Pearl DCL cruiser tries another line for the first time: Holland America Line

[gottalovepluto]

Thank you for your review. We are pearl on DCL and we are cruising on the Niew Amsterdam in November to the Caribbean to islands that DCL doesn't visit. I was worried that HAL might be "too old" (but DH and I are in our early 60's) but it seems like a good mix of mid to later life people.

You’ll be fine! I’m mid-30s and stood out like such a sore thumb I kept getting confused for crew (in the sweetest manner, old people complimented my dancing in the show, playing at the piano bar and being general “great crew” ) but even when I kindly said that wasn’t me I was never made to feel like I didn’t belong. I didn’t care about the lack of nightlife or hit shows, I enjoyed the lecture series lol- I’m an old soul I guess. On the last day I did have a few people ask me if I enjoyed my trip being as I was so young. Kudos to those folks just speaking their minds, all were genuinely curious and nobody was rude. Someone in their ‘60s will be on the younger end but you won’t stick out and since you know what you’re going into you should have a nice time!

P. S. HOLD YOUR GROUND ON CRUISE RUN TOUR BUSES. Those sweet, elderly folks who seem like they can barely walk a couple steps are actually fast & sneaky. I saw people lose their seats on the “good side” of the bus literally mid-tour. Leave junk behind on your seats ALWAYS. Also, you will never be first in line. They have pretty much been waiting in all the lines you want to hit since the day you were born. Accept that and sleep in.

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

Thank you for your review. We are pearl on DCL and we are cruising on the Niew Amsterdam in November to the Caribbean to islands that DCL doesn't visit. I was worried that HAL might be "too old" (but DH and I are in our early 60's) but it seems like a good mix of mid to later life people. I'm getting really excited to try HAL now. I prefer longer cruises and DCL is doesn't offer many. My last DCL cruise was a 17 day B2B2B. Loved being on the ship for so long. I see all of HALs itineraries and they mostly start at 7 days and go up to 40+days. We are retiring soon so those are very interesting to us. I'm hoping we really like HAL so we have a new cruising home. DCL won't be far away though. DD just started working for Disney this year and is keeping a close eye on cast discount cruises. I want to try the Wish but I'm not spending $400+ a day per person for a non verandah cabin on a 3/4 day cruise. Too much other fish to find in the ocean!!!

Let me know how Nieuw Amsterdam is! We are sialibg her in May on the 2 week Alaskan Explorer! Hal has so many cool itineraries. I hate short cruises so most of my dcl cruises were transatlantics, long european ones or b2b of two seven nigjters

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

You’ll be fine! I’m mid-30s and stood out like such a sore thumb I kept getting confused for crew (in the sweetest manner, old people complimented my dancing in the show, playing at the piano bar and being general “great crew” ) but even when I kindly said that wasn’t me I was never made to feel like I didn’t belong. I didn’t care about the lack of nightlife or hit shows, I enjoyed the lecture series lol- I’m an old soul I guess. On the last day I did have a few people ask me if I enjoyed my trip being as I was so young. Kudos to those folks just speaking their minds, all were genuinely curious and nobody was rude. Someone in their ‘60s will be on the younger end but you won’t stick out and since you know what you’re going into you should have a nice time!

P. S. HOLD YOUR GROUND ON CRUISE RUN TOUR BUSES. Those sweet, elderly folks who seem like they can barely walk a couple steps are actually fast & sneaky. I saw people lose their seats on the “good side” of the bus literally mid-tour. Leave junk behind on your seats ALWAYS. Also, you will never be first in line. They have pretty much been waiting in all the lines you want to hit since the day you were born. Accept that and sleep in.

Hahaha guess it depends where/when. On ours you Ouldnt have stood out, they wiuld have justasked where your kids were.

As for the bus tours, we did have some older dolks needibg assistance or demanding assistance of fellow passengers and then claiming them as their personal assistant thz rest of the tour. We didnt have any seat hoppers but many ppl left stuff on the bus