Trying to find the right cruise line

[FloridaTourist]

My wife and I are in our early 50s and very active. The kids are finally on their own and the dog has passed on. We can finally enjoy some cruising. We just got off a 12 day 11 port cruise on the Oosterdam, with Holland America. We loved our trip, the ports, the food and our signature suite. But the age group was a little old for us. The average age of this sailing was 67. By 10 every night the ship was dead. The few couples our age found each other and made our own fun. But many of the entertainment venues played to empty rooms. We are looking at doing a Baltic cruise possibly next year. Is Princess the right line? We sailed on The Island Princess in Alaska 10 years ago with our kids and had a great time. But now we want to be serious cruises. What is the best for us? I don't want a party boat but would like a ship with a little younger crowd.

[GUT2407]

My wife and I are in our early 50s and very active. The kids are finally on their own and the dog has passed on. We can finally enjoy some cruising. We just got off a 12 day 11 port cruise on the Oosterdam, with Holland America. We loved our trip, the ports, the food and our signature suite. But the age group was a little old for us. The average age of this sailing was 67. By 10 every night the ship was dead. The few couples our age found each other and made our own fun. But many of the entertainment venues played to empty rooms. We are looking at doing a Baltic cruise possibly next year. Is Princess the right line? We sailed on The Island Princess in Alaska 10 years ago with our kids and had a great time. But now we want to be serious cruises. What is the best for us? I don't want a party boat but would like a ship with a little younger crowd.

 

If you want a younger crowd Princesses may not be your best option.

 

What about Celebrity?

[Pam in CA]

You'll find older passengers on longer cruises no matter which line you choose. There's no such thing as the "best" or "perfect" line and even on the same line, each cruise can have a different passenger mix.

 

The Baltics itinerary is very port intensive and in general, you'll find younger, more active passengers. Quite a few family groups with a mix in ages.

 

I'm a 3-star Mariner on HAL as well as Elite on Princess. In general, Princess has better entertainment as well as more varied. It's active at night until well into the evening (11pm-midnight.) To be honest, after an all-day tour every day, few people have the energy to stay up past midnight and then get up and off the ship again early in the morning for a 10-hour tour.

 

If late night entertainment after midnight is important to you, you might consider Royal Caribbean.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Pam in CA

[newcruzer2]

It my opinion, it was the LENGTH of your voyage that made the crowd too old...stick with 7day princess for younger crowd. In March it was mostly 40ish on our 7 day or youngish 50-60's

[reedprincess]

Cruises longer than a week are going to have an older crowd, regardless of the cruise line. It's simple economics and demographics - look at yourselves for a perfect example: kids are out of the house, no pets, presumably disposable income equals longer cruises. The younger crowd (40 and under) generally does not have the time off for longer cruises, has kids at home me, work obligations and so on.. So, they tend much more towards a week or less.

Celebrity and Princess have same target audience and age ranges, and both have somewhat younger crowds than Holland America. Just off a Celebrity 14 night sailing last month in the Caribbean and average age was 59. (confirmed with my girl friend who is the guest relations manager. The crew called it a "spring break" cruise as the guests were much younger that two weeks than the few sailings before as we were sailing over Easter. They had 18 people under age 18).

Royal Caribbean overall attracts a younger crowd, however they also have less long sailings. It's a trade off. NCL could be a good option if itineraries appeal.

If doing a port intensive cruise, it almost doesn't matter what cruise lone as most lines are dead late at night as folks are sleeping, getting read for the next port... Sailed Island Princess over Christmas and New Year's this past holiday season - maybe 30 people up past evening happy hour which ended at midnight. 15 night sailing, go figure.

I wouldn't hesitate to sail Princess if the itinerary and price is right. You'll have a somewhat younger crowd than HA, and Princess has a solid product. For a ln actual younger crowd though, you have to sail shorter cruises! Maybe do back-to-backs...

[mjmalino]

We are looking at our 5th Princess cruise this summer, all with our kids (who are now turning 18 and 17). The first 4 have all ranged from 7-12 days and in various regions. My hubby and I are also in our mid 40s and we have always found a good mix of age groups on our cruises. We are hoping our 14 day Baltic this summer will be the same.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I would say Princess or Celebrity would fit the bill for you, though Princess can be dead after 10, too, depending on the cruise.

 

 

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[OCruisers]

Princess is one you certainly might want to consider.

We always find enough to keep us entertained in bar/lounges until Midnight. :)

[CRUISEBOY305]

If you want a younger crowd Princesses may not be your best option.

 

What about Celebrity?

 

Celebrity would not be that much different from Princess.

[moki'smommy]

We were very pleased with the age mix on our 7 night Princess cruise. Yes, we saw the grandparent group, but we also saw many multi-generational families and honestly didn't encounter anyone so senile that they didn't make sense. There were a fair number of people in their 50s and 60s, but enough younger people that my 25 year old didn't feel out of place. I'd place the average age on OUR Princess cruise at somewhere around 40.

