HAL demographic - and why I love cruising with "old" people

I'm 63 and DH is turning 75 on our next cruise.... so we are older than some and younger than some. Does that make us middle aged? I don't feel so middle aged the morning after yoga, or after a day kayaking, or painting a ceiling all those things I now do at a slower pace than i used to....

We serve our community as volunteer EMS providers, maybe we do a few calls a week in our rural area. But we see a lot of trauma, illness, people in compromised health or living conditions, and yes, sometimes we're called when people die. We have friends with family members in Memory Care, our mothers were in Memory Care. We've all lost friends and loved ones long before we were ready to. We don't get to choose paths for other people... but we get to choose our path!

I LOVE going on a HAL ship and meeting "old" people, who may or may not be my age. People who are wanting to get a good seat at the enrichment presentations to learn new things. People who are adventuring into countries they've only heard about, or have been to a dozen times and want MORE of. People who have lived through historic events. I meet them on HAL cruises!

"Old" people who are living the full life and sharing it with ME along the way are inspiring, re-energizing and refueling to me, and just plain fun to be around. "Old" people have had many trials, set-backs and losses in life - you don't get "old" without them. But "old" people rebound with new energy, new wisdom, laugh a lot and move ahead into the next chapters.

When I come back from a difficult 911 call, all I want to know is that soon I will be able to go on a cruise with people who enjoy LIVING! - even if they have to use a mobility device now, or in some other way aren't as "young" as they used to be.

I'm excited about all the interesting, intelligent and experienced cruisers with whom I am about to share our upcoming 49 night Atlantic Adventurer. Maybe I'll journal about that instead of a daily log of what I ate, did for activities or who was entertaining each day (though I love to read cruisers blogs!), because my fellow cruisers are what really make my cruise excellent. m--

Lovely post Maureen.

Well said. :D

You will love this cruise (Atlantic Adventurer) we did it last year..... Awesome!!!

<3 :*

I'm 63 and DH is turning 75 on our next cruise.... so we are older than some and younger than some. Does that make us middle aged? I don't feel so middle aged the morning after yoga, or after a day kayaking, or painting a ceiling all those things I now do at a slower pace than i used to....

 

 

 

We serve our community as volunteer EMS providers, maybe we do a few calls a week in our rural area. But we see a lot of trauma, illness, people in compromised health or living conditions, and yes, sometimes we're called when people die. We have friends with family members in Memory Care, our mothers were in Memory Care. We've all lost friends and loved ones long before we were ready to. We don't get to choose paths for other people... but we get to choose our path!

 

 

 

I LOVE going on a HAL ship and meeting "old" people, who may or may not be my age. People who are wanting to get a good seat at the enrichment presentations to learn new things. People who are adventuring into countries they've only heard about, or have been to a dozen times and want MORE of. People who have lived through historic events. I meet them on HAL cruises!

 

"Old" people who are living the full life and sharing it with ME along the way are inspiring, re-energizing and refueling to me, and just plain fun to be around. "Old" people have had many trials, set-backs and losses in life - you don't get "old" without them. But "old" people rebound with new energy, new wisdom, laugh a lot and move ahead into the next chapters.

 

When I come back from a difficult 911 call, all I want to know is that soon I will be able to go on a cruise with people who enjoy LIVING! - even if they have to use a mobility device now, or in some other way aren't as "young" as they used to be.

 

I'm excited about all the interesting, intelligent and experienced cruisers with whom I am about to share our upcoming 49 night Atlantic Adventurer. Maybe I'll journal about that instead of a daily log of what I ate, did for activities or who was entertaining each day (though I love to read cruisers blogs!), because my fellow cruisers are what really make my cruise excellent. m--

Wonderful post, Maureen! ❤️. I, for one, would really love to read a journal about the interesting folks you meet and talk with on your cruise.

That would be so much more interesting than reading about the steak in the Pinnacle Grill or the color of the lobster bisque !

