Dear Travel Partner,
I hope this finds you safe and healthy. All of us at Holland America Line are looking forward to the future when we will once again be able to deliver exceptional service and experiences to our loyal guests around the world.
As you are aware, earlier this year the Canadian Transport Ministry extended their order closing Canadian ports and waters to all passenger vessels through 2022, resulting in the cancellation of our 2021 voyages that began or ended at a Canadian port. While we continue discussions with authorities in Canada and the United States to understand what opportunities may still exist in Alaska, we have made the difficult decision to extend our pause of cruise operations to include June 2021 cruises sailing roundtrip to Alaska from Seattle, Washington.
For your affected bookings on the cancelled voyages, we will be sending system-generated notifications within the next 24 hours to provide you with your specific client booking information per voyage. Please note that these notifications are generated by our reservation system and will be emailed to the address associated with your travel agency profile.
We encourage you to reach out to your clients today to advise them of the cancellation of their cruise, as we know the news will spread quickly. We have heard your feedback and we are waiting until tomorrow (Wednesday) at 4:00pm PDT to send an email notification to your clients in order to give you time to contact them.
We will be transferring their booking automatically to the equivalent 2022 voyage at their 2021 fare, with incentives and promotions protected. Please click here to see a list of the 2021 voyages being cancelled and the comparable 2022 voyages to which guests will be transferred. Non-cruise-fare purchases such as gifts, dining and spa will be refunded to the original form of purchase, and available shore excursions will be transferred to the new booking or refunded if not offered.
We anticipate you will receive new booking confirmations by March 31, 2021 and there is no action required from you or your clients at this time. Any changes, special requests or cancellations cannot be accepted until after the replacement booking is confirmed.
Holland America Line understands and values the role our travel partners play in our success. Commission paid on 2021 paid-in-full bookings for guests who accept and remain booked on their replacement 2022 booking will not be recalled. Should you have clients who prefer to decline their new booking, we will be sending you additional information regarding their options with their updated 2022 booking confirmation.
If any portion of your clients’ travel was not booked through Holland America Line, other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply. Most airlines and other travel-related services such as hotels, transportation, and tours are allowing refunds or waiving change fees due to COVID-19; please work directly with those operators regarding their charges. The above terms are not applicable to guests booked on charter sailings.
Please note that due to the significant volume of bookings impacted by these changes, we ask for your patience in affording us the time to work through processing these voyages. We are working hard to make sure every booking is handled accurately and efficiently. Should you have any questions, please reach out to us at the appropriate office:
Seattle Office (USD/CAD currency):
Contact us at 1-800-577-1728 or 206-626-7395.
We are available Monday – Friday, 6:00am – 6:00pm PT.
Saturday – Sunday 6:00am – 4:00pm PT.
Southampton Office (GBP currency):
Contact us at 0344 338 8600.
We are available Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm.
Rotterdam Office (EUR currency):
Contact us on 00800 1873 1873.
We are available Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm.
For Netherlands contact us on 0800 724 5425.
We are available Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm.
Sydney Office (AUD currency):
Contact us at 1300 987 321. We are available Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 7:00pm.
Again, we extend our most sincere apologies for any disappointment this may cause. Holland America Line, in alliance with our entire industry, is optimistic for the resumption of cruising worldwide. We must be practical in our approach, however, by acknowledging the limitations currently in place.
Please know that we value your partnership and truly appreciate your understanding of these exceptional circumstances. We know your clients, like us, are eager to see cruising begin again soon, and we look forward to welcoming them on board another Holland America Line cruise in the future.
Warm Regards,
Gus Antorcha
President, Holland America Line
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