Peaceful but not dead

[sandrabarrett]

We would like to cruise on a ships that isn’t loud and crazy but isn’t filled with walkers and canes either. We’re socially friendly, mid 60’s and looking to make some wonderful memories. Which line would you suggest?  Moderate size and pricing. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, sandrabarrett said:

We would like to cruise on a ships that isn’t loud and crazy but isn’t filled with walkers and canes either. We’re socially friendly, mid 60’s and looking to make some wonderful memories. Which line would you suggest?  Moderate size and pricing. 

Sorry but too little info. 
Your “moderate” and my “moderate” may be vastly different things.

If you’re new to cruising, you should absolutely consider identifying a cruise specialist TA who will consider your travel experiences, preferences, expectations and the means to pay for them.

FWIW, our preferred line is Oceania. It caters primarily to well-travelled adults 50+ though on short Med/Alaska cruises you will find multigenerational families. Enjoy fine food? Look no further. Food writers (e.g., Bon Appetite, Saveur, etc) praise the line’s culinary excellence.

Six ships (four w/670 passengers and two w/1100). Excellent space and crew ratios and the fare is mostly inclusive (e.g., air fare or air credit included; no charge for specialty restaurants; complementary Internet and beverages....). 
In addition to working with a cruise specialist TA, familiarize yourself with the various Oceania (and other lines’) forums here on CC. You’ll come away with some sense of which lines might appeal to you.

 

 

[sparks1093]

As mentioned what one person calls "moderate" would be called "extravagant" by someone else. The mainstream lines attract a wide demographic of both income classes and ages. It has been our experience that only certain sections of the ship are "loud and crazy" and only at certain times and it was easy enough to avoid those areas for something more sedate (i.e. by going to the adult only area if we wanted some sun). The itinerary you choose will also dictate this, as well as time of year.

[PelicanBill]

Great question.  One big factor is what port you sail from, and what time of year you sail. Lemme explain:

Avoid school holidays and summer

Avoid ports with large metro areas which increase large family groups (NYC, Baltimore)

Longer cruises (10-14 days) seem to draw an older crowd in my experience, but not as bad as your concerns, so I would recommend

 

Most important - choose your ship carefully. I love NCL Breakaway... but it is a challenge for crowds on the pool deck, and even a small number of children seems a lot given the crowded space.  There is an adult escape area called Spice H2O that is tranquil and where we spend the first half of most sea days. It has a splash area but no pool.  Two hot tubs and a bar.

Another good ship was Anthem of the Seas.  The adult Solarium is spacious and has small pools, hot tubs and a bar.

[sparks1093]

48 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

Great question.  One big factor is what port you sail from, and what time of year you sail. Lemme explain:

Avoid school holidays and summer

Avoid ports with large metro areas which increase large family groups (NYC, Baltimore)

Longer cruises (10-14 days) seem to draw an older crowd in my experience, but not as bad as your concerns, so I would recommend

 

Most important - choose your ship carefully. I love NCL Breakaway... but it is a challenge for crowds on the pool deck, and even a small number of children seems a lot given the crowded space.  There is an adult escape area called Spice H2O that is tranquil and where we spend the first half of most sea days. It has a splash area but no pool.  Two hot tubs and a bar.

Another good ship was Anthem of the Seas.  The adult Solarium is spacious and has small pools, hot tubs and a bar.

The Anthem's Solarium is an excellent example. A great place to laze around to catch some sun, have a drink, soak in a hot tub or soak in one of the waterfall pools. Nice and quiet with an attentive bar staff. I did have concerns that they allowed 16 years and up, but no one was cutting up or acting out when we were in there.

[Hlitner]

If the OP does not have a tight budget they might want to try one of the more upscale lines such as Seabourn or Viking.  Both those lines attract a more "laid back" (for lack of a better word) group of passengers that are usually very friendly without being boisterous.    When you go on most of the mass market lines (especially on shorter cruises less then 14 days) you may well run into groups of younger partiers.  While this may only be a small proportion of those onboard, they can be annoying if that is the kind of thing that matters to you.

 

When it comes to "friendly" I am assuming you enjoy meeting new friends and socializing (welcome to my world).  In our own experience (far more then 100 cruises) we have found that smaller ships seem to make it easier to meet and enjoy new acquaintances. 

 

Hank

[sandrabarrett]

On 3/15/2021 at 11:53 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sorry but too little info. 
Your “moderate” and my “moderate” may be vastly different things.

If you’re new to cruising, you should absolutely consider identifying a cruise specialist TA who will consider your travel experiences, preferences, expectations and the means to pay for them.

FWIW, our preferred line is Oceania. It caters primarily to well-travelled adults 50+ though on short Med/Alaska cruises you will find multigenerational families. Enjoy fine food? Look no further. Food writers (e.g., Bon Appetite, Saveur, etc) praise the line’s culinary excellence.

Six ships (four w/670 passengers and two w/1100). Excellent space and crew ratios and the fare is mostly inclusive (e.g., air fare or air credit included; no charge for specialty restaurants; complementary Internet and beverages....). 
In addition to working with a cruise specialist TA, familiarize yourself with the various Oceania (and other lines’) forums here on CC. You’ll come away with some sense of which lines might appeal to you.

Thanks.  That sounds perfect.  We've been on about 18 cruises.  Just checking out a few new lines.

 

 

 

[sandrabarrett]

Thanks for you post.  We have a TA and have cruised 18 times.  We are presently checking out new cruiselines.  That sounds perfect.  I love wonderful cuisine.🙂

[bbwex]

I have to agree with the suggestion to sail with Oceania if it fits into your "moderate" definition.  On other lines, you would be better off sailing with the more upscale ships in the mass market, as each step up seems to reduce the partying and attract a more laid back passenger group. 

 

I am hearing good things about Viking, but still have concerns about their ships since the incident in Norway, and there has not been, to the best of my knowledge, an adequate response as to why they were maintaining too little oil in the engines and generators.  The investigation so far points to some serious questions that really need to be answered honestly.