Hope CruiseCal is wrong!

[the2ofus]

I was just checking our ports for our April 12 Volendam cruise. I see Volendam will be at HMC with Maasdam on April 13. Probably not a problem as HMC can handle those 2 ships and our ship looks like it arrives early and leaves earlier than Maasdam.

 

What surprised me is that on April 2nd Carnival Elation and HAL Westerdam are both scheduled for HMC. This would be a first as far as I know. I'm not sure I'd enjoy sharing that paradise with a Carnival ship, having seen the party-hardy types from a Carnival ship when docked side by side in Nassau.

[the2ofus]

I just checked the schedules for Elation and Westerdam and it sure does look like April 2nd is HMC for both.

 

Westerdam leaves FLL on the first with HMC on the second, the first stop on the transatlantic cruise. Elation goes out of Pt. Canaveral on March 31st, is in Nassau on April first and HMC on the second of April.

[Sundagger]

I hadn't thought to check on ports this early, but am glad you reminded me. I'm on the Volendam just before you. We're alone on HMC - no other ships.:)

 

I continued to check our itinerary and found a fascinating detour. *According to CruiseCal*, we go from Aruba to Curacao to Cologne, Germany, to Gatun Lake, to Puerto Limon. I've always wanted to visit Cologne, but was hoping for more port time.;)

 

Only two ports have another ship in at the same time we are.:)

[kryos]

What surprised me is that on April 2nd Carnival Elation and HAL Westerdam are both scheduled for HMC. This would be a first as far as I know. I'm not sure I'd enjoy sharing that paradise with a Carnival ship, having seen the party-hardy types from a Carnival ship when docked side by side in Nassau.

That would be a first. I was under the impression that Carnival can only offer port stops to HMC during times of the year when HAL is not in the Caribbean. But who knows? Maybe that policy has changed in order to keep the traffic to two ships there on all port days. Maybe it's not worth it to the vendors to come over from Euthorla (sp?) when there is just one HAL ship scheduled to be in port ... so they are letting Carnival fill in the empty slots?

 

I too wouldn't be happy about sharing HMC with a Carnival ship. It will definitely change the ambience of the island in that Carnival generally carries a more boisterous crowd.

 

Guess we'll have to wait and see if this becomes the norm, rather than the exception.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

A couple of years ago, Carnival used HMC -- but they were there when no HAL ships were scheduled to be there.

 

Don't like the sound of this!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Maybe the schedule will change over the next couple of months.

[Stakeout]

just got off back to back cruises on the Volendam last Saturday..Dec 3 and 13... while I was at HMC asked the Bahamian staff on the island about Carnival .. they said two of Carnival ships use it.. the other one is the Liberty.. believe it's out of Ft Laud.. according to them they never mix Carnival with HAL.. we shall see..

 

Carnival has been using HMC off/on mainly in the summer months for the past 2-3 years...

 

I hope this is not the future of HMC.. they'll ruin it... it's a great island as most anyone who has been there knows.... we've been there 20+ times so far out of our 30 cruises on HAL...

 

as a sidenote.. HAL cancelled my Flats Fishing trip that I booked online on the Dec 3rd cruise... I've done it a number of times in the past bringing along my flyrod.. absolutely pristine...no explanantion as to why the cancellation...... I tried to ask around about it.. no one knows including the Excursion Manager who we know pretty well ... the only thing I found out.. it's been suspended for a while.. Hmmmm??? maybe it's just not a big enuff money-maker for them.. they'd rather rent out jet skis in the back lagoon and ruin it completely.. ala Carnival marketing .. as an alternative I went on the offshore trip on the second cruise Dec 13..been on it before also... the offshore trip was booked on the first one.. met the guide I had on previous flats trips there.. Larry.. great guide.. nice fellow... knows his stuff...

[GarySuzy]

Last May we took a cruise on Carnival and I asked one of the Officers (believe he was the First Officer) about Carnival going to HMC, he stated that they were going to start using both HMC and Princess Cay on selected cruises. It has to do with CCL fully using the assests they have.

 

Although he did indicate Carnival would use these when HAL and Princess were not using them. This may be a change in the CCL policy.

[jocelysue]

sorry for my stupidity. What is or where is HMC ?

 

There is always something to learn.

[GarySuzy]

sorry for my stupidity. What is or where is HMC ?

 

There is always something to learn.

 

Not a stupid question at all. Half Moon Cay (HMC) is Holland Americas private island in the Bahama's. If I hadn't been there I would not of known about it.

