SANTA CLARITA & SEATTLE — Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have announced updates to their return-to-cruise operations.
PRINCESS CRUISES
The restart times for both Island Princess and Diamond Princess have been updated. Island Princess will now return to service with a series of cruises to the Caribbean in spring 2022, prior to its 14-day Panama Canal Ocean to Ocean voyage on April 27, 2022. Diamond Princess will also return to service in spring 2022 with a season of Japan sailings. Details of both new programs will be announced shortly.
As a result of these changes, Princess is cancelling its 2021-2022 South America & Antarctica Program on Diamond Princess, and its 2022 World Cruise along with two December 2021 Island Princess cruises.
For guests booked on a cancelled cruise, Princess will offer to move them to an equivalent future cruise with the added benefit of protecting their 2021/2022 fare on their future cruise. Alternatively, guests can choose a future cruise credit equivalent to 100% of the cruise fare paid or a full refund to the original form of payment. Requests must be received through this online form by Sept. 30, 2021, or guests will be automatically be moved to the default alternate. FCCs can be used on any cruises booked by and sailing by Dec. 31, 2022.
Princess is protecting travel agent commissions on bookings that were paid in full.
Both the Island Princess and Diamond Princess join eight MedallionClass ships – Majestic Princess, Grand Princess, Ruby Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Regal Princess, Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess – which have returned to service or are scheduled to restart by Nov. 28, 2021, taking guests to Alaska, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii and the California Coast.
For the most current information for booked guests affected by cancellations, and about FCCs and refunds, click here.
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
Volendam and Zaandam’s highly anticipated restart date has been set for May 2022. The ships will join Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam and Zuiderdam, which have returned to service or are slated to restart cruising by November 2021.
While Volendam will explore Northern Europe, Zaandam will return to the Canada/New England region. With these new start dates, the Grand World Voyage and Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage will not operate in 2022 and instead resume in 2023.
When Volendam returns on May 1, the ship will offer longer explorations ranging from 14 to 35 days to the Baltic, Norway up to North Cape and Spitsbergen, British Isles and Iceland, all roundtrip from Rotterdam, Netherlands. The ship will also sail along the Iberian Peninsula to the Mediterranean and down to Egypt and Israel.
Zaandam, meanwhile, will restart on May 12 in the Canada/New England region with a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, followed by itineraries between Boston and Montreal. The ship will offer the popular 35-day Voyage of the Vikings itinerary in July that sails roundtrip from Boston to Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Ireland.
When the Grand World Voyage departs on Jan. 3, 2023, Zuiderdam will debut on the 128-day sojourn, offering world cruise guests the chance to book a verandah stateroom for the first time. Volendam will return for the 74-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage in 2023 that departs Jan. 3, 2023.
Guests who were booked on the 2022 Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage will be automatically moved to the 2023 departure aboard Volendam. Guests who were booked on the 2022 Grand World Voyage aboard Zaandam will be automatically moved to the 2023 Grand World Voyage aboard Zuiderdam.
With Zuiderdam embarking on the Grand World Voyage, Koningsdam will take on that ship’s longer, exotic itineraries in 2023. Koningsdam’s 25-day Mexican Riviera and Circle Hawaii Collectors’ Voyage will move from a Jan. 31, 2023 departure to Jan. 7, 2023, for 24 days. In February, the larger Pinnacle Class ship will offer the 35-day Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas itinerary roundtrip from San Diego, and all guests booked for that departure aboard Zuiderdam will be moved to Koningsdam.
Zuiderdam’s Panama Canal cruises in January and April 2023, as well as a 10-day Mexico and Sea of Cortez voyage, will be assumed by Zaandam.
Guests who prefer a 100% refund of monies paid to Holland America Line can visit the Cancellation Preferences Form to indicate their preference by Sept. 24, 2021.
