Viking River And Ocean Cruises
In August 2018, Viking updated and tightened its terms and conditions regarding age considerations. The cruise line now only accepts new reservations from passengers ages 18 and over as of the embarkation date. The cruise line is known for its all-inclusive policy that covers Wi-Fi, wine and beer with meals, 24-hour complimentary in-room coffee and tea service, and a shore excursion in every port.
Adults can cruise for eight to 23 days on 11 different European waterways or on rivers in Russia and Ukraine, as well as on fabled passages such as the Nile, the Yangtze and the Mekong rivers. Viking Ocean Cruises was introduced in 2015 to supplement the river programming and currently sails the world with six ships, plus four additional vessels due to launch by 2023.
% Adult Only Cruise Lines
People who are looking for a relaxing and quiet cruise trip can now opt for adult only cruises. No more yelling children in the pool or crying toddlers in the restaurants. This relatively new concept has emerged due to the popularity of adult only areas aboard regular cruise ships. It was only a matter of time before this was extended to entire ships.
While most cruise lines still focus on offering family-friendly cruises, there are some that have pioneered adult-only cruises. Their ships are either entirely kid-free or at least their kid-friendly facilities keep away traveling families. Some cruise lines simply have adult-only ships others still accept children, but definitely have fewer on board.
The key to finding adult-only cruises is looking for those sailings that lack family appeal. Ships without children facilities and cruises with a strong focus on culture, food and history will naturally have far fewer kids onboard. Below, youll find some of the best adult-only cruises available today.
Best Overall: P& o Cruise
Courtesy of P& O Cruise
- Ship Name: Aurora
- Itinerary: Andalsnes, Norway Romsdalsfjord, Norway Tromso, Norway Alta, Norway Stavanger, Norway Southampton, UK
After undergoing a refurbishment in early 2019, the 1,874-passenger Aurora is now one of three adults-only vessels that sail under P& O cruises . Aurora is ideal for cruisers who enjoy ocean cruising on a mid-sized ship, with an array of dining options and several cabin choices ranging from interior to spacious suites. Dance classes, a full-service spa, a theater, movie cinema, casino, and a number of bars and lounges including the bustling, four-story central atrium are all available onboard the vessel. For a chance to see the northern lights, Aurora sails round-trip on a breathtaking voyage through Norwegian fjords and dramatic scenery.
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Select Sailings Offer Special Programming Geared To Grown
Disney is known to offer extra ways to celebrate throughout the year, with select cruises that are themed after holidays or fandoms, including the following standout sailings.
Star Wars Day at Sea on Disney Fantasy
Star Wars Day at Sea takes place on one day of a 7-night voyage with iconic characters like Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Darth Vader. A “Star Wars” themed fireworks show, movie marathon, costume celebrations, trivia sessions, and scavenger hunts also take place.
New Year’s Eve on select sailings
Disney offers special programming on cruises for Christmas and Halloween, but there is something extra romantic about spending New Year’s Eve at sea with a festive dinner menu, a New Year’s Eve dock party, and the Disney characters dolled up in their finest.
Insider Tip: If you like to dress up, these themed days are a great opportunity to break out your Princess Leia or Loki costumes, or don a celebratory dress or tux.
Carnival Cruise Line: Serenity Adult
Located on all of Carnival Cruise Line’s cruise ships, this adults-only outdoor hideaway is a tranquil oasis hidden away from bustling venues and family-friendly areas. Access to the space is complimentary for passengers 21 and older guests can enjoy relaxing loungers, daybeds and whirlpools. Take in the warm sun and ocean breeze with a signature sangria in hand, or stop for a healthy meal at Fresh Creations Salad outlet . Make the most of your alone time with a quick nap and a good book, or simply kick back and relax before heading back into the high-energy environment elsewhere on the ship.
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Whether For A Honeymoon Or Just Some Well
If you want a bit of alone time, a cruise is a fantastic option. An opportunity to go off the grid, not check your email, and really spend quality time with your loved one. Whether you are newlyweds, parents taking a holiday sans kids, or parents of grown-up childrensometimes you just want a bit of adult time. There are several ships now offering not only an adult-only retreat but an entire adult-only cruise. From April 8, 2019, P& O UK is re-launching the newly refurbished Aurora as adults only. She will sail itineraries including Europe, Transatlantic crossings, the Caribbean, South America, North America, Canada and Australia. The Aurora joins the other adult-only P& O UK ships, the Arcadia and Oriana.
Other ships that are exclusively adults-only include The Viking Star and Sea, launched in 2015 and the Virgin Voyages first ship which is due to launch in 2020.
What does adult-only cruising mean? For most ships, this means an age restriction on 18 and over. So while you may get some young adults on your ship, there wont be a screaming toddler or moody teenager for many a nautical mile around. If you havent considered adults-only cruising, here are five benefits our My Cruise Holiday Experts think you would enjoy.
Best Cruise Line For Parents Leaving The Kids At Home
We know that some parents feel guilt about leaving the kids while they go on a cruise. Thats normal, but it should subside oh about five seconds after getting on the ship.
