New to Holland America cruise - help please

[missgailly]

Hubby and I are leaving on February 22 on the Western Caribbean trip.  We just booked it last week - trying to get away from our Canadian winter.

This is not our first cruise - the first one was in 2003 (Disney - 4 days) and 2009 (Princess - supposed to be 7 days but we missed the boat and got for 4 days). So we're practically newbies again.  After looking at the HAL sight, things have changed a LOT!

 

Questions:

 

1. My husband doesn't drink and I only have an occasional drink and probably only glass of wine at dinner. Plus I see that we can each bring a bottle of wine for the room, which we will do. Which beverage package should we get? We both drink water and soft drinks. I noticed there is one for $50 but then a discounted $50 one that only costs $25. I'm confused!

 

2. We'd like one dinner at the Pinnacle Grill - when should we reserve this?  

 

3. When is high tea - is it only one day?

 

4. Which shore excursions would you recommend? There seems to be a couple of dolphin and sting ray experiences - which ones are the better ones?  We are both over 65 so nothing to strenuous. Also, we have a long wait for our flight when we get off in Fort Lauderdale - which excursion should we book to fill in some time?

 

5. Are there places to sit on Half Moon Cay beach without having to rent a lounge chair?

 

Thank you for any/all suggestions/recommendations!  

[Bostonjetset]

1 minute ago, missgailly said:

Hubby and I are leaving on February 22 on the Western Caribbean trip.  We just booked it last week - trying to get away from our Canadian winter.

This is not our first cruise - the first one was in 2003 (Disney - 4 days) and 2009 (Princess - supposed to be 7 days but we missed the boat and got for 4 days). So we're practically newbies again.  After looking at the HAL sight, things have changed a LOT!

 

Questions:

 

1. My husband doesn't drink and I only have an occasional drink and probably only glass of wine at dinner. Plus I see that we can each bring a bottle of wine for the room, which we will do. Which beverage package should we get? We both drink water and soft drinks. I noticed there is one for $50 but then a discounted $50 one that only costs $25. I'm confused!

 

2. We'd like one dinner at the Pinnacle Grill - when should we reserve this?  

 

3. When is high tea - is it only one day?

 

4. Which shore excursions would you recommend? There seems to be a couple of dolphin and sting ray experiences - which ones are the better ones?  We are both over 65 so nothing to strenuous. Also, we have a long wait for our flight when we get off in Fort Lauderdale - which excursion should we book to fill in some time?

 

5. Are there places to sit on Half Moon Cay beach without having to rent a lounge chair?

 

Thank you for any/all suggestions/recommendations!  

Welcome to HAL!!  I can answer a few questions and will leave the others to those with more knowledge. 
 

1.  The $50 beverage card costs $50 and can be used on any beverage. The $50 soda card costs $25 and can be used towards $50 of soda only. That is the only one that is discounted and may be the better option for you if you drink soda but rarely drink alcohol. 
 

2.  You can reserve Pinnacle Grill online before your cruises or once onboard. We usually book speciality dining before the cruise to ensure we get the day and time we want. MDR food is fine so we usually do just come specialty restaurant per trip for a change of pace. 
 

3. Afternoon tea is usually offered on sea days so multiple times per cruise. Usually it’s around 3.30 but there have been many changes to the offerings over the years so someone else may have more current info. 

[VacationCharlene]

WELCOME!!  You two are going to have an awesome vacation!

The one thing that I noticed from your post, and wanted to respond to, was I would NOT purchased ANY beverage card or package.  They are usually expensive and are for people who partake more than once or twice a day.  I would take the two bottles of wine onboard and then just purchase the drinks that you are interested in.....as you go along.  You will see a bar menu at any bar so gives you a heads-up to the prices.  You will then just use your room card to change it.  Be sure to go to Happy Hours, which will be posted on your daily itineraries, and take advantage of the buy one and get the second EXACT SAME drink, for $2.00 more.  It is great!  Cheers and enjoy!

[HAL Sailer]

1 hour ago, missgailly said:

Hubby and I are leaving on February 22 on the Western Caribbean trip.  

Questions:

1. My husband doesn't drink and I only have an occasional drink and probably only glass of wine at dinner. Plus I see that we can each bring a bottle of wine for the room, which we will do. Which beverage package should we get? We both drink water and soft drinks. I noticed there is one for $50 but then a discounted $50 one that only costs $25. I'm confused!

