Seven Things for Kids and Teens on Holland America Line

By Brooke Franco

Seven things just for kids and teens from Holland America - *Photo by Holland America Line*

When considering family cruising, you may envision big cruise ships with waterslides, extreme activities, pools, rock climbing walls, and more. However, what if you want a family cruise big on enrichment, laid back, and focused heavily on destinations? Enter Holland America Line. This cruise line has a storied maritime history, but it may not necessarily be at the top of the list for families to consider compared to other family-centric cruise lines. However, there’s a lot you should know about what Holland America Line offers for families. Read more below about the seven things Holland America Line offers for kids and teens onboard and why this line should be on your consideration list for a family cruise.

1. Kids Club Youth Program

The Kids Club Youth Program is Holland America Line's activities program for kids and teens ages 3-17. In this dedicated space, younger sailors are supervised by a professionally trained staff and join other kids their age for arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games, themed parties, and more.

Programs in the Kids Club Youth Area divide participants into three groups by age:

Kids Programs - For kids ages 3 to 6, Kids Programs include a variety of activities, crafts, games, and theme parties, such as “Dino-Mite Night” and “Ships Ahoy Pirate Treasure Hunt Adventure.”
Tweens Program - For travelers ages 7-11, the Tweens Program includes arts and crafts, sporting events, tournaments, and more. Expect games like Nukeball, Xbox Tournaments, Olympic relay races, and theme parties "Brave the Night", "Mysterious Spy Night" and "Country Carnival".
Teen Programs - During the day, teens can meet up in their own space of the ship for sports challenges, group games, and activities at night like poker night, video game tournaments, and theme events "Face Your Fears", "Casino Games for Prizes" and "TV Game Show Night".

Special supervised group youth activities are also available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on port days.

The Kids Club Youth Area is available on Eurodam, Koningsdam, Westerdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Zaandam, and Zuiderdam.

Note - The minimum age to participate in Holland America Line’s Kids Clubs is three years. No exceptions will be made.

2. Food for All

On Holland America Line, you will find a wide variety of restaurants. If you are traveling with picky palettes, rest assured that you will be able to find an eatery with something to accommodate everyone. Most restaurants offer a Kid’s Menu and children 12 or under receive half off the price when dining at specialty restaurants.

Kids staples can be found in the ship’s main buffett areas, some with special kid’s menu stations. Dive In, a popular included casual Holland America eatery, serves fries, burgers, and hot dogs. Another casual included staple, New York Cafe, serves tasty pizzas and sandwiches. Kids and teens are welcome to join their families in the Main Dining Room, where they can enjoy any of the dishes on the main or kids' menu or request a half-portion size of any item.

One of the great things about a cruise and bringing younger travelers onboard is the opportunity for them to sample new foods they otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to try at home. We regularly hear stories of how kids and teens return from cruises, being fans of steak, sushi, and more. With Holland America Line’s extensive options for main and specialty dining venues, you never know if your younger traveler may discover their new favorite food on vacation!

3. Flexible Stateroom Options

Holland America’s ships offer a variety of stateroom options, with something to suit your family's needs. Depending on the ship and room category, convertible connecting rooms that can accommodate larger families may be available.

Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, and Koningsdam feature family staterooms (approx. 222-231 sq. ft.) with a capacity for five guests. The room has two twin beds (convertible to one queen), a sofa bed that fits two, and one upper bed that retracts into the wall or ceiling. This stateroom also features extra closet space and two bathrooms—one with a bathtub and shower and the other with a shower.

5. Enriching Shore Excursions

What could be a better learning experience for kids and teens, than taking them to some of the places they have seen in books or learned about in history class? Holland America Line’s expansive shore excursions program offers an array of tours and activities in port to suit a variety of travelers of all ages and interests. Imagine exploring the cathedrals of Europe, whale watching in Alaska, or exploring the sandy beaches of the Caribbean with your entire family!

6. Active Onboard Activity Venues

Active younger sailors will enjoy Holland America Line’s ship’s outdoor sports courts for basketball, soccer, and more. Holland America Line is the exclusive cruise line partner of the Professional Pickleball Association, with all cruise ships having pickleball courts with amazing top-deck views. All Holland America Line ships feature at least one all-ages pool, perfect for cooling off on a warm day.

Select Holland America ships have High Score!, a family game room with pinball, skeeball, arcade games, and more. This spot is open just for kids/teens in the day and opens up for families to enjoy at night.

7. Daily Programming

Holland America offers a robust selection of daily programming, with many options that kids and teens will enjoy joining in with the adults. Activities like origami classes, trivia, board games, arts and crafts, and much more fill the schedule of The Daily (Holland America’s activity planner). These options are great for younger sailors to get involved, and a great way for your family to bond and try new activities together.

Depending on where you are cruising, Holland America offers a selection of programs each day to help you better understand the region and culture of where you are sailing. Many of these programs are great to bring kids and teens to. For example, on Alaska cruises your ship may offer events like organized wildlife spotting with the onboard naturalist and, later that day host a Polar Bear plunge at the pool as you sail past the Fjords and Glaciers.

At night, families can check out Movies Onboard. During this event, the ship screens new and classic films in the movie theatre (on select ships) or at the giant outdoor LED movie screen by the Lido Pool on Koningsdam, Rotterdam, and Nieuw Statendam. During poolside movie nights, the crew arranges deck furniture to face the screen and passes out popcorn for the show. It’s a fun way to cap off the day and the most unique movie theatre experience on the high seas.