6 Top Cruise Tips for Over 50 Travellers
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- I was tired of seeing cruising tips that don't understand and reflect the reality of cruise passengers like me in magazines, newspapers and online. They seem to think that cruise passengers like me fall into a narrow stereotype of what they think we should or are. So, these are the tips that I think are for cruise passengers like me - and work as I have proven them to be right for me and others like me
ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 77 cruises I have done to date.
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00:00 Start
00:37 Stop Kidding Around
05:16 Live A Little More
08:58 Not THAT Young
As a single woman, I take a private car arranged by the ship. On a 52-day cruise from Athens to Hong Kong, I had some of the most amazing experiences. I would tell the guide to think of me as her/his auntie who is visiting for the first time and to show me what they love. I saw things that weren’t in any guidebook. Every minute a joy and a special insight into that city. Except for one guide, all were fabulous. I trust what my ship provided and feel grateful for their outstanding care of me.
Which cruise line was that? I bet that trip was amazing.
@@onorbit Seabourn
That is a great way to get to interesting places! And a great way to pull people's heartstrings
@@TraceyMush you’re right, Tracey, I’ve experienced thing not in guidebooks. Also, the guides’ personalities begin glowing as they share what they love and not repeat the same thing all the time.
I will look into 'private car tour' on my next foreign cruise. Great idea especially for ports I had Bern to in Greece 2018 via HAL. Or Amsterdam. Tks
Thank you for mentioning solo travellers! We are so often unseen and ignored.
And overcharged!
As a solo female travel I tend to use the ship excursions for the security!
Sounds like a very good plan, not just for women, but solo male travellers too.
I can understand that. But I’ve been on two or three ship excursions and they were all awful! Every independent tour I have taken has been wonderful.
Me too!
Smart
Agree entirely.
I always carry a fully stocked first aid kit well stocked with more meds than I think I will need. I may be a minimalist packer by nature, but my medicine kit has bailed me out many times over and I won't leave home without one.
Emergency dental kit too!
I'm over 50 and single. A few things that I want are: No rowdyness (people with manners and no crowds. a feeling of safety). Great activities. Single events would be great! Singles rooms with balconies and other good rooms. I like everything included, because the reason we take cruises is we don't want to think about this stuff (stop nickle and diming - get this arranged beforehand like it used to be). And lastly and most importantly, no kids!
You took the words right out if my mouth , I couldn't agree more !
I've done 2 cruises on Celebrity X, and although both weren't targeted at solely at adults only, because of the ships they use, (no slides, go-carts etc.,) there were very few children on board. I asked the captain at our meet and greet how many kids there were on board (because I had noticed the lack of them), he told me that there were 19. I think that makes a much more enjoyable cruise experience for us older folk.
Hello. We are going to try celebrity for the first time this coming fall and are excited. Hoping there are less kids. We enjoy children but on cruises we tend to like it calmer and quiet. This cruise is a 10 day so maybe that will help
For absolutely vital medications (my husband has one he would die in three days without) we always make sure to pack extras in different suitcases and carry-ons. If a bag goes missing, we always know we've got him covered
I agree 100%--I do the same!
I would never pack medications in anything but a carryon bag.
@@cherifurr3935 I've had someone try to steal a carry on in the airport, so I pack this life saving medication in every bag, checked and carry on
I’m not 55 yet, but getting close. It is comforting to me to see that adventures don’t stop after 55. Now that our kids are grown (and having more money than we did when they were younger), I’m ready to go! We have 3 vacations booked for next year and on only one are our “kids” tagging along.
You are so right! I am in my mid-50s and I have to remind myself often that I’m not as young as I think I am. I’m like you and when on a cruise I want some adventure. Do not like the cruise excursions with so many people and all of the waiting around for everyone
Trust me, us under 50 people without kids also want to escape families. I've really appreciated your adult-only line tips because I had no idea they existed prior to watching your videos.
