FlaMariner

I'd be OK if my biggest concern in Jamaica is aggressive sales folks and hair braiders........I can handle that....It's this from the USA State Dept RE: Jamaica that causes pause.......Again, a great day to enjoy the ship..... Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts. Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a conclusive sentence. Families of U.S. citizens killed in accidents or homicides frequently wait a year or more for final death certificates to be issued by Jamaican authorities. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica has for several years been among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. U.S. government personnel under COM security responsibility are prohibited from traveling to the areas listed below, from using public buses, and from driving outside of prescribed areas of Kingston at night. Emergency services and hospital care vary throughout the island, and response times and quality of care may vary from U.S. standards. Public hospitals are under-resourced and cannot always provide high level or specialized care. Private hospitals require payment up front before admitting patients and may not have the ability to provide specialized care. Ambulance services are not always readily available, especially in rural areas, and are not always staffed by trained personnel.

Agree....A bus full of tourists seems like an easy, lucrative and efficient target.

The State Dept USA has it listed as a level 3 Reconsider Travel.....We would stay on the ship and enjoy the Eurodam that day. Here is the link to the State Dept travel advisory for Jamaica...... https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Jamaica.html

Looking for a way to do a round trip Trans Atlantic in 2025? Except for Cunard, it's usually TA's to Europe in the spring and to USA in the fall....but I found this interesting TA on Carnival.....Looks like the Carnival Mardi Gras is heading from Port Canaveral to Barcelona on 9/13/25........and returning a couple of weeks later (must be dry dock time). That could easily be coupled with the usual Europe to USA TA's that time of year. (We are contemplating this Carnival one way to Barcelona with a Holland America Line (our preferred line) return on 10/11 from Rotterdam to Port Everglades) Two week cruise to Europe....two weeks in Europe.....two weeks cruising back home.....and no air!.....Sounds like paradise. Not sure the dog we leave behind will allow this.

I saw that....we are taking quite a leap this year and we booked Carnival on a Trans-Pacific in October from Singapore to LAX on the Carnival Panorama...... We left Carnival many, many years ago but the price was right as was the itinerary.....I'm counting on not the usual Carnival party crowd.....We shall see. Seems as though the ship is in Singapore for a dry dock and this is not the usual "stomping ground" for Carnival. We are game.

Seems as though this does not impact us as we manage to enjoy HMC without ever spending money. The beach, the beach walk, the hiking trails, the beach chairs, the roundtrip tender, the swimming, the bathrooms and the island barbecue are all surcharge free. We love our day at HMC.

That's fun. Thanks for sharing. We will be watching.

Interesting...... That's an offer I'm certain we will never see.....We are certainly not HOB...high onboard spenders....and I think we are fine with that. Enjoy that offer.....sounds incredible.

That's the way we roll........... We travel with a carry on roller bag and backpack each (use HAL laundry). It's so much more convenient to pass by the longshoreman (and the tip requirement) and roll our carry on/roller bag right to the stateroom. No issues. Easy. And no waiting on luggage delivery. Same but in reverse (and much sadder mood) when we dis-embark and use "self-assisted" dis-embarkation. (I'd only advise taking your own luggage with you if you can easily handle/drive/steer it...And you travel lite......Sometimes frustrating with the elderly passengers gumming up the early dis-embarkation line with their way too big for them to drive suitcases...thinking some folks need a license before hitting the gangway w/their SUV size luggage) Enjoy the cruise......

Yes. The hangers can be removed.

Welcome to HAL! Our experience from our last two cruises in 2023...... Security check Passport face scan Receive boarding group number Sit Board when group number called Scan boarding pass at entrance to ship Go to room and keycards are waiting Easy peezy and our experience has been that you keep moving......not much in the way of lines since the streamlined process of face scanning.... Enjoy the journey........

We were there in March 2023 on the Oosterdam. Great port. I do not know/recall any cruise ship transport at the pier......but.... Our independent tour picked us up/returned us at/to the port.

Just guessing.....but.... If there is some "fixed cost" from the port/government and we are on HAL's "mid sized ships" and not sailing "condo of the seas", seems as though HAL would have higher port/government fees per passenger?

