Age ranges onboard Oceania

[~Fianna]

Hey all -

 

My husband and I are planning on doing the November 2010 Venice to Barcelona sailing.

 

I've flipped through past threads here and Oceania's website and this definitely looks like the type of line that we'd enjoy sailing, but I do have a concern about the age ranges of fellow passengers.

 

We're mid-30s, professionals, no kids and realize that we'll probably be the youngest aboard. I'm just curious how much younger than everyone else we'll be and what the experience of any other 30-something and 40-something couples.

 

Our only other cruise experience was as part of a group on RCCL's Splendor of the Seas last November. We would have had a much less enjoyable time if we hadn't been part of a group, since we're more up-market travelers than the demographic that RC is going for, so we were very disappointed in amenities and most of all in the quality of the food. We were looking at Silversea, Seaborn and obviously Oceania and I absolutely fell in love with this itinerary.

 

Thanks!

~Fi

[LHT28]

You could go to the Roll Call for that cruise & see what age range people on the cruise are.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420

You can never tell

We have had 20 something to 85 on previous cruises with a couple of children. Average is mid 60's I would say.

 

We are early 60's & some of the older people out last us ;)

 

Lyn

[Bowie MeMe]

I now am getting closer to the demographic than I like to think about but then I have been cruising for 25 years and traveling for 40 years. Do you think of the age of people down the hall from you in a hotel? Does the fact that young people are next to you at a bar or restaurant make the food better? I would say that you might want to do your own shore excursions as you might be slowed by the group. Demographics might be a concern but you might also find that the well-traveled folks on board who have been to some exotic places and done some neat things might also be fun. Warning: I think most folks think of their first cruise almost as a gleaming shrine of wonderfulness. Each cruise is wonderful but the reasons can vary. Loving the itenirary certainly is a great start.

[CintiPam]

Well, in our two cruise experience with Oceania, both in the last year, you never can tell.

 

Last September, we, in our mid-fifties, definitely were by far at the younger end of the mostly over-70 crowd, although all were a very vital and active group of people.

 

In June, we were definitely in the mid-range of a very broad age spectrum, from large family groups (one over 25 strong) with teenagers to young marrieds to grandparents, to 30-somethings with young children, a totally different demographic entirely.

 

So was it the time of year we traveled or the fact that substantial discounts were offered on our cruise this year or simply chance? Your guess is as good as mine.

[~Fianna]

You could go to the Roll Call for that cruise & see what age range people on the cruise are.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420

You can never tell

We have had 20 something to 85 on previous cruises with a couple of children. Average is mid 60's I would say.

 

We are early 60's & some of the older people out last us ;)

 

Lyn

 

Thanks, Lyn. I already posted... So far there only seems to be one other person. There still seems to be a lot of availability for that sailing (not surprising, since it's well over a year out), so hopefully that will pick up.

[~Fianna]

I now am getting closer to the demographic than I like to think about but then I have been cruising for 25 years and traveling for 40 years. Do you think of the age of people down the hall from you in a hotel? Does the fact that young people are next to you at a bar or restaurant make the food better? I would say that you might want to do your own shore excursions as you might be slowed by the group. Demographics might be a concern but you might also find that the well-traveled folks on board who have been to some exotic places and done some neat things might also be fun. Warning: I think most folks think of their first cruise almost as a gleaming shrine of wonderfulness. Each cruise is wonderful but the reasons can vary. Loving the itenirary certainly is a great start.

 

I don't think about the ages of the people in the hotel down the hall from me, but that's because I'm not usually hoping to meet dinner companions.

 

I don't mind if people tend to be older, in fact I'm used to it. :) A lot of people in our age range are not traveling as much as we do because they're busy with (and spending their money on) their kids. Actually , one of the things that we like about Oceania is that it seems like the demographic is more well-traveled and older, instead of loud and drunk like the "party boats". I just wanted to get a sense of what to expect and if we were going to be the youngest by 30 years or the youngest by 50, if that makes sense.

 

I would love to meet people who like and have the ability to travel as much as we do and are willing and able to spend money to have a "nicer" experience.

 

I would expect more younger people and families during holiday breaks, which is part of the reason that we tend to do shoulder- and off-season travel, rather than peak season and holidays. Everything feels less touristy and people in restaurants and at attractions have more time to talk and we have more time to look without being run over by other groups.

[~Fianna]

Well, in our two cruise experience with Oceania, both in the last year, you never can tell.

 

Last September, we, in our mid-fifties, definitely were by far at the younger end of the mostly over-70 crowd, although all were a very vital and active group of people.

 

In June, we were definitely in the mid-range of a very broad age spectrum, from large family groups (one over 25 strong) with teenagers to young marrieds to grandparents, to 30-somethings with young children, a totally different demographic entirely.

people are those who have lived a few years longer and are grumpy

 

So was it the time of year we traveled or the fact that substantial discounts were offered on our cruise this year or simply chance? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

Thanks, Pam. This definitely answers my question... There's a big difference between older people (who are those vital and active ones) and <i>old</i> people, who are the grumpy, dour ones. I just didn't want to wind up spending two weeks with grouchy old people.