Good point :-)
I've done several late January, February cruises on carnival and find parents still bring their kiddos. Lots of kiddos!! I personally love kids but love them more when parents actually parent them and don't let them run wild! And I enjoy active adult pursuits.
With more home schooling and private schools (at least in U.S.), the school holiday time is getting more flexible! 🙁
I think we are doing young children a disservice by not educating them (and their parents) that many public spaces require them to be respectful of others and exhibit their best social skills. The ships can designate spaces for families (playing, dining, etc) but how do we maintain a civil society if parents do not feel the societal pressure that comes with not training your children and being asked to leave spaces when the children are disruptive.
It is incumbent on families to own the responsibility of training children how to behave in public not everyone else. I can speak from experience, my siblings had to only 'act-out' once or twice before we were told 'It is your choice - behave as we have taught or we will not be going out to fun places anymore'.
Our school district has year round school. So about every 12 weeks, they have 3ish weeks off (it varies). When my kids were in school, we traveled on off times not like traditional school year and loved it.
@@anthonycbrown1952 I cringe when I see parents not parenting. Ask my kids…they were taught well. 😂
Taking our 15 year old on a cruise with us in January. However he is well behaved kid who will likely spend most of time in club for his age group (which are supervised). LOVE adult only areas of ship-raised my kids (almost) I want the peace. Also-letting kids run wild isn't limited to cruises unfortunately-hate it when it happens in restaurants too.
Your comments on travel insurance & bringing "just in case" emergency supplies are right on. Some of us still want to travel, but fall into a category somewhere between active seniors and those confined to a wheelchair. I would love to hear your thoughts on selecting shore excursions, since most seem to be categorized by level of physicality, and ignore length of time standing, stairs (both up & down) & whether there is a hand rail, uneven terrain, etc. Many of us are still young at heart & would even consider a bus trip better than staring at the 4 walls at home. Since the view at most cruise ports is pretty industrial, staying on board isn't all that appealing.
I too would like to find info on this for every cruise. There are many of us who have some kind of mobility impairment so specific info would make it so much easier. Not seeing such info puts me off.
Agreed. My husband has MS and is still mobile, but we have to plan carefully.
I found roll call on cruise critic to be immensely helpful for our trip to Alaska. I booked everything independently, We did whale watching, canoeing, a flight to a glacier. Ate at wonderful restaurants while in port and had a wonderful time with the extra days we booked at a hotel in Alaska at the beginning of the trip.
When we went to Cuba, we booked an individual guide using Tours by Locals. We were able to completely customize our experience --- I am not interested in shopping so we avoided all of the cruise tourist shops that were part of the cruise sponsored excursions.
We have never booked a shore excursion through the cruise line -- but I do use their available shore excursions for inspiration,
We must be “long separated twins” I do no shopping whatsoever.. did the whale watching, canoeing in Ketchikan etc
Great video, Gary. Thank you for all of the tips and other sites to check out. You are always on point!
I always look forward to these videos! Always excellent advice. Thanks so much, Gary.
I live in the US and often cruise on Carnival. I am an older, solo traveler and typically cruise between September and May, outside peak vacation time and when children are in school. I like Carnival’s spa cabins because they tend to be in quieter areas of the ship. Planning to book a 2023 cruise on Celebrity as I noticed the newer ships have junior balconies which are perfect for solo travelers.
This video was filled with excellent tips and content, thanks Gary!
I have booked an Oceania cruise in May. Every single excursion I purchased from the cruiseline was the most active. Walking, hiking, biking. I like that they emphasize tours for each interest group: low impact, higher impact. :) Oceania also emphasizes small groups on most of it's excursions.
I'll also post a shout out for CONTEXT TRAVEL tours. We've done them in Mexico City, Montreal, Boston and London. They are ALWAYS amazing - and always a local resident that knows their history and culture.
Gary as always your videos are informative, useful, and fun to watch. Thanks so much for all hardwork and research you put into these videos.
