How often is HMC missed?

[DrivesLikeMario]

Have you missed HMC? If so, what time of year was it and why did you miss it?

I've heard it's often missed due to the weather, is this true? Other than the obvious hurricane season, is one a time period that HMC is more vulnerable to bad weather?

Thanks! ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Shortly after HMC came about -- we were looking forward to stopping there -- 1998 -- guess what -- we couldn't stop there -- February.

We booked other HAL cruises at various times of the years over the next 2 years -- and we still couldn't stop there.

We really had bad luck for a couple of years no matter what month we were scheduled to be there.

It really depends on the winds -- the tides -- the weather -- you name it!!

[sail7seas]

Hey Lady Jag....... Welcome over here to HAL/CC.

We've been to HMC at least 20+ times and have missed it about 6 times.
We have missed it on bright, sunny gorgeous days because the sea was too rough to drop tenders. We also missed it on horibbly windy, rainy days....what's the point of staying if clearly no one can go to the beach.
Percentage wise? I'd say HMC is missed about 20% of the time.
We've missed it in October, November, December, January, February....... month of the year makes no difference so far as I can tell.


We enjoy everything about our days at HMC and always look forward to a day there.
It's a slice of Paradise with water the color blue it isn't possible to describe and the softest sand we've ever seen and we've been to a lot of beaches all over U.S., Caribbean and Europe.

[sail7seas]

Our first stop at HMC was to have been on Rotterdam the year she came into service. We had to miss the port due to bad weather.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thanks, Sail. ;) HMC is the main reason why I've chosen our cruise on the Eurodam. I've always heard that it's much more beautiful than Princess Cays & have wanted to go there for so long.

We could easily have chosen the new Ruby Princess, but the cabins on the Eurodam look amazing & HMC looks like paradise! I'm really hoping we don't miss it, as I expect it will be the highlight of our cruise.

Thanks for the info. everyone. :)

[sail7seas]

DH and I just visited on Eurodam when she stopped in Boston a few weeks ago and think her a beautiful ship. A new direction for HAL. More modern decorating....... new color choices. Stunning!

[gelo7]

I'm also looking forward to HMC, I think that it will be the highlight of our Eurodam cruise. It would be a major disappointment if we skipped this island.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Great! Can't wait!

[candbgirl]

Here's a funny story. In April 2007 we stopped at HMC. Everyone took the tenders over and all of a sudden the skies darkened and the wind blew and it looked like we were in for horrible weather so they decided to bring the people back. About half the passengers had returned to the ship and it was determined that it was too dangerous to tender any more passegers until the seas died down. The skies cleared up but it was several hours before the seas calmed down. So the people left on the island had it all to themselves. So they had a great time on the island at the beach while the rest of us warched from the ship. :lol

[djhsolara]

Thanks, Sail. ;) HMC is the main reason why I've chosen our cruise on the Eurodam. I've always heard that it's much more beautiful than Princess Cays & have wanted to go there for so long.

We could easily have chosen the new Ruby Princess, but the cabins on the Eurodam look amazing & HMC looks like paradise! I'm really hoping we don't miss it, as I expect it will be the highlight of our cruise.

Thanks for the info. everyone. :)


What you've heard IMO is absolutely correct...HMC is much much more beautiful than Princess Cays. I've only been to HMC once (was supposed to be twice but got cancelled due to rough seas on our October 2006 sailing) but it runs circles around Princess Cays.

[LolaWiz]

We missed it once out of five times. The time we missed was last October. The other times we sailed there were in December and January.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that we have good luck this december as I booked the Grand Cabana.

[crule]

Hi gang.

When this stop is cancelled, what do they do? Does the ship just anchor off its shores and give the guests a nice view? Or does the ship keep chugging along back to FLL ?

[djhsolara]

Hi gang.

When this stop is cancelled, what do they do? Does the ship just anchor off its shores and give the guests a nice view? Or does the ship keep chugging along back to FLL ?


