Noordam with 4 year-old kids?

We are planning a 10-day southern Caribbean itinerary on the Noordam. Has anyone travelled on this ship with young kids (3-5 year-olds)? I would like to hear your experiences and concerns. The itinerary is great, but I am concerned that this is not really advertised as a cruise line for families. What do you all think?

Note: We have previously travelled on Celebrity Equinox, Norwegian, and Carnival. How do they compare?

We sailed the Noordam in March with our 6 year old granddaughter. If you are sailing during school time do not expect many children on board. There was only about 15 young children on board with us. HAL sat us at a table with another family that had young children and they had a great time together. My GD loved club HAL and couldn't wait to get there when they were open. We were in a suite and she was spoiled by the staff at the Neptune Lounge. The rest of the staff loved having a little girl to spoil and she was known around the ship as "princess Heather". Hopefully you will have the same experience we had. She now loves cruising and can't wait to go on her next one.

We sailed the Noordam in March with our 6 year old granddaughter. If you are sailing during school time do not expect many children on board. There was only about 15 young children on board with us. HAL sat us at a table with another family that had young children and they had a great time together. My GD loved club HAL and couldn't wait to get there when they were open. We were in a suite and she was spoiled by the staff at the Neptune Lounge. The rest of the staff loved having a little girl to spoil and she was known around the ship as "princess Heather". Hopefully you will have the same experience we had. She now loves cruising and can't wait to go on her next one.

Thank you for the info Knitlady,

We will most likely travel in January when most kids have already gone back to school. Our son is 4 years old.

How was the menu for children? We do not want to feed him endless amounts of comfort food like pizza, chicken nuggets, etc.

Did you do any excursions in the Caribbean with your GD?

are you doing the seafarer or sunfarer? We did the seafare. In Curacao the aquarium was very nice. In Aruba we did the submarine and island tour. Lots of fish. Did not like Samana at all. Felt very unsafe and returned to ship immediately. Turks and Caicos we rented a golf cart and toured island on our own. Would not do that again. Not much to see. In Bonaire we took a mangrove boat ride. It was OK, bit a 4 year old might be bored.

Dinner for kids was the normal variety of nuggets, pizza, mac and cheese. My GD loves steak and salad so thats what she had most nights. Our waiter knew just how she liked her salads and they insisted on cutting her steak each night. She also eats alot of veggies so the lido buffet was great for lunch. You can order any adult dinner for your child with no problems.

Thank you for the info Knitlady,

We will most likely travel in January when most kids have already gone back to school. Our son is 4 years old.

How was the menu for children? We do not want to feed him endless amounts of comfort food like pizza, chicken nuggets, etc.

Did you do any excursions in the Caribbean with your GD?

While on the Nieuw Amsterdam 2 weeks ago (Goodness, seems like just yesterday) I visited and took photos of Club HAL. I also talked to kids and their parents and the kids absolutely loved Club HAL!! One mother said she had to literally tear her 5 year old daughter out of there every day as she was having so much fun.

Here is a link to photos of the Club HAL on Nieuw Amsterdam's Toddler area http://travel.webshots.com/album/579303676wmLaZA I am not sure just how closely this will resemble the Noordam, but will give you some idea of what to expect.

Joanie

Thank you both IRLJoanie and Knitlady,

Thanks for sharing your opinions., This is exactly the type of information I need, especially from a parent's perspective. We are going to do the Caribbean South SEAFARE, which does include the ABC islands, Samana, Grand Turk, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. A couple more questions:

1. What made SAMANA seem unsafe? We are going with a 4 year-old child.

2. At the Half Moon Cay stop, do you have to buy excursions, or can you just have a "beach day"?

3. What hotel would you recommend in Ft.Lauredale?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you both IRLJoanie and Knitlady,

Thanks for sharing your opinions., This is exactly the type of information I need, especially from a parent's perspective. We are going to do the Caribbean South SEAFARE, which does include the ABC islands, Samana, Grand Turk, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. A couple more questions:

1. What made SAMANA seem unsafe? We are going with a 4 year-old child.

2. At the Half Moon Cay stop, do you have to buy excursions, or can you just have a "beach day"?

3. What hotel would you recommend in Ft.Lauredale?

 

Thank you.

Thank you.

You do not have to buy any excursions at HMC (sorry, Half Moon Cay), you can just have a beach day, no problem but it can get hot.

