Holland America Virgin!

[skigirl1968]

:):):):)I'm cruising the Oosterdam in late June 2012 to Alaska with my husband, two sons (10 & 11) and my husband's world travelers: Auntie & Uncle. I am nervous about this line because I know it is not known for catering to kids. So my questions:

1. What is a must do on this ship with the boys. They are cool kids,:cool: not whiney or bored easily. They like to explore, to cook and love adventure.

2. What is one thing--non gambling adults should not miss?

3. Is there a normal hairdryer (plug in/turn on) in the Category C-Oceanview Stateroom? The last cruise I went on literally had a hose that blew warm air. I was livid. Bad hair vacation!

4 Any tips for how to enjoy a QUICK evening in Victoria? Kinda bummed we are only there for 6 hours. Evenings are tough but I've always wanted to see Victoria---I'll take 2 hours of it!

5. What's the best pool for the kids to get their yayas out without being hooligans?

 

Thanks for all of your advice!

PS feel free to throw some packing musts and fashion tips at me. No idea how to dress for Alaska in June. I pumpkin pick in NY in flip flops...help!:eek:

[martinimadam]

Just a welcome note!

 

Wish I could help with ideas for the kids, but, I don't have any...though I would think in late June there should be plenty of kids on board, and I know they have some kind of kids club. You may want to explore the HAL website for that kind of information.

 

I'm sure others with more helpful information will chime in quickly. Just wanted to say welcome to Cruise Critic and to HAL. I'm sure you'll all have a great time.

[AlohaPride]

I'm cruising the Oosterdam in late June 2012 to Alaska with my husband, two sons (10 & 11) and my husband's world travelers: Auntie & Uncle. I am nervous about this line because I know it is not known for catering to kids. So my questions:

1. What is a must do on this ship with the boys. They are cool kids,:cool: not whiney or bored easily. They like to explore, to cook and love adventure.

2. What is one thing--non gambling adults should not miss?

3. Is there a normal hairdryer (plug in/turn on) in the Category C-Oceanview Stateroom? The last cruise I went on literally had a hose that blew warm air. I was livid. Bad hair vacation!

4 Any tips for how to enjoy a QUICK evening in Victoria? Kinda bummed we are only there for 6 hours. Evenings are tough but I've always wanted to see Victoria---I'll take 2 hours of it!

5. What's the best pool for the kids to get their yayas out without being hooligans?

 

Thanks for all of your advice!

PS feel free to throw some packing musts and fashion tips at me. No idea how to dress for Alaska in June. I pumpkin pick in NY in flip flops...help!

 

This is such a port intensive cruise, you'll be off the ship quite a bit (from what I've read). Having never done Alaska, I really couldn't comment on clothing. We're Alaska newbies going in May 2012.

 

BUT I do have kids ;)

 

1. The pools and hot tubs are great. If your boys like to swim, they will probably constantly want to be at the pool. There are a lot of activities posted every day. Live music by the Lido pool, BBQ's, a Midnight Dessert Extravaganza (shouldn't be missed!). There are arcades (IIRC), and there are cooking demonstrations/classes if your kids like to cook. :)

 

2. The shows are a lot of fun, but don't miss the Crew's talent show. It's fun to see your room steward or dining room steward, or anyone else you see daily around the ship letting loose on stage. The kids should like the shows too.

 

3. IIRC There is a hair dryer. It's on the vanity (not in the bathroom). They aren't the best. So, if you're very particular, bring your own. I always just make sure to dry with the in-room hair dryer and then pack a small straightening iron to get the frizz out ;)

 

4. No clue, and I'll be reading for the answer to this too ;)

 

5. Lido pool.

 

Bon Voyage!!

[superoma]

DH and I have been to Alaska twice and will go again in August - this time with Holland America. I feel secure saying you will love Alaska and you will be back.

 

I won't tackle your first two questions since this will be only our second HAL cruise and we never cruised with our children. I can relate to #3 - I had this same hair dryer in Europe last year - luckily I have very short hair and gel usually did the trick for the day.

 

#4 - Victoria - lovely city - we've been on a land vacation. Can I suggest you not try to go out to Butchart Gardens - you really don't have enough time to do it justice and it will be frustrating. The city is very walkable. A visit to the Parliament Buildings and the downtown is easily done. If you wanted to go to Craigdorroch Castle, that might interest the boys - just not sure about timing if you do it on your own. We had a car as Victoria was part of a land vacation for us.

