Holland America Cruise Line
300 Elliot Ave W.
Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 800-426-0327 Website:www.hollandamerica.com
OVERVIEW: Holland America offers an upscale cruise experience on understated ships with a Dutch heritage. The clientele tends toward older, more conservative passengers. One gets the impression that children are tolerated because grandparents bring them on board, although the addition of active shore tours in the Caribbean and the Just-for-Kids shore tours in Alaska attract families.
DESTINATIONS: Alaska, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, New England, Panama Canal
KIDS/FAMILY PROGRAMS: Holland America's youth program, Club HAL offers intermittent activities throughout the day for ages 5 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 to 17 on all ships year-round. However, because enrollment in the program is often small, the age groups are often merged. Fact Sheet: Family Facts
Club HAL generally has one activity in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one or two in the evening. This is not a program where parents drop off children for blocks of time. Children may have a ping pong tournament from 10-11am, arts and crafts from 2-3pm and an ice cream party from 8-8:30pm.
For kids who are looking for lots of activities and friends on-board, and for adults who want blocks of kid-less time to lounge on deck, we don't recommend this cruise line.
TEENS: For teens (ages 13 to 17), Holland America offers a teen disco, arcade games, movies, videos and sports tournaments. Activities take place in public rooms or in special children's facilities on the line's newer ships.
NUMBER OF YOUTH COUNSELORS: Each ship is staffed with at least one full-time Club HAL youth director year-round, with additional staff assigned if the number of children warrants it.
HOURS OF OPERATION: Club HAL generally has one activity in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one or two in the evening.
For more information about Holland America cruises, give them a call at: 800-426-0327 or visit them online at:www.hollandamerica.com.
