HAL in Casablanca - Questions

Hi,

I have some questions about being in port at Casablanca. Since the Ports of Call area is slow right now, I thought I would also post here on the HAL board. I entertained the idea of going to Rabat for the day, but have decided to stay in Casablanca and am pleased with the day I have planned out. (Excursions to Marrakesh are not offered on this sailing).

Does HAL or the port authority usually offer a shuttle to get outside the port? Is there a charge? Is a shuttle necessary to leave? Are there taxis inside the port? I have gotten conflicting information about walking in the port; any advice on this would be appreciated.

Concerning changing money, I have been advised to do so as soon as I arrive (I don’t need very much). I am assuming that the ship will not be able to change money into Moroccan dirhams and I cannot get them from a local bank. I have received conflicting information on how best to change money there. Is a change bureau best if you’re not exchanging much? Anyone recommend a reputable one? Or is an ATM still the best option? (I do plan to use the Tram to go to the beachside promenade in the afternoon and know I’ll need coins).

Thanks in advance for any advice on these issues or others I need to be mindful of; it is greatly appreciated!

Reasonable questions but the problem is going to be that Casablanca isn't a frequent port for HAL or actually many of the mainstream cruise lines for that matter. There just aren't a lot of folks who have been there on a cruise. Great city and I visited it several times when we lived in Morocco but has been so many years ago my information is too dated to be of any use. Maybe try another travel site other than a cruise specific one?

Do not know about a shuttle, but the last time we were in Casablanca, DW and I walked from the ship all the way around town to the amazing Hassen II Mosque where we were lucky to get on a tour (the only way to really see this impressive facility). At that time, the cruise ship tours could not even get in the place (not sure about the current situation). On another visit DW walked from our ship (we love to walk) to the train station and grabbed a train to Rabat (a fraction of the cost of the tour). On the way we met another crazy (independent) couple (they guy was a retired Police Officer) and we spent much of the day walking around Rabat with our new friends. The trains in Morocco are actually quite nice and we would use them again. Casablanca has a pretty expansive bazaar area which we have also enjoyed. Others reported they enjoyed just hiring a taxi for a drive around the city...and they were taken to some pretty nice suburbs with huge homes.

Hank

We visited Casablanca on a Windstar ship a few years ago. There were plenty of taxis in the port area.

We frequently do our own tours, or hire a taxi, and DH and I agree Casablanca was one of the few cities that we felt a bit uncomfortable doing that. It might have been (bad) luck of the draw with a bad driver....I dont know.

Dont get me wrong, we had a lovely day and would like to return. The mosque there is quiet impressive - we did a guided tour there and it was fascinating and beautiful. There is plenty to see in town, too - nice ocean front drives, shopping....The problems with the driver were a few...

1- he took us to pre-arranged shopping that was the most high pressure we've ever experienced. These guys made the people at the port in Jamaica look laid back. One of the carpets that started at $2,000 was $175 by the time we were walking out, with a guy following us telling me he had 9 children that couldn't eat if I didnt buy the carpet. And that wasn't the end, when we were telling the cab driver the story, he slammed on the brakes and said "would you buy it for $160?".

2 - my husband swore the cab driver took some kind of drugs while we were at the mosque. When we first me him in port, he spoke perfect English and was very sharp. After we spent a few hours at the mosque, he was slurring his words and seemed off. That was our last stop, so when we noticed, we asked to go back to the ship.

3 - At the ship, he told us we misunderstood the price, and tried to ask for more. The amount in dispute was about $20 if I rememeber correctly, so we just gave it to him to avoid any problems, rationalizing to ourselves that he needed it more than we did.

Whew, typing that up makes me realize how sorry we were that day....even if we did enjoy Casablanca itself, especially the mosque. I dont know how representative our experience with that particular driver is with the usual experience - but I would definitely do a ship sponsored tour if we are to return. In particular, the people onboard who did the long tour to Marrakesh all came back raving about it.

I agree that the people traveling to Marakesh, sic, rave about it but it's a very long bus trip from Casablanca, 4 hours each way with 2 to 3 hours at the site.

