Families Going to "Fill in the Blank" this "Fill in the Blank" Vacation

Hi, all!

Having ferreted out that The Oasis is gone (do you here my 16 year old girlie howling in the background?), I thought it might be nice to start a thread for us first time, family HALers or cruisers (like us).

I am sure you can find some of this info out there somewhere, but I swan I could not find a source with current info.

We are first-time cruisers, traveling with my parents. To sum us up: We have never had any desire to wait 3 hours in line to meet Snow White.

I'll start with some possibly stupid questions:

Are basketballs provided for the basketball court? What about tennis rackets and balls?

Can kids hang out at the bars? Allowed to dance? I know they have specific teen activities, but what if, Heaven give us grace! they want to hang with their parents and party like it's 1999?

Any pool tables (billiards) on board? Foosball? Air hockey? I know I have seen pictures of ping-pong on our ship, the Zaandam.

We are going on a multi-generational trip. How easy is it for us to leave the ship early and then return and get my parents off the ship for a later afternoon excursion?

On a scale of 1-10, how likely is it people get irritated when (not if) my kids get rowdy in the pool?

Are very nice, golf, preppy shorts acceptable for Gala Nights for teens (boys!) if they wear button down shirts? Will my daughter and I look completely ridiculous in ball gowns we want to get from Rent the Runway?

Since I have never been on Holland America....I'm going to wait and let the HAL cruisers weigh in on your questions. I'm pretty sure you will find them very informative. :))

I've never seen a pool/foosball/air hockey table. Plenty of ping pong tables.

If you don't have to tender to/from the port, you will be able to get on/off ship easily in middle of day. If tender, there are typically lines and the tender take quite a while to load and unload.

People will most likely get irritated by any rowdiness in the pool (or other) area. It's usually pretty quiet around the Lido pool. You will probably get some "evil eye" but I don't know if anyone will actually yell at them.

Shorts are not allowed in the MDR for dinner, regardless of the Gala or "regular" dining. Long pants are required. I suggest they wear jeans on non-Gala night instead. On Gala nights, Docker pants with button down shirt is acceptable (doesn't need to be long sleeve),

I saw plenty of very nice cocktail dresses on my last cruise, and maybe 1 or 2 long dresses. If you are doing a puffy ball gown, then perhaps you will look a bit out of place. But I'm sure the dresses will be beautiful. If you want to wear them, go ahead, but you will likely be in the minority.

I have seen basketballs and soccer balls in use but never tennis rackets or pickle ball.

Kids can hang out in the bars but not the Casino.

Dancing is mostly only in the BB King Blues club now. Band sets up to 10:30ish some later and after that, on off nights and in between sets they will play canned dance music (not ballroom).

No billiard tables. Foosball and air hockey on some ships. Definitely ping pong (table tennis) and shuffleboard.

Very easy to get off ship for a morning escape and then go back out in the afternoon.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being irritated to the point of laser beam eyes of death, in the mid ship pool 5 since there are no restrictions on youth vs adults. At the aft pool, adults only posted, then it would be a 10.

My opinion, but any shorts, no matter how preppy on Gala Nights, would be unacceptable in the MDR. The Lido buffet is an option and they mostly serve the same food there as in the MDR, even lobster.

Ball gowns, go for it. There will be a spectrum on Gala Nights of states of dress from tuxes (10%) to dark suits and ties (40%) to dress shirt and tie (40%) to golf shirts (10%). Commensurate state of dress for the ladies.

Thank you both for the very informative replies!

Living in Austin has made me somewhat fashion-deaf. OF COURSE shorts wouldn't be allowed.

I plan on laser-beaming them myself for rough-housing. All in all, they are AMAZING kids, very polite, very respectful, but... 2 teen brothers?!? It will get splashy.

I am most concerned for my mother. She has ALWAYS been "indoorsy." Now she has early Alzheimer's. This trip is a way for my dad to have a terrific, adventurous, and active Alaskan vacay- which he couldn't really enjoy if just with my mom. I want to balance active excursions but still go back and get my mom for walk-arounds ports.

My daughter and I will go full-tilt Cinderella and make everyone jelly.

You may not have gleaned this already, but I am a bit of a planner... :')

I have heard the best time to book the Pinnacle is the first night aboard? Good for tired families?

Have any experienced cooks tried the new cooking programs? Would teens like it?

Some people say you can call HAL and get a count of other kids/tweens/teens. Any luck with that?

About 18 months ago I did a cooking class with my mother-in-law. They are hard to get into but it was fun. The cooking demos are fun too.

We have cruised 3 generations numerous times and Alaska was one of them. Thankfully our boys have been game to do dining room dinners with their grandparents and that is always an enjoyable part of their day. Up until 11 (I think), under 18 can be in the bars/entertainment venues. If you are with them, they may be allowed to stay longer.

We have found that cruising is a good way to spend some great quality time as a family. Enjoy your time together . .

And yes, we made our boys do button downs and khakis in the dining room. The Pinnacle has been a family favorite.

