Ages of passengers on HAL

[81Zoomie]

When we book a cruise we look at itinerary, cost, timing, perks, and airfare. We have never considered the ages of the other passengers. In a few weeks I'll be cruising with my mom who is 89 and uses a walker. It makes me happy to see how much she still enjoys being on a cruise. She moves slowly and I am grateful for how understanding and polite our fellow passengers are. My parents were patient and gracious enough to take me and my brother cruising when we were in our early teens. Now it it my chance to return the favor. I hope I am still cruising when I am 89!

Edited November 22, 2015 by 81Zoomie

[SetAnOpenCourse]

Unless one is living in Podunk and the cruise is their annual chance to get down and par-TAY, I say focus on the essence of the cruise - wind in the face, water reaching to the horizon in every direction, ports of call, new sights.

[dakrewser]

There is only one way any of us will not be old one day. Most of us don't care for that alternative. IF we are REALLY lucky, we'll all be old so let's have a bit of patience and understanding if seniors aren't as hale and hearty as we were as youth. They show lots of grit and determination to get on airplanes and cruise ships and travel. It is so much easier to sit on their couch at home.

 

Off my soapbox but every now and then a reminder of this sort seems to be okay. Sorry for those who disagree.

 

 

I don't disagree at all, heck I'm 70 and often use a cane. But I've got to agree with VioletHorse that Princess seems to have an older and less mobile crowd then HAL.

[rodree]

I might be old but i`m not done yet.

And i am not as old as i plan to get!

The thought of getting old may be a threat,

but not getting old is a worse thought yet.

[Aquahound]

That may be your experience, but our experience is that Princess has both an older and a more infirm passenger cross section than HAL. Celebrity had a slightly younger, but more obnoxious, group.

 

Perhaps. It hasn't been my experience, but all my Princess cruises were under a week. Either way, the OP wasn't asking about Princess. He was asking about HAL compared to CCL and NCL.

[dakrewser]

Perhaps. It hasn't been my experience, but all my Princess cruises were under a week. Either way, the OP wasn't asking about Princess. He was asking about HAL compared to CCL and NCL.

 

Nor was I responding to the OP, but to your statement "HAL is most certainly an older crowd than other cruise lines."

[Aquahound]

Nor was I responding to the OP, but to your statement "HAL is most certainly an older crowd than other cruise lines."

 

Which is a true statement. Notice I said other cruise lines, not all other cruise lines. Big difference. I was answering the OP's question, which did not include Princess.

[mame42]

I don't disagree at all, heck I'm 70 and often use a cane. But I've got to agree with VioletHorse that Princess seems to have an older and less mobile crowd then HAL.

 

Likewise, I have made it well into my 70th decade. My one and only cruise on Princess encompassed the most boring time aboard ship ever! As the only patron one night in the lovely Wheelhouse Bar, I asked the bartender if the ship was always that quiet. He replied, "Yeah, it's a dead boat."

[Cruzaholic41]

i am considering a cruise with HAL later in Sept 2016 for Alaska, would type of age groups go wit HAL i done NCL And Carnival already. just wondering as i would be a solo if i did this.

 

It is an older group. Don't let anyone here tell you otherwise. Some folks are trying to skirt the question by talking about Princess, a line you didn't even ask about, but the fact still remains that HAL is a considerably older group than Carnival and Norwegian.

 

Where this matters is entertainmnet. Because HAL caters to such an older crowd, you will not find the quality of entertainment to be the same. Headliner shows are nowhere near the quality of CCL and NCL. HAL's piano entertainers are a joke compared to CCL, as is the venue itself. Plus, you will not find the late night parties like you do on CCL and NCL. Go into HAL's nightclub, Northern Lights, late at night and all you'll see are staff members.

 

About the only upbeat thing HAL has going on a few ships is the BB King band. However, they are shut down by 11:45 and the venue they play in sucks.

[blizzardboy]

i am considering a cruise with HAL later in Sept 2016 for Alaska, would type of age groups go wit HAL i done NCL And Carnival already. just wondering as i would be a solo if i did this.

