Holland America, 30s solo cruiser, alright?

[SISer]

I am extremely well travelled, but I've only been on a handful of cruises.

 

I am female and in my 30s.

 

To me cruising is about the destinations/port and not the ship. I have been looking at cruise itineraries, and two have caught my eye. Both are on HAL ships, one is on the Veendam the other on the Ryndam. I have read many reviews on CC and I read comments that HAL appeals to an older crowd, most HAL cruisers from my understanding are 70 plus. IS this generally the norm for HAL? Will I fit in or will I be the odd one out on the cruise? Does anybody my age travel on HAL? Does HAL have alot of solo travellers?

 

Thanks in advance.

[cruz chic]

I'm a solo cruiser in my late 40's. I was married in my 20's and 30's so I probably have a bit of a different perspective then yourself since I am a little older. No doubt about it HAL attracts an older crowd. I would say Princess is similair. I'm a person that appreciates the quietness of HAL because I'm not a fan of the party hardy 20 and 30 year olds. If you are looking for a party line HAL's not it. If you are self entertaining or like a more refined atmosphere HAL is for you. You will find more solos on the longer cruises but again.....they will probably be older. I take a vacation to get away from the rat race and HAL and Princess fit the bill for me in that respect.

[NewToCruise22]

My DH and I are in our 30's and are planning to sail HAL this summer to Alaska. We are still deciding on an itinerary. Yes, we are last minute bookers! I have the same concerns about being the odd ones out because of age, but figure HAL has the 2 itineraries I want so we are going for one of them. I'm interested to hear if others in this same age range (25-40) have cruised HAL and their thoughts. One poster scanned in his daily bulletins (I'm sure these have a specific name, but for the life of me I can't think of it) and we saw the entertainment was geared to a more mature crowd. Of course my DH loves 50's music, elvis, and country so he was sold. I'll be in the casino:)

[fann1sh]

Perhaps you can post which itineraries caught your eye? Some experienced cruisers on this board repeat cruises every year on their favorite route and ships.

 

But, as Lorekauf already mentioned, the longer the cruise, the older the cruisers - on all lines, I believe.

 

I started cruising HAL in my 30's, and started doing some solo cruises in my 40's, so I am also older than you.

[laughlady]

Just returned from HAL Canada/New England cruise. Definitely an older crowd. If you are looking at that itinerary, don't count on a night life. Note - I'm not complaining, we knew this going in - but you could blow a cannon off in the disco at 10 pm and not hit anyone.

[Roz]

There are a fair number of solo cruisers on HAL due to the price break they generally give us on cabins - 130-175% of the double occupancy fare vs. 200% on other lines like Celebrity.

 

I started sailing HAL when I was 48 and did my first solo with them when I was 50. That said, the reason I sail them has less to do with the ages on the ship and more with the accomodations, service level, and general ambience of the ships.

 

I've been on 2 HAL cruises where it was definitely an over 65 crowd, and others that were a mixed bag of ages, including lots of families.

 

Give it a try, and if you don't like HAL as a solo, book with another cruise line for you next cruise.

 

Roz

[sherizel]

Hi there, I'm in my mid 30's, single and looking for a cruise. I am checking out Holland just because I read the article on Cruise Critic that they give price breaks but if it's mostly an older crowd I'm not going to pursue it.

 

I just came back from a Carnival cruise with a couple of friends and had a good time and want to book another one but no one else can go. I may just have to suck it up and pay the double price for a single cabin. I'm hoping to pick a cruise and then get to know people from some of the message boards.

 

I'm debating between Carnival and Norwegian now so if you find any good deals let me know!

[SISer]

sherizal, I have read on these forums that some Carnival ships have 1A cabins, which are for singles and are less than the usual ss fee of most cruise lines.

 

I posted this Q about HAL not because of their ss fees, I have been to alot of places, and I'm always interested in exploring a new place or two when I can. The HAL itineraries are really what appeal to me, not the ships. I'm not an avid cruiser. I'd rather socialize with my friends than a bunch of strangers. I have travelled with friends/family, and have had great trips, but the trip I am planning will be solo.

 

fann1sh, I am debating between a Panama Canal cruise and a South America cruise. The HAL itinerary for the Panama Canal cruise includes an overnight stay in Panama, most ships don't dock in Panama, and just transit the Canal. Also, the ship does stop in the Cayman Islands, I've always wanted to go there, not sure why.

 

Here's the itinerary

 

Vancouver, BC

Victoria, BC

San Diego, CA

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Zihuataneto/Ixtapa, Mexico,

Acapulco, Mexico

Huatulco, Mexico

Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala,

Corinto, Nicaragua,

Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica,

Fuerte Amador, Panama City (overnight in port)

Cartegena, Columbia

Georgetown, Cayman Islands.