I've liked having a travel guide book depending on the cruise type. A tip that I find nice is to break apart the book and carry just that port entry. A highlighter and mini stapler is nice You can assemble the info you want as you go or make them up beforehand. The pages often come out easily a few pages at a time once you get over any emotion of the taboo to desecrate the wholeness of a book.
The highlighter or pen is useful for making notes on the cruise day-to-day agenda too. Thanks Gary for providing us with such useful insights and content.
Thanks so much for the tips!
I just started watching you and Emma this last weekend. You both are so good at pointing out what we need to know. Hopefully I will be able to go on a cruise in 2022. I only have been on one and that was almost twenty years ago.
If you haven't already, you might enjoy Life Well Cruised. Ilana gives some excellent, no nonsense information, just like Gary.
I went on a Princess Alaska cruise a couple weeks ago. Due to the vaccine requirements, there were 0 kids on board. It was great! Even the comedian had fun with this!
I was on Princess Majestic and it was horrible with all of the unsupervised children. I couldn't find anywhere that was quiet and child-free.
Just saw that yours was from two years ago, and mine was two weeks ago.
@@tracytrebilcox The Majestic is one of my favorite ships and I've rarely seen children on board. You made the mistake of cruising during the early weeks of school summer vacation. When mine were young, I'd cruise with them the last week in June to the first week in July. This way I got them back home in time to begin summer camp. Our children are now adults and we never cruise when school is out.
Excellent vlog Gary; didn't know about "Roll Calls", so I'll jump onto one today for our forthcoming 2022 cruises (Feb 6 NZ, again and Aug 28 Iceland/Baltic). You are so right, once you're over 60 the organised excursions seem to dwell on tours promoting the fewer the steps the better!
I cannot walk far and use a walker, and I find that the excursions do not state enough info about stairs, handrails, cobbles and distance to walk.
Wonderful, down to earth, and very practical tips. Thanks for sharing these ideas.
This video is incredibly helpful and informative. Thank you so much!!
I love the transatlantic cruises with more sea days, fewer children, and no jet lag from an overnight flight! I have a transatlantic cruise booked for next Spring!
We've never done transatlantic because I'm concerned of the rough seas - have you found it to me pretty smooth or a mix? Thanks ❤
@@baberuthlessanddownton9647 I've done one and found the boat movement fairly smooth. The boat tended to rock front to back rather than side to side, at least on mine (Barcelona to Miami), but it was soothing for me as minor as it was. Most relaxing vacation I've ever taken!
@@baberuthlessanddownton9647 In 2018 (my last Cruise as unlike many I can't afford multiple cruises every year) I did the Transatlantic P&O Britannia from Southampton in late October to the Caribbean. 14 nights with a stop in Madeira first. Yes, the weather was bad for a few days with rough seas just after we left Southampton and in fact another ship that left some hours before us had a stabiliser ripped off which ended with it berthing in Vigo and remained there for weeks. Britannia handled it all pretty well and in fact seeing the waves and white tops speeding by was exciting (for me). After Madeira it was plain sailing... but here is the thing ... out of 14 nights holiday 8 days are spend at sea before you get to the Caribbean. It can be boring just looking at a grey sea for days on end. The weather will determine if it is a sunny trip or a grey one. If it's mostly grey sky with rain then you have to look for entertainment inside. Plenty of that so that is good fortunately. Then Heading to the Caribbean in October you might meet a spent hurricane coming towards you heading for Europe. The Captain seems pretty good at steering around them though. The good thing about going from UK to Caribbean in October is that as you get closer it gets warmer. Coming the other way in Spring it is likely to get colder as you approach the UK but the seas might be calmer in that season. Check with the Met office.
Have you done an Eastbound Transatlantic in March? I am worried about very rough seas. Thinking about Azamara from Miami to Lisbon
@@nichall8941 It depends, but it’s been mild in my experience!
Great tips Gary. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for these great excursion tips!
Good tips. I also try to avoid the half term holidays (which can vary each year). I tend to take 1 ship excursion on a week long cruise, but nearly always prefer a spontaneous DIY trip. Most ports have a tourist information booth, often selling bus & train tickets.
