Holland America is not ONLY for "Old People!"

[DeepWaterMariner]

I think HAL is attractive to cruisers who like a certain style and type of cruising. Age groups are not monolithic in how they act or spend their money. Our first HAL cruises were when we were in our 20's. Now, 40 years later, we still cruise HAL. I've been on Princess cruises that had more elderly passengers. Age is more a function of cruise length than cruise line.

[adventuregrrl]

Excellent thread. We're 40-somethings and big HAL fans too. We like that we've never seen a hairy chest contest on a DAM ship the way we did on Carnival. :)

[3rdGenCunarder]

Excellent thread. We're 40-somethings and big HAL fans too. We like that we've never seen a hairy chest contest on a DAM ship the way we did on Carnival. :)

 

If I have nightmares tonight, it will be your fault! :eek:

[localady]

The quieter vibe and upscale ambiance drew me to HAL. I was 40 on my first HAL cruise, single, and had been hassled previously by room and dining stewards on RCCL making me feel very uncomfortable. (Hey Mama, you look soooo Hot tonight...:rolleyes:) The crew on a HAL ship were just a refreshing discovery so respectful and polite. :D

 

I am now 53 and have 250+ days on HAL.:D I agree that it is a great cruise line for those of any age wanting a bit more sedate cruise.

[PathfinderEss]

We started cruising on Hal in 1995 and we were young then, now not so much. You might say Hal is for the old but guess what, the young people now saying that, will be the old people of tomorrow (hopefully). So watch what you say because it comes faster then one can imagine. If you become hooked on cruising like us, 20 years will pass quickly. I have always said that it takes all ages to make life interesting, and that goes for cruising too. Happy cruising to everyone of every age.

[NoobCruise]

I'm going to stick my neck out here because I think this thread is in response to MY post regarding the elder demographic on HAL.

 

I just want to offer my sincerest apology for offending anyone (everyone). I re-read my post and it was over the top offensive and I apologize. I allowed myself to be offended by the posts referring to the trailor trash and "walmart" passengers and responded badly. I sincerely apologize. If I could delete the post so no one else could be offended, I would.

 

I also will not to read the dress code threads anymore because they seem to bring out the worst in a lot of people, myself included.

[vbmom87]

I'm going to stick my neck out here because I think this thread is in response to MY post regarding the elder demographic on HAL.

 

I just want to offer my sincerest apology for offending anyone (everyone). I re-read my post and it was over the top offensive and I apologize. I allowed myself to be offended by the posts referring to the trailor trash and "walmart" passengers and responded badly. I sincerely apologize. If I could delete the post so no one else could be offended, I would.

 

I also will not to read the dress code threads anymore because they seem to bring out the worst in a lot of people, myself included.

 

Nice of you to post your apology. I have stopped reading the dress code threads and the smoking threads. Neither topic keeps people civil.

 

As far as removing the post you wrote, you can try clicking the red triangle in the top right corner of the post. A box will come up and you can explain to the moderators that you would like it removed and why. They will make the final call as to whether or not it needs to be removed, but that is the only possible way to get it removed that I know of.

[localady]

I'm going to stick my neck out here because I think this thread is in response to MY post regarding the elder demographic on HAL.

 

I also will not to read the dress code threads anymore because they seem to bring out the worst in a lot of people, myself included.

 

I too am guilt of letting that danged dress code get me going also. :rolleyes: I have vowed, more than once, to steer clear of those types of controversial issues, but I too hopped into the melee with both feet! :rolleyes: :eek:

[mudscraper]

Actually, the baby boom generation is just now turning 65 and this provides HAL with alot more demand, not less, IMO.

 

If any of us had invested in items geared to this baby boom generation over the past 60 years, we would have made a fortune! Now it is upscale crusing and leisure traveling's turn.

 

DaveOKC

To add to your post- 10,000 baby boomers turn age sixty five EVERY day.

[PeaceLoveCruise]

Hey Noob!

 

I think it's very brave of you to apologize on here. Sometimes it can happen to the best of us. :rolleyes:

Don't beat yourself up...

 

I think you did a great thing coming on here. :)

[SwissMyst]

Recently went to the Beach Boys 50th reunion concert. They and the audience rocked. So if this is what it will be like when aging baby boomer get on board in greater numbers, I say great!

 

I don' see old people on HAL ships. I see myself a few years down the road out there traveling just like they they do, when it is my turn hit four score and ?????? I see role models. And I see even mobility challenges do not slow down good travelers. That is what I see on HAL ships. Rock on.

[NoobCruise]

Nice of you to post your apology. I have stopped reading the dress code threads and the smoking threads. Neither topic keeps people civil.

 

As far as removing the post you wrote, you can try clicking the red triangle in the top right corner of the post. A box will come up and you can explain to the moderators that you would like it removed and why. They will make the final call as to whether or not it needs to be removed, but that is the only possible way to get it removed that I know of.

