Is HAL Alaska too old for a young 40's couple?

[I Luv Crusin]

I have friends that are trying to decide on a cruise to Alaska for this summer. They were told by their travel agent that they were too young for HAL, that the food was tasteless and bland.

 

Since I haven't sailed HAL, yet, I really can't answer their concerns. And also I understand that Alaska tends to run older than the other destinations.

 

Please help!

[RedmondCruiser]

Is HAL too old for you --- NO--- Do they tend to have an older clientel - YES ---

 

You will find that HAL customers are well traveled and know the best product for the price.

 

Our first HAL cruise was 20 years ago and we quickly took our 8 and 10 year olds on an Alaskan cruise. We ALL enjoyed the cruise. In fact we had to drag them off the ship.

 

Is the food bland --- NO -- the food is excellent - the service is excellent and the rooms are much larger than brand X. No cruise line has spicey food. My wife and I love spicey food and we have found NO cruise line that has spicey food. --- So live with it. ---

 

We have done Alaska about 9 times - (we live in the Seattle area so we do alot of spur of the moment cruises. You will enjoy Alaska, it is spectacular.

 

If you want to disco until 4am then try brand X and go to the Carribean. Alaska tends to be an older group ( irrespective of the line ) who enjoy the cruise and the scenery.

 

Go for it and have a good time ---- sounds like your travel agent wants to sell brand X - for a volume bonus.

[rickcohen2]

Are you kidding?

 

Alaska is perfect for 30 and 40-somethings. We all were when the family sailed HAL up the Inside Passage. It was great!

 

In fact, glad we went when we did. I'm thinking some of the rugged stuff we did there then, I don't know if I'm up for now, just 10 years later.

 

That was our second HAL vacation. And, both times we were more than impressed with the food, staff and ship. I don't think lines that cater to the 20-somethings spend so much attention to the details.

 

We had a blast! It was beautiful! Don't let your age stand in your way.

[Budget Queen]

I agree!!! Alaska is wonderful for all ages wanting scenery and vastness. :) And HAL offers an excellent product sailing Alaska, great ships with superb deck viewing space, ship naturalists, Glacier Bay permits, one ways with Seward port. :)

 

 

I have a CC group cruise for you also to consider. :)

http://cruisecritic.com/interests/groups.cfm?ID=87

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have cruised several times to Alaska - all ages on HAL ships for this type of cruise. Your friends will love HAL.

 

Food bland - no way.

 

Tell them to go for it.

[jhannah]

Why do some TAs make such broad-brush statements as this? Oh well ... your friends are not too young for Holland America. We've sailed with twenty-somethings who certainly appeared to be having a wonderful time. Redmond Cruiser is right in that cruise lines don't serve real spicy food. Even the specialty Thai items I've had on occasion weren't all that spicy. Tell your friends to go and have a wonderful time.

[synman]

I have friends that are trying to decide on a cruise to Alaska for this summer. They were told by their travel agent that they were too young for HAL, that the food was tasteless and bland.

 

Since I haven't sailed HAL, yet, I really can't answer their concerns. And also I understand that Alaska tends to run older than the other destinations.

 

Please help!

 

 

Definitely not to young. Much depends on what they find important. For us it is about food, service and a comfortable, beautifully appointed cabin. HAL delivers in spades. HAL food is of excellent quality and variety and definitely not bland. Several dishes each night will have some spice, and you can always ask your waiter for their favorite sambal if you need more heat.

 

If your friends are into late=night disco, forced gaiety and the obligatory limbo contest then HAL is not for them.

[Atomica]

Bland food? No. NCL had bland food, but certainly not HAL. To say that Alaska has an older crowd is a bit of a generalization - plenty of young people go there as well. I'd look at each of the line's itineraries and ships, and then pick the one that's the most appealing, and go have a good time. I'm sure your friends will have a blast; it's a great cruise to take.

[kelmac]

I have friends that are trying to decide on a cruise to Alaska for this summer. They were told by their travel agent that they were too young for HAL, that the food was tasteless and bland.

