Holland America Line has cancelled its scheduled season in Asia on Westerdam because of uncertainty in the region.

Eleven sailings that had been scheduled between 25 September 2022 and 27 February 2023 have been affected.

Instead, Westerdam will reposition to offer cruises in Australia and New Zealand, Cruise Hive reports, although itineraries have not yet been announced.

Chief Commercial Officer Beth Bodensteiner said: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience for guests scheduled on these sailings, but we felt it was important to make this decision given the current uncertainties around access in the ports we visit in Asia.

“We are contacting all impacted guests to help them rebook a cruise on one of our many worldwide sailing options, including the new Westerdam itineraries.

“With the reopening of cruising in Australia, we’re able to create some wonderful new itineraries exploring the urban excitement of Sydney, New Zealand’s wine country, and must-see destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef.

“We will be publishing these new itineraries on hollandamerica.com in the coming days.” 

Depending on the original itinerary, guests will automatically be rebooked later in the year or in 2023 and will get a $200 onboard credit.

Westerdam will be the last ship in the fleet to resume sailing after the pandemic, returning to service in Seattle on 12 June and offering Alaska itineraries this summer.