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Smaller boat cruising for the 40'ish age range?


lunula
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Hello all! A thousand pardons if this has been asked before, I've spent some time on the boards and didn't see anything as specific as this (though I've picked up a few pointers!).

 

I am 40, my husband is 36. We are relatively well-traveled, but new to cruising. We took a riverboat cruise with Viking this year for my birthday and we were sorely disappointed (price vs. what we got was not a good rate of exchange!).

 

We are relatively active, but we enjoy our downtime and we would like to find some mid-size/small cruise options appropriate for our age. We love land excursions to interesting places, as we very much love land travel and liked the riverboat experience of unpacking once and getting to see so many different places! We definitely want a ship with more amenities, better food and better land excursions (than what Viking offered) - but we're not so interested in the huge ship experience, as we're more focused on the excursions than the actual boat, if you know what I mean?

 

We would like a higher-end experience, but not so high end that we have to take out a 2nd mortgage. We have no kids, and we'd like to cruise without a lot kids on-board, if possible.

 

I see from the boards that some options are: Seabourn, Silversea, Regent, Sea Dream, Seven Seas and Crystal. Other premium-plus options might include Azamara, Oceania, Windstar.

 

Can we disqualify any of these cruiselines based on the age criteria? We do not want to take another retirement cruise until we're retired, hah! We met some great people on Viking, but we were, by far, the youngest on-board, and we'd like our next experience to be with people closer in age.

 

Thanks for any advice!!

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There is no "age criteria" for cruising on ANY line! If you have the $$$$...they'll gladly take it!

 

You may be the youngest, but may not be the liveliest! Age shouldn't be a factor into your choice of cruiseline!!!

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but we ve been cruising since your ages,,,now Seniors,,but very active and LOVE luxury cruises on small ships...

 

I NEED a balcony,,,and larger cabin and bathroom,,pref..with tub for colder climates,,,so that eliminates SeaDream,,,went on ONCE and never again,,TOO SMALL,,,only 125 or so passengers,,,but little to do or change of dining venue...a little too "stuffy" ..

 

Then Regent,,,good mix of age groups,,only 700 passengers,,,large rooms with room service,,all the time,,balcony and tub,,with walk in closet...free excursions..might try that line.

 

Then,,my FAVORITE,,so far Seabourn Sojourn,,,just got off and had everyhing i loved...as listed above,,,but poor smoking policy,,allow it in room and balcony...so nothing PERfect,,but his was close.

 

Oceania,,not luxury,per se,,rooms not as large,small bathroom,no free excursions,,but nice ship,good food, and nice age mix...less expensive so might be worth a shot,,,

Lots of options,,try one then see if its for you,,can always try ANOTHER next time..good luck...

But dont focus on age,,,just pick ship,itinerary,dates you need,,etc...it will be up to you ,,not others,,whether you enjoy it,,as its said,,"YOU are responsible for your OWN happiness,,,"and I try to live by that,,,:D

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Good question! My husband and I are both in our forties and WERE concerned about the age thing when we booked for a transatlantic cruise that we took in March 2011. We'd also never travelled on a luxury line so we didn't know what we we in for. We were not disappointed. Regent was wonderful: brilliant service, food, amenities and all round experience. Keep in mind we had five days at sea so we tried everything on board. The age thing was never an issue except on one excursion where the couple had picked the wrong tour and found the walking difficult but they opted to just explore close to the bus and didn't impact the other passengers. We met people in their forties and fifties who were great fun but also had a great time with people who were also on the older side.

 

I understand the dilemma though: a lot of people in our age bracket can't afford this line and opt for the lower end lines (e.g. Carnival) so the demographic does tend to skew a little older BUT these are active people who have the money to travel and like the luxury lines: we found everybody entertaining and game for just about anything. The ship tended to quiet down around midnight but that's okay - there's nothing worse than a hangover at sea or on an excursion!! LOL

 

Regent Mariner is a smaller ship - 700 passengers - so it doesn't have zip lining, water slides, rock climbing etc. BUT I had a waiter "right there" even when I was in the pool! The restaurants are incredible and good lecture series. Interesting ports and all inclusive: no hideous bill at the end to spoil the trip!