 

5. Are there places to sit on Half Moon Cay beach without having to rent a lounge chair?

 

Answers to #1 and #5 above:

 

1.  From your described drinking habits, I agree with other posters that it does NOT make sense for you to purchase any beverage plan -- especially since your DH doesn't drink and HAL requires everyone in the same cabin to each buy a beverage plan if one buys a plan.  The $50 value $25 cost soft drink card might make sense.

 

5. There is NO charge for lounge chairs on HMC. There are hundreds of chairs on the beach set up in rows in the sun.

 

If you'd like guaranteed shade, you can rent a blue clamshell that telescopes up over two lounge chairs. The clamshells are 'permanently' installed in the back row of lounge chairs but you still have a good view of the beach. 

 

Note: Only one clamshell rental is needed for two people as it covers two lounge chairs.

 

If you want a clamshell, I'd urge you to rent it now on the HAL excursion page for your HMC day as there are a limited number. And, this close to your cruise, you may find that all the clamshells are already reserved. If so, keep checking back online and check again after you board the ship as there might be a clamshell cancellation.

 

On HMC, if you have a clamshell rented, present your clamshell ticket at the beach activity booth. They will give you a different slip that you then give to the clamshell workers down on the beach. (This two-step process is relatively new; you used to take your ticket directly to the workers.) The workers will set up your clamshell. A small tip is optional.

 

P.S. Welcome to HAL and have a wonderful cruise!

[catl331]

1 hour ago, missgailly said:

5. Are there places to sit on Half Moon Cay beach without having to rent a lounge chair?

As HAL Sailer just said there are abundant loungers out in the sun but if you go in early enough you can often find one up near the trees (or drag one up there yourself) that will give you some shade. You may have to walk farther down the beach to find one of those.  I think the clamshell rental has recently jumped to $40 per day (which I think is ridiculous for the amount of time you get on the island) but that they have started renting "sunshade" light-weight tents for less money ... something like $12 or $15.

 

For us to suggest excursions you will have to tell us what ports you are visiting.

Edited February 3, 2020 by catl331

[Crew News]

#3  High tea is now just "tea" and is served everyday at 3:00 PM.  Onoy a few passengers enjoy tea on port days but the MDR has quite a crowd on sea days.

 

Afternoon tea serves both sweets and savory sandwiches:

 

[oceanmom]

Christmas 2018 we did a tour/airport transfer excursion in FLL that was great. Included a drive, ride on a boat, and then a walking tour of some highlights of Ft. Lauderdale. Our luggage went on the bus with us and we were dropped at the airport at the end. We signed up for it onboard the ship.

[MaisonRose]

3 hours ago, missgailly said:

Hubby and I are leaving on February 22 on the Western Caribbean trip.  We just booked it last week - trying to get away from our Canadian winter.

This is not our first cruise - the first one was in 2003 (Disney - 4 days) and 2009 (Princess - supposed to be 7 days but we missed the boat and got for 4 days). So we're practically newbies again.  After looking at the HAL sight, things have changed a LOT!

 

 

[MaisonRose]

Hi, here’s a soda card user, it’s a big bargain at $25. When you board just ask for it at any bar on the ship. I don’t drink soft drinks but use it for club soda, which sometimes comes by can but mostly as a fountain drink. The advice to buy your wine by the glass is a good one. Around six pm there is a wine tasting with Hors d’ouvres, which is a nice relaxing event. The corkage charge if you take your own wine to the dining room still is cost effective considering the charge per bottle in the DR. If you do get or buy a bottle the waiters will cork undrunk contents and deliver it next day at dinner (you have to request that it be brought over). I think it’s a fair system.

My last cruise on the Rotterdam there were plenty of spaces available in the Pinnacle, if you wait to reserve then you have the advantage of timing your reservation based on the Daily activities sheet.

[missgailly]

Thanks for all the good tips and advice. 

 

Still looking for which are the better shore excursions for each port.  Thanks!  

[bEwAbG]

1 hour ago, missgailly said:

Thanks for all the good tips and advice. 

 

Still looking for which are the better shore excursions for each port.  Thanks!  

 

Cruise Critic has a Ports of Call forum that can be very helpful for this.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2-ports-of-call/

[catl331]

3 hours ago, missgailly said:

Still looking for which are the better shore excursions for each port.  Thanks!  