 

Don't miss the raptor center in Sitka - my husband and friends walked up there on their own from the dock. In Juneau, see the Mendenhall Glacier. there are ways to get there with public transportation if the ship tours are too expensive.

 

Packing - best tip - layer!! You may run into almost any kind of weather, cool, wet, hot, sunny or all of the above in one week. We always take at least a pair of shorts but are sure to take sweaters and jackets. I pack little gloves, even in July, just to be safe. Comfortable shoes are a must - good walking shoes or running shoes will see you through. If you have the room, two pair for everybody would be good in case it rains and the shoes get wet. Umbrellas are a must - just in case especially in Ketchikan although we have always had sunshine when we were there.

 

Hope this helps a little and welcome aboard. Others here will fill in the blanks I have left.

[the2ofus]

Welcome to Holland America Line cruising. I hope you enjoy your Alaska cruise as much as my family did this past August. My grandkids were 12 & almost 14. They did not join in the Club HAL activities but I saw some of the daily programs that were delivered to their cabin and there seemed to be plenty of activities for kids of all ages.

 

Mine loved the mid-shop Lido pool. They also liked the idea that they could get burgers and fries at the burger & taco bar near the pool.

 

You will find an ordinary type hair dryer in one of the drawers of the desk in the cabin.

 

On HAL ships I love the Promenade deck where you have a sheltered open-air walkaround. I also love the Exploratons Cafe area with the library, game and internet center.

 

Have a fabulous trip.

[skigirl1968]

Thank You! I am so excited for this. My boys have no idea!

[skigirl1968]

Thank you all for your help! I will be sure to post do's and don'ts when we return :o)

[CowPrincess]

1. What is a must do on this ship with the boys. They are cool kids, not whiney or bored easily. They like to explore, to cook and love adventure.

2. What is one thing--non gambling adults should not miss?

3. Is there a normal hairdryer (plug in/turn on) in the Category C-Oceanview Stateroom? The last cruise I went on literally had a hose that blew warm air. I was livid. Bad hair vacation!

4 Any tips for how to enjoy a QUICK evening in Victoria? Kinda bummed we are only there for 6 hours. Evenings are tough but I've always wanted to see Victoria---I'll take 2 hours of it!

5. What's the best pool for the kids to get their yayas out without being hooligans?

 

 

1. Get the kids binoculars and let them watch for whales.

 

2. Help your kids watch for whales.

 

3. Yes

 

4. There will most likely be low-cost shuttles available to take you to downtown. Or there are carriage rides offered somewhere in the area of the port. OR go see Butchart Gardens, it will remain daylight till around 9 pm or a bit later, I think, so you would actually have time to at least get a sense of the Gardens.

 

5. You'd want the Lido pool, but may find that it is a bit chilly -- weather may be GREAT or just so-so.

 

Definitely layers for clothing. Carry a daypack when you go ashore so you can stuff unneeded layers into it, then add them back on as needed.

 

Take a hooded rainproof jacket for each of you.

 

In Sitka, if it is your kind of "thing", I totally recommend a sea otter excursion :)

[SwissMyst]

The dining room on our ship ran a little cool in Alaska so bring a wrap/stole/sweater/jacket/shrug you would want to use with whatever you wear for dinner - things are nicely a bit more formal in the main dining room compared to the Lido so I always bring along some "sparkly" tops to wear with either black or cream, pants or skirt. Layers and mix and match does seem to be the best way to pack for almost any cruise because sometimes indoor and outdoor temperatures need a little of both.

 

Best advice I got here was the reminder one only sees the top of what one is wearing when sitting down for dinner, if you want to get into the dress up mood. I now have a collection of tops that pack well and ratchet up a notch in glitter more than anything I would wear at home but for cruising it is just that extra festive touch that to me honors the occasion. And yes, DH and I do dress up formally for formal night if this is something you want to do - pack the real glam stuff and have fun.

 

Alaska for us in June was very cold, some rain, very green and pretty but we dressed as if on a ski vacation water-proof shoes, layers, parka, scarves, mittens, earmuff and long underwear. All the shops close to the ports sell a lot of cheap fleece things because they know many passengers will need a few extra layers if they get caught with these unexpected Alaska "summers" of cold, rain and wind. Their stores also carry a lot of serious cold weather gear too because this is life in Alaska. But they do have the cheaper stuff for the tourists - kind of throw away Chinese made stuff to get you through the day. One thing I did buy up there were real wool fleece-lined casual moccaisins which are not that easy to find in California.

