Cruiseline for seniors

[bird2sea]

If you are going to look @ GCT be sure to check out Vantage-these companies are owned by brothers. We continue to do ocean cruising but our preference is river cruising in Europe. Vantage includes more excursions while GCT has more optionals; also the hotels they use for pre and post stays are upscaled. They also offer wonderful land tours and last year did the train from Vancouver to Toronto which was fabulous and we will be doing the Canadian maritimes with them next month. Their website is http://www.vantage.com and for a discount for your 1st trip use our #3459537. For subsequent trips you will earn a discount on your own. Be forewarned...their trips are totally addicting and fantastic. But you will be glad to have discovered their wonderful journeys!...Valerie

Sorry Valarie I tried that web site and it was for a business not for travel company. Do you have a different one. I am looking into new travel companies to try to help me get the best for my money since I am a "senior" now and also solo traveler.

Thank you for your help in this.

[rayandjean]

Sorry Valarie I tried that web site and it was for a business not for travel company. Do you have a different one. I am looking into new travel companies to try to help me get the best for my money since I am a "senior" now and also solo traveler.

Thank you for your help in this.

Sorry, I wrote it wrong: it's "vantagetravel.com". Check them out-they give a wonderful experience. Any other questions you can e-mail me directly if you wish: woodeast@sbcglobal.net

[on the sea addict]

Is Royal Caribbean the only cruiseline that offers the "Meet and Mingle" get togethers?

 

Princess has M&G on all the cruises we've been on if someone is organizing it on cruise critics. We have two cruises booked and, for example, you go to - boards - then click on the shipping line your interested in under roll call - then click on the ship - and then the itinerary. That way you are able to meet allot of people ahead of time that you will be cruising with!

That way too you can get on private excursions.

Chris on the Sea Addict

[Cygneagile]

I'm only 60; I find the HAL crowd far, far too old for me. The nightlife on Costa is the best I've found, although Costa has pretty much abandoned the American market. I like both Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

 

:p

Hey there

Thanks for the heads up. I am over 70 and find some of the cruise lines do not have enough activities on board for me. We enjoy dance lessons

Cooking lessons and other special they have during sea days and in port

 

My daughter and I are looking at Dec 5 on the Legend. She needs a break and I can cruise anytime. Do you think we could enjoy our cruise on a Carnival Ship? The price for a mini suite is the same as just a balcony on RCCL. So that is our incentive.

[lcmdir]

We discovered cruising after retirement and have been on Princess, Carnival, HAL, NCL, RCI, Disney, & soon to be Celebrity -- loved every cruise! It is easy to avoid activities I don't like (hairy chest contests) and to enjoy the others (string quartets, lectures).

 

The only awful experience was on NCL out of Seattle when we were warehoused in a convention center for more than eight hours before boarding. I love NCL but will NEVER sail on them out of Seattle again. However, their Panama Canal and New England cruises were excellent!

 

I prefer mid-sized ships (it's a walking thing) but, hey, if it floats I'm there.

 

Anna

[lcmdir]

We just finished cruising on Carnival's Legend. It was another wonderful cruise! It is so easy to leave out of Tampa, the ship is just the right size, the staff was great, good food, and there was even an opera singer performing (what a nice surprise). Of course I've never met a cruise I didn't like so ymmv. Enjoy!

Anna

[Cygneagile]

Anna Thanks

We sometimes have the ridicules idea that Carnival is for just the younger crowd but being a member of the young at heart. I think it would be great.

How were your ports of call?

 

Julie

[lady_cruiser]

We like Royal Caribbean because the age deomographics for the people cruising with us are between late 50s all the way to young folks in their late 80s.

[vintagebabe]

We sailed on Azamara last year. Small ships, about 600 passengers. Mainly 50+ crowd, but an active 50+ crowd. Because of the smaller number of passengers, it was easy to get to know people, and we found the majority of passengers quite friendly. No kids programs, so very few to no children on board.

[THEWIFE]

We sailed on Azamara last year. Small ships, about 600 passengers. Mainly 50+ crowd, but an active 50+ crowd. Because of the smaller number of passengers, it was easy to get to know people, and we found the majority of passengers quite friendly. No kids programs, so very few to no children on board.

 

We took a 14 day cruise to the Med last spring and were really surprised by how many children were on board. We choose our cruises carefully, in order to avoid all the kids. From what I have been reading on the CC boards, people seem to have no problem taking their kids out of school for what I (personally) think are extended periods of time. I have come to the sorry conclusion that there is no avoiding them. I understand Azamara and similar cruise lines are pricier and are, therefore, generally not the first choice of parents taking their kids along, but sometimes even the expensive cruise lines run specials; i.e., kids cruise free. In addition, for the cost of an Azamara (or like) cruise, we can take 2 cruises on lines like HAL or Celebrity. We do our best with what we've got: try to eat later and avoid as many of the kiddies as possible, but sometimes we just can't win, and before I get flamed, let me say that I am not a child hater by any means, but I have worked with kids for years, I've raised three of my own quite successfully, I think, and I am a grandmother myself, but I just do not choose to vacation with the tykes. When we take land trips, we try to book rooms at adult only resorts.

 

I really wish they would offer adult only cruises (no, not x-rated :D), but they don't. I am seriously interested in trying out HAL.

