Any concerns about missed Caribbean ports?

[neuronbob]

It’s been a long time since I posted last.  My family and I are scheduled for the Thanksgiving week 2021 Nieuw Statendam Caribbean cruise from FLL.  Itinerary is HMC, Ocho Rios/Jamaica, Caymans, and Key West.  However, I see that the Cayman Islands are closed to cruise traffic until 2022, and the Key West locals are still fighting Florida over cruise trip traffic.  HAL still has those ports on the itinerary as of my last look yesterday.

 

Honestly, I’ll be so happy to be back on a dam ship that I don’t care that much about missing a port or two, especially if it means we may get to spend extra time at HMC, which I assume would be the plan, or an extra sea day.  However, it does affect planning for excursions.  I don’t typically plan excursions for HMC, but the other ports I would have done so already if not for uncertainty.

 

I’m just curious to see what others are doing, and whether anyone with insight knows HAL’s plans around this issue.

 

We FINALLY become 2* mariners on this cruise, yay!

Edited October 3, 2021 by neuronbob

[Sea42]

My mom and I will be on the NA in November. We're going to just wait and see as far as port plans go. I have ideas what we might like to do and if and when we get there, we'll book something at the pier. That's pretty easy to do in Caribbean ports.

[KirkNC]

I assure you no one including HAL has insight on what may or may not be closed.  If you choose to cruise today, you have to be willing to take what ever happens (and it sounds like you are).

[vswan]

We are on the Eurodam 11-day Thanksgiving cruise. I have been checking out the shore excursions, but am also figuring at least some of my ports may be switched/changed. Partial Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Cartegena, figure Aruba and Carasau are probably a go, but you never know. In addition to the possible substitutions I'm also questioning if I feel safe getting off the ship in some of the stops - I'm just glad to be getting on a cruise at this point. May be spending a lot of time on the ship. With 3 cruises canceled so far, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.

[Seasick Sailor]

I saw a post that mentioned Key West was out for their itinerary but would add a day at HMC. We have a 5 week cruise starting Dec 12th on Rotterdam. We will roll with whatever pops up. 

[neuronbob]

51 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I assure you no one including HAL has insight on what may or may not be closed.  If you choose to cruise today, you have to be willing to take what ever happens (and it sounds like you are).

Yuppers, I’m ready to roll with whatever comes, with cheer!  🙂

[12cruise2]

So, to give info on the current NA Panama Canal repositioning from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale.  We're on the cruise now.

We were supposed to stop at Santa Barbara--that cancelled because Santa Barb. not allowing cruise ships until at least 3/22.  Replacement port--Avalon, Santa Catalina Island.

Fuerte Amador, Panama--cancelled.  Don't know why.  Replacement port Manzanillo, Mexico

Aruba--shortened day, now 8-2 or 8-3, something like that.  (Don't know why)

Grand turk--cancelled (could it be GT requires everyone to be covid tested 3 days prior to arrival?).  Now 1:00 Half Moon Cay til I forget what time the next day, tho it's afternoon.

Then into Fort Lauderdale.

We're just so happy to be sailing on this gorgeous ship.  We were on two weeks B2B in Alaska, too, and will be on four weeks Nov/Dec.  Gotta cruise while we can on a ship that's cruising, not cancelling. . . .

Edited October 3, 2021 by 12cruise2
words

[jimgev]

3 hours ago, neuronbob said:

It’s been a long time since I posted last.  My family and I are scheduled for the Thanksgiving week 2021 Nieuw Statendam Caribbean cruise from FLL.  Itinerary is HMC, Ocho Rios/Jamaica, Caymans, and Key West.  However, I see that the Cayman Islands are closed to cruise traffic until 2022, and the Key West locals are still fighting Florida over cruise trip traffic.  HAL still has those ports on the itinerary as of my last look yesterday.

 

Honestly, I’ll be so happy to be back on a dam ship that I don’t care that much about missing a port or two, especially if it means we may get to spend extra time at HMC, which I assume would be the plan, or an extra sea day.  However, it does affect planning for excursions.  I don’t typically plan excursions for HMC, but the other ports I would have done so already if not for uncertainty.

 

I’m just curious to see what others are doing, and whether anyone with insight knows HAL’s plans around this issue.

 

We FINALLY become 2* mariners on this cruise, yay!