 

At the ports what they sell is a package of cheesy fleece top, scarf, hats and gloves for about $19.99 or so which makes a perfect supplement if you find you need more than what you packed. The ship's store also carries gear appropriate for Alaska so all is not lost if you don't pack everything you need. In fact your kids may enjoy some of the Alaska souvenir outer wear anyway.

 

I think your kids will do fine - they seem to love hanging out with all the other people their age which they find like magnets if not by way of introduction at the teen activities clubs. After a day or so they all seem to travel in packs and look like they are having a lot of fun ...which kids can do anywhere -- even if it is making fun of us oldsters --- but last laugh is on them because we still have enough gray matter to remember when we did exactly the same thing.

 

Time is the great leveler but the better course would be to encourage them to reach out and chat with some of the really interesting and well-traveled people outside their age group and hear their grand tales of where they have been around the world. I'd think of a list of ice-breaker questions for them to think about and see if they can chat up some older (and willing) stranger every day. Great training for the rest of their lives.

 

Plus this is a great time to reinforce all those formal dining skills and menu ordering which will also smooth their way into any future business world with the type of real sophistication that has been earned through experience rather than tacked on by pretense.

 

I think you are going to have a terrific time. Welcome and bon voyage.

[mmr923]

I know this isn't necessarily Alaska related, but we took our too older teens (16 and 17) on the Ryndam for Spring Break this year (much smaller than the Vista Class Oosterdam) and they LOVED their Club Hal counselor. They found that many kids weren't interested in doing the Club Hal acitivites, which made Club Hal tha much more exclusive for them. My kids sound like your boys - adventurous, smart, like to learn, like to travel, etc... Maybe they will find cool things to do with the other kids in their age group in the club. I know my kids thought it was great, and they really enjoyed HAL as a whole. P.S. - they didn't want to come back home to the land where they couldn't order cookies and milk and apple pie and a movie at midnight!!! :)

[Himself]

I have been to Victoria several times and I would highly recommend a tour to Buchardt Gardens.

 

I think HAL has improved their kids program over what it was ten or fifteen years ago. Whale watching can be fun and so can looking for Eagles. If your ship stops in Sitka, I alway find the Raptor Center a good place to go. The boys might enjoy it and find it interesting.

[Sandi3667]

If you decide to take a ship tour to Butchart Gardens, avoid the one that pairs Butchart w/ the Butterfly Gardens. We did that tour in May, having been to both locations in the past, and really enjoying them. The one thing we didn't figure on....the butterflies are asleep at that hour of the night.

 

In the summer, there may be more daylight, so they may be more active at that time, but time is so short in Victoria, if you can do just Butchart itself, I'd recommend it.

[Shebba]

You are in for a real treat!! Dh and I took the Oosterdam to Alaska last August and it was one of our very favorite cruises. Just wonderful!!

 

Watch for whales, especially at the mouth to Glacier Bay. We saw tons!! Be sure you take a set of binoc for everyone. We also saw bears and otters in Glacier Bay. Awesome!!

 

We took the Butchart Gardens excursion and really enjoyed it. It included a nice scenic drive through Victoria proper then out to the gardens where we had time to wander throughout. The evening was topped off with a beautiful fireworks display.

 

We've been to Butchart Gardens several times (we live in the Seattle area). Kids are unpredictable when it comes to this kind of activity. Some of ours thought it was great, others were bored . So, who knows!! LOL

 

Victoria is a fun city. As mentioned, the Inner Harbor is very fun and walkable. There's a Wax Museum, Car Museum, Natural History Museum all within the Inner Harbor area. Lots of fun shops, street musicians and vendors , too.

 

Makes me want to go up to Victoria!! :)

 

Have a wonderful time!! I think you'll find it to be an adventure of a lifetime!

[MSMcDuffy]

You should have no worries with regards to HAL & kids. We were on the Oosterdam in June '08 with my 3 nieces (ages 5, 10 & 12 at the time). We called the cruiseline ahead of time and found out there were about 150 kids on our sailing (you can call to find out, if you're curious). Only the youngest went to the Kid's program one evening and she said it was fine. Besides touring the ports with the adults (that's mainly what they wanted to do), they spent most of the sea days at the pool and played some ping pong. The mid-ship pool was fun for them.

 

We were in a Cat D and they had regular plug-in blowdryers but they didn't have enough power. I brought my own but could not plug it in because it had one of those extra large plugs (I think most of them do) and the outlet was too close to the desktop. For those of us who needed to use hairdryers, well, it was just a "bad hair" week. We were only a little bummed about it getting ready for the 2 formal nights (when you tend to have a lot of pictures taken).