Tampa, FL

 

There are a few at sea days too, none of which I care for (I know avid cruisers who enjoy at sea days will try to teach me a thing or two). I have been to Acapulco, Vancouver, Victoria and San Diego. Also, I;ve travelled around Guatemala and Honduras (but didn't visit on a cruise ship) and seen the ancient Mayan sights of Tikal and Copan. The other places are all new to me.

 

 

The South America itinerary starts in Rio de Janerio, Brazil and ends in Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile. Most South American cruise I've seen do not include Rio and travel from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile or vv.

 

Here's the itinerary

 

The second cruise is a 16 night South American cruise from Rio de Janerio, Brazil to Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile, ship: Veendam, in December, 2009, this cruise visits:-

 

Rio de Janerio, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina (overnight in port),

Montevideo, Uruguay,

Pt Stanley, Falkland Islands,

Scenic cruising, Cape Horn, (crusing only, no docking/disembarking)

Ushuia, Argnetina,

Scenic cruising, Cockburn and Beagle Chanels, (no docking/disembarking)

Punta Arenas, Chile,

Strait of Magellan, (crusing only, no docking/disembarking),

Amalia Glacier Canal Sarmineto, (cruising only, no docking/disembarking)

Darwin Chanel Fjords (crusing only, no docking/disembarking)

Puerto Montt, Chile,

Santiago (Valparaso), Chile.

 

There are also some sea days, I again these are not of interest to me. Of the places on this itinearary I have only been to Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

 

Any thought comments/would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[SDHALFAN]

Those both sound like great itineraries, and in fact they are since I have done both cruises.

 

A couple of caveats:

 

In Panama, the ships anchors off Fuerte Amador and it is a tender ride to shore. Panama City is quite interesting and nicer than I had expected.

 

Puerto Caldera, there is nothing there so a shore excursion is a must (if there are no cruiseships docked at Punta Arenas then some taxis from there may show up, but don't count on it).

 

Cartagena, again I would recommend a shore excursion, but if you decide you don't want to take one then there is a small tourist complex a short walk from the ship (actually, come to think of it there was a shuttle bus to the complex).

 

Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, be aware that you may not be able to get ashore. The tides can be high and rough there and the ships may not be able to tender passengers ashore.

 

I really loved the San Diego to Rio cruise we took back in 2001 - in fact it still remains one of my favorite cruises of all time and I absolutely fell in love with Buenos Aires - not so keen on Rio but then it was very hot and humid when we were there.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

 

Valerie

[cruz chic]

Just a word of caution about this. I had the same wording on my cruise to South America. The crew and passangers were not happy to learn that we could not get off the ship that night. It was anchored but no one was allowed of the ship. The next day you could depart but IIRC Panama City could be seen in the distance but it was a long trip to get there.

[minaben]

My husband and I went on a Panama cruise in March. We are both 42. The nightlife thing didn't bother us because we aren't party people. We couldn't even have told you that there wasn't much nightlife on the cruise because we weren't looking for it.

 

We were able to take a tender in the evening to go to the Miraflores Locks at the canal. That was probably the best excursion of the trip.

 

We are also taking the South America cruise with a similar itinerary next February.

 

The one thing I noticed about an older crowd is that the excursions exertion rating is very overrated. A walking tour through Cartagena was labeled as 3 out of 4 exertion level or maybe even 4 and other than that it was very hot, it wasn't all that tiring. I would have given it a 1 at the most and I'm not in tip top shape. So keep that in mind if you like active excursions.

 

I've been on Cunard and RCCL too and I don't really think the level of service is any better on HAL than either of those lines. We picked HAL on itinerary also and we are going back for a second cruise.

[dandro]

There were plenty of passengers under 40 on our ship, along with a lot of middle aged people. The senior passengers on our ship tended to be of the active kind, preferring physical activities in port and there was actually *gasp* a night life onboard. I spoke to many of the passengers in the younger age group and they seemed to be enjoying themselves, too.

 

It really irks me that so many people think that "older" (I call them "mature") passengers are something to be avoided like the plague. I see posters here time after time saying they don't want to cruise with HAL because of the age demographics. A cruise is a cruise, does it REALLY matter what the average age group is? It's what you make out of the cruise, and if you think that somehow having mature/senior passengers on board is going to affect you in any way, then there is a problem with your expectations.

 

I'm always reading here on CC that people are avoiding Carnival because of the "party animal" atmosphere, but then complain about the "old fogeys" on HAL.

 

Times have changed, people, and middle aged and beyond people are not sedentary any more! They are more active, more alert, healthier and have more joy of life than many years ago. We don't all have one foot in the grave. (I'm 57 and VERY active)

 

End of rant.