 

Gary

[kryos]

as a sidenote.. HAL cancelled my Flats Fishing trip that I booked online on the Dec 3rd cruise... I've done it a number of times in the past bringing along my flyrod.. absolutely pristine...no explanantion as to why the cancellation...... I tried to ask around about it.. no one knows including the Excursion Manager who we know pretty well ... the only thing I found out.. it's been suspended for a while.. Hmmmm??? maybe it's just not a big enuff money-maker for them.. they'd rather rent out jet skis in the back lagoon and ruin it completely.. ala Carnival marketing .. as an alternative I went on the offshore trip on the second cruise Dec 13..been on it before also... the offshore trip was booked on the first one.. met the guide I had on previous flats trips there.. Larry.. great guide.. nice fellow... knows his stuff...

I've been told no more SCUBA will be offered for certified divers there either. As you say, maybe those particular excursions aren't profitable enough.

 

I sure hope this is not a sign of a new policy re Half Moon Cay. I sure hope they're not gonna pack people in and turn a day in that port into a big beer fest with huge Carnival ships there with HAL ... partying on the beach ... jet ski rentals, banana boat rides, etc. Guess I'll have plenty of time to see which way the wind blows on this. My cruises for both 2007 and 2008 are booked and neither stops at HMC.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Jemima]

The Westerdam cruise may have been scheduled after the Carnival schedule was done. It is a repositioning cruise. There are two transatlantics leaving 4/1, Westerdam and Veendam. We'd considered the Westerdam, but are glad we didn't as we wouldn't want to share Half Moon Cay with a 5 day Carnival cruise at spring break time. However, maybe they will change one of the itineraries so this doesn't happen.

[RuthC]

Obviously a mistake has been made, Jane. It remains to be seen whether it lies with CruiseCal or the Carnival/HAL schedulers. One can only hope it's the former!

It would be bad enough for a Vista-size ship to share the island with any other ship. Add a totally different demographic to the mix and there is one recipe for disaster.

Chin up, though, Jane. You will have a lovely cruise with your sister in any case.

[NoNoNanette]

I'm a new HAL convert. Just booked another one.:)

 

That being said, as long as I have my clamshell reserved, I couldn't care any less about "Carnival Cruisers" sharing the beach!

 

I can't imagine any type of crowd effecting my time there. Give me the gorgeous water and I'm happy. Spring breakers or rowdy cruisers won't faze me a bit.

 

Life is too short to worry about anything other than FUN FUN FUN! ;)

 

[sparkly]

Hey man,

can't we all just get along? I am feeling a bit uncomfortable.... why are you slamming people you have never met? Carnival also does a nice job, have you ever enjoyed a Carnival cruise? We have and truth be told.. we HAD FUN, did not starve, were waited on hand and foot and laughed at the stupid pool games! It is not like a boat full of guys from Animal House (although those guys could REALLY be fun.)

[NoNoNanette]

Hey man,

can't we all just get along? I am feeling a bit uncomfortable.... why are you slamming people you have never met? Carnival also does a nice job, have you ever enjoyed a Carnival cruise? We have and truth be told.. we HAD FUN, did not starve, were waited on hand and foot and laughed at the stupid pool games! It is not like a boat full of guys from Animal House (although those guys could REALLY be fun.)

 

Hey man! ;)

 

I've been on Carnival a few times. LOVED the fun! Don't feel uncomfortable here, Sparkly. There's more of "us" than "them" :)

[Iamthesea]

And Carnival gets there first! :eek:

 

Carnival Elation -

Apr 2, 2007HALF MOON CAY 7:00:00 AM3:00:00 PM

HAL Westerdam - Apr 2, 2007HALF MOON CAY 8:00:00 AM4:00:00 PM

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I don't read it that we are putting down Carnival as a cruise line or it's passengers but purely by the numbers of passengers that a Carnival Cruise ship holds. There are only so many Clam Shells to rent, only so many loungers to aquire. I have been to HMC when there was a Vista Class Ship (1848 passenger load) and an R Class ship (1440 passenger load) It was way too crowded, at lunch time it was almost impossible to find a place to sit down and eat. HMC is truly heavenly with only one ship there. Now granted the Carnival Eleation only carries 2052 if at double occ. but Carnival tends to often carry far more with more the 2 to a cabin. Now it really starts to get scarry if a HAL ship and the Carnival Liberty would both be there. There passenger count at double occupancy is 2974:eek: and most likely 3100.

 

I think that just for the shear numbers this would be unforuntate. Then how do they do the BBQ lunch:confused: From what ship does the food come from, who's crew is waiting on us:confused:

Our first time to HMC was when there were 2 ships there and we basically decided we did not care for it, could not figure out what all the hype was, then we returned on the Westerdam when we were the only ship there and we then found out how wonderful it was.:)

 

I hope for Carinval's cruise passengers as well that they are the only ship there, I am sure they will find it as crowded as we if they were there with another ship.