Our first "check in time" experience was post Covid (October 2021, Maiden voyage of Rotterdam) in Amsterdam. There was much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands by all of us on the roll call because of the assigned "check in times" and all the Covid travel hassles/documents/restrictions/EuropeQR codes/masks etc. It was all for nothing as we arrived early (way before assigned check in time) and the tall, blond Dutch lady was ready to stick a long q-tip up our noses for a pre-board Covid test. Luckily, we've never experienced the hassles like the folks experienced when embarking in California, then again, we tend to avoid California. Enjoy embarkation....no matter when you plan to arrive....just don't miss the boat!

Since the "recent unpleasantness" (Covid) we've boarded Holland America Line ships in..... Amsterdam Santiago/San Antonio Port Everglades 3x Seattle Our "check in" time was always some distant time in the afternoon. We arrived way before that (usually ~10am) and we were always welcomed to enter and get checked in. (my cruise fare includes lunch on embarkation day and we plan to partake)

Thanks to all for the intel.....I'm the OP. We booked ATL - JFK - SIN...thru Singapore Airlines.....(ATL - JFK is w/Jet Blue, then Singapore Airlines JFK - SIN) The one way flight in Premium Economy is $1,156 per passenger. 25 hours and 20 minutes of travel.....Leaving on a Tuesday and arriving on a Thursday (blows my mind). LOL. Singapore Airlines was the one of the lowest prices.....within a few dollars of Turkish Air and way under the prices of Delta/Emirates/United/American/JAL/China etc. The cruise is on Carnival and the've been telling me "technical issue" for the last month as to why their "fly2fun" isn't showing flights. I have a theory that this cruise (repositioning because of dry dock) will not offer air because this is not in Carnival's regular "stomping ground" of ports. Thanks again for the guidance......we are excited for this trip....bucket list stuff for us.

Here is a cut/paste from a previous post...... You are fine without it....IMO. Here is what we use it for (sometimes) and what is the alternative: boarding pass at embarkation ......print it instead ordering at dive in & NY pizza......order at the counter and get pager for when ready daily schedule......paper schedule delivered to your room communicate with guest services......visit guest services use text feature to tell Her Majesty that I am at the bar.......leave paper note in room Menu at MDR......view it on TV onboard account (I think it is on there)......view it on TV

That's good to hear....Did you show them the app with the "elegible" and "redeemed" and that was enough proof?

Seems like two weeks was when they started having/offering upsells when I called for a cruise last October.

I never had to do that.....It's not required to complete the process....It's only an option. I uploaded a pic of my statement. (my frustration now is I have received notice on stockperks that I'm "eligible" and my perk has been successfully "redeemed" but the TA says the OBC is not in the booking confirmation.)

We've scored on two upsells over the past two years and we were able to choose from the particular "available" cabins. My advice is to respond quickly, have a deck plan out, credit card number ready and agreement w/Her Majesty already confirmed....do not dilly dally.

I haven't read all the posts but I'm thankful for the newer, larger HAL ships..... Why? Two reasons....... The fares on the HAL "mid sized" ships allow us to sail/see the world at a price point that makes it possible for us....and sometimes we get to snag a balcony. We still do not have to board a "condo of the seas" ship to afford cruising...... (If we had more $$$, we'd be all over the smaller ship with all the amenities included, etc but it will not work financially for us) Enjoy the choices in cruising.....we love the HAL of today.

So, Several weeks ago I completed the steps and I see on the stockperks app that I am "eligible" and that I have "redeemed" yet our TA does not show the stockholder OBC (as before). Is the OBC possibly there but not visible to the TA as in the past? Any intel on how to confirm?

Just reading that a USA warship just had a close call with a enemy missile fired at them in the Red Sea.....Would not like to be on a HAL ship enjoying my lido breakfast when the missiles are incoming......thinking an itinerary change is in order.....makes my grumbling of "why are they canceling Key West for Freeport" seem silly and trivial.....while at the time, we were mad & upset....LOL>

Lol. ship happens.