Anyone here with younger kids on HAL?

[exm]

Long time Diamond RC cruiser here. We are planning our first HAL cruise next year because of the itinerary and the port (on the Rotterdam). We have 3 younger kids aged 7-12. I know the ship doesn’t have slides, but how’s the kids club?

 

Also, I believe shorts are not allowed during dinner in the MDR. Is this also true for kids? Not passing judgment, just asking questions.

 

Thanks!

[iceman93]

The kids' club is great, at least my two girls have thought so.  Our youngest (9) just told me last week she's glad our next cruise is on HAL because she likes it better than Disney (and no one was more shocked by that pronouncement than I was).

 

The MDR dress code on HAL has become very lax.  We personally follow the guidelines and consider them to apply to all passengers no matter the age.  But I'd be surprised if you would be turned away if your kids wore shorts.

[tunafish]

My six year old is 3 star mariner already and we love HAL. We sailed RCI and it has its attractions for kids but I do believe Club HAL is actually better. Usually less kids and more personal attention. Last cruise to Europe we had only two kids in the club and it was fun for her. My DD loves to dress for dinner so I have a problem how to pack less of her dresses. not the opposite. We also always used MDR to teach kids manners, patience and respect of others during dinner.

[ski ww]

Our 8 year old great granddaughter loved club HAL. She also loved to dress up for dinner in the MDR

[trixiee]

Does anyone know where I can find the hours of operation for Club Hal?  I'm taking my 10 yo grandson on a New Year's cruise, and would like to know if/when I could book a spa treatment or go to the gym...

[LMaxwell]

13 hours ago, exm said:

Long time Diamond RC cruiser here. We are planning our first HAL cruise next year because of the itinerary and the port (on the Rotterdam). We have 3 younger kids aged 7-12. I know the ship doesn’t have slides, but how’s the kids club?

 

Also, I believe shorts are not allowed during dinner in the MDR. Is this also true for kids? Not passing judgment, just asking questions.

 

Thanks!

 

Long time Diamond RC cruiser also.  Just took first HAL cruise w an 8 year old.  Kids club was good; enough activities to keep busy for 2-3 hours at a time, but not overcrowded.  Sign in/sign out was super easy. 

 

No slides as you mentioned, but the main pools are very large and deep, so kids can actually swim around and have some space. 

 

There is an extensive list of free, on demand movies in the cabin too that was good to unwind at night. The movie picks back up where you last turned it off.  

 

The under the sea/treasure hunter show in the main theater was a big hit for kids too and about 45 minutes during the daytime. 

 

 My son wore shorts. I wore shorts. Lots of grown women and men wore shorts in the MDR. No one onboard cares - I promise.  I didn't think the MDR experience was any different than Royal Caribbean which is to say...it's okay, it's not fine dining, it's not exceptional service, and truly the staff are just glad you arrived and don't care what you wear.  

[LMaxwell]

1 hour ago, trixiee said:

Does anyone know where I can find the hours of operation for Club Hal?  I'm taking my 10 yo grandson on a New Year's cruise, and would like to know if/when I could book a spa treatment or go to the gym...

Typically they are in 2 or 3, three hour blocks per day.  I think sea days were like 9am-noon, 1pm-4pm, and 7pm-10pm.  Port days just did not have the morning block of time. 

[vicd1969]

Seeing that your upcoming trip on the Rotterdam is to Northern Europe, chances are your kids will be bringing sweatpants or long pants since it can get cold in the ports. So may actually be easier for them to wear long pants without having to change for dinner. 

 

I was able to do an open house of the kid's club on the Nieuw Statendam. I would imagine the Rotterdam would have the same layout.  They have a PS5! and a bunch of other video game stations, and a couple each of air hockey tables and foosball tables. The area isn't walled off by age group but it seems to be able to accommodate about 20 kids easily. Smaller kids may have separation anxiety from their parents but if yours are fine without their parents, it's not a bad place for them to hang out.

[exm]

Thanks all!

[trixiee]

3 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Typically they are in 2 or 3, three hour blocks per day.  I think sea days were like 9am-noon, 1pm-4pm, and 7pm-10pm.  Port days just did not have the morning block of time. 

thank you!

[LMaxwell]

Enjoy; you may discover that "less is more".  I don't miss all those times I stood in 20+ minute lines on Freedom of the Seas at kids camp.  

[weacat]

We were on the NA about 2 weeks ago with our 9 year old.  There were about 10 kids about that age and got along really well.  Club HAL hours were 10a-12p, 1p-4p, and 7p-10p.  Most of the kids would go to the main pool during the afternoon and play/swim together.  The staff was great and they had a great time.

 

We brought appropriate clothing for the dining room and only ate there twice with DD since the dinners were so long and would "drag" into her Club HAL time in the evenings.  Instead, we would go to the Lido early with her for her dinner, drop her off at Club HAL, and then we could go to the dining rooms for the longer dinner.

