One of the most popular types of holidays for seniors is a cruise. It’s perfectly understandable, since you not only get to travel, but also see any number of places, and spend the entire time being pampered. For most people, what could be better than that? It’s like being in a moving luxury hotel.
The Attraction Of Cruises
A number of cruise lines cater specifically to the older market, making sure they offer things like disabled access, special diets and a variety of lectures and entertainment that will appeal to seniors. It’s a lucrative market, with disposable income and plenty of time to enjoy it.
Senior cruises also have a doctor on board, and are equipped to take care of most minor medical problems. If you contact the cruise line beforehand about any particular problems you have, they will make sure they have appropriate medication in stock before you set sail.
Many women cruise alone, and can feel vulnerable whilst at sea. To avoid that, most cruise lines now have what they call gentleman hosts. These are carefully-screened men who are available to escort single women, dance and dine with them and also accompany them on excursions on shore. Having been well-vetted, they bring a sense of security, and the knowledge that they’re there can bring more unaccompanied women into cruising.
For the disabled, many new ships are specially equipped with wheelchair-accessible rooms, and all manner of gadgets to make life easier.
All these factors add together to make the idea of a cruise a pleasure for older people, making travel easy, without having to deal with luggage in airports, packed flights and getting to and from a resort.
Also, there’s a chance to travel with people in the same age group. Although that doesn’t mean you’ll make friends with everyone, there are common bonds and experiences which make things more enjoyable.
Meals
One of the great attractions of cruises is the food. The meals are sumptuous and food is available 24 hours a day. But as we grow older, many of us have restrictions on our diets, which can cause problems. The advantage of senior cruises is that they understand that and are set up to accommodate it. As with medical problems, if you inform them in advance, they’ll be able to take care of any special eating requirements.
Entertainment
Obviously, seniors don’t want the same kind of entertainment as much younger people, so senior cruises not only have dances with music that will appeal to the audience, they also offer such things as lectures. Not deep, academic stuff, but light yet informative material.
Shore excursions are also planned with seniors in mind. There’s not too much walking, but still plenty of opportunity to see the sights and do some shopping, especially for souvenirs.
With Grandchildren
Although one of the lures of a senior cruise is being with other seniors, some lines have begun offering cruises which allow seniors to take their grandchildren along. It’s proved popular, since it allows the two generations to have a good holiday together (and the grandparents can spoil without any interference from the parents!), and helps create a strong bond.
Offered during school holidays, the great advantage of being on a liner means that the children don’t have to be constantly supervised, and things are arranged so that during the day there are separate activities for the different age groups. Families come together in the evening for meals followed by activities intended to bridge the generation gap.
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