 

This was a major contrast to Alaska on Celebrity where it was very much an older crowd. Except for my daughter and myself, everyone at our dinner table was over 70 and one was seriously not able to take care of herself (and was traveling alone). Despite it being summer, Celebrity was so much an older group that we decided it didn't suit us at that time. There were many good things about it--excellent food good variety acts and around the ship entertainers, covered pool, wonderful guest services. Average age--probably 60 or higher.

[muggo11]

We are in our 60s but active and Princess fits the bill. A little bit of luxury, upscale options, some VERY strenuous excursions and, depending on venue and time of year, a diverse mix of people. After the shows, we generally go dancing for a bit. DH heads to cabin by 11:30 and I am in casino until 1 or so. Our South American cruise was electric over the holidays. I've been on Carnival cruises and now my new husband and I have 8 on Princess. The itineraries are terrific and we have made some good friends on the longer cruises. We are fans.

Caribbean and California cruises tend to skew younger. As previously noted, the longer cruises skew a little older as time and money are more plentiful!

We are going on the Baltic cruise this coming August. A packed itinerary and you cant beat the EZAir prices and peace of mind.

Good luck dreaming and planning!

 

 

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[Lucky TGO]

My wife and I are in our early 50s and very active. The kids are finally on their own and the dog has passed on. We can finally enjoy some cruising. We just got off a 12 day 11 port cruise on the Oosterdam, with Holland America. We loved our trip, the ports, the food and our signature suite. But the age group was a little old for us. The average age of this sailing was 67. By 10 every night the ship was dead. The few couples our age found each other and made our own fun. But many of the entertainment venues played to empty rooms. We are looking at doing a Baltic cruise possibly next year. Is Princess the right line? We sailed on The Island Princess in Alaska 10 years ago with our kids and had a great time. But now we want to be serious cruises. What is the best for us? I don't want a party boat but would like a ship with a little younger crowd.

 

Every cruise is different. I always tell my wife the longer the cruise the older the crowd.

Tony

[mrt144]

7 day Alaska in Sept had mix aged range with families with younger children, 30 somethings with extended family, couples of all varieties and age ranges.

 

3 day transitional from Vancouver to LA again had a mix with lots of large groups

 

15 day Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona lots of people 55+ handful of young couples, a handful of large groups and almost no one under age of 10.

 

I think the obvious factors are itinerary and length.

[kendon]

Princess is one you certainly might want to consider.

We always find enough to keep us entertained in bar/lounges until Midnight. :)

 

Yes, agree. Perfect cruiseline for your demographic...and mine ;)

[rebeccalouiseagain]

If you travel in the summer- there will be more families and people your age. The Baltics and British Isles tend to attract older cruisers IMO. The Med cruises in summer tend to attract younger people- who want some fun in the sun versus cooler temperatures.

 

I'm 51 and love Princess. I've done the British Isles in August on Princess and it was a nice mix of passengers (trending older), but not a floating retirement home. These port intensive cruises in Northern Europe are not going to have a lot of late night partying but there will be people up and about past midnight.

 

I'd definitely book Princess- there are more activities IMO than on Celebrity. Celebrity used to be my favorite, but I was bored on Solstice in Alaska. Too much up selling and not a "fun" vibe.

Edited May 12, 2016 by rebeccalouiseagain

[paphoslady]

We are in the same position, I'm 49 and my husband is 52. Children grown up and don't holiday with us anymore (would if we agreed to pay their cruise fares too). We have tried Royal Caribbean, Princess and Cunard. Royal attract the younger cruisers and tend to have lots of 7 day cruises. Just back from Cunard, from Osaka to Hong Kong, loved the ports but the ship wad dead after 10 pm, very much an older crowd. Only cruised once with Princess so far to Alaska, loved it, just booked on Regal Princess to the Caribbean in Feb 2017. Looking to travel more to the Far East but not sure which cruise line to choose. Lots of fellow passengers on Cunard told us that HAL was better suited for people older than ourselves.

[sunsetbeachgal]

To me the Baltic and other European cruises are more about the ports than the other passengers And evening entertainment. There are very few sea days so you are busy sightseeing. Look first at the itinerary, what line visits the places you want to go, and pay close attention to port time, making sure you have preferably full days in port.

 

We did our second Baltic cruise last summer and ended up choosing Holland America for the itinerary and it was perfect for us. We love PRincess and Royal Caribbean but for the amount of money you spend on cruises in Europe, itinerary is our #1 consideration, period.

Edited May 12, 2016 by sunsetbeachgal

[FawnRiver]

I agree with the other posters - a big contributor to the age make up on any cruise line is the itinerary and length of cruise.

We are in our forties and have always cruised with Princess (so far). There is definitely a difference when comparing itineraries & length of cruises to figure out if the cruise will have a good mix for you.