 

My spouse says I'm still about 15 from the neck up! Does that help?

[gpb11]

All I know is the older I get, the younger all the other passengers seem.. :cool:

[dakrewser]

Where this matters is entertainmnet. Because HAL caters to such an older crowd, you will not find the quality of entertainment to be the same.

 

 

Could you explain that please? The part about older folks liking low quality entertainment. And any other groups you'd like to insult.

[WeLoveCruising]

Things like the length of cruise, itineary, and time of year influence the average age of passengers on any given ship, far more than the cruiseline does.

 

Cruises over 7 days, regardless of the ship, will have an older demographic because not many people who are still working, especially with children, can take that much time off. Same with cruises in areas that take lots of money and effort to get to, for example South America or the South Paciifc. Take the same ship, doing a doing a 7-night Caribbean during Spring Break, and then put it on a 10-night Greek Isle cruise in October, and it will be entirely different. As it would be on a 35-night long voyage.

 

IMHO the style of entertainment and activity on a HAL ship aren't geared to a certain age, as much as they are a certain laid back style that transcends age. You don't have to be 75 years old to enjoy live music, culinary shows, or reading a book on deck. Just as you dont have to be 35-years old to enjoy rock climbing walls, Zip lining through the ship, conga lines, and ice skating. To each his own.

 

HAL ships certainly dont go to sleep at 9pm. In general you will find people of all ages. The percentage of people in each age group, and the percentage of those out dancing vs maybe being in their room watching a movie might be different, but that doesnt mean that people cant find what they are looking for.

[RuthC]

Could you explain that please? The part about older folks liking low quality entertainment. And any other groups you'd like to insult.

Had Cruzaholic41 used the word "style" rather than "quality" in reference to HAL entertainment, then I would be in total agreement.

The music playlists are no longer geared toward an older clientele, but they certainly aren't geared for the younger crowd, either. Quality is another discussion altogether, and I rather not even get into that one!

 

The fact of the matter is that HAL passengers are old; some are very old. A few of us are older than dirt.

But Alaska is one destination that we oldsters tend to take our children and grandchildren along, so there are likely to be people in all age ranges aboard.

If age makes a difference.

It's also a destination where daytime activities matter. You are getting up early, going & doing all day, and tend to be tired at night. You are likely to go to bed relatively early, so that you can start all over again tomorrow.

[Aquahound]

Could you explain that please? The part about older folks liking low quality entertainment. And any other groups you'd like to insult.

 

I didn't read their post as an insult at all. :confused: If anything, I read it as an insult on the entertainment compared to the other lines the op sailed, not the passengers.

[dakrewser]

I didn't read their post as an insult at all. :confused: If anything, I read it as an insult on the entertainment compared to the other lines the op sailed, not the passengers.

 

Let's look at the sentence I asked about:

 

"Because HAL caters to such an older crowd, you will not find the quality of entertainment to be the same."

 

The "quality" of entertainment is lower on HAL (certainly the poster didn't mean it was higher, did they?). Why is it lower, "Because HAL caters to such an older crowd".

 

Catering to the older crowd means having the entertainment they like. If it's lower quality, then it must be that older folk like lower quality entertainment.

 

Q.E.D.

[Cruzaholic41]

Could you explain that please? The part about older folks liking low quality entertainment. And any other groups you'd like to insult.

 

 

Let's look at the sentence I asked about:

 

"Because HAL caters to such an older crowd, you will not find the quality of entertainment to be the same."

 

The "quality" of entertainment is lower on HAL (certainly the poster didn't mean it was higher, did they?). Why is it lower, "Because HAL caters to such an older crowd".

 

Catering to the older crowd means having the entertainment they like. If it's lower quality, then it must be that older folk like lower quality entertainment.

 

Q.E.D.

 

Wow. Either you totally misread my post or you are one of the most thin skinned posters on Cruise Critic. In fact, it baffles me how you could read this into what I posted.