[Roz]

Dandro,

 

I'm also 57 and VERY active. :D I sail both Carnival and HAL, two opposite ends of the spectrum but I've enjoyed all my cruises on both lines. Every Carnival cruise I've been on has the same "old fogeys" that are supposedly on HAL, so I've never understood the remarks about older folks on HAL. It irks me too!

 

I enjoyed your rant.

 

Roz

[Soundsgreat6]

Dandro,

 

I'm also 57 and VERY active. :D I sail both Carnival and HAL, two opposite ends of the spectrum but I've enjoyed all my cruises on both lines. Every Carnival cruise I've been on has the same "old fogeys" that are supposedly on HAL, so I've never understood the remarks about older folks on HAL. It irks me too!

 

I enjoyed your rant.

 

Roz

I'm 62 and my partner is 60, I don't consider us oldies at all, except when it comes to music. Heck I still like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, etc. That's why I suggested a 50's 60's dance on our Hawaiian cruise. Wow what a response on the roll call everybody thinks it's a great idea. And has far has the nightlife goes we still stay out till the wee hours. 3am in the morning is normal going home time if were out for a night on the town. So you bet that the demographics is changing heck Boomer's still like to party.

[Soundsgreat6]

sorry dbl post

Dandro,

 

I'm also 57 and VERY active. :D I sail both Carnival and HAL, two opposite ends of the spectrum but I've enjoyed all my cruises on both lines. Every Carnival cruise I've been on has the same "old fogeys" that are supposedly on HAL, so I've never understood the remarks about older folks on HAL. It irks me too!

 

I enjoyed your rant.

 

Roz

I'm 62 and my partner is 60, I don't consider us oldies at all, except when it comes to music. Heck I still like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, etc. That's why I suggested a 50's 60's dance on our Hawaiian cruise. Wow what a response on the roll call everybody thinks it's a great idea. And has far has the nightlife goes we still stay out till the wee hours. 3am in the morning is normal going home time if were out for a night on the town. So you bet that the demographics is changing heck Boomer's still like to party.

[MSMcDuffy]

I am extremely well travelled, but I've only been on a handful of cruises.

 

I am female and in my 30s.

 

To me cruising is about the destinations/port and not the ship. I have been looking at cruise itineraries, and two have caught my eye. Both are on HAL ships, one is on the Veendam the other on the Ryndam. I have read many reviews on CC and I read comments that HAL appeals to an older crowd, most HAL cruisers from my understanding are 70 plus. IS this generally the norm for HAL? Will I fit in or will I be the odd one out on the cruise? Does anybody my age travel on HAL? Does HAL have alot of solo travellers?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I can't answer about solo travelers but I can tell you that I was on a HAL cruise last summer and my niece and I were up into the wee hrs of the morning dancing at the night club with several others--mostly in their 20's and on my Princess cruise a couple wks ago my sister and I were at the nightclub for a 70's night (usually a big turnout) and it was dead (not implying that had anything to do with age but that the stereotype of Princess having more nightlife is not necessarily true either).

 

The age demographic has been changing on HAL and a lot also has to do with many different factors including how long the cruise is (as someone else stated), what time of year (more kids/families in summer and holidays), etc.

 

I agree with you that cruising is about the destination/ports and that would be the primary deciding factor for me. But even if it were true that it's an older crowd, with you being a seasoned traver I'd imagine you'd get along great with a more mature crowd anyway. But IMO 70-plus is not accurate for HAL; I'd say more 50-60's if you had to give it a number.

[SISer]

Thank you all for your comments.

 

dandro, I seam to have upset you, and perhaps some others who have read the thread and not responded. I have read negative remarks about this issue, which is why I started this thread.

 

I have a rant of my own.......

 

I do not avoid an older crowd. I've been on tours where I'm the youngest, often with the oh, aren't you too young to be here comments. Especially on upmarket tours and at luxury hotels. I've even had one tour guide tell me, "you're the youngest person on this tour, we don't get travellers your age on our tours". Said with a moan and the what am I suppose to do with you attitude on the second day of the tour, not very welcoming for a 18 day tour now was it? Well, what the hell was I suppose to do, travel with my age group and camp, no way! Comfort is important to me when I travel.

 

Maybe, my experience gives some of you a different perspective of the topic, I certainly hope it does.

 

It's not about partying, or avoiding a [older] generation like to plague, it's about being able to fit in, being accepted, being compatible with my fellow travellers, and enjoying the cruise, or rather in my case, the ports.

[MSMcDuffy]

It's not about partying, or avoiding a [older] generation like to plague, it's about being able to fit in, being accepted, being compatible with my fellow travellers, and enjoying the cruise, or rather in my case, the ports.

