Holland America Line Cruise Suspension Extended by a Month

Holland America Line is extending its pause of global cruise operations for an additional 30 days, cancelling sailings scheduled to depart through May 14, 2020, due to the continued port closures and travel restrictions surrounding global health concerns.

Guests currently booked on cruises from April 14 through May 14 will have the option to select either a Future Cruise Credit for 125% of their booking value plus an additional $250 shipboard credit or a full refund.

Holland America Line will also reimburse cancellation fees for air and other arrangements for travel to and from the cancelled cruise.

All bookings will automatically be cancelled through May 14. Holland America Line urged guests and advisors to refrain from calling reservations due to extensively long hold times, but rather visit hollandamerica.com to indicate their preference.

Holland America Line said it will protect travel advisor commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full and for the total amount of the Future Cruise Credits when guests rebook.

The cruise line announced late Sunday the Panama Canal Authority granted permission to transit Zaandam and Rotterdam through the Panama Canal, expediting the ships’ return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“We are still finalizing the details for where and when our guests will disembark, and are asking for the same compassion and humanity to be extended for our arrival,” the company said in a statement.

The Zaandam cruise was originally scheduled to end in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 7. Zaandam was sailing a South America cruise that began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 7 that was originally scheduled to end at San Antonio, Chile, on March 21. On March 21, Zaandam was originally scheduled to begin a 20-day South America and Panama Canal cruise from San Antonio, Chile, to Fort Lauderdale.

Holland has been transferring healthy passengers to the Rotterdam. Guests on both ships will remain in their staterooms until disembarkation, and have been self-isolating in their staterooms since March 22.

Currently 73 guests and 116 crew members on Zaandam have reported influenza-like illness symptoms. There are 797 guests and 645 crew on Rotterdam. On Zaandam there are 446 guests and 602 crew.