I hope this finds you safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. 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 may be aware, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new order setting out the conditions by which cruising can resume. We are continuing to work with the CDC on our return to guest cruise operations and are carefully evaluating this new order. There are a significant number of requirements and protocols that must be assessed and we ask our guests, travel partners, and community and destination partners for their patience as we complete our review. We look forward to communicating more details as soon as possible.
In light of this new guidance, as well as our own monitoring of the progression of COVID-19 on global travel and port restrictions, we have made the decision to extend our pause in cruise operations to voyages departing through December 31, 2020.
As a result, we must cancel your clients’ upcoming bookings on affected sailings. We will be sending you Emergency Notifications within the next 24 hours for each affected voyage to provide you with your specific client booking information per voyage.
As compensation for this change to their travel plans, we are offering guests bonus Future Cruise Credits (FCC), which provide tremendous value for them to plan another trip of their choice.
If their booking has been paid in full, they will receive a Future Cruise Credit for 125% of the base cruise fare paid. These credits may be applied to the cruise fare of a new booking. If their booking has not been paid in full, they will receive double the amount deposited (up to the base cruise fare amount) as a Future Cruise Credit. This credit will waive the required deposit on their next booking on a voyage up to 29 days in length.
The amount received by Holland America Line in excess of the base cruise fare can be transferred to a new booking or will be refunded to the method of payment used for the original purchase. The Future Cruise Credits are valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be used to book sailings departing through December 31, 2022.
If any portion of their 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.
Should your clients prefer to decline the bonus Future Cruise Credit and receive a lower-value refund, they may request a refund of all monies paid to Holland America Line by completing the Cancellation Preferences form before December 15, 2020. The full Future Cruise Credit Terms & Conditions can also be found there. Refunds will be reimbursed to the original form of payment and will include all non-cruise fare purchases through Holland America Line.
Standard commission policies apply and the total amounts of the Future Cruise Credits are commissionable when your clients rebook.
Please note that due to the unprecedented volume of bookings impacted by cancellations, we ask for your patience in affording us the time to work through processing the refunds and FCCs. We are working hard to make sure every booking is handled accurately and efficiently.
Seattle Office (USD/CAD currency):
Contact us at 1-800-577-1728 or 206-626-7395.
We are available Monday – Friday, 5:00am – 6:00pm PT.
Saturday – Sunday 6:00am – 5:00pm PT.
Southampton Office (GBP currency):
Contact us at 0344 338 8605.
We are available Monday – Thursday, 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. Please know that we value your partnership and truly appreciate your understanding of these exceptional circumstances. We look forward to welcoming your clients on board another Holland America Line cruise in the future.
Kind Regards,
Gus Antorcha
President, Holland America Line