Should you take a preschooler on a cruise? Sure, there are plenty of cruises out there that are targeted for little people, but what if you want to have a nice relaxing time too. Can you do both? Can you take a little kid on a cruise for grownups? Alice gave it a whirl…
“Oh, my goodness me,” shrieked the woman – stopping me with her thick Texan accent and, quite literally, by grabbing my wrist. “Are you two coming on our ship? What a brave woman you are but how wonderful for us to be joined by you!”
I gave this random stranger the best smile I could muster. On my hip, I had my beaming three-year-old son, who had decided his legs wouldn’t work and he needed to be up high “to see all the things”. I was sweating. My arm that wasn’t supporting him was towing a large suitcase – plus I was wearing a backpack and a crossbody bag that was now cutting off circulation to half my body after trying to lug everything from the taxi through the port.
But yes! I enthusiastically told this woman – trying to make up for how flustered (and in pain?) I was. My son and I were getting onboard the Noordam, a Holland America Cruise Ship for eight nights at sea, just the two of us.
Would it be the greatest parenting decision I ever made, or, one that would quickly blow up in my face?
We were joining the Noordam in Dunedin in late November, half-way through its normal route from Auckland, through Napier, Wellington, Picton and Lyttleton before reaching Port Chalmers. From there we were jumping on for the second half – up through Fiordland National Park then out across the Tasman Sea to Hobart, then Melbourne before bidding the ship farewell in Sydney.
And at that moment, talking to this woman, I suddenly wasn’t sure whether this was one of my most brilliant plans after all.
Because we weren’t there for official embarkation day, we were rather haphazardly towing ourselves to the ship, until mid-conversation with the lovely purple-haired Texan woman, a man wearing a Holland America shirt suddenly swooped in and took the handle of my suitcase. He masterfully unraveled all my other bags and elicited peals of laughter from my son in the process, immediately lightening the load as he sorted us getting onboard.
From that moment on, Holland America did all the heavy lifting for me – and I’m talking physically and mentally.
Perhaps this was going to be a good decision after all.
The Ship
The Noordam is a Vista Class ship (HAL has four classes: Pinnacle, Signature, Vista and R), meaning it’s a mid-sized, premium ship with a high percentage of balcony cabins (around 67%). These ships are known for being “cultured but relaxed” – meaning you can find museum quality art, live music, a beautiful three-story central atrium, but a laid-back vibe onboard.
When I heard mid-sized, I don’t quite know what I expected, but I was surprised to find it has a capacity of 1927 guests – with an additional 820 crew. For so many people onboard, it never felt busy – even when everyone was trying to get off at the same time.
Onboard the 11 decks of the ship – which was built in 2006 and had a major refit in 2019 – there’s a World Stage where you can watch live performances, sports courts, three pools (including an adults-only one and an indoor one with a retractable roof), casinos, a library, shops, a spa and fitness centre, plus a plethora of bars and restaurants to choose from.
Now if you have kids, you may have noticed what’s missing from that list compared to some of the other bells and whistles you might find on those larger ships.
There are no hydro slides, go-kart tracks, zip-lines or arcades those ships targeting families often have. Holland America is a “family-friendly” cruise line, not a “family-focused” cruise. That means you’ll find a kids’ club onboard (hurrah!), youth programs, kid-friendly zones and menus, but, no, they’re not the focus.
Which, I found, can kind of make the experience a more well-rounded one for the whole family. This was the kind of ship I could imagine bringing my husband and kids along on, along with the grandparents (a woman I met onboard was travelling with three generations of family members and told me how thrilled she was that her granddaughter wanted to spend each night sleeping in her cabin. I imagine the young girl’s parents were also thrilled!)
Most of the people onboard our ship were older Americans, Brits, Aussies and locals and although the ship was near-on capacity I only counted seven children. Apparently during school holidays – particularly over Christmas – that number swells tremendously with families making up a good portion of guests. I did see quite a number of teens though – there seemed to be a lot of teens onboard with their parents and grandparents, which honestly, seems like a dream scenario.
My son only did a little tour of the kids’ club. We found there was so much we wanted to do and see together, from shore excursions to sea days where we explored every inch of the ship. When the calendar clicked over to December 1 a Christmas display launched – including an elaborate gingerbread house village, with a running train! – where we headed each morning after breakfast.
Thankfully, despite being just my son and I, we were with a small group of journalists – plus we made friends with an American family onboard who had a child around the same age. That meant on two nights, I put my son to sleep then crept out, while a friend crept in to stay in the room and read a book while I went out to have a glass of bubbles on my own for a bit. Bliss.
The Food
Travelling with kids can be tricky when it comes to food – anyone else find their kid suddenly has some major regressions? The JOY of being on a cruise ship is you will most certainly be able to find something they’ll eat. We spent most of our time at the Lido Market – a fancy buffet with a truly impressive number of different food stations serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner.
My son quickly made friends with Trisha, the lovely woman who greeted him by name and fussed over him every morning at the waffle station (months later, he still talks about how much he misses his “waffle friend”).
