I have never really wanted to cruise, but finally gave in to my husband's request. We have booked HAL, out of FLL, to the W. Caribbean, leaving Saturday July 2. I hope you will bear with me, because I have a lot of questions. Thank you all in advance.

I have heard that HAL caters mostly to seniors. We are not QUITE in that category yet, but don't mind that at all. So is senior 50 - or is it 75? And in that case, should we expect fewer children, even though it is a summer holiday week?

Formal nights - I have convince my husband to wear his tux. We have 2 formal nights. Will jackets be required on the other 5 nights, or do some men wear only a collared shirt & nice slacks? He hates the idea of wearing a jacket every single night, although I suppose we can have buffet once or twice. The amount of clothes we need to bring is mind-boggling.

We have purchased Bonine and Dramamine. Anything better, experienced cruisers?

Thanks again. I know I'm overworking this thing, but I always plan every vacation down to the last detail, and this one has a lot of unknowns!

It depends on the ship and the time of year so I am guessing you will have quite a few familie on board and that it may be a bit younger demographic.

Your husband will not need a jacket the other five nights although on HAL you will likely see some men at dinner in sport coats on one or two of the semi formal nights. Yes, some will wear a long sleeve dress shirt and then polo type shirts on casual nights.

You might want to consider the accupressure bands for seasickness. No side effects.

Well bon voyage! Just relax and enjoy the cruise. I'll bet it won't be your last. My only suggestion is to not book toursa with the ship if you feel so inclined. There will be plenty of cabs waiting when you disembark. This way we prefer because you can get off when you feel like it, it will be less expensive and you are own your own. Of course it is up to you and your comfort level. Cheers, Larry

We've used Bonine for years. Make sure to take a dose before the ship leaves port. It's too late to take it once you get seasick.

If you are "mindboggled", you're packing too much. I generally bring a dark blue suit for formal nights, and than wear a pair of khaki or gray slacks with the dark blue jack on other nights with a polo or t-shirt. I tend to wear a jacket most nights, but after a dozen cruises we try to pack light.

During the summer you will find a mix of all ages but in general the crowd will be older than a Carnival cruise.

I agree with Frank; Bonine is what my wife has used for over 10 years and has never had any side effects, such as drowsiness. She even takes it an hour or so before boarding our flights to our port city. Never a complaint about naseau, and we've cruised in some very rough seas.
Regarding children, there will probably be more than normal, but that's not many on HAL ships. Besides, HAL has a high pax/space ratio on their ships, which means more space and fewer pax.
For a seven day cruise,rent a tux and take a blazer or sports coat for semi-formal nights. One of the biggest mistakes most first-timers make is to "overpack". Look close at what your taking and ask yourself if it's necessary. There's laundry service for a fee, plus most HAL ships have several public washer/dryers if you prefer to do your own.
Don't worry about the "age" thing; you'll find all age groups represented. Have a great cruise and remember to post your thoughts after the cruise.

Regards...Bob

Thank you all for your tips.

We sailed on the Westerdam in February and before that the Oosterdam in the Baltic. We aren't "quite" seniors either. (early 50's)

Your TA will have given your ages to HAL when booking and they will try to seat you with people your age for dinners etc. On our last cruise we were at a table for seven that had two other couples our age and a single older gentleman. We had great conversations as we all had something in common and some differences.

There are all ages on these cruises and you'll be sure to find friends with common interests no matter what age they are.

My husband wears his tux on formal nights - it's the only place that he gets to wear it anymore and I must say he looks great in it.<g> But he refuses to wear a jacket on other nights. He wears a nice shirt or sweater and dress slacks and has always felt comfortable and dressed appropriately.

He might want a jacket for the Pinnacle if you book that. We haven't because we've been too busy.