We took a tour with HAL and saw a lot. Mosque, suks, (I don't know how to spell), the beach area, the Saudi King's house, the market. It was interesting but I was quite happy to take a ship tour. Interesting to get the cultural differences.

I agree that the people traveling to Marakesh, sic, rave about it but it's a very long bus trip from Casablanca, 4 hours each way with 2 to 3 hours at the site.

We took a tour with HAL and saw a lot. Mosque, suks, (I don't know how to spell), the beach area, the Saudi King's house, the market. It was interesting but I was quite happy to take a ship tour. Interesting to get the cultural differences.

Yes, the distance is why we opted out. We decided if we really wanted to see it that badly, we would make it a land vacation. It didn't seem practical to do in a day.

We were on Maasdam in the fall of 2013 with the 42-day Atlantic Adventurer. The port is a large area where a lot of containers are loaded/unloaded.

Where we tied up, was a bit of a walk to the area where taxis were allowed. If we had booked an excursion with HAL, the big buses were right at the end of the gangway. Our CC group had booked an independent excursion and the tour operator was not allowed onto the pier to pick us up, we walked to the main gate. It took us more than 15 minutes to get there! One couple quit the hike and returned to the ship! What got me, was that the tour operator was allowed onto the pier to drop us off after the trip.

If you get the opportunity to see that huge Mosque, do it. It is an amazing structure.

Jim

Was there 3 years ago and there was a shuttle to the gate (may have been provided by the port). Did not want a long bus trip and only a short time in the outlying cities (will do a land tour) so did the HAL tour to the ancient walled cities of Azemmour and El Jadida; it was a wonderful tour plus we had an amazing tour guide! Had time to visit the Mosque - just ask to be dropped off there and then take a cab back to the ship.

Did fine using US$$ so did not change any money.

Hi!

I wanted to report back on Casablanca; thanks again for the feedback. We disembarked this past Sunday after having a fantastic Canary Islands Adventure aboard the ms Rotterdam!

There was indeed a free shuttle from the ship (i.e., just a few minutes' walking from the ship to bus) to United Nations Square just outside the Old Medina. In fact, this was the first cruise I can remember in years where all of the shuttles were free. We arrived at 6am and service began at 8am.

HAL's map of the city had some errors (e.g., Old Medina & other sites were marked in another area of town. . . our on board port lecturer advised passengers to find another map). I had taken some printouts with me and recommend trying to print a basic map off in advance. I would also recommend stopping by the Hyatt hotel in UN Square and asking at the desk for a city map (beautiful hotel interior, by the way!). It was far more detailed than any I had with me.

We were a bit under the weather that day, so we cut our day's visit short and did not shop in Quartier Habbous or the Old Medina, eat at Al Mounia, or take the tram to Ain D'iab beach, as planned. Because of this, I did not change money (as discussed above, but did see a number of places to do so around UN Square).

We walked in the area of Armed Forces & Mohammed V Blvds to take in the architecture (it's quite chaotic so it's hard to just pause and take pictures), went to the Central Market, walked down Rue Chaouia (it also has an alternate name), visited Palais de Justice's courtyards, Place Mohammed V (quite a bit of construction going on), the Arab League Park & Sacre Couer Cathedral (we did not walk the stairs to the roof). We went to the Kenzi Tower Hotel, part of the Twin Center in the Maarif District, and took the elevator to the 27th floor. We told the doorman and concierge of our intentions just to take pictures, and they gladly allowed us in. (They have 2 restaurants; one on the 27th floor, Sens, is open until 3pm and the other on the 28th floor, Sky 28, opens at 3pm). You can walk up one open flight of stairs to the 28th floor for panoramic views of Casablanca (even if Sky 28 is not yet officially open, as was our case). It has views than span for miles on all sides and was a good way for us to end our walking tour. You can be back to UN Square in under 20 minutes by foot from here.

Happy Travels!

Glad it all turned out for you, sounds like you had a great day. We did a ships tour of the city and also Rabat while on a TA to Cape Town on the Prinsendam. We really enjoyed our stay there.

Allan