Finally!

[NextOne]

Received this morning!

 

Please be advised that due to updated travel restrictions, Nieuw Amsterdam
will no longer call to Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Panama on Saturday,
October 16, 2021 but will instead visit Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico from 7:00
AM to 4:00 PM on Tuesday, October 12. The call to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos on Thursday, October 21 has been replaced with an overnight call to Half Moon Cay, Bahamas beginning at 1:00 PM on that day. As a result of these changes,

we will now depart San Diego, CA at 7:00 PM rather than 5:00 PM, and call times in Oranjestad, Aruba have been adjusted. The revised itinerary displays in full below.

Guests with Holland America Line shore excursions for cancelled ports will receive a refund to the original form of purchase. Tours for new ports will be available to book online within the next 7 to 10 days.

We look forward to welcoming you on board Nieuw Amsterdam.

[VMax1700]

Well that just sucks.  Overnight at HMC, what a joke.  Why not overnight in Aruba instead.  Real cheap planning from HAL. 

[kazu]

I know some people would love to overnight at HMC but it sure isn’t my cup of tea.  Sorry about the changes, Edi 😔 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the info. 

I'd rather overnight in Aruba than HMC.

Hope the rest of the cruise is wonderful.

[nimiq]

Hey maybe they will have a nice night beach party with food and dance on HMC.

Sea Ya 

Eric 

[CruiserBruce]

And maybe there is another ship due in at Aruba the next day. Or it doesn't fit the miles that need to be sailed in the time allowed, and make the other ports on the cruise.

[Daniel A]

Does anybody know why they are diverting from Grand Turk?  I can't seem to find any travel restrictions there.

[DaveOKC]

54 minutes ago, nimiq said:

Hey maybe they will have a nice night beach party with food and dance on HMC.

Sea Ya 

Eric 

Maybe even a group swim back to the ship at Midnight!

 

[NextOne]

2 hours ago, nimiq said:

Hey maybe they will have a nice night beach party with food and dance on HMC.

Sea Ya 

Eric 

Can they tender at night?

[aliaschief]

Tendering at Half Moon Cay can be difficult in daytime so I don’t they will be tendering in pitch black of the night.

 

A year or so ago Hal announced they were going to build a dock there but I have heard nothing since.

[arosetti]

Not to mention there is 0 in HMC at night. PS Aruba is a level 4 COVID destination now.

[ski ww]

I'm sure it costs big bucks to dock over night in Aruba, boils down to cost.

[RGEDad]

 

On 9/22/2021 at 4:49 AM, ski ww said:

I'm sure it costs big bucks to dock over night in Aruba, boils down to cost.

But another day in Aruba could bring in more Excursion revenue...I have heard someplace that the cruise lines make a little extra cash on excursions... Mere mortal cruisers like me have only a vague understanding of Cruise line profit enhancements/protection.

Personally - I just go with the flow.

If I do not like the amount paid/known plan for a cruise - I do not go - simple. If stuff happens, well then, stuff happens. Don't worry if the cruise line makes a little more , or loses a little more, for one itinerary change.

[HamOp]

On 9/21/2021 at 9:25 AM, DaveOKC said:

Maybe even a group swim back to the ship at Midnight!

 

That could be a $250 shore excursion, of course it would be refunded via OBC if you don't make it back

[zgscl]

My guess is the overnight in HMC will still have an all aboard time on the first day similar to any other sailing and then resume tendering the next morning. Most of the island staff come in on a ferry for the day and I can't see them staying overnight to keep the beach open. An evening BBQ could be fun though if that actually happens. 

[zgscl]

On 9/24/2021 at 8:08 AM, RGEDad said:

But another day in Aruba could bring in more Excursion revenue...

They will probably bring in excursion revenue on the 2nd day at HMC also though it is a 1 PM arrival so I will be very curious to hear how this goes. No idea about the cost of running the island for an extra day vs the cost of docking in Aruba. I believe port taxes and fees are all passed right on to passengers so I am not sure that it was a cost based decision vs other logistics. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On 9/21/2021 at 3:31 PM, nimiq said:

Hey maybe they will have a nice night beach party with food and dance on HMC.

Sea Ya 

Eric 

I think they might.

[zgscl]

24 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

I think they might.

I just realized the arrival isn't until 1 PM - I think that evening BBQ could definitely be in the cards. Also that rules out a second day in Aruba. If they did the overnight in Aruba there would be a 1 PM arrival in HMC on the last day with departure no later than 4 or 5 to make it back to Florida, overnight in HMC while not ideal for many was likely the only option that would fit.