Club HAL - Toddlers?

[Tapi]

Hi!

 

We will be sailing on our 1st Holland America cruise in June (Westerdam to Alaska). This will be a family cruise which will include people ranging from 17 months old to 75 years old. :D

 

I do understand that Club HAL's ages are 3 and up and we are completely prepared for this (we've already sailed with toddlers 3 previous times), but I'd like to know if Holland America provides anything for those under the required age for Club HAL.

 

For example, Carnival offers "Under 2 Services" which include play time and drop off hours in the morning, as well as babysitting after 10pm.

 

Personally, the availability of these services won't sway our decision to sail on Holland America (if it did, we would've chosen Disney or Royal for this cruise), but I'm a bit curious about what we may find so that we can plan accordingly.

 

While the majority of the group has cruised recently (and frequently) this will be my sister's 1st cruise in 13 years! (last time she cruised, she had just graduated from college. She will now be sailing with a husband and 2 daughters) :)

 

Thanks for any information that you may provide.

[indokiwi]

You are right, Club HAL is only for those potty-trained children 3-12 and the Loft is for teens 13-17 only. They cannot make any more exceptions to these rules and are very strict now.

 

You can inquire at the Front Desk if anyone is available for babysitting. I think that its $10 per hour per child. Also, it's only during the crew member's off time. On our last cruise, there were no takers as the Front Office was busy and then the ladies wanted down time, so we had our 15 month old the whole time. They asked around - cast members, beverage staff and entertainment staff, but again - they wanted to rest. It was still a good vacation though!

[HALrunner]

When our kids were not yet old enough for Club HAL, the staff was still very accommodating. They offered to let us borrow books, toys, crayons etc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is HAL's newest rules for Club HAL. There used to be a meno indicating that baby sitting services were available. Now there is no mention of that service. I guess that since HAL has cut back staff even more in the last year, they just don't have anyone extra to help out.

 

What Childcare & Youth Programs Are Available?

 

 

Club Hal® Youth Program

Holland America Line has a youth program for guests ages 3-17*. Each ship is staffed with a professional Club HAL Director dedicated to making sure children have a great time. Some of the fun-filled activities include bingo for prizes, arts & crafts, special parties and much more. Each participant also receives a Club HAL t-shirt. An activity schedule for each age group will be delivered to your stateroom each evening.

Activities are offered for kids (ages 3-7), 'tweens (8-12) and teens (13-17). The program has an open door policy, which means participants may come and go as they please. All activities are supervised; however, the Club HAL Director is not responsible for any child if he/she chooses to leave the activity.

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

[Krazy Kruizers]

I found this from last June and it appears that there have been some changes.

Youth Programs

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 pirate treasure hunts, hands-on pizza making, storytelling, "Little Artists" crafts, ice cream sundae parties and a farewell pajama party. Children in the Kid's age group must be toilet trained. Children in pull-ups or diapers are not all! owed 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 take part in Xbox and Wii tournaments, relay races, scavenger hunts, karaoke disco parties and participate in the award-winning National Park Service Jr. Ranger Program in Alaska on Alaska cruises.

 

The Loft and The Oasis*: Teens, ages 13-17 enjoy mocktail mixology classes, late night sporting competitions, teen yoga and hip hop classes, guys verses girls scavenger hunts, cooking demos, tech classes and teen only night club events. When there are more than 100 children on board, a HAL Talent Show is offered. (The Loft and Oasis are not available on the Prinsendam. The Oasis is located on the Statendam, Ryndam, Veendam, Rotterdam, Zaandam, Volendam and Amsterdam.)

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

Parents /Guardians should note! that each program features age specific events and children a! re requi red to participate in the program designed for their chronological age. No exceptions will be made.

Daily Programs

Times may vary based on the number of children on board and staffing:

Kids and Tweens

Sea Days: 9:00am – 11:30am, 1:00pm – 4:00pm and 7:00am – 10:00pm

Port Days: 8:00am – 4:00pm and 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Teens

Sea Days: 10:00am – 12:00pm, 2:00pm – 6:00pm and 8:00am – 12:00am

Port Days: 8:00am – 8:00pm (non-hosted) and 8:00pm – 12:00am

 

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. The Culinary Art Center is a place where questions are encouraged and having fun is a must!

HAL Kids C! ulinary 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

Demonstration style and hands-on classes are offered

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 ser! vice is not offered while the ship is in port, although Club H! al 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. Children must be registered and signed into and out of port day programming by a parent or guardian.

 

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 be! ef tacos, grilled cheese, fish and chips or spaghetti.

[Czech Precision Forge]

I noticed one of the posters mentioned that for pre-3 year olds, Celebrity offers "drop off." This is not precisely correct. The main difference between HAL and Celebrity in this respect is that Celebrity policy allows parents/guardians access to toys and play area as long as the parent/guardian is continuously present with the child. Celebrity in our experience limits this to a few hours each morning and may further eliminate or restrict this playtyime according to the number of 3 and older kids and staff/space limits. From the posts here, I assume that HAL does not have a play area suitable for pre-3 year olds or does allow for the same access, which is what the OP would be interested in, in addition to the baby sitting policy.