We are booked on this same cruise. Like you, we are happy just to be cruising again and are not too worried about ports of call. We have not even considered any excusions because we know that portws will be a moving target with last minute changes a real possibility.

If we have to stay on the ship for the whole week, that will be OK with us.

 

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, 12cruise2 said:

Grand turk--cancelled (could it be GT requires everyone to be covid tested 3 days prior to arrival?).

I do see Grand Turk has a 3 day prior testing requirement. It looks like we won't make that port on our upcoming cruise.

[SumoCitrus]

This is one of several reasons why we cancelled our December cruise. I enjoy the Caribbean ports and with restrictions in place it looks like cancellations or sea days are likely. This along with mask and vax requirements pretty much killed cruising for us - at least until things go back to normal. I am curious to know how full the ships are. Based on some of the deals I've seen my guess is no more than 70%. How sustainable is that?

[NCTribeFan]

You could visit the Carnival board and do some reading.  They've been sailing in the Caribbean since July.  My TA has been on several ships already.  Not sure how many port changes they've had.

 

I'm on the first Eurodam sailing from Port Everglades.  We were shortened from 10 to 8 days with Aruba and Curacao cut from the itinerary because there now isn't time.  We're now HMC, partial Canal, Costa Rica.  I may book a ship excursion in CR and we'll see what happens.

 

In December, I'm on NA for 12 nights (really a 7+5) with Grand Turk, San Juan, St Thomas, HMC, back to FLL, Key West, Nassau, HMC again.  I won't mind at all if Grand Turk is cancelled.  I would like the stop in Key West as, somehow, with about 40 cruises, I've never had a port call there.

 

But as things have been for the past 18+ months, no one knows.  What is happening now may not be the case in a day/week/month.  It all continues to be subject to change.

 

All I know is that after about 10 cancellations on 5 different lines (with 2 more expected within a couple of weeks), I just want to get out there and go!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On any cruise you could miss a port.

[Caribbean Chris]

Key West was cancelled on our 11/05/21 Rotterdam 5-day cruise, with Bimini taking its place.
 

A second call was added at Half Moon Cay. One day from 7 to 5, a second day from 7 to 3. Doesn’t sound like an actual overnight. (I liked that idea of a beach picnic by moonlight!)

 

We will just be so happy to step aboard the newest BHB, we don’t care where it goes.

[BarbinMich]

I''m on the Eurodam 11/14-11/24.  Awhile back  they cancelled Aruba and Curacao (my favorite island) and gave us a measly $100 for the inconvenience.  That shortened the length from 10 to 8 days.

[NCTribeFan]

Barb, I don't think I'm getting any compensation since I booked on a "free" casino fare ($200 paid w/ $200 OBC).  I'm OK with that.

 

I love Curacao and was sad that we won't be calling there.  Not much of a fan of Aruba since I'm not really a "beach person" except when it comes to HMC, which I think is paradise.  Honestly, I was expecting it to be cancelled entirely, so I'm happy that it's still on (for now, at least).

 

But I haven't really been making any plans for any of my 10 cruises currently booked because I don't want to spend the time and then have them cancelled or changed.  Which is totally unlike me.  I'm a planner, but I had done much planning for the October Med/TA on Carnival for last year that was cancelled.  And then we booked for October this year and started planning and it was cancelled.  I've done no planning at all for next year, hoping that the cycle will be broken.

[Mosaic]

Ports will be canceled I am sure.  Just read some CNN and Forbes about the current state of affairs. Many islands are Level 4 and require testing (3 days prior) before entry. Only time will tell.

[Boatdrill]

3 hours ago, BarbinMich said:

I''m on the Eurodam 11/14-11/24.  Awhile back  they cancelled Aruba and Curacao (my favorite island) and gave us a measly $100 for the inconvenience.  That shortened the length from 10 to 8 days.

Did you have advance notice that you would receive $100 ? Was it credited to your ship account ?

[AnnieBelle]

I’m scheduled for an 11-day cruise so I hope the longer cruises are going to be allowed. We have until December so fingers are crossed!

[BarbinMich]

19 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

Did you have advance notice that you would receive $100 ? Was it credited to your ship account ?

The notice about the cancelled ports reported the $100.  Won't know if it's credited to my ship account til I board, but I assume that's what they're doing.