Advice for a couple 30-year olds...

[A02]

Hello everyone... I've been browsing around here the past couple days and wanted to start off saying everyone here seems really open and helpful - which is great!

 

It's been a long time since I've been on a cruise - the maiden voyage of the Noordam in 1984... jeepers I was young!

 

I'm taking my longtime girlfriend on a cruise for her 30th brithday in September on the Zui. I have reserved an aft-balcony room (6165) for us and was really excited about the room and the time we'll have on port-days and such.

 

The past couple days I've been really concerned though that maybe the average age on the ship might not be right for us... and thus the general activities might be a little too slow for us. Granted, we're pretty mature and aren't looking for late-night crazy parties or anything... but it would help to hear from others in their 30's here - their honest opinion of the cruise and whether we'd feel really out of place.

 

Overall we're looking to relax, but I don't want her to be bored either. Has HAL gone the extra mile to lure in a younger demographic that's into relaxation more than partying?

 

Would we honestly better off on another line?

 

Any input anyone can offer would be most appreciative.

 

It's funny - she's actually EXCITED about the formal dining aspect!

 

Hahahaha!

 

I'm sure we'll be fine, but if anyone wants to say a word - great - and if not - that's fine too!

 

Take care!

[turner224]

My wife and I are going on the Zui on May 21st, and after we booked it I had the same worries. We're in our late 20's, and like you guys we aren't looking for a wild party, but we also want to make sure we're going to have fun. From everything I've read, this ship is designed to attract a younger crowd and compete almost directly with Celebrity(which I've heard is very good). To go along with that, the Carribbean itinerary will attract a younger crowd. If you go into it with an open mind you're going to have fun no matter what. When are you guys sailing?

[Classynfun1]

If it makes you feel any better, I'm 26 and booked 22 days on the Rotterdam cruising the Med/Europe. I do like to party a little bit, but am not worried at all about cruising HAL. If anything, I'm sure that the fun days in port will have me going to better before some of the older passengers! ;)

[DFD1]

Old cruise vet here.....Relax, Sonny Boy. (No offense intended) You and your lady are in for a real treat. There's plenty of lively things about on the Zui and I can't imagine you being bored. This business about the abundance of walkers and wheel chairs on HAL is, by and large, a myth.

 

Hope you have a great time.

[jhannah]

We didn't find the Zuiderdam to be a "dead" ship at all. There's as much to do (or little) as you see fit. You'll have a great time, IMO.

[A02]

I really appreciate the comments. Thanks!

[bcc99]

I'm taking my longtime girlfriend on a cruise for her 30th brithday in September on the Zui.

 

Which September Zuiderdam cruise are you taking? I'm 28 and going on the 9/3 Eastern Caribbean sailing; "Discjoker" who posts here is on the same sailing, and he says he and his wife are in their 20s as well. I've never been on HAL and was a little concerned about being out of place...but most of the reviews sound like Zui really has something for everyone. There's probably not the same level of constant programmed activities as on Carnival or Royal Caribbean, which is actually a bonus when you just want to relax. If you're not "late-night crazy party" people (I'm not, either!) and your GF is looking forward to the formality, this should be right up your alley. :)

[Tatka]

We were 32 (plus 12 yo son) during our Zui cruise last August.

 

We usually like to relax on our Caribbean cruises and that what we got.

 

Played ping pong (DH even participated in the tournament), watched some pool games, listen to Caribbean music by the pool.. I liked 2 production shows, which I liked.

 

I started with Celebrity, so my standarts were high.. I can say HAL provides very close experience. (except for a somewhat slow service)

 

You would absolutely love Half Moon Cay!!!!

[ERsecurity]

I would look at Princess or RCL. Much younger crowd and more activities. More just plain fun. If you want to just relax, you are OK.

 

Just MHO....

[cheshire999]

My wife and I are going on the Zui on May 21st, and after we booked it I had the same worries. We're in our late 20's, and like you guys we aren't looking for a wild party, but we also want to make sure we're going to have fun. From everything I've read, this ship is designed to attract a younger crowd and compete almost directly with Celebrity(which I've heard is very good). To go along with that, the Carribbean itinerary will attract a younger crowd. If you go into it with an open mind you're going to have fun no matter what. When are you guys sailing?

