Holland America

[ricthemic]

Hv cruised Caribbean over 25 times. Mostly RCCL and Celebrity. Hv never done Holland. Have heard from friends that it is generally an older clientele. Is this true? Thanks

[SuiteTraveler]

It was on our cruise - most passengers were a good 30-40 years older than us and we were in our late 40's at the time. Some of these folks were a bit pushy. For example, my husband's hobby is photography. We were departing Ketchikan and he had one chance to photograph it during sail away. Lunch was ending but a lady at our table made a big to-do about him leaving the table before desert to get photos. I wound up staying at the table to appease her so that he could quickly make his way topside and take the photos he had planned to take all day. He only had one chance to take those photos but this woman didn't seem to care about that. She was more intent on telling her long-winded story. However, the staterooms are very nice. We had a Signature Suite and appreciated the walk in shower and separate tub and large bathroom. We thought the food in general was bland. The service was good. The entertainment was more geared for elderly people. I remember noticing that the newest music I heard on the cruise was Cole Porter. We have not gone on another HAL ship since that cruise.

[Keith1010]

Some of this is going to depend on itinerary but in general you will find it to be older than RCCL for sure and somewhat older than Celebrity.

 

Keith

[sail7seas]

Hv cruised Caribbean over 25 times. Mostly RCCL and Celebrity. Hv never done Holland. Have heard from friends that it is generally an older clientele. Is this true? Thanks

 

All of us HAL cruisers are Older Than Dirt. :D :D

 

Come on over to the HAL forum and read for yourself. Of course, there are senior people on cruises of 60 and more days. Who else has the time to take such a cruise? The demographic on most 7 or 10 day Caribbean cruises is the same as Celebrity and Princess and others. It may differ some from Carnival or RCI but lots of folks who speak of how HAL is all senior people likely haven't sailed a short cruise on HAL. That definitely includes TA's who often spout this nonsense.

 

[navybankerteacher]

Yes, the average age on HAL is higher than that on Royal Caribbean, Carnival or NCL -- but most being in late 70's - 80's as OP indicated is simply not so. We are just off a 16 day Prinsendam T/A. Sure - few young people can take off the time for a stay in Italy plus the cruise - but there were far more in their 60's than any other bracket - and perhaps more between 55 and 65 than over 80.

 

It's too bad that so many young people (those under 50) are so afraid of the elderly that they cannot even bring themselves to say "excuse me" and quietly leave the table when they are finished with their lunch.

[Roz]

The newest music you heard was Cole Porter? What an exaggeration!

 

I started sailing HAL when I was 48 and just turned 62. On every cruise, some passengers are older than me and some younger.

 

Roz

[marco]

Depends a lot on the itinerary and length of the cruise. True....there are not a lot (actually no 20-somethings) who are there to just party harty But for us...that's a good thing!Mostly 40 plus, but enough folks to have a good time in the disco until 3AM, without it being so crowded, you can't move. No hairy legs contest by the pool or drink so much beer until you puke........but if you're looking for a cruise that is reminiscent of an "Ocean Liner" from long ago experience, give HAL a go! We're in our early 60's, but HAL has been one of our favorite lines for more then 20 years.

Edited December 1, 2014 by marco

[rkacruiser]

The demographics are going to differ from one cruise to another. I have yet to be on any cruise where I would be able to classify the cruise guests as belonging to one age group or another. On my first Carnival cruise, I expected to be the "Grandpa" aboard and found many other guests who were my senior, some by a considerable number of years.

 

HAL gets a bad rap from some as being the Nursing Home of the Seas. It isn't true. There are senior citizens aboard and some of the entertainment will be geared towards them. But, would one say having a BB Kings Club group providing entertainment indicate a main interest in only providing for the older demographic slice of the guests? Some of the ships do have this group and they are enjoyed by all ages!

 

HAL provides an elegant cruise experience without pretension. In my opinion, it is a step below Cunard and a step above Celebrity.

[iancal]

You need to select your ship carefully on HAL..according to your personal preferences. There are some large variations in ship size and conditions within their fleet.

 

Not unlike a few other lines but certainly more pronounced and variable on HAL.

