Today (August 11, 2020) HAL announced the extension of their voluntary suspension. With the announcement, the Holland America cruise suspension — through December 15 — is likely an indicator of what we can expect from the rest of the cruise lines. It also makes the likelihood of cruises being a vacation option in 2020 slim at best.

Will Holland America Line Sail in 2020?

Unfortunately, probably not. Even though HAL (like all the other cruise lines) is actively working to implement safety measures and protocols to make sure guests and crew are healthy and safe on board there is very little indication that they’ll have a government approved plan in place, implemented, and get their crew ready to sail in 2020. In addition to this, I’m not confident that the CDC, CLIA, WHO, and other agencies and governments are going to lift the no sail order before the end of the year.

Holland America Cruise Suspension Announcement – 8/11/20

During this pause in our business, we have continued to closely monitor the progression of COVID-19, global travel and port restrictions, and guidance from public health authorities. We have come to the conclusion that we will not be able to return to sailing as soon as we had hoped and have made the difficult decision to extend our pause of cruise operations to voyages departing through December 15, 2020.

Holland America Line

Holland America Line is continuing their cancellation policy:

• Guest bookings on impacted cruises automatically will be cancelled, and no action is needed for guests opting for the Future Cruise Credit (FCC).
• Paid in Full: Those who had paid in full will receive 125% FCC of the base cruise fare paid to Holland America Line.
• Not Paid in Full: Those with bookings not paid in full will receive an FCC of double the amount of the deposit paid for the cruise. The minimum FCC is $100 and the maximum will be an amount up to the base cruise fare paid.
• Refund requests should be made before September 15, 2020.
• 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.
• All other funds paid to Holland America Line (excursions, etc.) may be transferred to a new booking or will automatically be refunded via the method of payment used to purchase the services.

If you’re on an itinerary that has been cancelled and have questions about the process, policies, or re-scheduling your HAL cruise, contact your travel advisor. If you booked direct with Holland America Line and want unbiased information and assistance use the contact form and I’ll happily help.