 

Turner, there's a bunch of us going on the Zui on the 21st ranging from 20 on up. We're going to have a great time, I think there's going to be some serious fun in the Crow's Nest this cruise, we plan on closing the place most nights!:D

[Scrumpy]

The past couple days I've been really concerned though that maybe the average age on the ship might not be right for us...

 

We were 37, 38 and mid-70's on our first HAL cruise and we were fine. I am more of a night owl than most people (it's 4:20AM as I write this), but an advantage is that by 11pm or so, the service may improve a great deal in the lounges. If you only want to relax and are not looking for a lot of excitement, you will be fine. They do have planned activities during the day, a fitness center, spa and pool. Although I didn't play during our last cruise, I actually enjoy bingo! If you like to gamble, there's a casino. Unless you want something that is pretty active, you will probably be fine. Yes, there will be a lot of older people. However, a lot of them are incredibly active, energetic and fun-loving. They made me feel downright sloth-like! We did not tone down our activities for the older member of our party. She went to bed earlier and got up earlier on most days, but otherwise we chugged along at about the same speed and no one had any trouble staying entertained. I did not go to any of the shows; I like to watch the older cruisers dance instead. DH won't dance with me, so I live vicariously through people who actually know what they're doing on the dance floor. I hope you have a great time!

[HMcruiser]

My DH and I took the Oosterdam for our HM last year, and it was incredible. We are in our mid 30s and have pretty stressful jobs so this was the perfect HM for us to just relax. If you like to be pretty active you may want to try another line, but if you want to relax and enjoy a romantic vacation with some great food and service, the Zui is the one to take. Like the other posters said, there are activities, just not as many as some of the other lines. And while there are some older passengers, there are plenty of younger ones, too. I'm sure you'll meet some great folks. We had so much fun at our 8 person dinner table, we literally laughed from the time we sat down until we left every night!

[A02]

Thanks again everyone... this sounds EXACTLY like what I was expecting and looking for! We're not going until the 17th of September, but maybe I'll end up bumping into some of you that might also be going on the same cruise. Take care!

[Tatka]

Thanks again everyone... this sounds EXACTLY like what I was expecting and looking for! We're not going until the 17th of September, but maybe I'll end up bumping into some of you that might also be going on the same cruise. Take care!

 

Oh..if you enjoy casino you might want to participate in Black Jack tournament during the last sea day. (We were 1 spot out of the finals).

 

Advise..don't play in the first rounds as you will not know how much $$ you will have to have to get into the finals.

[emilyb0303]

A02,

 

My DH and I (in our late 20s) went on the Zuiderdam in March and had a great time (and I was not sure how much DH would be into a cruise)! Of course in the ports there is plenty of fun stuff to do, depending on your interests (the Baths at Virgin Gorda, shopping, just laying on a beach, etc.). We loved relaxing on the ship (particularly the Aft Deck during sea days) and on our balcony.

 

At night we went to the shows (except for the magician) and then hung out mostly in the Piano Bar. Kory was great and would often stay past closing and keep playing for a few of the regulars, who were mostly between our age and late 30s, but some older. However, at that time (after 1AM) the casino and Northern Lights were usually dead. So if that's what you're looking for, you may want to look elsewhere. The Crows' Nest was fun the few times we went up there after dinner but usually we stuck to the shows and the piano bar. The deck party as you sailaway from St. Thomas was lots of fun for us.

 

It was really a perfect experience for us.

 

Have fun!

[doone]

I sailed the Zuiderdam last month and loved it. We had an aft corner balcony suite, 5187, LOVED IT. The Zuiderdam, we all found, had plenty to do or you could just realax. We loved the food, service, cleanliness of the ship, we just loved the entire aspect of the cruise.

 

Stick with the Zuiderdam, especially if your girlfriend is excited about the formal nights and dressing up. Your going to be in for a treat.

[ImpulsivePuppy]

I am 33 my wife is 34, we will be on the zuid 9/10. we have taken two previous cruises with hal on the amsterdam and the oosterdam and have really enjoyed them. we are in it for the relaxing aspect and there is plenty of that. i think you will find that there will be folks pretty close to your age aboard the ship. have a great time.

