18 year old on Holland America?

Question

My grandparents (who i live with) decided to book me a ticket on HAL for a 23-day cruise with them in November. Am I going to be the only young adult on a trip like that? I heard that Holland America is the most senior oriented line and this time of year is probably the worst. I'm appreciative of their care, but I honestly don't know about this one. Any help?

Answer 1

Yes, there are a lot of old people on those "dam" ships.

Not mentioned in your post, but a 23-day trip is going to attract people that can 1) afford it and 2) are able to take that much time away from homes and jobs. I would expect that the pax will be a lot older and wealthier than those taking a 3-day trip on Carnival.

Will you be the only young person? Probably not. But this is no Disney cruise. I'd suggest the Cruise Critic "roll call" boards as a way of connecting with other pax prior to the trip.

Will you have a good time? If you want to! There are a lot of activities onboard to select from. At 18, you may be old enough to do ship excursions without them or venture around at some of the ports of call. Do your research ahead of time and get concurrence with your grandparents on what is appropriate. The Cruise Critic "ports of call" board is a great tool.

Panama and the canal are awesome locations. A trip like this could be an opportunity of a lifetime!

Answer 2

You are generally correct.  The line is aimed at a somewhat older clientele.  While it is generally family-friendly in the summer cruises (e.g., Alaska), the time of year of this cruise is such that there likely will be few individuals on of your approximate age and the activities on board will likely be aimed at the preferences of that clientiele.  Only you can know whether that is a make-or-break issue for you.  Otherwise, please consider such things as the activities on-board (the evening performances, dance venues, daytime lectures, etc.)  - are they ones of interest to you or in which you would want to participate?  Also, if you are interested in travel per se, please consider whether the ports and destinations are ones that you would want to visit.  Finally, please consider the ship's general amenities - the food, for example, is better than the mass-market lines, but this may or may not be of importance to you.  In any event good luck whatever you decide to do.  How lucky you are to be in a position where someone offers to take you on a trip such as this.

Answer 3

The average on Holland America is deceased.

Answer 4

I think it's great that your grandparents booked you a ticket for a 23 day cruise!  You didn't write where it's going though.  These are my thoughts:

In general almost everyone says that the Holland America cruisers are older in average age than other cruise lines, and that they have excellent food and service.  Several people have said that while the average age on Holland America is high, there are some younger people and kids on board - always, although more in the summer on on the shorter (7 day) routes.  One person mentioned that the nightclub closes earlier than on other lines and it's not very busy - it's not a party ship line.

So imagine for a moment that you do embark on this cruise and you are one of only a handful teens and twens on board.  And most of the rest of the passengers is 65 and older. Will you be upset and terrified?  Why? Don't be! Bring those books you always wanted to read and never had the time.  (and once you start college or work you won't have this amount of time again possibly) I think that all the ships are also wireless/internet access equipped and some with DVD players in room. Some of the Holland America cruises offer classes on longer cruises that might be interesting to you (photography, history, astronomy, gourmet cooking...) or make it your goal to learn a language on your own while on board! ... but most importantly on this 23 day cruise you will see so many different countries and places - it's going to be fantastic!  You are old enough to do your own shore excursions - take advantage of this and make it an adventure you'll never forget!   Just don't miss the ship's departure to the next port!

In short; someone in your situation could skulk and be upset and miss out, or instead be an adult and take advantage of a wonderful time spend with your grandparents, exploring other corners of the world and create your own experiences of a lifetime.    Hope this helps you.

Answer 5

check http://allcruiselines.info

theres a section for young adults