Hal kids programs vs. Disney

[stsomewhere]

We are currently booked on Disney for Alaska in 2011. My kids have cruised on DCl 3 times and

really enjoy their kids programming. They do not like Carnival kid program. RCI is ok.

 

My kids will be 13 boy and 10girl. I know that the 10 yr old would enjoy being in the tween group on HAl.We are sailing with friend who have a 12 boy. He would love to be with my son in the teen club. Would he be able to move up or my son be able to move down?

 

My husband and I have sailed on Hal without kids.

 

I was doing a little research on air fare and realized we could get to Seattle a lot cheaper, plus I would save money on cruise ,too.

 

We would save about $1200 total. I know that we will spend more money on HAL in casino and on drinks in clubs since DCl is a little quieter at night.

 

Any advice or thoughts? We are not too concerned with ports/itinerary. We want the kids to have a good time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Holland America ships, we provide a wide variety of exciting youth- and teen- friendly activities and facilities for guests ages 3 to 17. With supervised fun for our younger guests, the entire family can have the cruise vacation of their dreams.

 

Safe and Managed Supervision

You can feel at ease knowing that your child's onboard experience is safe and well-managed. All Club HAL® activities are supervised by permanent, full-time staff, and are designed to be kid friendly and age appropriate. Youth Staff hold degrees in education, childhood development, recreation, leisure studies or related fields.

 

Programs Available

Club HAL® — Kids*: Children, ages 3-7, can participate in such activities as story telling, fabric painting, indoor games, arts and crafts, drawing contests, ice-cream sundae parties, puzzles, bingo, pirate treasure hunts or a farewell pizza party. Children in the Kid's age group must be toilet trained. Children in pull-ups or diapers are not allowed in the youth facilities, due to mandates from US Public Health. Exceptions to this rule cannot be made.

Club HAL® — Tweens*: Tweens, ages 8-12 might learn golf putting, have disco parties and theme parties, participate in the award-winning National Park Service Jr. Ranger Program on Alaska cruises, compete in on-deck sports events, compete in scavenger hunts or simply play Ping-Pong with a friend.

The Loft and The Oasis*: Teens, ages 13-17 will especially enjoy the teen disco, karaoke sessions, video games, teen sports tournaments, card games, trivia contests, bingo, movies and videos. When there are more than 100 children on board, a HAL Talent Show is offered. (The Oasis is not available on all Vista-class ships)

 

 

 

*On the ms Prinsendam, youth activities are offered for ages 5-17. All other ships offer youth activities for ages 3-17.

 

Daily Programs

Times vary based on age group, number of children on board and staffing:

 

 

Sea Day — Morning, Afternoon and Evening Activities

Port Day — Morning, Afternoon and Evening Activities

 

 

Kids & Teens Culinary Arts Center Program

HAL Kids Culinary Workshops now offer children a unique and fun learning experience. Kids will learn basic cooking techniques, kitchen safety, new ingredients and how to follow recipe instructions. Aside from the fun involved, cooking encourages kids to think about numbers and measuring, cleanliness, safety and time management. All the workshops are hands-on where questions are encouraged and having fun is a must!

 

HAL Kids Culinary Workshops are geared toward two age groups; ages three to seven and ages eight and up. Teenagers 15 and up may participate in the adult classes.

 

 

The menus range from simple to teen gourmet

Classes are usually limited to fifteen students unless otherwise noted

All classes are hands-on

Each student receives copies of the recipes prepared in class

All classes are complimentary and last approximately one hour

 

 

Additional Family Services

Holland America Line is dedicated to making your family's cruise vacation memorable and happy for each member of your family. We serve a wide variety of kid-pleasing food, including special sandwiches, tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza. Baby food, high chairs and booster seats may be requested in advance of boarding. On sea days, babysitting services are available through the Front Office for a small surcharge for children 3 years of age or older. This service is provided by staff on a volunteer basis, and may not always be available. Babysitting service is not offered while the ship is in port, although Club Hal does offer activities for children aged 3-12 between 8:00am and 4:00pm on port days. Special kid-friendly birthday parties can also be arranged with advance notice.

