• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

Have children who want to learn about the world on the ultimate field trip? Holland America cruises can fulfill and exceed that educational requirement.

It's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This means late sunrise, low temperatures, gray days, precipitation, and early darkness in the mix. What might bring warm days and sunny skies, powder-sand beaches and destinations that offer unusual sights? How about a family-friendly mix of comfortable space for everyone where you would only pack and unpack once? Add some exceptional customer service, a minimum of hassles, and there you go.

The Holland America Line offers the m.s. Westerdam, a 1,900-passenger, 950-foot, 82,500-ton masterpiece, the third in their 21st Century Vista-Class fleet. This particular itinerary left from Fort Lauderdale, stopped for the day at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas and cruised over 40 hours to Aruba for a daytime call. Next it was on to Curacao for another 11-hour visit before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. In all, a lot of time at sea, not usually a family-friendly event, but, given the right mix, something to learn from the Caribbean’s vastness.

Twas the Night Before the Cruise

In Ft. Lauderdale, the airport, hotels and cruise piers are within about 3 miles of each other, making transfers smooth and easy for all concerned. Arriving at the gigantic yet manageable Ft. Lauderdale Airport, members of our group were escorted to the Marriott Harbor Beach (3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale 33316; 954/525-4000) for a night's stay before the cruise. We were treated to a most pleasant dinner at the on-site 3030 Ocean Restaurant (okay for older children, younger children may get bored by the course pacing). More family-friendly was the Cascades Restaurant, also on-site.

For the kids, the hotel offers a huge pool and, of course, the Atlantic Ocean with a lovely, sandy beach. My room was well appointed, with a great view of the waves and of the various cruise ships as they came along. This pre-cruise deviation will put any family into the mood on the morning of embarkation. An overnight here is well worth it if your budget allows, especially since flight delays have become so common that a same-day flight from home might threaten your arriving in time for the cruise's departure.

And Away We Go...

Dawn came, welcoming the site of majestic, almost balletic cruise ships approaching the harbor. They discharged passengers and crew from last week's trip, and then provisioned supplies, loaded crew, passengers and baggage for the voyages that would leave that night. After breakfast and a hurried beach walk, we descended upon the piers with thousands of other cruisers scattered among the many vessels that awaited them. Embarkation, although laborious, went routinely and quickly enough. I was in cabin #7035.

Under the guidance of Captain Peter Harris, this vessel was the city that moved! Picture 924 staterooms, 19 public rooms, a crew of 800 (almost 300 alone associated with food preparation and service), a spa, pools, and Club HAL for children. Anything you could ask for, served with a grace unique to Holland America, was granted. Captain Harris took his responsibilities seriously, and was a most delightful host.

Promptly at 5pm on Sunday, this gigantic vessel pushed out from the pier along with several maritime relatives, all bound for ports throughout the Caribbean. As the ship pushed further into what was to rapidly become an inky darkness, Ft. Lauderdale became smaller and smaller against a glorious sunset with just about every primary color in evidence in the sky.

As everyone on the ship entertained the idea of eating dinner, they could choose between the Lido, which offered cafeteria-style dining, the Vista Dining Room, a bi-level formal dining room with an excellent menu, and the Pinnacle, which was a premium fee dining room, offering specialties from the American Pacific Northwest. The Lido is very family-friendly, the Vista better suited to teenagers that are somewhat patient, the Pinnacle more formal in presentation, and suited to adults. Both the Vista and the Lido offer breakfast, while the Lido offers lunch, along with the Terrace Grill on the main pool deck. Dinner is served at all three restaurants. The menus have recently been through a re-design and many foods offered are low in carbs and fat. Coupled with smaller portions, healthier dining is family-friendly. The dining staff did an outstanding job, bringing style and service up to a level rarely seen in most restaurants.

Enough about food, tomorrow would bring an encounter with Half Moon Cay, Holland America's own private island in the Bahamas.