 

Good gym with instructor led classes. All suites have balconies and penthouse suites and above get business class flights home from Europe included in the price. Great spa (Canyon Ranch).

 

We met great people that we keep in touch with and plan to go on Regent for our next trip.

 

No kids!

 

Our first cruise was on Carnival and we'll never make that mistake again. Shudder.

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Hi cb at sea -- well, age is a concern for us, as we just went on a cruise where we were, by far, the youngest people on-board and quite frankly, we were the black sheep of the cruise, despite being personable and open. We tried to make conversation, hang out with people we didn't know and talk to people in our various tours and more times than not, we were ignored or condescended to. We heard lots of, "Our grandkids are older than you!" - in addition, we felt that the crew didn't cater as much to us, either. Perhaps they felt we wouldn't tip well because we were younger and not as well off, I have no clue.

 

I know that there are no age limits on the actual cruises, Viking took our money just fine! We just want to meet people that we can have fun with while we're cruising who won't look down on us because of our age and maybe even some people we'd cruise with again in the future. We'd like to make friends on-board, and as nice as some of the people were, I don't think someone who is 70 wants to hang out with a 36-year-old for the long-term and we'd like to make some long-term friends, quite frankly!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions! I went to the cruiselines I mentioned and requested print brochures from all of them. I think we just want to lay them all out and see the various trips to narrow our focus. Regent sounds interesting, based on your comments - I think 700'ish passengers sounds good, and I like hearing that there's a good mix of ages and people. Having a gym would be amazing. We'll also take a close look at Seaborn, too! Thanks a bunch!

Edited by lunula
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If the age is important to you none of those you listed would be suitable except maybe Windstar Or Seadream

 

Most upscale cruise lines have a more mature passenger base

They will have some younger than the average age but also some older

 

We are mid 60's and enjoy the company of older & younger passengers (over 30)

We cruise Oceania because they do not cater to children ..they may have a few onboard but not usually

they are usually port intensive cruises

No formal nights

 

There is no way to tell if the ages of the passengers on any given cruise I am afraid

River cruise do tend to attract a much older passenger though

You may have to just compromise on the age factor & just go & enjoy ;)

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Seabourn does tend to have an older age demographic, as do the other luxury lines. I don't know what your budget will be for this cruise, but on lines like Seabourn, Silversea and Crystal, they can cost two to three times what the mass market lines cost, for similar itineraries. While you may not have to take out a second mortgage, it won't be inexpensive.

 

Have you thought of looking at the smaller ships of Princess? While not luxury, they do have fewer passengers than the behemoths, they don't break the budget and they have lower average ages.

 

Age is also a function of itinerary, time of year and location of your departure port. Longer cruises and those to exotic places tend to have much higher average ages. Do you have any idea of when/where you want to cruise? You'll find more older passengers during times when school is in session. Age lowers in summer and on school holidays. Of course, you'll also find kids on board at those times too.

 

If you find the luxury lines a bit out of your reach (I have no idea how you are financially), look at Oceania, Azamara or even a line like Celebrity. While their ships are larger, they are so nicely built you never feel crowded, and they are known for above average food and wonderful service.

 

Finally, you don't say if you want independent excursions or if you rely on ship tours only. I suggest checking the prices of tours on lines like Seabourn and Crystal, and compare similar tours on the other lines. You may discover that you could do much better arranging private tours, as ship tours are usually insanely high priced.

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Have you thought of looking at the smaller ships of Princess? While not luxury, they do have fewer passengers than the behemoths, they don't break the budget and they have lower average ages.

 

 

You won't find many 40 somethings on Oceania but us older folks tend to welcome any younger travelers as well.

