Gambling Age Holland America
We are going on a cruise!
Holland America will automatically add $14.50 per day, per guest to your onboard account ($16.00 per day, per guest for Suites). These amounts can be adjusted onboard. A 15% tip is added to all beverage orders.
Where to?
ALASKA!
OMG! Who with?
Holland America Line.
- Royal Caribbean’s drinking age is 18 for cruises that originate in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and South America, but the drinking age is always 21 on the company’s private islands. Costa’s drinking age is 18 for all sailings that depart from a non-United States port.
- Gambling is not legal in FL (other than the lottery). If you plan on doing 'casino gambling' at sea, it will depend on your cruise line, not your port of departure. The following cruise lines.
- The minimum gambling age in international waters is 18 with the exception of Alaska Cruises where guests must be 21 or older. Blackjack, roulette, three card poker, and slots are found on most ships. Craps are available on some ships. The casinos are all well arranged and well maintained.
What? Why?
This was a common response to the announcement of our cruise toAlaska in September with Holland America Line.
It had long been on my dream list. I yearned to visit Alaska and a cruise seemed like a fabulous way to see it. There were so many choices, but we left things really late and all of a sudden it was the end of the season with only 4 more ships heading to Alaska. Two of those were the Westerdam and Noordam.
So when Holland America suggested we take their final cruise of the season from Vancouver toAlaska aboard the msNoordam, it fit in perfectly to our schedule. Alaska would be sandwiched between our archery tournament in sunny Spokane, Washington and a housesitting assignment in Kelowna, Canada.
But like most of our readers, we were curious. Would Holland America be as family friendly as the other cruise lines we had enjoyed? They have a well-established reputation to be suited towards more mature guests, so we put them to the test.
Here's how Holland America rated on our 5 most important factorsfor a fabulous family cruise.
1. Club HAL: Kids Just Want To Have Fun
Our kids' favourite part of any cruise is the kids club and yes, Holland America has one. Since school had started again and it was the last cruise of the season, our boat only had 5 children. However the cruise following ours from Vancouver to Seattle (on a weekend) was booked with over 200 kids. A few of the Alaska cruises during the summer vacation period had up to 800 junior members.
The kids club ran on a pre-planned schedule, which was provided to us each evening prior. The staff mentioned when we first met that it was going to be harder to run a few of the games and activities because of the lack of children. Mia and Caius found themselves in Club HAL alone most of the time, which they loved anyway. They were given lots of attention, were able to dictate some of the more fun crafts, and of course did not have to share the computer games.
Our kids enjoyed all the activities and Club HAL staff were always friendly and looked like they enjoyed being there too. Facilities were pretty good and well maintained.
There were only two real snags we found with Club HAL.
The first there was no food or drinks allowed in the Club, and that extended to water. Our kids complained regularly about being thirsty in the kids club and were told there was no water. We ended up sending water bottles to the club with the kids because of dehydration concerns. Most cruise ships disallow refilling water bottles from water dispensers due to overzealous hygiene concerns.
I did ask the senior child carer about giving the kids water and she was adamant that their policy disallowed all food and drinks. Now this is barely passable during the segmented 2-3 hour kids club sessions (although I personally think all kids need water more regularly to avoid dehydration). But if a parent is off-ship during a port day from 9am – 4pm (kids do get a lunch break) then this could really become a concern.
The second snag we hit was the segmented Club HAL hours. Most days the Club was open 9 – 11:30am, 1 – 4pm and 7 – 10pm. Port days it was 9am – 4pm and then 7pm – 10pm.
I have never encountered cruise kids club hours like this. Most cruise lines offer kids programs from 10am – 10pm. I found the hours frustrating. We had just dropped the kids off and relaxed in the hot tub when it was time to pick them up again. We also found dinner times a slight struggle because of the relatively late starting time.
I did ask staff if schedules were different on cruises with more kids and was informed this was standard hours.
Now for a regular family that are going on vacation to spend time with each other these enforced hours may be a great way to balance a little adult time with family time. But for Josh and I who spend every day with our kids, and looking forward to a little kid-free time, it was just frustrating. The kids didn’t want to have to keep leaving Club HAL and we didn’t want to only do a 2-hour activity.
2. Food, Glorious Food
The next most important thing on a family cruise... food! Since this was our 5th cruise we feel like we have a firm grasp on the range of cruise cuisine quality. Carnival served the same food in the formal dining room as the buffet. Royal Caribbean had a touch more quality. But Holland America surpassed both.
On the Noordam there were only the two free options to eat at; Lido (buffet) and Vista (a la carte). An Italian restaurant called Canaletto required a $10pp cover charge which was reasonable considering the Michelin-star quality.
And the aptly named Pinnacle delivered ultra fine dining for only an extra $29pp - a relative bargain.