Fort Lauderdale hotels - get one that includes pick up from the airport (if you are flying) and delivery to the pier. There are a number that do that for you - in fact a pile. We used Hampton Inn and Suites last time and they were excellent, but there are a lot more that do it. Normally breakfast is included along with the transportation, but book it the moment you check in.

have a great time.

We rented a clamshell at HMC, but the day we were there it was very chilly. Our clamshell was right near the kids play area. The Club Hal staff took the kids and played and had games set up for them. I didn't stay too long but DH & GD stayed.

On Samana, the people on the street were very agressive trying to sell items or get you to take a tour. Would not take no for an answer-and my DH is a big guy. GD was nervous so we went back to the ship & enjoyed a relaxing day by the pool. Most people returned early. The people at our table told us the cab driver they hired for a tour threatened to leave them far from the ship if they didn't give him an extra $20.

We stayed at the LaQuinta. Nothing fancy.Just a place to sleep. They had shuttle from airport and free shuttle to ship. There is a large shopping complex about a mile away.

If we did this itinerary again, would not get off the ship in Samana. You have to tender in and it was not worth the hassle. In Turks and Caicos, there is a Margarittaville that you can go to. But why pay for food when you can eat better on the ship.

That is my granddaughter in my profile pic. She was so happy on the Noordam. The joy shows on her face.

We went to Samana last year on another line, and chose not to go ashore. Instead, we took a "Caves and Mangroves" tour. A boat picked us up right at the ship and took us into the national park where we saw lots of interesting mangroves (vegetation), birds, etc., and got to leave the boat to go through old caves (you walk upright - no spelunking!) where we saw bats (well, they saw bats - not my thing, so I waited outside), and some gorgeous views through the old caves out to the sea. It was really beautiful. My kids enjoyed it, although they were older (10). We even saw some dolphins right next to the boat. Maybe your child would enjoy that. (If you go, use plenty of sunscreen and take water - there was no shade on our boat.)

Thank you for the info Knitlady,

We will most likely travel in January when most kids have already gone back to school. Our son is 4 years old.

How was the menu for children? We do not want to feed him endless amounts of comfort food like pizza, chicken nuggets, etc.

Did you do any excursions in the Caribbean with your GD?

you don't have to order from ethe children's menu:). Your child might enjoy trying new foods from the adult menu. If he cannot find anything he likes, they always have salmon, steak, and chicken breast.

I think your 4 year old will be fine! We are taking our 3 year old at the end of March and I have no worries about the enjoyment of our trip. :D

Last year we went to Samana (NCL) and had a great day. We did an excursion to an All Inclusive Resort. They picked us up from the boat and took us straight there so we weren't hassled at all.

HMC - We plan on just hanging out on the beach.

Ft.Lauderdale has some great hotels. Check out the Florida Departures boards for some suggestions. We plan on staying at either Hyatt Place North or Bahia Mar.

We took our girls on the Noordam to Alaska in 2007 when they were 5 and 7 and they loved it. Club HAL was quite nice. They prefer Holland America to Disney or other more family oriented ships because there are fewer kids which means it is actually easier for them to make a connection with the others. We sailed on the Maasdam for 5 weeks last summer (Voyage of the Vikings) and at most there were 27 kids on the entire ship. They loved it. It meant individual attention from the Club Hal staff, and they made great friends that they still email. We are doing the Noordam this summer to the Med and the Maasdam to the Caribbean for SPring Break and they are so excited. They would never sail anything other than HAL. The food was great. My kids have food allergies and they definitely catered to them. We never even saw the kids menu so it wasn't a nugget fest. That said, they did discover the poolside grill with hamburgers and fries and ate an enormous amount of that. Many times while sopping wet from the pool.

As for a hotel, look at the Hyatt properties in Ft. Laud. Most have complimentary airport transportation and a few have complimentary cruise terminal transportation

You do not have to buy any excursions at HMC (sorry, Half Moon Cay), you can just have a beach day, no problem but it can get hot.

 

Fort Lauderdale hotels - get one that includes pick up from the airport (if you are flying) and delivery to the pier. There are a number that do that for you - in fact a pile. We used Hampton Inn and Suites last time and they were excellent, but there are a lot more that do it. Normally breakfast is included along with the transportation, but book it the moment you check in.

 

have a great time.

I would suggest renting a clamshell (posthaste) at HMC. They aren't as costly as the Cabanas if you're on a budget, and they give you a place to hide from the sun periodically. Lunch is in the shade just off the beach.

drblue, if you are on the Jan. 6th sailing join us on the board, and sign up for the Meet & Greet.

