Age demographics

[caribill]

 

I have had the opposite issue from your son. I will be sitting in Wheelhouse or on deck or somewhere and they start up with a DJ. I always wonder who the heck the DJ is playing music for as it is almost always for a crowd maybe 20 years younger than anybody in the area.

 

 

Did you ask the DJ to lay music you would enjoy?

 

Usually they are open to requests.

[Thrak]

So true!!! Post of the Day!!!!

 

Music from the 60's 70's and 80's is my music. I will be 55 later this month. Don't want to listen to old time music. I am in the middle of the demographics that Princess seeks. Cater to us every night in some venues please!

 

I'm 63 and my wife is 1.5 years older. I listen to the 50's (sometimes), 60's, Classic Vinyl, and Deep Tracks (on Sirius satellite radio) and, every once in a while, I listen to the 40's because they really did have some great music. (Of course I think they had some pretty horrible music as well. Sheesh... Every period has some horrible music!) I do NOT listen to Rap or Hip Hop. Ever. Period.

 

I also like some 80's music of course. I remember when I first heard Welcome To The Jungle I told my wife that our son would love it. She looked at me and said something along the lines of, "You seem to like it a lot as well." D'Oh!

 

I like quite a variety of music. I used to listen to a Mozart mix at work as well as a really great Ronnie Earl mix I had put together (the man is the master of blues guitar. No vocals - just great guitar. :)). One doesn't preclude the other. However, I am still pretty biased in what I like no matter how eclectic my taste "seem" to be.

 

I think I am likely with you as far as what you want to hear. It may not seem that way from what I've said above but I think it is true. Not OLD music and not NEW music. Something in between that is actually "contemporary" for the people onboard.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Thrak

[shredie]

I'm still confused about the "elevator music." I've heard everything in an elevator, including 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s and even hip hop. In the elevator, the music is instrumental, adapted for that purpose to sound like background music. Is this what they were playing in all the venues on the ship? Weren't there some live bands? If all you heard was background music, I can see there might be a problem, but I guess I just don't get it. (BTW, I don't often hear 40s music in an elevator.)

[PiperHolliday]

We're 30 and 43 and will be cruising 21 days on Princess. I would not consider us to be "older". So, there's that...

 

And no amount of elevator music can bore me when I'm enjoying the people I'm with. We picked our cruise for the itinerary and amenities and have no doubts about our decision.

 

If Princess is cruising where you want to go, when you want to go and for the right price, I have a hard time seeing why the music would matter. However, everyone is different.

[CruisinFinsUp]

I think it really depends on the cruise staff. Some of the descriptions above of varied music seem opposite to our experiences.

 

We are now in our late 40's (very late ) We travel mid March - when our teens are off for a week Ontario March break.

 

We've done a few 10 days and two 7 day B2B. See my signature below.

 

The demographic on the 10 day is clearly older.

The first week of the b2b was older than the 2nd as the 2nd was most of Canada's March Break and the ship was full of families.

 

Most recent were Regal and Royal trips. On the 10 days the music was 40's, 50's and maybe 60's. We were hard pressed to hear a 70's tune anywhere - poolside, the piazza band / piazza dancing. We didn't go to the night club as we prefer to listen and people watch as we sip a drink, than dance. A dozen or so couples danced nightly, but that was it. I wouldn't say that the place was packed with fans. The poolside music is especially frustrating. We'd prefer a more lively atmosphere as we spend a lot of time up there. My hubby just brings his ipod and earbuds.

 

On the two 7 day cruises we spoke to the asst CD who was DJ'ing off his laptop poolside daily. We pointed out the ages of the pool crowd. Especially on the 2nd week. Finally mid way thru the 2nd week he opened his eyes and saw the folks in front of him. Majority were aged 40-50. Parents. Teens. Yes some older but the majority was younger. He changed it up a bit. A bit. The ODD time he played an 80's song the whole place perked up. Dancing around the pool. Great. But then he'd follow with something 60's and 50's and the place would SAG. Or he'd play one current top 40 hit for the teens. He did not respond very well to the changed demographic. Same old same old despite the shift. I' m sure drink sales would have been better if the atmosphere was livelier. But that is just my opinion!

 

We really like Princess. For a lot of reasons. So do our teens. They don't want RCI. We don't let the music ruin our cruise but we do recognise that our age group, even when its a school break and we are the majority on board, our age group is not who Princess caters too.

I only hope when we are older and if we are lucky to continue cruising, that the music onboard shifts a couple decades and is "our stuff" - 70's and 80's please!:D

 

 

To the OP - cruising is an overall package - every line is a bit different here and there. Every cruise has a bit different demographic depending on length and time of year. You have to pick the overall best fit for you. We like a bit longer cruise too - 7 days is too short. So we live with the demographic amd make our own fun.