[exm]

Thanks all, I booked the cruise. First time on HAL.

[cruisegirl06]

Club HAL was not up to usual par this past week on Koningsdam. It was thanksgiving week so there were 400+ kids, but they were only allowing ten 3-6 year olds And twenty 7-12s in at a time.  It was sign up only.

 

Despite it being “very busy” they frequently combined the 3-6 and 7-12s in one room, and never seemed to be doing the prescribed activity (e.g. pirate night, under the sea night, etc.) 

 

Our 5 YO is super relaxed and loved it, but my 8 and 11 YO refused to go back after the first night claiming they “weren’t allowed to do anything” (more there is frequently tween attitude with these 2, so I’m curious what actual restrictions were…) 

 

Staff seemed friendly and like they were trying to do their best with the situation, but compared to what we’ve seen at other kids clubs it left a lot to be desired.

 

Also of note, there were never any movies rated less than pg-13 on movies by the pool (a family-friendly matinee at some point would have been nice), it was hard to get kids menus in the dining room and there were never crayons available in the dining room. None of these were a huge deal, but they would have been easy kid-friendly concessions to make…

[iceman93]

That's disappointing to hear, @cruisegirl06.  It's not like they didn't know how many kids were going to be on board!  If they're still using the "COVID has made staffing hard" excuse, then what about the kid's menus and crayons in the dining room?  Supply chain?  🤣

[adoris]

22 minutes ago, cruisegirl06 said:

Club HAL was not up to usual par this past week on Koningsdam. It was thanksgiving week so there were 400+ kids, but they were only allowing ten 3-6 year olds And twenty 7-12s in at a time.  It was sign up only.

 

Despite it being “very busy” they frequently combined the 3-6 and 7-12s in one room, and never seemed to be doing the prescribed activity (e.g. pirate night, under the sea night, etc.) 

 

Our 5 YO is super relaxed and loved it, but my 8 and 11 YO refused to go back after the first night claiming they “weren’t allowed to do anything” (more there is frequently tween attitude with these 2, so I’m curious what actual restrictions were…) 

 

Staff seemed friendly and like they were trying to do their best with the situation, but compared to what we’ve seen at other kids clubs it left a lot to be desired.

 

Also of note, there were never any movies rated less than pg-13 on movies by the pool (a family-friendly matinee at some point would have been nice), it was hard to get kids menus in the dining room and there were never crayons available in the dining room. None of these were a huge deal, but they would have been easy kid-friendly concessions to make…

 

[adoris]

I was on the same cruise.  I know a lot of people won’t agree but……From my point of view the number of children on board was way too high and a big part of the problem was lack of supervisor by the parents.  The kids were running crazy, climbing under and running around the tables in the dining room.  On sea days both pools were packed with kids jumping and splashing….on that point maybe HAL should have one pool designated as adult only.  My solution, for myself,…….look at the calendar and don’t book a HAL cruise during Thanksgiving week.

[exm]

2 hours ago, adoris said:

I was on the same cruise.  I know a lot of people won’t agree but……From my point of view the number of children on board was way too high and a big part of the problem was lack of supervisor by the parents.  The kids were running crazy, climbing under and running around the tables in the dining room.  On sea days both pools were packed with kids jumping and splashing….on that point maybe HAL should have one pool designated as adult only.  My solution, for myself,…….look at the calendar and don’t book a HAL cruise during Thanksgiving week.

 

What does that have to do with the kids club?

[0106]

2 hours ago, adoris said:

that point maybe HAL should have one pool designated as adult only

The Seaview Pool is supposed to be adults only.  Now you if they would only enforce the rules they publish.  From the HAL website Guests must be 18 or older to use our SeaView Pool and 16 or older to use the fitness center, hot tubs and steam rooms. 

[iceman93]

41 minutes ago, exm said:

What does that have to do with the kids club?

While nothing excuses lack of proper parenting, if Club HAL was able to absorb more of the children on board then there would likely have been fewer of them out and about the ship.

[rodndonna]

8 minutes ago, 0106 said:

The Seaview Pool is supposed to be adults only.  Now you if they would only enforce the rules they publish.  From the HAL website Guests must be 18 or older to use our SeaView Pool and 16 or older to use the fitness center, hot tubs and steam rooms. 

 

It is sad that HAL is faced with having to be the parent to the parents who allow their kids to use the adult only areas. 

 

Hopefully it was an anomaly for the holiday week having more kids on board, and it won't be an issue next week (on our cruise). At least we are sort of braced for it now anyway ...😑

 

[cruisegirl06]

7 hours ago, adoris said:

I was on the same cruise.  I know a lot of people won’t agree but……From my point of view the number of children on board was way too high and a big part of the problem was lack of supervisor by the parents.  The kids were running crazy, climbing under and running around the tables in the dining room.  On sea days both pools were packed with kids jumping and splashing….on that point maybe HAL should have one pool designated as adult only.  My solution, for myself,…….look at the calendar and don’t book a HAL cruise during Thanksgiving week.