Kids adored all the eating venues, especially the Vista dining room with its crayons and hand-made origami animals by perpetually smiling wait staff. Our regular waiters remembered the kids' food preferences and were even happy to organise special off-menu dishes.
It's safe to say our kids rated the food on Noordam 10 out of 10.
You know you want to read more about the food!
3. On-board Activities & Entertainment
There may not have been waterslides on board, but who would be using them in Alaska anyway? The ship was perfect for the region we were in.
An indoor pool with 4 hot tubs, an outdoor pool with 2 hot tubs plus a hydrotherapy spa pool (at an extra cost).
You have never truly lived until you soak in a steamy hot tub watching majestic glaciers in Alaska. Or if you want the full effect, try the Polar Bear Plunge like my husband and daughter. Yup, they jumped into the pool and then stood in the arctic wind for one whole minute at the back of the ship. Crazies!
Like most cruise lines Holland America provides plenty to do on board the boat other than the kids club. My kids enjoyed a game of shuffleboard, basketball, BINGO and even a cooking class or two.
The nightly shows were excellent. Several acts straight from Las Vegas headlined the cruise, and the regular Noordam singers and dancers added their energetic shows to round off the 7-night cruise.
4. The Crew
A large percentage of the staff on Holland America's Noordam was from Indonesia. As travellers who have been to Bali 10 times we know a little of the language and it was lovely to see their eyes light up when we spoke to them (albeit a bit rusty).
Each night at the Vista restaurant the kid’s entrees would be ready and waiting on the table when we arrived. The lovely Gede would rush over and hand them cute origami animals which induced smiles and giggles.
Bambang, our room attendant, always had animal towels on the beds and kept the room spotless. He also loved asking the kids how their day was and interacted with them at every opportunity.
Mia talked fondly of one of her kid’s clubs teachers. She couldn’t wait for each port day (I didn't get offended, sniff sniff). Although she did not want to get off the ship, she did want to see what port character would be making an appearance and get her photo taken – bear, eagle, polar bear, moose, etc.
5. The Stateroom
We stayed in a Verandah Suite and I’d forgotten how small rooms were on cruises – just like New York! :D But what I liked about this room was that one bed was behind a curtain and the other was on top of us. Keeping the kids separate at bed times meant they fell asleep faster.
The floor-to-ceiling sliding door led to a private balcony which gave us stunning views each day. But what was equally impressive was the block-out curtains which helped our kids sleep in each morning. Ahhhh, peace and quiet!
Ample storage space and the bathtub rounded out our family's favourite features of the stateroom.
The Verdict?
Our cruise to Alaska left us really impressed with Holland America Line. The ship had beautiful indoor and outdoor viewing areas for enjoying the glaciers, the food was top notch and the staff were as polite and helpful as you could wish for.
It's tricky to compare Holland America with other cruise lines. It's like comparing apples and oranges.
To sum up the style of Holland America - I'd liken it to the European vibe. It is classy, understated, and sophisticated without being ostentatious. It has an unshakable self-confidence with a reserved demeanour. Every aspect of the cruise experience focuses on quality over quantity.
So the big question is... can you take your kids on a Holland America cruise?
The answer is definitely yes.
Your young ones will feel at home just as much as any other guest. And as a parent, you can feel confident that your well-earned family vacation will be a trip of a lifetime.
Then when your friends ask 'why Holland America?', you'll know what to say.
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Cruise lines have strict minimum age policies that apply to infants as well as guests under 21 years of age. These age limitations vary by both cruise line and type of itinerary. Some cruise lines also require minors to produce specific documents at time of boarding. It's important to be aware of all of these age and documentation requirements to avoid being denied boarding without refund at time of embarkation.
Carnival Cruise Line has one of the most stringent age policies of the cruise lines surveyed. Any Carnival guest under the age of 21 must be accompanied by someone 25 years of age or older in the same cabin. Jennifer de la Cruz, Carnival's Director of Public Relations, commented that tighter guidelines were implemented a number of years ago due to 'behavioral issues occurring among the college age group sailing on our ships, which were having a negative impact on the experience of other guests.' Ms. de la Cruz also notes that Carnival is very strict about checking IDs at time of embarkation to ensure that the cruise line's age and chaperone requirements are being met.
In contrast, Disney Cruise Line has one of the most relaxed age policies for cruisers. Infants may cruise with Disney at 12 weeks of age or older and Flounder's Reef Nursery is available to help care for them. In addition, guests only need to be 18 years of age or older to book and cruise on their own.
Several cruise lines, such as Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line, require minors under the age of 18 who are cruising unaccompanied by one or both of their parents to produce notarized documents before boarding. This information is particularly critical for one parent cruising alone with children, grandparents cruising alone with grandchildren, and families who allow their children to bring a guest along on their cruise. Make sure to familiarize yourself with your cruise line's policies to avoid being left behind.
