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South America

Holland America president pleads for assistance with Zaandam, Rotterdam

Comments (5)
  1. Marcus Mayfield says:

    So here is another American company that does not pay any taxes and they are pleading for U.S. help.

  2. Involuntary Reroute says:

    Remember, a long time ago travel providers (airlines, cruise lines etc) create their own set of accounting rules which are far far away from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Plane tickets and cruises are NOT earned until used. For three decades, travel services have been one big PONZI scheme. Yes, a BIG PONZI that even makes Madoff look small. The sale of lots and lots of tickets for future travel, many of which travel providers know will never be used, have always funded present day obligations. But when the momentum stops, all hell breaks loose. Holland America continued with the March 7th sailing because they thought it would be cheaper than refunding any money. Shame, shame, shame! This practice needs to be regulated, with a reserve set aside to refund paid but unearned deposits and avoid this scenario..

    1. Karen says:

      I wonder if the clients/passengers had the option of cancelling with credit to future sailing date. That would be interesting to know. If indeed they did, the client/passenger has some culpability too.

  3. Involuntary Reroute says:

    Capitalism ignoring facts and science! How many ships are still out at sea? Who in their right mind would get on a ship on March 7th as the pandemic was gaining steam, six weeks after the Grand Princess fiasco? The travel industry continued using 20th century tactics models in 21st century mostly unnoticed and unchallenged. Up to this point, it worked until it didn’t. The voyage should have been cancelled, but wasn’t. Why? The love and fear of money. Newsflash! The gift of life is more valuable than any sum of money, and anyone who step foot on that ship put themselves and others in each of the ports of call in extreme danger. It clearly wasn’t safe to sail 5 feet on March 7th let alone to South America. Most passengers probably wanted OUT of the cruise, but were probably told they’d lose their money and it will “be ok.” IT’S NOT OK! Loss of money is always cheaper than loss of life, regardless of the amount. Shame on HAL & Carnival for enabling this. For the near future , it’s OVER for cruises! Let the stock go to Zero where it belongs.

    1. Karen says:

      HAL clientele already aged…particularly on these longer, more exotic sailings . Since Carnival took them over many years ago they’ve lost much of their identity and Dutch practicality to good old American greed… turning these ships into a sideshow.
      Somehow they have to get off the ship…have Carnival owner pay for popup hospital and get the worst shape people off and cared for..foreign or not. What comes around goes around.
      The passengers extremely naive for thinking they were impervious to this potential killer …probably ignoring the pleas of their children not to go…and the cruise line not thinking AT ALL

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