Children's Books in Oosterdam Library?

[Cascadia]

We're bringing our boys (ages 3 and 1), and I'm working on my packing list. Do I need to bring our own books for bedtime stories, or does the library (or Club HAL?) have children's books that we can sign out?

 

Thank you!

[hammybee]

I have never seen children's books in any ship/any cruise line library.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have also never seen any children's books on any of HAL ships -- and we have been on quite a few ships.

 

Have seen Harry Potter books in the Explorations Cafe -- but that won't work for your 1 and 3 year olds.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

We're bringing our boys (ages 3 and 1), and I'm working on my packing list. Do I need to bring our own books for bedtime stories, or does the library (or Club HAL?) have children's books that we can sign out?

 

Thank you!

 

Club HAL has a limited selection of children's books you can check out, but I would bring some of my own, in any case. You might need them while traveling to/from your cruise.

[mtnmommy]

We just got off the Maasdam, and one of our only disappointments was that there were absolutely no children's books in the otherwise wonderful library. My 8-year-old son was not happy because I had made him reduce his reading material when we packed, thinking he could check out books on board.

 

Also, just as an FYI, the doctor's office on board does not carry children's motion sickness pills. I had tossed in some children's Bonine as an afterthought when packing, and ended up being very glad I had it for my son--my 4-year-old daughter never needed it, go figure. May not apply because your kids are so young, but thought I would mention it.

 

My kids loved the cruise, and Club HAL was wonderful. The ship's crew and fellow passengers were lovely to my children, and it was a great trip. My 8-year-old was trying to convince his grandmother, a retired teacher, that she should just home-school him so they could take off on a world cruise next (leaving his little sister at home, of course!) Have a great time!

[Two if by Sea]

We just got off the Maasdam, and one of our only disappointments was that there were absolutely no children's books in the otherwise wonderful library.

 

Tell us more, tell us more! My 8-year-old needs to know what to expect ahead of time. How DID things go for yours? Did he partake of Club-HAL activities? Find a friend? Stick with you? Enjoy the food?

 

What should I know about ahead of time, and how can I prepare my daughter, who will be fine with almost anything as long as she knows what to expect.

[TMas777]

This is out third trip to Alaska, the first for my 8 yr. old son, he has cruised once before on Carnival and had a blast with their kids program. My wife and I have done HAL once before(Zaandam 2003) and really like it but I know during that trip their were only a few kids aboard the ship. I know HAL is working hard to attract more families and I hope the Club Hal program has improved since then. Anybody have experiences with Club Hal for the 8-12 year old groups? I know my son doesn't want to hang out with the toddlers nor is he ready for the teen crowd. How about the cooking classes for the kids? Junior Ranger program in Alaska since that's where going? Thanks

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I am Mam's nine year old daughter. I have been in the 3-7 goup in club HAL. I had lots of fun and the counselors were very nice. We did fun activies, sports and fun crafts.When I was eight I was in the 3-7 goup because I like the younger kids better.What l liked about club HAL it was there if you wanted to go you could but you did not have to go.

[May4]

I am Mam's nine year old daughter. I have been in the 3-7 goup in club HAL. I had lots of fun and the counselors were very nice. We did fun activies, sports and fun crafts.When I was eight I was in the 3-7 goup because I like the younger kids better.What l liked about club HAL it was there if you wanted to go you could but you did not have to go.

 

 

I'm glad that you wrote to tell of your experience with Club HAL.

I recall that your older sister took the time to give us her perspective after your family's trip to Alaska. You are both good writers! Perhaps we'll hear from you again some day,:)

[mtnmommy]

I know, Two if By Sea, my 8-year-old likes to know exactly what is in store for him, too! On our April 4 10-day cruise on the Maasdam, there were 20 kids between the ages of 3 and 12--the same number as our Alaska Inside Passage cruise on the Zuiderdam in June. The hours of Club HAL were a bit more limited on the Maasdam because there is no designated teen area, and they have to trade off. They will be adding a teen area during dry-dock and will be able to expand the hours after that. This cruise was so port-intensive that it really didn't matter, since we were off on shore excursions almost every day.

