Holland America: Full Fleet Shore Power Ready

Holland America: Full Fleet Shore Power Ready

Following the shore power installation on the Volendam, Holland America Line’s entire fleet is now equipped for shore power connectivity.

The Volendam recently completed its installation in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was connected to the port’s shoreside electricity for a full day on September 27.

“At Holland America Line, our legacy of exceptional onboard care extends to caring for the planet, and having our entire fleet capable of shore power connection is a tremendous milestone in our sustainability efforts,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “We have committed to reducing our carbon emission intensity by 20 per cent by 2030 from our 2019 baseline, and we’re on our way to reaching that goal through a variety of initiatives that include shore power. We look forward to more global ports embracing shore power capability in the future and are ready to work with them to connect.”

Ports that the cruise line’s ships visit with shore power include Juneau, Alaska; New York; San Francisco and San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; Halifax, Montreal and Vancouver, Canada; Bergen, Ålesund and Kristiansand, Norway; Kiel, Germany; and Shanghai and Xiamen, China.

Holland America Line began converting ships for shore power connectivity in 2006 with its four Vista Class ships.

The cruise line’s Pinnacle Class ships (the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and the Rotterdam) all were built with shore power systems installed, while the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam were launched with a partial installation that has since been completed.

In addition to shore power, the company has also adopted a variety of environmental practices such as banning single-use plastics onboard and using biodegradable or paper-based alternatives.

“We’ve made our packaging changes in a thoughtful manner to ensure that we can both reduce our footprint and also maintain our outstanding guest experience,” added Antorcha.

 

Holland America Line’s Volendam will be used to accommodate around 1,500 Ukrainian refugees.

HAL will provide three hot meals per day, private stateroom accommodations, housekeeping services, use of public spaces, fitness facilities, internet access and other necessities

It comes as part of a larger commitment from the Netherlands to accommodate 50,000 people who have fled the country following the Russian invasion.

 

HAL will provide three hot meals per day, private stateroom accommodations, housekeeping services, use of public spaces, fitness facilities, internet access and other necessities while the vessel is docked in Rotterdam. It will be staffed with around 650 crew members.

 

HAL president Gus Antorcha said the line was in a "unique position" to accommodate the immediate need for food and housing.

 

"Our company was founded in Rotterdam around the mission of helping immigrants find a better life," he added. "So today we’re proud to be a small part of a similar mission for Ukrainians who have tragically been displaced."

Volendam was scheduled to return to service on 15 May, with voyages from Rotterdam to Norway, the British Isles and Iceland.

 

To accommodate the three-month commitment, Holland America Line will cancel three of those voyages and resume service on 3 July instead. Guests on cancelled cruises are being notified and will be accommodated on similar itineraries.

 

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause to guests booked on the three cancelled cruises," Antorcha said.

Holland America Line cancels cruises into 2021

Holland America Line cancels cruises into 2021

Holland America Line is extending its pause of cruise operations and cancelling additional departures from Vancouver this year.

Selected Hawaii itineraries for early 2021 are also affected.

The extension of cruise cancellations has been made due to “travel and port restrictions continuing for the near future due to global health concerns,” the Carnival Corporation brand said.

Future cruise credits are being offered to customers booked on the cancelled cruises and are valid for cruises until the end of 2022.

People wanting refunds must fill in a ‘cancellation preferences’ form by July 15.

Cruises operated by six ships have been cancelled:

Eurodam:
September 26, 2020, 22-day Panama Canal cruise from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Koningsdam:
September 26, 2020, seven-day Pacific Northwest cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, California.
January 16 and February 2, 2021, Circle Hawaii voyages from San Diego.

Maasdam:
September 21, 2020, 16-day Mexico and Sea of Cortez itinerary from Vancouver to San Diego.

Noordam:
September. 27, 2020, 14-day North Pacific Crossing from Vancouver to Yokohama, Japan.

Volendam:
September 30, October 3 and October 10, 2020, three- and seven-day Pacific Northwest and coastal cruises from Vancouver.

Westerdam:
September 20, 2020, 17-day Circle Hawaii cruise from Vancouver
October 7, 2020, 23-day Inca Discovery voyage from Vancouver to San Antonio (Santiago), Chile.