Maybe RCI would better suit your son? They seem to market more to active folks and families with kids so younger adults. But they are mostly 7 day because of that.

[flamomo]

Instead of trying to make Princess change things to your liking, why don't you find a cruise line that already offers what it is that you want? There's gotta be a cruise line out there that has what you prefer.

 

Consider this .... Princess loyalists are loyal BECAUSE they like Princess just the way it is, music included!! And there's a lot of us who have done lots of Princess cruises!

[PrincessLuver]

We just got back from a Coral Panama cruise. Fantastic cruise, but I have a question about future bookings with Princess.

 

I understand the Panama to be an older crowd, but we spent half the cruise trying to get them out of elevator music and up to the half century mark on music options. Eventually, half way through the cruise, we succeeded with some livlier 50's and 60's in the evenings. My 30 son that travels with us, FINALLY, after many complaints, got dancing music after 11PM by a dj. I understand from staff the place shut down past closing as requests continued coming in until 3AM one night. We weren't the only ones looking for a more active dance venue on the ship.

 

That said, the question is about future bookings. I REALLY liked Princess, except that it is very important that my son have a good time. We ALL really like the 10 days, and are sold on the idea of the longer cruise. I'm very concerned that could mean lots more 'silver' and more fighting for decent dance opportunities from me and my son.

 

I was thinking maybe West coast cruises 'might' have a livelier bunch than cruises out of FL???? Is there any hope for us, or is Princess just not the line for us? Outside of this one issue, we all really LOVED the cruise. Thoughts?

 

Your perception is pretty accurate....even though Princess cruisers like to think that 70 is the new 60 the passengers are pretty old and I fit into that category too. We have done many cruises on Princess and you will not find the young attitude that you find on Carnival or RCC cruise ships....but get ready to be told that your cruise was the exception or they are usually loaded with 30 and 40 year olds...not going to happen very often on Princess....:)

[brian1]

Hi,we debarked the Coral on 9th Oct after a Van to FL repo.We thought the music was varied,but one English band called The Sound stood out the most,they performed in explorers and at deck parties on sailaway,evenings and even during the day on sea days.They done various modern genres and were great.Perhaps they left the ship also at FL and the atmosphere has changed,cheers,Brian.

[Cruise Junky]

Instead of trying to make Princess change things to your liking, why don't you find a cruise line that already offers what it is that you want? There's gotta be a cruise line out there that has what you prefer.

 

Consider this .... Princess loyalists are loyal BECAUSE they like Princess just the way it is, music included!! And there's a lot of us who have done lots of Princess cruises!

 

Since when does the average Princess cruiser care what gets played between 11:00 pm and 3:00 am? Surely you can co-exist with a new age of cruisers? How else will Princess replace its current passenger load?

[Steelers0854]

DW and I are in our 30's and have cruised Princess since we were in our early 20's. We tend to gravitate towards an older more relaxed crowd, Carnival just isn't our speed.

 

Even on mainly Caribbean cruises the Princess demographic skews towards the older crowd. However on those 7 day itineraries you often see families in their 30's and 40's or those traveling with kids in their 20's-30's.

 

As previous posters have mentioned the longer the cruise the older the crowd. The itinerary makes a lot of difference.

 

We love Princess as well and I understand the desire to find the best balance. I would suggest focusing on Caribbean itineraries, 7 days, on the Royal or Regal. I think you will find your best demographics for what you are looking for. Also I would try and sail more "in season" as you will get younger people (usually those with kids) sailing around school schedules.

 

On a side note, we have always wanted to try RCL, I understand the concern over the price difference but try looking at one of the older ships. The big price differences seem to center around the new mega ships with all the bells and whistles. I think if you look for one of their smaller ships you will find prices to be more reasonable.

[kruisey]

Wanting something more modern than 40's to 60's does not necessarily indicate hip hop and rap, neither of which I care for as a 'general' rule. Nor does asking for more modern pop style music in ONE venue seem to be an unreasonable request. My folks, (who have passed on), would have LOVED the music! It was not ONLY us complaining. The first few days, everything was elevator music. Even Latin music that my sis normally enjoys dancing to, (10 years older than myself), dragged according to her.

 

Yes, I talked to the cd on the first sea day. I thought it was fixed when the 'wild bunch party' was packed with folks. Then it dropped back down to elevator music. It was a constant struggle the first half of the cruise. I'm not that young!! And poor 30 son....

 

Yes, we want lively! Not hip hop, not rap, but into something more recent than the 50's and 60's. They did have a disco party, but I left thoroughly disappointed with how it was held. I'm used to dancing all through a cruise, day and evening, (NOT late night). It was a struggle the first half of this one.

