in late spring 2022, when the whole fleet will be back in service. Noordam will resume service in Japan on March 14, 2022; Oosterdam will begin cruising in the Mediterranean on May 1; and Westerdam will resume service in Alaska on May 8. In May 2022, Volendam and Zaandam will also return.
Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, and Zuiderdam will join Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, and Zuiderdam, which have all returned to service or are expected to do so by December 2021.
Also read: Holland America Delivers Third Pinnacle-Class Cruise Ship
“We’ve been working hard to bring all of our ships back into service, and having definitive restart dates that will complete the fleet is gratifying for everyone who has poured their heart and soul into making this happen,” said Holland America Line president Gus Antorcha. “We expect to be back in full service in the coming months thanks to our gradual rollout strategy, and we look forward to welcome passengers on all 11 ships sailing in various parts of the world.”
All passengers must be completely immunized 14 days prior to the trip for all cruises in 2021. Two days prior to boarding the ship, guests will be required to undergo a quick COVID test.
The carnival cruise news is a story about how Carnival Cruise Line forgot to inform guests of the cancellation of their recent cruise.
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