Are children charged full price for specialty dining?

[floridacruisegirl]

A big hello to fellow cruise lovers!

 

My family and I will be sailing on our first Holland America cruise in just a few months.🤗While we are new to Holland America, we have sailed many times with Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and NCL. We are excited to try Holland America's product.🌞

 

My question relates to specialty dining on Eurodam. I see the published rates for adults online. Are children charged as adults, too?

 

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance in clarifying this for me.😁

[dogo88]

I would suspect so since we've never seen a children's menu in these venues.

 

Dan

[blizzardboy]

A big hello to fellow cruise lovers!

 

My family and I will be sailing on our first Holland America cruise in just a few months.🤗While we are new to Holland America, we have sailed many times with Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and NCL. We are excited to try Holland America's product.🌞

 

My question relates to specialty dining on Eurodam. I see the published rates for adults online. Are children charged as adults, too?

 

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance in clarifying this for me.😁

Call ships services 1‐800‐541‐1576

[Sage]

To be honest, I haven't seen a lot of children in the speciality dining venues. I agree with the the advice to call ship services.

[Homosassa]

The only speciality restaurant on the Eurodam that shows children's prices (on line) is the Tamarind: 12 and under is complementary, 13 -18 is half price, 19 and up is $25.

 

All the others (Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto) show only one price.

 

A difference you will find on HAL is that the cruiseline does expect parents to be in control of their children. There will be a contract given to parents of all minors outlining the requirements for children's behavior and the responsibility of the parents if the rules are broken.

 

This also includes the statement that children will either be in the children's program or under the supervision of parents. Free range children are therefore not a problem for other passengers.

[dpump]

I would suspect so since we've never seen a children's menu in these venues.

 

Dan

 

 

I've never seen kids in the venue ever.

[sandbag7]

Free range children are therefore not a problem for other passengers.

 

Though quite delicious when properly prepared.

[floridacruisegirl]

Gosh, I feel very welcomed on this board by all of your responses.

 

I am disappointed that my initial question has garnered negative responses simply because I will be cruising with a child.

 

Unfortunately, adults who pre-judge and offer unsolicited advice are a bigger hinderance to an enjoyable cruise.

[kazu]

A big hello to fellow cruise lovers!

 

My family and I will be sailing on our first Holland America cruise in just a few months.🤗While we are new to Holland America, we have sailed many times with Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and NCL. We are excited to try Holland America's product.🌞

 

My question relates to specialty dining on Eurodam. I see the published rates for adults online. Are children charged as adults, too?

 

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance in clarifying this for me.😁

 

There used to be a discount but I believe it disappeared.

 

One of our roll call members and her lovely children joined us for dessert at Le Cirque (the children were at club HAL until it closed and then joined us).

 

The main reason the children weren't with us for dinner was: (a) they wanted to be at Club HAL and (b) the meal was full price. They were beautiful and well mannered and always put a smile on our face every time we saw them - especially Ian who even taught some of us some tricks on the Ipad (see? You just need a 9-11 year old ;) )

 

They were absolutely enchanting and it would have been our pleasure to have dined with the 4 of them :)

[kazu]

Gosh, I feel very welcomed on this board by all of your responses.

 

I am disappointed that my initial question has garnered negative responses simply because I will be cruising with a child.

 

Unfortunately, adults who pre-judge and offer unsolicited advice are a bigger hinderance to an enjoyable cruise.

 

Don't worry about it. children are fussed over by the crew and many adults.

 

Some have had some bad experiences. It happens.

 

Don't let the sour taste in their mouths from their experiences deter you.

 

One thing you didn't say is how old your little one was. If they are quite young there may be a waiver and it might be worth a call to ship's services - just in case.

[Daisyloo]

Gosh, I feel very welcomed on this board by all of your responses.

 

I am disappointed that my initial question has garnered negative responses simply because I will be cruising with a child.

 

Unfortunately, adults who pre-judge and offer unsolicited advice are a bigger hinderance to an enjoyable cruise.

 

Welcome to the HAL boards. I don't see how the responses you got were negative, or how you were pre-judged. The advice to call ships services to find out about fees for the specialty restaurants was valid. They hopefully will have the definitive answer for you.

What I can say is that we have dined in many specialty restaurants on different HAL ships and have never seen a special price for kids, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Also, we have seen children in the Pinnacle grill, but rarely. The ones we have seen were well dressed and well behaved.

Hope your cruise is fun.

[HALrunner]

Over the last few years we have been charged full price (minus mariner discount) for our children in the Pinnacle Grill. I am curious to see if they are indeed free in Tamarind, I had not heard that lately.

 

We sail frequently on HAL with our children, our oldest took his first HAL cruise at 10 months and was the only passenger under 19 onboard! That kid is not 10 years old and one cruise away from being a 4 star mariner. Our kids LOVE LOVE LOVE HAL and we hope your kids do too!

