Update on Westerdam’s Asia Cruises
Although the risks to our guests, crew and business are very low, Holland America Line is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation.
Our medical experts are coordinating closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to implement recommended screening, prevention and control measures for our ships. This will include denial of boarding for persons who have recently visited the epicenter of the disease, Hubei Province, China; health screening, including temperature checks, for persons from the affected region; and standard pre-boarding health reporting for all guests. Additionally, guests visiting our onboard medical centers for respiratory illness will be evaluated for coronavirus. Robust environmental disinfection onboard will be performed in addition to our regular stringent cleaning and sanitation protocols.
Both the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the Hong Kong International Airport report normal operations and Hong Kong is at a standard Level 1 Warning from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
For guests currently on board, Westerdam will arrive at Hong Kong, China, at 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, for normal disembarkation.
For those scheduled to embark Feb. 1, 2020, in Hong Kong, embarkation of the next cruise will commence as scheduled.
However, in light of the U.S. CDC Level 3 travel warning to China issued Jan. 27, 2020, the disembarkation from Westerdam on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, will now take place in Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan, rather than Shanghai, China. All guests and their travel advisors are being notified of these changes.
Guests who have purchased their air through Holland America Line’s Flight Ease will have their return flights rebooked to depart from Tokyo rather than Shanghai at our expense. Guests’ new homeward travel arrangements will be communicated shortly.
Guests with independent travel arrangements should rebook their air to depart from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport or Narita Airport no earlier than 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. Most airlines and hotels are allowing guests to change travel plans involving China with no penalty, but should you incur expenses related to adjusting your travel plans we recommend you retain your receipts to support a claim with your travel insurance. Guests with Holland America Line post-cruise hotel arrangements in Shanghai will be refunded to the original form of payment.
UPDATE:
In addition, all sailings aboard Westerdam in Asia from the February 15 departure through March 28 will not visit China. Itinerary revisions with Japanese ports for these cruises have been planned and are being communicated to guests and their travel advisors. Cruise turnarounds will take place in Yokohoma, Japan, instead of Shanghai or Hong Kong. Cruises after March 28 were planned without ports in China and will sail as scheduled.
For the changed voyages, embarking guests with independent travel arrangements should arrive to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport or Narita Airport by 6 p.m. for the February 29 sailing and by 12 noon for the March 14 sailing. All disembarking guests with independent travel arrangements should depart no earlier than 12:30 p.m. on their disembarkation day.
Similar policies as noted above will apply for guests with Flight Ease, independent air and Holland America Line pre- and post-cruise hotel arrangements.
Any additional itinerary changes to Westerdam itineraries in Asia will be communicated to guests and their travel advisors.
Disease information can be found at:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
U.S. CDC Travel Warning for China, Level 3, Avoid Non-Essential Travel:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china
U.S. CDC Travel Advisory for Hong Kong, Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/hong-kong-sar
U.S. CDC Travel Advisory for Taiwan, Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/taiwan
I am scheduled to board the Westerdam on Feb 15 in Shanghai for cruise W014/14 Day China, South Korea, Japan. Obviously that is not going to happen. What is the plan going forward for that cruise? If it is cancelled what does HAL intend to do for the passengers?
We are flying out with Air China 13 March. What is happening regarding our cruise itinerary. You are failing to provide us with the original travel itinerary. You are not providing us with the holiday we paid for. As a company you are a disgrace. What right do you have to put our lives at risk
What will happen if we don’t want to do the new itinerary on March 14 ?
Can we have our money refunded or change to another cruise at a later date ?
We are booked for the 15th Feb from Yokohama. The westerdam has been prohibited for disembarkation in Taiwan…and now Japan has put things in place….what happens if we get to the airport and the ship is not allowed to berth…???? Can you advise of what is in place if this happens??
thank you
Pina and Gregory BECK
We decided to cancel the reservation for the February 1 departure from Hong Kong few days before the sailing, as we feared that maybe the ship will not be able to dock to some destinations ports. Latest news confirmed our concerns.
We pleaded with reservations to be able to postpone this trip to another sailing or credit the balance to a non refundable future sailing.
The only option that was given was a sailing on a cruise departing within 90 days
So we currently sailing now on Koningsdam on an itinerary that is not of interest to us and filling that we just been squired to keep revenue flowing to HAL and without any compassion to they loyal customers on how to handle this unusual situation…….a total disappointment….