 

Extended Hours

Club HAL’s port day activities as well as After Hours is available for children ages 3-12 who meet Club HAL’s eligibility requirements. (Children must be pre-registered for the program in the way of a completed parental consent form, they must be potty trained, out of pull ups and 100% independent in the restroom as the youth staff are not permitted to assist.) Club HAL® After Hours is available on all ships (except the ms Prinsendam) from 10:00pm - 12:00am for children 3 years of age or older. The fee is US$5.00 per child, per hour. Parents must pick up their children on time or a late fee is charged. For babysitting outside of the hours offered in Club HAL, guests may check at the Front Office to schedule this service provided by staff on a voluntary/limited basis only.

 

Port Day Activities

Activities will be offered when in port from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. A lunch service is available for those attending port day activities between the hours of 11:00am – 1:00pm.

 

After Hours 10:00 pm– 12:00 am

After Hours group kid sitting is offered every evening from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am. Children must be 3 years of age and potty trained. Charge is $5.00 hour per child. Late charges apply to children who are picked up after 12:00 am. Limited private babysitting is available for all ages through the front office. Youth staff are not able to provide this service.

 

Special Needs

HAL Youth Programs recognize that some children may have special needs. Special needs children are invited to attend activities based on their chronological age. HAL Youth Programs have many staff trained to work with special needs children. Guests should make HAL aware of this when booking their reservation.

 

Important Notes

A limited number of high chairs, booster seats and cribs are available at no charge. These must be reserved in advance at the time of booking. An international children's menu is offered at dinner and includes a variety of appetizers, salads and soups, and standard items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and chicken, plus chef's specials like beef tacos, grilled cheese, fish and chips or spaghetti.

 

 

As a rule HAL does not allow the children to join different age groups.

[RuthC]

Would he be able to move up or my son be able to move down?

Kids aren't allowed to move up to the next higher age group, but they can move down to the next lower one. Problem with that can be if most of the kids are at the younger end of that group, the older one who moved down might not have as good a time.

However, the Club HAL hours aren't all day, and there's no requirement that kids even go to Club HAL. If they don't like it, they can do something else.

[stsomewhere]

Kids aren't allowed to move up to the next higher age group, but they can move down to the next lower one. Problem with that can be if most of the kids are at the younger end of that group, the older one who moved down might not have as good a time.

However, the Club HAL hours aren't all day, and there's no requirement that kids even go to Club HAL. If they don't like it, they can do something else.

 

What else can they do besides clubs?

 

On Disney,

they go to family animation drawing classes, game shows, ping pong, foozball, movie theater with first run movies, karaoke, sit in the family hot tub and watch a movie on Arielvision, scavenger hunts, arcade, video game contests, trivia

shuffleboard, basketball, soccer, dance parties, other family activities, character meets, tea party, games, video games and crafts all day long. The clubs are open until at least midnight with no additional charge. The Broadway style shows in the evenings, family cabarets and deck parties in the evenings, too.

[RuthC]

What else can they do besides clubs?

They can swim in the pool. There's a ping-pong table, and a sports court on the upper deck where they can play basketball or tennis. They can go to the movie, read, play board games that are available in the library.

They could even spend time with their family. :eek:

[salcruizer]

We were just on the Zuiderdam, 7 day Alaska from Vancouver with 9 and 11 year old. First time on HAL. Been on Disney, X, Carnival and RCCL many times. HAL had all the usual kids activities and you were given the program for the entire week on day 1. Our two were in the 8 - 12 age group so we didnt need to worry about switching up / down. Never say any teens hanging out in the teen club, but there were not many kids to be seen in general as the Zuiderdam was not geared towards kids like the other lines I mentioned are. However, they welcomed kids everywhere except Spa and Casino, and catered to them, whether it be in the MDR, Lido, Bingo, etc. For what its worth, they had just as much fun as the other cruise lines and spent nearly as much time in Club HAL as in Camp Carnival or Adventure Ocean on past cruises. It was a bit different than other lines in that they can sign themselved in / out while the ship is moving but must be signed in /out by a parent while ship is docked.