 

Club HAL was open from 9-11 a.m., 2-4 p.m., and 8-9:30 p.m. on our three sea days, and from 8-9:30 p.m. on port days. You could pay a fee of $5 per hour per child from 9:30-11:30 p.m., but we never used that service. I have read that Club HAL is opening at 7 p.m. for the evening session on some ships--I would appreciate that because it got a little late for my 4-year-old. However, the kids begged to go to Club HAL, so we tried to get nap time/down time in the late afternoons. We rented a few DVDs and took along a couple of our own.

 

At Club HAL, my son--and the rest of the boys, it seems--mostly played the free arcade games and play station. Unlimited "screen time" was a highlight of his vacation! He also enjoyed Club HAL sports activites on deck, like balloon volleyball and games of Horse. He thought the program was less rigid than the one on board the Zuiderdam--if you found an activity you liked, you could stick with it--and really enjoyed that aspect.

 

My 4-year-old daughter loved all the crafts--she made everything from picture frames to necklaces. She was extremely proud that she won an inflatable HAL ship as first prize in the coloring contest (her brother drily informed me that she was the only entry!) I thought the staff was wonderful--my son got sick the very first morning and they handled it beautifully. (I won't go into details on that, but you may want to pack the children's Bonine! Club HAL is located at the very top of the ship and gets significant movement in high seas.) There were some nice kids on this cruise, and my kids enjoyed seeing them at Club HAL and around the ship. I have a picture of my son and a 9-year-old friend dressed in their tuxes in the dining room on formal night.

 

We had early seating for dinner, and the kids ate in the dining room almost every night. They got a kick out of the Master Chef's dinner (kids would seem to be the main audience for it, to me!) My son ordered from the adult menu--he thought he was way too sophisticated for the children's menu! He liked the cold fruit soups (says they were like a smoothie) and ordered the salmon or grilled chicken breast that is always available if the evening's offerings seemed a bit too exotic. My daughter usually had a starter from the menu, then chicken nuggets or pasta from the kid's menu, and then ate vanilla ice cream every night. A huge highlight of Club HAL for her was a cooking demonstration in the Wajang Theater--the head chef from the Pinnacle Grill (who does the adult demonstrations) taught the kids how to make ice cream and edible Play-Dough! Too cute.

 

The kids also enjoyed seeing one of the production shows--son thought they were better than American Idol and daughter loved the "sparkly girls." They liked listening to the classical music in the Explorer's Lounge on formal night, too. They loved dressing up and especially loved all the compliments and attention the older folks lavished on them about their formal wear. I rented a tux for my son through the ship's service, and it worked out great. My daughter, of course, has a wardrobe that far surpasses my own!

 

The crew and passengers were lovely to my children, and it was a terrific trip. The kids were definitely never bored. (I did give them a strict "no whining" lecture before we boarded, and we shook hands on it. I also told them that, due to ill-behaved children, some adults feel that children should not cruise, so it was up to them to represent their age group well.) No, it's not as relaxing as traveling as a couple, but I don't think you could find a better three-generation vacation--it's as good as it gets for Mom. The memory of the laundry service alone is enough to bring a tear to my eye!

 

My kids and I would be happy to answer any specific questions--

[Two if by Sea]

Thank you! That was very helpful and informative and I'm really looking forward to this vacation!

 

I will ask my daughter if she has any specific questions.

[cruisinjudy]

Thanks for the great account of the Club HAL program. Next year we are planning on taking the family to Alaska on HAL. My grandson will be 4 1/2 and the two babies will be a year and a month or two. We plan on going in the early season. The Alaska schedule for 2009 is not out yet. Great idea to rent a tux for the four year old! The girls will of course have plenty of pretty dresses to choose from!