2015 Nov. 8-15 Western Caribbean Cruise on the Eurodam: Key West; Grand Cayman; Jamaica; HMC

When we "temporarily" moved to South Florida (as my husband likes to put it), I figured this might be a good time to try and get some good deals on last minute cruises.  Don't know how good of a deal we really ended up getting, but I managed to keep from accepting the up sell offer to a suite.  I had already upgraded us for $100@ to a balcony from the $499 OV room I had originally booked.  The first up sell offer arrived about 3 weeks before our trip and was $499 for a signature suite and $699 for a Neptune suite.  About a week later I got another up sell offer for the same super high price.  When we finally got our Verandah guarantee room assignment, I noticed we were in a less desirable room near the front of the ship with metal half walls on the veranda and no tub.  I called and requested a different room.
About 4 days before our cruise, we got an email with a new cabin number---mid ship, tub, and with a super deep veranda with Plexiglas walls and even 2 lounge chairs on the deck as well as the 2 other chairs, ottoman, and little side table.   About a day or 2 before the cruise, I called again because I noticed a couple suites opened up and I wanted to see if I could get an up sell for really cheap, like we did a couple years ago.  This time they quoted me $250 for a signature suite and $350 for the Neptune.  I was tempted, but also curious about the VA room we were reassigned.   Apparently there are 4 of these rooms---1 on either side of the lifeboats, so they're a little deeper then the boats are wide (about 14').  I read a lot of mixed reviews about those rooms.  Some people liked the extra space, others didn't because most of the veranda wasn't covered and, therefore, didn't have privacy.   I wonder if that's how we ended up with it.   I don't know for sure, just that there were no veranda rooms showing available for the last week or so before the cruise.
I'd say the actual covered area of our veranda was about what the regular verandas have.  We were on the sunrise side of the ship most of the time, so only got to watch sunset from our veranda 2 nights.  But I did spend a lot of time out there enjoying just gazing at the water.

This was my 2nd time on a Western Caribbean cruise.  Our ports were Key West, Grand Cayman, Jamaica (Falmouth), and HAL's private island in the Bahamas---Half Moon Cay.  

 2015-11-8 Embarkation day!

2015-11-9 Key West:

2015-11-10 Sea Day

2015-11-11 Grand Cayman:

2015-11-12 Falmouth, Jamaica:

2015-11-13 another sea day:

2015-11-14 Half Moon Cay:

2015-11-15 disembarkation day:

This was my 16th cruise.  Considering how my 1st one was, being evacuated back to Ft. Lauderdale with my Dad, I'm happy to say they've all been great since then.  

2015-11-15 debarkation day:

 This morning we did self debarkation and were literally off the ship and out of customs in less then 20 minutes!  We've never made it anywhere near that quickly before!   It was another great vacation---minus the jelly fish sting!  So what does it look like a week later?  Still itches, but getting better.

All in all, it was a pretty great cruise.  Could have done without the jellyfish sting, but other than that, all went pretty well.  

2015-11-14 Half Moon Cay:

After not being able to tender into the beach last time we were at Half Moon Cay and ending up with another day at sea, I was anxious to see if we would get to the beach this time.  We did and we (at least I) had a great time!

 The surf was down and the water was clear.

2015-11-13 another sea day:

Just hanging around the ship.  We did go to the Future Cruise desk and signed up for another cruise to get the reduced deposit and OBC.

 grand stairway in the atrium

2015-11-12 Falmouth, Jamaica:

I really wasn't looking forward to this port.  Didn't figure we'd be able to snorkel, so I figured we'd hang out at the Margaritaville pool there.  But when we saw it from the ship, it looked so small.  We're thinking this was the pool there.

So we decided to see if we could get a last minute excursion.  This was a relativly new cruise port and it was nice and clean. 

2015-11-11 Grand Cayman:

 Wed. was Grand Cayman day!  Every since I went here with the kids for a land based trip back in 2001, I've been anxious to go back.  The snorkeling was great and I knew there was a great place to snorkel right by where the ships tender into.  I finally got back to Grand Cayman last Dec. on our girls' cruise, but we were unable to tender into Georgetown due to rough seas, so our plans for snorkeling there were foiled.  But not today!  It was a great day!!!
Walking from the tender dock to Paradise cafe (Marine Park).

 Our ship was the one you can barely see the nose of behind the one on the left.

2015-11-10 Sea Day

  Tuesday was a sea day.   Plenty of time to get out and explore the ship a bit.
The cabanas on Lido next to the family pool.

 At 11am we went to the CruiseCritic Meet and Greet.  If I remember correctly, about 45 people said they were coming.  In the end, about 25 came.  Still a nice turn out and the ship provided a nice spread of cookies and pastries as well as coffees and teas.  This was one of the few times we made it up to the Crow's nest this cruise!  On the Maasdam, we were up there almost every night.

2015-11-9 Key West:

When I sailed away from Key West on the cruise with my daughter,sister, and sister in law last Dec., I saw what looked like a promising snorkel beach within walking distance from the port, so I decided that's where we should go this time when Ken and I were in Key West.The Eurodam was even docked closer to the beach then when I was on the other cruise.  This time we docked in the Naval base instead of the downtown dock.  There were free shuttles running people to town since no walking around in the base was permitted.  The shuttle left us off just outside the gates to the base and we walked about 15-20 minutes (rather slowly since I was taking pictures) to the beach at Ft. Zachary Park.

 Ken always leaving me in his dust.

2015-11-8 Embarkation day!

It was an easy embarkation day for us!  Since we were living in S. Florida at the time, about a mile from our daughter, she picked us up and dropped us off at the port and that was it----no flights to worry about or accommodations the night before or transportation!  It was great!!!!  About 2 hours after we left our apartment in Coral Springs we were on the ship!

We ended up in one of the 4 cabins that have a super deep balcony---ours was 4054.  I'd read a lot of bad reviews about them (being in the sun and people above you could see you, but I'd say the actual covered area of our veranda was about what the regular verandas have.

 from the door to the veranda.