[Jacqueline]

It comes down to how much the $1200 means to you.

HAL is such a different product than Disney- there are not wall to wall planned activities,even if it sounds that way in the literature.

How important is that to your group? My kids were happy to do puzzles and play board games with us (well two of them, one was a social butterfly on every ship regardless of the cruiseline). If your kids' expectation is Disney, they may not be such happy campers on HAL.

On the other hand, it is good to have different experiences and this could be that opportunity. My kids loved HAL- we did 12 nights in Europe. Except for my butterfly, most of our free time was family time.

[photomikey]

HAL is such a different product than Disney- there are not wall to wall planned activities,even if it sounds that way in the literature.

IMHO, asking the OP's question is like asking "I really enjoyed the NASCAR drivers training on vacation last year... will I enjoy HAL?".

 

We don't have much in common with NASCAR. You might like it anyway - but the two don't have much in common.

 

HAL and Disney are the same way.

 

On Disney,

they go to family animation drawing classes, game shows, ping pong, foozball, movie theater with first run movies, karaoke, sit in the family hot tub and watch a movie on Arielvision, scavenger hunts, arcade, video game contests, trivia

shuffleboard, basketball, soccer, dance parties, other family activities, character meets, tea party, games, video games and crafts all day long. The clubs are open until at least midnight with no additional charge. The Broadway style shows in the evenings, family cabarets and deck parties in the evenings, too.

On HAL, you can bring a sketchpad and draw, get a game from the library and play with your family/friends/others on board, play ping pong, foosball, watch a movie, sing with your iPod, sit in the hot tub, go back to your room and watch a movie, create a scavenger hunt and challenge each other, play in club HAL (arcade and or video game), play Trivial Pursuit, shuffleboard, basketball, (sorry, I got nothing for soccer), dance in any of the clubs/lounges. Broadway-style shows (with an international cast!).

 

So, I have an answer to every Disney entertainment (except soccer... do'oh!), but they are ALL dependent on you to create your own fun. For me (and my daughter), it's what we prefer and I would jump off my balcony on Disney, it would drive me crazy.

 

But for you? I dunno. You decide.

[stsomewhere]

My kids like to be busy and participate in activities. They are very independent and adventurous. They like to have time away from mom and dad. But, we like to go to a lot of family activities, meals and shows together.

 

Neither of our kids are really interested in going to Alaska. They need to go in order to have been to all 50 states. So, we figured that there would be plenty for them to do DCL. Plus, we know they like that line.

 

My kids would not be willing to sit quietly and do puzzles and play board games. They had to do this on Carnival and hated it.

 

I am worried about them being bored on HAL. It looks like the clubs are not open all day.

 

I am weighing the pros and cons of each line. While my husband and I enjoyed HAl, I don't know if it would be for the kids.

[epixx]

We are currently booked on Disney for Alaska in 2011. My kids have cruised on DCl 3 times and

really enjoy their kids programming. They do not like Carnival kid program. RCI is ok.

 

My kids will be 13 boy and 10girl. I know that the 10 yr old would enjoy being in the tween group on HAl.We are sailing with friend who have a 12 boy. He would love to be with my son in the teen club. Would he be able to move up or my son be able to move down?

 

My husband and I have sailed on Hal without kids.

 

I was doing a little research on air fare and realized we could get to Seattle a lot cheaper, plus I would save money on cruise ,too.

 

We would save about $1200 total. I know that we will spend more money on HAL in casino and on drinks in clubs since DCl is a little quieter at night.

 

Any advice or thoughts? We are not too concerned with ports/itinerary. We want the kids to have a good time.

