18-22 year olds

[cmsmuse]

I have 3 in this range going...how is the dance club? Is there a DJ that plays current music? I have an 18 year old son...is there enough for him to do? Oosterdam or Ryndam? Thanks!

[hammybee]

The 18-20 year olds are too old for teen programs and of course too young to drink. They can however have access to all adult venues.

 

We last sailed in May, on the Noordam to Alaska. There was a group of college kids and the cruise was part of an escorted final exam in a hospitality management class. They had a blast. The music in the disco favored their age, much to the dismay of some other passengers.

 

So much favors the dynamics onboard a given cruise and for this reason, it's hard to say for certain what might be on your cruise.

 

When/where are you thinking of sailing. Generally speaking the Oosterdam is more likely to pull a younger crowd. But again, it all depends.

[LolaWiz]

we (husband and I) took our first cruise on HAL (alone) when we were 21. It was on the O and it was a lot of fun. The dance club is ALWAYS going strong in the evenings. Many theme nights that are a blast.

 

Now we are 24 and 25 and we are set to sail on our 4th HAL cruise.

I am sure they will like it. Plus, there are "college" get togethers every few evenings too.

[ekerr19]

Which ship? Our son is 18 and always finds many his age to "hang out" with - the Northern Lights Disco allows kids 18 and over - and the kids tend to hang out there, that's why we (older, in our 40's folk) go to the Crow's Nest. :)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I have 3 in this range going...how is the dance club? Is there a DJ that plays current music? I have an 18 year old son...is there enough for him to do? Oosterdam or Ryndam? Thanks!

 

They can't officially drink on HAL until they're 21, although I'm sure some of the under-21 crowd manages to get around that. However, they can gamble at 18; so the casino is open to them. I would recommend the Oosterdam over the Ryndam, but like Hammybee said, it all depends on the itinerary/time of year/length of cruise.

 

My soon-to-be 18 year old daughter cruised with us, her family, last summer on HAL, and never wants to embark a cruise ship again. It was her first cruise experience. Is this your son's first cruise?

 

Karin

[ekerr19]

My soon-to-be 18 year old daughter cruised with us, her family, last summer on HAL, and never wants to embark a cruise ship again. It was her first cruise experience. Is this your son's first cruise?

 

Karin

 

Karin -

 

Why did she dislike it so??? Our kids have been cruising for about 10-12 years and I'd hate the thought they aren't having a good time!

 

Our last cruise, Noordam - Mediterranean -the kids met a bunch of kids from Europe (thanks HS foreign languages!) and had a great time. They're still in touch on myspace...

 

Please, if you don't mind - tell me what she disliked.. we always take the kids over Spring break, Summer, Christmas etc., so there are usually plenty of other kids... :confused:

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Karin -

 

Why did she dislike it so??? Our kids have been cruising for about 10-12 years and I'd hate the thought they aren't having a good time!

 

Our last cruise, Noordam - Mediterranean -the kids met a bunch of kids from Europe (thanks HS foreign languages!) and had a great time. They're still in touch on myspace...

 

Please, if you don't mind - tell me what she disliked.. we always take the kids over Spring break, Summer, Christmas etc., so there are usually plenty of other kids... :confused:

 

Her response was a big disappointment to me, and of course, I'm sorry the trip was a disappointment to her. We were on the Zaandam on a 7-day RT Alaska from Seattle in August. It was our first cruise, ever. There were about 140 kids on board. My daughter celebrated her 17th birthday on the cruise. We took my mom along, too, and booked two SA cabins. Little sister was also there (who really LOVES Club HAL.) I tried to make it the best trip ever.

 

My daughter enjoyed exploring Alaska, but she didn't care as much for the cruise portion. She did enjoy the cooking class that she, her dad and I took together, and her grandmother and I took her with us to the Thermal Suite, which I believe she enjoyed also. She also liked many of the theatre shows, especially the Whyte Brothers, who performed a Beatles/sixties repertoire.