The people I've met on a cruise are what I remember. But then, I am a retired innkeeper so a "people person" at heart...as are you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One of the reasons we like HAL is the fact that we run into kids like OP and her DH who keep us in touch with what's going on with the youth of today.

Thank you for the great post!

I was in my late 20's on my first HAL cruise and now mid 60s. Loved it as much then as I do now.

I have met so many wonderful people on board- some of which became literally lifelong friends.

My job is stressful and we live on a small farm that requires a lot of physical work. A couple of weeks on a blue hulled beauty is just what is needed when vacation time comes.

Last year our neighbors on Westerdam came down with colds so we went ashore early in San Diego and picked up medicine for them and asked the Concierge to get it to them when they were awake. They are now great friends and I'm sure we will sail with them again.

To those that refer to HAL as a floating nursing home I say obviously you haven't cruised HAL or were too self absorbed to get to know people. I can pretty much guarantee that any cruise longer than 2 weeks you will find a lot of retired people. Logical because they have the time and money for longer cruises. Lines like Carnival like short cruises as there is more on board spending on the shorter cruises.

We aren't the type that needs to be entertained by the cruise line. We love the quiet time away from work and home stresses. We love our long quiet dinners in PG every night (without smart phones separating us). I will admit that the smart phone has made appearances to grab a pic of something the chef creates.

Lovely post Maureen.

 

Well said. :D

Marvelous post, yes:)

Lovely post. I'm in agreement; we also savor the peace and quiet. Recently, we sailed with NCL, and it's a totally different experience. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we prefer the quiet cruising versus the hustle and bustle.

I couldn't have said it better - beautiful words! We've met so many wonderful "old people" on HAL cruises over the years, and have learned the most interesting things about them and the lives they've lived - but you have to take the time to listen, not talk. Many people forget that.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

To RMLincoln (Maureen):

Your description just sealed the deal for my DH (37) and myself (40) to book the Rotterdam for our yearly cruise.

We both want to avoid Carnival because of the unattended children and 18-25 crowd that never seems to be aware that others are on the ship, too. Norwegian has been our preference lately, but due to the unlimited alcohol and internet the service and atmosphere is trending towards Carnival-levels.

I cruise to relax, not to party.

Thank you for your description; you should get a perk for recruiting another couple to book on HAL!

Shannon

I'm excited about all the interesting, intelligent and experienced cruisers with whom I am about to share our upcoming 49 night Atlantic Adventurer. Maybe I'll journal about that instead of a daily log of what I ate, did for activities or who was entertaining each day (though I love to read cruisers blogs!), because my fellow cruisers are what really make my cruise excellent. m--

Such a wonderful Post! I would love to read your Blog and would find it so interesting and refreshing from the "normal" Cruisers blogs!

Have a wonderful Cruise! :D

Thank you, RMLincoln, for the very uplifting Post!:*(y) And also thank you for your service as EMS volunteers!

Smooth sailing :ship: :ship: :ship:

I for one want to encourage ALL of the posters. Everyone has there own comfort level and style. I enjoy reading most of the posts and it is up to the reader to read/not read what he/she wants. It is like data - more is better than none - take what you want. I have certainly got plenty of tips from posters writing about their daily activities.

Peter

Well said from all the wonderful CCERS!

I agree with all of you!

Denise:)

I for one want to encourage ALL of the posters. Everyone has there own comfort level and style. I enjoy reading most of the posts and it is up to the reader to read/not read what he/she wants. It is like data - more is better than none - take what you want. I have certainly got plenty of tips from posters writing about their daily activities.

 

Peter

I totally agree Peter! And I regret the way I worded my thoughts of journaling in a different way this time.

I have posted to Kazu that her blogs the last couple of years have inspired us - both for their Pearls of the South Pacific and their TA Iberian/UK/Paris trip earlier this year. I get so much learning and joy from others' posts about all aspects of their travels and I have clipped hundreds of pages of photos and tips from blogs.