 

We previously sailed DCL, Celebrity, NCL, Carnival, Princess, and RCI before trying HAL last month for the 14 night itinerary in Alaska with kids ages 16 and 12. In contrast to you, we specifically tried HAL for the ports/itinerary (main consideration) and for the extremely low price (kids sailed free!). We had a great time, but if you "want the kids to have a good time," I think you're better off with DCL. Our 12 year old wouldn't go near Club HAL because the kids were largely in the 8-10 year old range, and, although the teen went to the Loft, she reported that that the scheduled activities almost never took place. We all had to be creative to keep ourselves busy at night and on sea days. Nevertheless, I would sail that ship (Amsterdam) and itinerary again because these negatives, for us, were minor when compared with the positives (unequaled itinerary and very low price). It sounds like you would feel differently.

[stsomewhere]

We previously sailed DCL, Celebrity, NCL, Carnival, Princess, and RCI before trying HAL last month for the 14 night itinerary in Alaska with kids ages 16 and 12. In contrast to you, we specifically tried HAL for the ports/itinerary (main consideration) and for the extremely low price (kids sailed free!). We had a great time, but if you "want the kids to have a good time," I think you're better off with DCL. Our 12 year old wouldn't go near Club HAL because the kids were largely in the 8-10 year old range, and, although the teen went to the Loft, she reported that that the scheduled activities almost never took place. We all had to be creative to keep ourselves busy at night and on sea days. Nevertheless, I would sail that ship (Amsterdam) and itinerary again because these negatives, for us, were minor when compared with the positives (unequaled itinerary and very low price). It sounds like you would feel differently.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. Our kids have sailed on Carnivalx2, NCLx2,RCI, DCL x3 ,RCI previously. But, out last 3 cruises on DCl since this is the line they enjoy the most. They did not mind RCI but was not favorite. I am anxious to see how my son(12) likes Allure of the Sea. He is sailing with a friend over Christmas but is more excited for Disney cruise.

 

We have had problems on different lines not having enough kids to run an activity. We have decided that we are sticking with DCL. My husband reminded me that we will be saving a lot of money on drinks since DCL allows you to bring on your own alcohol and we won't have to pay for fountain sodas.

[iceman93]

We don't have much in common with NASCAR. You might like it anyway - but the two don't have much in common.

 

HAL and Disney are the same way.

 

I'm about to cross the 100-day threshold on HAL and won't take my first Disney cruise until next year, but from everything I've read and heard you are incorrect. It seems that HAL and Disney are very similar in many, many ways. Disney has more magic and HAL has more varied itineraries, but in terms of service, elegance, food quality, ship maintenance, and even price the two lines appear to be quite alike.

[room010]

As others have noted, Disney and HAL are different "products" that are aimed at a different demographic. If your kids get bored easily then to be honest I wouldn't pick HAL because if they are used to the super active kids' programs on other lines then Club Hal might fall short of their expectations. That's not to say HAL doesn't cater for kids because it does. It's just a slightly less "manic" experience which isn't always a bad thing!

[stsomewhere]

I'm about to cross the 100-day threshold on HAL and won't take my first Disney cruise until next year, but from everything I've read and heard you are incorrect. It seems that HAL and Disney are very similar in many, many ways. Disney has more magic and HAL has more varied itineraries, but in terms of service, elegance, food quality, ship maintenance, and even price the two lines appear to be quite alike.

 

My husband and I agreed our favorite cruiseline was Hal until we went on DCL. We feel they are very similar. Disney has something magical about it. It makes us feel different when we are aboard.

 

When we went on our first Disney cruise, we went on the Wonder for a 3 night to try the line. we were unsure, but we wanted to try it before the kids got to old.

My husband was so impressed, he went the first night and booked a 7night for 6 months later.

 

When we went on the 7 night on the Magic, some of the the cast members remembered us that had moved to that ship. We were very impressed by that.

