Questions about a HAL Christmas cruise

[gopackgo]

I am planning a family Christmas cruise for my family. There are 6 kids, ranging in age from 4 up to 15. The parents are in there late 30's, early 40's. Grandpa is 63. Aunts (me) and uncles in their 50's.

 

The parents definitely want lots of activities for the kids and teens. But they also want good food and service. We are looking at the Westerdam or Zuiderdam to the Eastern Caribbean.

 

We have never sailed HAL, in fact, my husband and I are the only ones who have cruised at all, and that was 3 times on Radisson (Regent).

 

Will there be enough activities to satisfy the kids and teens? I noticed the new emphasis on these on the website. Also, what will the age range be of the adults?

 

How is the food on HAL? Will the ship feel over crowded? How would you compare this to perhaps a Royal Caribbean cruise or to Princess?

 

Thanks for any information or tips you can pass along. I am struggling with this one!!

 

Ginny

[sail7seas]

It is highly likely the ship will be sold out. There will be lots of families traveling with multi generations and it great to see families all enjoying being together for their holiday cruise.

 

There will be loads of kids and activities for them. A seven day holiday cruise on any of the less than super deluxe lines are sure to have many children.

 

We have found the food on HAL ships to be very good....and getting better and better. I started a thread on this Board a few days ago commenting that on our recent cruises in the last year and a half or so have offered marked improvements in the quality, variety and presentation in the dining room. Of course, food is so subjective. What I like, someone else may not but in the thread I mention, there seemed to be a lot of agreement and others think the food is really very good.

 

Christmas Eve on the ship will be very festive and the crew/staff sing Christmas Carols in several languages. The Captain officially lights the ship's tree. The ship will be decorated beautifully and Santa will visit on Christmas morning with gifts for all the children.

 

Holiday cruises on HAL are fabulous IMO

 

[LHC]

dd and I went last Christmas on a 7 day and had so much fun that we are doing a 10 day this year which includes Christmas and NYE.

the food was super and our tablemates from PA and Canada delightful.

The ship was beautifully decorated and the music soft and Christmasy. I took stockings and we each exchanged stocking gifts. We had massages on Christmas in St. Croix and did an afternoon excursion...talk about exotic.

there were lots of familes on board and with the formal nights lots of picture taking both by the shipboard photographers and then just families around various parts of the ship taking shots.

the kids club activities were plentiful and outside of the family pool being crowded at times everything was smooth.

The shows were entertaining with a singer and the pianist both being excellent.

Linda

[gopackgo]

So far, it sounds great. Just how are good are the shows? Is most of the entertainment geared to families during that week? Or to an older crowd?

 

I forgot about the dinner times. They are traditional seatings, correct? That may not be as popular with the families compared to open dining available on Princess. I will have to check with them.

 

I am sure I would prefer HAL because of the ambience of the ship and the food and service. However, I have to make sure it appeals to my nieces and nephews as well. That is why I am asking so many questions!

 

Thanks again!

 

Ginny

[arzz]

You will be with your family, you will have all the Christmas trimmings without all of the work and clean up -- you and your family will have a great time! We have cruised Christmas many times and there are always several family groups on board -- what a unique and festive way to both celebrate and enjoy the holiday season.

 

The kids should be able to do as much or as little as they wish. Though I have not had a child in a Club HAL activity in years, the kids on board at the holidays all seem to be well occupied and busy. We do not, in general, see gangs of bored kids running around. What we do see once during the week are groups of kids on their scavenger hunt having a great time -- often one of the requirements is get an officier's signature -- it is fun to see the captain and other officers being very visible during this time just for the kids!

 

I would say go for it.

[SDHALFAN]

Holiday cruises are fun, and on the Amsterdam this past Christmas and New Year's my 9-year old granddaughter had a blast with Club Hal. Heck, she had a more active social life than her mother and I did. The teen club appears to be equally fun.

 

The Christmas Eve Carol service that Sail mentioned is truly a lot of fun. It doesn't start until 11:00 p.m. but it is worth staying up for. You will hear carols from the Phillipines, Indonesia, and Holland and lots of the old familiar standards.

 

The ship will be full since it's a Holiday cruise, but never having sailed on a Vista class ship I can't say how crowded it will seem. I'm sorry, I have never sailed on either Princess or Royal Caribbean so can't give you a comparison.

 

I don't think I have ever had a bad meal on HAL. Some are not as good as others but generally the food is very good and there is a wide selection to choose from.

 

Have a wonderful cruise whichever line you choose.

 

Valerie:)

[sail7seas]

HAL has four dining hours.

 

5:45 P.M. for upper level

 

6:15 P.M. for lower level

 

8:00 P.M. for upper level

 

8:30 P.M. for lower level

 

 

IMPORTANT ***** BE SURE to have your travel agent LINK all of your booking numbers together so HAL will know you are traveling as a group. If you wish for certain family members to be at a table with others in your group, your TA should tell HAL exactly with whom each is to be seated.

 

If you have multiple TA's doing bookings, EVERYONE of them needs to link ALL of the booking numbers together for all of their clients.

[elmorejj]

If the younger folks do not wish to dine formally every night, they can eat in the lido. The same food is served as in the DR but in a much less formal atmosphere.......jean:cool:

[arzz]

On one of our cruises we ate at late dinner and shared the table with a family of 5 (that is Mom, Dad and three of their 5 children). The two youngest went to the Lido early each night with Mom or Dad and then off to Club HAL when it was time for the rest of the family to enjoy a long and uninterrupted meal. I do not know if that is the way I would do it, but it certainly is an option. It worked for that family.

 

In the days when my son was younger we always ate early so that he could be off to the kids activities as soon as they started after dinner. If we ate late seating he wasn't done early enough to really participate. He really did enjoy the activities on HAL.

[gopackgo]

Thanks again everyone for all the helpful tips and info. This is really a nice board with nice people. It makes me really want to sail HAL.

 

My TA told me this morning that there are no quads left on any HAL holiday sailings so we may end up on RCCL afterall, since there are 3 young families with 2 children each.

 

I do appreciate all your helpful friendly advice!

 

Ginny