[yorkiemomjn]

We took a 14 day cruise to the Med last spring and were really surprised by how many children were on board. We choose our cruises carefully, in order to avoid all the kids. From what I have been reading on the CC boards, people seem to have no problem taking their kids out of school for what I (personally) think are extended periods of time. I have come to the sorry conclusion that there is no avoiding them. I understand Azamara and similar cruise lines are pricier and are, therefore, generally not the first choice of parents taking their kids along, but sometimes even the expensive cruise lines run specials; i.e., kids cruise free. In addition, for the cost of an Azamara (or like) cruise, we can take 2 cruises on lines like HAL or Celebrity. We do our best with what we've got: try to eat later and avoid as many of the kiddies as possible, but sometimes we just can't win, and before I get flamed, let me say that I am not a child hater by any means, but I have worked with kids for years, I've raised three of my own quite successfully, I think, and I am a grandmother myself, but I just do not choose to vacation with the tykes. When we take land trips, we try to book rooms at adult only resorts.

 

I really wish they would offer adult only cruises (no, not x-rated :D), but they don't. I am seriously interested in trying out HAL.

We feel the same way. We have raised two children and dearly love our 3 grandchildren, but unless we are going to Disney World with all of them, which we have done twice, we prefer cruises with no children. We took a Med. cruise last April on Oceania and decided it was the PERFECT cruise line for our age and preferences. Small, fabulous food, wonderful ports, no children programs (there was one child on our cruise). :D

[Cruiseroz]

We like the Fred Olsen cruises, have been on 8 of theirs to the Baltic,

Artic regions, they are smaller ships and ideal for great cruises from

one forjd to the other under the bridges. When cruising up in the Artic

one doesn't think of towns and cities but there are and it is lovely to

see the wonderful countryside.

The cruise into Stockholm was fantastic, the cruise into St Petersberg

was through all the old Communist vessel turning to rust buckets!

One cruise we spend on the inland route was wonderful, hope to go

again soon. These people do cater for the older folk, we are in our 60s

and do feel one of the youngest on the ship! Crew are fantastic and happy and helpful very pleasant people.:)

 

 

We have over 100 days on HAL and love it although we started before we were in the 55 and over range. That said we have also enjoyed our cruises on Princess and our next cruise is on the Royal Princess. We did a cruise on the Tahitian (now the Ocean) Princess and loved the size of the ship and ease that you can get around on the ship. That is also true of most of the older HAL ships although the newer ones are getting bigger and bigger.

 

Another advantage of smaller ships, which a number of lines have, is the number of passengers means it is easier to meet and see new friends. On the mega ships you may never see someone after you have met them once.

 

Good food and good service have made HAL and Princess our favorites but we have also enjoyed our cruise on RCL and Disney which I see you have also tried.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[Cruiseroz]

P & O Europe have a vessel that doesn't take children.

Fred Olsen cruises do not have many children, they specialize in

folks over 55. Nice cruises with FRED lovely staff, entertainment

is fine and they have guest speakers and lecturers.:p

 

 

 

We feel the same way. We have raised two children and dearly love our 3 grandchildren, but unless we are going to Disney World with all of them, which we have done twice, we prefer cruises with no children. We took a Med. cruise last April on Oceania and decided it was the PERFECT cruise line for our age and preferences. Small, fabulous food, wonderful ports, no children programs (there was one child on our cruise). :D

[jocap]

P & O Europe have a vessel that doesn't take children.

Fred Olsen cruises do not have many children, they specialize in

folks over 55. Nice cruises with FRED lovely staff, entertainment

is fine and they have guest speakers and lecturers.:p

Next spring, Royal Princess transfers to her sister company to become P&O Adonia.

Along with the much larger ship, Arcadia (same ship as Q.V, Q E.), both are child free.

Late in 2011, P&O Oriana also becomes adult only.

Jo.

[Wandering Writer]

We've recently returned from a cruise on Eurodam with my 89 yr/old mother-in-law who was wanting to take another cruise but concerned that she wasn't up to it. We booked a room for her next to ours and even with her uncertainty about remembering where she was to go and how to get back to her room, we found that she gained her confidence back after two days and learning that the ship was laid out in an easy to understand design: activities and dinner on deck 2 and 3, breakfast and lunch on deck 9. She carried a little paper with our room #s on it so that she could ask directions if she got confused. I was delighted to see her take pride in being "on her own" for a few hours each day.

 

I think for anyone who is or has a relative they are traveling with that has trouble getting around or with their memory, choose a ship that is laid out sensibly with a simple design like the Eurodam (avoid the QM2 that has twists and turns and blind hallways that lead to ???) There were enough younger folks that made it a nice mix of cruisers but yes, HAL does tend to be a lot "grayer".

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

We have been sailing since around 1996 and been on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and NCL. We are currently booking NCL because of the freestyle - don't like hauling formal clothing, especially to the Caribbean. Loved Princess to Alaska - very few kids, much older crowd and Princess for the Panama Canal. Adored our 1 Celebrity cruise (small ship, fantastic waiter who made the cruise for us). Haven't done Carnival in quite a while but wouldn't rule it out again. DH is now 80 and I am 64. We enjoy dancing and the evening shows as well as laying on the balcony resting and reading. May try HAL if the itinerary and price are comparable.

[catzcrazy]

Voyages of Discovery for seniors,they don't encourage children and have unusual itineraries. 650 to 700 passengers.

And they are very expensive - would love to do one, but just cannot afford it.

My DH in his 60s and I am almost 59. But we can and do cruise as often as possible based on the best prices for where we want to go.

[iancal]

I do not think that there is a 'best' cruise line for those over 55. It is really dependent on individual tastes and preferences. There are also many differences between ships in the same cruise line.