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we took our first Regent holiday when we were 40 - now in our mid-40's and have never cruised with another line (although willing to try!) - while we definately are on the lower range of the age-scale, we have never felt condescended to in any way - every cruise has been absolutely wonderful! - now, we do choose cruises of 7 - 11 days, simply because of our working situation, so that may influence the age demographic somewhat - and as to making friends, well we met a great couple on our last cruise in January, and we've arranged to meet up with them on the Regent Bermuda voyage in April '12 - check it out and maybe we'll see you! -

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  • 5 months later...
may be true on some sailings,,but not all,,,depends on cruise,,for instance,when we were in Caribbean,,they were at least 25 or more children ranging in age from infant to teenagers....they were all well behaved but did tend to take up pool a lot,,,so be warned...:(

 

You're right about children. . . . but this happens only during the summer and school breaks (spring break is especially bad in the Caribbean). On our eleven Regent cruises, we have seen a maximum of 6-8 children. On two cruises, there was only 1 and on one cruise 2. I feel badly for the children -- no one their age to talk to.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Depending on the size of the ship you prefer, given your age, I'd recommend you try Windstar. We loved the Windstar and Windspirit, both accomodating 148 passengers. They are motor powered sailing yachts, with no balconies. Cabins are about 190 sq ft. Owners cabin is larger. Kind of like having your own yacht for a week or two, albeit a very big yacht. Cabins are well laid out and equipped.

 

The third ship, Windsurf, carries about 300. Check into reviews for Windsurf, since I recall some grumbling about food and service on that ship. We prefer the smaller ships.

 

There are no elevators so people with mobility issues would not find this suitable. 5 flights of stairs from B level cabins to the top deck. Gives you a chance to keep in shape.

 

Travellers from their 20's to 80's, with most in their 40's to 50's. Professionals, business owners, people who have not retired, and who can't take off weeks and weeks, hence the cruise lengths of 7 days for the most part. We did back to back cruises, very cost effective. Active travellers, who want port intensive cruises.

 

Little to no late night activities except for some music in the lounge, a tiny casino and a bar on top deck. We were off the ship on tour everyday, all day, and dine late, so after dinner, which usually ended at 10 or 11 for us, we went to bed. I don't recall that they had room service breakfast, but I may be wrong. We went to the casual dining restaurant for the breakfast buffet, which was wonderful. Hot dishes cooked to order, plenty of fresh fruit, pastries, lox and bagels, on and on.

 

Nice casual dress in main dining room in the evening (no jeans but no jackets and ties either.) No "formal" nights. Service was very attentive and personal. Staff remembers your name, your preferred drinks and dishes, they really try hard to please and make your cruise first rate. Staff was actually "kind" to passengers, made you feel like family, we felt they really cared about making our experience a great one.

 

We had very good to excellent food, open seating, one main dining room open for dinner in the evening. Usually a fun deck BBQ sometime during the week featuring grilled lobster, steak, other specialities.

 

Windstar is not considered a "luxury" line, but it sure felt fine to us.;)

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Another tip: we've done a river cruise on AMA Waterways, and while the itinerary and ship were lovely, we were disappointed with the dining.

 

River cruises tend to attract a much older traveller. We were in our 40's and while there were other 40 somethings on board, they were in the minority.

 

My travel agent recommended we try Uniworld next, which she considers a "luxury" river cruise experience. There is also Tauck tours and Abercrombie and Kent for very upscale river cruising. We were very satisfied with our hotel barge cruise in Burgundy sponsored by A&K.:)

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Another vote for Windstar here. We noticed quite a spread of ages on our trips in 2010 and 2011. We were on the Wind Surf both times and had no problems with either food or service. The Wind Surf does have elevators, but the two smaller ships don't so they wouldn't be so suitable for anyone with mobility problems. It could be my imagination, but I just think the Windstar ships might appeal to a younger demographic, being slightly less "luxury".