 

Thanks so much for the tip. I did click on the triangle and explained I had offended many people with my post and feel horrible about it and that I would like for it to be removed so no one else could find it and also be offended. I believe the post has vanished now and the thread has been closed as well.

[NoobCruise]

Hey Noob!

 

I think it's very brave of you to apologize on here. Sometimes it can happen to the best of us. :rolleyes:

Don't beat yourself up...

 

I think you did a great thing coming on here. :)

 

Thanks. My mom really did teach me better. She'd be appalled at what I wrote. Well, I was appalled too. She also taught me that when you mess up, you have to stand up and take reaponsibility for it and face your consequences - or as she would say "take your medicine" and try to make amends.

 

The worst part is that DH and I have actually been looking forward to the age spectrum of the passengers on our HAL cruise. Our perception is that while many of the people sailing on HAL with us may be elderly, they'll also be young-hearted FUN sailers with a world of travel experience and life experience to share. We can only imagine the stories and experiences they'll share. We've been looking forward to making friends on the ship.

 

Thank you for being understanding :)

[sapper1]

Thanks. My mom really did teach me better. She'd be appalled at what I wrote. Well, I was appalled too. She also taught me that when you mess up, you have to stand up and take reaponsibility for it and face your consequences - or as she would say "take your medicine" and try to make amends.

 

The worst part is that DH and I have actually been looking forward to the age spectrum of the passengers on our HAL cruise. Our perception is that while many of the people sailing on HAL with us may be elderly, they'll also be young-hearted FUN sailers with a world of travel experience and life experience to share. We can only imagine the stories and experiences they'll share. We've been looking forward to making friends on the ship.

 

Thank you for being understanding :)

We have all made posts that we sincerely regret. I made one a few years ago which still bothers me to this day. I was fairly new to CC and did not know you could request that it be removed. I can only hope that the thread stays buried in antiquity but if it were to resurface I would have the moderators remove it.

[michmike]

Recently went to the Beach Boys 50th reunion concert. They and the audience rocked.

 

*laffin* reminds me of a recent cartoon I saw where the Beach Boys were performing and the lyrics had been changed to "Help me Rhonda.. I've fallen and I can't get up"

 

Will say that I have nothing but respect for the folks w/ mobility issues who still get out there and travel and enjoy life, rather than sitting home and feeling sorry for themselves. Read a post just yesterday by a lady in a wheelchair who made very matter of fact reference to the ways in which she and DH (who does not have mobility issues) deal w/ the differences in their ability to do things and do not feel the need to be joined at the hip and can still go out and do their own thing. You could tell that they were not letting the chair define her.

 

Our next cruise in December will be with a buddy and his wife to celebrate his and my 65th (we are a day apart in age). We will proudly be wearing our "growing older, but not up" Margaritaville shirts.

 

WILL admit that attitudinally, we still identify more with the 40s crowd than the 80s. We've joked before that HAL cruisers over 75 should be required to wear a badge with their age on it, so that we have a frame of reference as to how many years we have left before we are in their condition.

 

Was looking at info on Fla 55+ communities the other day, as we are within a couple of years of retirement. I looked at the pictures of the folks in the pools at those places and thought "oh my.. is that US in the next 10 years?" Gonna fight my dotage kicking and screaming.

 

Cue the Mighty Sparrow, singing "Age is just a number".

[sapper1]

We have all made posts that we sincerely regret. I made one a few years ago which still bothers me to this day. I was fairly new to CC and did not know you could request that it be removed. I can only hope that the thread stays buried in antiquity but if it were to resurface I would have the moderators remove it.

 

It took some doing but I was able to find the offending post and it's quotes and red triangle them and ask that they be removed. I will check in a few days and see if it worked.

[tangerinebunny]

Looks like once again the nice people win.

[Casino Player]

I gotta say, I have been overwhelmingly SHOCKED at the amount of disrespectful posts toward "older" cruisers on HAL ships. Unbelievable!

 

I love HAL! I am in my mid-40's and first cruised HAL when I was 34. I found it to be so classy, fun, entertaining, relaxing and special. I saw children, families, parents, grandparents, retired couples and newborns on my first cruise. Shipboard romances of young couples were everywhere! Honeymooners abound! :p

 

There are a wide variety of cruisers on HAL, but I had to mention this because I was VERY put off by another poster's comment that HAL's target population is "dying off." :eek:

 

We never know when it is our time, and I, for one, enjoy every minute! I hope I'm lucky enough to be cruising over the next 50 years! :)

 

I hope HAL never turns into anything than what it already is! ;)

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO PeaceLoveCruise: First, it depends on the cruise you go on. If you go to Bermuda or the Caribbean you tend to get younger people. Shorter cruises tend to get more younger people. Longer cruises tend to get more older people. If you like to cruise during the summer months you tend to get more younger people since families on vacation from school tend to go. It depends on where you go, the length of the cruise, and time of year.

[SwissMyst]

Letter to the editor just this morning from a self-described baby boomer who balked at the newspaper's use of "elderly" to describe a 64 year old woman. Additionally she queried in her best feminist generational fashion, if there was also gender discrimination when applying the term "elderly" to women compared to applying it to men.