O que vai acontecer ao cruzeiro de 29 Fevereiro. Vai realizar-se ou não???????
How do we contact individuals on the ship we have not heard from who are currently at sea on the westerdam ship?
This virus is very scary and people lie about their health when they have paid out non refundable fares and still want to go, thinking they only have a stuffy nose that is un-noticeable to others. All cruise lines would be wise to make all paid up front fares refundable or transferable to a later date if someone wants to cancel until this is over or under control. This would prevent people from lying and contaminating a ship full of guests. You can check passports to see who has been to China, but you cannot know if someone who has not been to China has maybe been exposed to someone else who is from China that carries the virus. Such a sad thing.
You are being very unfair to your customers we have spent a fortune on this trip due to depart March 24 we are not prepared to Fisk our lives Cancel our cruise !!!
I’m worry about the health risks in the Westerndam during the itinerary starting on 04/25/2020 from Yokohama to Vancouver.
Any decisions yet on the embarkation port for the April 11 cruise?
I have heard that cruise ships are being refused permission to dock in Japanese ports is this true?
We are due to join the Westerdam in Tokyo on 28/3/2020 do you have the latest information re this sailing?
We have a cruise scheduled in April transatlantic. If due to the current health scare if we’d prefer to not travel at this time can we get a credit for a future cruise.
Despite numerous attempts to get confirmation of our cruise departing Yokohoma on March 28 you refuse to inform your passengers , Now we hear a woman who disembarked in Cambodia has tested positive : you obviously have no idea how you are transmitting this disease- we have spent a fortune on this cruise and now risk out lives because you refuse to cancel .is it only about MONEY !!
A update to what HAL is doing for those with Asia cruises in March and April would be appreciated. We understand the situation is evolving but we all are very anxious since other cruise lines have cancelled cruises in the area and Japan and Singapore are reporting more and more cases of the virus. More communication would be appreciated.
While still more than a month away, I am concerned about receiving as much information as soon as possible. We have a back to back scheduled. Fly from SFO on March 24, embark March 28 in Yokohama, disembark/embark on April 25. I certainly hope HAL executives, in addition to company concerns, will keep in mind it’s customer’s welfare, both physical and monetary, in their decision making. And making these decisions in a timely manner.
We are booked to travel on the Zuiderdam on March 18th. Should corona virus spread further, can we get a credit for another trip when it is safer to travel? We certainly don,t want to be in a quarantine situation should a passenger or crew member be diagnosed with the virus.
We are scheduled to depart Yokohama on April 11 on Westerdam but now we’d prefer not to travel due to the health scare. We feel Holland America are very slow in making a determination regarding future cruises. Princess Cruise Lines have already cancelled their Asian cruises through to June 2020, and hence their passengers know what is happening, so why is it taking Holland America so long to make a determination.
What would it take for Caribbean cruises to be affected by this situation?
I have just returned from the Feb 1-15 Asia cruise. With all problems from corona virus we were unable to go in to any ports. A disappointment for us, but an opportunity to see how HAL treat and take care of their guests in unforseen, extreme circumstances. They were fantastic. The staff, everyone from the Captain down went over and above to make sure we were taken care of. All efforts were made to provide a cruise that was memorable. The problems faced were extreme, but they were conquered. I may not have seen much of Asia, but I came away with a lifetime of great stories to tell. I cannot thank them enough for all that was done to get us home safely. I was a HAL fan before, but now they have me for life! THANK YOU!
We have booked for a cruise too Baltic,Mediterranean and Greek island in August through to September .What is HAL advice on this?
We are due to pay the rest of our cruise on the zuiderdam departing in june from civatevecchia. As the virus has now spread to the rest of the world ….is there any deferment pending possible cancellation of the cruise?
The conundrum regarding cancellations and future trips, that’s facing both the passengers and the cruise line has never before been experienced. (We’re doing New Zealand next month.)
Perhaps we can be optimists and predict that Holland America will come out of this much more prepared for catastrophic events, and the tourists will learn that every form of travel does have its challenges and risks.
I hope that rather than being suspicious of fellow passengers who may have lied about their health, and displaying prejudices against people of particular ethnicities, we will be even more neighborly and empathetic while on a cruise, making it a more positive experience for all!