Waiting for the other shoe to drop

[dawei]

Rotterdam's 7-day on Jan. 16 had Aruba, Curacao and Half Moon on the itinerary. Yesterday, HAL announced that Aruba is scratched due to port availability.  So, Plan B is to do an overnight in Curacao. 

It seems to us that this is a cruise about to be cancelled, since it's difficult to imagine Curacao not closing down as well.

 

David

[StLouisCruisers]

3 minutes ago, dawei said:

Rotterdam's 7-day on Jan. 16 had Aruba, Curacao and Half Moon on the itinerary. Yesterday, HAL announced that Aruba is scratched due to port availability.  So, Plan B is to do an overnight in Curacao. 

It seems to us that this is a cruise about to be cancelled, since it's difficult to imagine Curacao not closing down as well.

 

David

 

My opinion is they would not cancel this cruise because of port changes.  They'll just add a port to replace it OR spend more time at sea.  They can't afford to cancel cruises like this just because a port is not available.

[Tampa Girl]

11 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

My opinion is they would not cancel this cruise because of port changes.  They'll just add a port to replace it OR spend more time at sea.  They can't afford to cancel cruises like this just because a port is not available.

 

But in this case, if Curacao is cancelled also, that is two-thirds of the cruises' itinerary.  Who wants to spend 7 days in HMC?  OTOH, what is the choice?

[HAL4NOW]

29 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

Who wants to spend 7 days in HMC?

We have been scheduled to visit HMC a few times, but they have all been cancelled for weather or covid. Since I have never been able to stop at Half Moon Cay, I may not be the one to answer who would want to be there for 7 days, but from all of the reports of people that have gone, it may be a good way to spend a vacation.

[nocl]

47 minutes ago, dawei said:

Rotterdam's 7-day on Jan. 16 had Aruba, Curacao and Half Moon on the itinerary. Yesterday, HAL announced that Aruba is scratched due to port availability.  So, Plan B is to do an overnight in Curacao. 

It seems to us that this is a cruise about to be cancelled, since it's difficult to imagine Curacao not closing down as well.

 

David

It is interesting in that 4 other ships will be in Curacao on Jan 19th with you, there are 5 in Aruba on that day, with 4 including Rotterdam on Jan 20,  There are only 2 ships in Curacao on the 20th.

 

Had not realized that the Caribbean ports were getting that busy already.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I think Holland will find other ports to go.

[RedneckBob]

20 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

I think Holland will find other ports to go.

Not so fast. Our 3/6/2022 cruise was cancelled last week due to closed ports and no alternate space to dock. Boo hoo

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, dawei said:

Rotterdam's 7-day on Jan. 16 had Aruba, Curacao and Half Moon on the itinerary. Yesterday, HAL announced that Aruba is scratched due to port availability.  So, Plan B is to do an overnight in Curacao. 

It seems to us that this is a cruise about to be cancelled, since it's difficult to imagine Curacao not closing down as well.

 

David

Just saw on a TA site that your cruise shows Curacao over nite with no stop in Aruba. So it can be booked and it is a go!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

37 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Not so fast. Our 3/6/2022 cruise was cancelled last week due to closed ports and no alternate space to dock. Boo hoo

May I ask what cruise was cancelled  3/6/22  ??

[RedneckBob]

13 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

May I ask what cruise was cancelled  3/6/22  ??

Rotterdam, 7 days, included Grand Cayman and Key West, that are closed. I assume that HAL could not substitute one port due to either added distance to new port or no port available. A couple of weeks ago I was on Celebrity Apex for 7 days that also included GV and Key West. Celebrity went to Belize City as an alternate port; but once we left our final port, Cozumel, back to Port Everglades we sailed at 8 knots for two days.

[Bostonjetset]

19 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Rotterdam, 7 days, included Grand Cayman and Key West, that are closed. I assume that HAL could not substitute one port due to either added distance to new port or no port available. A couple of weeks ago I was on Celebrity Apex for 7 days that also included GV and Key West. Celebrity went to Belize City as an alternate port; but once we left our final port, Cozumel, back to Port Everglades we sailed at 8 knots for two days.

HAL replaced it with a shorter 4 day cruise though I thought. Not what people signed up for, I understand, but they are still able to go somewhere at least. 

[RedneckBob]

4 minutes ago, Bostonjetset said:

HAL replaced it with a shorter 4 day cruise though I thought. Not what people signed up for, I understand, but they are still able to go somewhere at least. 

Correct, 4 day cruise to HMC & Bimini on 3/6/22 and next cruise not until 3/13/22?

