HALS demographics: Was that their original intent?

[herb]

Always read and hear about HAL's "older" demographics, and I know they are trying to change that image.

 

Did they market their product in years past so that younger cruisers would steer away from Holland America? I don't really recall any Holland America commercials from years ago that made it appealing to seniors only.

Why was it that for years HAL ships were retiree age only ( or the vast majority)?

[JJPacer]

A poll recently taken on these boards indicate the majority of passengers are in the 40 - 60 years young age group. If you choose to call that demographic "older retirees" I guess there are worse things we could be called. Based on that poll, I don't think the pax are as old as people perceive the HAL passenger to be. Many who have answered the roll call for our sailing are still working.... way too hard (DH and I included), and just want a vacation! Possibly, the long cruises that HAL offers, have a high number of retirees, because they aren't working, and they worked way to hard hard while they were working so they can enjoy their retirement as they choose.

[herb]

A poll recently taken on these boards indicate the majority of passengers are in the 40 - 60 years young age group. If you choose to call that demographic "older retirees" I guess there are worse things we could be called. Based on that poll, I don't think the pax are as old as people perceive the HAL passenger to be. Many who have answered the roll call for our sailing are still working.... way too hard (DH and I included), and just want a vacation! Possibly, the long cruises that HAL offers, have a high number of retirees, because they aren't working, and they worked way to hard hard while they were working so they can enjoy their retirement as they choose.

 

I'm glad we both agree that their demographics have RECENTLY changed as the RECENT poll suggests and that Holland America is no longer a floating nursing home. My original question was how did HAL market their cruises that in years past it WAS mostly seniors?

[RuthC]

That recent poll asked us to list either our age, or how old we felt.

Now, there's no way I'm giving my age; I feel about 8-ish (that's up from 3 1/2, folks). Sure would bring down the average if everyone voted that way!

[babyher]

Just my humble guess , but the HAL line has been around over 100 years. Back then Ocean Liner travel was the old Class sytem on all lines.

 

First class was white glove service, and dressing for dinner, and classical music and fine artwork aboard. Impeccible service and a refined elegent atmosphere. As it still is on HAL.

 

Through the years , like everywhere else in life. Things change. The world is not as formal as it used to be. In keeping with the times and to attract a broader market of cruisers , cruises lines have adapted with those changes. More casual dress, more family friendly attractions, more dinning options etc.

 

HAL , along with a few other lines I am sure , still wishes to cater to those who want the more traditional cruise experience of the "golden days" as they have been called.

 

Although people of many ages would and do enjoy this type of experience, mostly it would appeal to an older demographic who were brought up with and still long for the "golden days"

 

I am not making a wise crack about age here (I am 43) .

 

I think of it this way. If you were to have a Big Band cruise , you wouldn't be getting too too many teens and 20 year olds. As you won't be getting too many 40, 50 and 60 year olds at an MTV Spring break cruise :)

[jhannah]

The marketing department at Holland America would have to answer the question. But I'm guessing it has to do with their itineraries and ambiance offered. It appeals to the cruiser wanting the more classic experience, as babyher mentioned. They have a number of longer sailings, and it's generally the retired group who have the time to take advantage of them. Just my guess.

[dakrewser]

The marketing department at Holland America would have to answer the question. But I'm guessing it has to do with their itineraries and ambiance offered. It appeals to the cruiser wanting the more classic experience, as babyher mentioned. They have a number of longer sailings, and it's generally the retired group who have the time to take advantage of them. Just my guess.

 

I think it's a good guess, Jim. HAL has marketed to those with the time (and money) to take the longer, more interesting itineraries. While this might skew the age of the pax higher, it's always included a good mix of youngsters, too. I was only in my 40's for my first HAL cruise...

[Captain Crunch]

A poll recently taken on these boards indicate the majority of passengers are in the 40 - 60 years young age group. If you choose to call that demographic "older retirees" I guess there are worse things we could be called. Based on that poll, I don't think the pax are as old as people perceive the HAL passenger to be. Many who have answered the roll call for our sailing are still working.... way too hard (DH and I included), and just want a vacation! Possibly, the long cruises that HAL offers, have a high number of retirees, because they aren't working, and they worked way to hard hard while they were working so they can enjoy their retirement as they choose.

 

With all due respect to the poll, many people in the 60-80 are not as active on the internet as the 40-60 demographic, which may skew[sic] the poll results.

[kryos]

The marketing department at Holland America would have to answer the question. But I'm guessing it has to do with their itineraries and ambiance offered. It appeals to the cruiser wanting the more classic experience, as babyher mentioned. They have a number of longer sailings, and it's generally the retired group who have the time to take advantage of them. Just my guess.

We were told by the cruise director on the Amsterdam ... in a "coffee chat" type of thing ... that HAL has long appealed to the more "mature" set with the ambience of their ships and the longer, more exotic voyages they offer. While HAL wants to continue to market to that set, they also see the need to expand their customer base. Hence, the Vista-class ships with the shorter, more popular itineraries. They want to focus their marketing efforts for these ships to the younger, family crowd. This allows them to bring lots of new customers into the cruising fold, while still catering to the HAL loyalist who demands longer, more diverse itineraries.

 

Let's face it ... those older HAL passengers will stop cruising one day. Some will die off. You've gotta have others to take their place and hence the push to cater to the family market. Seven-day cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska are perfect for this group ... not too long that mom and dad can't break away from work, and short enough that the kids could be pulled out of school for a week, avoiding having to pay the inflated prices of traveling during peak seasons.

 

Of course, we can all hope that as that family market gets older that they may too begin demanding longer voyages. If not, I could well imagine one day HAL not offering as many of them as the customer base for that type of cruise shrinks.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[patval]

I do not believe Hal has an older crowd. I believe Hal's crowd is of middle class people living in a Middle to Upper Middle class life. They prefer cruises of 10 days or more. The atmosphere of a refine setting is also a key thing.