 

Since I haven't sailed HAL, yet, I really can't answer their concerns. And also I understand that Alaska tends to run older than the other destinations.

 

Please help!

 

If you want an upscale feel, great food and outstanding service, I would select either Holland America or Celebrity. (Our two favorite lines)

Carnival, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean will have more people per sq foot on the ships, large volumes of okay food, more families and perhaps a bit more energy. If you want to be more informal, and have non-stop entertainment, go with NCL, Princess or Royal Caribbean.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[herb]

My wife and I have both reached the 50 mark in our lives and we've done enough cruises with the singing waiters, kids in elevators and hot tubs, and passengers with their buckets of beer! We are SOOOOO ready for HAL :D

[geoherb]

I'm 44 and just went on my first HAL cruise. It was great. One of our tablemates turned 81 during the cruise. He and his girlfriend were the liveliest ones at our table.

 

We sailed to Alaska on Princess, and that one is still my favorite cruise. One thing you can do is look at the amount of time in each port to help your friends decide which cruise will be best for them based on the things they'd like to do.

 

We've had delicious food and wonderful service on Celebrity, HAL, and Princess. Price and itinerary are what will decide which one we choose for our next cruise.

[RuthC]

For me, Alaska is the only cruise where the destination is the ports, and not the ship. So, it matters less who my companions are. I'm not as interested in staying up all night to play---I need sleep to enjoy the next day. It's a "don't miss a thing" kind of place. On my first cruise there I put putting in full 8-hour "work"days sitting on deck enjoying the view.

Your friends will find smaller ships that can get closer to the glaciers. There is ample deck space for viewing. When they have to go indoors they will find larger cabins, elegant public areas, gracious service. Even if they like their food with a bit more "pep" they won't starve. Far from it. Heck, I'm very picky about food and I never came home without a few more pounds.

If this were some other itinerary I migh ask a lot more questions about your friends and what they're looking for on a cruise. For Alaska---I can recommend HAL with no qualms.

[akur23]

I went on a HAL Alaska cruise at 44, and loved it, as did DH (also 44 then). My only complaint (somewhat age-related) was that they only had 2 trivia quizzes all week. :p I was used to Celebrity having at least one a day. Still, it was a wonderful cruise, and I'm definetely sailing on HAL again.

[caviargal]

My first Alaska cruise ten years ago was a disappointment. It rained for 7 days and all excursions were cancelled. And by virtue of the destination and passenger mix, it was pretty much dead on the ship.

 

I have been back 5 times since and enjoyed my cruises much more. One, I was prepared for a lack of activities, especially at night and I was also prepared for an older clientele. And the weather was better on all of these cruise.

 

IMO, food is subjective. I really enjoy Celebrity's food but I have not cruised on HAL for 20 years. Sounds like your TA may not have been on them for awhile because, based on that old experience, I would agree with her assesment. I will be on Zui in 2 months and am anxious to see for myself how the food is now.

 

I have done RCI twice to Alaska, NCL twice, Celebrity once. I am active and I enjoy nightlife so for me, RCI was a good choice. I really enjoy the fitness program and gym on their ships more than any other line.

 

So I think your decision needs to take your personal tastes into consideration. What is important to you? Alaska is a totally different experience than the Caribbean. Excursions (I never book through the ship) are all important.

[babytraveler]

Don't flame me, I'm genuinely puzzled...

 

I have heard HAL is for the over 70 crowd--we're in our 40s and going with young children.

 

I looked at the shore excursions--long bus rides, rafting, glacier walks, helicopters, floatplanes, hikes, climbs, etc. There's very little besides town and museums that I would feel comfortable doing with young children.

 

How (and truly, I mean no offense) do the older folks manage such vigorous excursions?

