Age Group of O Passengers?

[caroak]

I know O caters to an older crowd but can we expect the majority of passengers be 50's-60's or 70's+? We're in the first category but still don't considered ourselves to be "old" or at least try not to act it.:D

[JimandStan]

I know O caters to an older crowd but can we expect the majority of passengers be 50's-60's or 70's+? We're in the first category but still don't considered ourselves to be "old" or at least try not to act it.:D

 

The age of the passengers depends greatly on which itinerary you're sailing.

 

Non retired types, generally opt for cruises under three weeks in length, while the longer cruises (which are naturally more expensive) attract the older and more affluent folks.

 

That being said, you'll find all ages on Oceania ships. Everyone from newlyweds, to Otogenarians and beyond rub elbows most congenially.

 

You wont be the youngest and you wont be the oldest. ;)

[PaulMCO]

No worse than HAL. If you a are 50--60 (like me and DW), you will feel young :D

 

It does vary, our last Holiday Cruise, there were kids on board and the crowd tended to be younger.

[hondorner]

I have heard Oceania corporate officers refer to their target age as 50 to 70, so you are at the beginning of a great experience for the next 20 years. We both just turned 70, which is why we have so many cruises scheduled for next year, before we "age out" at 71 (just kidding -- we hope to be recognized someday as the oldest cruisers. We'll still feel young).

 

Seriously, we have not yet met anyone on Oceania who drools into their soup. I'm quite a bit older than Stan and Jim, and they seem to put up with me...:rolleyes:

[rhohea]

I know O caters to an older crowd but can we expect the majority of passengers be 50's-60's or 70's+? We're in the first category but still don't considered ourselves to be "old" or at least try not to act it.:D

 

We are both in our early to mid 50's and have our 5th & 6th Oceania cruise booked for May 2011.

 

Having just returned from 30 nights (B2B) on Insignia I can tell you the age group ranged from about 3 mths to about 85 yrs (young).

 

Go with Oceania as all their crew and passengers are just wonderful. The older passengers that you will meet are all so well travelled and very interesting to talk to that you can't help but enjoy yourself.

 

Just don't expect lots of late nights. It just does not happen, unless you make your own party/fun. ;) But with all the port intensive cruises they have who wants late nights.

 

Go an enjoy.

[3418ahl]

rhohea, stupid question, but how do you attach the list of your cruises to the bottom of your message??? Thanks

[caroak]

We'll be on the 10 day Pearls of the Riviera/May 2011. It sure seems like we're "age appropriate" and are looking forward to a wonderful fun filled cruise.:)

[hondorner]

rhohea, stupid question, but how do you attach the list of your cruises to the bottom of your message??? Thanks

Look up at the menu line near the top of the page and find "User CP", which stands for User Control Panel. Click on that, then go down the left side of the page and find,"Edit signature -- no advertising allowed" and click that.

 

A text box will come up, with full editing controls, font face, font size, font color, text alignment (left, centered or right), image control, link control and so forth. Enter the information you want to display and then click the "Preview Signature" box. A preview will be shown above the text edit box, and you can go back and forth as much as you want, editing and previewing, until you're happy with the way it looks.

 

Finally, click the "Save Signature" box, and navigate back to your favorite forum (hopefully Oceania). Your new signature will be automatically added to all the posts you have ever written, and all the posts you write from now on. When you change your signature to show your latest cruises, all of your posts will be automatically updated at the same time.

 

Adding countdown clocks is another whole discussion, but they get added to your signature, also.

[Mura]

Back to the original question, we're just off Insignia's Midnight Sun cruise (or should I say just home since we left the ship on August 10th) and it seemed to us that the average age was older than we've noticed before. There were also a number of scooters -- which I've not seen on Oceania's ships before. Someone suggested the reason might be that this itinerary was unusual and many of our fellow passengers had already been everywhere else ...

 

I just was wondering since there were a lot of passengers with some mobility problems (not necessarily serious ones, but there) and this was an itinerary that had a number of ship's tours that were quite strenuous.

