Embarking on Aruba (2nd Port of Call) - anything I have to think about?

[firsttimer1971]

Hello!

My wife and I will be making our first cruise next year (HAL, 31-night Panama Canal, Inca & South America Discovery) and have decided to embark not in Fort Lauderdale but on Aruba. We will be staying on Aruba for a week before departure and we have been given permission to embark on Aruba by the cruise line. 

 

But I was just wondering if there is anything else I need to think about, apart from the permission. 

[Essiesmom]

I’m assuming that HAL and the Aruba authorities will take care of signing you out of the country when you board.  Only other concern may be to keep an eye on Covid testing requirements to board.  Hopefully the pressure will be off in six months.  EM

[firsttimer1971]

Thank you for your response! I assume the same as well about signing out of the country. Maybe we will get some additional instructions before the cruise starts but nothing about this was written in the letter with permission we received. 

I already checked and Aruba has a couple of places where we can get an official Covid-test if still necessary at that time. 

[oakridger]

Also consider what will be your back up plan if for some reason the ship can't call at Aruba!  Weather, mechanical issues, etc.?

 

@firsttimer1971 welcome to Cruise Critic!!   Have a wonderful cruise! The Panama Canal is so amazing....and HOT!!!  😉

 

~Nancy

Edited June 2, 2022 by oakridger

[julia]

Wow....   Nancy just brought up a very good point.  Ports are never guaranteed!

[firsttimer1971]

41 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Also consider what will be your back up plan if for some reason the ship can't call at Aruba!  Weather, mechanical issues, etc.?

 

@firsttimer1971 welcome to Cruise Critic!!   Have a wonderful cruise! The Panama Canal is so amazing....and HOT!!!  😉

 

~Nancy

Thank you Nancy. Best case scenario would be if we would know before the cruise started that they won't be calling at Aruba. Then we would have to fly from Aruba to Fort Lauderdale. Worst case would be if we would have to fly to Fuerto Amador and miss out on the Panama Canal. Let's hope that won't happen be it is a risk we are willing to take. 

[oakridger]

True.  Fortunately, Aruba isn't one of those notorious ports for being missed like Rapa Nui/Easter Island or such, but it's possible.  It sounds like you have thought it through!

 

Looks like a wonderful itinerary!

 

~Nancy

[firsttimer1971]

5 hours ago, julia said:

Wow....   Nancy just brought up a very good point.  Ports are never guaranteed!

 

Agreed but the main reasons not to go to a port at the last minute would either be mechanical problems or the weather. Nobody can foresee mechanical issues but concerning the weather: Aruba is outside the hurricane belt so that is a small risk. 

 

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

 It sounds like you have thought it through!

 

Looks like a wonderful itinerary!

 

~Nancy

I hope that I have thought of all contingency but we will have to wait and see.

 

Yes, It is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime holiday for us and we plan to make the most of it. 

[Essiesmom]

I believe the only recent times ships have missed Aruba were Covid related.  Early on when ships had Covid onboard and were denied porting, or when  they were delayed at the canal because of Covid testing and had to make up time.  EM

[blueexpedition29]

I don't think HAL will handle/ensure you are "reported" .  Regardless of what you are told by HAL or an yone else  I would suggest that when you arrive in Aruba and go through customs ( or whatever they call it), inform the agent who reviews your passport of the situation and i suspect they will record it at that time in your record and then have you confirm something at the time you board the ship ( there is usually a customs/immigration official at the port).   Since you are there for a week before the sailing you will be able to do anything needed if there is an issue. 

 

As noted by others, the biggest risk is the port being cancelled on short notice, which i think is very low probability. 

 

 

[firsttimer1971]

1 hour ago, blueexpedition29 said:

I don't think HAL will handle/ensure you are "reported" .  

 

Thank you for the tip and I agree with you. I know that we have to fill in an online ED-card (Embarkation and Disembarkation) to enter Aruba and I have to enter the details of arrival and departure but I think they assume that we will depart by plane. So I will contact the immigration department ahead of time to check if filling in the date and time of sailing on the ED-card is sufficient or not. Or else I will inform the immigration official on arrival and as you said: a week before sailing should give us enough time to make any necessary arrangements. 

 

The port being cancelled on short notice is a low probability but anything is possible.

Edited June 2, 2022 by firsttimer1971

[firsttimer1971]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

I believe the only recent times ships have missed Aruba were Covid related.  Early on when ships had Covid onboard and were denied porting, or when they were delayed at the canal because of Covid testing and had to make up time.  EM

 

Good to know. Since the ship will be going to Aruba before going through the canal I think the chance of a delay only 2 days after leaving Fort Lauderdale will be very low. 

[blueexpedition29]

7 hours ago, firsttimer1971 said:

 

Thank you for the tip and I agree with you. I know that we have to fill in an online ED-card (Embarkation and Disembarkation) to enter Aruba and I have to enter the details of arrival and departure but I think they assume that we will depart by plane. So I will contact the immigration department ahead of time to check if filling in the date and time of sailing on the ED-card is sufficient or not. Or else I will inform the immigration official on arrival and as you said: a week before sailing should give us enough time to make any necessary arrangements. 

 

The port being cancelled on short notice is a low probability but anything is possible.

And have a great time in Aruba - probably my favorite beach place to vacation!

 

[firsttimer1971]

On 6/2/2022 at 4:31 PM, blueexpedition29 said:

I don't think HAL will handle/ensure you are "reported".  Regardless of what you are told by HAL or anyone else  I would suggest that when you arrive in Aruba and go through customs ( or whatever they call it), inform the agent who reviews your passport of the situation and i suspect they will record it at that time in your record and then have you confirm something at the time you board the ship ( there is usually a customs/immigration official at the port).   Since you are there for a week before the sailing you will be able to do anything needed if there is an issue. 

 

 

 

 

I checked with the Immigration Department and if we fill in the correct date and time of the departure of the cruise ship when we complete the Aruba Online ED card (https://edcardaruba.aw/) it should be fine. Probably going to have to explain it at the airport again but that should be sufficient. 

  

On 6/3/2022 at 1:36 AM, blueexpedition29 said:

And have a great time in Aruba - probably my favorite beach place to vacation!

 

 

Thank you, really looking forward to it! I heard a lot of wonderful things about Aruba from a friend who used to live there in his childhood so that is why we decided to start the cruise there instead of Miami.

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by firsttimer1971