Is Holland america for Old People ?

[grand isle joe]

......"more genteel" is to "old farts" as "full figured" is to "fat"..............:cool:........I think I do remember a question like that on my SAT's years ago........:eek:

[MiouMiou]

Don't know if anyone is still reading this thread but I thought I would add my thoughts. We are in our late 50's/early 60's, so maybe at the beginning of that "old" demographic on Holland America. That being said, we enjoyed the cruise very much. Yes, there were a lot of *very* old people, some of whom looked like this would be their last trip anywhere on earth. We picked HAL because we wanted to go to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and that was the only line offering the ABC Islands. We signed up for a fabulous hands on cooking course on board, and we still make some of the recipes at home. We did, after the first night, request to be seated at a table for two, because it seemed that the people we were seated with at the larger table were quite interested in discussing their medical issues and surgeries. One man pulled up his shirt to show his open heart surgery scar. Yes, thankful he survived, of course, but just not something we wanted to see before cutting into steak. We met some wonderful and interesting people on the cruise, who had a lifetime of interesting experiences to share. One of the plusses of taking a cruise with a lot of older folks is that you get to be first anywhere, since you are mobile (though don't get in the way of a determined woman on a hovaround). A lot of the public areas were less crowded than on a lot of other cruises, but it was difficult/impossible to find a seat in the library, for example, because people were using the chairs to nap in. In the end, we take a cruise for the itinerary, not the demographics of the cruisers. How many people do you really keep in touch with after a cruise anyway. We would definitely cruise Holland America again for the itinerary.

[Kris74]

Oh, this reminds me how I do hate cruises that are packed with people in various states of drunkedness. And who make a lot of noice when your trying to sleep. And leave a mess behind everywhere they go. And behave in a shamefull way.

 

Now Im 41 so probably not yet considered old. Just my idea of fun is something very different. But then again, we are all different. Its not so much to do with age than to do with what kind of person you are.

[SuperdudeAbides]

Our first cruise is Dec. 26th on HAL Westerdam out of Fort Lauderdale - 7 day Eastern Caribbean. I researched for a while before we booked and was a bit worried as you are now about the basic age demographic. But after looking around and reading a lot of posts like this from CC and other cruise forums, blogs, travel reviews, etc. I decided that this would be a great cruise and a great cruise line.

 

The reoccurring themes I discovered were as follows.

1. The age demographic is more dependent on the cruise location and duration more than "just" the cruise line. Longer cruises (10-14 days and longer) and cruises to places like Alaska, the Mediterranean, world cruises etc. are more likely to have an older demographic.

 

2. Holiday cruises and cruises around school breaks (spring break, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas) will have a younger demographic since even older cruisers will be bringing the family.

 

3. HAL is said to be a classier operation, better service, better food, better accommodations.

 

4. HAL (if it's sailing where you want to be) offers the same excursions everyone else does.

 

5. The reviews of HAL are by in large very positive and in my research had a MUCH lower number of complaints and unsatisfied cruisers then some of the other lines.

 

Lastly, they had the itinerary we wanted, prices we liked, and where we booked it we got a smoking package deal with some great ship board credit, drink cards and free meals in the Pinnacle.

 

Ultimately, you just need to research and make a decision based on what you want. :cool:

[navybankerteacher]

Our first cruise is Dec. 26th on HAL Westerdam out of Fort Lauderdale - 7 day Eastern Caribbean. I researched for a while before we booked and was a bit worried as you are now about the basic age demographic. But after looking around and reading a lot of posts like this from CC and other cruise forums, blogs, travel reviews, etc. I decided that this would be a great cruise and a great cruise line.

 

The reoccurring themes I discovered were as follows.

1. The age demographic is more dependent on the cruise location and duration more than "just" the cruise line. Longer cruises (10-14 days and longer) and cruises to places like Alaska, the Mediterranean, world cruises etc. are more likely to have an older demographic.

 

2. Holiday cruises and cruises around school breaks (spring break, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas) will have a younger demographic since even older cruisers will be bringing the family.

 

3. HAL is said to be a classier operation, better service, better food, better accommodations.

Y

4. HAL (if it's sailing where you want to be) offers the same excursions everyone else does.

 

5. The reviews of HAL are by in large very positive and in my research had a MUCH lower number of complaints and unsatisfied cruisers then some of the other lines.

 

Lastly, they had the itinerary we wanted, prices we liked, and where we booked it we got a smoking package deal with some great ship board credit, drink cards and free meals in the Pinnacle.

 

Ultimately, you just need to research and make a decision based on what you want. :cool:

 

You've come to some sound conclusions. A 7 day Caribbean itinerary during school vacation time will have a younger crowd - but you might bear in mind that even the longer itineraries on HAL will not be much unlike longer itineraries on other lines. While the demographic might be a little bit older, it will not be dramatically so -- and you might want to bear in mind the fact that slightly older people might just have that bit of greater knowledge which leads them to choose the higher quality of the HAL experience.

[SuperdudeAbides]

You've come to some sound conclusions. A 7 day Caribbean itinerary during school vacation time will have a younger crowd - but you might bear in mind that even the longer itineraries on HAL will not be much unlike longer itineraries on other lines. While the demographic might be a little bit older, it will not be dramatically so -- and you might want to bear in mind the fact that slightly older people might just have that bit of greater knowledge which leads them to choose the higher quality of the HAL experience.

 

Sorry for the miscommunication, I meant that those rules apply across the board. All cruise line demographics follow that general pattern. (for the most part)

Plus I am 44 so I am at the perfect age to enjoy regardless. Old enough to know better but maybe still do it anyway, young enough to enjoy what comes my way. (Also old enough to appreciate sitting on the veranda and enjoying a cup a Joe and letting the world roll on by.)