 

I will stand by what I said. Entertainment on HAL is nowhere near as good as Carnival and NCL. HAL is not known for their entertainment and that is a widenly known fact in the cruise industry. And yes, HAL is an older demographic than most other cruise lines. That is also a fact. If you want to put that together as some sort of an insult against "older folk" as you put it, then be my guest. With that sort of logic, I can't help you.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

It is an older group. Don't let anyone here tell you otherwise. Some folks are trying to skirt the question by talking about Princess, a line you didn't even ask about, but the fact still remains that HAL is a considerably older group than Carnival and Norwegian.

 

Where this matters is entertainmnet. Because HAL caters to such an older crowd, you will not find the quality of entertainment to be the same. Headliner shows are nowhere near the quality of CCL and NCL. HAL's piano entertainers are a joke compared to CCL, as is the venue itself. Plus, you will not find the late night parties like you do on CCL and NCL. Go into HAL's nightclub, Northern Lights, late at night and all you'll see are staff members.

About the only upbeat thing HAL has going on a few ships is the BB King band. However, they are shut down by 11:45 and the venue they play in sucks.

 

Why "Because"? (Bolding above is mine.)

I don't see how the presumed demographic would cause a difference in quality of entertainment offered on board.

 

The most I hope for is to hear some material that has stood the test of time, or is on its way to doing so. And it’s not as if those other lines are featuring legendary musicians and entertainers.

[blizzardboy]

Cruiser 4 Life

 

What ship did you sail in? Ship goes to sleep at 8 or 9? WHAT? That is a complete load of kak!!!!

 

Second dinner finished at more like 9.30 to 10.00 and then the second show is starting then. Come on. 8 to 9 at bed? Crow's Nest is usually just getting start at 11.oo. Piano Bar... just getting started as well. Ocean Bar.... OK that winds down at midnight because the other places are opening then. I have NEVER seen a dead ship on HAL ships. There is something going on if you want to party.

 

I started cruising with HAL when I was 29..... and 34 years later I'm still with HAL and if anything different the crowd is younger than it used to be back 34 years ago. As for other cruise lines I've sailed with.... Carnival, NCL, Home Lines, Cunard, P&O, RCCL, Chandris, Polish Ocean, Premier, Costa, Eastern, Bermuda Star Line, Royal Viking, Crystal, Saga.. total 169 cruises. Believe me... HAL is not 'dead' at all.

I totally concur. HAL is our favorite because if we want have a quiet relaxed evening, there's a place for that. However, if we want to cut loose, that opportunity is there in spades!

Edited November 23, 2015 by blizzardboy

[Cruzaholic41]

SetAnOpenCourse:

Why "Because"? (Bolding above is mine.)

 

I don't see how the presumed demographic would cause a difference in quality of entertainment offered on board.

 

The most I hope for is to hear some material that has stood the test of time, or is on its way to doing so. And it’s not as if those other lines are featuring legendary musicians and entertainers.

 

You don't see it? Think about it. Why do you think it is that HAL doesn't attract the family crowd that is typical of lines like Carnival, NCL or even RCI? One of the many reasons HAL attracts the demographic it does is because of the entertainment. They don't have action packed ice shows or high dive acts. They don't have 90 minute to 3 hour long Broadway shows with intermissions. They don't have the wild poolside games or late night white hot parties. Heck, they're blowing their nest egg just with the BB King band. The shows on HAL are not to the liking of folks in their 20s to 40s (yes, of course there are exceptions). My response about quality was to the OP, who asked the original question, not to the general HAL populous who prefer this line. I firmly believe he will not find the entertainment quality to be on par, especially since the premise of his entire question was a concern about demographics.

 

[WeLoveCruising]

Wow. Either you totally misread my post or you are one of the most thin skinned posters on Cruise Critic. In fact, it baffles me how you could read this into what I posted.

 

I will stand by what I said. Entertainment on HAL is nowhere near as good as Carnival and NCL. HAL is not known for their entertainment and that is a widenly known fact in the cruise industry. And yes, HAL is an older demographic than most other cruise lines. That is also a fact. If you want to put that together as some sort of an insult against "older folk" as you put it, then be my guest. With that sort of logic, I can't help you.