 

I understand where you are coming from. I was a little concerned when I started cruising because it seemed that most people who cruised were married couples and I'm single, usually traveling with a friend or relatives, and some of those times venturing out alone on the ship and in the ports. And while I've found that the majority of people cruising are married couples, I never felt out of place or looked down upon. Vacationing people are usually the most pleasant people I encounter (with a few exceptions).

[DizzyDallasDi]

Hi SISer - I've just begun my solo cruising career (in 2008) and have taken 3. Now, I'm not your age (I'm 57) but I can highly recommend HAL as a solo. My first HAL cruise was on the Eurodam in Nov. 2008 and my favorite "friend" on that cruise was a gal in her early 30's who was traveling with her mother. She was basically on her own because her mom just wanted to hang out in their room. I recently was on the Zuiderdam to Alaska (first time to Alaska) and I can't wait to book my cruise there next year. Alaska was absolutely amazing!

 

Here's the real deal - if you're okay with hanging with folks older than you, they are more than welcoming of you. There will be others your age onboard, but they will probably be with family or friends, more than likely not traveling solo.

 

I think most solo travelers are "older" (how I hate that word :D) because they can afford to do it and have become comfortable enough in their own skin to strike out on travels by themselves. It's not something most 30-somethings do because they simply don't think they can have fun by themselves.

 

I applaud your spunk (I was like you in my 30's :)) and I think you'll like the amenities HAL offers. They have very comfortable beds and linens and I had a bathtub/shower combo on both of my HAL cruises...that's a luxury on most other lines.

 

You're going to find a predominence of seniors on any cruise that lasts longer than 7 days, no matter which line you're on. I say go for the itinerary you want and I hope you have the time of your life!

 

Diane

[Jana White]

We just got off a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Westerdam and there were all ages on this cruise and not at all predominantly older . We have come to believe it is the shorter cruises and the summer or holiday cruises that bring out the younger crowd. The retired cruisers cruise the more exotic longer cruises. We have been on 15 or so cruises of various lengths and whether it HAL, Princess, Celebrity or NCL any cruise over 9 days brings out an older crowd.

[CowPrincess]

On my last cruise (7 day May to Alaska) I met a number of "solo" adults who were with their kids, plus a couple of groups of adult siblings travelling together. I used to cruise with another single lady and we'd regularly meet and socialize with other singles. I think it depends on the luck of the draw, whether or not your cruise has a reasonably-sized bunch of singles/solos. But the cruises I've been "single-ish" on, I've always met other solos.

 

As to the age of the pax, and whether you'd be comfortable, I think you are looking at an older group -- few people who are not retired have the vacation time to take long cruises. I think you would be comfortable in that generally HAL attracts an eclectic, interesting group, regardless of age.

[dandro]

SISer, you didn't upset me, sorry if I came across at ranting at you...

 

just that it gets a bit monotonous to read posts everyday about how people are concerned about the older clientele on HAL and some of the comments are not very nice.

 

I see ageism as being akin to racism. I don't think you would see posts that insinuate that they (the poster) wants to avoid a certain cruise line because there are so many < insert any ethnic group here > on board.

 

So, I admit that the thread struck a nerve. Nothing personal against you at all. :)

 

I envy you, wish I was able to cruise when I was younger and able to travel solo. Hope you enjoy your cruise!:)

[Modern_Viking]

SISer,

 

I am in my early 30's and have cruised HAL 5 times. In general, I would say that being a different age will only be a problem if it make it one. It sounds like you will be able to fit in just fine.

 

There will always be some grumpy people on-board who seem to complain about everything. If you go, I hope you don't run into them, but you might. Luckily they seem to be the minority, even if they are loud at times.

 

HAL is an upscale experience, although not luxury. Still, it is hard to beat and can be quite enjoyable. HAL ships tend to be laid-back, friendly, relaxed, etc. I think those are good things!

 

I find it hard to believe HAL could be as bad as the tour when the guide made you feel unwelcome because of your age. Granted, some people may still ask where are your parents, children, or spouse. I don't think they mean that in a bad way, but many people (including the crew) seem to think few younger people would travel alone. As long as you don't take that as an insult, things will go fine. (And no, I don't think they won't harp you about being young and traveling by yourself, but they do tend to assume the defaults when they first meet people.)

 

I hope this helps you make your decision!

 

BTW, if you decide on the Ryndam itinerary, you might want to start the trip in San Diego. The stretch of ocean between Vancouver and California is known for usually being rough. Since you don't like sea days to begin with, you might really dislike those first couple days. Of course, if you have an iron constitution, rough seas won't be an issue.

[Modern_Viking]

SISer,

 

Also, keep in mind that women, on average, live longer than men. Many single women do cruise on HAL, but they are generally older than their 30's.

[fireofficer5]

HAL, during the summer or school break, good mix of pax.

HAL, most any other time, no nightlife.