 

My son had a problem with the arcade card, so my husband grabbed the first staff member to walk by. The staff member told my husband it would be taken care of and that someone was coming up to fix it. A few nights later at the captain's gala, the captain asked my son if he had a good time playing video games. It was the captain who had helped them but never mentioned his title. All the cast members wear name tags with name and where they are from, but no title.

[Ship's Wake]

We cruised HAL on the Volendam to Alaska two years ago. Due to the cooler temperatures, we spent a fair amount of time in the Crow's Nest viewing the awesome scenery on cruising days.

 

When we were out on deck, there was plenty of unobstucted and uncrowded areas to hang out along the railing and take it all in. Plus you have the retractable roof over the pool area that can be closed if the weather is cold.

 

Disney's ships are built for warm water cruising. As a result, as you already know, there is not a forward lounge like the Crow's Nest where you can hang out and avoid the elements. The pool areas are open to the elements and do not have a retractable roof.

 

Unless you book a balcony cabin and stay in the cabin most of the time, you'll need to plan on where you will hang out to view the scenery. Alaska cruises have a good amount of cruising time versus port time.

 

Ship wise, in my opinion, Holland America is better equipped for Alaska itineraries than Disney and will give you a better Alaska experience.

 

However, the Disney Wonder is a better choice if your priority on this cruise is the enjoyment of your children. Afterall, Disney is an entertainment company and the strength on DCL is family cruising.

[SwissMyst]

My kids like to be busy and participate in activities. They are very independent and adventurous. They like to have time away from mom and dad. But, we like to go to a lot of family activities, meals and shows together.

 

Neither of our kids are really interested in going to Alaska. They need to go in order to have been to all 50 states. So, we figured that there would be plenty for them to do DCL. Plus, we know they like that line.

 

My kids would not be willing to sit quietly and do puzzles and play board games. They had to do this on Carnival and hated it.

 

I am worried about them being bored on HAL. It looks like the clubs are not open all day.

 

I am weighing the pros and cons of each line. While my husband and I enjoyed HAl, I don't know if it would be for the kids.

 

From everything you say about meeting your children's priorities, I don't even know why you are considering HAL. Go with Disney. If you say the only pay off choosing HAL is having more money for alcohol and gambling for yourselves ......:confused::confused::confused: .... by all means put your children's wishes first.

[stsomewhere]

We cruised HAL on the Volendam to Alaska two years ago. Due to the cooler temperatures, we spent a fair amount of time in the Crow's Nest viewing the awesome scenery on cruising days.

 

When we were out on deck, there was plenty of unobstucted and uncrowded areas to hang out along the railing and take it all in. Plus you have the retractable roof over the pool area that can be closed if the weather is cold.

 

Disney's ships are built for warm water cruising. As a result, as you already know, there is not a forward lounge like the Crow's Nest where you can hang out and avoid the elements. The pool areas are open to the elements and do not have a retractable roof.

 

Unless you book a balcony cabin and stay in the cabin most of the time, you'll need to plan on where you will hang out to view the scenery. Alaska cruises have a good amount of cruising time versus port time.

 

Ship wise, in my opinion, Holland America is better equipped for Alaska itineraries than Disney and will give you a better Alaska experience.

 

However, the Disney Wonder is a better choice if your priority on this cruise is the enjoyment of your children. Afterall, Disney is an entertainment company and the strength on DCL is family cruising.

 

Disney did enclose an upper section of the Cove for adult viewing.

[stsomewhere]

From everything you say about meeting your children's priorities, I don't even know why you are considering HAL. Go with Disney. If you say the only pay off choosing HAL is having more money for alcohol and gambling for yourselves ......:confused::confused::confused: .... by all means put your children's wishes first.

 

It does not matter to us about the casino. We like the fact that Disney does not have one.

 

After talking it over as a family, we are staying on Disney. Thanks for everyones input.

If it was just my husband and me ., we would go on HAl.