Booking a B2B just for 2 days at Half moon Cay?

[dcsam]

We're debating between a 10 or 11 night southern Caribbean cruise or 2 seven day. The only reason we are considering the B2B is for the 2 days at Half Moon. Love that place. But my thought is there would be more kids. True?

[Crew News]

We're debating between a 10 or 11 night southern Caribbean cruise or 2 seven day. The only reason we are considering the B2B is for the 2 days at Half Moon. Love that place. But my thought is there would be more kids. True?

 

There will only be kids if you go to HMC during school vacations. During the off-season, Thanksgiving to Christmas, you might find only a few kids on board.

 

Our Southern Caribbean on the Eurodam next year should have just a handful of kids since it leaves just after Thanksgiving.

[RuthC]

True, at least for one of those weeks. It's amazing how the make-up of the passenger group can change from one cruise to the next.

Families are more likely to take a 7-day vacation than a longer one. If you're trying to reduce the chances of a lot of kids, at least for one of the cruises, go with the one longer cruise.

 

The one longer cruise also means you are with the same group of passengers for the entire cruise, rather than a huge turnover. The dinners will have different menus, will have only one muster drill, and won't have that turn-around day.

[CruiserBruce]

The longer the cruise- particularly over 10 days, the fewer the kids. Agree, the number of kids will also be driven by when the cruise is.

 

We have done both 7 day B2B and 10/11 day Collectors Cruises to get two visits to HMC. It is DW's #1 request for Caribbean cruises.

[cbr663]

We have also looked at booking a cruise just for HMC. Keep in mind though that this is a tender port and there isn't any guarantee that the ship will stop at the port. We realized this on our last Caribbean cruise when the weather changed and we were ordered off the island early.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We did the November 3 - 24 Collectors Cruise on the Noordam -- 21 days.

We missed HMC both times because of high winds and rough seas.

[sail7seas]

You won't be bothered by kids. We've been to HMC more than 20 times and never once did children interfere with our enjoyment in any way.

 

[sail7seas]

We did the November 3 - 24 Collectors Cruise on the Noordam -- 21 days.

We missed HMC both times because of high winds and rough seas.

 

That also happened to us once on a b-to-b/Collectors. Was disappointing.

 

[PathfinderEss]

We did the November 3 - 24 Collectors Cruise on the Noordam -- 21 days.

We missed HMC both times because of high winds and rough seas.

 

Us too, there is no guarantee that you will get into HMC. We ran into that problem in early December one year.

[ithaca gal]

We did a back to back for Thanksgiving and both of our HMC stops were affected by the rough seas. On the first visit, the tendering was delayed for some time due to the rough seas and we had to skip the second visit entirely.

 

I would not make a choice on cruises based on stops at HMC.

[Aruba]

Be aware that yours might not be the only ship in HMC. You may book a longer cruise under the assumption that there are likely to be fewer kids in HMC than on a 7-night cruise...only to find that there is another HAL ship at HMC on the same day with an itinerary shorter than yours.

 

Once I was in HMC when both Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam were anchored. The photos of the 2 sister ships were lovely -- but wow, was the beach (and the lunch!) at HMC crowded!

[peaches from georgia]

We have a 50% rate getting into HMC.

[CruiserBruce]

We are 8 for 8 making it, in December, February, March and April. Only one- our most recent visit, was close to a miss.

[sail7seas]

I'd say our experience as to being able to tender at HMC is about 65 -70% of our scheduled visits.

[5fathom]

Considering B to B on Niew Amsterdam in January. Do you have to disembark after first 7 day leg the re board ? Do you have to attend lifeboat drill a second time ? Thanks for the info.

[CruiserBruce]

Considering B to B on Niew Amsterdam in January. Do you have to disembark after first 7 day leg the re board ? You get off to for the ship to meet immigration requirements. You don't pack up. Do you have to attend lifeboat drill a second time Yes? Thanks for the info.

 

Discussed here regularly.

[sail7seas]

You have to attend both lifeboat drills.

 

[POA1]

Your chances of getting both visits to Half Moon Cay greatly increase from mid January through April. The beginning of the season, in November & early December is often unsettled in the Bahamas and other Caribbean ports.

[ithaca gal]

Discussed here regularly.

 

On our back to back on November 23rd and November 30th, we do NOT have to disembark and re-board.

 

We were called to the theatre area, sat for a while until we were told that Immigration felt they did not have to check us, and then we were free to leave (after the ship zeroed out).

 

Could not have ben easier.