 

With Hal approacing a younger very possible because I am 26 years old and my wife (future) and I perfer a quiet and refine cruise or vacation without the loud music or kids running a muck. We also prefer longer cruises and after the Westerdam we are looking into taking a 10 to 14 day cruise next Fall on the Noordam, Veendam, or Zaandam.

 

Paul

[lenhub]

One way to observe who a cruise line is marketing to is to look at the brochures and the age of the people pictured in them and the activities they are doing. For example RCI features younger people doing water sports activities and the surfing on board the ship. Whereas, the models used in the HAL brochures are usually older and involved in touring cities, cultural items and museums.

 

Just an observation from a marketing class I took once and a seminar on selling cruises. (My wife is a travel agent.):)

 

Len Hubbard

[mechcc]

As a bonifide "Baby Boomer" married to a WWII baby, we enjoy both the quiet, refined elegance of a HAL cruise and also enjoy a more active cruise on RCCL. Our 26 year old son and new DIL want to do a cruise sometime soon and have asked us what we would recommend for a quiet, relaxing, peaceful, low-keyed expierence. We steered them to HAL and X.

[ocngypz]

Well... various members of my family have sailed en famille with HAL for almost 100 years. .. 96 years to be exact! As babies, toddlers, school aged, teens, 20-somethings, middle aged adults and seniors.

 

Wheew.. that's a long time!

[EbayCruiser]

I think that most of the people who voted on the poll did not list their correct age ..... or so it seemed when I cruised Alaska last year. But .... I had rather cruise with the older generation than a bunch of younger, drunker, bad acting cruisers!!

[mechcc]

I think that most of the people who voted on the poll did not list their correct age ..... or so it seemed when I cruised Alaska last year. But .... I had rather cruise with the older generation than a bunch of younger, drunker, bad acting cruisers!!

 

Then I'm in the minority as I voted my actual age and not the age I feel.

 

I have also seen older folks, drunk and acting obnixous.

[mr green]

A poll recently taken on these boards indicate the majority of passengers are in the 40 - 60 years young age group. If you choose to call that demographic "older retirees" I guess there are worse things we could be called. Based on that poll, I don't think the pax are as old as people perceive the HAL passenger to be. Many who have answered the roll call for our sailing are still working.... way too hard (DH and I included), and just want a vacation! Possibly, the long cruises that HAL offers, have a high number of retirees, because they aren't working, and they worked way to hard hard while they were working so they can enjoy their retirement as they choose.

 

This 'Poll' is false. All it tells us is the average age of the Cruise Critics, about 2% tops of HAL's passengers, not the average of the other 98%, many of whom might not use computers. Thus the 'Poll' gives a much lower age of HAL's cruisers. john

[SarahQ]

I hear ya patval - hubby and I are both 28 and taking our first HAL cruise together to the Eastern Caribbean in December (I cruised HAL to Alaska in 1999 - speaking of HAL's more 'experienced' cruisers, Alaska seemed to be the place to find them...hehe).

 

Actually, we're on the same cruise as you - December 10th...slightly off-topic in this thread, but if you're interested, I've started a roll call - feel free to come by and check in :)

 

Drawing on my own Marketing background, I have to agree with lenhub - HAL's marketing often shows older passengers, and even more than that have been quite obviously selling a more refined, elegant and relaxing experience - not exactly the fun, frivolity and adventure that Carnival or RCCL are trying to sell.

 

And while I'm agreeing with everyone, kryos is exactly right - HAL's current crowd won't be cruising forever, and once most of them have gone to that great Lido buffet in the sky, there will have to be passengers to take their place. That said, I hope HAL doesn't change too much to try to lure in those new customers ;)

[kryos]

I do not believe Hal has an older crowd. I believe Hal's crowd is of middle class people living in a Middle to Upper Middle class life. They prefer cruises of 10 days or more. The atmosphere of a refine setting is also a key thing.

 

With Hal approacing a younger very possible because I am 26 years old and my wife (future) and I perfer a quiet and refine cruise or vacation without the loud music or kids running a muck. We also prefer longer cruises and after the Westerdam we are looking into taking a 10 to 14 day cruise next Fall on the Noordam, Veendam, or Zaandam.

If you go on the more exotic voyages, you will clearly find HAL's older crowd. On our 30-day Amsterdam cruise, the average passenger age was reported as being something like 73 or 74. HAL runs lots of these "extended" voyages ... 17, 18, 25, 35+ days. More are put together by combining voyages.

 

You will rarely get a 26-year-old on that sort of voyage. Most 26-year-olds have careers they are trying to grow. Getting the time off for such a voyage is not easy.

 

I think HAL offers a "refined" product and will thus always get a certain type of cruiser, even on their shorter voyages. I can't imagine you will ever hear a HAL cruise referred to as a "booze cruise" ... even the 3 or 4 day HAL Bermuda ones.

 

I just hope HAL never tries to change that "refined" cruising style it has become known for ... because other than HAL, I know of no other mass market line that comes close to it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

This 'Poll' is false. All it tells us is the average age of the Cruise Critics, about 2% tops of HAL's passengers, not the average of the other 98%, many of whom might not use computers. Thus the 'Poll' gives a much lower age of HAL's cruisers. john

If the number of people on the Amsterdam who asked me what "Cruise Critic.com" on the back of my tee-shirt was is any indication, I would say 2% is a generous estimate. It's probably less than 1%.

 

We have a lively community here, but we have to remember that most of the cruising public has never even heard of us. I don't think the opinions reflected here on just about any cruising topic could be considered as necessarily representative of cruisers at large.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita