Advice Appreciated!

Hi everyone! My partner turns 50 this December so I'm in the beginning stages of planning a surprise cruise for him aboard the ms Eurodam. We depart December 17 for Half Moon Cay, Falmouth, Georgetown and Cozumel before returning to Fort Lauderdale.

I paid my deposit this week so it is starting to feel "real", and I'm looking for advice from people who have sailed with HAL/on the Eurodam in the past. I'm going to throw some random questions out there:

My travel agent somehow got us $600 onboard credits, can I use those to book spa treatments this far in advance? I've read that it may behoove me to wait until I'm onboard to take advantage of special deals, which is fine, but I would feel more comfortable knowing we had set spa reservations.

Once I book spa treatments, are we allowed access to the Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy Pool? Or, more specifically, what does come with spa/massage treatments?

We are currently on the open dining plan. Pros and cons?

Shore Excursions are a daunting (and expensive) idea. I know we will want to take advantage of our ports, but would we be content hooving it on our own?

I think that's it for now! Obviously I'm very excited for this surprise and my mind is racing with ideas, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to throw in your own words of wisdom.

Oh, we are guaranteed at least a level SY suite while onboard.

You can't use OBC to pay for anything you book in advance. I don't use the spa for anything but the thermal suite, but I have seen a lot of people booking treatments on the first day while we're waiting to by the pass. I'm pretty sure a spa treatment gets you into the thermal suite and t pool, but I don't know if it's for the day or just the time around your treatment.

Do some research on your ports. Cruise critic has port of call boards where you can get lots of local information. You can also check out the ports and independent tours on Tripadvisor. The one place you can't do an independent tour is Half Moon Cay. The only tours and activities are booked through HAL. But it doesn't cost anything to sit on the beach.

Welcome to cruising with HAL!

Hi First Timer,

I can help a little bit with your questions. Your OBC can only be used on board, so you can't use it to pre-book spa treatments before the cruise. You can use it for the spa once you are on board.

The thermal suite and Thalassotherapy Pool are a separate charge from spa treatments. I would wait to book that until onboard as the first day there are generally specials.

As for shore excursions, that all depends on what you enjoy doing and how comfortable you are making your own arrangements. Some people feel safer with ship excursions and others are experts at DIY. I have done both depending on the port and what I wanted to do.

I have done Anytime Dining several times and really like it because of the flexibility it offers. I don't mind meeting new people and having to go through the initial introductions each evening. I've met a lot of interesting people that way. But, that is an individual preference and you'll be sure to hear the other side of that story.

Enjoy planning your cruise and I hope the surprise goes well.

Check some of the other boards on Cruise Critic for better answers to some of your questions, For example:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

This should get you started on your ports and what to do there.

We like the late fixed dining because it is in the upper dining room, which we think is a little more elegant and quieter since you do not have new people coming in all the time and the space itself is smaller than the main floor dining. Plus you get the same dining steward team, and they get to know your likes and preferences for the whole cruise.

We always get a table for two, but if you choose this option for a larger table you will have the same dining companions throughout the cruise which can be pot luck. Though people come and go and make other dining arrangements during the course of the cruise anyway. Be sure to book at the Tamarind (more than once) if you like pan-Asian offerings in a very lovely, serene setting.

With respect to shore excursions -- We rarely take ship's excursions. We usually hit up the ports of call boards here on CruiseCritic and do other research on a travel site, typically TripAdvisor.

If you want to swim with the stingrays on Cayman, Captain Marvin is an excellent choice. You can also just walk around in town, or hire a cab for an island tour. We did our research online for Cozumel and came up with a list of things we'd like to see. We then hired a car and driver from Tours Plaza to take us around. Highly recommended. If you really like to see jewelry stores, you can just walk around in Cozumel. However, it's a really nice port stop if you do something off the beaten path. If you need a lunch stop, Casa Mission is great. You can't really walk there, but if you are hiring a car, you can build it in.

