Thinking Outside the Box for Seniors

[MMDown Under]

The cruise industry needs to be more innovative and think outside the box to increase their senior market share.

 

Why not give every passenger on a long cruise the same book (or two), then have a book club meeting every sea day to discuss the book. (Those not interested could donate the book to the line's libraries.)

 

After all University for the Third Age is run by seniors for seniors.

[judyzoo]

The cruise industry needs to be more innovative and think outside the box to increase their senior market share.

 

Why not give every passenger on a long cruise the same book (or two), then have a book club meeting every sea day to discuss the book. (Those not interested could donate the book to the line's libraries.)

 

After all University for the Third Age is run by seniors for seniors.

 

That's a nice idea, but not all seniors want to be sedentary. Personally, I was quite offended to find that at least two tours offered by Carnival that I was interested in were not available to anyone over 65! One was a hike, and I've been on several hikes where people a lot younger were out of energy long before the hike was over. The other was horseback riding. Really, how young do you have to be to get up and ride a horse? Doesn't the queen still ride?

 

Maybe they ought to not keep seniors out of the box.

[MMDown Under]

That's a nice idea, but not all seniors want to be sedentary. Personally, I was quite offended to find that at least two tours offered by Carnival that I was interested in were not available to anyone over 65! One was a hike, and I've been on several hikes where people a lot younger were out of energy long before the hike was over. The other was horseback riding. Really, how young do you have to be to get up and ride a horse? Doesn't the queen still ride?

 

Maybe they ought to not keep seniors out of the box.

 

I can see why you were offended. Maybe it was for insurance purposes. :(

 

(My girls were offended when their horses had to walk in line one behind the other, when they went on a trail ride, as they had imagined being independent spirits galloping through the bush.)

 

The Queen doesn't ride in the Trooping of the Colour Ceremony any more, as she used to ride side saddle. However, I'm sure she still rides privately, and she is in her 80s.

 

We are active seniors still on the right side of 65, who love reading, hence my suggestion for long cruises, with many sea days. :)

 

(That is not to say we didn't do our 4 klm around the ship each morning or evening, whilst on the ship, attend learn to dance classes,etc.)

[Taxguy77]

That's a nice idea, but not all seniors want to be sedentary. Personally, I was quite offended to find that at least two tours offered by Carnival that I was interested in were not available to anyone over 65! One was a hike, and I've been on several hikes where people a lot younger were out of energy long before the hike was over. The other was horseback riding. Really, how young do you have to be to get up and ride a horse? Doesn't the queen still ride?

 

Maybe they ought to not keep seniors out of the box.

 

Simple...Don't go on Carnival. Other lines know that people either know their limitations, or probably killed themselves many years ago.

[jocap]

That's a nice idea, but not all seniors want to be sedentary. Personally, I was quite offended to find that at least two tours offered by Carnival that I was interested in were not available to anyone over 65! One was a hike, and I've been on several hikes where people a lot younger were out of energy long before the hike was over. The other was horseback riding. Really, how young do you have to be to get up and ride a horse? Doesn't the queen still ride?

 

Maybe they ought to not keep seniors out of the box.

Every summer my M-in-L flies to the USA to give 3 week's master classes at a university. She enjoys swimming there in the lake, so she's just got her free Oxford pass for the local swimming baths to get in shape. She's just phoned to say that cycling at 7.30 thru' the Oxford traffic has been bad, so reluctantly she's driving herself there. She was 94 at Christmas...-jocap.

[MMDown Under]

Every summer my M-in-L flies to the USA to give 3 week's master classes at a university. She enjoys swimming there in the lake, so she's just got her free Oxford pass for the local swimming baths to get in shape. She's just phoned to say that cycling at 7.30 thru' the Oxford traffic has been bad, so reluctantly she's driving herself there. She was 94 at Christmas...-jocap.

 

What an inspiration!

 

Oh to be a fly on the wall in her master class!

[kitty9]

Sounds like you need a cruise on Crystal. They have their Creative Learning Institute where they offer activities in many areas. I learned to play the piano with their Yamaha classes. I learned to speak Norweigan and Spanish in their language classes. They also offer cooking, wine, investments, health and wellness, computer and arts and crafts classes on Crystal ships.