 

Not for me unless I lived in Ft Lauderdale!

[Bostonjetset]

8 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Correct, 4 day cruise to HMC & Bimini on 3/6/22 and next cruise not until 3/13/22?

 

Not for me unless I lived in Ft Lauderdale!

Yea Normally wouldn’t be for me either but at this point I would likely go just to go somewhere after two years of this. I’d just stay in Miami for a few days after the short cruise or something. Of course if I lived in another country or on the west coast I would perhaps feel differently. 

[Sue from Canada]

12 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

But in this case, if Curacao is cancelled also, that is two-thirds of the cruises' itinerary.  Who wants to spend 7 days in HMC?  OTOH, what is the choice?

A lot of us would love to spend 7 days at HMC.  Seven days at sea would make me happy.

[Storylady]

14 hours ago, dawei said:

Rotterdam's 7-day on Jan. 16 had Aruba, Curacao and Half Moon on the itinerary. Yesterday, HAL announced that Aruba is scratched due to port availability.  So, Plan B is to do an overnight in Curacao. 

It seems to us that this is a cruise about to be cancelled, since it's difficult to imagine Curacao not closing down as well.

 

David

Curaçao can handle 6 ships. So we should be okay. Still not sure why Rotterdam was moved to Curacao as we would be in port with three other ships. Unless, the want to move Eurodam to our spot. On the 19th, there are 4 other ships in Aruba with the Eurodam.
 

 

[Heartgrove]

Aruba placing the US on Red status on December 3 may have something to do with cancelling Aruba. It requires testing 2/3 days before arrival as well as being vaccinated. That would mean that HAL would need to test passengers onboard.

 

There is a group charter of approximately 300 onboard that week which lessens the chance of an outright cancellation.

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, Heartgrove said:

Aruba placing the US on Red status on December 3 may have something to do with cancelling Aruba. It requires testing 2/3 days before arrival as well as being vaccinated. That would mean that HAL would need to test passengers onboard.

 

There is a group charter of approximately 300 onboard that week which lessens the chance of an outright cancellation.

 

We are on Rotterdam today. No test required, no request for Covid cards, no one wearing masks here on the island! I'm walking thru the mall and no one seems concerned. Jeez!

[Fredric22]

If there are other ships calling in Aruba on the day we were supposed to arrive I'm assuming Covid isn't the reason for the cancelation. 

[Heartgrove]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

We are on Rotterdam today. No test required, no request for Covid cards, no one wearing masks here on the island! I'm walking thru the mall and no one seems concerned. Jeez!

 

Glad to hear that you are in Aruba! Sinks my thoughts, which now means I'm disappointed in the change. We had a similar situation last week on the Koningsdam where the itinerary was swapped 180 degrees due to port capacity. At least we made all three ports.

[iflyrc5]

23 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

But in this case, if Curacao is cancelled also, that is two-thirds of the cruises' itinerary.  Who wants to spend 7 days in HMC?  OTOH, what is the choice?

My wife loves HMC so would really like a cruise that just anchored off of HMC for several days - she puts that in her survey every time

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

22 hours ago, nocl said:

Had not realized that the Caribbean ports were getting that busy already.

 

 

Normally the Asia, Australia, New Zealand cruises are well into their season by now. With all that off the table, I guess the Caribbean ports are what’s left.

[terrydtx]

22 hours ago, HAL4NOW said:

We have been scheduled to visit HMC a few times, but they have all been cancelled for weather or covid. Since I have never been able to stop at Half Moon Cay, I may not be the one to answer who would want to be there for 7 days, but from all of the reports of people that have gone, it may be a good way to spend a vacation.

On 7 total HAL cruises with HMC on the itinerary, only twice were we able to visit due to weather and high winds, I am not a fan and do not care if we ever go there again. Unless you are a sun worshipper it is one boring place to spend even a day.

[Wakepatrol]

I can stay at Half Moon Cay or just cruise around

[Fredric22]

Grand Turk would have been a nice addition! 

[Tampa Girl]

13 hours ago, Sue from Canada said:

A lot of us would love to spend 7 days at HMC.  Seven days at sea would make me happy.

Having lived my first 18 years in Rochester, NY, I completely understand your feeling!  However, from my Florida point of view, 7 days off  HMC is a bore.  Actually, I find 1/2 day there a bore.  Each to his own!  I am afraid that having baked my skin on the shores of Lake Ontario for the first part of my life has soured me against further sun exposure; hence my disillusionment with beaches in general.