HAL Cruise with 22-Year-Old?

Hi. We are planning a vacation to celebrate our daughter's graduation from college this summer. Our sensibilities seem most suited for Viking Ocean, but our schedule and the ports of interest fit better with HAL. So, my question for you more experienced folks is whether a 22-year old will feel out of place on an HAL ship this summer? She does not drink but it would still be nice for her to find some people in her age group on the ship. If it helps, we are looking at European itineraries.

Would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks so much.

My kids, at that age, found it a perfect fit. In summer. With their parents and grandparents. :)

I have sailed HAL a number of times - and have always noticed a fair number of passengers who seemed to be in their twenties and thirties - sure, the mix is skewed towards the older side, but you will not find it to be the old age home some uninformed posters claim it to be.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

What a lovely and memorable gift for your daughter's graduation from collage.

A European cruise will be port intensive so she may not have a lot of time for socializing.

Thanks very much for your prompt and helpful replies. We are looking forward to this adventure very much!

Our youngest has cruised with us since she was in her twenties. She is now a 4* mariner. For her, it's a way to see Europe on a family holiday. When she has cruised alone she has made friends, but for a port-intensive European cruise, she socializes with us, and we can tire her out!

When you ask such a question on the HAL board you will generally get very pro HAL comments (it would be the same on other cruise line boards). So lets try to talk about some reality. HAL attracts fewer young folks then most other mass market lines. The longer the cruise, the older the passengers. Will your DD find others in her age group? Maybe yes, maybe no....but she will likely find fewer in that age group then if she were on RCI, Princess, and even Celebrity. That being said, if she finds even 1 or 2 new friends in her age group, she might have a great time (and make a couple of friends). But the odds on HAL are lower.

In a related vein, a very few years ago we were on a 62 day Grand Med cruise (which had many shorter segments). Since it was on the Prinsendam there were only about 600 aboard. The youngest passenger was 27 years old (her name was Jennifer) and she was on the cruise as the companion to her Grandmother (who was a lovely lady who became our friend). Jennifer actually had a good time because she became friendly with a couple of other young ladies who worked in the shops. She told me at times she felt like she was cruising with more than 500 Grandparents (which was probably true). Her big complaint was the music (often from ancient eras).

Hank

We have 3 kids who have all cruised HAL and Princess since their early twenties. Surprisingly they all prefer HAL. They drink but are not crazy party people. They love good food. They enjoyed dining with other people no matter their age, and always were able to have interesting conversations. Our daughter chose HAL for her honeymoon cruise and her husband loved it too. (they were 27 at the time). So I don't think age is the most important thing in choosing a cruise line, and you know your daughter best as far as likes, dislikes etc.

On shorter (7 - 14 day cruises) European cruises in the summer months you might find other extended family groups (grandparents, parents, young adults, children). Despite a long day of touring, the teens and young adults still have enough energy to spend some time away from their families. Its not a guarantee, but its more than likely - especially on the larger ships.

Thanks to all for the advice. I really appreciate your taking the time to share your perspectives and experiences. I think we are ready to make our final decisions. Thanks so much!

Wishing you a great cruise.

Keith

Hi!

We have never cruised on either HAL or Viking, but chose HAL for our family vacation to Alaska in May of this year. We are bringing along our 21 and 23 year-olds, who have only ever cruised on Royal Caribbean. They know they won't experience the same type of entertainment they had on RC, but they can't wait to travel to Alaska and spend time together as a family.

We have also been looking into Viking Ocean for our 2019 vacation (son's graduation trip). These ships look gorgeous and we wouldn't hesitate to bring the kids along if we could afford it, but I certainly wouldn't imagine that they would feel MORE comfortable on Viking than HAL. Seems to me (again, not from experience, just research) that they'd be more likely to find peers and entertainment to their liking on HAL than Viking. But then, my kids want to spend time with us and aren't looking to make friends with people in their age group when we are on a family vacation. But they have each other, too.

Ultimately it will boil down to what is your 22-year-old looking for in a vacation? As others have said, you know her best! Congratulations on her commencement and enjoy whatever you decide!

Northern Europe in Summer had plenty of young people including my own. My girls (including my 21 year old) love HAL cruises and had a great time. Lots of older teens to early twenties got together and played card games and hung out together. Despite the several languages being spoken. There are never any guarantees on who will be onboard, but a HAL cruise is a top vacation choice for all of us.

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P.S. Hang on to your kids at Trivia — having a broad age range on your team can be a huge advantage. This has always been a favourite activity for my girls that all ages can participate in.

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