Are we too young for HAL?

[gagirl789]

Dh and I are very interested in going on HAL. We have been warned however that HAL caters to older indiviuals. We do not have to be entertained every minute but I am a little worried that all the entertainment might be geared for older individuals. I have a mental image of big band music being played constantly. We are in our early 30's and not big drinkers so we are not looking for a party boat. Any imput would be greatly appreciated.

[jhannah]

You will enjoy HAL. Although activities might vary by ship, we found the lounges to still have folks in them very late into the evening. The discos in the Vista ships stay busy into the wee hours. We've seen quite a number of younger couples on our HAL cruises, and have enjoyed their company at dinner. They had a great time.

[ekerr19]

I guess it depends on what kind of atmosphere you like. My first HAL cruise I was in my early twenties and I loved it. DH & I started cruising again in our late 30's and we both love HAL.

 

I like the size of the ships, the decor (elegant) and the artwork on board. We are always able to meet interesting and fun people, quite often in our age group, but have also dined with many retired couples whom we've found charming. For us, the music in the Crow's Nest is great - especially the later hours where the DJ takes requests; but we also enjoy the music in many of the lounges. The Rosario Strings are easily one of our favorites.

 

We like the food, the selection and variety - the Lido and the outside grill are fantastic, IMO.

 

But our favorite thing is the smiling faces and fantastic service that we've consistently received on HAL. For us, it is the fantastic crew that keeps us coming back. :)

[localady]

I was 39 the first time I tried HAL and loved it.:D I enjoy pax from all walks of life and of all ages. Have really enjoyed 99% of the folks we've cruised with and have made some lasting friendships! I think you will find a younger crowd on the Vista Ships and during school holidays, an older crowd on off peak cruises. We actually choose the off-peak cruises when possible as we prefer a quieter environment. I think you will like HAL.:) P.S. Some of the older pax put me to shame as far as their energy level! :eek:

[sail7seas]

Age is measured in many ways........including 'state of mind' and 'love of life'.

 

Some eighty year olds I know have more energy and are younger in mind than a number of thrity something year olds I know. :)

 

We have always made our own good time no matter where we go and the age of fellow pax has never been an issue for us.

 

With all that said, you will find a number of folks a lot younger than you depending upon how long the cruise and the date of the cruise. During holidays, school vacations and summer there are tons of young families/young couples.

 

Longer cruises normally will have more older pax; seven day cruises typically will have more young folks.

[kruzkeen]

We have been warned however that HAL caters to older indiviuals.

 

As stated above HAL does not cater to older individuals with entertainment.

 

HAL is my favorite line as the ships are elegant, they are a nice size and not difficult to go from one section to another. They have unobstructed wrap around decks. The food is better than good and the service very friendly.

 

 

I do think that the median age is higher than it is on Princess, RCI and Celebrity. This is not a bad thing. HAL has a loyal customer base. But be prepared for comments that 'things are not as good as they use to be'. I love the line, but sometimes the complaints get to me.

[Mary Ellen]

We've also not big drinkers and not party boat types. We've been happily sailing on HAL for over 20 years, I was 26 on the first one.

 

Our favorite lounge is the Crow's Nest and never pushed to buy drinks. You'll find the music is 'younger' there (rock). Big Band music can be found elsewhere if one wants to find it, but we've never heard it in the Crow's Nest.

 

We've been very pleased with the mix of ages on our cruises. Interesting people of all ages.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Although HAL is trying to attract younger passengers on all its ships, you will find a much younger crowd on the Vista class ships.

[doone]

To me, age is nothing more than a number. I am 47 years old and have been sailing HAL for well over 20 years. I find HAL to be a more traditional and refined cruise line than the others I have sailed. I have found that when I am on HAL, I am treated more as a guest than a passenger and I feel at home with HAL. I think you will find the same and will truly enjoy HAL.

 

I enjoy the smaller ships but am giving the new Vista Style ships a try in March, then I can make a comparison.

[PrincessMelody]

We are 35 and 36 and are booked on our 2nd HAL cruise. We absolutely love the relaxed atmosphere, the fantastic service, the food, and the overall elegance. I think it would be a great choice for you.

Happy Cruising!:)

Melody

[Spot]

Gagirl789 - although my DH and I are in our late 40's/early 50's, WE LOVE HAL. We are not the party hardy types but we certainly aren't the "big band" type either. Our first cruise on HAL was probably 3 years ago and we feel head over heels for the line and wished we had not wasted our time on the other lines (we "THOUGHT" the same way you are thinking).

HAL showed us what a real cruise experience was with kind and smiling staff, large cabins, ship layouts were easy to navigate, beautiful public areas (bars, nightclubs, casino, lido deck), we knew the moment we stepped aboard that HAL IS BEST.

[jazzsea]

Try Holland America Line and you will be planning your second cruise with them while still aboard. Don't let the age thing bother you. Ask for late dinner seating (now called Main Upper (8:00 PM) and Main Lower (8:30 PM). Most of us older folks want first seating so you should find more people closer to your own age group at the later seatings.

[jane2go]

I may not be in my 30's any more, but I still think, act, feel, and behave exactly like I did when I was! My husband and I don't drink - and we aren't into parties all that much, but you would have a ball with us! Our 25 and 30 year old daughters say we are "way cool" and love to be with us. You will be amazed at how different "Baby Boomers" are from the stereotype of "older" (50 - 60 year old) people! We have a much different way of "getting old" because we just can't and won't face it!!! Have fun on HAL!

[roohound]

I'm 32 and have taken 2 HAL cruises..one 7 day and 1 10 day....we had a great time on both. The service really is great..altho, on the 10 day I was a little disappointed with our particular wait staff as they weren't as personable as the others I had had, but it was a great cruise nonetheless

[sail7seas]

I don't get it. We have cruised about 5 times each on Princess and Celebrity and we have found the same demographics on those lines as HAL. We saw folks with canes and wheelchairs and gray hair. We also saw young honeymooners and young families.

 

How can it be that only DH and I, on approximately ten cruises on Princess and Celebrity, saw very similar passenger mix on those lines as HAL but everyone else has seen differently?

[Jacqueline]

S7S is right on as usual. HAL is no longer Gods waiting room.

[gagirl789]

S7S is right on as usual. HAL is no longer Gods waiting room.

 

That has to be the funniest line I have ever heard on CC!

[gagirl789]

Thank you all for the advice. I know feel more comfortable booking. Thank you!

[MandyGirl]

gagirl789 -

 

We were ages 29/31 on our first HAL cruise last Thanksgiving on Maasdam and were looking for the same type of cruise as you - relaxing, comfortable, not big drinkers/partiers. We met MANY enjoyable people - particularly at high tea - that we really enjoyed conversing with. Of course, on any cruise, you may have those who may be on the same deck as you or share the same elevator... and may not even acknowledge your existence or smile and say 'hi' - but some people just don't speak to others. I don't think it's an 'old vs young' thing - just a personality thing. We met one couple at tea who had over 300 cruises... and had probably never touched a message board... and it was absolutely amazing to visit with them. They said they now take at least one (and sometimes two) 7-night cruises per month and had cruised a wide variety of cruiselines. We really enjoyed hearing their stories!! Now, on this past cruise, we didn't find other couples that were our age that we bonded with (like we have on Celebrity and NCL) but it was still a terrific cruise!! We have booked HAL again for this upcoming Thanksgiving, but a different ship based on the itinerary. I don't think you will be disappointed. :)