6 Cruise Ship Cabins to Avoid

6 Cruise Ship Cabins to Avoid

You might expect loud noises, close quarters and attention-grabbing maneuvers in the dance club onboard your cruise ship -- but not in your cabin. Even if you don't plan to spend much time there, it should be a restful and private place so you can maintain that much-needed vacation stamina. To help you do so, we've compiled a list of cabins you'll want to avoid booking if closet-like dimensions or scraping chair sounds overhead don't sound appealing to you. Heed our advice, and you might be feeling a bit less claustrophobic and a tad more refreshed come disembarkation. Smaller than SmallSure, price is a major factor when booking your cabin, but give yourself the benefit of the doubt: Would you want your "home away from home" to be smaller than your own bedroom? To give you an example of square footage, the average master bedroom in an American household runs about 200 square feet. Carnival's standard inside cabins begin at a healthy 185 square feet, but beware of the line's Category 1A cabins, which are oddly shaped and feature pull-out or bunk beds. In comparison, Royal Caribbean's inside cabins on Majesty of the Seas run 114 square feet. "Inside" doesn't mean one size fits all, so carefully read cabin dimensions before selecting. Also, check whether a balcony is included in the total square footage of the room -- the added outdoor space might be nice but not if it's being factored into an already teeny-tiny cabin. It's important to note that cabins on newer ships seem to be smaller than those found on their older siblings. For example, Haven suites on Norwegian's Breakaway and Getaway are smaller than the suites on its Gem-class ships. Even if you've sailed a line before, don't assume each ship will offer similar cabin sizes. What a Lovely View?If a view is important to you, make sure know what you're getting a view of. An obstructed-view cabin category might cost less, but the quality of the vista varies from room to room. One view might be only partially obstructed, leaving most of the window occupied by sunsets over waves, while others artfully frame a length of lifeboats. Passengers on Caribbean Princess vow that even cabins categorized as having a fully obstructed view still provide room for photo ops and oceangazing. It might be helpful to read the reviews of others who have stayed in the same cabin. The Cruise Critic boards offer thousands of reader reviews and feedback from cruisers across every line, making them a great place to start. Ear Plugs RequiredOne common rookie-cruiser mistake is not checking the deck plans before booking a cabin. It might seem obsessive to a first-timer, but locating loud and late-night venues could be a lifesaver when picking a place to rest your weary head.  Anything near a dance club, sports venue, lido deck or all-night eatery could mean throbbing bass, bouncing basketballs and the sweet sound of deck chairs scraping at 3 a.m. Even worse is the galley: bumping, rolling, shouting and stomping around the clock. Just because a venue shuts down at a certain hour doesn't mean there won't be commotion as it's being cleaned. It's widely agreed that the best passenger deck to choose is one sandwiched between other passenger decks -- you might run into noisy neighbors, but it's unlikely they'll have access to pots, pans or an industrial sound system. Additionally, a cruise line will be more equipped to handle a passenger noise complaint rather than a request to move your cabin on what could be a fully booked ship. If your ship offers family suites (typically located near children's facilities), keep in mind that families are likely nearby (read: the potential for screaming children). If you'd rather avoid the ambient sounds of a large family group, then perhaps it's best to relocate away from that area entirely. If you can, identify where crew service entrances are located -- stories of slamming doors day and night are enough for us to check twice. And if the sound of footsteps keeps you up at night, don't book a cabin nearby major promenades or staircases. Another potential peeve is the dinging of elevators, if you're close enough to that area to hear them. And don't forget the cruise ship engine. While humming noises put some to sleep, the loud buzz of machinery might drive you batty. Passengers on the lowest deck are most likely to hear engine or even anchor sounds. Privacy out the WindowA view is always preferable to no view, but be wary: Cabins that open onto a promenade deck offer little privacy, even with curtains closed. This was the complaint of one cruiser in an oceanview cabin on the lower promenade deck of Holland America's Volendam. The line's Lanai cabins boast sliding-glass doors with one-way views offering total concealment, but don't forget to shut them if you're planning a private moment; this isn't your back yard. Other cabins providing questionable seclusion include the mini-suites beneath the SeaWalk onRoyal Princess and Regal Princess and cabins facing the Boardwalk and Central Park areas on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. A passenger who stayed on the lowest level of the Central Park cabins reported having to keep their curtains closed for the length of the cruise because other passengers strolling through the park could see straight in. Motion of the OceanRough seas or not, motion sickness can ruin a cruise vacation. If you know you have a history of motion sickness or even if you're not sure, err on the side of booking a more stable cabin. By "stable," we mean midship, closer to the interior and on a lower deck, where rocking motion is less likely to be felt.  A balcony room might seem enticing for the fresh air, but a location on the outer edges of the ship could make it more susceptible to movement. That said, visual contact with the horizon line is said to aid in reducing nausea as you bob up and down. Rough waters can be anticipated by itinerary and the time of year you're sailing. Generally, in the winter months, seas are rougher especially in the Atlantic. If you don't have a stomach of steel, consider skipping cabins that could make you queasy. A deluxe suite at the front of the ship might come with all the bells and whistles, but you won't be able to enjoy them with your head in the toilet. What Kind of Guarantee?Not saying that guarantee cabins aren't worth the gamble for an upgrade, but if you want assurance that you won't be in a pitching, noisy cabin, these cabins aren't the way to go. A guarantee cabin isn't actually a type of cabin but, rather, a method of booking a cabin. You pick a minimum cabin level you'd be comfortable in, and the cruise line assigns you a cabin close to booking dates based on availability. The potential for an upgrade is appealing, and if you're cruising on a budget and don't have a particular issue with any of the cabin dilemmas listed above, then it could be worth your while to see what a guarantee might deliver. But your guarantee also could place you squarely above the anchor, next to a crew entrance or below the theater. With guarantee cabins, you lose your ability to complain about what you end up with.

Volendam to get lanai staterooms

By Tom Stieghorst

Holland America Line said its 1,432-passenger Volendam will have 21 of its cabins converted to lanai staterooms during a drydock in December.

The lanai cabins feature large sliding-glass doors with direct access to the lower promenade wraparound teak walking deck. They come with reserved deck chairs and a one-way mirrored coating on the sliding-glass doors to ensure privacy.

In addition, Volendam’s bars will be reconfigured to feature Mix, a space that incorporates three specialty theme bars: Martinis, Champagne and Spirits & Ales.

During the drydock, all suite bathrooms will be updated to feature new whirlpool bathtubs, stone vanities, lighted mirrors, Grohe fixtures, floors, walls and sinks.

Several additional categories, including the lanai staterooms, will receive new bathroom appointments and walk-in showers.