Opinions...Cruise for 70ish parents

[bryanjaync]

I am looking for a 7 day carribean cruise for my 70-something parents. Both good health for the ages. Thinking of the Veendam. Any thoughts on the ship, Eastern or Western (they will not go to St. Marteen/Martin, long story...), .I would like to get them a balcony...they have never had one on the two previous NCL cruises. Also leaning toward HAL, and Celebrity (as second choice). all thoughts welcomed. PS. Will not be traveling with them/.

[esther e]

Hi

I'm in my mid-60's and my husband early 70's. We like HAL and Celebrity. We've been on several of the HAL ships and find them all to be very good. Both HAL and Celebrity seem to have a good mix of ages, mostly a bit older, in my opinion. I will emphatically tell you to stay away from Carnival and Royal Caribbean. They definitely cater to a younger crowd. I'd be interested to know what you decide.

Esther

[GrammyPL]

The Veendam only has two sets of elevators (front and back) The Zaandam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Volendam all have a middle elevator. I find having a cabin by the middle elevator to be very convient. You don't have to walk as far to get places. Penny

[RuthC]

The Veendam is a lovely ship in the S-class series. Those ships are smaller than the Rotterdam and her sisters (and near-sisters), and much smaller than the Vista-class. So easy to get around! It's never a long walk to anything!

 

The S-class are my favorite ships. There are many lounges in which your parents can relax. There are ample decks for strolling---or just to stand and watch the sea.

IMHO the Veendam is an excellent choice.

[SeaSharp]

We've been cruising with my parents, both in their upper seventies, for a number of years now. When we travel with them, we are very partial to HAL and 10 day cruises. We find that booking two side-by-side suites, sometimes mini-suites, is ideal for our needs. My dad takes life a little easier now, and prefers to stay behind while in port to enjoy the balcony and larger, more comfortable cabin. The rest of us can go into port and not worry that he's not enjoying himself. He's an avid bridge player, so especially enjoys the bridge games that are offered on 10 day cruises. My parents also find that the older "S" class ships are the ideal size for them to get around comfortably, too-------not too large, not too small. As far as my parents are concerned, we also find that the 10 day cruises are more enjoyable and more relaxing for them, as they both enjoy cruising to the max, but at a slower pace.