For people over 50 looking to travel there is no typical type. Not all of them want to go scuba diving off Australia and zipline through a rain forest canopy, nor do they all want to be on some quiet cruise with all other retired people. Not all of them have 401Ks with a value of well over a million dollars, nor do they live on social security alone. Looking at different advertising campaigns by cruise lines and tour companies it is easy to think those are the main types, but we all know most are well in the middle of that. That is where a travel advisor can come in and figure out the needs, and what sort of trip is appropriate.
I think cruises are a great vacation for people over 50. There is such a wide range of itineraries, and the type of people on a given cruise. A Celebrity cruise in the Mediterranean in September will have a very different type of passenger than a Celebrity cruise to the Bahamas in spring break. Neither is better than the other, but it is good to be aware of when selecting the cruise. Cruises also let each person in a group do as much or as little as they want. If someone wants to relax by the pool and another go play trivia that is no problem.
Also being aware of physical limitations becomes a factor as we get older. Sure, it might be no problem to do a 8-hour excursion without difficulty but doing 2 or 3 on 7-night cruise might be a lot. One of the big advantages of organized tour groups is the busy work of taking care of transportation and all the logistics is taken care of, so a package that at first glance may seem like a lot it can be more doable because so much is done for you. Once again a travel advisor can help guide you with this.
Being over 50 years old open up more opportunities. Listening to ALL the members of traveling party is critical as it needs to be enjoyable for all of them.