:)

[salsanut]

We are considering sailing on the Eurodam in Feb. 2016. Someone told me this is for Old people and that everything closes down early at night. Although I am trying to take a break from the Cattle like feeling I experienced on my last cruise I would like alittle action.

 

Is Holland America for the Older crowd?

 

In my opinion yes.

It's an amazing line amazing set ice amazing crow but we were very bird at night and we are young 60 62.

The only advantage is that we can. Have great converse with the other passengers T dinner time, which I find somewhat difficult to do in the fun ship.

[navybankerteacher]

In my opinion yes.

It's an amazing line amazing set ice amazing crow but we were very bird at night and we are young 60 62.

The only advantage is that we can. Have great converse with the other passengers T dinner time, which I find somewhat difficult to do in the fun ship.

 

What????

[Karysa]

What????

 

Not :) :eek: or ;) would have made it easier to understand what THEY meant.:D

Edited November 25, 2015 by Karysa

[SuiteTraveler]

Don't know if anyone is still reading this thread but I thought I would add my thoughts. We are in our late 50's/early 60's, so maybe at the beginning of that "old" demographic on Holland America. That being said, we enjoyed the cruise very much. Yes, there were a lot of *very* old people, some of whom looked like this would be their last trip anywhere on earth. We picked HAL because we wanted to go to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and that was the only line offering the ABC Islands. We signed up for a fabulous hands on cooking course on board, and we still make some of the recipes at home. We did, after the first night, request to be seated at a table for two, because it seemed that the people we were seated with at the larger table were quite interested in discussing their medical issues and surgeries. One man pulled up his shirt to show his open heart surgery scar. Yes, thankful he survived, of course, but just not something we wanted to see before cutting into steak. We met some wonderful and interesting people on the cruise, who had a lifetime of interesting experiences to share. One of the plusses of taking a cruise with a lot of older folks is that you get to be first anywhere, since you are mobile (though don't get in the way of a determined woman on a hovaround). A lot of the public areas were less crowded than on a lot of other cruises, but it was difficult/impossible to find a seat in the library, for example, because people were using the chairs to nap in. In the end, we take a cruise for the itinerary, not the demographics of the cruisers. How many people do you really keep in touch with after a cruise anyway. We would definitely cruise Holland America again for the itinerary.

 

I just have to tell you that your experiences on HAL mirrored ours. The discussion of medical issues, people napping in the public lounges, people who looked like this might be their last trip. Check, check, check and check. We were also chided because we wanted to leave the lunch table in the MDR AFTER we (and everyone else at the table) had finished dessert to take photos from the ship of our departure from a beautiful port in Alaska because one long-winded elderly lady had launched into yet another long story about some friend of hers who had surgery. Call us rude, but we had one chance to get the photos and the meal was over. That said, we did like our suite - it was very nice. We had a good time on the cruise however, spent more time relaxing in our suite than on other cruises.

[navybankerteacher]

I just have to tell you that your experiences on HAL mirrored ours. The discussion of medical issues, people napping in the public lounges, people who looked like this might be their last trip. Check, check, check and check. We were also chided because we wanted to leave the lunch table in the MDR AFTER we (and everyone else at the table) had finished dessert to take photos from the ship of our departure from a beautiful port in Alaska because one long-winded elderly lady had launched into yet another long story about some friend of hers who had surgery. Call us rude, but we had one chance to get the photos and the meal was over. That said, we did like our suite - it was very nice. We had a good time on the cruise however, spent more time relaxing in our suite than on other cruises.

 

Well, I am confident that you will avoid HAL in the future. It is too bad that some people seem to have such extraordinarily bad luck in the passenger mix on their cruises. I just have to count myself fortunate in not having experienced any of these awful groupings on my several HAL cruises.

 

So, as long as I do not encounter those masses of the nearly-dead bores, I will continue to enjoy the superior comfort, service, and food it seems to have my good fortune to receive on HAL - without having to deal with the loudmouth, boorish drunks I have encountered on other lines - which I will not specify.

[SuiteTraveler]

Well, I am confident that you will avoid HAL in the future. It is too bad that some people seem to have such extraordinarily bad luck in the passenger mix on their cruises. I just have to count myself fortunate in not having experienced any of these awful groupings on my several HAL cruises.

 

So, as long as I do not encounter those masses of the nearly-dead bores, I will continue to enjoy the superior comfort, service, and food it seems to have my good fortune to receive on HAL - without having to deal with the loudmouth, boorish drunks I have encountered on other lines - which I will not specify.

 

By comparison we sailed on a Celebrity Med cruise where the passengers were a lot older than us as well, but unlike on HAL the people on that ship weren't discussing medical issues or napping in public lounges. The crew actually gave us special attention because we were among the youngest onboard which was humorous since we are in our 50's. The most interesting thing to me on that cruise was the vast number who were in swimsuits sunning by the pool on the 2 days at sea. I had no idea that was so popular with the over 75 crowd that was mostly from the UK! I met some really delightful people on that cruise, regardless of age. Sadly, at every port there would be 2 or 3 ambulances to take some unfortunate soul away, though. And there was a heli-med evac on the last night when we were in the English Channel. That person must have been terribly ill for the doctor to request that less than 8 hours from the port. I'm no fan of loudmouthed boorish drunks either, btw, but do find them quite easy to avoid on most cruise ships.

 

I don't know that I'll avoid HAL forever. But for now, I don't think it's the right cruise line for us. We've started experimenting with river cruises - which we loved and I want to try some of the more upscale small ship cruises in Europe.