FOPMan

HAL’s site at https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.html states: Children: U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 traveling on a closed-loop cruise (a cruise in the Western Hemisphere which originates and ends in the same U.S. port) will be able to present their government issued birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card to sail. Birth certificates can be an original, photocopy or certified original. If 16 or older, for round-trip US-based cruises, if one the documents identified in the list is not available, a “government issued photo ID, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her government issued birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization)” may be presented. I know that some jurisdictions may mail the photo id, issuing s non-photo ID as a temporary card. I do NOT know if a temporary card, without a picture, is sufficient. Illinois temporary cards (drivers licenses and state IDs) do include a picture and are issued prior to departing the facility. see https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/drivers_license/drlicid.html#:~:text=The temporary%2C secure paper driver's,driver's license or State ID. It is a federal government requirement, not solely a Holland America policy. I don’t think anyone at HAL can waive the requirement

There are numerous projects going on, some related to sewage, some related to reorganizing traffic flow.

I grew up in a neighborhood just north of 15th Street. Quite a number of locals dine there regularly. Coconuts is good, but parking can be an issue, as can area traffic. Now, if we were going somewhere by boat, Coconuts is a different story.

I much prefer the environment at the Boathouse. It is very reminiscent of Fort Lauderdale over the last 50 years, especially if sitting outside (I grew up literally within sight of the restaurant/hotel). Salt 7 has some great appetizer deals for happy hour. It’s a five minute or less walk along the river. I’d consider a progressive dinner.

15th Street Fisheries is two blocks north of 17th street hotels, but a bit of a walk because there is a canal in the way (you have to go to Cordova Road, which is just east of the Embassy Suites, to get to 15th street. There are actually two restaurants at the Fisheries: Dockside and Upstairs. The menus are different, but both feature seafood. Upstairs is a bit more formal. If you want Las Olas, as PPs have said, there are a number of good restaurants. One of my favorites for a semi-casual meal is the Boathouse at The Riverside Hotel. The restaurant is at the “back” of the hotel (not on Las Olas directly). Which is good, because it is directly on the New River, with a number of tables having water views. If you went to Fort Lauderdale for the weather, its where you want to be. There are also some good deals to be had on happy hour-priced appetizers at various restaurants.

MCO has extensive choices before security, and likely better ones for an extended meal.

HAL and most, if not all other cruise lines, usually define the start of an excursion as actual departure from the ship itself or, where the meeting point is onshore (usually within several hundred feet of the the ship or, at most, immediately outside the particular port’s security perimeter, especially for excursions not booked through the cruise line). Ships’ excursions don’t generally start elsewhere. Now, if you book with a third party (eg, not though the cruise line’s excursion office), they will likely define a meeting point not on the ship or within the port’s security perimeter. It should be pretty clear in the excursion description where a meet point is, especially if you have some geographical knowledge. For example, a tour of the Ufuzzi museum might start somewhere in Florence, not Livorno. If the per person rate was less than $100, I’d pretty much assume that to be the case.

it is about an hour to an hour and half between the port where the ship docks and Rome proper, and about the same between where the ship docks and Florence. It is a fairly long trip between Southampton and London. In Norway, there are sone excursions that make heavy use of buses, including several all day adventures. It might be helpful if you shared what part of Europe you were planning to visit, and better yet, what ports.

It takes a few minutes (30?) for the transaction to complete, but if you cancel a reservation made with a HIA credit, the credit will reappear in your account for reassignment. Have fun!

The airport recommends arriving 3 hours prior to flight time for flights to the anywhere but within Canada, and 2 hours for domestic flights. If you walked off your bags at 7:00-7:15, you might make it if everything went smoothly.

There is no (minimal) beach access at the Amber Cove within the “village” where the ships dock. You would need to book and excursion. rent a vehicle, or take a taxi to another location. Im not sure that there us especially good snorkeling anywhere close.

I would think about arranging with a hotel in a convenient port to receive it (perhaps one that is frequented by HAL passengers and CruiseCritic participants) and having it mailed to the hotel for yourself or guest to pickup. It might also be possible to purchase a compatible cord in Europe. My guess is what you left is intended to be swapped out so the same device can be plugged into different outlet configurations.

I am sorry you fell. The ADA does not apply to ship operations for non-US flagged ships in non-US ports, and its applicability in general to cruise ships in general is fairly limited (it provides protections about the availability of accessible cabins, equitable pricing, and discrimination). HAL does not generally provide individual escort services from cabins. Eons ago, they used to provide escort to cabins when initially boarding for all guests. I think the process still permits assistance when initially boarding for manual wheelchair users. In your other thread, you complained about being expected to pay for the use of a wheelchair. From your comments in your other thread, it is unclear if you had rented one. If you had, what were the return terms? Could you have used it to get off the ship? Why couldn’t/didn’t your spouse assist you? If you didn’t book an excursion or transfer when disembarking, HAL was under no obligation to secure a transfer for you, no more so than they were responsible for a guest that doesn’t use a wheelchair. I wish it were otherwise. I’d love for the airline to take responsibility for accessible transportation for me and my power wheelchair to get to the airport and from the destination airport to my final destination. Or to provide a list of providers that are guaranteed to be able to accommodate my transportation needs. Given the lack of availability, I understand why they want no part of trying to solve an often unsolvable problem. I am smart enough to look at the cruise’s offerings to see if they are offering accessible transportation and book it as needed.

