Destin Mom

Down took around 10 minutes for us. Take a very deep breath of fresh air before you take your first step...it will be your last for a brief time. :eek: Really, it's not that bad. We wore tennis shoes since we were hiking and could hose them off. I would not want to be wearing open toed sandals but that's just me. The scenery is so gorgeous, the donkey smell for ten minutes or so is so worth it! Have a great trip.

Heinblood- would you recommend renting a car from Kiel to go to Hamburg for the day (on a Sunday; in port from 6 am - 5 pm)? That was our plan up to this point. Thanks so much for your input.

Hi Diane. Your crew is a bit older than ours, and please keep in mind that our trips to Provence have been part of land based travels. We have spent a week each of the last three years there and still have not seen everything. On your questions:

Nimes- has one of the very best examples of Roman colosseums left in the world. The arena is fantastic. Think small version of the Roman Colosseum but in excellent condition. There is a 3-D film that gives the history of the gladiators- see this before you go to the arena. Once at the arena, Culture Spaces has a treasure hunt game. It might be a little young for your crew but we enjoyed it as adults. There are some beautiful gardens to walk through and some ruins very close by.

Pont du Gard- we did the museum, film, walked the aqueduct and kayaked down the Gard river. The kayaking takes the better part of a day to do so would not be an option for a day trip. If you walk all the way across the bridge, you can see the kids jumping off of the rocks into the water. There is a little sandwich shop on the other side- great spot for a snack and to soak it all in. Our kids loved seeing how the bridge was constructed (see film first). It brought the history to life for them.

If you find some extra time, hit Les Baux- beautiful scenery and hiking. Some nice shops at the bottom and a similar Culture Spaces program for the kids. Some nice cafes and take out in town below the entrance to the ruins.

I would tell you to stick with a quick lunch along the way as opposed to sitting down. In our limited experience, sit down lunches in Provence can take some time. Yes, the food and wine are outstanding, but I would try to see the sights and pick up a baguette sandwich or pastry while sightseeing. Recommend going to Frommers to download maps of areas/ attractions so you can get your bearings. As Hank and other suggest, definitely get a car with GPS.

Have a great trip!

Hi Diane. I would absolutely recommend a car for this region as there is so much to see, the scenery while driving to cities/ towns is gorgeous and you have greater flexibility. I remember you posting elsewhere that your crew were avid readers and into history. I would recommend Pont du Gard for sure. There is a museum that is interesting and explains how the aqueduct was constructed. Also, you can walk through the actual water way itself- very cool with awesome views. I wouldn't recommend the film at the museum- felt it was not so good and a bit inappropriate (the 'bath' scene could be on late night Cinemax). Les Baux is beautiful...as is St Remy...love Arles...love Nimes. There is so much to see in this area with kids (or without). Have a great trip!

Northwest- it appears based on the entire thread that not all aft pools have the sign you posted. Some may have the 14 year old reference and some do not. A few posters pointed out this could be because rules regarding age limitations can vary from cruise to cruise on the same ship while other ships have a static policy. I think some cruisers may read an aft pool sign with the 14 year old reference to mean anyone over 14 can use the pool even if it is for adults only. It can be confusing to some people even though it appears very clear to others.

And herein lies the confusion...the sign Cooper 10-8 posts is the generic pool rules sign. I recognize it as we own properties with private pools and have similar signs posted. The 14 year old reference in the sign is meant to cover HAL for insurance purposes (i.e. in the event a younger child is using the pool without adult supervision and drowns, HAL's liability would be limited). It is not meant to define 'adult'.

To confirm, I called Holland America's guest relations department. I was told by an agent that the aft pools are meant for adults only on certain ships. I asked him to define that. He said that an adult is considered to be 18 years of age or older. I am thinking of putting some blue eyeshadow on my 7 year old- she has no boobs but it seemed to work for the Chinese in the Olympics. Or maybe it didn't? Perhaps we'll just stay with the rest of kids mid-ship after all.

Northwest Wind- I agree w/ you, but I understand that others feel differently. My point was meant to counter what was offered as a 'common sense' judgement call by some and to show that the actions of a few can impact others.

Not to belabor this more...but Ruth has a valid point. Kids watch other kids and are very astute. So the well behaved teenagers use the adult pool at which point, a few of the 'I'm too cool for the kids pool' 12-14 year olds follow suit. Not to be outdone and really wanting to be cool too, a couple of 10-12 year olds show up....and on down the line. So what started off as a reasonable, common sense type of accommodation on the part of the parents can snowball into a green light for much more. As a fellow parent, I get stuck debating my kids on why we can't use the pool when other kids are, why we have to follow the rules, why life is not fair, etc.

Since common sense is relative, it seems like this might be one area in which a defined age would be beneficial. I don't know what that age is, but trust me, I can certainly understand why teens would not to be at the kids pool. I don't want to be there either. I don't think how much we are paying or not paying for our cruise/ our kids cruise should determine whether or not we follow the rules. Just my opinion though.

Mudscraper- cracking up! That was my inital reaction...but chose not to offer it up as I do not want to put myself or my children in a situation where we could be caned. Of course, if that were to happen, I could threaten HAL with my 'CC status', demand money back, the Penthouse Suite, and two frozen daquiris at the Crow's Nest, but I like to play it safe.

On a serious note...if you are a parent, PLEASE don't take your kids to the adult pools. Read the signs...it's not unreasonable to ask for one pool with no kids. If you're on a HAL cruise, chances are you can read so there is no excuse. Don't throw the rest of the parents out there under the bus by being irresponsible and disrepectful.

I think that the 'Pool Rules' signs are generic rules posted at all pools to comply with variance insurance requirements. I have never seen one that said 'no children'.

On our one HAL cruise, the generic pool rules were posted at both pools with an additional sign at the Aft pool stipulating it was Adults Only. This was reiterated in the daily literature. It was not followed; however, I can see how it might be confusing given the two signs. I never considered that the signs could appear to contradict each other.

As a parent of two kids, both of which are toilet trained and do not urinate everywhere as suggested of all children, we do not use the adult pool. We glanced back longingly on several occasions as the band played at the aft pool while we were setting sail. We REALLY wanted to go to that pool but didn't. Why? Because it is life, and you have to follow rules. Not all parents (or non parents for that matter) follow the rules. You can't expect the cruise line to be the cruise police. They have five other jobs to do that day. I completely understand that this can drive some people nuts. But that too is life. There are irresponsible people everywhere. Don't blame the kids or the cruise line. Blame the parents...if you can find them.