the new HAL vs. the old HAL?

[canaandog]

I have taken a number of HAL cruises, but not in the last five years. I have heard that during those five years, HAL has redirected its marketing away from the older crowd it used to attract, more towards a younger "livlier" clientele. Could anyone tell me if this is true, or at least give me their impression of the "typical" HAL passenger at the present time? Thanks.

[jhannah]

Holland America has directed some effort toward attracting younger families. The Zuiderdam was originally introduced to sail the Caribbean, an area attractive to younger passengers. Her decor was more "out there" than other HAL ships. And the youth/teen facilities on board all ships have been beefed up as part of HAL's Signature of Excellence initiative.

 

However, brochures still show (as a rule) more mature passengers. Not necessarily seniors, but not lots of twenty-somethings. I believe Holland America knows where their revenue base is. But that base is aging and needs to be replaced as attrition occurs. Younger passengers now will be the more mature travelers later on.

 

I don't know if I've answered your question, but that's the way things appear to me.

[Boatdrill]

Longer cruises (2 weeks plus) have a decidedly older group than a 7 day to Mexico.

 

Also, the newer bigger ships attract a younger crowd. HAL's more traditional ships (i.e. less glitz, lower pax count) tend to attract a more experienced/older type of guest.

 

There's something for everybody.

[kryos]

There's something for everybody.

Exactly.

 

HAL has a two-pronged marketing approach ... at least that's the way it was explained to me during a "coffee chat" with the cruise director on my most recent cruise. The longer, more exotic voyages on the smaller ships in the fleet are being designed and marketed with an appeal to the older folks who have more disposable income and time. Then the more popular seven-day itineraries (Alaska, Mexico, Caribbean) on the Vista-class ships are being marketed more toward the younger family set who really can't take advantage of longer itineraries due to time and money constraints. Since there is generally a younger set on these voyages, HAL conducts most of them on the more glitzy Vista ships ... with the Northern Lights disco and other ammenities that this younger set primarily enjoys.

 

As JHannah said ... there's something in HAL's fleet for all of us.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Crazy]

First cruise on the Rotterdam when I was in my thirties. Last cruise on the Amsterdam to celebrate retiring. Many in between all on Holland America.

 

I have noticed on shorter cruises a lot of younger people but doesn't concerrn me.

 

Love this board and am thinking of joining members when they do a member cruise.

 

Emily

Next cruise Westerdam June 11 and yes I have been doing that "doc" dance for over a week and if I don't stop will have to redo my hardwoods.

[SpuddGirl]

DH and took our first HAL cruise (Zuiderdam) in April on a 7 night Caribbean itinerary. Our TA told us that HAL pretty much rolled up their sidewalks by 10pm each night. We found this to be absolutely NOT true! I don't think we ever went back to our cabin before 12:30 or 1:00 am, and we were by far not the last ones to do so. There was lots still happening that we could see, and it was not just the "younger set".:)

 

On our cruise, which was over the last of the spring break weeks, it was definitely a mixed crowd. DH is 50, I'm 44, and there were plenty of folks our age, but there were plenty of 30-somethings, as well as 50,60,70-somethings also. I still say, though many including DH disagree with me, I didn't find there to be that many kids on board, but then I wasn't really paying that much attention. Maybe they didn't draw much attention because they were so well behaved! :eek: It was actually a very nice mix. I wouldn't say it was "mostly younger" or "mostly older" - we thought it was just right.

 

And, we noticed one evening when Joel Mason was doing his 2nd show - and I'm talking the late (10:30pm) show, there were LOTS of senior citizens in the audience who were REALLY getting into the rock music, clapping, waving their hands in the air, etc.! It was cool to see the older set enjoying themselves so much, right along with the younger crowd. But you're only as old as you feel, right?!;)

 

There were plenty of different options in the evening to entertain all tastes - quiet bars with soft music, piano bar which had a mix of anything from Sinatra to Billy Joel, the disco, the Crows Nest where there were all ages - we saw some seniors who had to have been in their 80's line dancing right along with the 20-somethings. There really is something for everybody.

 

I can't compare the "old" HAL to the "new" HAL, all I can say is that the "new" HAL is awesome and a person of any age is bound to have a fantastic time onboard the HAL ships!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Do agree with the others that with the introduction of the Vista class ships, HAL has begun to try to get the younger crowd. After all, we older ones aren't going to be around forever and someone has to replace us.

 

And you can be certain with the new Signature Class ships coming out in 2008, it will even be more designed to attrack even more young cruisers.

[Randyk47]

I'd definitely agree that HAL has expanded its market target over the past few years. While I won't say they're totally family friendly they've made big strides with the Vista class ships in terms of expanding the facilities and programs available to children and young teens. When I think back about my HAL cruises I started in 1995 on the Ryndam and there were probably 3 children (1 enfant, 2 children probably 6-8 years old) on that 10-day cruise. In 2004 we were on the Oosterdam with 200+ children on a 7-day cruise. However, this past February we were on the Volendam for a 10-day cruise and we were back to 3 children. Obviously Club HAL and the expanded facilities sat virtually unused that cruise. I understand HAL's corporate thinking and can't say I blame them but we'll probably steer clear of the shorter cruises on the larger ships to avoid another 200+ child cruise. Right or wrong it's not the HAL experience we came to know and love.