DE Solo

I have been cruising since 1978.

I would schedule an early afternoon flight, because it is unlikely even if everything happens exactly as planned, that you will get off the ship, get to the airport, check bags, clear security, and get to your gate all in three hours total.

The Rotterdam has the Coke Freestyle machine. It is located at one end of the Lido Market.

While I understand that you had several wonderful visits to Jamaica, perhaps your experiences from 27 years ago and 11 years ago may not be relevant to current conditions.

In December 2023, in the Caribbean, it was in pop top metal cans.

What pork rinds? They serve kroepek, which are shrimp chips, along with 3 dips.

There are a number of Total Wine locations in Florida that appear to be stocking it, according to the web site for the liquor.

How many families with kids aboard during spring break depends on the location and duration of the cruise. Generally, 7 day cruises in the Caribbean will have significant numbers of families with kids. Longer cruises in less easily accessible locations will have fewer kids aboard. In my 30+ years of cruising with HAL I have not noticed a significant number of college aged drinkers aboard at any time.

Just be careful when scheduling excursions with outside vendors, because sometimes ports are eliminated for logistical reasons, and arrival and departure times can be shifted. On my last several cruises ports were skipped due to high winds or rough seas, and the time spent in port was shifted or decreased. Make sure that your provider will make refunds if the ship does not arrive, or if it is necessary to shorten or adjust the scheduling of your shore excursion.

When does your cruise depart?

At Ft. Lauderdale they do not seem to be concerned about what boarding group you are in. Just make sure that you have your boarding pass available, either in print form or on the navigator app, and that the version you have is the one with the barcode on it. Also note that the time on your boarding pass is actually your check in time, not your time to board the ship.

How old are the kids, and what is the itinerary? Club HAL offerings vary radically depending on the duration of the cruise, time of year, and location.

Not sure how any of these suggestions work relative to guarantee cabins, which are reserved and committed but are not assigned. For example, your searches could reveal many available ocean view cabins, but not show you that there are currently 100 passengers who have guarantees for that cabin category, but not yet been assigned locations.

Why not just take a taxi from the cruise port to the airport? That way you can easily depart as soon as you exit the building. Also, if you self disembark, handling your own luggage rather than depending on the porters, you can be among the first passengers off the ship, ensuring a speedy arrival at the airport in time to check your bags, go through security, and catch your flight.

What does this comment mean? I am totally perplexed.