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just want to make two comments:

 

Windstar and Oceania are not considered Luxury cruise lines (however, Oceania is premium-plus)

 

None of the river cruises can compare with luxury ocean liners -- no matter what the rating (if you look at the price differences, it will make more sense).

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By definition they are smaller, provide an active and incredible experience in places larger ships cannot easily reach - if at all. Our experience has been that our fellow passengers are a very international group and the age range runs the gamut from the 20s to the 70s. What we love is that everyone is there for a unified purpose - the unique history, scenery, wildlife, etc. of destinations like the Arctic, the Galapagos Islands, or the Antarctic.

 

The food and service has been excellent, all the landings/excursions are included, and usually most liquor (and other drinks) and gratuities are as well. Dress is casual/informal so you will not be lugging tuxes and gowns with you (a real plus for us). We have not taken a "traditional" cruise since our first expedition cruise.

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It seems that the luxury defintion in cruising has become blurred over the years. I see the CC board itself has Oceania and Azamara included on this forum. There is also a much praised agency loved by many on the Regent board that includes Oceania in it's luxury specialties. I have cruised many times on Regent and Silverseas and have definitely found it to be an older demographic than on the mass market lines. If you are looking for a party all the time type of experience, these smaller ships do not seem to fit the bill. What you will find is the total lack of chaos anywhere. I will agree that the lack of nightlife takes a little getting used to but the trade off for the food, accomodations and service cannot be beaten. We also discovered that very often....it seems to be mostly beach type cruise.... there are groups on board from one company or another and they can really liven things up at night! They do tend to take over the little used dance clubs but no one seems to mind. There has never been a problem with joining right in with the party and getting your fix of late night dancing and partying. I would suggest that you give Regent or Silversea a try on a Carribean quick cruise... actually ask your travel agent to FIND you one with a group on board .... and get a taste of the small ship experience. It is much more quiet but a very friendly group of people seem to be onboard no matter what their ages.

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My wife and I have cruised with Regent for over 10 years (even back when it was Raddison) on all of their ships. Your comment about different treatment by the crew based on tips or age is one of the reasons we love Regent so much. Everyone is made to feel special and because tips are included in the cruise price, tips are not a factor in the level of service shown to any guest. It's also nice not having to deal with tips or for that matter sign for anything while on board. As to age, there has always been a good age mix, including 40s on all of our cruises. We don't cruise other lines because we are totally happy with Regent.

Edited by 555lavan1t
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I didn't know that expedition ships included alcohol, tips, etc. They are a speciality ship and probably draw a different demographic than luxury lines with small ships. It wasn't my intention to sound as if I'm putting down Oceania, Windstar, Azamara or any other cruise line. Perhaps I was wrong in assuming that the OP is looking for a luxury, all-inclusive experience on ships that carry between 200 and 1,000 passengers.

 

Oceania's newer ships are gorgeous -- nicer in some ways than their sister ships on Regent -- but, the cabins are smaller -- they even have inside cabins -- something luxury ships do not have. Most importantly, they are not all-inclusive so you are still signing for things.

 

In choosing a cruise line you do need to look at what it offers that you will be interested in. As has been said, Regent does have younger couples on board.. . some have a great time with older passengers while some prefer being on their own. Some luxury lines are quite formal (Silversea) -- some have strict smoking policies -- Regent..... There are a lot of things to be considered.

 

fizzy: I am so curious as to why you suggest going on a cruise with a group on board:confused:

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Oceania's newer ships are gorgeous -- nicer in some ways than their sister ships on Regent -- but, the cabins are smaller -- they even have inside cabins -- something luxury ships do not have. Most importantly, they are not all-inclusive so you are still signing for things.

 

Are all luxury ships all inclusive?