If youre an adult couple leaving the kids at home, then its likely you want to let loose a little bit now that you dont have to worry about being responsible for a kiddo for a few days. In that case, we suggest sailing on Carnival preferably one of their newer Vista-class ships.
Carnival, in our opinion, is the most free-wheeling of the cruise lines. Its generally known as the line where people let loose a little bit more and have fewer reservations about partying or hanging out with strangers and having a good time. From the staff to the ships atmosphere, its all cheery and fun-loving.
For adults, there is the Serenity area , which despite not having a pool, does include hot tubs. Many people also like the half-circle loungers for couples that offer a measure of privacy for those wanting to feel like they are all alone on a ship full of people.
As well, Carnival often has some of the lowest prices of the major cruise lines as well as the most ships and departure ports. That makes it fairly convenient and inexpensive to have a quick getaway without the kids.
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Things To Consider For Adult & Couple Cruises
Having Adults-Only Space: Yes, there are adult-focused cruise lines. But before you simply book one of those, know that they tend to be more expensive than mass market lines. As well, they dont have near the number of ships or departure ports as larger lines that also welcome families.
In other words, unless you have no problem flying to a port and have a flexible schedule, adult-focused lines might be out of the question.
Thats why its smart to instead focus on ships that have appealing adults-only areas. These days most ships have them, but they can vary widely. For instance, on many Royal Caribbean ships there is a Solarium area that is a covered pool designed only for adults. Thats appealing to some, but if you want something thats more open air, then you might like Carnivals Serenity Adult-Only Retreat. This is open-air with hot tubs and private seating. However, there is no pool.
In other words, before you book your trip, youll want to weigh the pros and cons of any adults-only area the ship may have.
Ship Atmosphere: Just like any hotel, every cruise line has a different atmosphere. Some are fun and outgoing while others are more reserved and stately. It goes without saying that matching up the atmosphere of the cruise line with what youre looking for in a vacation can make a major impact on your enjoyment.
Spend The Extra Money To Cruise With A Luxury Line
The final strategy for avoiding kids on a cruise is to book a line where families arent catered to. In fact, some luxury lines dont even allow kids on board). The biggest barrier to this is price, a 7-night luxury cruise will often cost upwards of $2,000 per person. But if you can afford the hefty price tag, these lines are your best option for truly adults-only cruises:
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Best Holiday Cruise: Azamara Club Cruises
Courtesy of Azamara Club Cruises
- Duration: 15 nights
- Ship Name: Azamara Pursuit
- Itinerary: Montevideo, Uruguay Santos, Brazil Ilhabela, Brazil Paraty, Brazil Buzios, Brazil Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Copacabana Beach Brazil, Punta Del Este, Uruguay Buenos Aires, Argentina
Azamara Club Cruises operates smaller, upscale vessels that travel one-off itineraries around the globe calling in smaller, less-visited ports that others don’t stop at. The company puts an emphasis on destination immersion, and appeal to adults who want to go deeper into the local culture with shore excursions. Azamara is one of the few companies that stays in port overnight, and in doing so they bundle evening excursions in the price . The newest ship, Azamara Pursuit, debuts this year and is offering a winter holiday cruise that spends New Years Eve at Copacabana Beach in Brazil.
Which Cruise Lines Offer Adults
When you want to get away from it all, theres nowhere better than a gleaming ocean liner. Saga Cruises offer holidays exclusively for over 50s. Their luxury, boutique-style ships have been carefully designed to offer the utmost comfort. The worlds oldest cruise line P& O Cruises has two adults-only ships in its impressive fleet. Arcadia and Aurora offer once-in-a-lifetime adventures in adults-only bliss. Though Fred. Olsen is not strictly an adults-only cruise line, they do offer a wide selection of cruises just for adults.
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Which Carnival Ships Have Adults
The main pools on a Carnival ship can get pretty busy with children, so an adults-only pool is a perfect solution. Unfortunately, less than half of the Carnival ships have a pool in the Serenity Area. So if you love an adults-only pool during your cruise, youre limited in your options.
These Carnival ships have a pool in the Serenity Area:
- Carnival Vista 1 hot tub
Do I Have To Pay A Cover Charge At A Bar Club Or Casino
Access to clubs, bars and lounges is generally gratis. Most are open to everyone during the day and might even play host to groups of children taking part in activities sponsored by the onboard kids clubs. But at night, many don’t allow minors due to the prevalence of drinking, smoking and late-night comedy with a racy twist.
Casinos also don’t charge for entry, but if you stick around and don’t get lucky, you’ll end up in the hole. They never allow minors, but, as with select bars, some casinos are located in central areas that serve as thoroughfares to get from one side of the ship to the other, meaning you might see kids in the vicinity as they’re passing through.
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Best Cruise Line For Romance
Adults looking for a romantic getaway can do worse than setting sail with Princess Cruises. In fact, the line has an entire section of its website dedicated to travelers looking for romance.
So what makes Princess a winner for couples looking to enjoy each other? First, there is more of a focus on romance than with other cruise lines. For example, if youre looking for fun and romantic, theres the Love Boat Disco Deck Party. For others, there are cooking demonstrations and wine-tastings. Heck, there are even ballroom dancing classes if you want to practice for elegant night.
