School's Out! NZ/Australia-Dec-Kids?

[glutenhab]

Sailing out of Sydney on Nov 25 on the Zaandam for 58 days (B2B 28+30, really 14+14+14+16) around NZ, South Pacific Islands, Australia & to Hong Kong.

I just realized that school will be out for a good part of this itinerary & am now wondering if we will get a lot of children &/or university kids.

Surely it won't be anything like spring break in the Caribbean....will it?

Or are we just looking at enough to bring the average age on this HAL ship down below 70?

[armidale1]

I don't think you need to worry on the ship, we don't really have that culture of spring break that the US does and schoolies ( which is where the school leavers party) will be already over. Plus cruising is not all that popular here with Uni students and most would probably choose P&O anyway if they were interested.

[aussiedisneyfan]

You will get a lot of kids in the January cruise period. This year on the January 2 and 16 cruises there were 150+ kids up to 18. Very few between 18-21. Generally I don't think they were too bad but there were problems with kids in the adult aft pool and parents not supervising. The 2nd cruise unfortunately some some digraceful teens on the 2nd last night that damaged the fittings around the piano bar and wrecked a wheelchair in the middle of the night.

[aussiedisneyfan]

I have only just been able to get back online. I had reread your post after I answered and realised you were asking about Zaandam and I was talking about the Volendam.

 

I think your itinerary will probably be less likely to have as many children on it as it isn't just all beaches and there is the added cost of the airfare back to AU from either Singapore or Hong Kong. Our friends are planning to go on the Xmas b2b and if we don't end up going to Antarctica we will probably be on it too. Our kids will be 13, 14, 15 and 16.