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Here's an anecdotal reply to your questions about older passengers in Alaska:

 

I'm certainly no expert on Alaska, as we are heading out on our first cruise there this summer. We are taking my 72-year-old mother along, and this will be her second cruise to Alaska. We have active excursions planned for each stop (Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan), and we plan on taking mom along. My mother is, in fact, in much better shape than I am. She swims and does yoga or aerobics almost daily, eats great, and works in her garden practically all day long from spring through fall. Many older people nowadays are quite active; I think it's a cliche left over from the past to think of them as half-dead because they have passed a certain age.

 

We are looking forward to our multi-generational family adventure in Alaska. I would agree, though, with BabyTraveler, that Alaska is probably not a good travel destination for very small children. Our children will be ages 8 and 17 at time of travel. Happy Voyages to all in the year ahead!

[Rabbitlady]

We loved our Alaskan cruise on the Ryndam with HAL. We are in our mid 30s/early 40s and had fun! We are not late night partiers though and enjoyed the scenery, etc. On our cruise, there was a sprinkling of 20s, 30s and 40s. On our Westerdam cruise, there tended to be a much older crowd which surprised me since it was Christmas and I thought extended families would be present and have a variety of ages.

 

However, we have become true HAL fans. We love the service,... it is a piece of luxury at a very reasonable price. The rooms are warm, inviting, and so comfortable.

 

I don't know how this is figured out but I will say that we noticed at every stop that HAL ships were the least far to walk back on the ship(when we docked in port) and some of the other ships were tendered. Even the ones not tendered had to walk all the way around the mulberry bush so to speak.

 

Rabbitlady:)

[Rabbitlady]

We loved our Alaskan cruise on the Ryndam with HAL. We are in our mid 30s/early 40s and had fun! We are not late night partiers though and enjoyed the scenery, etc. On our cruise, there was a sprinkling of 20s, 30s and 40s. On our Westerdam cruise, there tended to be a much older crowd which surprised me since it was Christmas and I thought extended families would be present and have a variety of ages.

 

However, we have become true HAL fans. We love the service,... it is a piece of luxury at a very reasonable price. The rooms are warm, inviting, and so comfortable.

 

I don't know how this is figured out but I will say that we noticed at every stop that HAL ships were the least far to walk back on the ship(when we docked in port) and some of the other ships were tendered. Even the ones not tendered had to walk all the way around the mulberry bush so to speak.

 

The food was very good on both ships we were on. The best ship for food was the Century/Celebrity, but quite honestly, I like HAL ships better overall and I still enjoy the food a great deal.

 

Rabbitlady:)

[Budget Queen]

Don't flame me, I'm genuinely puzzled...

 

I have heard HAL is for the over 70 crowd--we're in our 40s and going with young children.

 

I looked at the shore excursions--long bus rides, rafting, glacier walks, helicopters, floatplanes, hikes, climbs, etc. There's very little besides town and museums that I would feel comfortable doing with young children.

 

How (and truly, I mean no offense) do the older folks manage such vigorous excursions?

 

 

Your list, except for the "climbs" are doable by most anyone. :) Plenty of people glacier helicopter landing over 70 and what an experience!!!

[BIWOZ]

Well, my wife and I had our second HAL Alaska cruise last year. First time we were 40s; this time 50s. Took friends with us this time: late 40s and just 50.

 

We had a BALL! There's such a huge variety of things to do -- we never had time to feel bored or ... old! We walked, rode trains, went in a dukw, took a cable car ... you name it. Then shopped, ate, drank, drank, ate, shopped -- oh, yeah, went to the casino, a show or two, ate and drank (you seeing a pattern here? ;) ), took some 700 photos (aren't digital cameras wonderful?) and generally had a ball just eating and drinking.

 

We're not earlybirds by any means, but 1.00 am was late enough, especially when you had a "big day" the next day.