[teacheroz]

We just returned from the 7/14 Insignia sailing and there were several 30-something couples on board. My husband and I just turned 50 and seemed to hang out with the younger demographic. The majority of the cruisers were my mom's age (who was with us) and many of the couples 50 and younger were indeed traveling with parents. Our 27-year old daughter was with us and she had a very pleasant time. There were also several kids on board, but for the most part, they were very well behaved (although they tended to monopolize the hot tubs.)

 

We did DIY on the shore excursions, but on a Russia cruise I took last summer, many of the older cruisers had more stamina than I did. :)

[LHT28]

I don't mind if people tend to be older, in fact I'm used to it. :) A lot of people in our age range are not traveling as much as we do because they're busy with (and spending their money on) their kids. Actually , one of the things that we like about Oceania is that it seems like the demographic is more well-traveled and older, instead of loud and drunk like the "party boats". I just wanted to get a sense of what to expect and if we were going to be the youngest by 30 years or the youngest by 50, if that makes sense.

.

You will probably enjoy Oceania & the people.

With open seating you get to meet all types of people onboard.

We don't think of the ages we just like to meet people & if you hit it off that is great if not that is OK too ...tomorrow is another day & more people to meet:D

 

enjoy the cruise

 

Lyn

[LHT28]

Thanks, Lyn. I already posted... So far there only seems to be one other person. There still seems to be a lot of availability for that sailing (not surprising, since it's well over a year out), so hopefully that will pick up.

Some Roll Calls are slow to start off don't give up hope

;)

[hondorner]

We once shared a table with a retired fire chief from California and his wife who were in their late 70's. They were into sky diving, scuba, kayaking and trail biking -- we were 10 years their junior, but I'm sure they would have appreciated talking to 30-somethings rather than slow old us :o.

[SanFranCruizer]

My partner and I sailed Regatta a couple of years ago. At the time I was 38 and he was 30. We had a great time, and there were at least 10 other couples in their 30's and 40's. There were folks in the 70's, too, but everyone seemed nice. No grumpy folks. Hell, we were all on vacation! You will have a great time on Oceania.

[orchestrapal]

If you stick to shoulder season you will tend to be the youngest however we have found the younger couples mixed very well with us older, 60 something, folks.

There are many possibilities to get tables for two in all the dining venues so that you can enjoy being together and need not have too much social interaction with the rest of the folks if you wish not to. You will enjoy the Oceania atmosphere and the pretty active older crowd!:)

[LEBA]

We are in the upper third of the Oceania demographic with six O cruises under our belt. One of the most important features of these cruises is our fellow passengers. We have found O passengers to be friendly, unpretentious, apparently care-free, and always interesting..... regardless of age.

[Middleton]

We just got back from the 7/14 Insignia cruise rome-venice. We are in late 40's and found that it was a great age group to be with. Everyone was very friendly and outgoing that we met. Whether people are younger or older it does not matter to us b/c we just enjoy meeting others and having the company.

[meow!]

Normally, the majority of cruisers are in their 60s and 70s, some younger and some older. Age is not an issue on board.

[~Fianna]

If you stick to shoulder season you will tend to be the youngest however we have found the younger couples mixed very well with us older, 60 something, folks.

There are many possibilities to get tables for two in all the dining venues so that you can enjoy being together and need not have too much social interaction with the rest of the folks if you wish not to. You will enjoy the Oceania atmosphere and the pretty active older crowd!:)

 

Thanks! That's great information. Not that I'm opposed to eating dinner with DH alone every night, but one of the things I like about being on a ship is the chance to meet interesting people.

 

I'd rather be aboard with people older than us than with people 10 years younger, to be honest. I enjoyed my 20s well enough that neither I or my liver want to go back and repeat them :)

[~Fianna]

We are in the upper third of the Oceania demographic with six O cruises under our belt. One of the most important features of these cruises is our fellow passengers. We have found O passengers to be friendly, unpretentious, apparently care-free, and always interesting..... regardless of age.

 

Excellent. Thanks, LEBA. :) That was what I wanted to hear.

[Mura]

It seems that a lot of people are saying "age doesn't matter". And I think that is true.

 

When we were on a Renaissance cruise about 10 years ago (pre-Oceania of course) we dined with a young couple at dinner. At the time we were mid-50s to early 60s, and this couple was late 30s.

 

They were probably the youngest people on board so I asked them straight out if they found this to be a problem, and they did not. They HAD had reservations when they prepared to board and saw a number of wheel chairs being boarded! But they ended up having a wonderful time even if everyone else was older.

 

At that time we were young-old (younger than average anyway) and now we are middle-old ... but it's all in the eye of the beholder ... you are as young as you think! (I'm sure people in their 30s now would consider us more than "middle-old"!)

 

When we did a Bergen to North Cape cruise in 1975 on the old Bergen Line our dinner partners were two elderly ladies from Germany (I guess they were in their 70s at the time, we were still young!). They were so disappointed when they couldn't climb the hill in Hammerfest because they were alone and knew that they really shouldn't try to do the hill by themselves. Had we known (we'd been there earlier that day) we would have been happy to escort them. These ladies were very adventurous and charming ... they were just aware that at their age they shouldn't try to climb that hill by themselves.

