Oldies take over Carnival Legend

Some interesting insights from Carnival’s senior cruise director, John Heald, who is on board Carnival Legend. The ship left Dover today at the end of its summer season in Europe and there will be no Carnival cruise ships here next year.
“Fun ship” Legend is now heading for New York on a 14-night sailing via Dublin, Glasgow, Belfast, Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (that’s in Greenland) and St John’s, Newfoundland.
There are 2,147 passengers on board, just over the ship’s dual-occupancy capacity of 2,124. Four of them are over the age of 90 and there are 14 children. The average age of guests is 73, much older than Carnival would expect to reach on most of its cruises.
The figure is, however, perfectly in line with the grey market that Fred Olsen’s marketing director, Nathan Philpot, last week urged cruise lines and travel agents to accept was their natural target audience.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the presence of astronomer Dan Benedict, a pair of dance instructors and a religious minister among the entertainment team, most passengers have opted for early-sitting dinner or the “your time” option. The 1,300-seat Truffles restaurant will look empty when just 484 people turn up for the late sitting.
Comments on Heald’s Facebook posting include “That is going to be one sedate cruise” and “I would change to late seating right now. I could have the waiters to myself.”
I’m looking forward to reading Heald’s accounts of the trials and tribulations ahead during the next two weeks.