Current State of Club HAL

[cruisegirl06]

We’re cruising in November, and I’d love to hear any recent insights on Club HAL. Specifically I am wondering if there are any Covid restrictions in place (e.g. proud of vaxx, masking, reservations needed?).

 

I am not trying to start a debate here, I just want to know what to expect for our upcoming trip.

 

 Thanks!!!

[iceman93]

On our cruise this summer, Club HAL required masking at all times and did not do meals or snacks like they used to (only water for the kids).  But as far as I know there were no vax requirements beyond the cruise itself, and definitely no reservations required.

[cruisegirl06]

2 hours ago, iceman93 said:

On our cruise this summer, Club HAL required masking at all times and did not do meals or snacks like they used to (only water for the kids).  But as far as I know there were no vax requirements beyond the cruise itself, and definitely no reservations required.

Thanks for sharing! Do you remember -  was masking required on the ship in general at that time or just in Club HAL?

[trixiee]

Interested in club Hal on the Zuiderdam.  Never used it before, but cruising with my grandson…

[iceman93]

29 minutes ago, cruisegirl06 said:

Thanks for sharing! Do you remember -  was masking required on the ship in general at that time or just in Club HAL?

It was indeed required on the ship in general, but even in the lead-up to the cruise (where it was advertised as masking-optional), the Club HAL part of the website stated that masks would be required in there regardless of vaccination status.  I hope that changes soon!

[Shippy]

   It is a new world & we all have to make decisions for ourselves.

    Just off another cruise line last week after a week in the Caribbean. No testing or masks required.

Here I sit after taking my 2nd dose of Paxlovid as I am Covid positive.

  Made me do a lot of thinking...I am old & would I cruise again KNOWING the odds of returning with Covid ?   The answer I came up with is yes.

   I believe Covid is here to stay & I choose to live the rest of my life living it the way I want.

I have been vacced & boosted.    So, I believe my sickness will be less.

Another comforting piece of info came from the doctor.

   I had no symptoms until 3 days after return. I was concerned about my daughter who picked us up from the airport.

He said one of the effects of being fully vaccinated is that the ability to spread it to others is diminished.

   SO....does it really matter to me who is masked anymore ???? 

 no....but that is a personal choice.

 

[PACD_JG]

20 hours ago, cruisegirl06 said:

We’re cruising in November, and I’d love to hear any recent insights on Club HAL. Specifically I am wondering if there are any Covid restrictions in place (e.g. proud of vaxx, masking, reservations needed?).

Iceman proves that Club HAL policies are ship dependent.  You never specified the age of your children, but I can just tell you that my two teens were on the Koningsdam this summer, roundtrip from Vancouver, and masks were not required (my teens just said about 10% of the kids wore them), reservations were not needed (since teens are free to come and go as they please), and only the virtue signalers would be "proud" of being vaxxed.  If you're asking about proof of vax....depends on your ship and itinerary. 

Check here:  https://book2.hollandamerica.com/protocols/

 

If vaccinations are not required for your trip, then you better assume there will be unvaxxed kids in Club HAL.

[Cruise tech]

For Club Hal currently, masks not required for kids. If there is a low kid count they may run via sign ups. You would receive a letter in your cabin if signing up is needed. 

[iceman93]

That's great news, @Cruise tech!  Is that fleetwide, or are you reporting on a single ship?

[cruisemom42]

On 9/25/2022 at 9:58 AM, Shippy said:

He said one of the effects of being fully vaccinated is that the ability to spread it to others is diminished.

 

Which is why it makes no sense to me to remove the vaccination requirements for cruising at this time. It benefits everyone if everyone is vaccinated.

 

• Those not vaxxed are more likely to develop COVID if exposed, and more likely to have a more severe case. 
• With an unvaccinated population more likely become COVID positive, the exposure levels increase for those vaccinated as well -- and even if not terribly sick they could test positive and be quarantined, asked to leave the ship, required to complete a quarantine period on land, etc. 
• And for the ship, certainly better to keep the total COVID-positive population low to avoid triggering reports to ports of call health authority and/or re-instituting measures like mid-cruise testing or mandatory masks....

 

[cruisegirl06]

Thanks to everyone for the insights! Our kids are 5, 8 and 11 - it’s good to know current status, and we’ll obviously keep an eye on the boards/emails from HAL so we can plan/prep them accordingly. 
 

Glad to hear it’s somewhat “normal” in the club. We cancelled a cruise last year (on a different line) and went with a land-based vacation because we didn’t want to deal with all the restrictions while on vacation. We are excited to get back to cruising!!

[Cruise tech]

On 9/26/2022 at 3:55 PM, iceman93 said:

That's great news, @Cruise tech!  Is that fleetwide, or are you reporting on a single ship?

To my understanding fleet wide.