We were on the Eurodam in Dec. 2016 and loved it. We were in the Eastern Caribbean, so the only port we would have in common with you is Half Moon Cay. However, if you want to see ship photos and some observations from people in your own age bracket, you can read our "Live From" here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2432473

We first s ailed Eurodm just to see what was Hal's newetr ship at the time. we were so pleasantly surprised how much we liked that ship, that we sailed her 6 cruises and I'd not hesitate to sail her again. :)

See OlsSalt, We second the motion for late set seating. Especially if you would like a table for two, which is our preference.

I'll third the late (Main) fixed dining recommendations. Unless you are uncomfortable dining at 8 o'clock, it's definitely the most relaxing way to go. You have the same servers every night and they get to know your preferences. It's the closest thing to classic cruising. If you opt for a table larger than 2, go for a 6 top. It's manageable from a conversation standpoint, and odds are that you will like some of your table mates. (Probably all, but a table for six increases the odds.)

Are you familiar with cruise gratuity charges? Reserve some of your OBC to pay them: $13.50 per person per day ($15 in a suite+.) Two people for 10 days = $270.

We prefer the open dining plan. We sometimes eat with a large group and sometimes with a couple we have just met and want to get to know better.

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I think Falmouth is Jamaica, north shore? If so, I'd recommend taking a tour with a guide, either ship excursion or a private tour. I would not recommend a DIY walk about in Jamaica. The locals will pester you every step of the way. At least that's my experience.

Dunn's River Falls is a lovely place, gated, picturesque, lots of flowers, and the beautiful cascading water. You can climb up through the water falls which are really cascades. There are guides that help you find handholds and footholds and take good care of you. They have lockers to put your stuff in and you can rent "jelly" shoes for better traction and to protect your feet. We went there with a van of folks and a local driver that we hired at the pier (but we were at Ochos Rios, so I'm making an assumption that Falmouth is similar). It all worked very well. We did not climb the falls, just walked the stairs alongside the falls all the way to the beach and back up. Lots of shade.

We prefer the flexibility of Open Dining but used to do late (main) dining. Early dining is too early for us, sometimes we want more time to clean up from our shore time, or we want to watch the sunset...

You may want to consider a room service dinner in your suite... you may order off the main dining room menu but you might have to submit your order in the first hour that the MDR is open even though you can request that your food be delivered later. All the food will be delivered at the same time, including dessert.

Have a grand celebration! m--

Are you familiar with cruise gratuity charges? Reserve some of your OBC to pay them: $13.50 per person per day ($15 in a suite+.) Two people for 10 days = $270.

They are on a 7-day cruise in a suite so $210.

If this is a first time cruise for you and your partner, I hope you know that you both will need a passport before you board the ship.

If this is a first time cruise for you and your partner, I hope you know that you both will need a passport before you board the ship.

I'm pretty sure that this itinerary is photo ID and birth certificate in terms of documentation.

:hearteyes:

Wow, what a cornucopia of wisdom I've stumbled upon. Thank you all for your help and feedback! I will continue to consider the pros and cons of open dining vs set, and will wait until Joel knows about the trip to talk shore excursions and spa bookings since they can both be planned onboard.

POA1, reading your live report from last year kept me up until 3am last night in rapt anticipation.

Thanks for your expertise everyone!

Andy

I'm pretty sure that this itinerary is photo ID and birth certificate in terms of documentation.

I've applied for mine just in case. My issue is trying to figure out if Joel's passport is valid 6 months after the trip. Not too sure how to work that into everyday conversation without tipping him off...

I've applied for mine just in case. My issue is trying to figure out if Joel's passport is valid 6 months after the trip. Not too sure how to work that into everyday conversation without tipping him off...

It is going to be fun sharing your trip planning. Hope you will keep us updated and that we can help put our heads together to make this a wonderful trip. Quite a challenge - how to get access to his passport info. Does it have to be valid for six more months for just a Caribbean cruise.

One way is for you to get the additional passport ID card when you get your own formal passport and show the convenient ID card to him and ask if he should think about getting one too ...just for the heck of it ...that might get him to look at his passport.

