HAL with Kids for Dummies - Our family cruise aboard Niew Statendam

[happy2cruise2016]

Thank you for such a good review of your family cruise.  We will be going on Koningsdam later this year with our family, including our 10 and 12 year old grandchildren and it is great to hear about the experience in Club Hal.  We have also been on Disney cruises with the grandchildren and they are at the age that the Disney "magic" is not as important as it once was. We have been on five HAL cruises and loved all of them so we are hopeful they will enjoy them, too. On our last Disney cruise with them they said their favorite part of the cruise was spending time with the family and I think HAL will give us the opportunity to spend more time with them.  We agree on the newer ships...love the layout and style!

[Homosassa]

42 minutes ago, Lizziekris said:

 

 

It's sad to hear that the entertainment shows of the past are not on this ship.  I loved the Broadway style shows with the singers and was hoping to take my son to some of those this year.  Hopefully they still have those on the smaller ships when we go next summer to Alaska.

Sadly the entertainment situation  on the smaller ships is even worse.

 

Besides the production shows being a thing of the past,any live entertainment is also on a smaller scale.  For example, the Lincoln Center Stage will not have the 4-6 member ensembles of the larger ships but will have a duet (piano and violin)  which certainly impacts on the type of music offered.

 

Other performance groups are similarly scaled back in numbers.

[Tapi]

5 hours ago, h-sar said:

Can you please provide more details about the train? Pricing, where to get it from in Fort Lauderdale, etc. Thank you so much! 

Hi h-sar:

 

We paid $34 for the 4 of us. If I recall correctly, The fare was $17 per adult and they had a “kids ride free“ promotion. They do offer different classes of service, one being a basic fare, and another one being a “business” type fare, with access to a private lounge area at the train station and complimentary beverages onboard. 
 

The station in Ft. Lauderdale is located downtown. It’s a very modern and cool looking station. You check in like you’d do at an airport. Any large suitcases are checked (free of charge) to your destination where you pick them up at their guest services desk. You then proceed to a spacious and bright waiting area where you can purchase coffee, snacks, drinks, as well as some random items. A few minutes before the train’s departure, an announcement is made and all passengers proceed to the ramp for boarding. You can select your seat assignments when you book your ticket, and we picked 4 seats facing each other around a table. There’s space onboard each train car for smaller suitcases. The entire process is seamless, cool, and very easy. 

 

To get from the station to the port you can take Uber or a taxi. Uber would be my choice. It’s super easy and they have a dedicated pick up spot as you exit the station. It will probably take you 15 minutes to go from the station to the port. It’s the same in West Palm Beach. The station is located downtown, and your best bet to get to the airport would be to Uber. 
 

Here’s a link to their website. https://www.gobrightline.com/
You can check out promotions, pick dates and number of passengers, and do a mock booking. That way you can see if their train schedule and prices are worth it to you. 
 

For us, we debated whether to take an Uber all the way from our hotel in PBI to Port Everglades, vs renting a car, vs taking the train. An Uber door to door would’ve been the Most efficient and seamless way to go, and the total cost would’ve not been much more than taking the train + an Uber ride to port. But we were very curious about Brightline and we thought that it would be fun to give it a try. It really worked out perfectly. I’m glad we had a chance to ride it! 

[h-sar]

Thank you for the great information! I will definitely explore this option.

[Tapi]

3 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

I was surprised that you did not try the Tamarind Restaurant or the Dutch Café.

We didn’t try Tamarind, but we walked through it twice at night (we got a bit lost going from the aft elevators to the kids club. We had to walk through Tamarind to reach the glass doors leading to the outdoor decks to then walk forward, but I digress). Anyway, Tamarind looked amazing, and it did make me envy a bit those having dinner there. The ambiance alone would’ve been worth it. It’s not where I would’ve taken the kids though. That would’ve definitely been a mommy and daddy night for sure! 😂

 

I didn’t mention it, but we did go to the Dutch Cafe, and frequently. Our stateroom’s location on deck 4 made it very easy to go to the Dutch Cafe located on deck 3, near our closest elevators. My wife is a coffee lover so she would head down (or send me down 😉) to get her morning coffee almost on a daily basis. I did pre-purchase a “Coffee Lovers Card” which she used exclusively at the Dutch Cafe. 
 