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Shorts are never allowed in the MDR.

We did the Culinary Arts Center on Koningsdam in March. Fun and interesting. Hope to do it again in the future.

Yes, basketballs are provided.

I can't remember the last ship (in 19 cruises) that a ping pong table didn't exist.

Getting rowdy in the pool....I would say low level rowdiness is ok, but I wouldn't want to get a rep for being rowdy regularly.

With the exception of the Crows Nest, have rarely seen kids in the bar areas.

Yes, that would get a ten in the adult pool.

Make the PG reservations asap, most cruises the PG is completely booked.

Can kids hang out at the bars? Allowed to dance? I know they have specific teen activities, but what if, Heaven give us grace! they want to hang with their parents and party like it's 1999? -- I know there is a time cut-off for the under 18's being allowed in bars. I have seen minors escorted out of the bars if they were there after the curfew. Also, minors are not allowed AT the bar, but they are allowed at the tables in the bar area.

On a scale of 1-10, how likely is it people get irritated when (not if) my kids get rowdy in the pool? -- Personally I have a zero-tolerance for rowdiness, in children or adults. Please tell your children that this is a public pool, not their private backyard. Part of growing up is learning how to behave in public and around other people. Rowdiness is not necessary, and can be quite dangerous, in the pool, particularly if other people are using the pool at the same time. I would not hesitate to complain about anyone who was rowdy in the pool.

Will my daughter and I look completely ridiculous in ball gowns we want to get from Rent the Runway? -- Not at all. I have seen a good number of people in fancy ball gowns on Gala Nights. I've decided to give up formal wear, but that's because I do not want to have to sacrifice suitcase space for the formal wear. But there are still a number of women who go all out on Gala Night, particularly those who are having portraits done by the ship photographers. Go ahead and do your cruise your way as far as Gala Nights are concerned.

Hi, all! HELLO!

Are basketballs provided for the basketball court? YES

What about tennis rackets and balls? PROBABLY

Can kids hang out at the bars? YES, though not belly up, just at the tables, my 4.5 year old loved the virgin daiquiri! (unsure about curfew - we retire prior to any probable curfew time.)

Allowed to dance? YES (They had dance classes in the Crows nest in 2012) they want anyone dancing so that everyone isn't looking around wondering why no one is dancing.

I know they have specific teen activities, but what if, Heaven give us grace! they want to hang with their parents and party like it's 1999? No problems, unless the area is designated adults only. Even then I had my 4.5 year old with me on occasion.

Any pool tables (billiards) on board? Foosball? Air hockey? I know I have seen pictures of ping-pong on our ship, the Zaandam. Don't recall seeing them.

We are going on a multi-generational trip. How easy is it for us to leave the ship early and then return and get my parents off the ship for a later afternoon excursion? Unless you tender, then YES!

On a scale of 1-10, how likely is it people get irritated when (not if) my kids get rowdy in the pool? TEN+ (You are in public, not in the teen zone...) I saw more take a dip in the pool then scamper back to the hot tub while on our AK cruise.

Are very nice, golf, preppy shorts acceptable for Gala Nights for teens (boys!) if they wear button down shirts? Doubt it, but nice navy dockers/chinos are probably ok.

Will my daughter and I look completely ridiculous in ball gowns we want to get from Rent the Runway? GO FOR IT! I saw the gamut. It is your vacation if you want to get all dolled up then got for it.

While discussing attire for the Gala Nights, don't forget to pack layers, including hats, gloves, scarves, hoodies, etc. It will be a lot colder that Austin, Texas! (When the ship is moving the breeze is chilly IMHO & when you are near the glaciers it is very cold, again IMHO. Since you are not from a cold climate...)

Just an FYI, HAL has a parental "contract" that you will be given to sign. It will outline all the no-nos and notify the parent that they will be responsible for any infractions by their children.

deleted. sorry

I will try to reply to questions not answered, or from a family perspective.

We have had our two children in the bars for happy hour many times. They can not sit at the bar but neither do I.

Our two love Club Hal and the Loft so we never saw them during opening times. The Loft, for 13-17 year olds has no closing time. There are computers up there with the games they will like. Everyday they are allowed exclusive use of the sports desk. But they can sign out the balls/rackets any time. There is usually a make your own breakfast in the culinary arts centre once each cruise for the enrolled in the children's programs.

Children are allowed to dance but the pool it highly dependent on the people onboard. The sea view pool sometimes is for 16+ unless supervised...sometimes one "adult" complains then nobody under 16 is allowed. The Lido pool is for everyone. On our last cruise through the Panama Canal we had a few bad experiences of our two being very respectful and staying in the deep end so as not to upset the "senior adults" who were standing and talking. It was like clockwork every time our two got in a few would decide to swim laps and swim right at them and then scowl. The pool would be empty, our two would get in and 10 minutes later the pool was over capacity. But that was their problem, not my two who just wanted to be in the pool that they are allowed in. I brought a float ring and a few water balls. One day the whole pool made up a ball game with our two and the adults were the rowdy ones. I got many thanks for bringing the balls (and the kids) and comments like it was the most fun they had on a cruise in years.