Until recently Crystal was not all inclusive but was considered Luxury

 

If you required more space on Oceania choose a PH @ 482SF or OS at 2000SF

For some of us we are quite happy in the cheap seats & signing chits for what we drink than paying upfront for other people's drinks & excursions (we do private tours)

 

Luxury can mean many things to many people

It can be the surroundings, it can be the service you receive, it can be all inclusive or not it can be just the overall experience that make you feel like you are on a luxury line ;)

 

 

It is a personal experience

Edited by LHT28
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I feel that for anybody that might be leery of trying Regent or Silversea,for example, because of the perception that the ship closes down by 11, the potential cruiser might be interested to note that if any corporate incentive groups are on board(at least in our experience) lively parties into the late hours are apt to be happening in the dance clubs and all are welcome. I'm certainly not supposing that all of the groups are the same but a new cruiser could get the feel of the usual fabulous experience with a little night action thrown in.

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  • 1 month later...

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised on my recent and first cruise on Crystal.

 

There were quiet a few pax in the mid 40s - mid 50s age range with a good sense of humour and similar mind-set.

 

I (late 40s) and my other half (early 50s) were seated with couples around the same age group (not sure if Crystal arrange for this given we all asked for traditional late seating at a large table) and we hit it off from day 1.

 

I suspect we got lucky since our dinner table was "the loud one" with laughter throughout the meal with the waiters almost but not quiet sweeping up around us. The Avenue Saloon is a good place to mix and mingle as well since it is quiet cosy with the need to share tables and seating getting very close to each other with the all-inclusive drinks flowing. We had a great pianist, Mark Farris, who would always ask guest a bit about themselves and kept the conversation going every night so you felt you knew most poeple but the middle of the cruise even if you never spoke to them. It made for a great atmosphere.

 

Everyone just got chatting to each other after a while.This then carried through to the pool area, excursions, daily activities, etc

 

There were loads of enrichment activities. On each sea days, there was one speaker on politics in the morning, one on destinations at lunchtime and one on business in the afternoon. The speakers were both insightful and entertaining as well. I have only previously attending talks on where to shop on RCL, Princess and Carnival.

 

The afternoon tea experience is great with staff in butlers uniform so it is very much an experience like you would get at top hotel in London. The Mozart tea is a specially one with staff in full Viennese costumes and Viennese pastries.

 

Crystal All-Inclusive is definitely luxury since you do not get the really feeling that that the ship is trying to nickel and dime you. Most drinks through-out the day are free (no signature if required) on the all-inclusive and there are no surcharges for the speciality restaurants. Drinks were flowing at the various bars with canapes were on offer until mid-night. Large bottles of mineral water are place in your stateroom and replaced when finished without asking. We never even felt the need to touch the free drinks in the minibar. On arrival, even the guests in the lowest level stateroom get offered a bottle of spirit and a bottle of wine (or two bottles of wine) for the stateroom. We order a bottle of whisky and got one litre bottle, bigger than you would normally see at the shops.

 

We lovely relaxing whicker sofas and seats with thick cushions in addition to quality (ie not plastic) sun beds with pool towels all laid out. Plenty of additional towels for you to help yourself to (think RCL where everyone has to sign in and out for towels). Guest were good at disposing of used towels in the appropriate boxes.

 

Staff will try to learn your name but it is actually now quiet a challenge for them since you do not now produce your cruise ID to sign for drinks. Irrespectively they will remember your regular drinks based on facial recognition.

 

It is not uncommon to find the captain and senior staff having lunch at the Lido buffet in addition to the formal dinners. They appear happy to mingle and meet the guests. The food selection, is of course, great.

 

I'm a total convert after just one cruise (having done RCL, Princess, Carnival and Disney in the past).

 

To me the ultimate sign of luxury on Crystal was that you never once saw a paper napkin. Cloth towels in all the public restrooms, cloth napkins even at the buffet and at the grill by the pool. The only paper on the ship was by the doors of the public restrooms so you did not have to make phyical contact with the door handle to exit the restrooms.