All excellent tips like always! Thank you!
As always, very fine tips. Thank you.
Looking forward to your Disney cruise review.
Being 53 is just a number. I can literally pass the Army physical fitness test at the same standard I did at 23 so I love to do all that physical stuff but I do not like being around children. So finding a cruise with above-average active 'seniors' like myself or 30-somethings with no children is the challenge.
I’m
55 no kids ever, I just want to zip line and eat.
@@lesliejaggers2275 Indeed.
In addition to my just previous comment, I happened to find this Grand Princess at about 40% more for a cabin by myself because all of my friends were concerned about going on cruises. So, if you keep looking and check back regularly sometimes you can find those less expensive glitches for solos.
We are trying our first transitioning cruise next year in October, Alaska to Hawaii. It’s a 16 days and it really appealed to us!
I’m 48 and my other half is 55 and I’ve never thought of the over 50 tips but I am now these are fabulous thanks so much!
Thanks Gary...always love your videos!
Excellent video, Gary, really good info. I pretty much stick to the same guidelines to avoid a lot of families on cruises. I stay on smaller ship with fewer crazy activities, go on longer cruises, usually 12 to 20 days. Our recent Apex cruise in Greece had only 3 kids on board, a 12 year old, a 4 year old and a boy about 10 who I never even saw.
Gary
Great information for the over 50 crowd. I’m 73 and enjoy cruising and hope to do Alaska again with a visit to Vancouver and Victoria. My dream cruise would be the eastern Mediterranean
Thank you for all the great advice and tips.
Such great information as always .. thx you so very much
Your best vlog yet. I love cruising - been on 2 princess cruises - Island and Regal so two very different sized ships, and two booked (when we can leave Australia) and perfect for my age (55 plus). Plenty of things to do and the shows are brilliant. Re excursions - don't do the ship ones as they are roughly double the price and not as good as too many people on them. We pre booked St Petersberg with Alla tours which was small, half the price and they were flexible with what we saw. So pre book excursions with other companies after looking at reviews . Plenty of quiet time available on Princess and also loads to do covering a wide range of activities from fast to slow.
Larry, St Petersburg is great however if not booking a ship excursion, you must ensure you have prearranged a visa for Russia. Also take care of your valuables, a fellow passenger had their passport stollen while ashore and were prevented to reboard, held by authorities overnight until emergency passport came from consulate. We're head back on a Scandinavian Sky Princess Sept 22.
@@simonb7715 Wear a money belt and put your passport there.
Gary your tips are great and being in 50s but not ready for rocking chair you advise is right on the spot . Getting ready for my 4 th cruise
Hi Gary. What do you have for us today? I don’t mind children as long as they stay out of the adult only areas. Some get in and some cruise lines are strict and speak with the parents and some have a blind eye until someone complains. I keep all my and my husbands med in my pocketbook or if a backpack or carryon is with us in case luggage is delayed or God forbid lost. Never happened to us, but have seen it with others. Great tips. See you next video.
Gary , as usually just more great info....We stay away from Summer and the
Hurricane Season...And We agree with You about Adult Friendly Ships
We have and will Cruise any Line , it just DEPENDS on where We are
Going...
Although not single, I am a Canadian senior solo traveler on a disability pension. So I have loads of time, but a razor thin budget. Most ocean and river cruises are out of my reach. But I hold out hope that a crazy good deal will come along that I can nab.
With your free time, organize a group of 8 cabins and you travel free, except for taxes and fees. Find a good travel agent to help. Maybe to Alaska, everyone wants to go there@
Thanks for the info. My wife and I have a 35-day cruise in February. Really looking forward to it.
Alaska cruise in May was fantastic. Snow still at the sea level, making the area even more scenic.
Gary another fantastic video, great tip for roll call, I haven't heard about that before. Keep up your excellent videos there allows a must see.
Glad you enjoyed it
Another phenomenal video, it's appointment viewing when that notification hits
Excellent tips. Thanks for sharing.😎
I really like your videos; I've watched 20 or so. But this one is my fave so far.
