pirate cruiser Posted October 27, 2023 #1 Share Posted October 27, 2023 We booked a panama canal cruise for Dec. 24-we just got notice that the Key West stop has been replaced with Montego Bay- why would this occur on a cruise that's over a year away ? Just a little surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted October 27, 2023 #2 Share Posted October 27, 2023 3 minutes ago, pirate cruiser said: We booked a panama canal cruise for Dec. 24-we just got notice that the Key West stop has been replaced with Montego Bay- why would this occur on a cruise that's over a year away ? Just a little surprised. Probably because Key West is (has?) changing their docking restrictions. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted October 27, 2023 #3 Share Posted October 27, 2023 Lots of people complain about not getting adequate notice. Perhaps HAL is getting “with it”. Key West has been cancelled on most itineraries but with a lot less notice. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted October 27, 2023 #4 Share Posted October 27, 2023 Too many cruise ships did radically change the low-key town of Key West. It will be interesting to see if they can ever get back to their formerly mellow and eccentric self. We were surprised to see how low key Catalina still was, after it was substituted as a port for us on another cruise. It too been getting cruise ships and LA ferry traffic for years. Yet they did stick to good design and building height control. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare SUESEABE Posted October 27, 2023 #5 Share Posted October 27, 2023 Residents of Key West voted a referendum to limit the size of cruise ships based on passenger capacity thus restrict the number of people coming ashore each day from cruise ships. Rotterdam maximum capacity of passengers and crew stated as 4173. That probably exceeds their capacity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakridger Posted October 27, 2023 #6 Share Posted October 27, 2023 (edited) Here's the Key West Cruise Port Schedule .....they list the ship capacity and there are some that are in HAL's range. Maybe they limit the number of ships per day also. Key West Cruise Ship Schedule 2023 | Key West Cruise Port Schedule 2023 (cruisetimetables.com) ~Nancy Edited October 27, 2023 by oakridger 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAKcruiser Posted October 27, 2023 #7 Share Posted October 27, 2023 I can understand if Key West is limiting the size of ship or how many ships a day. What I don't understand is why the port is put on the schedule in the first place. They must know it is a problem. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mary229 Posted October 27, 2023 #8 Share Posted October 27, 2023 7 hours ago, KAKcruiser said: I can understand if Key West is limiting the size of ship or how many ships a day. What I don't understand is why the port is put on the schedule in the first place. They must know it is a problem. I assume they were awaiting a final court decision. I am too lazy to look up that date but that date was likely after voyage publication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rothbury Posted October 27, 2023 #9 Share Posted October 27, 2023 Same thing I have been saying for several cruise seasons now. You would think HAL would put some real effort into finding an alternative to Key West. Last season we were redirected to Nassau by a letter in our mailbox when we embarked. They are doing the same thing with several cruises again this season. Earlier this week (I think Tuesday) there were 7 cruise ships in Nassau which is how many berths they have. Have you ever been to Nassau with 6 other cruise ships. Not worth getting off the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare horseymike Posted October 27, 2023 #10 Share Posted October 27, 2023 7 hours ago, KAKcruiser said: I can understand if Key West is limiting the size of ship or how many ships a day. What I don't understand is why the port is put on the schedule in the first place. They must know it is a problem. bait and switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare horseymike Posted October 27, 2023 #11 Share Posted October 27, 2023 13 minutes ago, rothbury said: Same thing I have been saying for several cruise seasons now. You would think HAL would put some real effort into finding an alternative to Key West. Last season we were redirected to Nassau by a letter in our mailbox when we embarked. They are doing the same thing with several cruises again this season. Earlier this week (I think Tuesday) there were 7 cruise ships in Nassau which is how many berths they have. Have you ever been to Nassau with 6 other cruise ships. Not worth getting off the ship. not worth it with 1 ship. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlaMariner Posted October 27, 2023 #12 Share Posted October 27, 2023 11 hours ago, pirate cruiser said: We booked a panama canal cruise for Dec. 24-we just got notice that the Key West stop has been replaced with Montego Bay- why would this occur on a cruise that's over a year away ? Just a little surprised. Consider yourself lucky.....we've booked two different cruises over the past 4 years w/Key West on the itinerary and then around a month before, Key West was scratched.....I agree with @kazu....they realize the bait and switch was not sitting well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate cruiser Posted October 27, 2023 Author #13 Share Posted October 27, 2023 I would think that they would know any restrictions before advertising a port stop-oh well, no big deal plus we have not been to Montego Bay and I really want to do the canal and Costa Rica anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted October 27, 2023 #14 Share Posted October 27, 2023 2 minutes ago, pirate cruiser said: I would think that they would know any restrictions before advertising a port stop-oh well, no big deal plus we have not been to Montego Bay and I really want to do the canal and Costa Rica anyway. The schedules are penciled in over two years in advance. Things can change in two years. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlaMariner Posted October 27, 2023 #15 Share Posted October 27, 2023 1 minute ago, pirate cruiser said: I would think that they would know any restrictions before advertising a port stop-oh well, no big deal plus we have not been to Montego Bay and I really want to do the canal and Costa Rica anyway. Montego Bay is a much better switch out than what we did for Key West....The substitutes were Bimini once and Freeport once. Yuck. Enjoy the journey...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Banditswife Posted October 27, 2023 #16 Share Posted October 27, 2023 We had a B2B last year, with both legs originally porting at KWest. One got changed to Freeport the other to Bimini. Neither stop would have been our preference. FlaMariner must have been on the same ship-LOL Yes, both ports were a disappointment. Hopefully they will quit putting KW on the itinerary, a lot of people booked the cruise for the KW stop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mary229 Posted October 27, 2023 #17 Share Posted October 27, 2023 You are being warned prior to final payment date that seems fair to me. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECCruise Posted October 27, 2023 #18 Share Posted October 27, 2023 The whole Key West thing has been a back and forth issue for a couple years. In 2020 Key West voted overwhelmingly to limit cruise visitors to 1500 per day and enacted some environmental provisions. In 2021, the legislature passed and Gov. DeSantis signed a law that nullified the vote by the KW citizens, stopping any restrictions whatsoever on cruise calls. In 2022 KW City Council passed an ordinance banning cruise ships from city owned piers, restricting them to Pier B, which is privately owned. I think some cruise lines are tentatively scheduling KW calls, hoping that things get sorted out. But obviously, that can change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted October 27, 2023 #19 Share Posted October 27, 2023 4 hours ago, pirate cruiser said: I would think that they would know any restrictions before advertising a port stop-oh well, no big deal plus we have not been to Montego Bay and I really want to do the canal and Costa Rica anyway. Rafting the Martha Brae River from the Montego Bay port stop was a great shore excursion. Montego Bay itself, not so much. Agree, that was better than what Key West now has to offer - now crowded and over-developed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakiron Posted October 28, 2023 #20 Share Posted October 28, 2023 I was just visiting Key West last week. From talking to the locals Key West only allows 4 ships on 4 different days per week. When I was there the Carnival Glory was there on Tuesday Oct. 17 and the Virgin Scarlet Lady on Thursday Oct. 19. These aren't the largest ships but by no means smallest ships. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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