[caribbeansun]

This might be of interest http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1162237&highlight=

[LHT28]

I agree Mura

The people were a bit more mature than the cruise just before this one

The reason maybe like you have said..... it was different

With so many repeat Oceania cruisers on board maybe they just wanted a change of scenery;)

 

 

Lyn

[Mura]

Lyn,

 

It may be that the reason I noticed this is because of my brother-in-law, who was disabled by a stroke about 10 years ago. We have booked an Alaska cruise on NCL for late May 2011 for all 4 of us (because my SIL has a great desire to see Alaska) and also one on Regatta in mid-June (for just the two of us). Regatta would be for US if they decide not to join us on the NCL cruise. (NCL is 7 days, Regatta is 14 days.)

 

We booked NCL because I saw lots of scooters on our April T/A and the handicapped rooms seem to be superior to those on the the "R" ships. Dan cannot use a bathtub and from what I understand, the "R" ships have bathtubs in their handicapped rooms. Another complication is my SIL -- she wants to go to Alaska but she has a way of backing out when anyone says, "I can make this work." And she doesn't want to take a cruise and end up caretaking Dan. I don't blame her for that.

 

So if they opt out of the NCL cruise, we might take the Regatta cruise on our own (better itinerary, favored cruiseline) ... except for the minor complication of already having committed to a U.S. trip with our Danish friends in early June! I suspect we'll end up cancelling both cruises!

 

But while I've seen an occasional wheelchair on our previous Oceania (and Renaissance) cruises, this was the first time I saw so many!

 

I wonder how all those scooter-users on the Midnight Sun cruise dealt with the bathtubs ... Dan sure couldn't have done so!

[LHT28]

Lyn,

 

IDan cannot use a bathtub and from what I understand, the "R" ships have bathtubs in their handicapped rooms. !

 

I do not know for sure but I do not think the handicapped cabins have tubs but here are only 3 HC cabins so that could be a problem getting one

 

I am sure someone will know for sure

 

Lyn

[CintiPam]

I know O caters to an older crowd but can we expect the majority of passengers be 50's-60's or 70's+? We're in the first category but still don't considered ourselves to be "old" or at least try not to act it.:D

 

In addition to JimandStan's response regarding the itinerary, the month of the cruise definitely affected the age group of the passengers on our three O cruises in the past two years, with our June cruise last year having a much wider age variety, a much younger group on the whole than our September 2008 and May 2010 cruises, which similarly skewed older, although a very active and fit older.

 

I should add that my new goal for my future Oceania cruising is to be on a cruise with hondorner, the voice of reason on this increasingly irascible board.:)

[yorkiemomjn]

I should add that my new goal for my future Oceania cruising is to be on a cruise with hondorner, the voice of reason on this increasingly irascible board.:)

 

I think a lot of people feel this way about Don. I know I do! :)

[ShopperfiendTO]

I agree Mura

The people were a bit more mature than the cruise just before this one

The reason maybe like you have said..... it was different

With so many repeat Oceania cruisers on board maybe they just wanted a change of scenery;)

 

 

Lyn

 

Is the cruise you and Mura took similar to the one scheduled for June 23, 2011 (Copenhagan to Dover up to Norway and arctic circle)?

 

If it is, would you mind telling me your experiences compared to other O cruises? How are the ports? They seem like Alaska ports and not Europe ports...

 

Any insight you can provide is very much appreciated as we're looking at the cruise at the moment but don't know if it's right for us (we've only been on Mediterranean cruises with O cruises thus far).

 

Thank you!

[Mura]

It's the same itinerary, only in reverse. I loved the itinerary, and took it precisely for the itinerary. We did the coastal steamer cruise back in 1975 (Bergen to North Cape) and had been wanting to go back to Norway, so this itinerary was most enticing.

 

Murmansk is a real waste of time. It's an unattractive city with not that much to do. It's certainly not worth getting a Russian visa since this is the only Russian port. The city doesn't even have real tour guides -- the tour guides the ship's tour used are all "volunteers" and ours was certainly excellent.

