Young first time cruisers

Hi! My wife and I are planning to go on our first cruise in 2020. We're planning to go on a cruise that starts in the Middle East and ends in Europe. We're noticing though that most of the cruise lines that have the stops we want seem to be primarily catered to older cruisers. Cruise lines like Azamara and Crystal for example. We'll be just about 30 years old when we go and are wondering if a cruise like this is right for us. We know that we can plan our own offshore excursions that fit with what we're looking for, but we're wondering about our onship experience. Any advice about these cruise lines and how well a couple in their late 20's would fit in would be appreciated.

I think you need to understand that people of that age are not stuffy great grandparents. We came of age in the 60's & 70's, not conservative times at all... And they will be well traveled. They may have to use a cane, but their eyes still see the same world your 30 y/o eyes do. They are interesting conversationalists. And those cruises are very port intensive on smaller ships with few entertainment venues. The ports and the cultures are the experience. You have to decide what is important to you before you book. EM

You will NOT be the only ones in your 20's. True, most cruisers on longer itineraries are older, because few younger folks can take that kind of time, or have the $$$ to do so. Consider yourself lucky. You'll be fine. And, do NOT discount older folks...we can "party" with the best of 'em...we have been practicing for 30+ years! We are GOOD at it!

Try celebrity. Planning far in advance!

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I think you need to understand that people of that age are not stuffy great grandparents. We came of age in the 60's & 70's, not conservative times at all... And they will be well traveled. They may have to use a cane, but their eyes still see the same world your 30 y/o eyes do. They are interesting conversationalists. And those cruises are very port intensive on smaller ships with few entertainment venues. The ports and the cultures are the experience. You have to decide what is important to you before you book. EM

Very well said.

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Curious what attracts you to Azamara and crystal? They are considered premium lines and with the higher price tag does tend to come an older clientele.

I've cruised in my 20s and 30s and while I've certainly felt like I was younger than a majority, I never felt out of place. This has been with norwegian and celebrity.

On any cruise line you can do your own thing in port - I do believe that some of the premium lines include some excursions. So that's part of what you are paying for and if you don't plan to use them you may want to consider other lines. But at the end of the day, choose the itinerary you want at a price point you are comfortable with. But yes, you can always do you own thing - just want to double check on visas. Some points - like Russia - won't let you off the ship without a tour booked or without you purchasing a visa. A tour includes a tourist visa but if you don't do a tour an individual visa is expensive and hard to get. So that's the only thing you would want to watch out for.

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Hi! My wife and I are planning to go on our first cruise in 2020. We're planning to go on a cruise that starts in the Middle East and ends in Europe. We're noticing though that most of the cruise lines that have the stops we want seem to be primarily catered to older cruisers. Cruise lines like Azamara and Crystal for example. We'll be just about 30 years old when we go and are wondering if a cruise like this is right for us. We know that we can plan our own offshore excursions that fit with what we're looking for, but we're wondering about our onship experience. Any advice about these cruise lines and how well a couple in their late 20's would fit in would be appreciated.

Though cruise critic participants are only a minority of the overall cruising population, perusing the various cc threads associated with different cruise lines (in the mass market, premium and luxury segments of the industry) will give you a basic idea of the varying culture between and among those lines.

We know nothing of your background and travel preferences other than your age, which pretty much says zippo. Are you "already accomplished" professionals who have traveled farther and wider than many folks twice your age? The kind of itinerary you're looking at is more akin to a well-traveled bunch of cruisers. So, If I were you, I'd be looking for cruises with like-minded folks (regardless of their ages).

That said, do know that the age demographic on premium and luxury lines is somewhat fluid. A couple of college alumni groups on one of our recent Oceania cruises dropped the average age by 10 years compared to the cruise segment that preceded it.

Are you residents of a large cosmopolitan area and have the means to experience the best that it has to offer (e.g., food quality and excellent service)? If so, age of your fellow passengers will be unimportant compared to your expectations of the "hotel" experience on your cruise.

Do your homework and you won't be disappointed.

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I think you need to understand that people of that age are not stuffy great grandparents. We came of age in the 60's & 70's, not conservative times at all... And they will be well traveled. They may have to use a cane, but their eyes still see the same world your 30 y/o eyes do. They are interesting conversationalists. And those cruises are very port intensive on smaller ships with few entertainment venues. The ports and the cultures are the experience. You have to decide what is important to you before you book. EM

Couldn't agree more and my kids for one are all too aware how fortunate they are to have a mom who came of age in the 70's....

Now for you 30 yo cruisers...

let me add that your typical 60 yo is still raising a high school or college kid because we are very well educated and very well employed and had kids well into our late 30's and early 40's..so we do understand your thought processes

Plus we are the greatest music historians around and know everything there is to know about all the great rock n roll bands. This is a badge of honor for us btw.

We are at home on the beach as well as the board room and everyplace in between including the mud at Woodstock. Lol

We are very self sufficient, however we ,as you , embrace technology.

Oh and we understand politics and history too and are realistic practical thinkers because our college professors weren't afraid to teach us what really happened and weren't afraid of offending us because we are thick skinned and aren't easily offended anyway.

Befriend us on your cruise if you want to learn about the last 30 to 40 years but we won't sugarcoat it. nor will we bore you. We have great senses of humor too. There is nothing better than learning history from someone who lived it. I was fortunate to have a holocaust survivor as a professor back in college. Just sayin'

Oh and most of us hate the taste of kool aid ...which I happen to think is one of our best attributes. And we still remember the source of that saying. Unfortunately.

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I would try Celebrity as they do that itinerary as well and you may find the style of cruising more to your liking.

I completely understand what you are saying as I am 30 and although I enjoy pretty much anyone's company and have met lovely friends on my cruises (from 22 to 60s) it is easier to get along when people are in your age bracket due to upbringing and experiences and whatnot.

Its for this reason we sail the lines we do and we are restricted to summer sailing and finding cruises to more exotic locations is tricky. We are always look for Asia especially and trying to te Asia/Aus together has quite frankly, been a nightmare to find but we will find something one day

Your best bet is to look at repo cruises or consider breaking your trip up doing a 7/8 day cruise that leaves the UAE with then a quick flight over to Europe and do a short med cruise.

There are some Dubai to Turkey/Eastern Med type cruises but these are also done by European/continental lines that are less well known to US folk (but very bookable) so if you want to save your budget and be amongst a multilingual and more multigenerational passenger mix they could be for you.

These are:

Costa

TUI

AIDA

MSC (now more known in the US)

P&O (mainly for Brits/Aussies but anyone can book)

I am also sure that Princess and Royal have repos and world cruise segments and such around that area....Princess has a Dubai to Southampon cruise next year if I recall correctly that stops off around the Med and naturally does the Suez. Cunard has one similar but it has an older passenger base also (much cheaper than the lines you mentioned)

Thing is, if you do a world cruise segment you will get an older passenger base.