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HAL demographic - and why I love cruising with "old" people

RMLincoln

By RMLincoln,
in Holland America Line

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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100% agree -- I'll take Old folks ( of which I'm proud to be) of that 25-40 crowd that can be - loud and rude and uninteresting, any day of the week -- Yes read the posts and then decide which line fits you - I personally do not want a floating amusement park or city

 

 

There is only one alternative to growing old. either one gets old or they do not. Not everryone is so lucky to grow old. .

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Lovely other

Lovely other

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What wonderful words to read ...I'm in HAL's younger demographic at 44 (21 in my head) and I've met some wonderful people of all ages on my HAL cruises.

 

I've kept in touch with quite a few of them including the 74 years young archeology professor from Greece who is constantly travelling the world, the 60 something tattoo artist, and a wonderful couple in their 80's who drank and danced till the early hours and then took me shopping in "the real Istanbul" the next morning.

 

I think HAL attracts adventurers of many ages and backgrounds and I wouldn't have it any other way ... :hearteyes:

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Andi Land Great Review Rare

Andi Land

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I, too, am in HAL's younger demographic at 42. My husband and I have been cruising with HAL for 7 years and it is our favorite because of the quiet atmosphere that we want while vacationing and also because of the seasoned travelers who have shared so much wisdom with us.

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DeeniEncinitas

DeeniEncinitas

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Great thread!:) You know it's the cruising that keeps us young...

Amen Sister!!!!!

We were on the Windstar in 2006 doing the Med. it was the first time for us and we met wonderful

People! I still was practicing dentistry and my DH and I met a retired DDS in his late 80's that was so young at heart ❤️ and I loved spending all the quality time with him and his companion of Condé Nast Travel magazine!!! At that time she was helping the Editor of the magazine who we met also on board with her husband! We all bonded and to this day when I finally retired we met up in Barcelona to celebrate!!! HAL is our home and love all the people that we meet!

Corny as it might be I enjoy the good and the bad of HAL.

We do not sweat the small stuff! Everyone we meet is a treasure!

REMEBER WE ONLY GO AROUND ONCE! My husband and I enjoy to the max!

Denise:)

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iancal

iancal

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Demographics are never much of an issue for us. We select cruises based on ship and itinerary and are not loyal to any one cruise line. We usually cruise during shoulder season or at times when many others have children in school etc. We typically, but not always, avoid public holidays. Our cruises tend to be 12-21 days.

 

Even if we were concerned about demographics, the above perameters tend to define what the demographics will be. We are now in the seniors group. Having said that, we do not want to sail on what ends up being a care home either. We prefer a mix, including children. We have been hit a few times by of folks in those mobily scooters. The majority are fine, but there is a small minority who cannot seem to master scooter operation or simply don't care about others. Not a particularly pleasant experience.

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frankc98376

frankc98376

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On our honeymoon cruis a couple from Texas stopped at our table in PG. They were 85 and 88 and had gotten married in Seattle the day before we sailed. They heard we had gotten married on embarkation day in the Crows Nest. He said he was very excited as he never thought he would see same sex marriage in his lifetime. He and his wife demanded a hug from both of us. We were both in tears (along with people around us).

 

Age really is only a number!

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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On our honeymoon cruis a couple from Texas stopped at our table in PG. They were 85 and 88 and had gotten married in Seattle the day before we sailed. They heard we had gotten married on embarkation day in the Crows Nest. He said he was very excited as he never thought he would see same sex marriage in his lifetime. He and his wife demanded a hug from both of us. We were both in tears (along with people around us).

 

Age really is only a number!

 

 

Frank, What a nice storyl. Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

 

Hopefully, it really is true, the older we get the wiser we are, the more we have e learned and more we have 'smartened up'. :)

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Bostonjetset Great Review Rare

Bostonjetset

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This is such a wonderful post and I thank the OP for creating it.

At 34 years old I am not part of HAL's traditional demographic but I truly love the experience of sailing with them. Cunard is another fave of mine and they skew older as well. An older passenger base does not mean boring; there is something truly special about travelling with people who have more years of life experience than I do; one can learn so much from them and they often have the best stories to tell about travel and life in general.

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

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This is such a wonderful post and I thank the OP for creating it.

At 34 years old I am not part of HAL's traditional demographic but I truly love the experience of sailing with them. Cunard is another fave of mine and they skew older as well. An older passenger base does not mean boring; there is something truly special about travelling with people who have more years of life experience than I do; one can learn so much from them and they often have the best stories to tell about travel and life in general.

 

Well said:

The question is: have you ever been mistaken, by those old pax, as part of the staff? I can see that happening, as it did to us when we started cruising.

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

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Well said:

The question is: have you ever been mistaken, by those old pax, as part of the staff? I can see that happening, as it did to us when we started cruising.

 

The term "Old" - especially on many CC threads - seems to carry some perjorative implication- please refer to us as "chronologically differentiated".

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Andi Land Great Review Rare

Andi Land

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Well said:

The question is: have you ever been mistaken, by those old pax, as part of the staff? I can see that happening, as it did to us when we started cruising.

Yes, I have been mistaken for staff the one cruise I chose to put my keycard on a lanyard, I was asked for directions by many passengers. I fulfilled my job duties admirably. Or, at least I hope I did😊

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cruzin4us "Live from...." Rare

cruzin4us

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When I was in my early 30's, my DH and I got "Stuck" at a table with 2 very old ladies. I was SO bummed at the time because I was ready to P-A-R-T-Y.....

 

After my initial frustration of not getting a table for 2, I started chatting with these 2 women. One was an Auschwitz survivor and she had lost her entire family during the war in both Auschwitz and Treblinka. She had the tatoo on her arm that she showed me. To this day I feel completely blessed to have had to sit at a table with "old people". I never would have met "A....." and I would have never been able to pass on her story to my children.

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boards Holiday Sharing Rare

boards

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We are of the older group and we don't mind you joining us. We have enjoyed meeting fellow cruisers and to hear of their travels. Sometimes we are travelling to the country they are from and have gotten good travel advice.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Two words..... Mama Lou

 

That says it all for me.

 

RIGHT ON. I cannot imagine there would be anyone who would not be thrilled for the opportunity to chat through many dinners with that delighgtful lady. She if very loved by many including crew

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