 

Spitsbergen surprised us because they have a really wonderful museum, well worth a visit.

 

In general I liked all the ports (except for Murmansk). Some we'd been to before, some not. But the scenery is amazing.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "they seem like Alaska ports, not European ports". To me most of these cities seem very European. True, the scenery is very like Alaska. But there's more snow and ice in Alaska (except for the truly Arctic portions of this itinerary).

 

We had wonderful weather and calm seas most of the time. But for the more northern ports, jackets, gloves and hats are generally necessary. I think they'll be more necessary in late June than they were in late July and early August, however. When I checked the weather a few days before we left for Europe (which was on July 19th) it seemed that throughout Norway the weather was cool and rainy. We had very little rain while we were there, although there were some grey days. But down south the weather was downright balmy. The coldest temperatures we encountered were about 40F. (I will say that when we were on deck for the times when we were cruising the polar ice cap and the arctic areas, even though the temperature was around 40, it was downright cold! My hands were freezing. The wind coming off the cold ocean is definitely cold.)

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Is the cruise you and Mura took similar to the one scheduled for June 23, 2011 (Copenhagan to Dover up to Norway and arctic circle)?

 

If it is, would you mind telling me your experiences compared to other O cruises? How are the ports? They seem like Alaska ports and not Europe ports...

 

Yes I agree with Mura

Most of the ports were very nice some there was not a lot to do there but we enjoyed just wandering about I am not sure either what you mean about Alaska ports ...We did not find any people at the dock hounding you for tours or to buy stuff You need to arrange tours ahead of time For Murmansk I would just do a ship's tour but do book early We found it OK but it is NOT like SPB where there is a lot to see there. They do not get many cruise ships there & it has a small population

 

I posted some information in the roll Call for next year & you can view my photos at http://travel.webshots.com/album/578380757xQcCBv Pack a lunch as there are over 800 shots ;)

 

I found most of the small town very European & very friendly people

 

During the cruising near the Polar Ice cap it was 2 C but felt a lot colder with the breeze

Lyn

[Mura]

Congratulations on getting your photos up so soon, Lyn. I took about the same number and am nowhere NEAR having them ready to view!

 

Perhaps I should add that we had some group tours arranged in several of the ports -- Hammerfest, Harstad and Honningsvaag. Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger we did on our own. In Geiranger we just took the ferry boat ride back out the fjord -- it's the same view as we saw on the ship going in, but it's a different perspective and you get closer.

 

I highly recommend a trip to Bird Island in Honningsvaag if you are interested in marine birds. We took a cab out to a fishing village and then used Bird Safari for the trip. It was one of the absolute highlights for us. (We used the same taxi to go out to North Cape the night we arrived.)

 

The ship did have shuttles available in a couple of places which made getting around easier.

[calvin81]

It was a surprise to us on our cruise in July (Baltic Treasures) how much older the passengers were compared to our last year's June Greek Islands cruise. Lots of over 70 passengers. It was a pretty active itinerary I thought -- no sea days, and lots more to see than in the Greek Islands. Who knows why the difference in age I guess.

[shedridt]

...& it was seeing a very intellectually involved 70-something retired teacher restricted to the bus on our tour of Greece --- because she'd saved for it & waited for it too long. My husband & I, then in our mid-40s - resolved then & there that we would do the tough travel sooner rather than later.

 

We have since been to Africa on safari 4 times, to Antarctica, & every other continent on the planet. We have been so very lucky & at just this side of 60, feel we have life in us yet. STILL --- all of our planning has revolved around doing the tough things FIRST - when we can do the trip just like everybody else.

 

BUT - we have still seen a crew spend almost an hour trying to maneuver a wheelchair onto a Zodiac to make a landing on Antarctica, & although every one of us urged this passenger on, the delays he caused created a mess for the rest of the passengers, & the ship's precarious timing in making their scheduled landings. There must come a time when one considers the cost to others of one's insistence on being brave & true.