 

We were on a TA and were having a conversation with a nice older couple (no shortage of those on a 15 day TA) ;), and the lady said to me, it's great you decided to try cruising so early in life

:confused: I had to ask her how old she thought I was, she said 25 :D. The look on her face was priceless when I told her I was actually 42 :cool:

 

DS is a few years older than I am, and much more into partying, so she enjoys NCL (except for Pride of America, that she said was a floating old age home). DH & I are sociable, we like Princess where you can sit in a lounge, enjoy some nice music and atmosphere and chat with other cruisers. There are parties, we just don't go to them.

[MCC retired]

Yes, as stated many times here on CC , ages of most guests increase as cruise length increases no matter which cruise line.

A longer cruise, sold as segments, may be your option ?

[Skai]

We're taking the same itinerary (that you just finished) in September.

 

We're avg. age late 30s, so we're used to being among the younger couples on board for most of our (longer duration)cruises.

 

Being itinerary based/port-active cruisers is why we chose to sail with HAL(and considered Celebrity) over Princess for an E. Med itinerary. We're well prepared that the avg. age will likely be 65+ on board. Yet, we plan to be so whiped out with consecutive intensive days touring ports, that options for nightlife/entertainment on board won't be as much of a concern for us this sailing. We might hit up the BB King Blues venue after dinner on a couple of evenings, but that'll likely be it. Most nights, we'll be back in the cabin watching "Matlock" and "Murder She Wrote" reruns;).

 

We've sailed Princess a handful of times, and have found that the avg. age on board is often around mid 50s, with a healthy mix of younger and older passengers.

 

There's usually enough variety to provide for some well attended evening entertainment at the theater/lounges/Piazza every evening. Some nights we'll choose to simply hang out on deck and a watch a Movie under the Stars.

 

From what you've stated, Princess would likely make for a nice fit for you and your wife. While the general crowd is usually more mature than some other lines that we've sailed previously -- We have seen it pretty quiet after 10p at times -- we actually prefer the more refined atmosphere aboard Princess ships. And though we do like to let loose a little on occasion, we don't feel the need to be on a party ship to enjoy ourselves.

 

We've been pleased overall with our experiences sailing with Princess.

[hollon]

My wife and I are in our early 50s and very active. The kids are finally on their own and the dog has passed on. We can finally enjoy some cruising. We just got off a 12 day 11 port cruise on the Oosterdam, with Holland America. We loved our trip, the ports, the food and our signature suite. But the age group was a little old for us. The average age of this sailing was 67. By 10 every night the ship was dead. The few couples our age found each other and made our own fun. But many of the entertainment venues played to empty rooms. We are looking at doing a Baltic cruise possibly next year. Is Princess the right line? We sailed on The Island Princess in Alaska 10 years ago with our kids and had a great time. But now we want to be serious cruises. What is the best for us? I don't want a party boat but would like a ship with a little younger crowd.

 

I know this is the Princess Board, but I'd try Royal Caribbean, the Freedom Class or the Oasis Class, the Oasis class has great entertainment, I feel these ships are for everyone with lots of things to do, just my opinion

[nbsjcruiser]

We've only cruised Princess once and we found the crowd to be a bit older than the Royal Caribbean crowd. I'd say if you're interested in a lively evening then RCI or NCL might be more your style.

[FloridaTourist]

Thanks everyone for your inputs. We aren't looking for a party boat but would like to see more than a dozen folks at the piano bar or dance club. We really did like the ship we were on. Nice size. Not big but yet big enough. This was a vacation so even though we did 11 ports in 12 days we stayed up at night till at least 12 or 1. (Ok we did nap before dinner) and up by 8am. We have been on Freedom of the Seas. Huge ship for sure. And we have been on Island Princess years ago. I guess it will be very hit and miss depending on length but we plan on making cruising regular travel method. Just want to try to stay to one line to get the perks. Of a frequent traveler.

 

 

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[berlingo]

We cruise with Princess out of the UK and during the school holidays (July and August). The age demographic has been nice and mixed. Many people travel with cross generational family groups so you have grandparents, parents children from tots to teens. There is also a healthy number of young twenty something adult children travelling with their family. Indeed this summer we will be accompanied by three such.

 

The nightclub is well used and going strong until 2 or 3am most nights. People then moved to the International Café for late snacks and chats. My husband were certainly not partaking every night but we did dabble on a couple of occasions and it was great fun.

 

Sailing from the UK it seems to be the dates you are travelling rather than the cruise length or duration that influences the ages of passengers aboard.

[Swice]

The "oldest" cruise I've ever been on was a Carnival ship-- 10-days and school was in session.

 

Agree with others-- regarding length, time of year, school schedules, port intensive, etc.

 

We sailed on Holland America several times over the past few years with our kids (12 -14) in the Baltics and Mediterranean. Yes, there were plenty of kids on board, but considering how intensive our touring was, we were EXHAUSTED each night and gladly went to bed by 10pm. The cruise director even joked that the company saves a lot of money on those cruises because they don't have to hire as many entertainers because EVERYBODY goes to bed because of the tour schedules. My kids actually prefer Holland America and are upset we're taking Princess to Alaska this summer (creatures of habit). They have been on Princess but don't remember it. I guess we'll see their reactions soon.