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 may be aware, earlier this month the Canadian Transport Ministry issued an extension to their order closing Canadian ports and waters to all passenger vessels through February 2022. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to extend our pause in cruise operations for all 2021 voyages that begin or end at a Canadian port. This includes several Alaska voyages and associated Land+Sea Journeys, as well as some Canada/New England cruises.
We are still reviewing options for Alaska cruises sailing roundtrip from Seattle, Washington, and these voyages are not being cancelled at this time, though they are currently closed to new bookings. Discussions are underway with government authorities in the United States and Canada to try to find a path to preserve these sailings.
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 24 hours to send an email notification to your clients in order to give you time to contact them.
For your clients who have paid in full:
We will be transferring their cruise-only or Land+Sea Journey booking automatically to the same 2022 voyage or Journey at their 2021 rate, with incentives and promotions protected. Available non-cruise-fare purchases, such as shore excursions, land excursions, gifts, dining and spa, will be transferred to the new booking or will be refunded. We will be transferring bookings based on voyage sail date, and we anticipate you will receive new booking confirmations over the next thirty days. There is no action required at this time from you or your clients. Changes, special requests or cancellations cannot be accepted until after the replacement booking is confirmed.
As you may be aware, our 2022 sailings are seeing strong demand as guests look forward to once again traveling. As a result, 2022 prices are higher than 2021 rates and are likely to increase as availability becomes limited. Given this, protecting your clients’ 2021 pricing, incentives and amenities at rate paid represents a significant benefit and we hope you agree. Please click here to see a list of the 2021 voyages being cancelled and the same 2022 voyage to which bookings will be transferred.
For clients who paid their 2021 booking in full in order to leverage additional savings, the early-payment incentive will transfer to their 2022 booking and remain in effect as long as their booking remains paid in full. Standard commission policies apply and allow for commission to be paid after final payment is received. Commission paid on 2021 bookings for guests who accept and remain booked on the 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. As previously advised, we are unable to accept or process any changes, special requests or cancellations until we have completed processing the replacement booking.
For your clients who have NOT paid in full:
We are offering guests the option to transfer to the same 2022 cruise or Land+Sea Journey at their 2021 rate. Please click here to see a list of the 2021 voyages being cancelled and the same 2022 voyages. Alternatively, they can receive bonus Future Cruise Credits (FCC), which provide tremendous value for them to plan another trip of their choice. They will receive 110% of 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. Please note that if they elect to receive bonus Future Cruise Credits we will not protect their 2021 rate should they later choose to book the same 2021 Alaska or Canada/New England cruise or Land+Sea Journey in 2022.
Any previously issued Future Cruise Credits that were used on the booking will be transferred to their new booking or returned to their Mariner account; they will be valid until December 31, 2021 and may be used to book sailings departing through December 31, 2022.
To advise us of their choice, guests who are not paid in full should complete the Cancellation Preferences form before March 31, 2021. The form will give them the options to transfer to the same 2022 cruise or Land+Sea Journey, receive bonus Future Cruise Credits, or request a full refund of all monies paid. 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.
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.
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 significant volume of bookings impacted by these changes, we ask for your patience in affording us the time to work through processing rebookings, refunds and FCCs. 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 8605.
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 around North America and worldwide. We must be practical in our approach, however, by acknowledging the limitations put in place by the current Canadian order.
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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