 

And yes, I would like to see a younger demographic for ds. The under 40 set was thin on this cruise. I'm not looking to take over a cruise and cause a panic in the silver set, I just want to know if all Princess cruises are this bad, both on demographic and music.

 

It sounds as if there might be hope, based on the other posts, though we are NOT looking for the spring break crowd. I love my son, but not enough to endure that! *L*

 

There are several cruise lines that cater for the younger crowd.I like Princess because it does cater for a more mature audience on the longer cruises.I would never cruise in the school summer holidays and Christmas because Princess adjusts its programs to attune to a younger crowd.

Posts like this thread get me rattled and lets put it this way.

Which cruise line do you propose should be for the SILVER HAIRED group?

Or do you think we should stay at home in front of the telly.?

How could Princess gain any financial profit to keep afloat if it only caters of the younger generation all the year round?

Young folks and guess what? Silver haired like dancing I did in my youth but it would not be my main reason for going on a cruise because there are so many other things to do on board and onshore.After some daily athletic activities I bet many young

folks flag out by 11.00PM.

Nuff said.......Kruisey:)

Edited November 2, 2016 by kruisey

[Cruise Junky]

There are several cruise lines that cater for the younger crowd.I like Princess because it does cater for a more mature audience on the longer cruises.I would never cruise in the school summer holidays and Christmas because Princess adjusts its programs to attune to a younger crowd.

Posts like this thread get me rattled and lets put it this way.

Which cruise line do you propose should be for the SILVER HAIRED group?

Or do you think we should stay at home in front of the telly.?

How could Princess gain any financial profit to keep afloat if it only caters of the younger generation all the year round?

Young folks and guess what? Silver haired like dancing I did in my youth but it would not be my main reason for going on a cruise because there are so many other things to do on board and onshore.After some daily athletic activities I bet many young

folks flag out by 11.00PM.

Nuff said.......Kruisey:)

 

No one is suggesting Princess abandon it's core passenger base or you stay home. Merely have a balance for it's current demographic and a bit more lively music after hours. Suggesting those passengers find another cruise line is doing a huge disservice to Princess

Edited November 2, 2016 by Cruise Junky

[firegal2539]

First of all I don't appreciate the OP calling me Silver or White haired, I pay a lot of money to make sure my hair isn't silver or white.

 

As many people have stated, the longer the itinerary, the more mature the crowd and the times of year dictate the age of the cruiser, holidays and summer will have young children, along with young adults. Holland America and Celebrity,known as premium cruise lines, are know as a more mature aged cruise line. Carnival is know as party and alcohol city. NCL is know as a mid 20s to 50s cruise line, but with some itineraries and times of year more mature aged passengers cruise. Royal has all age groups and one of the best children's programs at sea. Princess is a step above Royal and costs more but appeals to the mature aged cruiser.

 

As for price you need to try Royal, their prices are in line with NCL and less than Princess.

 

I have read you post 4 times to make sure I understand what you are asking for, a 10 day or longer cruiser (which will bring in mature cruisers because of the length of the cruise), you want a bargain cruise (that would be Carnival or NCL which I have taken 4 NCL cruises and never been nickled and dimed), and music from the 80s to now (the music is according to the age group on the ship, again that means Carnival or NCL).

 

I just returned from a 14 day NCL Panama Canal cruise and because of the length of the cruise there were no young children onboard, very few young adults, more passengers from 40 through 90. The music included classical string quartet, a DJ who played mostly current music, Katy Perry, Madonna, but did not include hip hop or rap, a jazz pianist, and many parties that had music from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80, 90s and current.

 

You need to look at a different cruise line and a different shorter itinerary and you still won't get everything you want.

 

Hope you find what your looking!

[Skai]

I'm at the beginning of my 4th decade, but I guess I'm the contrarian here. Would it kill Princess to play some Glenn Miller Orchestra or some Andrews Sisters?

 

I can't get this rocking rolling(?) music of these days. It all sounds the same to me. I can't understand the lyrics with all of the yelling, but I'm sure they're about worshipping the devil and smoking refer or something of the sort.

[Zooguy]

I just turned 70 last week. If I try very hard, I can stay up until 9pm with my wife's permission.

The only music I'm interested in is the string quartet that plays in the piazza.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited November 2, 2016 by Zooguy

[SouthAltaCruisingFamily]

There is always some music somewhere on the ships that we sail that appease our needs. It is a matter of searching it out. Some days I need calming and mellow music. Other days we enjoy rock and roll in the Skywalkers Night Club.