 

In Victoria my Mom and I split up from the rest of the group and went to a museum about 1 block away from the cruise ship shuttle drop/pick-up. We enjoyed browsing thru there but it might be boring for kids unless they like museums.

 

Beforehand, we spent some time in a plaza near the shuttle dropoff (not sure what that area is called) and there was a mime and some people dressed up as Star Wars characters. There were a lot of kids around enjoying it. I'm not sure if it's a regular occurance or if there was an event but they had a stage set up with some activities going on, some sort of a comedy thing. They also have horse carriage rides but they're rather pricey.

 

Bring layers of clothing. If you go to a glacier, you will need a warm jacket w/mittens & hood/hat. Our warmest day was in Ketchikan (mid-70's).

 

I'm sure your kids will have a great time, especially since you say they are adventurous. Alaska is the perfect cruise for that. Have a wonderful trip!:)

[jschm27]

Just completed our second Alaska trip this last August on WESTERDAM. The boys should love the trip. The boys might like to take the behind the scenes tour of the ship. It costs extra and you have to sign up first thing when you go onboard. It's very popular but limited to a very few. Don't know if there is an age limit. The boys might like Club HAL too. On our last cruise, they seemed to keep the kids busy. One evening I saw a bunch of them in the Explorers Cafe dressed up as pirates doing pirate things. Wish I could have joined them :D. If you get into Skagway, do the train ride. Very scenic and if the kids like trains, they'll like this one. It's narrow guage and they might have a steam engine going. Even if they don't, they have some very historic diesels.

 

Victoria is tough do to the short time you are in port and the hours the ship is there. We took the HAL shore excursion to the Buchart Gardens and the butterfly gardens. Not enough time but it's still pretty. A previous poster said don't go to the butterfly gardens because they butterflys are not flying. That's true but having them not fly it was easy to photograph them. I think I remember an excursion going to the Empress Hotel for high tea. It's kinda late for tea, but if they offer it, it should be fun. I took my kids there when they were about your kids age and we had a ball (we were camping at the time so we dressed in our best camping clothes).

 

Clothing: Layer, layer, layer. If you have too much on, you can always shed it and vice versa. It could be nice one day and pouring rain the next. If your ship goes to a glacier, the best place to view the glacier is on deck. You will be near a huge hunk of ice so expect it to be cold. Gloves, raingear and a sock hat might be handy. Take binoculars.

 

Take full advantange of the shore excursions. There is a lot of Alaska to see. Enjoy your cruise!

 

John

[Westcoast girl92]

I've never been to the Butchart Gardens so I cannot comment on that but when I go to Victoria for a day trip (I live in Vancouver BC) I enjoy walking around the inner harbour area. Personal favourites of mine is admiring the Empress Hotel (I've never even been inside but the outside is beautiful), I've enjoyed going to the Royal BC Museum:

http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/MainSite/default.aspx

If you are a tea lover then check out Silk Road:

http://silkroadtea.com/index.htm

They have a huge selection of loose teas and specialities I've only seen there. And I believe that all of their teas are organic. The store is close to Chinatown too (this is all a short walk from the Empress Hotel) which is cool to check out as well.

There are plenty of tourist shops on Government Street too.

Enjoy your cruise!

[fann1sh]

There are free daily cooking demonstrations. If the boys like to cook, they might find watching one fun. There is also a private cooking class once a cruise, $29 pp.

 

I am another who votes "thumbs down" (regretfully) on going to Butchart Gardens in the limited time available. "Ship's own" is the only realistic option, due to evening transportation issues.

[molly2kit]

My very first cruise was Holland America to Alaska - It was September so most kids were back in school - not too many kids on the ship.

 

One day I was in the buffet having late lunch and the kids club came in - It was the best thing to see!

 

There was a leader and then a single file line of about 10 kids in varying ages with another leader at the end - they walked through the buffet. A while later they walked back through - same formation - but with the biggest, tallest bowls of ice cream that you have ever seen - looked like they had a contest to see who could get get the biggest!

 

They were quiet and well behaved and seemed to be having a wonderful time. I would have liked to have joined them.

 

I took my granddaughter on a cruise when she was 6 - she is 9 now and still remembers the great times - still wears the tshirt she painted on the ship. She tells her younger sister how great it was. They both want to go now.

 

I think you will all have a wonderful time - Alaska scenery is amazing.

 

Enjoy!!!!

