More HAL cruises from San Diego

[kevingastreich]

We were in Acapulco in 2011 and saw a bunch of that same stuff in town. Glad it's getting better. :)

[CowPrincess]

Only reason we would do Mexico would be the Sea of Cortez, back-to-back with the same or the 7 days.

I wonder if HAL will ever do this again?

 

I certainly hope so, we'd love to do the Sea of Cortez and the longer (11 days???) "Mexican Riviera" as a b2b.

[CowPrincess]

Until Royal Caribbean abandoned the west coast, we did Mexican cruises but it was easy for us to get to LA. San Diego, whilst only being what used to be a 3.5 hour flight down the coast for us, is now more difficult because we now have to make connections either through LA or SF. My experience with San Diego port is there were never enough Customs and Immigration officers assigned, though it was better this year when we transited through.

 

Oh I feel your pain about flights. We are fortunate that on some days we have a direct flight to San Diego. If those days don't work, though, we can spend hours and hours languishing in airports for connecting flights.

 

We've had nightmare experiences clearing Customs/Immigration in San Diego, too. Our last time through, though, we were on shore by around 8 am!

[Copper10-8]

Copper,

I am interested in the coastal that includes the stop in Santa Barbara. There was no information on HAL's website about it that I could find. What is the date? Would my TA have information yet if I contact her? Or perhaps I should call HAL?

 

There are actually three HAL ships that stop in Santa Barbara a total of four times next year:

 

Amsterdam:

 

5/16/2016 Mon SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

5/17/2016 Tue Santa Barbara, Ca

5/18/2016 Wed At Sea (Pacific Ocean)

5/19/2016 Thu At Sea

5/20/2016 Fri Victoria, British Columbia

5/21/2016 Sat VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

 

9/26/2016 Mon VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

9/27/2016 Tue At Sea

9/28/2016 Wed At Sea

9/29/2016 Thu Santa Barbara, Ca

9/30/2016 Fri SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

 

 

 

Westerdam:

 

10/18/2016 Tue VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

10/19/2016 Wed At Sea (Pacific Ocean)

10/20/2016 Thu At Sea

10/21/2016 Fri Santa Barbara, Ca

10/22/2016 Sat SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

 

 

Zaandam:

 

9/25/2016 Sun VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

9/26/2016 Mon Seattle, Washington

9/27/2016 Tue Astoria, Oregon

9/28/2016 Wed At Sea (Pacific Ocean)

9/29/2016 Thu San Francisco, California

9/30/2016 Fri San Francisco, California

10/1/2016 Sat Santa Barbara, Ca

10/2/2016 Sun SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

[Lizzie68]

Oh I feel your pain about flights. We are fortunate that on some days we have a direct flight to San Diego. If those days don't work, though, we can spend hours and hours languishing in airports for connecting flights.

 

We've had nightmare experiences clearing Customs/Immigration in San Diego, too. Our last time through, though, we were on shore by around 8 am!

 

I know. I don't mind spending all day getting somewhere that is a long way away, such as Fort Lauderdale (to us), but when it's only a straight line down the coast (and we used to be able to get there directly) and it takes all day, it bugs the heck out of me.

[jbhcw]

There are actually three HAL ships that stop in Santa Barbara a total of four times next year:

 

Amsterdam:

 

5/16/2016 Mon SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

5/17/2016 Tue Santa Barbara, Ca

5/18/2016 Wed At Sea (Pacific Ocean)

5/19/2016 Thu At Sea

5/20/2016 Fri Victoria, British Columbia

5/21/2016 Sat VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

 

9/26/2016 Mon VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

9/27/2016 Tue At Sea

9/28/2016 Wed At Sea

9/29/2016 Thu Santa Barbara, Ca

9/30/2016 Fri SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

 

 

 

Westerdam:

 

10/18/2016 Tue VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

10/19/2016 Wed At Sea (Pacific Ocean)

10/20/2016 Thu At Sea

10/21/2016 Fri Santa Barbara, Ca

10/22/2016 Sat SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

 

 

Zaandam:

 

9/25/2016 Sun VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

9/26/2016 Mon Seattle, Washington

9/27/2016 Tue Astoria, Oregon

9/28/2016 Wed At Sea (Pacific Ocean)

9/29/2016 Thu San Francisco, California

9/30/2016 Fri San Francisco, California

10/1/2016 Sat Santa Barbara, Ca

10/2/2016 Sun SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

 

Thanks for posting! Wish they would open up....