Thank you all for your responses and opinions. I am now convinced that our next cruise will be on the Noordam Southern Caribbean itinerary (10 days). I plan on booking it as soon as we come back from our upcoming cruise in just a few days (January 4th).

We are going withe MSC cruises on the Eastern Mediterranean for 11 days departing from Venice, Italy. This Italian company does not get as high recommendations as Celebrity of HAL, but the itinerary was incredible and children trael for free. So, we'll see how it goes.

Thank you for all the advice, from a parent perspective.

I've got loads of info for you but must eventually get back to work (hahahahahahah).

Eurodam - Nov 2008 (kids age 7M, 2, 4, 4). Inside room J1043

Westerdam - Nov 2009 (kids age 1.5, 3, 5, 5). Inside room J1043

Nieuw Am. - Dec 5/10 (kids age 7M, 2, 3,4, 6, 6). Inside room J1049

Not all the kids were ours. Eurodam me, hubbie and our 2 kids with sister and her family. Westerdam same family, everyone a year older. Nieuw Am. we added another sister with her family. 6 adults, 6 kids from 7M to 6YO.

We LOVE HAL for kids. Not a lot of kids is why and we travel when others are still in school and may only be able to do that a few more years.

Each family had their own inside room. Great location. Dark, better for naps. Quiet too. Daughter always in the pull out sofa bed. Husband and son in the queen and me in the bunk bed since I get up early to wander around and eat my own breakfast in the Lido (my own quiet time).

We ate in the MDR all the time. DH doesn't like buffets. No problem. About 2 hours per meal. Bring activities for child (work books, crayons, books, DVD player), whatever it takes to get through the meal. After 3 cruises, our kids know what to expect and behave accordingly.

Pool is great. Bring noodle if you can pack in your large suitcase. Our kids loved it.

Club HAL -- great. Every year, one of ours get old enough to get in (age 3 and must be potty trained). Lots of activities. Your 4YO would have been in the same class as our kids. Staff is nice. We leave them there about an hour a day. Lots of crafts and story time.

We travel during school session to avoid lots of other kids.

Dec 5th there was about 50 kids mostly in our age range.

Holiday time is about 200-300 but still not lots which is great.

HMC --- rent a clamshell for $14. You get 2 lounge chairs and do it online before you get onboard. They sell out quick. Go further down the beach, you can get it set up wherever you like. There is a Club Hal on the beach, end where the tender is. Not in the middle of the beach or the far far end. It is at the beginning of the beach. 2 water slides. Staff there to watch kids too. Near the eating area there is a playground. Hidden and not known but lovely. pirate ships, slides, swings etc etc. clean, quiet and no other kids know about it. We always go there after lunch. Sort of hidden but you can find it. Really nice for kids to run around there. No excursions needed that day, great beach day. Bring drinks and snacks from the ship in case child is hungry before lunch. We bring cereal boxes, yogurt on ice, croissants, breakfast bread products. Some cruisers may say don't bring any food off the ship but a hungry child is the worse.

Bring small zip lock bags. Fill with ice in the lido and you can pack yogurt and cold drinks in a small cooler. Lovely to have.

Aruba...we did the underwater submarine. Lovely. Pricey but nice for kids. 130 ft under water. booked directly with vendor, cheaper, if you need name, let me know.

Food in MDR....children's menu is good but the usual. My kids eat steak, shrimp cocktail etc. They do always order the carrot sticks and dip nightly and the chicken noodle soup. Was much better in 2008 and 2009. On the Nieuw Am. it was always too salty so we stopped. They have good hamburgers and fish/chips. Always stuff for kids to eat and doesn't have to be on the menu.

In the Lido, the chinese food is decent (we're Asian so we are particular about our food - hahahah).

After the show, we show up at the Lido for hot chocolate and a cookie or some ice cream.

The pizza is fine better when it comes out hot and fresh then lying there for an hour.

Room service is good when you have to leave the ship early.

FLL hotel.... 2008 and 2009 we were at Hyatt North (great place). 2010 we tried Hampton Inn on 2500 Stirling Road. It was $58 for one night 12/4/10. Good place, shuttle to pier took forever (1 hr). Good location with Oakwood Mall down the street (about 7mins walk). With kids, try to get a hotel where you can get free breakfast and good area to get dinner the night before if you're flying in the night before.

Breakfast need not be fancy, just decent and good. You'll eat all the breakfast stuff you want on the cruise.

shows....we do the musicals and magician. avoid the comedy since I don't know what type of wording is used. Little kids like to repeat all types of words --- know what I mean?