On the day we were at Amber Cove, we had an early shore excursion time and we didn’t want to deal with the crowds at lido buffet that morning, so we ordered some pastries, light sandwiches and drinks at the Dutch Cafe, and enjoyed a leisurely light breakfast before going ashore.  

[seagarsmoker]

Great review and photos! 

[Tapi]

2 hours ago, Lizziekris said:

Do you happen to have a copy of the children's menu(or remember the items from the children's menu) from Canaletto?  My son is requesting to dine there, but I'm not sure if he will like the dishes on the main menu.  He loves Italian food though.  

Unfortunately I don’t have a copy of the children’s menu, but it does include some of your usual kid staples like pizza (served with fries), mac and cheese as well as chicken fingers. There are a few more options but I don’t recall what they are. 
 

Canaletto doesn’t have a kids menu per se, and our waitress seemed a bit confused when we asked for one. We told her that when we made the reservation, we were informed that our daughter could order from the kids menu free of charge. She checked with the maitre’d and he came to our table and said that, yes, our daughter could order from the regular kids menu offered at the main dining room. In addition, they could also create a pasta dish for her either with pomodoro sauce, or butter. Our waitress was a lovely lady, but she may have been new at Canaletto. She seemed a bit lost and unfamiliar with, not only our questions concerning the kids menu, but also with questions concerning the regular menu. But at the end, it all worked out and we had an enjoyable night. 
 

Our 10 year old son did order from the regular menu. He had the antipasto plate for his appetizer, the NY strip for his main entree, and the tiramisu for his dessert. I ordered the lamb chops and my wife ordered the lasagna. I tried all entrees an they were very good, although the NY strip paled in comparison to the steaks that my wife and I enjoyed the following night at the Pinnacle Grill. 

[Tapi]

2 hours ago, happy2cruise2016 said:

We have also been on Disney cruises with the grandchildren and they are at the age that the Disney "magic" is not as important as it once was.

We have never been big Disney fans, but I wanted to give my kids the experience of sailing aboard a Disney Cruise. We did a 7 night itinerary aboard the Disney Fantasy a few years back, and to give credit where credit is due, we had a fantastic cruise. As expected, Disney truly excels in their customer service and entertainment. And I loved the ship. It was a masterpiece. 
 

But I can’t justify sailing repeatedly on Disney, specially when we are not Disney fans. For what we paid for that Disney Cruise, I could’ve literally booked FOUR cruises on the Niew Statendam at the fares that we paid for our last cruise. It would make little sense!
 

As mentioned before, we have friends who are huge Disney fans (they take multiple land Disney vacations, and at least one Disney Cruise every year), and they gladly pay Disney prices because the breathe, sleep and eat Disney. For them, it’s worth it. For us, not so much. 

[Tapi]

3 hours ago, Homosassa said:

LOL at your kids response to HAL.

 

At one time, HAL would have a top notch group of singers and dancers on board that would give production shows. Many of the shows did result in standing ovations.

It was precious to watch the kids create their little group of friends. Coincidentally, my son is face timing as I type this with a kid from Ontario that he met at Club HAL, so they’re keeping their promise to stay in touch. 😂

 

About the stage entertainment, yes, it was pretty watered down. Out of 7 nights, we thoroughly enjoyed only 1 show (Humanity). Everything else was a snooze fest. Personally, I’d be OK if HAL expands the Step One Dance Company concept with other shows of the same caliber of the one that we enjoyed on this sailing. But I don’t think that it would satisfy cruisers who prefer the more traditional production shows of the past. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

We didn’t try Tamarind, but we walked through it twice at night (we got a bit lost going from the aft elevators to the kids club. We had to walk through Tamarind to reach the glass doors leading to the outdoor decks to then walk forward, but I digress). Anyway, Tamarind looked amazing, and it did make me envy a bit those having dinner there. The ambiance alone would’ve been worth it. It’s not where I would’ve taken the kids though. That would’ve definitely been a mommy and daddy night for sure! 😂

