kids at Christmas?

[windrose]

I really want to book a ten day Christmas/New Years Eve crusie for next year but one concern keeps popping into my mind and keeping me from doing it.

 

One of the things I love about HAL is that they don't really cater to families with kids. I have been a little concernec about the SOE improvements adding more kid friendly features, but overall I haven't noticed that it has made much difference in the number of kids on board. I guess time will tell on that one.

 

I am wondering if there are a lot of kids on a Christmas/New Year's cruise. We recently got off a 16 day Hal cruise and it was almost completley kid free - according to the staff there were only five children on board. It was absolutely heaven - (with the exception of the one wretched woman who kept putting her diapered baby in the pool).

 

Any experience with a Christmas cruise and lots of kids? Or is it still the same wonderful HAL as it is at all other times of the year?

[JimVrhovac]

Have never cruised on the holiday week but cruise every year in December (early and mid month).

 

The HAL programs eat up a lot of the childrens time and have really never had a problem with any of them. Maybe we have been fortunate and only run into well behaved kids and parents that take the time to disipline their kids.

 

Try not to anticipate negative notions about a cruise before you go. If you think about problems they may come true...

 

Jim & Ruth

[arzz]

I have done many Christmas cruises on Holland America as well as other lines. We have not been on a Vista class ship at Christmas. Since these ships seem to be more mass market, and more aimed at the younger cruiser I could not make a prediction as to their "kid complement" at Christmas -- in June they were very present on the Zuiderdam.

 

I have been on the Zaandam and the Statendam at Christmas and yes there are kids on board but they have been well behaved and well entertained on the cruises I have been on. Not a real issue. Same goes for the two spring break cruises we have done on the Zaandam. The demographic that is most notable on Christmas cruises are large extended families --- from the almost too old to travel to the youngest of the young. In general the family groups take care of each other and though children are present they are not a nuisance. All seem to have a great time. Christmas is a wonderful time to cruise and really, would it be right, if there were no kids on board at all at that time of year?

[RuthC]

A 10-day cruise on a non-Vista class ship will have more children over Christmas than the same cruise a week or two later, but will have fewer chilren than a 7-day or Vista-class ship will have.

Over Christmas, Easter, and Spring break, or summer there's just no way to avoid the little darlins entirely on HAL or any other family line.

[Linda&Vern]

I really want to book a ten day Christmas/New Years Eve crusie for next year but one concern keeps popping into my mind and keeping me from doing it.

 

One of the things I love about HAL is that they don't really cater to families with kids. I have been a little concernec about the SOE improvements adding more kid friendly features, but overall I haven't noticed that it has made much difference in the number of kids on board. I guess time will tell on that one.

 

I am wondering if there are a lot of kids on a Christmas/New Year's cruise. We recently got off a 16 day Hal cruise and it was almost completley kid free - according to the staff there were only five children on board. It was absolutely heaven - (with the exception of the one wretched woman who kept putting her diapered baby in the pool).

 

Any experience with a Christmas cruise and lots of kids? Or is it still the same wonderful HAL as it is at all other times of the year?

We cruised Maasdam 11-day Southern Caribbean in December 2004 over Christmas/New Year's. My fear of a ship over-run with kids was unfounded. Yes, there were children of all ages ... but not near the number I anticipated. No problems at all. (fyi: We love kids, but had to be away from ours for the first time, so didn't want to spend the Holidays with someone else's children.) I wouldn't hesitate to cruise Christmas again (on a smaller HAL ship - at least 10 days). Linda & Vern - 16 days to Thanksgiving Maasdam cruise!

[imsulin2]

I was on the Zaandam over Christmas (2002??) doing a 7-night Western, and there were probably about 15 kids onboard. Think Christmas was on a Wednesday or something. We hardly ever saw them!! I was talking to one of the staff, who said that the next week's New Year's sailing had quite a number of families with kids booked. In fact, I ran into one of the families at the airport (saw their Zaandam luggage tags), and was glad I had chosen Christmas instead! This year is different because both Holidays fall on a Sunday, which is a typical embarkation day. That's why there are more 10-day and longer cruises....to include both Holidays. This staff member said that families typically pick New Year's week rather than Christmas week. This was before the Vista class ships, though, and the Zaandam has a much more "elegant" appeal.