Turks --- another beach day for us.

Carcao (I know bad spelling)....we did a trolley tour. good for kids. no walking around needed and it was sooooooooo hot so easier for kids to sit even if no A/C and it was an outdoor trolley. Booked directly with vendor again which was cheaper. HAL sells the same tour.

Mini Bar in the room --- ask room steward to empty out. We fill our water bottles the night before and keep it there for night drinks and cold water in the morning for excursions. We fill it with milk (from breakfast), fruit and yogurt. Anytime kids are hungry, there is food. We keep a few extra cereal boxes on the desk. Room steward can also fill your fruit basket. There is a check list on the desk. I bring my own paring knife to cut up fruit for the kids if they want a snack. I don't seem to get them to eat enough fruits and veggies during a cruise. We eat lots more at home but it's only a week. My kids apparently like prune juice too. I dilute with a little water and they get it for breakfast but not on excursion days since you never know when there is a bathroom around on the island.

There is usually a tour of the galley. My kids enjoyed that.

Let me know if I've missed anything or you have more questions.

Hello Berk 987,

Thank you for all the great information. This is exactly the type of practical info that I needed. We area also planning on multiple beach days. I do have a couple more follow-up questions:

1. Do you know if the Noordam has a CASUAL restaurant open during DINNER on a daily basis? Our family enjoys doing informal meals much more than the formality of long dinners int he MDR. Both my wife and I wear suits to work everyday, and do not really want to do it on vacation; besides, our 4 year old son is very restless.

2. Any ports that gave you concerns, form a safety perspective?

3. Does HAL charge the daily service fee for children at t he same rate as adults?

Thank you.

Hello Berk 987,

Thank you for all the great information. This is exactly the type of practical info that I needed. We area also planning on multiple beach days. I do have a couple more follow-up questions:

1. Do you know if the Noordam has a CASUAL restaurant open during DINNER on a daily basis? Our family enjoys doing informal meals much more than the formality of long dinners int he MDR. Both my wife and I wear suits to work everyday, and do not really want to do it on vacation; besides, our 4 year old son is very restless.

2. Any ports that gave you concerns, form a safety perspective?

3. Does HAL charge the daily service fee for children at t he same rate as adults?

Thank you.

1. Canalletto is open during dinner and we ate there twice on our last cruise on the Eurodam with our 3 kids aged 10, 17 and 19. You will need to make reservations once aboard. Actually we prefer eating our meals in the Lido over the MDR. We also woukd rather eat informally and for us the food was tasy enough with plenty of choices. Some of our family attended the formal evening but that was our only meal in the MDR.

3. Yes the hotel service charge applies to children. With 5 of us it does add up. But they took such good care of us on the ship we didn't mind!

We have now 7 year old who has been sailing HAL since she was 14 months old. Loves Club Hal--for many of the reasons others have posted.

I did want to point something out about HMC, though. In our experience, Club Hal is available on the beach--near the water slides--a certain amount of time. Usually, for us, something like 10-11:30am, and is limited to non water activites--they are not life guards. They play in the sand and build sand castles--they provide the sand toys. The slides are quite nice, and while I don't remember it in April 2010, I thought I saw a picture of a water trampoline--but it is further from shore, so if not a strong swimmer, might be tough. You may want to bring a small vest/flotation device if going to be in the water and your 4 yr old is small physically. There is also a small play area, I think, with wooden slides/swings, just off the path that leads to the bbq area. I think if you look at a map you can see it. Makes a nice change of pace if you have done a lot of swimming. It doesn't have much shade, though, so be aware of the sun.

In Grand Turk, we have typically bit the bullet and gone to Margaritaville and hung out by the pool. We have been lucky in that usually our dd has met a friend by then, and enjoys swimming with us and a playmate.

I agree with others--Curacao has good sea aquarium--and you can do that on your own. I tried once to book dolphin swimming or encounter(can't remember which) on my own, but couldn't make it work--the times that would work for us to make it back to the ship were booked by the ship's tour.

There are always beach days on each of the ports--take a look at the ports of call to see which ones have the amenties you want. In Aruba, though, we ended up taking a walk around the area ( not the best time) and heading back to the ship--dh doesn't love Aruba, and dd wanted to go to Club Hal...and i could go to the spa:p!

Our dd is very restless, too, so we end up in Lido, or honestly, room service, too. If you typically order something, they remember--I forgot once, and they reminded me!

Not sure what other islands you are doing, sorry about that!

Hope this helps--

Carol