And you still haven't told us what your ports are or what ship you are on.  If it is the Nieuw Amsterdam,  are you on the 7 or 14 day itinerary?

 

[missgailly]

oh sorry! We are on the Niew Amsterdam for 7 days. So stopping in: Half Moon Cay; Falmouth, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico.  

 

The only place I've been to before was Jamaica and that was about 40 years ago! I did the Falls, so don't want to do that again. As I mentioned, we are both over 65, so nothing too strenuous.  

 

I will also check out the link that bEwAbG provided - thanks! 

[KJ1978]

@missgailly - we are going to be on that cruise too!  First time sailing with HAL but I've been doing tons of research.  You can bring on water and soda, so you might not need the soda card depending on how much you think you will drink.  We got collapsible reusable water bottles to take as well. Just think, two weeks from right now we will be on a tropical beach instead of the cold (I'm in WI and it is snowing like crazy!). 

[Iris5383]

On 2/3/2020 at 6:13 PM, MaisonRose said:

The corkage charge if you take your own wine to the dining room still is cost effective considering the charge per bottle in the DR. If you do get or buy a bottle the waiters will cork undrunk contents and deliver it next day at dinner (you have to request that it be brought over). I think it’s a fair system.

 

If you only drink one glass of wine with dinner, just fill your glass in your cabin and bring it with you to dinner. There are wine glasses in your cabin, if you don't have any or need more, just ask the room stewards. Nobody will question you walking around with a wine glass anywhere onboard. The cabin also has an ice bucket. Stewards usually keep it filled with ice if they see you have a wine bottle in it. 

[Iris5383]

In Fort Lauderdale after the cruise and before your flight, you might like the Everglades tour. We did that once, and even though the water was high (just after Hurricane Wilma in 2005) and we only saw one alligator, it was fun to go zipping along through the water. After that excursion, the bus took us and our luggage to the airport. We booked it through the ship when we were onboard.

[meowser]

On 2/3/2020 at 5:13 PM, Crew News said:

#3  High tea is now just "tea" and is served everyday at 3:00 PM.  Onoy a few passengers enjoy tea on port days but the MDR has quite a crowd on sea days.

 

Afternoon tea serves both sweets and savory sandwiches:

 

 

Is this something that you have to reserve or do you just show up? I'll be on the Veendam.

[catl331]

6 hours ago, missgailly said:

So stopping in: Half Moon Cay; Falmouth, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico.  

The only ship excursion we've done at those stops was the sting-ray swim at HMC. We enjoyed it, although the water was a bit cold for us in Dec.

 

40 minutes ago, meowser said:

Is this something that you have to reserve or do you just show up?

Just show up.

[Crew News]

3 hours ago, meowser said:

Is this something that you have to reserve or do you just show up? I'll be on the Veendam.

 

It must be noted that tea occurs every day and is quite crowded on sea days which means show up a little early.

[Live4cruises]

Check out Cozumel Pearl Farm as an independent excursion.  We did that about a year and a half ago with DS and D-I-L, and it was a truly wonderful, laid back day.  Most of the day is relaxing and snorkeling.  They have a lot of interesting information about how their farm works, but there is ZERO pressure to buy.  

[existentialtraveler]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:30 AM, missgailly said:

oh sorry! We are on the Niew Amsterdam for 7 days. So stopping in: Half Moon Cay; Falmouth, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico.  

 

The only place I've been to before was Jamaica and that was about 40 years ago! I did the Falls, so don't want to do that again. As I mentioned, we are both over 65, so nothing too strenuous.  

 

I will also check out the link that bEwAbG provided - thanks! 

my recommendations:

Georgetown, C.I....snorkel with the  stingrays at Sting Ray Sandbar...through the ship or book a tour on your own

Cozumel...1.If you have never been, a trip to the Mayan ruins in Tulum. I would book through the ship for this one. 2. If you just want a leisurely day at the beach, take a cab to Chankanaab. Or 3.book Nachi Cocom all inclusive resort for the day. We really enjoyedNachi Cocom...nice resort, good food/drink, not crowded!

Falmouth...rafting down the Martha Brae River is fun to do once. Or, just stay on the ship...Falmouth is our LEAST favorite stop anywhere.

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by existentialtraveler