I recently enjoyed a 24 day trip to Europe, which included 12 days on a Viking River Cruise; City of Lights! These cruises are generally geared toward the more “experienced” crowd… aka, older folks.  In my late 30s, I wasn’t exactly the target client. However, I had an absolutely wonderful time! I’ll share some tips and what to expect if you aren’t retired, and what it’s like to sail on a Viking River Cruise as a young person!

 

How Did This Happen, Anyway?

Many of my same-age friends wondered how exactly I found my way onto a Viking River Cruise in my 30s. I was invited by a dear friend (who is in her 70s, their target crowd). She was looking for someone to go with her after her significant other let fear get in the way of exploring the world. I was in!

So what’s it like to sail on a Viking River Cruise as a young person? Marvelous. Just be prepared to be technical support (it’s charming!), be “fixed up” with everyone’s son (or daughter), and to learn all about the crew relationships.

Some Things to Know: What It’s Like to Sail on a Viking River Cruise as a Young Person

Sailing on a Viking River Cruise as a young person had its moments of endearment, frustration, relaxation and bewilderment. Other passengers will tell you incredible tales, share stories about life and offer incredible business advice if you are open to it. I certainly was! They seemed to share a knowledge and general understanding about life that I didn’t.  I tried to be open to learning from the wealth of information around the table. Breaking bread each night with the same crowd allowed me to get to know them a bit more, learn what made each feel satisfied and find common denominators about loving life.

Internet. It’s a Mess.

Most of the folks on the cruise will become frustrated with their lack of internet access because they cannot video with their grandchildren or post to Facebook (really!).  I was wildly frustrated and stressed because I couldn’t get my work done. I had no internet or cell reception through some of the longest stretches of the River.  This meant that I spent times others were touring on buses and walking around cities finding an internet cafe and getting work done. Be prepared for that. I wasn’t expecting just how bad internet access would be on river cruise ships. The crew also expressed their utter frustration and lack of resolution by management.

Technical Support: It’s All On You, Baby.

I fixed a few older folks phones, like anyone my age would. Each afternoon, when I would lay on a couch and open a book after work, a line would begin to form. At first it was reasonable; a passenger every 30 minutes asking for help. By the 6th day, I had 15-20 passengers bringing me their various devices for technical support. It was both amusing, endearing and exhausting at the same time. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Crew Relationships Were Like a Soap Opera

Most of the folks on the cruise were involved and interested in learning about the relationships amongst the crew. Mostly, they wanted to encourage love affairs, which I found fascinating! As I came to learn (from talking with the passengers who directly asked the crew!), there were many love affairs happening around me. I never would have picked up on this myself. Knowing these older folks were so interested in the relationships of the crew was sweet and odd at the same time.

Passengers Will Try to Set You Up!

Many of the passengers tried to set me up with their children or in some cases, grandchildren!  If I had $5 for every time I heard “can we FaceTime with my son? He would adore you” my next cruise would be paid for! I suggest just rolling with it. It’s sweet, and who knows.. maybe you’ll meet the one after all!

Advice – And Then Some!

One of the things I loved most about traveling with people much older than me (every single person on the boat was at least 20 years older) was the advice. Everyone had such wonderful, unique stories about love, life and the quest for happiness.. and their own secret recipe for all three. Try to listen with your heart and try not to stress about the work that isn’t getting done (easier said than done). I learned a lot from talking with others. This was quite possibly the most thought provoking group I’ve traveled with.

At the end of the day…

I adored my time with the older crowd on the cruise. I have always feared growing older. Spending time with so many people in their golden years helped me see first hand that we can enjoy retirement, embrace getting older and that when you are with your own peers, wrinkles don’t matter so much. No one on this trip was concerned with their next Botox appointment.

One thing that was a constant reminder though: everyone on the cruise had a partner. No one was traveling alone (except, one could argue, my friend and I who were co-traveling but obviously not a couple). At the end of the day, what I took away from this time sailing on a river cruise as a young person is that you need to enjoy talking with your partner because looks will fade. And of course, that life is better and more fulfilling when you aren’t alone.  I believe this may be why they were so interested in the love lives of the crew. They know it’s the secret to happiness.

These couples knew one another incredibly well; the good and the bad. They loved one another endlessly, anyway. That was perhaps the most important thing I learned. If you get the chance, sail on a Viking River Cruise as a young person, at least once.

I do plan to go again, perhaps with my daughter or .. maybe one of the passengers sons. 🙂

I will share more about the cruise itself in another post!