 

This will be very controversial, I am sure. Much as I applauded that brave passenger's efforts to realize his dream, he hindered the rest of the ship's passengers' efforts to realize their own dream. It's most difficult...

 

Suffice it to say that I want to do the difficult stuff while I am able to clamber up rope ladders, if necessary. When I can't do that, I hope to retire - in fact or fantasy, & of course seasonally - to a Paris apartment, from thence to toddle out from time to time to either enjoy life to the hilt or provoke the young!

[shedridt]

There comes a time when one is less than eager to sunbathe in something any more revealing than a shroud...perhaps this accounts for something in the age of passengers?

 

My Beloved & I did this itinerary 6 years ago, & were not conscious of great age amongst our fellow passengers. Perhaps we were too envious of the gorgeous Swedes & Danes to focus on those around us????

 

We LOVED the Baltic (Stockholm to Helsinki to St Petersburg to Estonia to Copenhagen) to bits & never thought a minute about the age of our fellow passengers. We always find something in common with our dinner companions.

[raffeer]

Suffice it to say that I want to do the difficult stuff while I am able to clamber up rope ladders, if necessary.

 

Beautifully said and that's exactly what I was able to do. My husband was a geographer with a concentration on sub Saharan Africa, later western China was added. Naturally I could not let him travel without my guiding hand<g>. Those constituted the "difficult stuff" for me. No way could I do those trips today, not sure I would want to, but I am so grateful I had the experiences.

These days (later part of my seventh decade) cruises are my mode of travel and sea days my favorites. I rarely get off the ship and only when I have set up my own arrangements or the ship's are doable for me (unusual).

I do though love listening to the experiences of those who did wander the area.

[LittleRedJohn]

We just finished an 18-day cruise on Insignia in northern Europe. (trip was great) There were no children aboard. There were several teenagers. If there was anyone in their 20s and 30s, I missed them. Many people were couples or singles in their mid-50s, 60s, and 70s. I found nearly all of them pleasant, many of them were absolutely delightful. I don't know what "old" is. (I'm 60) But I'm ready to cruise with this same group again. John.

[A Knitter]

...& it was seeing a very intellectually involved 70-something retired teacher restricted to the bus on our tour of Greece --- because she'd saved for it & waited for it too long. My husband & I, then in our mid-40s - resolved then & there that we would do the tough travel sooner rather than later.

 

We have since been to Africa on safari 4 times, to Antarctica, & every other continent on the planet. We have been so very lucky & at just this side of 60, feel we have life in us yet. STILL --- all of our planning has revolved around doing the tough things FIRST - when we can do the trip just like everybody else.

 

BUT - we have still seen a crew spend almost an hour trying to maneuver a wheelchair onto a Zodiac to make a landing on Antarctica, & although every one of us urged this passenger on, the delays he caused created a mess for the rest of the passengers, & the ship's precarious timing in making their scheduled landings. There must come a time when one considers the cost to others of one's insistence on being brave & true.

 

This will be very controversial, I am sure. Much as I applauded that brave passenger's efforts to realize his dream, he hindered the rest of the ship's passengers' efforts to realize their own dream. It's most difficult...

 

Suffice it to say that I want to do the difficult stuff while I am able to clamber up rope ladders, if necessary. When I can't do that, I hope to retire - in fact or fantasy, & of course seasonally - to a Paris apartment, from thence to toddle out from time to time to either enjoy life to the hilt or provoke the young!

 

 

Totally agree. Like you, I have decided to do the difficult travel in my fifties while I am able. I have planned a Safari in Novmber, 2011 and treated myself to come home by way of the Marina, Rome to Miami to recup.

 

On my last O cruise to the Amazon a passenger brought onboard a Segway to get around. I did not see her use it onboard (thank goodness) but it was loaded on and off the tender boats and I would see her in town. I try not to be impatient with those who are unable to get around these days as I may be in their shoes one day, but can understand the frustrations when anxious to disembark by way of a tender.