On our Caribbean cruise, we were able to take advantage of using the kid’s club since Andrew was way beyond needing diapers. Children have to be toilet trained for Holland America to be at the club. This allowed Andrew some time to do activities with other kids and we took some time for ourselves, which we don’t do very often.
The program on Holland America is called Club Hal. He was in the 3-6 kids play section. They provide services for parents up to the age of 17.
How it Went the First Time
David and I had tried to use a kid’s club on a cruise on Carnival when he was three.
We left him with a nice woman who went to comfort him and play with him. That day it was very busy and a bit loud and was a small space. We thought he was OK with it when we left, though. They handed us radios to contact us if we needed to come back.
About 30 minutes later we were called back. He was not enjoying the experience. This was a shorter cruise with only two days of no excursions and this was one of them. We decided that he might not be ready to do this yet.
Holland America Experience
We took Andrew to the kid’s Club HAL on the second day of the cruise in the evening. This allowed him to get used to the ship. He was also a lot older, closer to five now than three.
I went to the kid’s club front desk and filled out paperwork while Andrew and David looked over the facility together.
The women who were in charge were very friendly and one came over and started doing some coloring with him. We slowly left as he became comfortable with the place.
We let them know where we were going on the ship so they could contact us if there was an issue. They will send someone to find you or have you paged on the ship in case of an emergency. Along with our name we left our phone number. They also have you leave a password for picking up the kid.
Before we left, we told them we would come back in an hour and see how he was doing. We did this and he was having no problems and was enjoying himself. They had good staff on the ship.
Service Times on Holland America
The only thing that was a bit complicated was the times of the facility.
It was open from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the morning. In the afternoon the time was from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The evening schedule was from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. We needed to keep an eye on the time during the day.
I assumed these times allowed from breakfast, lunch, and dinner since this was not provided by the kids club.
Although on port days the facility is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the day and lunch service is provided for them from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What Andrew Liked
Andrew enjoyed the low desks and chairs. He did a lot of artwork using markers and crayons. They also did arts and crafts with the kids.
The club had a big-screen television that the kids watched shows on.
The area included a paint bucket play area and a huge tape dispenser serves as a slide for added fun. He also played games and enjoyed the Lego blocks.
One day they took the kids out of the room to a magician performance, which Andrew loved. This was relayed to us when we had dropped him off that night that they were doing this activity and we were right that he would enjoy it.
On the last night of the cruise, they had a pajama night that he had looked forward to and couldn’t wait to do the whole day.
My Take
I am sure Disney Cruises has more activities, but I was happy with the women who provided the service for us. They were friendly and accommodating. When they had gone to the port one day they stopped and said hi to Andrew and he gave them a big hug.
The only issue we had was once we were early and there were no kids there yet. Luckily, parents with kids showed up as we left. Andrew always likes it when there are other kids to play with and socialize. I would rate the experience as excellent.
Unrelated Bonus Activity with the Kid
Andrew liked the towel animals so we learned how they were made on the last night of the trip!
ISLAND HOPPING ON THE CRUISE