Very good information thank you 👏👏👏👏
Good info, well presented ... thanks. I haven't cruised for years, concern about the footprint the ships leave ... but as things improve, and finding you ... I am re-thinking future travel, after Covid. Keep the info coming ... so appreciatived.
Glad it was helpful!
Great Vid as usual, excellent tips.
I am a 53 y/o woman 😊! This information is EXTREMELY HELPFUL to know for my upcoming sailing 😁👏! Thank you for posting this 👏!
Thank you, Gary. I find your segments to be very helpful.
Glad you like them!
Love your tube channel, your info is so useful. Thanks once again
Thanks!
You convinced me. A cruise sounds great. BUT…the idea of paying double because there is only one of me is such a scam! I can’t eat twice as much,drink twice as much, or occupy twice as much space. I’d be ok with the regular price of a cabin, but not extra just because I’m alone. What a rip off!
A really wonderful video with valuable suggestions!
I totally agree that the best experiences have been those arranged on our own or with a small private group from the ship. It takes a little more work, but is usually an amazing experience. As to Disney Cruise Lines, there are fewer kids on board during school breaks and on longer cruises. We used to select their trans-Atlantic sailings because the kids were infants/toddlers who were either confined to the nursery or with parents. Unfortunately, Disney has figured out how to market these to parents of older kids. The problem with Disney is lack of enforcement in some of the "adult only" areas. They are good about the specialty restaurants and the night clubs after 9pm. They are NOT good about the area around the adult only pool and the Quiet Cove Cafe. The CM in the cove wants a tip, so he doesn't want to offend the guest who comes in with a child or two, even though there is a clear sign that says "over 18." The adult pool area is often used as a walk thru or a place to come to confer with a parent--sorry, the parent should get up and walk to the family area, not the kid coming into the adult area! I had a kid on wheelies (not permitted on board) skate thru the adult area, slamming into me while I was reading, spilling my tea...and skated off without so much as an "I"m sorry." Based on both the price increases at DCL and the lack of parental supervision on board, we have basically moved to adult only lines after 30 cruises on DCL. I'd like to cruise DCL again, but I can't stand the thought of unruly 12 year olds trashing the beverage or ice cream stations or invading adult areas while their parents are off doing "adult only" things. Also, Disney misrepresents their vaccine requirements. I was looking for a cruise to celebrate the end of cancer treatment, called DCL, and asked if they required full vaccination of all guests and crew. The representative said yes. So I followed up with, "So you have no children on the ship?" since at that time the vaccine had not been released to those under 12. Oh no, children don't have to be vaccinated. Well, that's not "all guests fully vaccinated" and for me, it was a health issue, not a political one.
I just LOVE your channel!! I wish I had found it prior to my last cruise for your tips and suggestions. My mother and I took what we knew would be our last cruise together. We’ve had beautiful, amazing and memorable years prior and this one was straight out of a horror show!! So incredibly disappointing! I will not let this one awful experience deter me on cruising on my own from here on out.
Im 24 so not even half way there yet but i find alot of your videos are still spot on for me and the over 50s ones are kinda just interesting to watch honestly
we did a 10 day southern Carb. cruise on Celebrity in October. There were 7 children on board. Two were under 2. It was so nice for a change!!
We did a two week Alaskan cruise on Seabourn. The shore trips were outstanding.
we've managed to have mostly good experiences on both ship and DIY excursions. But for both, we do a tremendous amount of research to try to determine whether the excursion is as good as the description claims. That said, we still have had some bad experiences, both on ship and DIY excursions. It's a learning point for future cruises as to what to look for and what to avoid.
The red hat is FABULOUS !!! And Gary, so are you.
I am solo too. I just pay the stupid double fee. But I usually only book when I get an awesome deal like $50 for a 7 day cruise. Works for me.
