Unsure about returning to HAL with young adult

We sailed HAL in 2004 (Alaska) and 2006 (Caribbean) when our son was a child. We had sailed Disney once before HAL and have sailed it 3 times since. We've also sailed NCL and Celebrity since our last HAL cruise. So, we don't have any recent experience with HAL to consider in planning another cruise. We're considering a 12 night Baltic cruise in June 2015, but are concerned about activities and entertainment for young adults. Our child will be 18 by the time we sail next summer and although he does not have a frat boy/party personality, we're concerned that there won't be activities or entertainment directed toward young adults. If someone can share their experience with HAL and a young adult, we would appreciate the insight. The HAL itinerary is our first choice, we just hope the ship can work for the whole family. Thanks.

If it is an active itinerary you won't have much time for activities. Not sure about your son, but my 14 year old grandson, (granted he is geek) would be fine with just reading, going in the pool and enjoying the scenery. You've been on the ship, activities haven't changed much.

My 18 year old son had a tough time on a Holland America cruise, too old for Club Hal and too young for the bars. He did not go to the singles meet up which was mostly middle aged women. If your son is outgoing enough he could make some new friends.

My daughter and her DH did the 12 night Baltic cruise this summer on the Eurodam and said it is a very busy itinerary. You are in a new country every day, over night in a couple. They found they had no time for much on board activity, as after a day of excursions they just wanted to eat and sleep. They are in their mid-late 20's. Holland America Line is the favourite for all 3 of my kids (aged 23, 26, 28) They liked Princess too but prefer HAL.

I personally think this is a challenging age on any line as most have the same restrictions and programs. Too young to 'party' and too old for any organized events other than your standard stuff like Bingo :p

When I was 18 I would have been more than content with this type of itinerary and opportunity. I wouldn't have felt any need or desire to do much more than exploring the ports and reading and enjoying the scenery.

None of the cruise lines offer much for that age....so I don't think it will matter if it's HAL or not.

When I was 18 I would have been more than content with this type of itinerary and opportunity. I wouldn't have felt any need or desire to do much more than exploring the ports and reading and enjoying the scenery.

I agree ... it's a heck of an opportunity to go on a Baltic cruise at that age. I can't imagine he couldn't find something to do even if it's playing games on an on a tablet with the Wi-Fi turned off. :rolleyes:

I personally think this is a challenging age on any line as most have the same restrictions and programs. Too young to 'party' and too old for any organized events other than your standard stuff like Bingo :p

 

When I was 18 I would have been more than content with this type of itinerary and opportunity. I wouldn't have felt any need or desire to do much more than exploring the ports and reading and enjoying the scenery.

I agree. You could get lucky and there might be some other 18 year olds with whom he can make friends but 18 is a very hard age to cruise without bringing your own companions. Given how busy the itinerary, he likely will be just fine coming back from touring, having a burger or whatever, getting ready for dinner and maybe a few minutes after dinner walking around checking out the ship. Maybe he'll like the shows after dinner. It's mostly the same on all the ships for those at that in between age.

I agree with the fact that 18 is a tough age to cruise and "fit in". Someone mentioned their early 20's children liking HAL. There's a big difference between 18 and 23 and I would have no worry with that age group.

However, unless there are at least a handful of others near your son's age, or he enjoys time just talking to older people, I wouldn't feel good about HAL as the choice for him. Activities as you already know are not geared to that age. The entertainment shows in the evening are mostly for older peoples' tastes. Even comedians..the jokes can reference old cultural events, growing old etc

You know your son. I'm sure you'll make the right choice. He is going to experience some wonderful ports of call. Maybe he could even do a tour/activity or two of HIS choice that might offer something more unique or of more interest for him. We have an only daughter and she often brought along a friend or cousin on our vacations. Maybe that is possible for you son? It would be so much more fun for him. And we always had lots of laughs with our time with "the girls".

My 18 year old son had a tough time on a Holland America cruise, too old for Club Hal and too young for the bars. He did not go to the singles meet up which was mostly middle aged women. If your son is outgoing enough he could make some new friends.

He might have found a cougar at the singles meet up.

From what I've read I get the impression that a Baltic cruise is not going to attract many young people (older teens through 20's) no matter what cruise line you take. Young people seem to be most interested in warm weather and beaches.

That age group seems to difficult on any cruise line. :(

Our 19 year old granddaughter was taken on Veendam by her other grandparents.

Fortunately, KK who often post here told us where she was most likely to meet the few others her age on the ship (pizza area & hot tubs). ;)

LuLu

Yes on a Caribbean/warm weather cruise there will be more opportunity to hang out at the pool and outdoor grill areas for the older teens. Too the shorter cruises will draw a younger crowd than longer more expensive cruise itineraries.

Our family did b2b Mediterranean cruise on Noordam with 18 yo son as high school graduation present. The itinerary was port intensive (only two days in 21 at sea). He attended young singles party on board one or two nights, hung out with crew and cruisers watching Netherlands soccer team on tv for Euro Cup and spent one night eating room service dinner in stateroom so we could have a date night. He admitted if we were not so active with shore excursions he would had a little more "cabin fever". However, he likes to explore with us. And, so do we. In fact, he and his girl friend are planning two month trip to Europe after college graduation. We would like to join them for a few days after our planned Baltic cruise!