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I must admit I was pleasantly surprised on my recent and first cruise on Crystal.

 

There were quiet a few pax in the mid 40s - mid 50s age range with a good sense of humour and similar mind-set.

 

I (late 40s) and my other half (early 50s) were seated with couples around the same age group (not sure if Crystal arrange for this given we all asked for traditional late seating at a large table) and we hit it off from day 1.

 

I suspect we got lucky since our dinner table was "the loud one" with laughter throughout the meal with the waiters almost but not quiet sweeping up around us. The Avenue Saloon is a good place to mix and mingle as well since it is quiet cosy with the need to share tables and seating getting very close to each other with the all-inclusive drinks flowing. We had a great pianist, Mark Farris, who would always ask guest a bit about themselves and kept the conversation going every night so you felt you knew most poeple but the middle of the cruise even if you never spoke to them. It made for a great atmosphere.

 

Everyone just got chatting to each other after a while.This then carried through to the pool area, excursions, daily activities, etc

 

There were loads of enrichment activities. On each sea days, there was one speaker on politics in the morning, one on destinations at lunchtime and one on business in the afternoon. The speakers were both insightful and entertaining as well. I have only previously attending talks on where to shop on RCL, Princess and Carnival.

 

The afternoon tea experience is great with staff in butlers uniform so it is very much an experience like you would get at top hotel in London. The Mozart tea is a specially one with staff in full Viennese costumes and Viennese pastries.

 

Crystal All-Inclusive is definitely luxury since you do not get the really feeling that that the ship is trying to nickel and dime you. Most drinks through-out the day are free (no signature if required) on the all-inclusive and there are no surcharges for the speciality restaurants. Drinks were flowing at the various bars with canapes were on offer until mid-night. Large bottles of mineral water are place in your stateroom and replaced when finished without asking. We never even felt the need to touch the free drinks in the minibar. On arrival, even the guests in the lowest level stateroom get offered a bottle of spirit and a bottle of wine (or two bottles of wine) for the stateroom. We order a bottle of whisky and got one litre bottle, bigger than you would normally see at the shops.

 

We lovely relaxing whicker sofas and seats with thick cushions in addition to quality (ie not plastic) sun beds with pool towels all laid out. Plenty of additional towels for you to help yourself to (think RCL where everyone has to sign in and out for towels). Guest were good at disposing of used towels in the appropriate boxes.

 

Staff will try to learn your name but it is actually now quiet a challenge for them since you do not now produce your cruise ID to sign for drinks. Irrespectively they will remember your regular drinks based on facial recognition.

 

It is not uncommon to find the captain and senior staff having lunch at the Lido buffet in addition to the formal dinners. They appear happy to mingle and meet the guests. The food selection, is of course, great.

 

I'm a total convert after just one cruise (having done RCL, Princess, Carnival and Disney in the past).

 

To me the ultimate sign of luxury on Crystal was that you never once saw a paper napkin. Cloth towels in all the public restrooms, cloth napkins even at the buffet and at the grill by the pool. The only paper on the ship was by the doors of the public restrooms so you did not have to make phyical contact with the door handle to exit the restrooms.

 

Glad you are now "crystalized" and experienced what Crystal has been offering in the luxury segment for many years. While the all-inclusive aspects are very nice, Crystal has always provided extraordinary service, food, enrichment, entertainment...etc. to all of it's passengers previously.

 

Hope to meet you on a future Crystal cruise.

 

Nancy

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For some of us we are quite happy......signing chits for what we drink than paying upfront for other people's drinks & excursions (we do private tours)

 

Ask those who go all inclusive, and they'd say they're not paying for other people's drinks, they're paying for the freedom of not having to account for and keep track of every little thing they do/eat/drink on their vacation :)

 

As you said, luxury is different things. To me, the freedom of not needing to pull out my wallet for every choice of what I eat, drink, or do is luxurious.

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