80 year old cruising

[Picnov]

Hi. I’d like to take my dad on an Alaskan cruise. 7 day. We’re Canadian so would like to leave Vancouver. He’s in pretty good health other then he’s blind in one eye so his walking is off, a bit staggered. I’m wondering the best cruise line. Not looking for much in the excursion line other then maybe a railway ride, any info is appreciated 

[Aquahound]

We all have our favorites and therefore have varying opinions on which line is best.  Typically, and I say this with total stereotype, Holland America is often recommended as best for older folks.  I happen to agree with that sentiment.  Typically, they are medium-sized ships, classic decor, and entertainment that is not nearly as glitzy as other lines.  The bonus is, cruising HAL out of Vancouver gets you a great itinerary.  

 

Good luck with your search. 

Edited September 21 by Aquahound

[Cbtours]

1 hour ago, Picnov said:

Hi. I’d like to take my dad on an Alaskan cruise. 7 day. We’re Canadian so would like to leave Vancouver. He’s in pretty good health other then he’s blind in one eye so his walking is off, a bit staggered. I’m wondering the best cruise line. Not looking for much in the excursion line other then maybe a railway ride, any info is appreciated 

We did our bucket list Alaskan cruise with Princess may 2023 (a round trip Vancouver to Vancouver) 14 days. We are both upper age (73 and 85) and had no problem filling time in port without climbing mountains and major hikes. And White Pass rail was one of our fav excursions.

 

[Oakman58]

Both Holland and Princess have been cruising Alaska the longest.  If it were me, I would choose Holland.

[wolfie11]

Viking.  Small ships, easy to negotiate and not as much walking. Lots of others in their 80’s onboard.  Free included shore excursion. Good food.

[kad56]

On 9/22/2024 at 2:13 PM, Oakman58 said:

Both Holland and Princess have been cruising Alaska the longest.  If it were me, I would choose Holland.

 

I'm in my 40s and I like both Holland and Princess, I've seen plenty of older folks on those trips, as well. I've done Princess in Alaska and really enjoyed their Alaska specific programming. I'm sure Holland also does a great job but I can't speak to it personally. Vancouver's a great port. It also gets you closer to Alaska than Seattle so it's the superior port in my opinion. It's right downtown in Canada place. On embarkcation day, I dropped off my luggage, walked around Vancouver for bit, then walked on the ship. Now there was a line to get on ship, it kept moving and didn't take that long given we had to clear customs and get 3000 people on a ship. However, if your dad has mobility issues, or just can stand in a line for 15-30 min, you might want to do a bit of extra planning for that portion (like get a wheelchair the way people get them at airports). 

[Coral]

I would agree with @wolfie11 that a small ship would be best.

 

I dragged a parent who was blind (and disabled) and had a Seeing Eye dog on dozens of cruises. She was younger than 80. We did all lines (except for HAL) and I can tell you Princess was amazing with my Mom. We were not impressed with RCCL or Celebrity when it came to disabled cruisers. With Princess, the moment they realized that someone was disabled, she was put at the front of the line for embarkation, etc....

 

Though if I could have afforded a 600-800 passenger ship, that would have been the best choice. My Mom on the other hand, didn't care as long as she was on a ship. We did the mainstream lines (RCCL, Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, etc...). The largest ship she was on was 113,000 tons.

Edited Thursday at 11:03 PM by Coral

[Cruzaholic41]

Viking Ocean is an excellent line, and rated best by Condé Nast. Highly recommended. 
 

But if you’re not willing to drop that kind of coin, Holland America is the way to go.