HAL - Age Appropriate?

[dubi1015]

Hello All,

 

I am looking at booking a trip on the HAL Oosterdam in February. There will be 6 total people (3 couples), each between the ages of 25 and 30.

 

Can anyone tell me about the typical crowd on HAL and Oosterdam in particular? Are the majority of people older? Lots of Kids? Partying type or laid back?

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[hammybee]

The only thing certain about cruising is that you never know who else/what demographics, will be onboard.

 

I think it reasonable to say the majority of people are going to be older than 25-30.

 

It is unlikely there will be many children unless you happen to hit it during a winter break from SD/OC/LA county schools.

 

Group bookings can skew the average age in any direction and the inclination to party, or not.

 

If sailing with a substantial number of people your own age is important to you, February is a hit or miss on all cruise lines. Carnival and /or Princess may skew younger. And then again, maybe not.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Oostedam's Mexican cruises are attracking a lot of younger cruisers.

[abrauns783]

we found the longer cruise the older the poeple on board. if is during the school year the less kids.

[grsnovi]

Hi dubi,

 

We went out on Oosterdam in June (sailing north) and I'm 54 and my wife and I were probably at the lower end of the age spectrum. In June there weren't tons of children on board (but there were some). As the average age was older, the crowd probably wasn't similar to a Carnival Caribbean "party" but I think that folks on a cruise know how to enjoy themselves.

 

If you are hoping to party on your verandah at 3 am with the folks in the cabin next to you, HAL might not be the right line but you never know.

 

We're going south out of SD in April and I'm expecting an age spread similar to what we saw going north in June.

 

With two other couples you ought to have a great time on which ever line you decide.

[nmcrzer]

We just booked the Oosterdam for March 22. We are a married couple in our mid-30s. Our 10 year old DD won't be on this cruise, so we thought we would try this one.

 

Even though we are on the younger side of the cruising spectrum, we don't necessarily "act our age", meaning we aren't late-night partyers. In fact, on our two cruises we have been on together, we've never managed to stay awake for the midnight buffets or the late-night comedian. I would much rather wake up early and watch the sunrise.

 

We tried Carnival, and it wasn't really our speed. We thought the singing and dancing waiters in the dining room were downright silly, and the late night festivities were very roudy. Royal Caribbean was great for us, except the dining times - 6 p.m. is too early and 8:30 p.m. is too late. With AYWD, we can eat at 7 p.m. in the dining room. We are really looking forward to this aspect of our Oosterdam cruise.

 

OP - I think if you have a group of 6 people, you are going to have fun no matter what.

[trufflelab]

My husband and I in our early-mid 40's, and our dd 9 & ds 14, My sister & her dh early 40's and their dd 9 & dd 14, mother & father 60 & 72, aunt & uncle mid 50's just came back from the Noordam 10/31 & 11/10.

The majority of people on this cruise were over 60. There were about 38 children less then 18 years of age on board according to Club Hal. I would say there were less then 50 people under 40 on board, if you don't include the entertainment staff.

[kryos]

Can anyone tell me about the typical crowd on HAL and Oosterdam in particular? Are the majority of people older? Lots of Kids? Partying type or laid back?

In general, you're never gonna get the "party hardy" type on HAL ... but you're not gonna get the half dead crowd either.

 

General rule of thumb ... shorter the cruise, younger the passenger demographic. Also, if you cruise when school is out, you're gonna get more kids, which will bring the average age down even further.

 

Is the Oosterdam a Vista class ship? If so, younger passenger demographic since the Vistas tend to draw a younger crowd.

 

HAL has what I believe is an undeserved reputation for attracting exclusively older passengers. While it is true that HAL's average passenger is more "mature" than those who generally sail a Carnival or an RCCL cruise, I don't think that maturity is strictly an age thing. I think it's more of a lifestyle thing. HAL's typical passenger likes the finer things ... good food, good wine, fine dining, good conversation, etc.

 

All I can suggest is to give HAL a try and see if it's a good fit for you. You might be surprised and find that it meets all your needs very nicely. And, if that's not the case, at least you will have enjoyed a very refined cruise experience and can then move on to another line that better suits your tastes.

 

Blue skies and enjoy!

 

--rita

[Two if by Sea]

I still haven't fully understood why it MATTERS if there are other people our age there, or at any rate if there are many of them.

 

For my 8-year-old daughter, of course I'd like at least one playmate. If there are ZERO other 7-to-10-year-old girls onboard, that could be a bit of a problem.

 

But beyond that, for us, I don't see it mattering much whether we're sharing the pool, the food, the sun, and the ports with people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s.

[dubi1015]

Thank you all.

 

To clarify what exactly I was trying to find out, I was trying to gauge the atmosphere.

 

In other words, is it a (what I consider) fun atmosphere where the band is playing all day long by the pool and everyone is dancing etc.

 

I know it is almost impossible to predict what your cruise will be like, but some lines have a reputation for being more lively than others.

 

Thanks again for your help

[Spot]

HAL is quieter and more refined than Carnival, or Royal Caribbean. The age of the cruisers is definitely older but they are active seniors and enjoy the cruise experience.

We have our first Vista Class cruise in 2 weeks but we've been on a couple other HAL ships and we have found HAL to be a good solid choice for cruising.

[Homosassa]

Thank you all.

 

To clarify what exactly I was trying to find out, I was trying to gauge the atmosphere.

 

In other words, is it a (what I consider) fun atmosphere where the band is playing all day long by the pool and everyone is dancing etc.

 

I know it is almost impossible to predict what your cruise will be like, but some lines have a reputation for being more lively than others.

 

Thanks again for your help

 

The band will not be playing all day long at the pool. The pools on HAL, are for the most part, blissfully band free.