Dear Gary, wish you were available 10 years ago! Your information is VERY VERY useful! I love cruising , and I discovered you a few days ago. Unfortunately I cannot go cruising right now. My last long trip was on Costa from buenos aires to Shanghai in 2012 (70 days) Love repositioning. After this one we did some other cruises.
Sadly my husband passed away this year due to Covid and I have to go on with his business (a very successful home made ice cream shop) I wish to retire soon to go on cruising! God bless you. Gary. Big hug from Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷
Best thing you said was that we are not as young as we think we are. Something to keep in mind when planning my activities.
Thanks for your excellent videos Gary. My wife and I are about to sail on Sky Princess for our 35th. This is our first cruise in 28 years ! All of your tips have been hugely helpful. Keep churning them out please.
Will do! Have a fabulous time. Congrats on your anniversary and have a great cruise (after that long gap!)
Some of the best “excursions” we have had were when we joined with another couple from our cruise to hire a taxi for the day. We went to the places that interested us, which often included the places that the cruise excursions went to. But we didn’t have to wait in line in the shops or at the restrooms with a bus load of people, or wait for the last person to come back to the bus. We have had great taxi drivers; one had been a dancer on cruise ships for 17 years, another had become famous on the Internet. A driver whose English was nearly as bad as my Spanish gave both of us a chance to practice our speaking. Don’t try to just get into any taxi. Negotiate with the driver to get a sense of his personality and knowledge of the area. A good driver will know as much about the local area as a tour guide. Often hiring a driver for four people will cost about as much as taking a cruise excursion for one person, so it is like getting 75% off for a better experience.
There was a total of 10 kids onboard our trip on Norwegian on a Baltic Cruise in Sept 2016 and it was a 9 day cruise.
Great tips! I'll be joining the club in just a few months, so I thought I should educate myself ;-)
Thanks!
I just returned from the Grand Princess from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas and back. It was absolutely fabulous, Gary! Pretty much all adults. Only 1,000 passengers, 1,200 staff on a 2600 ship. Easy to see the entertainment, take part in trivia games and get around the Ship Without crowds. Just a very very pleasant time on the sea. The crew had been quarantined vaccinated and tested. All passengers were tested and vaccinated as well. Masks mostly indoors when you weren't eating or drinking. Optional outside. It was a really fabulous time to get away and back cruising again.
Great channel :) thanks
Great tips Gary
It would be brilliant to take a cruise with you Gary!
We are retired and enjoy the ship lines you review. There are others who do a nice job on the family lines. We want the smaller lines.
So agree, PLUS cruise ship tour leaders are able to communicate with the cruise, and insure that the ship stays for the tour group if there were delays. Local land excursion tour groups do not have that priviliege.
Love watching your videos full of great information and advice. Any chance you could look at Marella Cruises and the new Arvia ship from P & O . Thanks
Families with children cruise during school holidays. The cruise lines seem to miss out a lot on this market particularly with the minor school holidays, half term spring break etc. I have had a lot of problems over the years trying to book an ex-UK cruise where the whole cruise fell within the school holiday. The cruise line had cruises which were too long to fit in or they were short enough but started/finished such that they did not fit. If they ran suitable cruises at these times far fewer children would be on other cruises and spread out a lot more. I book now outside of school holidays because my daughter has gone into the workplace environment.
While I agree wholeheartedly with looking into independent tour operators, right now on Azamara we are not allowed to leave the ship unless we are on an azamara sponsored tour. So covid has limited options
One of my most memorable cruises was a National Geographic Excursion to Baja. If I could make it happen again, I would be a happy camper.
I have found Solo cabins more expensive than inside cabins in many instances. Pays to compare for solo's and not just jump at the solo cabins!
Hi Gary. I usually go on the shoulder also and longer cruises. My first holiday cruise will be on the Sky Princess December 18th for 10 days. I am hoping there will not be a lot of kids as i AM over 50 😂😂 I am on the roll call too! As always thanks for your insights
While I generally agree with you on excursions, right now (post-covid) things are very unpredictable. Especially in out-of-the-way destinations. Independent tour providers have gone out of business, their experienced staff has left, excursions getting cancelled due to not enough participants, etc etc.
