teenager activities?

[Chrislynn55]

Hello HAL cruisers!

 

As you can see from my signature, we've been on lots of cruises but none on Holland America yet. We're contemplating the Veendam for March 15/09 and wondering if our 17 year-old son would find friends to hang out with, since there is no teen center on this ship. Are there usually many teenagers on board at that time of year? Are there counselor-led activities for them?

 

Also, does HAL offer the option of self-debarkation at the end of the cruise?

 

Many thanks for any input!

 

Kathy

[funlovin'cruiser]

Hey! There is a teen center on the ship - it's called The Loft. Now, the only thing that might prohibit other teens is when their spring break is. In looking at your embarkation date, it should fall in the middle of the school's breaks, so I would think that there will be other teens there.

[funlovin'cruiser]

Oh, and sorry - forgot about your last question. Yes, HAL offers "Express Walk Off" for those people that want to get off right away and carry their own bags.

[Chrislynn55]

Wow...that was fast! Thanks for the answers:)

[kenish]

The nice thing about DIY debarkation is that you can get off any time during the 2-3 hour process.

 

We went on Zaandam to Alaska in July, which is prime time for kids. My 15yo really liked The Loft. It has oversize sofas, flat screen TV's, game tables, etc. It's a living room environment where teens can "hang" with their friends. The staff does a good job of keeping kids in their areas. Adults aren't allowed in The Loft although they don't mind "check ins". My son spent a lot of time in the covered pool; they adjusted the roof to maintain a nice indoor climate. The aft pool looked nice but was rarely used (Alaska), and The Oasis was closed since it was exposed in the wind and cold. There's also a nice basketball court and ping-pong tables. My son like HAL's facilities and staff a lot more than Carnival's. Be sure your teen attends the "meet and greet" event; it's where they form their cliques of friends (you know how that is....)

 

I'm assuming Veendam has the same facilities. As funlovin' said, the date and itenerary will make a big difference. Assuming it's during Spring Break, 8 days or less, and Mexico or the Caribbean there should be lots of teens. If you call HAL's Ship Services, they can tell you how many teens are booked on the cruise.

 

One note is I found the kids on HAL to be very well-behaved. I can't say that for Carnival, where groups of kids were causing problems and my son even commented some of them were "bad news". One family was put off the ship in Ensenada.

[Chrislynn55]

Thanks for writing such a detailed reply, Kenish...very helpful!

 

I know this next question doesn't fit my thread title, but I'm wondering if my Carnival cruises count toward getting a "past passenger" rate on HAL?

 

Kathy

[funlovin'cruiser]

Yes, you qualify for the "Mariner" rates with your past Carnival cruises, however you are not technically a Mariner and therefore the perks that you get as a HAL Mariner will no tbe awarded.