Holland America Line
(HAL) is enhancing its youth program starting this fall in an effort to
capture more of the growing family market. Major changes will include
lowering the minimum participant age to 3 years old from 5 years old,
and building new or expanded youth facilities to most of its fleet by
2006. Ryndam is the first ship to offer the enhancements starting on its
Oct. 20 sailing (see schedule below).
Rose Vega-Luna, HAL's youth program supervisor says: "Holland America
wants to have something available for all ages that come onto our
ships. We want to make sure families feel comfortable bringing all
their children."
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Holland America recently launched a new
Family Reunion Program offering special amenities to families who book
five staterooms or more on any cruise. Families receive special group
pricing, a soda package, one family photo per stateroom and a choice of
either dinner in the line's alternative Pinnacle Grill Restaurant or, on
Caribbean cruises, free rentals of snorkel gear and swim mats, or banana
boat rides for all on Half Moon Cay.
As part of the line's Signature of Excellence initiative, the
complimentary Club HAL program for kids 3 to 12 will now feature
improved state-of-the-art facilities and a new separate area for teens
13 to 17. Each age group will have a dedicated area designed
specifically for them. Kids ages 3 to 7 will have a space filled with
art tables, big-screen television, tape-dispenser styled slide, a
reading area, a Cranium games area and more. Redesigned programs will
include a Little Artists Program, with an art show for parents. There
will be Club HAL story time, talent shows and pagers available for
parents of 3- to 5-year-olds. Ages 8 to 12 will have a space filled with
a karaoke video jukebox, plasma screen TVs for movie nights, foosball,
air hockey tables and a game room with 10 Playstation set-ups. Teens
ages 13 to 17 will have two separate areas to hang out: the outdoor
Oasis and indoor Loft. They'll have disco/karaoke, luau parties, hot tub
parties, sports competitions and a Mocktail Bar.
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Club HAL Update
Club
HAL facilities enhancements will be implemented on the ships as follows:
Ryndam: Oct. 20, 2004
Zaandam: Jan. 22, 2005
Rotterdam: April 11, 2005
Statendam: May 13, 2005
Amsterdam: Oct. 6, 2005
Volendam: Dec. 19, 2005
Veendam: Jan. 21, 2006
Maasdam: April 21, 2006
Oosterdam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam: Later in 2006 |
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SIGNATURE OF EXCELLENCE
Many of HAL's ships do not have dedicated youth facilities. Those ships
that have facilities will revamp them with additions to cater to the 3-
to 5-year-olds and to create separate space for the teens. Among the
enhancements is a Port Day program, allowing parents to place kids in
Club HAL from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including a boxed lunch. Mom and Dad are
then free to go off the ship and enjoy the destination. From 10 p.m. to
midnight, parents also can take advantage of the Club HAL After Hours
program for $5 per child per hour.
"Our youth program is very attentive to the children," Vega-Luna says.
"We know everyone's names and we make it a personalized service. We want
to make that connection so the kids will want to come back all the time,
allowing the parents to have free time."
End of
article
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