Edited December 1, 2014 by iancal

[sail7seas]

It was on our cruise - most passengers were a good 30-40 years older than us and we were in our late 40's at the time. Some of these folks were a bit pushy. For example, my husband's hobby is photography. We were departing Ketchikan and he had one chance to photograph it during sail away. Lunch was ending but a lady at our table made a big to-do about him leaving the table before desert to get photos. I wound up staying at the table to appease her so that he could quickly make his way topside and take the photos he had planned to take all day. He only had one chance to take those photos but this woman didn't seem to care about that. She was more intent on telling her long-winded story.

 

<snip>

.

 

Certainly that woman was rude but what did that have to do with age?

Are all rude people seniors? Would no young man or woman behave inappropriately? Age is not always connected to manners or lack thereof. :)

 

[Hlitner]

The newest music you heard was Cole Porter? What an exaggeration!

 

I started sailing HAL when I was 48 and just turned 62. On every cruise, some passengers are older than me and some younger.

 

Roz

 

Have to smile as we were just thinking about Perry Grant on Celebrity. Perry would probably figure that much of Cole Porter is not old enough! With HAL (and Celebrity) much depends on the length of the cruise and time of the year. If you take a shorter Caribbean cruise during the high season you will have folks of all ages on HAL. Take a longer Grand Cruise and we are usually among the youngest (we are in our 60s).

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

If you take a shorter Caribbean cruise during the high season you will have folks of all ages on HAL. Take a longer Grand Cruise and we are usually among the youngest (we are in our 60s).

 

Hank

 

Oddly enough, the 7-day Caribbean cruise on Zuiderdam (during school vacation season) had the highest number of older folks of any cruise I've ever been on. (And conversely the Westerdam 12-day Mediterranean cruise seemed to have one of the highest numbers of folks who were young 50s to 60s -- early retireds, most of them seemed to be...)

 

Seems like it's the luck of the draw. But can't say there were a lot of passengers in their 30s or younger on either one.

Edited December 1, 2014 by cruisemom42

[pris993]

Hv cruised Caribbean over 25 times. Mostly RCCL and Celebrity. Hv never done Holland. Have heard from friends that it is generally an older clientele. Is this true? Thanks

 

Less so in the Carrbbean, especially 7 day cruises. The longer the cruise the older the passengers on most cruise lines.

 

We cruise Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Cunard and NCL recently... we have been cruising for 30 years, so now we are part of the older group.

[kelmac]

We used to alternate between Celebrity and HAL, but alas -- Holland America is owned by Carnival and it shows. As Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are on an up-swing (just look at their stock), anything Carnival is in the doldrums, except maybe Cunard.

Never say never, but as on now we have Princess and HAL on hold. I hope they find their legs and make a speedy come-back!:)

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[LA_CA_GAL]

........We were departing Ketchikan and he had one chance to photograph it during sail away. Lunch was ending but a lady at our table made a big to-do about him leaving the table before desert to get photos. I wound up staying at the table to appease her ......

 

Yeah, I would have "appeased her" ...... :rolleyes:

[flamomo]

Kelmac..... Carnival stock is actually doing rather well right now. I bought mine several years ago for $27 + change, and it closed today at over $42!!!

I cruise on Princess a lot, and that cruiseline is not in the doldrums .... 2 new builds now sailing and another new build is in the works. Great itineraries! Great onboard service! Classy decor! Great line to cruise on, for a lot of us! Their ships consistently sail full, so they are obviously doing something right.

Please don't go lumping Princess in with Carnival just because they are both owned by Carnival Corporation, as is HAL and several other lines!

[dkoitz]

I've done Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Holland America (Neptune Suite). Holland is definitely my favorite. Yes, an older crowd. I'm 45 yrs old. At least they are not in your face taking pictures and trying to sell a drink 24/7. It was much more laid back and relaxing.

[dkoitz]

One more thing, if you have 100 shares or more of Carnival stock, on a 7 day cruise, you get $100 in on board credit (with proof of shares). That goes for every cruise line under the Carnival brand, which includes Holland America.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A lot depends on the class of ship and itinerary as to how many elderly people will be on your cruise.

We were just on the Noordam and there was a nice mix of all ages.

[LemonLorraine]

Too funny you mention this.. DH and I got on our shuttle to the ship in Port Everglades and a group of people made a joke to us like 'Aren't you a little young for HAL?' - We're in our mid twenties, no children and we LOVE IT. We were some of the youngest people on the ship and sure there isn't that much to do late at night but there aren't millions of children running around in packs on the ship. The majority of the guests are nice, keep to themselves and are quiet - it's far more relaxing for us.

