HAL Westerdam Cruise or Not?

[don512]

Is it silly to try and plan a cruise around an excursion? I have friends who want to see the Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza. Since we had gone on an Alaskan cruise with them last year on the Volendam, and we all really enjoyed it, I thought it would be a great way to go to see the ruins. A few years back, I did a western Carribean cruise on the Veendam. Back then if you wanted to visit the ruins, the ship would drop you off in the morning before heading over to Cozumel. Why did they ever stop that? Now they do the excursion from Cozumel, which means that they have to be ported for more than ten hours to even offer the excursion. We had a cruise booked this past April, but cancelled when they changed port times in Cozumel not allowing enough time for the excursion. Now I notice that the Westerdam has a 13 hour port time in Cozumel next April. But contacting HAL, I haven't been able to find out that if the port times stay the same, if they will definetly offer the excursion. Any opinions? Should I try the Westerdam again or just take a trip to Cancun and take the excursion from there? Or maybe try another cruiseline that ports in Progresso?

[quarterlmm]

If the stop time is 13 hours, it should be ok and I think HAL offers excursion to chichen itza. Actually I just book western caribbean on Westerdam in December, when the ship only stays 10 hours. I will try to rent a car or take plane to chichen itza. I like the huge, organized and still neat ruins.

[Esme]

HAL stopped flying paxs to these ruins after one of the planes they had chartered crashed killing everyone on board.... I think they paxs were on the Veendam, but am not sure.

 

If you want to see the ruins, HAL's excursion is the best way to go there. If you rent a car, and you are late arriving back to the ship, you are on your own, something I wouldn't want to have happen, especially in Mexico.

 

If this is the way you want to go, make sure you have your Passport with you. There have been some horror stories about people being stuck in Mexico without a Passsport.

[TedC]

If time is short or you don't relish a long journey, think about visiting the Mayan ruins at Tulum. It's a beautiful spot overlooking the Caribbean - and much easier to get to from Cozumel.

[1stMate]

HAL stopped flying paxs to these ruins after one of the planes they had chartered crashed killing everyone on board.... I think they paxs were on the Veendam, but am not sure.

 

If you want to see the ruins, HAL's excursion is the best way to go there. If you rent a car, and you are late arriving back to the ship, you are on your own, something I wouldn't want to have happen, especially in Mexico.

 

If this is the way you want to go, make sure you have your Passport with you. There have been some horror stories about people being stuck in Mexico without a Passsport.

 

It was the Maasdam, 16 passengers and 3 airplane crew members were killed. September 12, 2001. The news of the crash and the deaths aboard a HAL chartered air craft was obviously lost due the muslim terrorist attacks the preceeding day.

[Esme]

Thanks 1st Mate. Wasn't too sure which ship it was when I posted but now that you say it was the Maasdam, I do remember talking to a good friend, who lives not far from me and is now a retired HAL Captain, that he was the Master of the Maasdam when this happened. He had to notify the families who were on board the ship and he said it was the hardest thing that he has ever had to do.

 

The older I get the less I remember! :eek:

[Druke I]

We took that flight to Chichen Itsa (sp) back in Mar 92, while sailing on Royal Princess.

 

The plane, a DC-3, was in very poor shape, and the airport was worse. I vowed at that time to never fly a Mexican charter flight again.

[quarterlmm]

HAL stopped flying paxs to these ruins after one of the planes they had chartered crashed killing everyone on board.... I think they paxs were on the Veendam, but am not sure.

 

If you want to see the ruins, HAL's excursion is the best way to go there. If you rent a car, and you are late arriving back to the ship, you are on your own, something I wouldn't want to have happen, especially in Mexico.

 

If this is the way you want to go, make sure you have your Passport with you. There have been some horror stories about people being stuck in Mexico without a Passsport.

 

Thanks for your reply. I think I 'd better just go to Tulum with HAL's excursion. I am not a US citizen. I will have big trouble if I get stucked in Mexico with Chinese passport. Last year I tried to apply visa to mexico and was declined. It is really interesting that I get US visas for so many times without any problem but got rejected by mexico. Did they think I would stay in mexico in stead of going back to shanghai? :eek: