Just back from Zandaam--traveled w/ kids

[babytraveler]

As many of you long-time board members know, I was anxious about our HAL Zandaam cruise to Alaska. So here’s a mini-review (cross posted on HAL and Family Cruising) in case anyone could benefit from our experiences.

First of all, unlike the typical Cruise Critic member, I did not want to go on the cruise. It was for a family event, and we didn’t choose the trip (nor pay for it!).

I didn’t want to bring a 2 year old and a 5 year old cross country by plane, traveling with 2 car seats, a stroller, a weeks worth of diapers, wipes, sippy cups, baggies, etc., plus luggage for 4 people spanning a climate that could be hot, cold, or rainy, with lots of out door activities but also regular ship board wear, plus formal wear for 4 people.

I didn’t know what my 2 year old would do on board, since she wasn’t eligible for CLUB HAL or how the trip would affect her. I was worried about controlling her onboard and during meals. A friend had done the same thing with the same ages on Celebrity and had a hideous experience, including harassment from other passengers who did not appreciate her having her children there, plus lack of care from Celebrity staff. I was worried about the plane and the time change.

I considered leaving my 2 year old with her grandparents and agonized whether she would be upset, or exhaust them. In the end, we brought her.

We’re back and we all had a wonderful time.

Others can review Zandaam Alaska, but to summarize: the ship is beautiful. The food is great. The scenery is spectacular. There is lots to do. The staff indulges you. HAL has a true service mentality. I used to do lots of 5 star business travel, so I'm kind of numb to service and poshness, but HAL's service went beyond showy. They truly took care of your needs. If you were carrying a tray with a child, someone jumped in to put it on a table. They anticipated needs and filled them. They made the trip with kids easy for me. It was really a wonderful experience.

The luggage was every bit as bad as I imagined. We used everything and could have brought more, had we been able to carry it.

Thank you HAL for the self service laundry! I couldn’t have waited for a service to turn it around. I did do 8 loads. I was on the Main Deck, as was a nice laundry facility with soap and iron. It was fantastic. If you are a laundry doer, get on a deck with a laundry facility. Put it in on the way to breakfast, put in dryer after breakfast, and by the time you are ready to go about, it is done. Also thanks to the porters at the pier. They handled our bags to and from the car service.

The fellow passengers were kind to us. My kids were very well behaved. They didn’t run off and stuck close. They were quiet at dinner (but they weren’t always still). They were as well behaved as a 5 year old and a 2 year old could be. That being said, I’m sure there were times we bothered people. I always spoke with neighbor and said I hoped we weren’t to rough on them. We did the best we could keeping them quiet and still and neat—with the admission that we couldn’t keep them quiet and still all the time. But people were kind and acted as if they didn’t notice. Thank you. The thing is, we all need to eat, so we had to eat somewhere.

Room service didn’t work for us because we were in an E Quad with a portacrib. If you are planning your own trip and need a portacrib, do spring for the balcony suites. We only had about 3 inches surrounding the crib, and it was tough to move in the cabin at all. We just squeezed in. There was no room to eat.

We ate in all the restaurants: Lido, Rotterdam (thank you kind waiters who had apple juice waiting on the table when we got there) and even the Pinnacle Grill for a large family dinner. We went to the shows. My 2 year old loved the shows. She announced as we walked “Go see show!” She sat quiet and still. She loved looking around at all the decorations, especially the guitars and masks and musical instruments. She loved the Explorer area. There was plenty to do.

My feedback to HAL is to extend Toddler Time for the under 3s who can’t be a part of CLUB HAL. My daughter got to play at CLUB HAL for an hour on sail days. She loved it. But she was very upset that she couldn’t go with her sister at the other times. It wasn’t that there was nothing to do, but she really wanted to play there.

I was never child free. Just warning you. I was never child free. I wasn’t comfortable with a stranger alone in my room with my child, no matter how nice everyone said she’d be. I was completely devoted to my child’s schedule. Therefore, unless you are on a family reunion or something where you HAVE to go, I recommend waiting until child is 3. Club Hal was fantastic, and if my daughter could have gone, I’d have had some alone time, and she’d have loved it.

We were so whacked out from the 3 hour then 4 hour time change that we gave up and simply rescheduled a bedtime for 9:30 (so we could see some of the shows), up at 7 am, and 2 hour nap in the afternoon. I read by crack in curtains for 2 hours ever day while daughter napped. I went to bed when daughters went to bed. And got up with them. It was fine, and no worse than I do at home, but I was never child free, nor ever alone with my husband, if that should be an issue for you. If so, wait until child is 3.

The excursions didn’t work for us. They were too expensive and complex with a 2 year old. We caught a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau for a total cost of $30 for the 4 of us and spent a wonderful day there. The kids threw rocks in the water, and we walked, and they loved the displays.

We did too much in Sitka--but only on foot w/ stroller. We did the whole totem pole park, the Bishops house, the dancers, the church, walked around town. We ate out of a vending machine. Skipped nap. That was our only meltdown day. But there was a lot of fun stuff to do, just on foot. We spent under $50 for a days' activity for 4.

We just walked around Creek Street etc. in Ketchikan. And we skipped Victoria.

We really enjoyed our little mini-outings. But we couldn’t compete with family members who took floatplanes and did dogsled runs and flew on helicopters. If these things are important to you, wait until your kids are 9+

Regarding products. Our portacrib had a tear in the mesh. That would have freaked me out if my child had been younger and could have gotten caught without my noticing. At 2, I just told my daughter to avoid it. The crib was clean, but no bedding was included. Luckily in my massive luggage I had brought a portacrib sheet, and daughter’s own blanket and pillow.

No joke re: diapers. Not sold in ship, didn’t see them in airport, and the drugstores in Juneau and Sitka didn’t sell more than 1 type of diapers and the only wipes were mini packs of “Wet Ones.” I brought over 100 diapers and used about 85, but I ran out of wipes. I bought all 10 packs of Wet Ones available in Sitka. I hear there are Wal-Mart’s and Cosco, but not near the tourist areas, so if you run out, your whole day will be spent trying to get diapers. I didn’t see a drug store or supermarket in Ketchikan, but there probably was one. Bring all baby supplies! I didn’t check for baby food or formula et., but don’t count on buying anything.

My daughters both loved dressing up for formal night. The entire cruise they were interested and involved and excited and enjoyed it. They loved the live band in the piano bar.

No joke. Not all the decks were enclosed. I believe a child could slip down between the rails. I never let go of 2 year old when outside. We did less deck stuff because it was just too hard. Crows nest was good for looking out enclosed, and the adults were so loud there that we couldn’t make a dent in the noise.

The men we always cleaning. Sanitizer everywhere. We didn't get sick. Very clean.

My kids loved the towel animals. And daughter hit her head and was crying in Lido and Head Steward rushed over and made animal out of napkin, which distracted her. It's a small thing, but nice.

I didn't believe sea sickness was real. First day was so rough that captain changed course. Prepare for sea sickness, just for the first day. I made no preparations. 2 year old wasn't phased at all, but I was miserable, 5 year old threw up, and husband queasy. Take something night before.

Happy to answer questions. I'll post more later if I think of it.

[Robin7]

I didn't believe sea sickness was real. First day was so rough that captain changed course. Prepare for sea sickness, just for the first day. I made no preparations. 2 year old wasn't phased at all, but I was miserable, 5 year old threw up, and husband queasy. Take something night before.

 

Happy to answer questions. I'll post more later if I think of it.

 

 

 

 

We just returned from a business trip to the Big Island, Hawaii, where we took two tourist-excursion-type snorkel trips on the same boat. One, during the day, was four hours long. I was never ill a minute. The second one was at night and we spent 45 minutes bobbing in the ocean listening to the manta ray expert. I got REALLY queasy. Then I got in the water, thinking it would be better. In order to watch the rays feeding (which was nearly the most amazing thing I've ever seen), you had to lie still on top of the water. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. I got sicker and sicker and sicker until I had to get back on the boat. The captain met me at the bottom of the stairs and had the nerve to tell me that sea sickness wasn't real, that it was all in my head! I was so MAD. It was all in my stomach, thank you. (I actually think it's a visual thing for me and also something to do with my inner ear. It's certainly NOT imaginary!) At least I managed to keep it under control and didn't have to join the two men and one woman heaving over the back of the boat.

 

So thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to take Dramamine when we leave and keep taking it until we board the Zaandam. (We're going in a day early.)

 

Do you remember what time you actually docked in Juneau? (I've asked this in another thread as well.) I'm trying to make some arrangements that are time sensitive.

 

Glad you had a great trip, and that the children were good sailors. You're a brave mom. I have seven kids and wouldn't have dreamed of taking them with me!!!:D

 

Robin

[Bohrski]

All I can say is "God Bless You!" and I hope you'll get back to enjoy it again when your kids are older. I was just on the Zaandam and every child I saw was very well behaved and seemed like they were having a great time - even in the dining room. It is a beautiful ship.

[HALOnlyCruiser]

Hi, Babytraveler!

You absolutely deserve a medal...or two or three! I applaud your tenacity and ability to handle two little ones on a cruise. Well done! Our kids were 6, 9, and 13 when we took them the first time, and I was stressed enough at that. I can only imagine what you felt. You're right; packing for two adults and some number of kids is a chore. I truthfully don't know how you did it. I admire you no end, as I would have had a meltdown by the second day. Do you feel as though you even had a vacation? I hope you and DH can have a cruise together sometime to decompress. Again, my hat is off to you!

[boatlover]

babytraveler -

Good review. Sounds like you are a really good parent. You deserve a sitter and some time to yourself now that you are home. :) I have posted this before on this board, but give me a "typical" toddler anyday over some of the horrible behavior I have seen from people my own age!

[ore-ee-gun]

Whew - just reading about your adventure made me tired... ;) IMO, any vacation with a toddler, no matter how kid-friendly the destination, is mostly just extra work for Mom. But - just think, Babytraveler... If you went through all that and still managed to have a good time, imagine how much you'll enjoy cruising once the little ones are older!!!

[NJcabanas]

Bravo babytraveler! You've done a wonderful thing for your kids by giving them the gift of seeing the world in all of its glory. We got my kid's first passport at 3 months old. Numerous trips around the US, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean have been a part of the educational process. At age 11, my child now has an appreciation of other places and different people that cannot be fully grasped from movies, tv, and books. There is nothing like an open mind in an expanding world. Of course, it is much easier to wax poetic on all of this, once they are out of diapers.:rolleyes:

 

I wish you and your family many happy years of traveling to come!:D

[Scrumpy]

Whew! Bet you're tired, but it sounds like you all had a wonderful time. I'm glad to hear your cruise worked out so well! It's lovely that you could start your children off so young. Two of our nieces made their first trip here with their parents (from New Zealand) when the youngest was just a toddler. They still have wonderful memories, aided by their scrapbooks and photos - and are excellent little travellers! Hopefully, you will have many more fun family adventures together over the years!!!

[NancyIL]

Thank you for your very helpful review, not just about the Zaandam but also about cruising with young children. I'm glad you enjoyed the simple, inexpensive things to do in the ports. It is a reminder that one doesn't have to go on a helicopter to a glacier, or to a dogsled camp, or on a floatplane to enjoy Alaska.

[tnkrbell13]

I loved reading your review! We were on the Zandaam on May12-19. By the end, I missed my kids so much we kept trying to get seated at lunch with people with kids, but always got re-routed:( . I would have loved to sit with you!

You are a trooper, great job!

 

Robin-We were an hour late getting into Juneau. We were due in at 12 and arrived at 1:00. We had a privately booked excursion with the same company the boat uses, but they were great at getting us all on our way.

[BM64]

I love this review your honesty is truely refreshing. We always travel with our two DD who are now 12 and 7 and my DH and I do enjoy are alone time not to mention my alone time. It is a lot of work bringing children on a trip with you but it is worth it. I hope you took many great pictures because you will treasure them forever.

[sail7seas]

Wonderful, practical, helpful review for other young families. You set out exactly as you experienced it and I think it has to be very valuable for others.

 

I was happy to read how helpful crew were whenever they saw you neeed assistance.....but certainly not surprised.

 

Welcome back and thanks for sharing. It was a great review to read.

[Robin7]

IRobin-We were an hour late getting into Juneau. We were due in at 12 and arrived at 1:00. We had a privately booked excursion with the same company the boat uses, but they were great at getting us all on our way.

 

Thanks for the information. I guess we'll just play it by ear and see what time the Zaandam actually arrives on that Sunday, take a cab to the church we want to attend and ask him to come back to get us when our meeting is over. It'll be an adventure!

 

Robin