I've gotten irritated lately by some posts and reviews I've read recently about nursing home atmosphere... these people haven't spent time visiting loved ones in nursing homes or they would know the difference between active world travelers and people severely compromised by multiple maladies.

We cruise on other lines too, and any longer cruise is a similar demographic. We did 48 nights on Carnival Splendor from LA to NY Around the Horn - a one-off repositioning... demographic the same as HAL, activities not so much. But we knew that going in and we met wonderful people with whom to share the experience.

So my apologies to those beautiful bloggers who make the time during their vacations, and spend their internet dollars to send us "food porn" photos, menus, port overviews and the excitement that keeps us going, I love immersing myself in the blogs from around the world, traveling vicariously with them. We will never get to go on a world cruise but I have "done" several over coffee! And I thank you all for putting it out there for us! Please keep them coming! m--

One of the reasons we like HAL is the fact that we run into kids like OP and her DH who keep us in touch with what's going on with the youth of today.

Thanks 'gramps and grams'! Hope we meet up with you and your tales! m--

Great post OP.

It really bothers me when people criticize HAL for being only for old people.

We have cruised with our 3 children on both HAL and Princess when the kids were late teens to early twenties. They enjoyed both lines, but preferred HAL. They loved the food, enjoyed the ports and the ship, but also the people. We always do anytime dining, so meet lots of different people throughout the cruise. My sons still remember the lunch we had with a man who had worked for NASA. He was so interesting, had such great stories to tell.

To them, a cruise was a big adventure - so different from their everyday lives of school and work.

When our daughter booked a HAL cruise for her honeymoon, she had people tell her she was crazy, telling her HAL is just for old people. They loved their cruise, and for both her and her husband, HAL is their preferred line.

Thank you for the great post!

 

I was in my late 20's on my first HAL cruise and now mid 60s. Loved it as much then as I do now.

 

I have met so many wonderful people on board- some of which became literally lifelong friends.

 

My job is stressful and we live on a small farm that requires a lot of physical work. A couple of weeks on a blue hulled beauty is just what is needed when vacation time comes.

 

Last year our neighbors on Westerdam came down with colds so we went ashore early in San Diego and picked up medicine for them and asked the Concierge to get it to them when they were awake. They are now great friends and I'm sure we will sail with them again.

 

To those that refer to HAL as a floating nursing home I say obviously you haven't cruised HAL or were too self absorbed to get to know people. I can pretty much guarantee that any cruise longer than 2 weeks you will find a lot of retired people. Logical because they have the time and money for longer cruises. Lines like Carnival like short cruises as there is more on board spending on the shorter cruises.

 

We aren't the type that needs to be entertained by the cruise line. We love the quiet time away from work and home stresses. We love our long quiet dinners in PG every night (without smart phones separating us). I will admit that the smart phone has made appearances to grab a pic of something the chef creates.

Maureen, thank you for a great post and oustanding thread.

Frank, I love your post as well.

Maureen,

Very nice post. Hope we meet on a cruise someday.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I'm 63 and DH is turning 75 on our next cruise.... so we are older than some and younger than some. Does that make us middle aged? I don't feel so middle aged the morning after yoga, or after a day kayaking, or painting a ceiling all those things I now do at a slower pace than i used to....

 

We serve our community as volunteer EMS providers, maybe we do a few calls a week in our rural area. But we see a lot of trauma, illness, people in compromised health or living conditions, and yes, sometimes we're called when people die. We have friends with family members in Memory Care, our mothers were in Memory Care. We've all lost friends and loved ones long before we were ready to. We don't get to choose paths for other people... but we get to choose our path!

 

I LOVE going on a HAL ship and meeting "old" people, who may or may not be my age. People who are wanting to get a good seat at the enrichment presentations to learn new things. People who are adventuring into countries they've only heard about, or have been to a dozen times and want MORE of. People who have lived through historic events. I meet them on HAL cruises!