Can you provide an example of what you consider to be a “good price?” From a Fort Lauderdale perspective, I would expect table service in a moderate restaurant east of Federal Highway/US1 to be at least $13.95 for an entree. The Quarterdeck location on the Dania Beach pier is literally on the pier and is immediately on the beach, though is upstairs so your feet will not be in the sand. There are are only about 4 restaurants actually on the beach north of the cut to Port Everglades and south of Commercial Boulevard. Quarterdeck is a local chain that has been around for 45 years or so. There are multiple locations in addition to Dania Beach- one just off 17th Street, and one on Las Olas, east of the Intercostal bridge. I’ve known the owners forever- they served me my first legal drink. Their menu is available at https://quarterdeckrestaurants.com/menu/. Another location of note is 15th Street Fisheries Dockside (not Upstairs). Directly on the Intercoastal, The food is good, and you can by fish food and feed the tarpon after dinner and/or get on the Water Taxi. The walk from 17th street hotels is a bit long and fairly boring- 15th Street is a peninsula that is several blocks long and the Fisheries is at the end. I’ve known the owners of 15th Street since birth-they live around the corner from my parents’ old house. Many of my friends worked for either or both of the above. I’d gladly eat at either one any day.

On non-Pinnacle ships, the Pinnacle may be “taken over” by one of specialty restaurants available on the Pinnacle ships for a night, featuring at least selections from that menu. There also may be a gsla or other specialty night. These would appear when you make the reservation. They do not suddenly appear.

I would come prepared if I expected I might have a need.

While Carnival Corporation owns both Carnival Cruise Line and HAL, there is no overlap in passenger awards programs The ship will be returning to its home port halfway through your voyage. Assuming you have the same cabin for your entire 14 days, you will not need to pack for the halfway point. US Immigration requires the ship to be cleared of guests. Passengers on both legs will be called to a meeting point (probably the theater) at about 9:30 on turnover day. You will need your ship IID, your passport, and a transit card provided by HAL. The group is escorted off the ship and into the boarding facilities. Passport scans and facial recognition scans are conducted by INS. You are then free to either reboard or stay ashore. Assuming all passengers show up promptly, it should take about 30 minutes.

At least some of the shuttles have been accessible in the past. They have lifts, not ramps. This might be one of those times its better to book through the ship, especially to avoid issues with a shuttle without a working lift or no capacity when you expected to travel.

I am pretty much a full-time wheelchair user, on a ship, or not. As you experienced, perhaps only briefly, living with a disability is both challenging and expensive.!Your experience is not that unusual for individuals who rely on wheels daily Technology is expensive. The batteries for my wheelchair are $350+. The wheelchair is worth more than many cars. $100 may seem expensive, but it was there when you needed it, and that comes at a cost. You didn’t state whether the official end of the cruise was Barcelona or that you disembarked early or you “self walked-offf.” Deviating from the normal process creates problems. You wanted was was best for you- not that you shouldn’t- but that isn’t the normal workflow.

I’m sorry you fell, but am unsure what you expect. First, the ADA has only limited applicability to ships, with a significant focus on equitable access to pricing and tickets and the number of accessible cabins aboard ship. Second, the ship is under no obligation to provide a wheelchair for your exclusive use. The ship generally does not have wheelchairs available to rent-the availability of one should be looked on as fortunate. $100 for service on demand seems reasonable, especially as a convenience. Ships’ staff have limits in what they may do in foreign ports without themselves clearing customs.

We left several puzzles in the Crow’s Nest in December.

You usually need to claim your luggage before going through Customs. After exiting Customs, part of your party could wait with your luggage while another part of your party retrieves your vehicle.

Those are still very much electric. The ship’s concern is fire. Heaters, by definition, are intended to generate heat, which has the potential to cause a fire. Tbe other related risk is an electrical short, which can also result in a fire. The ship’s electrican can provide guidance on what is acceptable.

Given the age variation involved, a two block walk range seemed more reasonable. While I love Jaxson’s and have been going to it since 1972 or so, for myself, in my 50s, I’d rather be at Southport and have another round with the bartender who served me my first legal drink at Quarterdeck. I still wouldn’t turn down a cone from Jaxson’s, though and have been known to run over just for dessert if we had a car available (which we almost always do, through friends and family in the area).

If you stay in Dania Beach near US1 (Federal Highway), pretty much immediately south of the airport (and a 10 minute ride to Port Everglades), you might want to put Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parkornon your radar for dinner. https://jaxsonsicecream.com It is usually on the top ten lists of America. ice cream parlors. It has a food menu of burgers, hot dogs, and similar fare. OK, but not outstanding. Now the ice cream? Thats a different (good) story.