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You know your kid best. I'm taking my will-be 17-year-nine-month-old niece on Maasdam in June to do the New England & Canada itinerary. Isabelle really wanted to go to Paris, but since that wasn't in the budget she's getting Quebec City and Montreal instead. I've made sure she knows she's going on a "geezer cruise." (My characterization; sorry everybody.) :o She's looking forward to formal nights and wearing dresses every night.

Since I mostly sail Norwegian, I really pushed Norwegian Getaway because I thought the shows (especially Legally Blonde) and other activities would be really appealing to her. But she made it perfectly clear that she didn't want anything like a Caribbean cruise. This is the girl who chose to go to an all-girl Catholic high school. So, it really depends on your kid, I guess, and what he hopes to get out of the cruise. Good luck with your choice!

We did an Alaska cruise with my 18 year old son. He was unhappy with the lack of peers. It is really an odd time for kids because they are too old for the kids clubs but too young for the bars. He spent more time with us, which was nice ( for us), but it wasn't his favorite cruise.:o

We sailed HAL in 2004 (Alaska) and 2006 (Caribbean) when our son was a child. We had sailed Disney once before HAL and have sailed it 3 times since. We've also sailed NCL and Celebrity since our last HAL cruise. So, we don't have any recent experience with HAL to consider in planning another cruise. We're considering a 12 night Baltic cruise in June 2015, but are concerned about activities and entertainment for young adults. Our child will be 18 by the time we sail next summer and although he does not have a frat boy/party personality, we're concerned that there won't be activities or entertainment directed toward young adults. If someone can share their experience with HAL and a young adult, we would appreciate the insight. The HAL itinerary is our first choice, we just hope the ship can work for the whole family. Thanks.

Thats quite a question that you pose?

i) At 18, many young people do not want to be 'organised' onboard ship in the same ways as they were perhaps happy to be, when they were truly a child. I think thats why the cruiselines call the limit once reaching 18yrs of age? The same age co-incidentally, when those 'adults only' ships start accepting young people as passengers from that very same age.

ii) If you are set on the idea of a Baltic cruise altogether next year, then the possibility might certainly arise that many of your fellow guests will be from European countries, so the opportunity for your son to mix/interact with other European young adults of a similar or same age, might be an attractive and exciting option for him.

iii) Within most of Europe, (and bearing in mind especially, the HOLLAND part of Holland America, with all their ship Registered in Holland) the legal age for entering bars is much lower, the average age around Europe being around 18.) So without at all suggesting that you allow your son to suddenly drink on his own, or trample on any family held religous creeds and beliefs? Maybe as a family, you could all have a pre-dinner drink in one of the bars, and possibly enjoy that right of passage as a family all together?

iv) Although a long, long time ago now, once 18 myself, I knew that I wanted to holiday with my friends, rather than always with my family. That wasn't me rejecting my own families past kindnesses, far from it, as by the time I'd reached the age of 22, I was able to take my Father, and at my own expense, from the UK to Barbados for a 10 day vacation.

Call it coming of age, growing up, or just being proud to take my Dad on a holiday that he never would have dreamed off.

I trust you will all have a good cruise to the Baltic 2015, and I likewise hope that your son will meet and make many new friends of his own age, whilst onboard.

Bon Voyage!

Peter. (Age 66)

Maybe as a family, you could all have a pre-dinner drink in one of the bars, and possibly enjoy that right of passage as a family all together?

On land, perhaps, but not in the bars on the ship. The drinking age aboard is still 21.

Royal Caribbean allows 18 year old cruisers to drink alcohol on their European itineraries. Other lines so, too, if alcohol is of interest.

We recently did a two week river cruise. Part of me loved the experience but at times I was a little bit bored. There were four teens on board who were very engaged, they attended every briefing, every enrichment lecture and seemed to enjoy the tours. The four teens were cousins. Is there a buddy for the OP to take along? A friend, a cousin?

Thank you all for so many thoughtful and helpful replies. We have a lot to think about and discuss with our son. I think that being a port intensive cruise and him being a quiet young man will help us in our decision. Thanks again to you all.

We took the Eurodam to the Baltic in 2012 with our then 20 year old son. You know your 18 year old best, so YMMV. It is a very busy itinerary and our son was very happy to have joined us. While not a geeky kid, he really enjoys cities and museums. We were all exhausted at the end of each port day, so our evening activities were dinner, reading and sleep!

You must be 21 to drink on board HAL ships (or at least that was the policy in 2012). That said, he could and did drink in port cities within reason. We overnighted in St Petersburg, and did go on a canal tour with Vodka

tasting our one evening there. We also visited the Ice Bar in Stockholm.

The rest of our trip focused on the major highlights of each city we visited and all 3 of us had a fabulous time.

Good luck!

On land, perhaps, but not in the bars on the ship. The drinking age aboard is still 21.

However the parents would be fully entitled to sign an onboard waiver/disclaimer for their 18yr old son, should they desire to do so, once cruising within European waters.

However the parents would be fully entitled to sign an onboard waiver/disclaimer for their 18yr old son, should they desire to do so, once cruising within European waters.

Having just checked through HAL's T&C's I cannot find the 18yr waiver clause, so must have mistaken that with another cruise line.

That being the case I unreservedly withdraw my comments re: the Alcohol waiver on HAL from my past 2 comments.

My apologies for the unchecked error.