[Megsie1000]

My nephew (now 11) has been on multiple HAL cruises from the time he was 5 until now and has always, always, always loved Club HAL.

 

Last summer we all went on the Rotterdam to Alaska. My girls were 4.5 & 6 at the time and begged every waking moment to go to Club HAL. My nephew was also on that cruise (10 at the time) and he also spent a ton of time there. They do activities, games, there is a ranger that comes and talks to them about Alaska, and they just have a wonderful time in general.

 

When in port we mostly did walking tours because of car seat issues (we also had a 2-year old boy), but my nephew did some of the more adventurous shore excursions and loved them. I wish I could remember specifically which ones.

 

The Lido area is best for kids as far as the pool goes. There should be a shower area near the pool, which we utilized a lot to shower the girls post-swimming. That helped cut down on bathing issues with 4 of us in one cabin.

[SwissMyst]

......... There should be a shower area near the pool, which we utilized a lot to shower the girls post-swimming. That helped cut down on bathing issues with 4 of us in one cabin.

 

There is a great suggestion when we get asked about how to juggle lots of people in the same cabin. This needs to be added to the ongoing HAL tips threads. Good point.

[andeesue]

A 7-day cruise to Alaska in the summer will be great for your family. As mentioned, there are plenty of ports to explore so too much time on ship won't be a concern for them. Club HAL will give them an opportunity to meet other kids easily and give you time to do your thing.

 

I love Victoria and have been there a dozen times. I would suggest not going to Butchart Gardens... unless your boys are big garden enthusiasts. There's much to see in the inner harbor area. Fun to stroll around and see the Empress, perhaps go to the wonderful BC Royal Museum (IMAX theater there), the beautiful government buildings. Getting to the gardens and back will not leave you much time to enjoy them or the charm of Victoria.

 

Hairdryers have already been addressed. I like to travel as light as possible, and have used the ship dryers. If there isn't one in the drawer, be sure to ask your steward for one. Sometimes they aren't there... you don't want to rely on the hose one in the bathroom. Especially with 4 in the cabin...

 

What a great time to look forward to!

[Shebba]

In Victoria, there is a tour of the government building available. Fascinating.

Also a Miniatures Museum [url=http://www.miniatureworld.com/][/url] which your sons might really enjoy. http://www.miniatureworld.com/

[samiii]

:):):):)I'm cruising the Oosterdam in late June 2012 to Alaska with my husband, two sons (10 & 11) and my husband's world travelers: Auntie & Uncle. I am nervous about this line because I know it is not known for catering to kids. So my questions:

1. What is a must do on this ship with the boys. They are cool kids,:cool: not whiney or bored easily. They like to explore, to cook and love adventure.

2. What is one thing--non gambling adults should not miss?

3. Is there a normal hairdryer (plug in/turn on) in the Category C-Oceanview Stateroom? The last cruise I went on literally had a hose that blew warm air. I was livid. Bad hair vacation!

4 Any tips for how to enjoy a QUICK evening in Victoria? Kinda bummed we are only there for 6 hours. Evenings are tough but I've always wanted to see Victoria---I'll take 2 hours of it!

5. What's the best pool for the kids to get their yayas out without being hooligans?

 

Thanks for all of your advice!

PS feel free to throw some packing musts and fashion tips at me. No idea how to dress for Alaska in June. I pumpkin pick in NY in flip flops...help!:eek:

 

We have been to Alaska twice, once on Hal. The last time (also June) we had 2 of opur grandchildren with us...boys aged 8 and 11.They loved Club Hal... didn't miss a sesion.[

If you can swing it, hire a private plane and see Mt. McKinley. We got so close I could almost make snowballs. Also, bright and clear. Enjoy!!! samiii/quote]

[mauiedin87]

As others have said, layer-layer-layer! We were on an Alaska cruise the last week of June and the temperature never exceeded 45 degrees! It also rained quite a lot, so take rain-proof jackets. Unfortunately we never saw the tops of any of the mountains due to the low skies and most of our excursions were canceled. But despite all that we still had a marvelous time doing the things we substituted at the last minute! Be prepared for every possibility! And like someone else said, be sure to take more binoculars and fewer shoes, LOL. You won't regret it.

[leonardofan]

If your cruise goes to Sitka, you shouldn't miss the Sheldon Jackson Museum. Its the real thing--all the artifacts were given to Dr. Jackson (the founder of the local college) by Inuit in the course of his missionary work in the nineteenth century. We found it much more involving than the big plastic Alaska State Museum in Juneau. It's inexpensive (and kids are free :) )