Carnival-owned Holland America Line has joined sister cruise brands by extending its pause on operations well into 2021. The cruise line has now announced that all cruises are cancelled until April 2021 as it prepares for the new CDC requirements on the Conditional Sailing Order framework.
Major Cruise Line Extends Suspension into 2021
A lot of work is needed to follow the CDC requirements on the Conditional Sailing Order. As a result, Holland America has become the third major cruise line in two days to extends its suspension on operations well into 2021.
The cruise line will remain on hold through March 31, which means at the earliest, cruises won’t start to resume until April 2021. Following sister lines Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, Holland America has also removed longer cruises over seven days that depart from the U.S. through November 1, 2021.
- All cruise departures fromย Jan. 1 through March 31, 2021.
- Cruises of eight days or more that call at a U.S. port throughย Nov. 1, 2021.
- Select longer voyages inย Asia,ย Australia/New Zealandย andย South Americaย throughย mid-April 2021. Some departures will be rescheduled to comparable dates in 2022.
It’s all a very fluid situation, and the cruise line is currently developing new protocols to make sure guests and crew members remain safe when operations restart. Trial sailings will need to be done first, along with training the crew on new health measures.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line Cancels All U.S. Departures Until February 2021
Those guests impacted by the further cancellations are being contacted by Holland America Line and compensation options are being offered including a Future Cruise Credit as follows:
- Paid in Full: Those who have paid in full will receive 125% FCC of the base cruise fare paid to Holland America Line.
- Not Paid in Full: Those with bookings not paid in full will receive an FCC of double the amount of their deposit. The minimum FCC isย $100ย and the maximum will be an amount up to the base cruise fare paid.
The FCCย is valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be used to book sailings departing throughย Dec. 31, 2022.ย Non-cruise fare purchases — such as shore excursions, gifts, dining, and spa — will not be transferred to a new booking and will be refunded to the original form of payment. Other funds such as airfares paid to Holland America Line may be transferred to a new booking or automatically be refunded via the payment method used to purchase the services.
Also Read: Princess Cruises Extends Suspension Into Spring 2021
Guests who no longer want to take a cruise vacation in the future can also request a full refund of their booking using an online form, but this will need to be completed no later than December 31, 2020.
Hollandย America Lineย previously paused global cruise operations and canceled all departures on all ships throughย Dec. 31, 2020, and selectย Hawaiiย and Grand Voyage itineraries for early 2021.
Photo Credit: Petra Nowack / Shutterstock.com