Or you can think about getting the GOES pass ( expedited customs inspection pass) for any "possible" future travel planning - that takes getting out the passports too.

Or you can joke about your own passport photo when you get yours, and ask to see his.

I'm pretty sure that this itinerary is photo ID and birth certificate in terms of documentation.

My understanding is that a passport is now required for Mexico (Cozumel). Am I mistaken?

OlsSalt, I'm looking forward to sharing my trip planning with all of you! Great ideas on sneaky passport reconnaissance, I'll work on them and keep you posted. Right now I'm trying to decide between open and fixed dining. I am right on the fence on this one.

USN59-79, you are correct. I just checked my invoice and the fine print states "a passport that is valid for 6 months after your itinerary return date is required."

OlsSalt, I'm looking forward to sharing my trip planning with all of you! Great ideas on sneaky passport reconnaissance, I'll work on them and keep you posted. Right now I'm trying to decide between open and fixed dining. I am right on the fence on this one.

 

USN59-79, you are correct. I just checked my invoice and the fine print states "a passport that is valid for 6 months after your itinerary return date is required."

The good thing about any dining decisions is you can most likely change it once on board. In fixed dining we often start with a full house the first few nights but then there are empty tables later on in the cruise as people choose other dining options including the buffet, specialty restaurants, room service or just plain not eating even more later in the evening. Getting a table for two if this is your final preference can be a little more impacted, but later on they will often open up a table for four and set it only for two people.

But if there is a large group that HAL also booked, that may not be an option. There is a thread running here about "large groups and charters" where you can check your ship and dates to see if your cruise will be impacted -not a perfect list but a very good start to looking into this.

Check the Roll Calls section for a thread for Eurodam on your sailing date. If you are lucky and have an active group it is often possible to arrange shared private tours. Even as spontaneous as hiring a taxi/van for the day right at the dock which split six ways (three couples) can be pretty reasonable and a much better experience than being herded on to a big motorcoach.

We too opt for late, partly because we eat at that time at home and partly so there is not a seating after us so no rush to leave the MDR. We also like having the same waitstaff every night. But we've done open dining too and liked that - especially when we planned to eat in specialty (extra cost) venues or the buffet frequently. opening dining can also be a plus on days with late port stops.

Welcome to HAL! You have chosen a wonderful line for your cruise!!

I've not sailed the Eurodam yet but wanted to comment on your ports, all of which I have been to with the exception of HMC.

Cozumel is quite safe and very built up for tourism; you will have no issue to DIY there. Georgetown, GC would be the same.

Falmouth is another kettle of fish though. I've been to Jamaica both by ship [calling at Ocho Rios] and on a land trip when I stayed in Falmouth. I see that you are a same-sex couple and Jamaica is one of the least friendly countries in the area for gay men [some others are only marginally better but c'est la vie]. I would highly recommend taking a ship's tour there as you will be in the comfort and anonymity or a large group; as long as there is no PDA you will not even be noticed when traveling with a group. I, personally, have not felt in danger there but it is something that was in the back of my mind on both visits [especially the cruise visit since I was with DH that time rather than a female friend like the first visit]. Usually the Dunns River Falls tours [highly recommended] are not that expensive through the ship anyway. LGBT issues aside, Jamaica also has some of the pushiest vendors of any place I've been [much like "RMSLincoln" stated above] so I even recommend ship's tours to my straight friends who travel there. The funny thing is, nature-wise, Jamaica is one of the prettiest islands in the region, IMO. Their beaches are lovely and many still have a rustic feel with tress for shade rather than just expanses of endless sand.

I've applied for mine just in case. My issue is trying to figure out if Joel's passport is valid 6 months after the trip. Not too sure how to work that into everyday conversation without tipping him off...

You will need his passport info to check in online, so better start working on how the get your hands on it!

I would not get off the ship in Jamaica, I will not give them any of my money. Unfortunately I have no say on the port charges.