HAL knows how many kids are booked on a given sailing. They could have put a cap on it. The fact that they didn’t and did not plan accordingly are what bothers me.  (For what it’s worth, my 2 kids who refused to go to kids club were not running amok unsupervised)
 

If Club HAL had been able to accommodate more kids and/or if more family friendly activities were available it may have been less of an issue. I have no idea why they couldn’t have played a family-friendly movie on the pool screen one day?

 

We have sailed multiple times on school holiday weeks on various lines, so we understand there will be more kids and that they may not be able to fully accommodate everyone all the time, but this seemed excessive. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by cruisegirl06

[dwc13]

Many HAL regulars are able to schedule around school breaks and/or opt for longer cruises, thereby reducing the likelihood of large numbers of children aboard. In the end, that might be the best solution for all parties. That being said, proper parenting starts and ends at home. It is unfortunate HAL crew are, at times, put in a position where they have to act as surrogate parents. Most have other responsibilities that take priority over babysitting. Perhaps HAL should show Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the first night when there are a lot of children aboard and then have someone make a dramatic appearance dressed as the child catcher. Just kidding. A flying car might have been helpful, though.

 

Expanding Club HAL probably isn't a realistic option. Such an undertaking could require capital investment and downtime in a drydock, the last things HAL wants after resuming sailings. More importantly, HAL's primary customer base is an older demographic, so the company's focus and efforts should be directed accordingly.

 

From a financial standpoint, HAL -- and probably every other cruise line -- needs to sail at or very near capacity. CCL is in survival mode. Occasionally, that might mean booking significantly more parties with children to sell room inventory for a cruise. Revenue is almost always king at publicly-traded companies, but one that has high debt/fixed costs (such as CCL) is under even greater pressure to generate sales. Kids sail free is an easy way to market to the parents and increases potential on-ship revenue. 

 

 

 

[ScottishMaid]

On 11/27/2022 at 8:15 AM, cruisegirl06 said:

Club HAL was not up to usual par this past week on Koningsdam. It was thanksgiving week so there were 400+ kids, but they were only allowing ten 3-6 year olds And twenty 7-12s in at a time.  It was sign up only.

 

Please can you give as much information as possible about sign up. Is it embarkation day for the week? or on embarkation day for certain sessions? or? Our grandson is 5 and looking forward to Club HAL.

 

We are on the Koningsdam for the 17-22 December cruise and it has been booked out for weeks. Kids cruise free and it is school vacation for most. The cheapest fare of $299 per adult totals to $1098 for a family of 4 for 5 days, including port taxes, and for a while there was a private fare of $209 making a total of $918.

[exm]

7 hours ago, dwc13 said:

Many HAL regulars are able to schedule around school breaks and/or opt for longer cruises, thereby reducing the likelihood of large numbers of children aboard. In the end, that might be the best solution for all parties. That being said, proper parenting starts and ends at home. It is unfortunate HAL crew are, at times, put in a position where they have to act as surrogate parents. Most have other responsibilities that take priority over babysitting. Perhaps HAL should show Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the first night when there are a lot of children aboard and then have someone make a dramatic appearance dressed as the child catcher. Just kidding. A flying car might have been helpful, though.

 

Expanding Club HAL probably isn't a realistic option. Such an undertaking could require capital investment and downtime in a drydock, the last things HAL wants after resuming sailings. More importantly, HAL's primary customer base is an older demographic, so the company's focus and efforts should be directed accordingly.

 

From a financial standpoint, HAL -- and probably every other cruise line -- needs to sail at or very near capacity. CCL is in survival mode. Occasionally, that might mean booking significantly more parties with children to sell room inventory for a cruise. Revenue is almost always king at publicly-traded companies, but one that has high debt/fixed costs (such as CCL) is under even greater pressure to generate sales. Kids sail free is an easy way to market to the parents and increases potential on-ship revenue. 

 

 

 

 

People with children love to cruise like me & my family: my kids are well behaved but they are still kids. If you want a child-free experience, travel on a cruise line that doesn't allows children. To say that the HAL crew at times re "surrogate parents" is preposterous: most parents just want a break from raising children and booking a cruise is a great option.  For me, getting my kids into a "kids club" and being able to spend with my DH is priceless. You mentioned that HAL's base is for an older demographic but then you mentioned that revenue is important. What do you want? Adults only with the chance that HAL (and maybe the parent company) goes bankrupt, or accept the fact that raising children and vacationing with them is actually okay?

 

I guess I should cancel my HAL cruise? Another notch onto bankruptcy though. Pick your poison.