Leaving Fort Lauderdale and first few stops
We chose this cruise since we lived in Florida and could drive to the port, enter the canal and return to Florida in lieu of full transit on ship and flying home from west coast. It was our first cruise on Holland America and our 11th overall. We try to base our cruises not so much on the cruise line but on the itinerary as we want to see as much of the world as we can.
In the past, we have traveled Royal Caribbean on numerous occasions but as the ships get larger, we have had to look at alternates including cruising with NCL in the Mediterranean in 2019. An initial disappointment we had was being notified that the stop in Key West was being canceled and Grand Cayman was being substituted. We have already been to Cayman on numerous trips but this was not the main focus of this vacation so did not deter us from going forward.
Our trip was in February of 2024 and the first stop was a private island for Holland America called Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. We tendered at the port but they are building a dock that should be complete by 2026 as Carnival Cruises will make port there as well. This island was quite stunning; the water was a perfect turquoise color and it made for a relaxing day.
There are a few things to do on the island, including a tram that takes you around the island, horseback riding and a visit to Stingray Cove. We did the short tram ride and then just relaxed on the beach to take in the views. Lunch is served free of charge on the island so you don't have to return to the ship.
Next stop was Oranjestad, Aruba. We had been here before during our Caribbean Cruises so we planned a sunset cruise on a catamaran. Unfortunately, the water was a bit rough so the excursion was cancelled. We did get off the ship during the day and just spent a few hours walking around the downtown area.
Our last stop before getting to the Panama Canal was a brief visit to Cartagena, Columbia. We toured the walled off old town area for a little bit including seeing some emerald shops and then hopped on a boat for a tour of the City from the harbor where you see the contrasting modern buildings along the water.
Next up, please see part 2 for the Panama Canal crossing