 

I didn’t mention it, but we did go to the Dutch Cafe, and frequently. Our stateroom’s location on deck 4 made it very easy to go to the Dutch Cafe located on deck 3, near our closest elevators. My wife is a coffee lover so she would head down (or send me down 😉) to get her morning coffee almost on a daily basis. I did pre-purchase a “Coffee Lovers Card” which she used exclusively at the Dutch Cafe. 
 

On the day we were at Amber Cove, we had an early shore excursion time and we didn’t want to deal with the crowds at lido buffet that morning, so we ordered some pastries, light sandwiches and drinks at the Dutch Cafe, and enjoyed a leisurely light breakfast before going ashore.  

 

Thank you for explaining why you didn't go to the Tamarind.  We have eaten many times there on the ships that have this restaurant.  Love their food.

 

I am glad that you did try the Dutch Café.

[CvilleJane]

We’re a family of three with a 6th grader, have done 3 HAL cruises (about to do our 4th) and one Disney. Couldn’t agree more with everything you said! After one week on Disney, I felt like I needed a vacation from my “vacation”. HAL allows us to spend better time together as a family, our son LOVES Club HAL, and at the end of the week, we walk off the ship relaxed and renewed. Thanks for sharing your great review!

[Dulciana8]

Loved your excellent review! Thanks for sharing! We also cruise as a family (our son is 6) and have found HAL to be not only a great value for family travel, but also one that checks all of our boxes. Our Nieuw Statendam cruise last November was awesome and a family favorite. 

[Tapi]

7 hours ago, Lizziekris said:

It's sad to hear that the entertainment shows of the past are not on this ship.  I loved the Broadway style shows with the singers and was hoping to take my son to some of those this year.  Hopefully they still have those on the smaller ships when we go next summer to Alaska.

I looked up the Step One Dance Company, the company that Holland America is partnering with for their stage shows. Hope it gives you an idea of what you can expect if they are performing aboard your ship. There’s no singing, or musicians. 

click here: 

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Tapi

[Friend100]

Thanks for the review.

 

My kids did their first HAL cruise 8 years ago when they were 10 and 8, and last year we did an 11-night cruise on the Koningsdam.  Their conclusion: HAL is great for a port-intensive longer itinerary.

 

Pinnacle class ship has the family oceanview cabin that is spacious for families.  Deck One?  No problem at all!  We spent 11 nights there and won't hesitate to book it again.  The 1.5 bath (one with a sink and shower, the other one with a sink, toilet and bathtub), the extra storage space and queen-size sofabed are all very nice.

 

Only negative on the Pinnacle class is their wrap-around promenade deck - a disappointment comparing to other classes of HAL ships.

[Clipper123]

Excellent review.  Thank you for taking the time to share your family’s experience.  I am so excited for our HAL cruise next year and I think the relaxation factor instead of trying to see and do all will be so nice.  It’s terrible to get home from vacation and have to take a couple more days off work to “rest” lol🤣

[Tapi]

14 hours ago, h-sar said:

Thank you for the great information! I will definitely explore this option.

I was looking at the Brightline website this morning, and they are currently offering a promotion that includes a Lyft ride from the train station to the port:

 

https://www.gobrightline.com/traintoport

[Tapi]

21 minutes ago, Clipper123 said:

 It’s terrible to get home from vacation and have to take a couple more days off work to “rest” lol🤣

Im the travel planner at my household, and something that my wife always says about my travel planning skills is that I never leave enough days between returning from vacation and going back to real life to rest and recover. For this cruise on the Niew Statendam, we flew home on a Sunday to go back to real life the next day (yes, I did it again 😂). But we felt rested and relaxed when we got home! No complaints this time! It was a welcome change. 😀

[Tapi]

8 hours ago, Friend100 said:

Only negative on the Pinnacle class is their wrap-around promenade deck - a disappointment comparing to other classes of HAL ships.