 

My guess is even when baby-boomers themselves are four score and 7, they will never regard themselves as "old". They will continue to see themselves as they have always been treated -- a large demographic bulge that defines itself anyway it wants.

[michmike]

A while back I was at my cardiologist's office and his nurse was reviewing my meds... I mentioned I took Centrum Senior (I'm 64).

 

She knows I'm a bit of a cut up, so she laughed and said "You'll enjoy this one. I was reviewing meds the other day on an 84 year old lady and she said that she took Centrum. I said, don't you mean Centrum Senior? She told me NO... that's for OLD people!"

 

Gotta love the gal's style.

[kc320]

My 1st HAL cruise was in 2002 when I was in my 50's....one of the first things that surprised me was the broad range of ages on our cruise...children, teens, young adults & mature cruisers...seemed no different age wise than any other line we had sailed...we totally enjoyed the ship & atmosphere...next year I plan to return for a "milestone" birthday cruise to the panama canal!:D

[trophy_23]

We are both in our late 20's and have never cruise any other line than HAL. We have found over all the mix of ages was pretty good. We have been among the minority age group (as in less than 6 pax our age on the whole ship) and have been confused for crew a number of times :D(especially when I wear a HAL T-shirt). We really enjoy the relaxing nature of HAL and the wonderful itineraries they offer. We are usually so busy in port that we are in bed quite early, to be ready for the next port, so the "lack of nightlife" that everyone talks about really doesn't both us. I go away to relax, not to party and drink, I guess to each their own, but we love HAL.

[Aquahound]

Letter to the editor just this morning from a self-described baby boomer who balked at the newspaper's use of "elderly" to describe a 64 year old woman. Additionally she queried in her best feminist generational fashion, if there was also gender discrimination when applying the term "elderly" to women compared to applying it to men.

 

Well, she's almost elderly. Just like the word Child, Elderly does have a legal definition. It's 65 and older. However, I can understand not wanting to be called elderly before time, even if it's a year or less.

 

It depends on where you go, the length of the cruise, and time of year.

 

Of course it does. Same goes for all cruise lines.

 

However, I think if anyone here is saying HAL isn't geared toward an older crowd, they are kidding themselves. It's well known in the cruising community and rightfully so. No, of course that doesn't mean younger folks don't cruise and enjoy HAL. I'm in my 30s and just did 12 nights on HAL's newest ship. But looking at the entertainmnet offerings and evening activities (or lack thereof), it's obvious HAL's main demographic target isn't families or young, first timers.

 

The handing out of prunes exiting the dining room didn't do much to help the argument either. ;)

[DaveOKC]

A while back I was at my cardiologist's office and his nurse was reviewing my meds... I mentioned I took Centrum Senior (I'm 64).

 

She knows I'm a bit of a cut up, so she laughed and said "You'll enjoy this one. I was reviewing meds the other day on an 84 year old lady and she said that she took Centrum. I said, don't you mean Centrum Senior? She told me NO... that's for OLD people!"

 

Gotta love the gal's style.

 

Good one - reminds me of my 88 year old Mother. She doesn't like to go to the senior center since "its full of old people".

 

DaveOKC

[jaguarstyper]

I'm not sure what is wrong with HAL seemingly catering to an older demographic. Everyone tries to dispel this notion, but it really is true. I really don't see this as being disrepectful. I am about to embark on my 13th and 14th cruise (on HAL) and 8 of my previous 12 cruises have been on HAL. I have been on Carnival, Norwegian, Crystal and Seabourn along with HAL.

 

Carnival and Norweigian are definitely geared towards a younger demographic. The have a very lively pool party atmosphere, they have loud night clubs playing modern dance music, rock climbing walls, wave riders, water slides and endless other activities promoted until your ears bleed. All of this stuff appeals to a younger crowd. Its not by accident. HAL has the Adagio Strings, quiet, upscale lounges like the Crow's Nest, Ocean Bar and Explorers Lounge, a Promenade Deck, shuffle board and many enrichment programs. All of this appeals to an older crowd. Again, not by accident.

 

Crystal and Seabourn are more like HAL and also cater to an older, well heeled crowd not traveling with children. Again, there is nothing wrong with that and to say they are a line geared to affluent, older people is certainly not being disrespectful.

 

Will HAL appeal to younger people? Perhaps some, but not as many as will be drawn to the other lines. Is this bad? No, of course not. IMO, its one of the things that really sets HAL apart and makes them different. Anyone who has cruised on HAL and other lines would have to admit that the crowd on HAL is older, more refined, more subdued than on other lines targeted to younger cruisers with families. Again, its not a bad thing!

 

I am 49 years old and I love HAL. I was 34 when I took my first HAL cruise. My daughter has been on 6 cruises on HAL and she really likes it too. She is now 24 years old and last fall her and her boyfriend went on a cruise on Carival. Her summary: "It was nice and we had fun, but the next time we will go on Holland America." :D