For this year (and probably the first half of next year), we're sticking with the cruise line's excursions for quality purposes.
I use ToursByLocals which I’ve had excellent results with. They are independent tour guides who you can plan you tour with to fit your time and interests. The downside is you have to schedule ahead of time so could be an issue if your cruise is impacted. I don’t like shilling but you can see the individual guide’s ratings.
My wife and I try and do cruises while kids are in school. We also go on cruise lines that are more for the over fifty adults.
We once did a cruise around South America, Brazil to Chile, and there were four kids on the ship, total.
Gary, you mentioned some cruises focus more on cultural events than fun kid stuff. Could you do a video on how to suggest on-board activities to cruise lines or where to pitch if you have ideas for on-ship cultural-enrichment activities?
thank you ! more over 50s info on cruises please !!
Learned a lot, thank you. When you say solo travelers should plan ahead to get solo deals, how far in advance are you talking about?
We love cruising with Disney with our young adult children. There are plenty of areas for adults only and we love Disney and the level of service.
Thank you for this informative video. I like to learn about cruising, in hopes that one day I might be able to go on a cruise. I'm 64, and don't consider myself old, however, on many days I feel like I am 84. Your channel is awesome, Gary! Thanks!
My husband & I are 64 now. For our first cruise we didn't know where to start. Then, my son & his wife decided to take a late honeymoon cruise with family members that wanted to go, too. Since my son & his wife already picked out the cruise, we just had to sign on to the ship cruise line & pay for a cabin. Now we just go alone. We decide how many days we want to go, where & when we want to go, check out the cruise lines for those choices & pay. If you are in America, I'd suggest avoiding kid-based ships like Disney. Also, Carnival is like a large frat party for young people. Good luck getting in the pool or hot tub on that ship! Royal Caribbean is more toned down, but still a lot of families & drunks. We took Holland America to Alaska & there were hardly any kids. We're taking Holland America to the Eastern Caribbean in December on a 12-day cruise. It should be mostly seniors & a lot less noise. The noise is usually the drunks, & loud music playing on the main (Ledo) deck where the pools & hot tubs are. Feel free to ask me any questions you have. These videos are great, too!
@@merrywhiterose Thanks Mary! As a non-drinker, not once did I even think about drunk people on a ship. Duh!
My mum is 56 and probably has more adventurous holidays than I do. They seem to give over 50s the advice that over 70s would need!
Love, Love, Love Windstar!!!
Going on our 4th Winstar cruise in September to Tahiti love it
Hey, Gary! When are you going on the HAL Southern Caribbean cruise that you mentioned? I'll be on it in January. Maybe our paths will finally cross?
On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise, my mother an active healthy 72 year old. My mother tried to book several excursions with her grandchildren and she was refused due to her age. Even going to the excursion service desk was not helpful. Pretty sad that in this day and age a 72 year old is basically being told you should be put out to pasture…
My wife and I and 3 daughters travelled on cruises for many years. We did it in January and many times my 3 daughters were often the only children on the ship. Yet the crew and most guests were very friendly. My daughters were trained from very young to eat out and knew how to behave. that was many years ago as my daughters are now 36 38 and 41. Eventually I will go on a cruise with my older grandchildren are in their mid-teens.
We often use Viator to find our own excursions. One of these was swimming with manta rays in Hawaii. A definite bucket list thing I didn’t know I needed on my bucket list.
We travel on LGBTQ+ specific trips which is for adults only.
Travel critic says “We recommend the Haven for families and groups who want higher-end accommodations and amenities, in a mainstream cruise ship setting where you have access to shows, the casino and a variety of dining options. Norwegian is also a fantastic line for families with teens.
Does not sound promising if they are marketing now for kids
Gary, great video.. any suggestions on who to book shore excursions from in Alaska? Ketichikan, Juneau and Skagway are our stops? Looking at glacier fog sledding and float plane trips…