 

Welcome Aboard:)

Edited September 29, 2017 by HALrunner

[RMLincoln]

We took 3 grandkids to Alaska and they loved HAL, and HAL loved them. We didn't have any contracts presented to us, but maybe that's new. Have a fun time! m--

[avian777]

... I don't see how the responses you got were negative, or how you were pre-judged. The advice to call ships services to find out about fees for the specialty restaurants was valid...

 

Agree on both counts!!! (y) (y) (y)

[candbgirl]

Is there really a contract parents have to sign? That's rather off putting. Are un accompanied kids on HAL that awful that their parents have to sign a contract? Do parents know about this contract before they go?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Halfmoonfan]

Is there really a contract parents have to sign? That's rather off putting. Are un accompanied kids on HAL that awful that their parents have to sign a contract? Do parents know about this contract before they go?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

No there is not. Enjoy your cruise with your children.

[jhsocal]

The atmosphere in the Pinnacle is quiet and refined. Perhaps, the absence of a children's menu is in the hope that not many children will eat there. This is just a guess on my part, not pretending to read Hal's mind.

On certain cruises during spring break and summer, there will be many children, suspect not many dine in the P.G.

[betonic]

My son is now 18 and has 70+ nights on HAL. He has eaten many times in Pinnacle and I don't remember ever getting a discount. There were lots of times that he preferred eating pizza and going to Club HAL because Pinnacle can be long.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[avian777]

Is there really a contract parents have to sign? That's rather off putting. Are un accompanied kids on HAL that awful that their parents have to sign a contract? Do parents know about this contract before they go?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

We have taken our granddaughters on FOUR cruises over the past 5 years and have never been asked (or required) to sign a contract concerning their deportment while onboard.

However, rather than relying on my past experiences, I suggest you contact HAL Ship Services directly, just in case there has been a change in policy within the past 14 months.

Smooth sailing :ship: :ship: :ship:

[candbgirl]

We have taken our granddaughters on FOUR cruises over the past 5 years and have never been asked (or required) to sign a contract concerning their deportment while onboard.

 

However, rather than relying on my past experiences, I suggest you contact HAL Ship Services directly, just in case there has been a change in policy within the past 14 months.

 

Smooth sailing :ship: :ship: :ship:

 

 

 

Thanks for your reply. I'm way beyond taking a child on a cruise but I have and when I saw the statement about a deportment contract being required I was gobsmacked. Why would someone post that on a message board if not true? I just had to ask.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[avian777]

Thanks for your reply. I'm way beyond taking a child on a cruise but I have and when I saw the statement about a deportment contract being required I was gobsmacked. Why would someone post that on a message board if not true? I just had to ask.

 

I don't know, but suspect that some folks just enjoy stirring the controversy pot and/or are representing what they wish were the facts as the facts. This latter phenomenon was very evident on some of the older Threads discussing HAL's smoking policy and regularly shows up on Threads discussing onboard tipping. JMO

[Charleston Lady]

We have taken our grandchildren on several HAL cruises and they love it. Our family, including the children, always eat some lunches and dinners in Pinnacle and Tamarind. When our granddaughter was younger and just ate a bowl of pasta, we were not charged for her meal. If she eats a regular meal, we pay the regular price minus our Mariner discount. The children have excellent manners and dress appropriately. We have NEVER seen any kind of a contract.

[candbgirl]

I don't know, but suspect that some folks just enjoy stirring the controversy pot and/or are representing what they wish were the facts as the facts. This latter phenomenon was very evident on some of the older Threads discussing HAL's smoking policy and regularly shows up on Threads discussing onboard tipping. JMO

 

 

 

I guess but what I find interesting is that the mods who are so quick to delete posts that they feel are not being nice to a certain longtime poster have left a blatant lie up

for several hours. And the lie puts HAL in a bad light to new HAL cruisers.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Homosassa]

This may be a duplicate post as I am having trouble posting my response that I have already written.

 

My post about the parent contract is based on a recent HAL cruise so very well may be a new policy.

 

On embarkation day, the captain came over the PA to welcome us on board and then talked about the Parent Contract in each cabin and stated parents of minor children needed to read, sign and turn into guest services.

 

I was surprised and immediately looked for the contract (we did not have any children with us). Sure enough, it was with the Welcome Aboard schedule.

 

I cheered because it showed that HAL was giving forethought to some of the behavior that many parents seem to turn a blind eye to and was giving warning that parents would be held responsible.

 

As someone who cruised with my daughter from the time she was 18 months (she is now 34), it did not contain any restrictions that I, as a parent, imposed on her while cruising and that other parents on board with us did not also follow.

 

My intent was not to make the OP feel unwelcome; it was just to give her a heads up that there may be a contract she is not use to seeing.

[Homosassa]

By the way, I personally have no problem with seeing well behaved children in any venue on a cruise ship and have enjoyed the company of some of those children.