71 year olds with 30 cruises ...will we fit in

[bostonfred]

Hi, we are unsure what to make of new way of cruising. Last cruise was a circle Caribbean 14 day cruise right before Covid. We have sailed several lines with NCL, Royal, and Celebrity being most traveled. We are active on board and on shore. Will we fit demographic? We expect it to trend younger, but how much?

what will be familiar and what will be completely different. 
What feedback can someone provide who has cruised often on the more traditional lines?

what will we like, what will we not like?

help us make a decision..thanks, Fred

[cantgetin]

I'm 68, and in April 2022, to celebrate the end of Covid and metastatic cancer, I did 14 nights on the Valiant Lady.  It is my "new favorite" cruise line.  I have done a total of 45 or 46 cruises on Disney, Celebrity, Princess, Premier, etc.  The average age on VV in the first 6 months of operation was 47 with a range of 18-90s.  I believe that the trans Atlantic was older than the VV norm.  As with any other ship, there is plenty of room for what YOU want to do,  Best points on VV--best food on any line.  There are isolated dishes that I've loved on other lines, but the food was consistently top notch; to get this level on any other line, you either do a suite that has a restaurant limited to suites or you pay for specialty dining.  The closest recent thing to the food quality is Blu on Celebrity.  We had tons of extra activities due to the longer cruise.  Of the normal activities, some I liked, some were a bit over the top for me.  But NOTHING requires me to go to a late night event and then the after party.  I love that there are no basically unlimited alcohol packages.  On VV, you can purchase a "bar tab" for $300 and VV will sweeten that with $50-$125 depending on the current deal.  If you book before 3/31 and cruise during 2023, there is a free bar tab based on the length of the cruise.  Your bar tab can be shared with ANYONE.  You can set it up se another person in your cabin can use it, and you can treat your "new best friends."  It is NOT refundable, but you can also buy a bottle of anything you wish FROM A BAR to take home with you.  If you buy from the duty free shop, it is charged to onboard credit; bought at a bar it is charged to the bar tab.  You can also purchase drinks a la carte, and the price on the menu is the price you pay.  On VV, ALL tips are included in the cruise fare, as is wifi, almost all food, all exercise classes, etc.  By almost all food, I mean that some restaurants have one or two items with an extra charge, but there is plenty of good, included stuff.

There is a lot of stuff that is "different,"  If you want Broadway style shows, ice skating, water slides, rock climbing walls, etc. go elsewhere.  If you want the friendliest crew I've encountered on any ship, VV is it.

The most telling  thing I can say is that we got off the ship with 3 more cruise booked.

[Cloud9 Bob]

The short answer is yes, you will fit in. Have a great cruise!

[garycarla]

Same age bracket.  Loved our Nov cruise and going again in April.

 

We tend to not attend many activities when cruising and just chill out between eating and drinking - LOL!   Had a great time.

[Freelancer3]

We are close to your age and taken 7 VV cruises so far. It has become our favorite and agree with @cantgetin review. We are not night owls. Come and enjoy the wonderful crew, guests and food.

[raphael360]

12 hours ago, bostonfred said:

Hi, we are unsure what to make of new way of cruising. Last cruise was a circle Caribbean 14 day cruise right before Covid. We have sailed several lines with NCL, Royal, and Celebrity being most traveled. We are active on board and on shore. Will we fit demographic? We expect it to trend younger, but how much?

what will be familiar and what will be completely different. 
What feedback can someone provide who has cruised often on the more traditional lines?

what will we like, what will we not like?

help us make a decision..thanks, Fred

bostonfred, I'm happy to chime in on your question.  

 

I'm 70 and have taken north of 50 cruises on the lines you've used and, pre covid, 10 years on countless Seabourn cruises. I've since taken 3 VV cruises in 2023 with 2 more booked for March.

 

The short answer to your question, will you fit in?  Absolutely!  The age and demographics of the VV sailors are wide and varied without being the drunk party ship some imagine.

 

The more important question is: Do you like (or love) the format traditional cruise lines offer? Formal nights, captain's parties, assigned restaurant seating, chains-by-the-inch shopping, mediocre food? Some wives live to dress up for formal nights (and maybe expect hubby to wear a Tux).  If you want the same cruise format offered by NCL, Celebrity, and Royal, VV may not be your cup of tea.  If you're looking for a chance to 'do what you want', 'eat where and when you want', and not be 'nickel and dimed' 24 hours a day, you should Love VV.  

 

VV is just fun, the staff is friendly and personable and the entertainment is varied and excellent.  The best part is; the food is the best I've had on any cruise line including Seabourn.

 

Personally, I will never take another 'same ol same ol' cruise offered by the big box lines. In my view the traditional cruise lines all offer the same exact product: "get 'em on, empty their wallet, and get 'em off - repeat".  VV's open structure lets me do what I want when I want.

 

Hope this helps

[CineGraphic]

It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you aren't uptight, conservative, or closed-minded.

 

[bostonfred]

Great responses....thank you!😎😎

[HolsAddict]

You will love it whether you're 18 or 80! ❤️

[spookyfudge]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:02 AM, CineGraphic said:

It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you aren't uptight, conservative, or closed-minded.

 

You need to define "conservative", there are many colors as seen in a rainbow.  What is your definition?

[cantgetin]

8 minutes ago, spookyfudge said:

You need to define "conservative", there are many colors as seen in a rainbow.  What is your definition?

That was sort of my thought but I decided to not get into it. I'm somewhat conservative, old fashioned, or whatever you want to call it.  I think that PDA does not belong in public.  And truly, I didn't see anything more than holding hands or a peck on the cheek in public areas on the cruise.  I don't care what you do in your own cabin or with whom you do it....but I don't want to see what I consider to be private things.

[CineGraphic]

1 hour ago, spookyfudge said:

You need to define "conservative", there are many colors as seen in a rainbow.  What is your definition?

 

I think the other two adjectives I used give you an idea of what I meant.