[frankc98376]

The Westerdam cruise is open as an 11 night Mexico cruise. Prices are great- we have booked on the cruise.

[jbhcw]

The Westerdam cruise is open as an 11 night Mexico cruise. Prices are great- we have booked on the cruise.

 

Thanks for posting...wonder if they will offer the first part as a coastal...waiting for our PCC to let us know when the fall coastal open up.

 

We did a five day last year on the Westerdam..with a stop in San Francisco...nice little trip when combined with a visit to relatives on the west coast:)

[CaveDiving]

I have a different question about the San Diego port.

 

The Amsterdam will be stopping in San Diego near the start of the 2017 World Cruise, which starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. After transiting the Panama Canal, the ship heads more than 1000 miles north for a stop in San Diego before heading back south to Hawaii. But HAL will not allow passengers to embark or disembark in San Diego!

 

For those of us who live near the west coast and would like to board in San Diego, this is unfortunate.

 

While San Diego is a delightful place to visit, I don’t think too many World Cruise passengers are particularly interested in touring mainland US cities. Does anyone have a good idea why the San Diego port would be inserted into the World Cruise itinerary (for the first time in a while,) while not permitting passenger boarding or disembarkation there?

 

Scott & Karen

[frankc98376]

I have a different question about the San Diego port.

 

The Amsterdam will be stopping in San Diego near the start of the 2017 World Cruise, which starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. After transiting the Panama Canal, the ship heads more than 1000 miles north for a stop in San Diego before heading back south to Hawaii. But HAL will not allow passengers to embark or disembark in San Diego!

 

For those of us who live near the west coast and would like to board in San Diego, this is unfortunate.

 

While San Diego is a delightful place to visit, I don’t think too many World Cruise passengers are particularly interested in touring mainland US cities. Does anyone have a good idea why the San Diego port would be inserted into the World Cruise itinerary (for the first time in a while,) while not permitting passenger boarding or disembarkation there?

 

Scott & Karen

 

Possibly for fuel and provisions

[AZWTRLVR]

Thanks, Copper for your answer. I lived in Santa Barbara fifty years ago and would love to visit the city again. Now the question, Spring or Fall.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Thanks, Copper for your answer. I lived in Santa Barbara fifty years ago and would love to visit the city again. Now the question, Spring or Fall.

 

 

I live in San Diego....fall is better

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Stakeout]

Krazy Kruizers,

This is my home and have done so many of those cruises when The Ryndam, Oosterdam, and Zandam were doing them for several years! Loved Sea of Cortez, and the 10 day Mexican Riviera!

Our last cruise on the Oosterdam was the day after Xmas in 2010 doing the Mexican Riviera and we were coming back on a charter bus with Hal out of Acapulco! We were on the main drag of their busy crowded Main Street bumper to bumper in the heart of tourists central. Out of nowhere a band of men with masks started going through traffic with guns and we actually saw them drag a man out of a car across the other side of the street! One of them hit the man on his head and some women started screaming and hitting these men with her purse! We were told to by our guide to bend down away from Windows and asked us to stay calm.

Denise:)

 

sounds like Mexican Federale Police to me.. known to wear masks .. most times travel in back of miltary type pickup trucks .. we too encountered them the last few times we were in Acapulco last being in Feb 2011

[Boatdrill]

Fingers crossed that HAL will rehire their own San Diego shore ops employees who were laid off 2 years ago when HAL decided to outsource the work. Lot's of folks would love to go back and work for HAL again. :)

Edited October 24, 2015 by Boatdrill