[sail7seas]

Too funny you mention this.. DH and I got on our shuttle to the ship in Port Everglades and a group of people made a joke to us like 'Aren't you a little young for HAL?' - We're in our mid twenties, no children and we LOVE IT. We were some of the youngest people on the ship and sure there isn't that much to do late at night but there aren't millions of children running around in packs on the ship. The majority of the guests are nice, keep to themselves and are quiet - it's far more relaxing for us.

 

I think you raise some good points.

HAL is not for twenty/thirty/forty year olds who seek constant organized activities. If you are a 'self-entertainer' and make your own good time by doing the things you enjoy on your own or with traveling companions/new friends, HAL would be far more to your taste no matter your age.

 

If you want constant activities (NOTHING wrong with that... it's only a matter of preferences), think about sailing Carnival or RCI. Celebrity and Princess may have a bit more going on but not all that much.

 

[AmazedByCruising]

My first (and definitely not last) cruise was on MS Rotterdam. Most passengers were 55-70 I think, with a few exceptions. Even my cruise mate was 30 years older than me (we didn't share a cabin but I was told that we were "the talk of the ship" :D ).

 

Apart from bars closing early to my taste, I couldn't care less. I even escaped the Lido deck because the Show Host turned it into a noisy disco while I enjoyed a book. So maybe I'm older at heart than the average passenger :). Most people were very nice and had interesting things to tell during dinner. The ports were very interesting. I have enjoyed some stays in 5 star hotels that got nowhere near the level of service and kindness of the crew on board. If I had the time and money (unfortunately, I fail on both criteria) I'd book a 84 day cruise like this one in a heartbeat.

[Wayfairers]

Our HAL cruises are long ones...shortest was 30 days when we were 40 years old. We are never the youngest on the ship...but most passengers are in their 60s and 70s. One couple, on their honeymoon, were in their 90s. Age doesn't matter to us, we choose friends based purely on personality. Yeah, we have had one couple who obviously didn't want to talk to the young couple (us), but we considered that their loss, not ours. I agree with the comments that HAL is for those who don't have to be entertained on board. There are very interesting lectures and many other things to choose from. Thankfully, the spring break mentally of having someone in your face with conga lines, drinks, pool games, etc is not there.

[kelmac]

Kelmac..... Carnival stock is actually doing rather well right now. I bought mine several years ago for $27 + change, and it closed today at over $42!!!

 

CCL price of stock the first week of Jan. 2010 = $33.22; 2011 = $47.14; 2012 = $32.91; 2013 = $37.03; 2014 = $41.25 and today = $43.20.

 

RCL price of stock the first week of Jan. 2010 = $25.91; 2011 = $47.99; 2012 = $32.91; 2013 = $35.49; 2014 = $49.09 and today = $77.82. For the past 20 years, Carnival Corp stock has almost always been higher than RCL. That seems to be changing?

 

I cruise on Princess a lot, and that cruiseline is not in the doldrums .... 2 new builds now sailing and another new build is in the works. Great itineraries! Great onboard service! Classy decor! Great line to cruise on, for a lot of us!

 

I don't mean to slam your favorite cruise line, but I've always found Princess to be crowded, so so food, and ugly on brown cabin decor is not my favorite.

They have some great itineraries and we may cruise with them again?

 

Their ships consistently sail full, so they are obviously doing something right.

 

All ships, on all cruise lines sail full; they must in order to pay their service workers (Tips). They may have a fire-sale in order to fill their ships.

 

Please don't go lumping Princess in with Carnival just because they are both owned by Carnival Corporation, as is HAL and several other lines!

 

Carnival is the "mother" corporation and they deal out the budgets. HAL used to be great cruise line, but I find RCL lines, like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean to be improving, while CCL lines are sliding (Just MHO)

 

 

 

Future situations may be different, but that's how it feels to me in the past couple of years.:) No such thing as a bad cruise!!:D

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[cruiseapril]

We were two generations on our HAL cruises and everyone had a great time.

The younger group liked the relaxed atmosphere, the quality service and food, and the entertainment. There was plenty to do and a good variety of music. The electric guitar players were some of the best we have heard.