 

My daughter didn't give the teen program a chance. She didn't attend the orientation session the first evening, and she didn't go to any of the Club HAL activities. She said all the teens in there were too young for her, mostly in the 14-15 range. She stayed with us, her family, which was fine, but I think she should have at least tried to meet some of the other kids.

 

We discovered that she has a tendency to motion sickness, so that would be a major factor right there. I did bring along remedies.

 

Lastly, my daughter has an independent streak, which has manifested itself in the last year or so, as she approaches adulthood. I think she was determined to NOT like the cruise, because I, her mother, was the one who arranged it for all of us:p.

 

Thanks for asking.

 

Karin

[cmsmuse]

I have 3 in this range going...how is the dance club? Is there a DJ that plays current music? I have an 18 year old son...is there enough for him to do? Oosterdam or Ryndam? Thanks!

 

SORRY!! I should have mentioned, we are doing the Mexican Riviera cruise...

[ekerr19]

Her response was a big disappointment to me, and of course, I'm sorry the trip was a disappointment to her. We were on the Zaandam on a 7-day RT Alaska from Seattle in August. It was our first cruise, ever. There were about 140 kids on board. My daughter celebrated her 17th birthday on the cruise. We took my mom along, too, and booked two SA cabins. Little sister was also there (who really LOVES Club HAL.) I tried to make it the best trip ever.

 

My daughter enjoyed exploring Alaska, but she didn't care as much for the cruise portion. She did enjoy the cooking class that she, her dad and I took together, and her grandmother and I took her with us to the Thermal Suite, which I believe she enjoyed also. She also liked many of the theatre shows, especially the Whyte Brothers, who performed a Beatles/sixties repertoire.

 

My daughter didn't give the teen program a chance. She didn't attend the orientation session the first evening, and she didn't go to any of the Club HAL activities. She said all the teens in there were too young for her, mostly in the 14-15 range. She stayed with us, her family, which was fine, but I think she should have at least tried to meet some of the other kids.

 

We discovered that she has a tendency to motion sickness, so that would be a major factor right there. I did bring along remedies.

 

Lastly, my daughter has an independent streak, which has manifested itself in the last year or so, as she approaches adulthood. I think she was determined to NOT like the cruise, because I, her mother, was the one who arranged it for all of us:p.

 

Thanks for asking.

 

Karin

 

Karin -

 

Ah, I wish you'd crusied with us, lol!!! Not to say my kids are anything to write home about, lol - but they "sort of" manage fun when we "force" them (their words, lol!) Alaska is a hard trip for teens, imo.

 

In the Caribbean, ours hang by the pool during the day and are able to meet other kids - our daughter is 14 but our son is 18, so she hangs with him (to a certain degree) and meets others.

 

Their least favorite was Europe, though they did love pre/post cruise Rome, Greece (Olympic ruins) and Turkey (Ephesus) - it was very humid last summer and they're not used to it.

 

Seventeen is a hard age too - not yet adult (eighteen) and too old for the "teen" crowd.

 

I hope your daughter will give it another chance. One of my daughter's favorite cruises was a mother/daughter cruise with just us "girls" and a bunch of our mother/daughter friends... :)

[msraye]

Karin, I believe your daughter may enjoy another cruise line more than Holland America. We did a Thanksgiving cruise last year and my daughter (well over 17 by YEARS!) did not enjoy herself as much as she has on RCCL. She says there is more to do. I thot HAL was great but then when she was out and about I was piled up in the cabin reading or sleeping!!

[CruisinDutch4]

I would definitely pick a vista class ship over an R or S class ship. The vistas have a nightclub that tends to go well into the night hours, while the Crow's Nest on the smaller ships tends to die around midnight. The vista crowd is generally younger also.

[Roz]

I think 18-20 is a tough age on any cruise line, more so on a line like HAL. You're not a "kid" anymore, but many of the adult venues aren't available to you until you turn 21.

 

Roz