A life on the ocean waves can be appealing at any age, and the demographic of people choosing a cruise for their holidays has altered over the past couple of decades. Yet it still remains an appealing option for holidaymakers in their later years. Gray Gibson is Channel’s resident cruise specialist and offers some advice to senior travellers looking to cruise.
There are a number of aspects to cruising that are higher priorities for seniors compared to their younger shipmates.
Itinerary choice - This has a greater degree of importance since many older holiday makers have already travelled to many destinations. Also important are the quality and quantity of enrichment programmes available onboard to keep brains active on holiday during retirement years.
Expedition cruises - For active seniors who crave closer encounters with the wild, Alaska is a great choice. An eight-ship, naturalist-led cruise line with Un-Cruise Adventures or Alaska Dream Cruises will not only give you an incredible up-close-and-personal interaction with glaciers and wildlife, but it will do so with pampering and panache. Fares are not cheap, but the cruises are nearly all-inclusive. Some offer twice-daily jaunts by Zodiac right up to the faces of calving glaciers and salmon-fishing bears. On the slightly more sedate "heritage" sailings, passengers can scope out wildlife through binoculars up on the bridge. Onboard cuisine relies heavily on the freshest locally procured meats and seafood, meals are communal, and a great sense of camaraderie quickly develops among passengers, naturalists and crew.
Scenic Cruises - The North Cape (Norwegian Fjords) is a popular option. Hurtigruten is a cruise line that has native familiarity with Norway, its people and its "fjord-scape." Their ships are a combination of cruise ship, car ferry, mail ship and cargo carrier. On a typical one-week cruise, passengers can expect to make more than 35 port calls as the ship wends its way up and down the most scenic and remote Norwegian Fjords. You can time your journey to take in the Northern Lights.
Scenic River Cruises - Having a wide-open vantage point is key to a successful scenic river cruising experience. Given that ships sail nearly year-round, getting that great perspective from an outside deck is often not the best solution, especially in the middle of a European winter. Instead, you'll want to have a great point of view from your own cabin, and that's why we recommend Avalon Waterways. The majority of cabins on these ships do not have balconies, the space having been incorporated in a larger cabin. They still have floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass that can be opened.
It’s time to sit back and enjoy the world! A cruise is the perfect answer for this.