"Old" people who are living the full life and sharing it with ME along the way are inspiring, re-energizing and refueling to me, and just plain fun to be around. "Old" people have had many trials, set-backs and losses in life - you don't get "old" without them. But "old" people rebound with new energy, new wisdom, laugh a lot and move ahead into the next chapters.

When I come back from a difficult 911 call, all I want to know is that soon I will be able to go on a cruise with people who enjoy LIVING! - even if they have to use a mobility device now, or in some other way aren't as "young" as they used to be.

I'm excited about all the interesting, intelligent and experienced cruisers with whom I am about to share our upcoming 49 night Atlantic Adventurer. Maybe I'll journal about that instead of a daily log of what I ate, did for activities or who was entertaining each day (though I love to read cruisers blogs!), because my fellow cruisers are what really make my cruise excellent. m--

What a wonderful, wonderful post! Thanks for correcting the often stated stereotype of HAL guests as being "old" and therefore uninteresting. Outside I am indeed old but inside I still feel young and so much enjoy visiting with the young in spirit on a HAL cruise.

Dan

Love the OP's comments and the resulting responses! THANK YOYU!!!) I too get internally "angry" when folks refer to HAL as a Nursing Home atmosphere. They truly either have not looked with open eyes while on HAL, and/or have not spent much, if any, time observing in Nursing Homes. THANK YOU for your posting!!!

I have spent a lot of time visiting folks in Nursing Homes of all sorts, both through my work and personal life. They (HAL and NH populations) are two very different "worlds". They are NO WAY comparable. I think it is truly insulting to the vast, vast majority of your fellow HAL cruisers for those (NOT OP or others on this thread) to say such things. (Of course, some of you can find an an example of a person who perhaps is the exception to my above statement.) Even I can, BUT in the 5 cases I can think of (over 1100 days cruising) those passengers were more like needing an Assisted Living situation, NOT a Nursing Home. In the two cases I am most familiar with, HAL did tell the person's TA that if they were to cruise again - they needed a full time aid with them. (Issues were dementia related.)

A very special man - I did see one passenger who did need 24/7 nursing level care, BUT her husband brought two full time trained caretakers on the cruise to share time assisting him with his wife's care. (By the way, it was a joy seeing these two caretakers and how he treated them. As one of them told me, he had given them money to buy "formal"clothes (the old days formal) and appropriate casual clothes, paid for excursions, special treatments onboard, etc. Cruising was way outside of their lives. He even arranged to do the care taking duties at times that allowed them to go on excursions together, eat dinner in the MDR together, etc. They will NEVER forget the experience, one they could never afford themselves. They were a joy for other passengers to observe and it reminded us how fortunate we all were.) Of course, many cruisers could not afford to do what he did!)

100% agree -- I'll take Old folks ( of which I'm proud to be) of that 25-40 crowd that can be - loud and rude and uninteresting, any day of the week -- Yes read the posts and then decide which line fits you - I personally do not want a floating amusement park or city

What a wonderful, wonderful post! Thanks for correcting the often stated stereotype of HAL guests as being "old" and therefore uninteresting. Outside I am indeed old but inside I still feel young and so much enjoy visiting with the young in spirit on a HAL cruise.

 

Dan

I agree! I think people see the gray hair and the scooters and walkers and think "nursing home." But I see people who are still out there, experiencing life. HAL isn't God's waiting room. It's a hideout for those of us who are saying, "Not yet God, I'm not ready to go!"

We sailed on QE2 starting in the mid '80s (when we were younger ;p) right up to her retirement (when we were retired, too). On our early cruises, many of the passengers we met were older than we were. We quickly learned not to see them as old, but as people who had lots of great experiences to share. We enjoyed hearing about places that were on our "someday" list. We've been fortunate enough to get to many of those places and hope to get to more. We're still meeting interesting well-traveled people on our cruises, both on Cunard and on HAL.

Leaving shore for a cruise is one of my few opportunities in the year to enjoy a timeless travel experience. I can hardly imagine my enthusiasm being dampened by focusing on the age of my fellow passengers!