There was honestly every breakfast food imaginable available. Every.
And likewise, a revolving menu for lunch and dinner, with plenty of options from pasta and pizza, through to sushi, curries, sandwiches and a truly impressive salad bar.
Another staple for us was the Dive-in bar, situated by the main indoor pool. It serves up incredibly good burgers (I’m gluten-free, and still managed to get a great burger – and hand cut fries!).
We also enjoyed more formal dining at the Dining Room, Pinnacle Grill (I had one heck of a good porterhouse steak!), and Canaletto.
If somehow, we hadn’t quite got our fill – or my son had been too distracted in the restaurants to eat – room service runs 24 hours and is free of charge (and they have a FAB kids menu).
The Room
We stayed in a verandah stateroom, which featured a decent sized private balcony, on the fifth floor of the ship. If you suffer from motion sickness, midship is your way to go – we were towards the port of the ship, which was still pretty good.
There’s a large king-sized bed, a desk, plus a sitting area, and our little couch folded out into a bed. There’s a reasonable sized bathroom, which features a tub/shower. One thing there was plenty of was storage – loads of cupboards and shelves, plus, oodles of space under the bed for suitcases.
The Ports
Much of our trip was at sea – the ship didn’t stop in Fiordland, but did offer great views (when it wasn’t too misty to see!). We stopped in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney, each for a day.
In Hobart we took one of the Holland America official excursions that you can book through the cruise-line (easily through the handy app!). We booked a half-day tour, taking in the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and the historical Richmond area. Apparently, my son just loves being on different modes of transport because he was very impressed by the coach, he couldn’t have cared less where it took us. Bonorong is a cute little working wildlife sanctuary. While we spent the first part of the walk through it wondering if we might ever see an animal, in the second half we were rewarded with two echidnas playing (I never realised how cute they are), a very tame wombat and a few dozen kangaroos. Over in the old settlement of Richmond, we had a great time wandering around the old jail and settlements, stopping for gelato in the park.
In Melbourne, we decided to go at our own pace, getting a bus right at the terminal into town. From there we jumped on a tram out to Melbourne Zoo – where we had such a wonderful day (a highlight was the aquarium and the quokkas!) – before getting a tram into town (another highlight for my son) where we slowly wandered back to the ship from.
We had an early flight back from Sydney – but have vowed to go back, it such a great spot for families.
Top Tips for Cruising With Little Ones
Tip Number One: Get a room with a verandah. But… for God’s sake, please find a safe hiding spot for the key
Ahh, the bliss of having a verandah suite at sea. It’s so helpful if you have a little one – on so many levels. If you’re feeling a little green, being able to step outside and get some fresh air (and see the horizon), from the comfort of your cabin is priceless. Plus, if your little one needs a nap, you can shut all the blackout curtains, then head outside with a book and a cold drink to enjoy the view while they’re asleep. I didn’t think this would be something I had to think about – my son had given up naps long before we got onboard – but he had a nap every day we were at sea, obviously tuckered out by all the excitement and stimulation.
Here’s where I went wrong though, and please learn from my mistake!
On day one of our trip as our ship set sail my son and I excitedly leapt out onto the verandah. We waved to the people watching along the shore, and at the people sailing past on their boats. Then my son decided he needed his binoculars, so I opened the heavy door to let him back into the room to quickly fetch them, while I stayed out there, enjoying the view. The door shut behind him, and I saw him turn back and touch the door handle.
It was then that I remembered that the door had a little key in the lock inside of the room – and that my preschooler was now turning that very key. I didn’t move fast enough – he’d locked me out on the verandah. Would he be able to unlock it? Would he think it was hilarious and not unlock it? Would he freak out when he realised I was locked out there and he was unable to work out how to unlock the door?!?
Thankfully, he quickly unlocked it again and I could open the door. It did take about 20 seconds though – which felt like I was out there for 45 minutes, troubleshooting what to do. Thankfully I had my phone with me – and I could hear other people enjoying their verandahs who I could yell to. But from then on, I kept the verandah door locked and the key in my pocket, away from my son!
Tip Number Two: Take a Cruise with Sea Days Included
Okay, realistically, when are you ever going to be on a ship with your kids again? (I mean, if I had it my way, it’d be SOON – my husband can show you all the links to family friendly cruises I have sent him since getting back).
Cruising is popular amongst the older set because it takes all that hassle out of having to get yourself from place to place, from trains, to airports, to taxis, to finding your next hotel, all the while lugging all your things around. When you’ve got young kids, getting to bypass all those facets of travelling is also truly appealing. (A side note here: The only time my three-year-old had a meltdown was in the departure hall of Sydney airport – not on the ship. Also, curse you Sydney Airport for having a giant LEGO F1 display at toddler height – he could not understand why he wasn’t allowed to get his own set. A) you’ve just been on holiday you lucky tyke, B) it’s for adults C) that’s not fitting in the overhead compartment, surely).
You could just see a cruise as a great way to see a lot of different destinations, in a much more family friendly manner. But, before you go choosing a trip with a packed itinerary, can I suggest you try one with a few sea days involved. Sea days are fab, because you actually get time to explore the ship and unwind. You get to make the most of the novelty of being at sea. And, as I mentioned earlier, with so much going on, it’s likely your little ones are going to need some down time, particularly very small kids.
Tip Number Three: Pack Well
I took a rather giant suitcase with us and perhaps overpacked – but, really, the only hurdle is getting your bag to and from the ship, so a little inconvenience felt worth that price onboard.
Even though we went late November/early December, we still experienced a range of temperatures. We had some chilly, wet weather in Fiordland (I was very thankful for packing merinos and jackets), then some scorching days in Melbourne/Sydney. I’d recommend packing clothing for any weather.
Onboard, smart-casual seemed to be the best way to dress – plus, we took a couple of fancy outfits for the dressy nights, as well as some orange items for Orange Night, where everyone embraces the Dutch heritage of the cruise line.
I brought a few familiar comforts to make my young one feel more at home. A light sleep-sack for day-naps and a pillow-case from home helped him sleep. Plus, a bag of his favourite toys (I always take a small bag of little cars, plus a play-mat – one which has a little racetrack design).
If I did my time over, I’d probably pack a portable bed bumper for a bit more security keeping him safely in his bed.
See, we encountered a bit of bad weather around Fiordland, with the swells reaching four metres. When you were in bed you could feel it much more than when moving around the boat. My son has a tendency to thrash around the bed at the best of times so I put him to sleep on the fold-out couch most nights, but on the night out of Fiordland I had him in the bed with me. I made a little barrier out of pillows on the other side of him – but it clearly wasn’t robust enough because in the middle of the night I was awoken by a thud.
I jumped out of bed and searched around in the dark with my hands for him (I’d laid down a bunch of pillows on the side of the bed just in case he fell, thankfully) – but he wasn’t there. To my horror, when I turned on the light, I still couldn’t see him.
I checked under the bed – nothing. Just as I was beginning to wonder if I was in the plot of a thriller set at sea (y’know, the kind of one where I would have run to the staff for help and one of them would have said, ‘Ma’am, there’s no record of you ever bringing a child on this ship’) I found him.
He’d somehow rolled over the barrier of pillows, onto the pillows by the side of the bed and then rolled right underneath the bed, across to the other side of the room, where he was still fast asleep under the sofa bed.
Other things I’d take:
- Magnetic hooks. The walls of cruise ships are magnetised, which makes attaching anything to them a dream if you’re prepared. I bought these hooks from Amazon which can hold up to 13.6kg each. Our stateroom came with two hooks, but having a couple extra was so handy for hanging up my son’s backpack, his bag of toys, his hat etc – and for stringing up the fairy lights. Yes, fairy lights…
- Fairy lights. We went at Christmastime, but honestly I’d take this light any time of year. It’s magnetised, so you can attach it to the walls – it works as a night light, a torch, or inside is 10 metres of fairy-lights (you can even make them flash!) to pull out and hang up around your room. It brought a bit of added magic to our stateroom!
- Sea sickness tablets. I was at the doctors shortly before we left, so picked up a prescription, but you can buy over the counter medicine from pharmacies, and it’s well worth it, even just as an insurance policy. My son never had a hint of feeling queasy (thank God), but did get a laugh out of his mother feeling a bit off for a couple of days. The seasickness tablets really work – as does chewing ginger lollies, drinking ginger tea, plus snacking on green apples and getting some fresh air. Make sure you’re prepared, just in case!
The Final Verdict
Taking your young kids on holiday – particularly solo – is always going to involve a challenge or two, but would I definitely repeat taking a week-long cruise with a preschooler. In a heartbeat.
At least once a day since going on the cruise my son has brought up something about the experience – whether it was the pod of whales we spotted out the window at breakfast one morning, watching the tug boats bring us into port, or the time he got a fright when the boat’s horn bleared while we waited for our burgers. He talks about the food. About the Christmas display. About waking up in the morning and opening the curtains next to his bed to see what was going to be out the window that day (the highlight had to be the morning he pulled them back to reveal a perfectly framed view of the Sydney Opera House).
Some days were full-on – no, there weren’t many kids on board, which meant being one, kind of turned him into a celebrity. Everywhere we went, crew members (who all seemed to know his name and the fact that he likes Lightning McQueen and Bluey within 24 hours) would stop to talk, high-five and ask him about his day or who his favourite Cars character is.
When we dined at the buffet, there’s no assigned tables, so you can often find yourself sharing a table (particularly if you want one with the best view) and I was quietly and pleasantly surprised each day as people would clear spaces and call out to us to come sit with them. We met so many wonderful people, who all seemed to be having a ball.
Yes, all that stimulation meant we were back to having afternoon naps most days, but that worked out just fine for me too – getting an hour or two to read a book with G&T on one of our deck loungers.
I’d do it all over again in an absolute heartbeat.
Alice and her son were guests of Holland America.
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