Rotterdam Children's / Kid's Programs & Babysitting
The Rotterdam offers full time, year round, kids' programs. Age-appropriate planned activities for children are provided throughout the cruise.
Youth groups onboard the Rotterdam are divided based on age.
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Club HAL takes care of the 5-8 year olds and is located on the Observation Deck (Deck 9). Two Rooms full toys and games provide lots of stimulating choices. Activities include arts and crafts, candy bar bingo and ice cream parties.
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Kids age 9-12 can learn to dance, do scavenger hunts or sing karaoke.
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Teenager activities on the Rotterdam include trivia contests, card games, theme parties and movies. There is also an "adult free", but supervised area for teens. "The Loft" is a teen hangout with a dance floor, lounge area and a setup for DVDs. It is located on the Sky Deck (Deck 10).
All the kids get to do ship tours and Coke-tail parties.
Babysitting on the Rotterdam
The Rotterdam offers in-room babysitting on a first-come, first-served basis. It is advised that you book your babysitting early on the Rotterdam as the staffing for babysitting is often limited. Make your babysitting arrangements through the Front Desk.
For a detailed overview of the Club HAL children's program, what to expect, costs, late night babysitting services, slumber parties and child care. Holland America Line even has daycare programs that allow parents to leave their kids on the ship when the Rotterdam is in port.
Rotterdam Children's / Kid's Program Tips:
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The daily activities for the various kids' programs are delivered to cabins every evening. They are also handed out by their respective Directors.
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Participation in the kids' programs is based on the itinerary and the time of year. For instance, if you are sailing on longer itineraries or during the winter months when more kids are in school, participation is low. Participation is also lower if your itinerary takes you to remote locales such as Asia, South America, Africa or the South Pacific. Summer months and shorter sailing tend to draw more kids and therefore more participation in the kids' programs.
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Sign up for all groups is on the first night of your cruise. The older kids can come and go as they please. It's a good idea to set up a meeting point or a buddy system after an activity is over. Camp Directors for these groups will escort as needed.