 

Lots of older people are LOTS of fun! And lots of younger people ... well ... may be NOT.

 

Mura

[lcand1923]

We've been on two O cruises. The ages seem to be mid-30's to mid-80's, with the majority of people in the 40 to 60 range. I think the cruise seems to make the difference.

 

The first was a western Med. The youngest couple was in their 20's on their honeymoon. Most people were in their 40's.

 

The second was a Panama Canal transit with a LOT of alumni groups. This cruise tended towards the 50's in the age range.

[nparmelee]

I'm in my mid-40s and hubby is mid-50s. While I was in the younger end of the range on both our O cruises, we never felt out of place. We shared tables a few times on both cruises and usually had a great time talking to whoever we sat with. Hard to say what the demographics will be on your cruise, if it is port intensive, you may find quite a few people in their 40s and 50s and maybe some in their 30s. That's been our experience.

[CintiPam]

The second was a Panama Canal transit with a LOT of alumni groups. This cruise tended towards the 50's in the age range.

 

Icand, you make a very good point. There was a very large Notre Dame alumni group on our first Oceania cruise last September, and they definitely were not in the youth set!

[~Fianna]

It seems that a lot of people are saying "age doesn't matter". And I think that is true.

 

Lots of older people are LOTS of fun! And lots of younger people ... well ... may be NOT.

 

Mura

 

Snipped out the center parts.

 

I agree with both of those. I think age was probably the wrong question to ask... what I'm most concerned about is mindset. I remember taking a tour with my mom when I was about 10, and it was all very, very old and mostly unhappy and ill people... and my mom and me. This was a really awful group (especially for a kid, but my mom wasn't happy either.) We're not talking healthy older people. We're talking crabby, complaining, crotchety people with lots of health problems and a few with memory issues. I was 11 and I learned a lot about health problems, surgeries and disappointing children/grandchildren, since that's all anyone ever really talked about. I'm probably much more sensitive to this issue because of that experience

 

I'm less concerned with the physical ages than with, for lack of a better word, mental ages, if that makes sense.

 

I just don't want to wind up on a floating nursing home.

 

I definitely agree with the last part. I'm not a party person. I enjoy being social, having a few drinks and a good conversation. The lack of big evening extravaganza entertainment is one of the things that I like about Oceania. I'm more interested in the ports, the food/wine and finding people who are interesting and well-traveled.

[jpalbny]

I'm less concerned with the physical ages than with, for lack of a better word, mental ages, if that makes sense.

 

I just don't want to wind up on a floating nursing home.

 

I definitely agree with the last part. I'm not a party person. I enjoy being social, having a few drinks and a good conversation. The lack of big evening extravaganza entertainment is one of the things that I like about Oceania. I'm more interested in the ports, the food/wine and finding people who are interesting and well-traveled.

 

 

Fianna - Your mindset sounds like ours.

 

My wife and I are 41/40 and MUCH prefer Oceania's passenger mix to that of any other line. We have done 5 cruises with them in the past 3 years and I've never experienced the floating nursing home on Oceania - all we ever found were active, well-traveled, interesting, young-at-heart people whom I would hope to grow up like!

 

We are usually the youngest or very close to it but that has never been a problem. We have always had a great time with our fellow cruisers - the typical Oceania passenger is much less self-absorbed than the average 30-something, and everyone is so outgoing and friendly. We do about 50/50 group dining vs. tables for 2 and enjoy meeting everyone.

 

You will find myriad opportunity to have a few drinks and good conversation. The atmosphere is the antithesis of a Caribbean party boat - casual elegance without being presumptuous. I suspect you will become hooked on Oceania and you'll be sailing with them again. My only disappointment is that I don't have #6 booked yet...:( But, they don't do Antarctica. And no, we don't work for them (but wish we did)!:)

[~Fianna]

Fianna - Your mindset sounds like ours.

 

My wife and I are 41/40 and MUCH prefer Oceania's passenger mix to that of any other line. We have done 5 cruises with them in the past 3 years and I've never experienced the floating nursing home on Oceania - all we ever found were active, well-traveled, interesting, young-at-heart people whom I would hope to grow up like!

 

We are usually the youngest or very close to it but that has never been a problem. We have always had a great time with our fellow cruisers - the typical Oceania passenger is much less self-absorbed than the average 30-something, and everyone is so outgoing and friendly. We do about 50/50 group dining vs. tables for 2 and enjoy meeting everyone.

 

You will find myriad opportunity to have a few drinks and good conversation. The atmosphere is the antithesis of a Caribbean party boat - casual elegance without being presumptuous. I suspect you will become hooked on Oceania and you'll be sailing with them again. My only disappointment is that I don't have #6 booked yet...:( But, they don't do Antarctica. And no, we don't work for them (but wish we did)!:)

 

Which iteneraries have you done? Any particular favorites?