[azalice]

I do shore excursions, but on board the ship I find I do not care for trivia games, bingo, or the casino. So I do like to read while on board. I would certainly welcome the idea of choosing a book for discussion. Actually, it could be a book about the country or city we are going to on the cruise or a novel by someone from that area, or any other idea which would tie in with the cruise and where we are going. I am taking a cruise in July to Norway, Iceland, Belfast and I decided I would read some books by authors from Norway and Iceland. I did some research and found some novels that I will take with me on the cruise. They are mystery novels, but might give me the "flavor" or the country and add to my understanding of the people or places I visit. I can at least hope that they will do that.

 

Alice

[jocap]

Oh, AzAlice- I so agree with you! Last year we had a week on Santorini, and I took a novel about the island-although it was fiction, it made a huge difference to the holiday. I also took the fictionalised biography of St Columba to his island of Iona-terrific! I've just bought a job lot of Paul Doherty's historical novels to save for my cruise round the Red Sea next winter.-jocap.

[2sunny]

The cruise industry needs to be more innovative and think outside the box to increase their senior market share.

 

Why not give every passenger on a long cruise the same book (or two), then have a book club meeting every sea day to discuss the book. (Those not interested could donate the book to the line's libraries.)

 

After all University for the Third Age is run by seniors for seniors.

 

I can't imagine the cruise line giving out books to all of its passengers. I would think most of them would never read the book and not take it home with them, who would want the extra weight. I leave the books I do take in the ship's library so that I have some room for souvenirs.

 

Perhaps you could find a group that would like to form a "book club" for your cruise by listing your idea on your "Cruise Roll Call".

[MMDown Under]

I can't imagine the cruise line giving out books to all of its passengers. I would think most of them would never read the book and not take it home with them, who would want the extra weight. I leave the books I do take in the ship's library so that I have some room for souvenirs.

 

Perhaps you could find a group that would like to form a "book club" for your cruise by listing your idea on your "Cruise Roll Call".

 

Thanks for your comment.

 

I agree you wouldn't want to take a book home.

 

I guess I really meant to those cruisers who were interested in belonging to a book club on a long cruise, like a Grand Cruise/World Cruise.

[Texas Tillie]

Thanks for your comment.

 

I agree you wouldn't want to take a book home.

 

I guess I really meant to those cruisers who were interested in belonging to a book club on a long cruise, like a Grand Cruise/World Cruise.

 

Crystal does something like this on their world cruise. The list is posted months in advance of the start of the cruise and there is a lecturer to facilitate the discussion.

[Creeks]

I I leave the books I do take in the ship's library so that I have some room for souvenirs.

 

I give the books I've taken on a cruise and finished to my cabin steward for the crew library. They can read them themselves, or trade with other crew members. They always seem happy to get them.

[Richard in Panama]

On it's longer cruises Holland America now has a book club person who is part of the entertainment team who does just what you are talking about!

 

Regards, Richard

[Roz]

Why do cruise lines need to increase their senior market share? I see complaints on these boards all the time about "floating nursing homes".

 

Young people may also be interested in a book club. They could download the book to their cell phones.

 

Roz

[azalice]

Do you or anyone you know have the Kindle or Kindle 2 product? I am considering it but do not know anyone who has one so that I can try it out. There is no product store to try one either. It seems a good idea, particularly for travel. I tend to limit myself to 2 paperbacks during travel/cruising. I like the idea mentioned by Creeks about offering the books to the crew members when finished with them.

 

Alice

[Okiguy]

One of our cruise friends got a Kindle and seemed happy with it. It downloads books through Sprint (no charge for the download, just for the book). Amazon.com sells Kindles and has a map that shows you whether you are in the range to be able to easily download books.

 

Also, Amazon will list whether a book you are interested in is available in Kindle format. Since most "galley proofs" these days are in electronic form, it is "easy" for the publisher to create a Kindle format.

 

I've been thinking about one for my wife, but have not taken the leap yet.

 

Bill

[cruisegirl1]

I love that book club idea. We have an active roll call so perhaps we can get that started there. We can read the book, or most of it, prior to the sailing.

 

The book club is PERFECT for a transatlantic with so many sea days.

 

 

M

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

you are right with the baby boomer being 49% they should do more for us