Documentation

Identification
Guests arriving at embarkation without proper documentation may not join the voyage and will NOT be entitled to a refund.

The following documents are required for U.S. and Canadian citizens:

1) A valid passport ~or~
2) A U.S. or Canadian government-issued picture identification; plus an original or certified copy of a United States birth certificate, Canadian birth certificate, U.S. Naturalization Certificate, or Canadian Naturalization Certificate.

Please note: Although passports are not required, we highly recommend that you carry one while traveling. The unforseen possibility of a medical disembarkation or early cruise termination may require that you have a valid passport to enable you to continue travel.

Non-U.S./non-Canadian citizens: must have a valid passport and any necessary visas. Please carefully verify the existing identification requirements for your particular travel situation. In addition, non-U.S. citizens who have previously been admitted to the United States for permanent residence must carry their Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), commonly known as a Green Card. Resident aliens not in possession of this must obtain one at the nearest office of the U.S. Immigration Service.

Clothing and dress code

The right clothing can make a big difference in the enjoyment of your cruise. First and foremost, dress for comfort. Daily life aboard ship and in ports of call is laid-back and casual. We encourage you to wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable-sportswear, shorts, sundresses, slacks, and so on.

If you'd like to jog on deck or work out in the fitness center, bring workout gear. Footwear should include comfortable walking shoes for visits ashore and sandals or rubber-soled shoes for strolling on deck.

Evening dress falls into three distinct categories. Each night a daily program will be delivered to your stateroom announcing the suggested dress for the following evening. Comfortable, relaxed clothing is fine for evenings designated as casual; however, T-shirts, jeans, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the dining room, Lido restaurant, or public areas during the evening hours. During informal nights, dresses or pantsuits for women and jackets (tie optional) for men are standard.

On festive formal evenings, women usually wear cocktail dresses or gowns and men usually wear business suits or tuxedos. There are approximately two formal nights per week. (Gentlemen: Although business suits or tuxedos are suggested attire for formal evenings, they are certainly not required. You are welcome to wear a jacket and tie on formal nights.)
 

Booking Shore Excursions

Shore excursions will help you make the most of your time in port and provide you with the best transportation and guide services available. Options may include sightseeing, flightseeing and adventure tours. Advance shore excursion bookings may be made online approximately 60 days prior to your scheduled cruise departure date. Changes or cancellations may be made up to 10 days prior to your scheduled cruise departure date. Vouchers will be delivered to your stateroom on the day of embarkation. You will also be able to request tours on the ship at the Shore Excursion Office. Please note that requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. As several tours have limited availability, advance booking is highly recommended to avoid disappointment. Requests for excursions which are fully booked are placed on a waiting list.

Please note: No refund or allowance can be made to any guest who might, for any reason (including medical), cancel, deviate from, or otherwise not utilize all of the services scheduled to be provided by any excursion. Guests on any excursion who elect to leave the automobiles or motorcoaches in the shopping area, or elsewhere, must provide their own transportation, at their own expense, back to the port.
 

Children and Youth

Club Hal® Youth Program
Holland America has a youth program for kids and teens age 5-17. Each ship is staffed with a professional Club HAL Director dedicated to making sure children have a great time. Some of the fun-filled activities include bingo for prizes, arts & crafts, special parties and much more. Each participant also receives a Club HAL t-shirt. An activity schedule for each age group will be delivered to your stateroom each evening.

Activities are offered for kids (ages 5-8), 'tweens (9-12) and teens (13-17). The program has an open door policy, which means participants may come and go as they please. All activities are supervised; however, the Club HAL Director is not responsible for any child if he/she chooses to leave the activity. Children under five years of age are welcome to participate in the program, provided an adult accompanies them.

Smoking

For the comfort of all guests, designated smoking and nonsmoking areas are available in most lounges. Smoking is not permitted at any time in dining areas. Holland America ships do not have "nonsmoking" staterooms; however, all rooms are thoroughly cleaned after each cruise to assure the comfort of  guests. All showrooms are nonsmoking during performances.