Club HAL for 3 and 8 year olds? Good choice?

[sprockie]

Hi,

My husband and I have cruised several times with Hal pre-children. Next year, we are planning on taking our kids - likely in Januaryish. We have liked Hal in the past, especially half moon cay and now that it has open dining, all the better. It also may put my kids in the same " age grouping" in Club Hal, which I think would be more enjoyable for both of them. I know other lines cater more to kids, but I don't want to do without the class and space that I have grown to love about Hal. It's also Mom and Dad's vacation and I don't want to be surrounded by hundreds of screaming kids. Would anyone recommend HAL Club, or do you think I should look at another line. All opinions welcomed with thanks.

[kaiiak]

My 12 year old son went to Club HAL last April and really enjoyed it. The counselors were very nice and there were enough activities to keep him entertained. It was a few weeks after the spring break weeks that surround Easter, so there were much fewer children on board - I think around 150ish. I have heard that when school is in session there are VERY FEW children aboard HAL. As you get closer to sailing date you can call HAL and a rep. will tell you exactly how many kids in each age bracket will be sailing. ZYou may find more if you sail right after Xmas as some schools give 3 wk breaks now.

 

I found the HAL board to helpful and not so much before cruising. Lots of information but sometimes seemed they were not very kid friendly. Talk on the board makes it seem more stuffy than it actually was. I saw all walks of life, ages, cultures, etc. on that trip. We LOVED the service and won't hesitate to sail them again.

[ncmomof2]

I'll find out and let you know LOL! ;) I'll be sailing HAL with my then 4.5 and 9.5 year olds in late Feb/Mar 2009. Maybe that's after you're thinking of going, though? It probably would not have been my first choice for the kids, but there were other reasons for the booking. And the itinerary's great! Half Moon Cay, Aruba, Curacao, Panama, and Costa Rica!

[mr. godfredo]

We will be on the Oosterdam in November with my three and five year old sons! I am planning on them spending some time in Club HAL. I will also be glad to report how it was.

[sprockie]

Thanks for your offer to reply. Please do. I am very interested in hearing your input.

I too am leaning toward HAL because of a few very important things to me:

1/ Half moon cay is unbelievable and ideal for little ones

2/ Open seating for dining - ideal for those late naps (for parents and kids)

3/ Kids club that may not have many kids, but that spells more individual attention to me. We don't plan on using the kids club that often anyway. Also, the age groups have a larger span ie 3-7, so I am hoping my freshly turned 8 year old will be able to join her more reserved 3 year old brother.

4/ I like a smaller ship atmosphere

5/ I don't want to be disappointed with another cruiseline after being so pleased with HAL

[Travalerie]

We leave for our Eurodam cruise in a few weeks. I too wanted a nice refined atmosphere since this was my vacation too. I think my kids are well behaved, and we will not allow them to contribute to the chaos of kids on the loose! I have priced a lot of different lines, and really HAL gives you the best rates for the 3rd and 4th person most times. I was surprised. I am more concerned about that because I have a 10 month old that is still nursing, so it makes me cringe to think I would be paying $6-800 for her! So with that said, I will try Club Hal for my 3 year old, turning 4 that week, and report back. I will do a review on the HAL board and I will post something about my opinion on the kids' issues on this board.

[ie-elf]

My family recently has been on two HAL cruises. The kids clubs were all amazing. My siblings and I were each in different groups (me= teen, 9 year old, and 5 year old). We all loved it. The staff and activities are great and age-oriented, the groups are small-ish, the kids were all nice on both trips, and the rooms were awesome.

 

I would recommend HAL a thousand times over!!

[sargenet]

I sailed when my son was 4. Here are the highlights:

 

I loved the anytime dining option. We fed my son around 6:30 each night, then he went to Club Hal from 7-10pm each night. We made sure he had a nap each day and he had a blast. After we dropped him off we took advantage of anytime dining. We were very happy with the arrangement.

 

The cons: The hours. I went round and round with HAL about when the club was open. I even got it in writing so we could make plans on a tour. We were supposed to go parasailing on Half Moon Cay and my son was supposed to be at Club HAL during this time. Well, they did not open Club HAL at all during that day. There were a lot of upset parents since the club was not open till 7pm that night.

 

From what other parents told me that were on the cruise, they were very upset with the hours of operation. They had cruised before with other lines and decided it was not kid friendly... more of an afterthought.

 

That being said, my son did enjoy his time and we really want to sail HAL again. I loved their cabins and the dining arrangement. I just wish their hours were a little more flexible. Their kids club hours are the worst compared to most other lines.

[MamaMicki]

We have taken our kids on Princess and RCL and Carnival. THey are now ages 4 and 6. We are going to take them on HAL in March. I have finally figured out that the kids clubs for us don't really make that much difference. We were about to drop about $6,000 on a Disney cruise and I decided that it wouldn't be worth it for us. On Princess our oldest was to young, but they did provide baby food which was great. RCL was ok, but both of our kids got colds. My oldest seemed to enjoy this kids the best. Carnival wasn't that great. They tried to shove my 3 year old son in a high chair while they were at a kids dinner and didn't realize I was watching. Needless to say they never went back. We pretty much now think of the kids club as a bonus if it's any good. We don't mind having the kids with us. They provide entertainment for us. Plus I bring stuff for them to do in our room. Video games and kids movies galore. I think we pack more toys and stuff than clothes. All I need is some shorts and a bathing suit. We don't go to the main dining room much at all, if ever. You can have dinner delivered to your stateroom on HAL. Take Care.

[sprockie]

That's great. Thanks so much for the info. It was a toss up between Princess and HAL - HAL has the better itinerary for us and the best prices for the 3rd and 4th passenger. I am sure they will enjoy themselves - and us too. It will be a totally different kind of fun with the kids - but just as much, if not more fun in the end. More dining in the Lido, less lounging over cocktails, but watching them play in the sand on the pristine beaches - Priceless.