River Cruising in your 40's

[ilovemygsd]

Hi.  My husband and I are mid-forties and we are thinking about doing the Viking Rhine River cruise.  This would be our first river cruise.  From what I have read, the average age starts in the mid-50's, but I don't know how accurate that is.  Is there another river cruise line that we might like better?  Thanks for any insight.  

[mhb1757]

You will be absolutely fine. It seems to me the river cruise crowd is becoming more age diverse. I don’t think you will feel at all out of place. I love Viking but they do seem to have fewer active excursion options than some lines. Avalon now has an active discovery director (or something like that) on every cruise. They have assorted fitness classes on board each day and they offer an active tour option in each port. They also have bikes on board that you can borrow and the discovery guide can give you suggestions for places to ride. Emerald and Avalon both offer cruises aimed at more active folk with excursions tailored to match. I think we have seen a slightly younger crowd on Avalon than Viking, but the Viking crowd certainly isn’t old, infirm and cranky 😂. 
my 20 and 30 something daughters and nieces have joined us on Avalon and Viking and they had a grand time on both. We saw a lot of 60 something parents and 20-30 something kids on our fall Viking Cruise in France. Looked like everyone was enjoying the trip. 

[ilovemygsd]

This is wonderful information, thank you so much! 

[Coral]

I did Amawaterways in my 30's and Crystal in my 40's. I would recommend to read these boards and gather brochures from multiple lines such as Avalon, Amawaterways, Uniworld, Crystal, etc.... Viking is the first name that people think of when they think of river cruises but there are several lines out there that do a great job and just don't have the name recognition to the non-cruiser.

[jpalbny]

We started in our 40s on Uniworld. Always had a great time.

[Roz]

I would concentrate more on interests and itineraries than age.  

[VistaRio]

3 hours ago, ilovemygsd said:

Hi.  My husband and I are mid-forties and we are thinking about doing the Viking Rhine River cruise.  This would be our first river cruise.  From what I have read, the average age starts in the mid-50's, but I don't know how accurate that is.  Is there another river cruise line that we might like better?  Thanks for any insight.  

 

We did our first river cruise on the Rhine with Viking.  We were 44, and we loved it.  We will be going to the Danube later this year.

 

I am not sure why some like to downplay Viking.  It can be literally perfect for a very active group in their 40s, for various reasons.  

Edited February 26, 2020 by VistaRio

[Coral]

I would also look at prices and what is included. Some lines are all-inclusive (all your drinks, all tips, most tours and all drinks). You may find some all inclusive lines maybe around the same price as those that do not include as much.  You may find a higher line around the same price as a lower end line.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Coral

[Host Jazzbeau]

You should compare the detailed itineraries, excursions and shipboard activities across several lines.  Do you like to bicycle? – then choose a line that includes a fleet of bicycles on board and has regular bike-focused shore excursion options.  Do you like to walk/hike? – then choose a line that features more active shore excursions with hiking options, and which offers slow- regular- and fast-walker groups on the basic excursions. Do you like your private space? – check the cabin sizes on different lines.  Do you like generous public spaces? – compare the passenger numbers [most ships are the same 135m long but the number of passengers from from 130 to 190, which makes a huge different in the space per passenger].

[terry&mike]

Emerald Waterways would be a good fit for you, I believe. They offer Active options in many of the ports that include things like hiking, bike rides, and canoeing on the river. Because of this, they attract a slightly younger audience.

[acwmom]

We started river cruising when I was in my 40's. I have been the youngest on the cruise a couple of times, but it didn't matter. We have sailed on Uniworld four times, and Avalon once. We haven't had any problems "meeting" other people on board. We like Uniworld for its all-inclusive, all-day beverages, and its dine-when-you-want for dinner. Being able to arrive any time during posted dining room hours is a big plus for us. They also have a mix of included excursions, ranging from bus tours, to museums, to walking tours, to winery tours, to hiking and biking tours. 

Good luck with your planning, and be sure to read the "stickies" at the top of the forum to get a feel for all of the different lines.

 

Robin

[Hoyaheel]

Viking is thought of for older people because that is what their CEO has repeatedly said is their target demographic. That said, they might offer the perfect itinerary and just the right onboard ambiance and port activities for you no matter what your age (as long as you're >18 because they don't allow kids onboard), despite the CEO 😉 But there's a reason for the widely held beliefs.

 

Personally, I've done two avalon cruises - Germany Christmas Markets and the Mekong. I was 41 and 46. Had a blast - especially the Mekong! Both cruises had families on them - no very young children, but definitely age diversity. River cruising isn't my favorite vacation mode, but it's not because of my age.

[VistaRio]

Some more anecdotes from someone who has sailed on Viking:

 

• There were two teenagers on board our Rhine cruise, sailing with their middle aged parents. (I know what the material says.)
• There were a few twenty somethings, and also a few 30 somethings.  The 20 somethings were with older relatives generally,  but there were several couples in their 30s.
• There were many in their 40s, including repeat cruisers. 
• The plurality were in their 50s and 60s.
• The balance were 70 and above.

 

The cadence of the typical Viking cruise allows those who are active to have significant time to be active in port.  On our Rhine cruise, we did not do a single paid tour, but rather did quite extensive exploring on our own.   Most included tours are relatively short, leaving a large portion of each and every day to the activity of the individuals.  We covered over 10 miles in more than one port.    

 

I think being relatively younger afforded some opportunity for crew and staff to engage us in somewhat unique conversation. 

 

I think that being relatively younger may have also afforded us a nice lounge to ourselves late each evening.     😉

 

It's true, Viking does not try to be for everybody, and they say so.  It's also true they publish a "no young children" policy.  What is not true is that they cater to or provide an experience only for people 50 and older.

 

[Coli]

I started river cruising at 41. Love it. I’ve met lots of people in their 40s on river cruises. Grab it and go for it!