Availability of Club HAL on Volendam

[Light15]

We are considering to go on 10-DAY PANAMA CANAL SUNFARER Sat Dec 17 - Tue Dec 27, 2022 on Volendam. We have kids 8 and 10 years old. They would have loved to do kids activities while we cruise. We read about Club HAL. Our booking it is not clear if this will be offered on Volendam and if it complimentary or we have to pay extra.
Would love to know from someone clarify this for us. Thanks.

[Mary229]

According to the Club HAL page it is not

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/onboard-activities/cruise-activities/club-hal.html

[Light15]

Thanks Mary299 for you reply.  You are right. I read your link and it sound like it is not offered on Volendam. To confuse us other sources tell different info. So my husband called HAL and after VERY LONG conversation (mostly representative was looking for an answer) he was told that they do have Club HAL. 
Then I looked at ships deck map and it shows area for Club HAL on sports deck. 
I hope somebody can share recent experience with Club HAL on Volendam.
 

[SK.Aussie]

I'd like to know, too!

Thank you for posting!

We're going early May 2023 and my 11 yr old would like to try Club HAL.

[Torquer]

It has been a few years since our sons were young enough for this (but they still cruise with us as adults)...I don't know for sure the answers to your question but let me give you a few thoughts.

 

First, reading that webpage it appears they changed the name of it from "Club HAL" to "Kids Club".  I know there is an area of each ship, including Volendam, for this.  Now we found in the past it has been hit-or-miss whether this is active for any particular cruise.  It was generally open for all cruises during summer in the northern hemisphere and for school holiday weeks around Christmas and spring break, when there were enough kids on board for it to make sense for HAL to run the program.  Other times of the year, not as much.  Now the time you mention is around Christmas, so I would expect it to be open on most ships.  On the other hand, nowadays Volendam tends to take longer cruises to more exotic destinations where there would be fewer children.  Although the cruise you mention is not really one of those, perhaps HAL decided just not to staff this area on some ships like Volendam, so there are no staff onboard for a cruise where it might be appropriate.  If I were you, I would not depend on it to be open, and if it is, treat it as a pleasant bonus.  Perhaps someone who has been on Volendam recently with kids can answer definitively.

[idalia]

According to this recently updated 'Our Ship at a Glance', Kids Club is available on all ships.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/ships/at-a-glance/hal-ships-at-a-glance-04-03-2023.pdf

 

The legend/fine print says:

 

Kids Club is not offered on cruises of 25-days or longer, including
all Legendary and Grand Voyages. We will offer a selection of
children’s activities throughout these longer voyages for any
children who may be onboard