Hal for people around 30

[redhydra]

Hi, holland america, i am checking for 1 week round trip alaska from vancouver, at first sight they seem to have many in common with celebrity, sime say it appeal to older crowd yet hal are making effort to attrack younger crowd, what about for a crowd of 30 years?

 

What kind of ambiance is there in there? I also heard they are more spacious but more expansive in term of stateroom

 

Thanks in advance

[chinita415]

Hi, holland america, i am checking for 1 week round trip alaska from vancouver, at first sight they seem to have many in common with celebrity, sime say it appeal to older crowd yet hal are making effort to attrack younger crowd, what about for a crowd of 30 years?

 

What kind of ambiance is there in there? I also heard they are more spacious but more expansive in term of stateroom

 

Thanks in advance

 

For Alaska, most people would recommend you pick based on the itinerary and port time. My sister and I are in our 30's and were on the HAL Zaandam last month with our mom. I had initially booked us on the Celebrity Millennium, but changed after doing more research. The HAL itinerary was more attractive in the end and I knew that I was probably giving up a nicer ship.

 

You may get biased opinions here. ;) Try asking on the Alaska forum too. Here is my trip report if you want more info: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1421385

[beccawes7471]

We just got off the Oosterdam last Sunday, R/t out of Seattle. We noted that if anything we certainly didn't see many elderly people at all. I am 37 and my husband 39 (we were traveling with our two children, my sil 37, and my in laws who were up later than us every night in the casino and the pizza buffet:) We noted alot of mutligenerational large family groups. Although I was worried about not enough activities for our age group when we were originally booking , honestly, we really didn't have time for many anyway. Alaska is a port intensive cruise so we were always worn out after dinner and normally here at home we are out and about on a regular basis to dinner, concerts, etc (I guess I am trying to prove to myself that we are not stick in the muds:) Most port mornings we ahd to be up early for excursions. I really just enjoyed relaxing in the Crow's Nest after dinner taking in the scenery, listening to a little music or looking at magazines, having a drink, etc. We did go to one show, Leo Ward, the illusionist, which we all enjoyed. It is def not a party boat though, Hope this helps.

[Winters in NZ]

Don't restrict yourself to folks on cruises solely according to their 'weathered' looks. There are simply too many interesting and fascinating people of all ages who have the potential to educate, enlighten, and entertain you.

Try open dining to meet a variety of folks...it will become an adventure for you every day. We tried this format of dining on our recent 2 week Maasdam cruise. It was a fantastic experience.

Ultimately, to each her/his own. Enjoy.

[amster65]

Don't restrict yourself to folks on cruises solely according to their 'weathered' looks. There are simply too many interesting and fascinating people of all ages who have the potential to educate, enlighten, and entertain you.

 

Try open dining to meet a variety of folks...it will become an adventure for you every day. We tried this format of dining on our recent 2 week Maasdam cruise. It was a fantastic experience.

 

Ultimately, to each her/his own. Enjoy.

 

You are hundred per cent right. PS HAL has a lot more class also.

[redhydra]

Thanks for the information, i am seriously considering them as they offer the itinary that mach better what i seek for, plus that will make me see a new cruise line

[trophy_23]

I am 26 and we have only travelled on HAL. We have found there to be a Good mix of ages onboard. I think HAL does a great job with Alaska and would be an excellent choice.

[kelleherdl]

We just got off the Maasdam, NewEngland/Canada. Boston to Montreal. I was floored with the number of young people and families. I was fully expecting this to be a cruise loaded with well-healed seniors. We had our kids along (20's) as well. The number of Deluxe Verandas with families and roll-aways in them was just amazing. It was great.

 

The number of kids under 16 vastly outnumbered the walkers and scooters. :)

 

Dennis

[soldham]

We are both under 45 and have been cruising on HAL for well over a decade. We usually take more exotic trips which do tend to include more older people and we don't expect much action in the bars and lounges after late dinner ;). That being said there are so many fascinating people to meet in this world and those that have been around a bit longer are often so much more interesting.......

[redhydra]

The maasdam wich i saw two days ago is what trigered my inquirie about hal, one day ilmoffer myself a trip boston to montreal as i live in montreal, i have no plane to take

 

My friend who was with me and never really saw a cruise ship up close was in awe of her size

[obrientw]

We are in our mid-40s and have only cruised Celebrity (which we love) until our upcoming Alaska cruise on HAL. Yes, the average age on HAL is higher, but it's clear that HAL does the best job in Alaska. I do not believe that Celebrity travels the inside passage, which is what we booked. Especially in Alaska, there are important criteria that might not be relevant in other markets - ie, go with HAL.

[Mary Ellen]

I was in my 20s when we took our first cruise - on HAL to Alaska. We've been sailing on HAL for decades now.

 

As I mentioned on another thread, we recently returned from a Disney cruise to Alaska. Other than the 900 or so children on board (no joke), the ages of the adults looked the same as we've seen on HAL's Alaskan cruises. I'd been expecting something along the lines of 'Boy, the other passengers are younger than than we'd see on HAL'. Nope, no difference. The Alaskan cruises attract families, of all ages.

[Dani83]

I am 27, and I just took my first cruise on HAL in the Mediterranean. It was wonderful!

 

There were people of all ages, and activities and events that catered to everyone. I befriended people who were around my age, as well as people who were much older than me.....I enjoyed the mix of ages. I was surprised at how many great bars and lounges there were on our ship! I found it to be fun for all ages, including younger people, while also being sophisticated and classy. Great cruise line!