 

If music is critical, why not search up concerts at sea or theme cruises? There you can find cruises specifically geared to what you want, traveling with similar interested people, on the cruise line you wish to travel on, and on an itinerary that may be suitable to you.

 

On our last cruise with RCL in February there was a Rockin' The Caribbean group that had its own group space with group based activities that were not open to the other passengers.

[Corfe Mixture]

Age is a state of mind.

 

When my wife suggested that my 86 year old mother-in-law might like to go to the local day centre to make some new friends the idea was summarily dismissed with the words.

 

'I'm not going there, they are all old people'

 

:)

[Geoffa30]

Instead of trying to make Princess change things to your liking, why don't you find a cruise line that already offers what it is that you want? There's gotta be a cruise line out there that has what you prefer.

 

Consider this .... Princess loyalists are loyal BECAUSE they like Princess just the way it is, music included!! And there's a lot of us who have done lots of Princess cruises!

 

What an awful thing to say. Princess needs to continue to evolve as long time Princess cruisers won't be around forever. Princess need to attract new customers to remain viable.

 

I'm 44. Love Princess but do agree that the music policy is a little dated. We will often go to the club at around 11 and sit waiting for the music to become more modern (not hip hop or rap as cannot stand it) but some dance music and it never materialises. Like another poster has said, one more modern tune will be played, people will get up to dance, the atmosphere will improve but then it goes back to old stuff, everyone sits back down. We always wait hoping things will pick up but by 12.30 to 1 we give up and go to bed.

 

My partner has spoken to the DJ in the past on a number of occasions and whilst they have contemporary music available they are reluctant to play it because of the reaction it garners.

[4x4bob]

Ref age demographics on Princess ships. I must be 17 because my Wife keeps telling to slow down because I am not 16 anymore and I do stay up after 9:00PM.

 

Ref Music on Princess ships: If it an't Country it an't music. :D

 

Bob

[shredie]

Ref age demographics on Princess ships. I must be 17 because my Wife keeps telling to slow down because I am not 16 anymore and I do stay up after 9:00PM.

 

Ref Music on Princess ships: If it an't Country it an't music. :D

 

Bob

 

LOL. Actually, 40s and 50s country music is some great stuff!

[tencruises]

Overall, I'm fine with the individual cruise lines not trying to cater to everyone from every background and every taste. There are plenty to choose from so just go with who fills in the most boxes on your checklist. Just because I say that I probably won't be on Princess again for a long time, if ever...doesn't mean that I don't respect their market. I think they do a great job in what they do and if they start bending for everyone then that's when quality issues begin.

 

Kind of like a restaurant that serves food from all nationalities...if you want Italian, go to an Italian restaurant...or Japanese, go to a Japanese restaurant...but expecting the equal quality from one that specializes in a mix of everything generally isn't going to be as good.

 

Let the experience be what it is and if it isn't for you, there are plenty that are. Be adventurous! Try something new.

[minniem]

Instead of trying to make Princess change things to your liking, why don't you find a cruise line that already offers what it is that you want? There's gotta be a cruise line out there that has what you prefer.

 

Consider this .... Princess loyalists are loyal BECAUSE they like Princess just the way it is, music included!! And there's a lot of us who have done lots of Princess cruises!

 

Well said. I agree.

[grouchomarx]

Of all the Princess cruises I've taken, the Coral Panama Canal was the oldest demographic by far. The entertainment was all suited to that crowd. They had a "sock hop" one night. We were like, for real? Really? It made for a more sedate, quiet cruise as there was no nightlife at all. We still had a wonderful time but I can see how a person looking for nightlife would be quite disappointed. It's worth trying another Princess cruise, they're not all like that. All the other Princess cruises were much more lively than the Coral Panama Canal.

[kruisey]

Instead of trying to make Princess change things to your liking, why don't you find a cruise line that already offers what it is that you want? There's gotta be a cruise line out there that has what you prefer.

 

Consider this .... Princess loyalists are loyal BECAUSE they like Princess just the way it is, music included!! And there's a lot of us who have done lots of Princess cruises!

 

I'm one of those.Never ever cruised with another line.:)

[shredie]

Okay, I'm catching on, I think. OP does not mean literally that "elevator music" was playing in all the venues but is using that for a metaphor. OP means that any music he/she doesn't like is automatically "elevator music." I think. I was just on an elevator and the music was the adapted instrumental of "Roar" by Katy Perry. Now I don't know if OP's son likes that artist, but my grandson tells me the song is only a few years old and should be considered "contemporary." If it's on the elevator, maybe that suggests not all "elevator music" is from the 1940s. But what do I know? I'm one of the Silver Set and we don't know nothin' about no music.

Edited November 2, 2016 by shredie