[doone]

Deleted, double post. Sorry.

[MessyJessy]

Bcc99 - My husband and I are in our early 20’s and we are sailing on 9/3/2005. I’m glad to see more people in our age range on this sailing.:D

 

When we sailed on the Zaandam in 2003 we were probably the youngest couple on the ship! Some of the older folks wanted to know why we weren’t in Club HAL! :p

 

Since the Zaandam cruise, we have sailed with Carnival and Royal Caribbean but nothing has come close to our experience with HAL. It doesn’t mean that I will only sail HAL in the future (I still would like to try all of the other lines like Celebrity and Princess and when I’ve made my fortune or hit the lotto Crystal, Radisson, Silver Sea etc.), but they have a pretty good chance of keeping my business because they offer some things that I like that the others don’t.

 

These are the things I like about HAL –

 

• the promenade deck that circles the ship

• the wooden deck chairs

• the friendly staff that remembered our names

• the Crows Nest for great views and a nap in the comfy recliners

• the quiet areas you can find at any time of the day

• the formal evenings where people actually wear formal attire

 

Yes, there is a more of an older demographic that sails with HAL; however, I enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are not party animals but we do like to have a good time and a few laughs (that’s why we cruise with friends and our very own Don Vito). A HAL cruise is very relaxing for us since we have such busy work schedules and jam packed weekends.

[divadiverfl]

During the summer months there might be more young people but when we went on the Noordam a few years back--it was so dead. Loved the ports that was the main reason why we took the cruise but the life on board was not my cup of tea. Celebrity was the greatest cruise I have been on people more my age (41).

 

we just got off the Carnival Holiday and had a great time during spring break with all the young people--I was a judge for the hairly chest contest, loved the music and night life.

 

This is my opinion and my husbands. I am sure the bigger HAL ships try to cater to a younger crowd during the summer months.

[Without Tessa]

My DH and I are 30 and 31 and we sailed on the Zuiderdam last year. It was his first cruise and my second (I went the year before with my mom on the Zuiderdam). We loved the ship and did not feel out of place at all. We went on this cruise to relax and enjoy the ports, food, entertainment and service. We were not disappointed! In fact, I think we were one of the first couples to bed each night since we were so exhausted! We work so hard and don't have the same time to "rest up" for a cruise like retired folk (no offense intended - my mother clears her 'schedule' for a month before a cruise to 'get ready'), so they tend to be able to out-party us every single night.

 

We found there was never a shortage of activities on the ship, especially during at sea days but we were quite content to snooze in a wood deck chair on the promenade deck.

 

But rock-climbing walls and ice rinks are just not of interest to us. I would much prefer a smaller, more classic cruise experience.

[tiffnco]

Hi there!

 

31 (me) 41 (dh) here are we've sailed twice on HAL and had a great time both times. Like you, we're a bit more mellow and enjoy just people watching. We've also gone on a longer RCCL trip. While there were more folks our age on RCCL, we would glady choose either line again.

 

The food is a bit better (main dining) on RCCL than on HAL in our opinion. However, the alternative dining wins on HAL hands down. And if your cruise involves a stop at Half Moon Cay, well...don't switch to another line. That's the BEST private island...

 

We're now going to give Crystal a shot this Thanksgiving and looking forward to the new experience.

 

You'll have a great time on HAL...

[sauvichick]

My husband and I booked the Volendam's New Year's Eve cruise and we have had the same concerns. We are in our 30's as well. We've also been on Norwegian numerous times and Carnival once. We wanted a more conservative cruise line. Personally, we'd rather be with much older adults than with children. We are more concerned with the age of the ship than the "average" age of its cruisers.( My parents are in nearly 70 and I think of them as "spring chickens.")

[zdude]

Don't even worry about it. I am 40 something. Took the 80 something parents and had a blast drinking and playing sports with the 20 somethings. You should be fine if the demographics are similar to my cruise last week.

 

Of course that was a EC/Zuiderdam cruise.

[smoosh21]

My partner and I are in mid-30s and we had a blast on the Oosterdam. It skewed older, but we had lots of fun with some 60-somethings on this ship. There is still a very active, well traveled crowd on HAL.

 

Your trip will be what you make of it. You will find active, fun people if you want to.