 

Unless you're a 40s couple into disco or clubbing or headbanging, then, categorically, No! HAL Alaska is NOT too old for a 40s couple. :)

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

[VABeach]

My wife and I have both reached the 50 mark in our lives and we've done enough cruises with the singing waiters, kids in elevators and hot tubs, and passengers with their buckets of beer! We are SOOOOO ready for HAL :D

 

That's exactly how I feel!! I'm 35 and just got back from my first HAL cruise. It took me a long time to go on one because my TA told me I was "too young for HAL". She was so wrong!! It was the best cruise I have ever been on! Yes, it was an older crowd. Yes, the entertainment was a little slow. But wow!! We had a really great time! The people at our table were all much older than us and had so many interesting things to talk about. (They were the best tablemates I've ever had.) The food was the best I've ever had on a ship. There weren't kids running lose everywhere. There weren't people partying everywhere. There weren't people fighting over pool chairs. It was great. My next cruise will be on HAL for sure. :)

[cruisequeen10]

Everyone seems to blend together and get along. Age doesn't matter. You can be in your 20's or 80's and still find something in common. Somtimes the older one's are the lively ones. What do you mean, they only have 2 trivia's the entire cruise. What am I going to do in the meantime.

[nodumblond]

That's exactly how I feel!! I'm 35 and just got back from my first HAL cruise. It took me a long time to go on one because my TA told me I was "too young for HAL". She was so wrong!! It was the best cruise I have ever been on! Yes, it was an older crowd. Yes, the entertainment was a little slow. But wow!! We had a really great time! The people at our table were all much older than us and had so many interesting things to talk about. (They were the best tablemates I've ever had.) The food was the best I've ever had on a ship. There weren't kids running lose everywhere. There weren't people partying everywhere. There weren't people fighting over pool chairs. It was great. My next cruise will be on HAL for sure. :)

 

I'm with VABeach -- I cruised Alaska on the Ryndam with my 60-something Dear MaMa as an early 39-and-holding birthday present. (Well, I paid my way, but it was still a great way to celebrate!) She'd never cruised before, so I specifically asked her TA to look at Princess and HAL because of their reputation for more 'mature' travelers.

 

I was so blown away by the service and cuisine that I am now spoiled for any other line. And, as you can see by my signature, I'm going back to Alaska on the Westerdam this year -- this time, with my long-suffering fiance (who was my long suffering boyfriend when I booked. Hmm. Maybe he could be long suffering husband by the time we go . . . but I digress . . . :p )

 

My only caveat is that if you don't go with someone your own age, there isn't a lot of things that are appealing. You can only people watch at the piano bar and drink with the chorus boys so much. . . . :rolleyes:

 

So if you don't mind being pampered and eating great food and not being around really drunken fools by the dozen, I'd definitely recommend HAL!

[Captain Crunch]

My wife (40)and I (43) took our 1st cruise last year and we chose HAL (Westerdam), I would not recommend it for families with young children. The activities on other cruise lines are far and away more involved and interesting.

 

If you are interested in a sedate, quiet Carribean vacation, HAL is good. The shows are defintely tilted for an AARP crowd, as is the food.

 

We are trying a Royal Carib with the family this time.

[caviargal]

My wife (40)and I (43) took our 1st cruise last year and we chose HAL (Westerdam), I would not recommend it for families with young children. The activities on other cruise lines are far and away more involved and interesting.

 

If you are interested in a sedate, quiet Carribean vacation, HAL is good. The shows are defintely tilted for an AARP crowd, as is the food.

 

We are trying a Royal Carib with the family this time.

 

The bottom line is that what is "right" for one 40 something couple is not for another. We all have different tastes.

 

I have not cruised on HAL for 20 years because, back then, it was way too sedate for me re food, fitness and entertainment. I was on the Zuiderdam yesterday and was pleasantly surprised; looking forwarding to cruising on her in 10 weeks time.

 

I prefer elegance and tradition when cruising these days as a 40 something and of RCI's fleet, only Radiance class does it for me, and only when the kids are in school. RCI has gotten lax in its dress codes and lax in policing the adults only areas, making it less enjoyable for those of us who used to really enjoy the line for those reasons.

 

I looked at the menus on HAL and was pleasantly surprised; much more ecletic than they used to be.

 

So, I think you need to evaluate your own tastes and preferences. Do not expect a party ship on HAL and do not expect a dining room with people dressed in jeans. That is not what their customer base enjoys and not what they attract.