Several questions - HAL Rotterdam & 21-night Vikings cruise

[Arachnotron]

Hi, 20+ times cruiser here but first time HAL. Sailing on the Rotterdam on a 21-nighter to Norway, Iceland and Scotland next July. I have several questions:

 

1. Does anyone have any recommendations for tours on the Norwegian ports? I'm finding some of the offerings a bit dull and looking for info on custom tour availability.
2. Does one have to reserve the MDR? Unless I'm mistaken, it appears as an option to reserve (and spend my complimentary dining credits) on the HAL website. That sounds strange, right? MDR is included as usual?
3. What are your opinions on alternative dining options? Which one is best?
4. I'm traveling with my two kids (8 and 11) and coming from much more family oriented lines (RCCL, Celebrity, Princess) I'm a bit worried my kids will be bored. I can't seem to find a lot of info on available things to do suitable for families or for them. What do you recommend/is available? At least arcade, ping-pong, horse racing, bingo? Anything else? What about on the ports?
5. Does anyone have tips on being waitlisted for a suite upgrade?

 

Thanks a lot for your info,

[oakridger]

Hello! Do you have a Travel Agent?  They can help you with lots of questions and also reading HAL website has much of your requested info.  Also read these HAL forums for reviews from people recently on Rotterdam.   I can answer a couple of your questions:

 

1 - check the "Ports of Call" forums for Northern Europe for lots of Norway info - Northern Europe & Baltic Sea - Cruise Critic Community

 

 2- MDR is included in the cruise fare.  No reservations needed.  You can sign up for fixed early or late dining times at the same table each day or get "As You Wish" dining where you can arrive at the MDR when you feel like it.  I think you can reserve As You Wish times with the Maitre 'd at the dining room after boarding but others can explain that as I haven't done it. Your complementary dining credits are used for the specialty dining restaurants.  You can reserve times in them ahead of time online under your booking.  Please read in the HAL website about the restaurants available and check sample menus. 

 

3 - Specialty restaurants for a fee on Rotterdam are:  Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto, Rudy's Sel de Mer,           Tamarind, Nami Sushi   Best one?  You decide!  I like them all a lot!

 

4- Take the kids to the HAL kids club on the embarkation day. 

     Family info:  Cruises for Families | Family Cruises (hollandamerica.com)

     There isn't an arcade or horse racing and as far as I know Bingo is for age18 and over only as it is       gambling.  Someone can correct me if I'm wrong about that.  Kids I've seen and heard about     seem to really enjoy Club HAL.  I never cruised with a child.

 

5 - You can indicate on your booking that you are willing to accept an upgrade.  Not guaranteed

 

Please also use Google, your TA and HAL's own site to ask many of these questions.  Good luck and have a great cruise in Northern Europe!

 

~Nancy

 

 

     

[OlsSalt]

Is it too late for you to cancel this cruise? Might not work for what you are looking for. This cruise is high on enrichment - adult-geared lectures and Viking history and scenery. It is a fabulous cruise, but not sure if it is all that interesting for 8 and 11 year olds. 

 

There typically is fixed dining at two set times in one part of the MDR, or drop in dining with the possibility of making reservations for a preferred time or table/waiter in another part.

 

Lots of alternatie dining choices on the Rotterdam - people often prefer the Dutch Cafe and Tamarind most of all - but all of them have their plus and minuses. This a very popular cruise and people sign up years in advance which lessens the chance to an upsell later, but lots can happen between now and then so there will be some movement on any waiting list. Hard to predict ahead of time. 

[GeorgeCharlie]

We used Norway Excursions in 2018 when we visited Alesund and found them to be very good. They also offer tours for most of the ports in Norway.

 

I did a review of that cruise and if you go to post #59, you can an idea of what their Alesund tour was like. Of course, what you can see in each port will be different.

 

After Norway we visited Iceland, so you can also see what our comments were regarding Iceland.

 

 

If you're interested, I also did a review of our 2019 cruise to Scotland.

 

 

 

 

[Arachnotron]

Thanks so much to all for your comments.

 

@oakridger  I don't have a TA per se, I just paid for the cruise via Crown Cruise Vacations, I normally plan with my wife. Thanks for the MDR info, it's as expected.  I think I will have to resort to board games, reading and pool for the kids - they normally don't like things like going to things like Club HAL, they like playing/doing things with us. Strange they didn't include at least *some* family entertainment in such a new ship. 

