Cruising Demographics

Often times when folks come into the office looking for a vacation, not really knowing what they want, they just know they want to get out of town for a while and away from “normal”, I will more often than not, suggest that they consider my favorite vacation, a cruise. And, more often than not, they respond with the comment that they thought cruising was only for older people, and that there wouldn't be a lot to do on the ship. WRONG!!!!.....on both counts!!!

I point out that there is something to do for any age couple, for singles, and for families. Most of today's cruise lines have really been emphasizing the family aspect and building ships and activity venues that cater to all age groups. Almost all of them have award-winning children's programs supervised by a staff with college degrees in childhood education, all divided into several appropriate age-groups. Even the teenagers, though often most difficult to please, have plenty of “cool” activities created just for them, and once involved, you can forget your teenager, they are out of sight for the rest of the cruise. I know......from personal experience!! Oh my goodness, some ships have counselors who cater to children with special needs...what fun for the kids and a burden-lifter for the parent.

In fact, if that couple who was in my office wanted to take their three children, they would have to do what my wife and I do when we take our family. We request, no, demand, (especially since we are paying for it!!!) that everyone meets every night for dinner together. They can do whatever they want to do during the day....dinner time is family time on the cruise ship. And it's fun!!! And what most often happens, after dinner, the kids want to go to the entertainment venue with their parents and their grandparents....and that is special.

We've been taking cruises and cruise groups since 1981, and have seen some very interesting changes, not only in the ships but also in the habits of the persons cruising. By that I mean that back when we started, smoking on board the ship was allowed in almost every venue. I remember once going on a ship that had the casino positioned between the dining room and theater, so you had to go through the casino after dinner to get to the theater. There was no other way to get to the show except through the casino, and to do so, you would almost need a machete to get through the smoke. Nowadays, not so. Most of the cruise ships have banned smoking in the public rooms and staterooms, but they have designated areas of the ships, mostly outside, for public smoking. In fact, if there is a hint of smoke in the room, the occupants will be fined a minimum of $200 for smoking and a clean-up charge. Holland America has just banned the practice of not only smoking in the rooms, but starting in 2017, banning smoking on the balcony. Other companies under Carnival's umbrella, Princess, Seabourn, and Carnival have banned balcony smoking. Some cruise lines are doing away with their cigar lounges which were very popular 10-20 years ago. So, for all our smoking cruisers, we have to shop really hard to find cruise lines that will accommodate that demographic.

For the traveler who wants to see a lot of the world, be pampered, dined, and entertained without having to pack and unpack from place to place, and pay one price for the cruise, transportation, meals, and entertainment......the cruise experience is the BEST!!! Trust me, you'll be talking about that trip for the rest of your life, and can't wait until you can go again!!

The experienced travel counselors at The Travel Factory can lead you the right cruise to fit you or your families needs and pocketbooks, so call us at 698-1421 or 800-760-4040. It's even better if we can have a face-to-face interview about this fantastic vacation possibility, so visit us at 4150 Southwest Dr, Ste. 120. Or see what others have done, on our website: www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com.