I do agree with that. I checked it out only one time, and I agree that the blocked view by lifeboats made it disappointing. 

[swin26]

We also think 4135 is a hidden gem.  We stayed in that cabin for 14 days last year, but unfortunately couldn’t get it for our next cruise.  

[Highway27]

When we were on Nieuw Amsterdam, we saw Step One do Humanity and Stages. Like you, we loved Humanity, and thought it was a very interesting, very well done show. But Stages was just not as interesting, to the point of being not interesting. I've read the same kind of comment about Stages from others on this forum as well. And now seeing that Resonance is similarly not good, or perhaps even worse, because at least we didn't have people leaving from Stages. Makes me start wondering if it's less that Stages and Resonance are actually bad, or more that to get non-dancers interested in dance shows, they need to be exceptional like Humanity. I do think that would be good information to get back to Step One: Do more like Humanity, less like Stages and Resonance.

[jtdlmc]

Awesome review Tapi!  Very informative.  Thank you☺️

[GrannieNannie]

Nice review.  Thanks for taking the time.

[sevenseasnomad]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:09 PM, Lizziekris said:

It's sad to hear that the entertainment shows of the past are not on this ship.  I loved the Broadway style shows with the singers and was hoping to take my son to some of those this year.  Hopefully they still have those on the smaller ships when we go next summer to Alaska.

HAL has abandoned the Broadway-style show on their ships.  Better for you to know it now rather than be terribly disappointed on your cruise.  If decision-makers in Seattle reinstate these type shows between now and then, many of us would cheer.

[sevenseasnomad]

Thanks, tapi, for such a comprehensive review, especially for families with younger children.  The fact that your family has sampled many cruise lines gives your review more credence, as you can compare HAL to other experiences.  You mentioned the well-behaved children aboard NS.  Since I teach in a public school system, I can only vacation when children/teens are also on break, so I routinely find myself on ships packed with kids.  It would be an unbearable cruise if the children weren't courteous and well-behaved, which I have found them to be aboard HAL ships.  I've sailed with them since 2008, so I definitely prefer HAL to other lines and have now sailed on all but one of their ships.  Our Christmas/New Year's cruise this year will check that last box until next year when HAL introduces Ryndam.  BTW, we sailed the old Ryndam about a year before she left the fleet.  We have yet to experience a bad cruise aboard HAL.  

[Tapi]

7 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

You mentioned the well-behaved children aboard NS.  Since I teach in a public school system, I can only vacation when children/teens are also on break, so I routinely find myself on ships packed with kids.

Ever since our children became old enough to attend school, we always have to vacation when they are on break. Long gone are the days when we could sail more inexpensively during low season, but we are learning some tricks along the way. 
 

A few years ago, we learned (almost by accident, when I was looking for a cruise over Thanksgiving break) that we could cruise very inexpensively if we looked at regions that are not traditionally frequented by American families during school breaks. That’s how we learned that we could sail the Mediterranean for far less money than yet another Caribbean cruise that same week. Not only was it considerably cheaper, but it was a wonderful experience for the whole family, and a great way to introduce our children to Europe. 
 

And with this last cruise aboard Holland America, I’ve learned to search beyond family friendly cruise lines in order to get a good deal. In addition to HAL’s competitive fares, they had a “Kids Sail Free” promotion which brought the total cost of the cruise considerably below all other cruise lines, even Carnival which is frequently considered as one of the must budget minded cruise lines. 
 

Exactly one year before this cruise, we sailed with friends who organized a birthday cruise  aboard Carnival, and I realized that we paid almost the same per diem for a 5 night cruise, aboard a 30 year old ship, overrun with kids, in a smaller ocean view stateroom without a balcony, than what we paid to sail on the Niew Statendam. 
 

We did have a great time on that cruise, partly fueled by the fact that we were traveling with good friends, and our kids had a truly fun time.  But the experience couldn’t have been more different than what Holland America delivers: 
 

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Tapi