 

@OlsSalt no, too late - I already paid in full AND booked tours. I'm "stuck" with this cruise since pre-pandemic times - changed it twice. I'd rather go into the Oceania or Celebrity itineraries but that doesn't mean this one is bad - just many sea days, little time in the ports, few time slots for booking tours and not a lot of family entertainment as far as I can see. 

 

@GeorgeCharlie I'll check NE and your reviews. I'm finding Molde especially difficult to find what to do, but I booked other trips with HAL and am considering cancelling them if I find something better (e.g. whale watching in Isafjordur, I'm on waitlist for both options, surely there's an independent tour company that can take us?).

[GeorgeCharlie]

32 minutes ago, Arachnotron said:

 

 

 

@GeorgeCharlie I'll check NE and your reviews. I'm finding Molde especially difficult to find what to do, but I booked other trips with HAL and am considering cancelling them if I find something better (e.g. whale watching in Isafjordur, I'm on waitlist for both options, surely there's an independent tour company that can take us?).

 

Outside the two main cities in Iceland (Reykjavik & Akureyri), I don't think you'll find much for independent tour operators. Places such as Isafjordur are very small and have limited tourist activities. Plus, the cruise ships will usually buy up whatever tours there are for the days they are in port.

[OlsSalt]

1 hour ago, Arachnotron said:

Thanks so much to all for your comments.

 

@OlsSalt no, too late - I already paid in full AND booked tours. I'm "stuck" with this cruise since pre-pandemic times - changed it twice. I'd rather go into the Oceania or Celebrity itineraries but that doesn't mean this one is bad - just many sea days, little time in the ports, few time slots for booking tours and not a lot of family entertainment as far as I can see. 

 

 

I have a sneaking suspicion even with all the upfront downsides, this will turn out to be a very good cruise after all. The staff love small children - they remind them of their own they had to leave behind so I think you will get a lot of special attention. 

 

There are venues for board and table games, and we have seen families having a lot of fun, or even the young kids by themselves. Plus you can arrange for nightly towel animals which will be a daily delight for kids too. Swimming pools would always provide endless hours of enjoyment for our own grand kids.

 

I personally would look for children books on the history of this area,  if possible to make it come alive  - the Vikings, the Hanseatic League,  Ice Age, geology, local indigenous tribes, or even the trolls of Norway. How about coming up with your own "scavenger hunt" for each country, so they can look for some of their special signatures, flags, costumes, folklore figures, even identifying different license plates was fun when I traveled as a kid. Even how to say hello and thank you in various local languages, will bring special surprises for them when they meet people onshore..

 

Even dressing up for "Gala Night" seems to bring special anticipation for the young kids onboard and makes them the center of attention - there are a lot of grandparents onboard who miss their own grand kids of the same ages.

 

Collecting photos ahead of time and looking for those same sights when you arrive? We think even visiting grocery stores when traveling can be fascinating - if you don't like the tours offered.  What special one food item can you search out in each country - like fried kleiners in even the most remote and tiny Iceland port stops, whose only local attraction was a long row of giant carved bird eggs! Yet the rocky cliffs nearby one could find neon-colored ice plants clinging tenaciously to life in this frigid climate.

[Arachnotron]

@OlsSalt those are very cool ideas. I will think about these. Thank you!

 

Question, how many formal nights are there? This is sold as a 21-night cruise, but it is really a back-to-back 7-nighter then 14-nighter. Guess ~2 per week?

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, Arachnotron said:

Question, how many formal nights are there? This is sold as a 21-night cruise, but it is really a back-to-back 7-nighter then 14-nighter. Guess ~2 per week?

I would plan on 2 for the 7-night cruise, and 3 on the 14-night one. That's what's been typical the last several years. When you get your final documents, it will be listed on the boarding pass. 

Molde is one of the few Norway ports I have been to only once, and would love to get there again! I had a ball the first time, and never really got to see the city itself. 
My tour went out to the remains of a real Viking sailing ship where we were able to see the ship, watch a movie about Viking seafaring and life, then head over to another building for a bite to eat. 

Do encourage your kids to get involved with Club HAL right off the bat. That's where they will meet other kids their age and make pals to hang out with. My grandgirls really liked the friends they made there, and stayed in touch with some for a long time afterwards.