[nmcrzer]

The band will not be playing all day long at the pool. The pools on HAL, are for the most part, blissfully band free.

 

Oh, thank goodness! Please tell me there is no pop muzak blaring through the speakers everywhere on the ship. On our Carnival cruise I can't even count how many Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and NSync songs we heard.

[kaiiak]

Is there ever any music near the pool or is it always silent?

[Hula Hips]

my husband and i are in our 50's and were too young for holland america. we were bored!! could not even dance because all the music is piano bars . in your 30's i would not go near it. stay away!!! not an active ship at all.

[Two if by Sea]

Sounds perfect!!

 

We're in our 40's and definitely not looking for an "active" ship where we can dance the night away.

 

Piano bar music is great. Big band music from the '30s and '40s would be fun, too, but I can live with no music at all.

[Miata]

My wife and I got back from the Veendam 10 days ago. We love to dance and what I like about the HAL ships is that people dance in the Ocean side bar whenever the band is playing. We like an early seating and people were dancing before dinner by 5:00PM. We could stop by after dinner and dance some more. Later in the evening there was often a band in the crow's nest and again people are out there. The music is as varied as you want. Are there waltzes? Yes, but I could count on the band playing Santana or Clapton any time I asked. The point being "Ask for what you want".

 

Personnally I do not wish to wait till after midnight for others to be compelled to get out there and dance.

 

I doubt many people dance at the piano bar although we have done so.

 

We made friends with 2-3 other dancing couples so I felt it was a great experience (an opportunity to meet new people).

 

HAL had sail away parties with a band by the pool side. Few people danced there but you could and we did.

 

I think that the original question might be answered by simply asking the poster if they require 10 other couples dancing before they will get up or if that doesn't matter such that if they like a song they get up and enjoy it.

 

I'm in my low 50's and my wife is in her upper 40's if that is relevant.

 

Regarding age groups, yes HAL has an older crowd. Have you listened to their stories. They are hysterical. Wait till you meet MaMa Lou! She'll have you laughing so hard you'll be crying.

 

I also think that HAL gives more "white glove" service which we want because we want to be pampered while on vacation.

 

HAL had a few kids on the trip and they were wonderful. One five year old knew how to 'shake what her Mama gave her' when she was out dancing. There are going to be tons of guys hanging around this girl in about 10 years.

 

I hope this helps.

[ekerr19]

Oh, thank goodness! Please tell me there is no pop muzak blaring through the speakers everywhere on the ship. On our Carnival cruise I can't even count how many Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and NSync songs we heard.

 

Ah, on the Zuiderdam (Western Caribbean) I heard Pink's "Let's get this Party Started" more times than I cared to count... that said, I've not heard "piped in" music since. It was only by the Lido pool at lunch - there was no live Lido band on that trip.

[Gonzo70]

Hello All,

 

I am looking at booking a trip on the HAL Oosterdam in February. There will be 6 total people (3 couples), each between the ages of 25 and 30.

 

Can anyone tell me about the typical crowd on HAL and Oosterdam in particular? Are the majority of people older? Lots of Kids? Partying type or laid back?

 

HAL is more on the laid back side. It is more elegant than most of the other mass market cruise lines (i.e. they have cloth towels in the public bathrooms instead of paper towels, more fresh flowers throughout the ship, you don't have to vacate your room early on the morning of debarking, the deck chairs and balcony furniture is higher quality etc.). It does on average attract an older crowd than RCL and Carnival. There still are people in their 20s and 30s on most HAL sailings, just not typically lots of them. HAL cruises are more serene than RCL and Carnival (i.e. much less frequent public announcements). There is still plenty to do on HAL cruises and plenty of bars to go drink at, but if you are looking to meet large groups of people to party with than you probably would have better luck on another cruise line.

[kaiiak]

My wife and I got back from the Veendam 10 days ago. We love to dance and what I like about the HAL ships is that people dance in the Ocean side bar whenever the band is playing. We like an early seating and people were dancing before dinner by 5:00PM. We could stop by after dinner and dance some more. Later in the evening there was often a band in the crow's nest and again people are out there. The music is as varied as you want. Are there waltzes? Yes, but I could count on the band playing Santana or Clapton any time I asked. The point being "Ask for what you want".

 

HAL had sail away parties with a band by the pool side. Few people danced there but you could and we did.

 

 

I am in my 30s and sailing on the Oosterdam in April w/ DH and DS (12). I thought I had read about dance lessons on the ship - did you see any of that on the Veendem? I would love to take my son and learn some of the "classics".

As for my question regarding music, I enjoy the mood/music/atmosphere of a live band during sail away - especially the steele drum type when in the Caribbean. So I am really happy to hear that HAL has a live band at that time.

We booked HAL because we really aren't big partiers and were looking for a relaxed, refined cruise. Hopefully we'll have a great time~!

[Miata]

I am in my 30s and sailing on the Oosterdam in April w/ DH and DS (12). I thought I had read about dance lessons on the ship - did you see any of that on the Veendem? I would love to take my son and learn some of the "classics".

As for my question regarding music, I enjoy the mood/music/atmosphere of a live band during sail away - especially the steele drum type when in the Caribbean. So I am really happy to hear that HAL has a live band at that time.

We booked HAL because we really aren't big partiers and were looking for a relaxed, refined cruise. Hopefully we'll have a great time~!

 

I don't recall any dance lessons but there might have been. On longer cruises I noted that HAL provided dance partners for unescorted ladies. Those guys didn't give dance lessons though.

[kaiiak]

What a bummer about the lessons!! I was hoping I could find something like that. Yeah, I had read about the dance escorts too. That is a nice touch for women who are cruising alone or also women whose husbands really don't enjoy dancing. Appreciate the info.:)