 

I dont think he's being thin-skinned at all. What part is it that YOU dont understand? Your post reads to me as if you're saying that old people somehow dont deserve quality, dont know quality when they see it...or some other insult of the like.

 

Your post below it, trying to further explain yourself about Broadway production shows and ice skating shows digs yourself in deeper. Is that quality to you? I would prefer to listen to a Juliard-trained cellist than watch what in my opinion is cheesy theme-park style entertainment. Your taste may vary, and that's ok. But dont confuse quality with style.

Edited November 23, 2015 by WeLoveCruising

[3rdGenCunarder]

I dont think he's being thin-skinned at all. What part is it that YOU dont understand? Your post reads to me as if you're saying that old people somehow dont deserve quality, dont know quality when they see it...or some other insult of the like.

Your post below it, trying to further explain yourself about Broadway production shows and ice skating shows digs yourself in deeper. Is that quality to you? I would prefer to listen to a Juliard-trained cellist than watch what in my opinion is cheesy theme-park style entertainment. Your taste may vary, and that's ok. But don't confuse quality with style.

 

That's how I read it, too. When someone asks about entertainment on a ship, I think of performances--the shows in the theater/showroom and the smaller groups or individual performers in bars. It wouldn't occur to me to lump in rock climbing or bumper cars as entertainment. That's just padding the argument.

 

Some of the entertainment on HAL is to my taste. Some isn't. But I don't accept the premise that HAL is saying "They're old, who care's if it's bad."

[Aquahound]

 

You don't see it? Think about it. Why do you think it is that HAL doesn't attract the family crowd that is typical of lines like Carnival, NCL or even RCI? One of the many reasons HAL attracts the demographic it does is because of the entertainment. They don't have action packed ice shows or high dive acts. They don't have 90 minute to 3 hour long Broadway shows with intermissions. They don't have the wild poolside games or late night white hot parties. Heck, they're blowing their nest egg just with the BB King band. The shows on HAL are not to the liking of folks in their 20s to 40s (yes, of course there are exceptions). My response about quality was to the OP, who asked the original question, not to the general HAL populous who prefer this line. I firmly believe he will not find the entertainment quality to be on par, especially since the premise of his entire question was a concern about demographics.

 

 

For what it's worth, I understand exactly what you're saying and in no way do I find it insulting. :)

[RuthC]

 

One of the many reasons HAL attracts the demographic it does is because of the entertainment. They don't have action packed ice shows or high dive acts. They don't have 90 minute to 3 hour long Broadway shows with intermissions. They don't have the wild poolside games or late night white hot parties. Heck, they're blowing their nest egg just with the BB King band. The shows on HAL are not to the liking of folks in their 20s to 40s (yes, of course there are exceptions). My response about quality was to the OP, who asked the original question, not to the general HAL populous who prefer this line. I firmly believe he will not find the entertainment quality to be on par, especially since the premise of his entire question was a concern about demographics.

 

None of the things you list out have anything to do with "quality". There are good and bad singers in every genre. The same holds true for actors, musicians, comedians, and every other type of entertainer that can be hired for a cruise ship.

I wouldn't have considered "wild, poolside games" as "quality" even when I was in my 20's-40's. I may have thought it "fun", but never "quality".

 

HAL has had some marvelous entertainers perform in the past---but none of them would attract a young crowd. It has nothing to do with quality. It has to do with style.

[FloridaTourist]

My wife and I are doing a 12 day Adriatic Sea cruise on the Oosterdam in April. 11 ports 12 days and only 1 sea day. We are young. We are both in our early 50's and exercise every day and eat healthy. We know he average age on this trip will be way older than us but we don't care. Older folks can be pretty funny. We figure with so many port days the majority will hit the sack early. We might even do that a few times with so many ports. The only thing we did differently was to book more private tours on our own. We didn't want to be held up by those with mobility issues.