And while there are places to get married on pretty much any cruise ship, Princess also has anniversary, engagement and honeymoon packages available.
Furthermore, the more sophisticated atmosphere of Princess ships mean that fewer families set sail on the line.
True Adults Only Cruise Lines
There are only a few cruise lines out there that offer trips that allow only passengers 18 and up, but they are definitely worth checking out. Viking Ocean Cruises is a cruise line known for catering solely to adults, featuring activities like wine tasting and cooking classes . Their ships also have libraries, spas and fitness centers. U by Uniworld is another cruise line that is for grown-ups, but their approach is a bit livelier than Vikings. Their two ships, the A and the B, both cruise through European rivers and offer yoga, dancing, bars and a nightclub, in addition to off-kilter options like tent camping on the ship itself. Both of these cruise lines offer classy activities on the shore, like biking, tours and other excursions designed to check out the local cultures. Finally, theres also Saga Cruises, which only allows passengers over 50, and offers free drinks among other activities.
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Virgin Voyages Making Cruises Hip
Its been known for a while now that Virgin Voyages is in the works and, recently, the company has started to release bits and pieces of information with regards to its actual plans.
During an event earlier this spring, Virgin revealed more details as to what theyre up to. It was announced that sailings are expected to begin sometime in 2020 from Miami. Not a whole lot of information was provided, though. It was more a #ShipTease than anything else. Everyone knows how great Branson and Virgin are at promoting and marketing themselves and this event was exactly thatkeeping the public wanting more and sparking their interest. It all, of course, worked like a charm. Everyone is yearning to find out more now.
What they did reveal, however, was the ships design, interior characteristics and exterior public areas.
Virgin Voyages mission is to change sea vacations. It will do so through an entirely new and fresh take on what a cruise should be like. They say: Curiosity is more important than an itinerary. Interactions matter more than transactions. With us, you dont touristyou voyage.
With their Creative Collective of world-renowned designers, they aim to redefine how people think about cruises. Each aspect of a Virgin Voyages cruise will focus on offering a meaningful cruise experience their sailors.
Princess Cruises: The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary, an adults-only retreat , offers cruisers an escape from the more bustling public spaces of the Princess ships. The relaxing top-deck venue is available on all of the Princess Cruises ships and features plush lounge chairs, a spa-like setting and Serenity Stewards that serve light bites, spa cuisine and other refreshments. To fully unwind, consider reserving a private cabana, where you can book an open-air massage. The child-free venue varies from ship to ship. For example, Sky Princess and Emerald Princess, newer vessels in the line, boast a unique contemporary design and twice as many cabanas as older ships. On Sky Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess and Royal Princess, adults can also enjoy an exclusive pool and bar area. If you’re heading off the ship for an excursion to Princess Cays , plan to chill out for the day in an adults-only Sanctuary Bungalow. Located just minutes from the ocean and beach, the rentals accommodate four people and the price includes two complimentary float rentals. You can also order a gourmet picnic to enjoy while lounging on shore.
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No Kids Allowed Five Fantastic Adult Only Cruises
The family cruise market is booming, with big players like Royal Caribbean, Disney and Norwegian Cruise Line vying to attract tribes of tots to teens with waterparks, cool kids clubs, adrenalin activities and cute characters but what about those potential cruisers who dont have kids or do but want to make the most of grandmas obligation as an unpaid babysitter and leave the little ones behind?
What about those who crave a simpler age when holidays as luxurious as a cruise were reserved for adults only and the kids were happy with a week at the seaside.
If youre craving a sophisticated time at sea, without a giant SpongeBob SquarePants killing the mood or the whoops and screams from flumes spoiling your relaxing swim take a look at these adult only cruises for guaranteed grown up time:
On Castaway Cay A Stretch Of Sand Is Reserved For 18 And Up
One of the highlights of Disney’s Caribbean cruises is a port stop at the cruise line’s private island, Castaway Cay, in the Bahamas. I love the white-sand beaches, crystal clear water, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, biking, BBQ, and there is even a 5k race awarding medals at the end.
The main beach welcomes families, and as such, teems with children. However, the secluded Serenity Bay is reserved just for those over 18. My advice? Book an open-air Cabana Swedish Massage under swaying palm trees followed by a margarita from the Castaway Air Bar.
Insider Tip: For added luxury and privacy, book a cabana at Serenity Bay for around $399 for four people. There is limited inventory, so make sure to book ahead of time.
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Seabourn Odyssey Sojourn And Quest
Seabourn is one of the six-star luxury lines and whilst not specifically child free, the style of cruising and the cost mean that youve got about as much chance of catching sight of a child riding a dolphin across the ocean as you have on one of these cruise ships.
Suite-only Odyssey boasts ultra-decadent cabins .
Youll have a complimentary bath menu to peruse or maybe you want a sprinkling of rose petals on your bed?
No problem!
If you can bear to leave the cabin a quiet pool and spa area await and once youve worked up an appetite with all that strenuous relaxation you can work your way through a gourmet seven course dinner.
Just add candlelight and youll feel like youve floated off to seventh heaven by coffee and petit fours.
Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Cruise Line