When we were cancelled, they had taken one tender to the island but then turned right around and brought them back. The captain came on and advised that the stop had been cancelled due to the high seas and we were starting a slow sail back toward FLL. Even with the slow sail we still had very rough movement on the ship that day.

[Copper10-8]

Missed it twice out of six or seven times. It's not always storms, lightning, rain clouds etc. but it is usually the presence of swells, large or increasing in size, which make the tendering (embarking & disembarking on the platform) process risky, especially for the elderly, the young and the disabled. THis can happen at any time during the ship's stay at HMC - Before and after getitng on the island, they tell you the listen for the ship's horn blasts, a sign to put an egg in your shoe, beat it and scramble the heck out of there and back to the tenders. The captain has to take this into account and will not hesitate to cancel the HMC port of call when, in his estimation, there is a strong possibility of potential injuries to his pax and crew. Disappointing? Sure but more power to him!

[Typhoon1]

The many experts here at Cruise critic will tell you HMC is missed 20% of the time.

[Copper10-8]

Hi gang.

When this stop is cancelled, what do they do? Does the ship just anchor off its shores and give the guests a nice view? Or does the ship keep chugging along back to FLL ?

Like djhsolara pointed out, depending on what time of the day HMC is cancelled, the captain will either do some 'scenic cruising' around the various islands of the Bahamas and/or will start a slow approach to Port Everglades. Kinda the same thing, but in reverse, they do out here on the left coast when a cruise ship leaves San Pedro or Long Beach and the destination the following day is Avalon, Catalina Island. (It takes less than two hours to travel in a straight line from the L.A./Long Beach port to Avalon)

[sail7seas]

Every time we have had HMC cancelled, the ship has sailed away from the island and it is a sea day.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Well, it sounds a lot like our experiences with Princess Cays and whether you get there or not. Thanks for everyone's info. I truly appreciate it! :)

[cf_chuck]

Hi gang.

When this stop is cancelled, what do they do? Does the ship just anchor off its shores and give the guests a nice view? Or does the ship keep chugging along back to FLL ?

It depends on the next stop, FLL isn't always the next port. If the stop is cancelled, you get an OBC for the fees and any excursions missed. On my Feb 08 cruise, they skipped the stop due to winds and swells and went on to the next port (Aruba) and docked early.

On my Dec 06 cruise, the swells and wind were so bad that tendering operations were difficult, suspended many times, and many of the excursions had to be cancelled because they couldn't get the pax to shore on time. I ended up getting to the island after noon, grabbed a bite at the BBQ just before scheduled closing, wandered around for a bit and by then it was time to catch the tenders back to the ship. Not the relaxing picture painted when the weather cooperates.

[CBJ]

We have been on 2 cruises with stops at HMC and were lucky to have a beautiful day there both times.

I absolutely love it there and I think I would actually cry in disappointment if we couldn't go!

[noblepa]

Have you missed HMC? If so, what time of year was it and why did you miss it?

I've heard it's often missed due to the weather, is this true? Other than the obvious hurricane season, is one a time period that HMC is more vulnerable to bad weather?

Thanks! ;)

We've only been there once and I miss it everyday!

Paul

[DFD1]

We've never had to by-pass HMC. Been there 7 times, most recently on the Carnival Triumph. Scheduled to be there again October 31, on the Eurodam.

I hope our luck holds. It's an incredibly beautiful place and always one of the highlights of any cruise down that way.

[seabourndt]

doing the 3 nt on 15th oct on EURODAM as we are only doing nassau anf hmc am really hoping we make it as i've never been there and sharing a cabana.
dave

[Williebill]

We've never been and are looking forward to HMC in December. HMC will be our first stop of a 10 Day cruise; I hope we will have great weather and calm seas. BTW, after reading about so many shark attacks around the world, has anyone ever heard aout a shark attack at HMC?

[DrivesLikeMario]

That's an interesting question! Maybe it depends on whether you're at the beginning of your cruise or at the end (nice & fat). :D