So you never know. Running is not allowed but children are!

The Pinnacle Grill is also open for lunch. It is less expensive and they make an awesome burger!

Every bar makes slushy drinks. I pre purchase each child a $50 drink card which is good for all nonalcoholic drinks.

If the kids do not want to change for dinner then the same food is available through room service or in the Lido.

My best tip: get a family portrait taken on gala nights. Photographers will be in multiple locations each with a different colour background. The portrait makes the best momento of your trip.

Most questions fully (and courteously) answered - I am curious if anyone has ever seen (or heard about) a billiard table on any ship. The thing would have to be mounted on sensitive gymbals to make any serious play possible - and they would destabilize the table as soon as it was touched.

Most questions fully (and courteously) answered - I am curious if anyone has ever seen (or heard about) a billiard table on any ship. The thing would have to be mounted on sensitive gymbals to make any serious play possible - and they would destabilize the table as soon as it was touched.

Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas Deck 6, "The Games Reserves".

I'm sure other ships have pool tables also.

If you google pool tables on cruise ships, you will see photos and videos....quite interesting.

I kinda thought there for a minute a was a complete idiot (of COURSE pool tables on a SHIP would be stupid). But if there are some on other lines...? Weird.

I do appreciate all these responses! They have been amazing! I love the idea of a couple of inflatable beach balls. The irony of some of these comments: my kids will prefer the hot tubs, but I thought steering them to the pools would make older folks happier. Maybe not! They are truly great kids. My parents (seasoned world-travelers; usually do the very small river cruises through universities; this will be BY FAR their largest ship) would not be travelling with them if they weren't.

$50 cards sound like a must.

I was totally joking about my kids in the casino. They would be 100% turned off by *any* cigarette smoke.

Family photograph! YES! We have never done that professionally- weird, right?!

Question: is there a minimum age for the Fitness Room? My 15 year old son (if the sun's out, the guns are out!) will want to visit

Bon voyage to my mom and dad, who flying out today, embarking on Saturday

https://www.gct.com/trips/small-ship-cruise-tours/europe/iberian-voyage-libson-to-barcelona/2017?icid=ourfleet:corinthian:clb2017

Question: is there a minimum age for the Fitness Room? My 15 year old son (if the sun's out, the guns are out!) will want to visit

16. No exceptions due to liability coverage.

It's a shame the aft pool is Adult only. A few years ago my DH and I did an Alaska cruise and both pools were open (no retractable cover). No one was ever in the pools and I decided to check the water temperature and low and behold they were nice and warm. We went swimming several times and got the strangest looks from other cruisers. That trip was 11 days and there was only 1 other couple that joined us in the pool. Otherwise we had either pool all to ourselves.

So it stands to reason, that the aft pool on your ship, which is not covered, will probably be unused by hardly anyone. I would think the Lido pool would get used some, but nothing like a Caribbean cruise. I would check with someone once on board to see if they could use the aft pool.

I wish I was going on this cruise with you....you sound like such a fun family!

However, I am curious how you came to pick this cruise and maybe not one of the other lines that would have much more in terms of amenities for teens and families? I have never been on HAL and am trying to decide if it would be a good fit for me and my husband.

My boys truly enjoy HAL. I'm trying to think what our first one was and I think it was Alaska. I think they were 11, 14 and 17. Their biggest gripe was we didn't pay for the expensive excursions. Instead, we rented a van in several places and did our own tours. The youth programs were good and they enjoyed the music. We did a Carnival cruise with our then 16 and 22 year old and then have made it clear that was not the line for them.

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16. No exceptions due to liability coverage.

'

We experienced this on a cruise with our friends last year. Their 15 year old thought he could pass for 16 and went to the fitness center. He didn't realize that they have easy access to his age and politely asked him to come back on a future cruise when he was 16. It was due to the liability coverage.

Most questions fully (and courteously) answered - I am curious if anyone has ever seen (or heard about) a billiard table on any ship. The thing would have to be mounted on sensitive gymbals to make any serious play possible - and they would destabilize the table as soon as it was touched.

Yes...on RCCL either Brilliance of the Seas or Radiance of the Seas there was a self leveling pool table.

I confuse the two ships because we did quick cruises on each and it's a blur right now, but if I can find my pics I will post one.

I don't known how recent a development the parental contract for supervision of minors is that I mentioned in a previous post; a copy was in the bound information about the cruise in our cabin on our January 2017 cruise. The captain also made a statement about the parental contract during the all ship announcements on embarkation day. He stated that all passengers with minor children had received a copy in their cabin and it needed to be signed, dated and turned into Guest Services.

Hopefully, the OP's "fun loving" teens won't try to push too many of the age limits for various venues or otherwise push the requirements for behavior and supervision in the contract.