Complete age and documentation requirements can generally be found on the cruise lines' websites, often under 'FAQ' or in the Passage Contract. These sections also provide information on alcohol and gambling policies. Make sure to ask your travel agent or contact the cruise line for complete and current requirements information.
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Here are the age and associated documentation requirements for many of the major family-friendly cruise lines:
Carnival Cruise Lines: Infants must be at least 6 months of age when boarding all cruises except Transatlantic, Hawaii and South America cruises, which have a 12 month minimum age. All guests must be at least 21 years of age when boarding a Carnival ship. Guests under 21 years of age at time of boarding must have a parent or guardian who is 25 years of age or older in the same stateroom. The only exceptions are married minor couples and domestic partner/same-sex union minor couples. All guest ages will be verified before boarding the ship and those who do not meet these requirements will be denied boarding with no refund. For more detailed information, visit Carnival's website at www.carnival.com.
Celebrity Cruises: All infants must be at least 6 months old at time of boarding except for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, selected South American cruises/cruisetours, and other selected cruises/cruisetours at Celebrity's discretion. Those have a 12 month minimum boarding age. 'Denial of boarding for infants who do not satisfy these minimum age requirements may also result in the denial of boarding for one or more guests sailing with that infant' without refund or other compensation. All guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a passenger of at least 21 or older in the same stateroom. This age requirement is waived for minor children sailing with their parents or guardians in adjacent staterooms. For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.com.
Costa Cruise Line: Infants must be at least 6 months of age when boarding all cruises except trans-ocean crossings, world cruises, cruises of 15 days or more, and any other itinerary that Costa believes could pose a serious risk to infants. These have a 12 month minimum boarding age. All guests under 21 years of age when boarding must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in the same stateroom. On some sailings, even guests 21-24 years of age must have at least one person in the stateroom who is at least 25 years old and will agree to be responsible for the under-25 year old guests. For more detailed information, visit www.costacruise.com.
Disney Cruise Line: Infants must be at least 12 weeks of age at time of boarding. Guests must be 18 years of age or older to book a Disney cruise and travel on their own. Any minor guest under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult who is 21 years of age or older. Minors under 18 must be traveling with both parents or must present a notarized letter of consent by one or both parents who are not accompanying the child. The letter must also authorize medical treatment in case of emergency. For more information, visit www.disneycruise.com.
Holland America Line: Infants must be at least 6 months of age when boarding all cruises except trans-ocean crossings and any other itinerary that Holland America believes could pose a serious risk to infants. These have a 12 month minimum boarding age. All guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or chaperone who is at least 25 years of age. One adult chaperone who is at least 25 is required for every five persons under the age of 21. Minors under 18 who are traveling to certain foreign countries must be traveling with both parents or must present a notarized letter of consent by one or both parents who are not accompanying the child. Additional documentation requirements apply. For more extensive information on all specific document requirements for minors and other minimum age details for cruising, visit www.hollandamerica.com.
MSC Cruises: There is no minimum age requirement for infants on MSC Cruises. Guests under 21 years of age at time of boarding must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult over the age of 21 who is booked in the same stateroom or a connecting cabin. This individual must expressly agree to be responsible for the minor at all times on the cruise. For more information, visit www.msccruises.com.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Infants must be at least 6 months of age when boarding all cruises. All guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a passenger age 21 or older who 'expressly agrees to be responsible for the under-21 passenger throughout the cruise.' This older guest must be sharing the same or connecting stateroom with the under-21 passenger. Rules are waived for married couples less than 21 years of age with proof of marriage required. Rules are somewhat different for those cruising under the family plan - see the NCL website for more details. Minors under 18 must be traveling with both parents or must present a notarized letter of consent by one or both parents who are not accompanying the child. The letter must also authorize medical treatment in case of emergency. Additional documentation requirements apply. For more extensive information, visit www.ncl.com.
Princess Cruises: Infants must be at least 6 months of age on Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Trans-canal and Australia/New Zealand cruises and at least 12 months of age on all other cruises. All guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a passenger at least 21 years of age or older 'who shall assume responsibility for their care during the cruise.' For more detailed information, visit www.princess.com.
Gambling Age Holland America Cruises
Royal Caribbean International: All infants must be at least 6 months old at time of boarding except for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, selected South American cruises/cruisetours, and other selected cruises/cruisetours at Royal Caribbean's discretion. These have a 12 month minimum boarding age. 'Denial of boarding for infants who do not satisfy these minimum age requirements may also result in the denial of boarding for one or more guests sailing with that infant' without refund or other compensation. All guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a passenger of at least 21 or older in the same stateroom. This age requirement is waived for minor children sailing with their parents or guardians in adjacent staterooms or married couples less than 21 years of age with proof of marriage required. For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.
For more information on age policies for other cruise lines, visit < A href=http://www.cruising.org/>the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) website.
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Gambling Age Holland America 2019
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