The very best adults-only cruise strains

What are the perfect adults-only cruises — those that not solely ban youngsters however cater to grown-up tastes and pursuits?

You could be asking since you simply frolicked on a megaship the place the children took over the swimming pools and sizzling tubs (to not point out the elevators), a lot to your chagrin. Or, you is likely to be searching for a trip with extra lectures and fewer limbo — or maybe a cruise that skews extra R-rated than G.

The checklist of cruises just for adults is, alas, very brief. Solely a handful of cruise strains ban youngsters from their ships and promise cruises for grown-ups — maybe probably the most notable being cruise newcomer Virgin Voyages and fast-growing Viking. Oceania Cruises is also within the technique of turning into an adults-only line.

The pattern in cruising in recent times is, the truth is, towards extra family-focused sailings, with extra youngsters showing on ships of every type. Certainly, a number of the largest, best-known cruise manufacturers have gone full bore after the household market, to the extent that the sun-soaked high decks of their ships generally can really feel extra like a scene out of “Daddy Day Care” than a blissful trip retreat.

Do not despair, although. Whilst many strains double down on the household market, a small group of cruise operators stays all-in on the concept of adults-only cruises.

Listed below are our picks for the perfect adults-only cruise strains, with a grown-up vibe in addition.

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Virgin Voyages

The much-ballyhooed new line from Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group has banned youngsters beneath the age of 18 from its ships. It is a part of an effort to create a hipper, extra subtle, adult-focused vibe that firm leaders assume is sorely missing within the cruise world.

“We have now performed a ton of analysis actually attempting to create a complicated expertise,” Virgin Voyages’ former CEO Tom McAlpin mentioned within the days earlier than the road’s 2021 debut. “I’ve performed some private analysis. We discovered that if you put youngsters within the pool, they scream, and we do not need that.”

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Virgin Voyages’ first 4 adults-only cruise ships, 2,770-passenger Scarlet Woman and sister vessels Valiant Woman, Resilient Woman and Sensible Woman, cater to grown-ups searching for a decidedly grownup type of enjoyable with such choices as interactive dance events. Every of the vessels additionally gives a karaoke lounge with pink-and-purple karaoke rooms and a tattoo parlor (examine how one in every of our staffers was among the many first to get inked on board).

What you will not discover on the 4 ships are waterslides, watery splash zones, teen lounges and all the opposite family-friendly options which are turning into so widespread on greater ships.

Viking

To create an adults-only cruise expertise, Virgin Voyages took a web page from fast-growing Viking’s playbook. Viking’s 12-ship ocean cruise division has banned youngsters beneath the age of 18 because it debuted in 2015. Moreover, its 88-ship river cruise division has had a minimal age restrict for greater than 20 years. (Initially, the cutoff was age 12; as of 2019, that jumped to 18, too.)

Not that Virgin and Viking are something alike. Virgin is designed to attraction to millennials and older vacationers who wish to celebration like they’re millennials. Viking, against this, is the anti-millennial line.

Viking’s goal market is squarely within the 55-plus bracket. It zeroes in on that demographic with an upscale, destination-focused expertise that’s heavy on what the business likes to name “enrichment” — onboard lectures and different studying alternatives. It additionally emphasizes excursions centered on historical past and tradition (with at the very least one free tour in every port) and leisure choices that veer extra towards string quartets than dancers in string bikinis.

“What we’re trying to do is strive to not be all the pieces for everybody,” Viking’s govt vice chairman of promoting, Richard Marnell, instructed TPG. “We shouldn’t have a youngsters’ program. What we’ve got is … [an] immersive expertise that’s finest suited for those who are intellectually curious.”

Oceania Cruises

Upscale model Oceania Cruises, which operates eight comparatively small ships, is simply within the midst of transitioning to an adults-only line. The model introduced on Jan. 7 that it could now not take reservations that embody vacationers beneath the age of 18 — matching the age cut-off utilized by Virgin and Viking.

That mentioned, Oceania mentioned it could honor all reservations made earlier than Jan. 7 that included youthful vacationers. Meaning you would possibly nonetheless discover youngsters on some Oceania ships over the following two years, because the model already was taking bookings for some crusing as far out as April 2028.

In making the announcement, Oceania mentioned the coverage shift got here after intensive analysis that included suggestions from previous prospects, new-to-the-brand vacationers and journey brokers.

“Our visitors have constantly shared that the tranquil surroundings aboard our ships is among the major causes they return time and time once more,” Jason Montague, Chief Luxurious Officer of Oceania Cruises, mentioned in a press release. “By transitioning to an adults-only expertise, we’re enhancing the very essence of the Oceania Cruises journey – one outlined by sophistication, serenity and discovery.”

Like Viking, Oceania focuses on destination-intensive itineraries that typically attraction to an older crowd together with retirees, with sailings that span the globe.

P&O Cruises

This storied British line clearly sees the demand for adults-only cruise ships, nevertheless it is not giving up on the household market, both. The road splits the distinction between the 2 segments. 5 of its seven vessels (Arvia, Iona, Britannia, Ventura and Azura) are marketed as “family-friendly” and open to passengers of all ages. The opposite two (Arcadia and Aurora) are reserved solely for adults on most sailings.

Provided that greater than 95% of the Southampton, England-based cruise line’s passengers are British, you may most likely wish to be both British your self or a serious Anglophile to think about reserving one of many latter two vessels. Crusing with P&O Cruises is a really British expertise, one thing that turns into clear the second you see its vessels — even earlier than you board. They function hulls painted with large Union Jacks.

Moreover, you may discover quintessentially British choices like elaborate afternoon teas, quoits on the highest deck and restaurant menus designed by cooks massive in the UK, reminiscent of Marco Pierre White, on board P&O Cruises ships.

That mentioned, when you’re a Princess Cruises fan, you would possibly really feel proper at residence on a P&O Cruises ship. Nestled beneath the identical company umbrella, the 2 manufacturers are longtime sisters which have swapped ships forwards and backwards (although Holland America followers is likely to be to know that Arcadia shares a ship design with that line’s Vista Class).

For reserving functions, P&O Cruises considers anybody who can be 18 or older when crusing an grownup.

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Saga Cruises

Like P&O Cruises, Saga Cruises is a British line that has honed in on the enterprise of providing voyages only for adults, nevertheless it goes manner past what P&O Cruises or every other line does in shunning youthful vacationers. The minimal age at Saga Cruises is not 18 and even 21 — it is 50.

That is proper — you will not discover a single millennial and even that many Technology Xers on board a Saga Cruises ship (at 59, even the oldest members of Gen X solely make the cutoff by 9 years). As an alternative, what you’ll find is a whole lot of child boomers, lots of them retired.

Saga Cruises operates simply two ocean vessels, crusing solely out of the U.Okay., plus a number of river ships. Like P&O Cruises, it is a product that’s most likely finest for British vacationers or big-time Anglophiles.

Different adult-focused cruises

Along with strains that ban passengers beneath the age of 18 outright, quite a lot of cruise operators permit younger youngsters however get comparatively few of them.

Examples embody such upscale strains as Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn, which cater closely to an older crowd. Small-ship specialist Windstar Cruises permits tweens and youngsters on its seven ships, nevertheless it does not permit any youngsters beneath the age of 8.

Scenic Luxurious Cruises & Excursions, which sells each ocean and river cruises, historically discourages prospects from bringing passengers beneath the age of 12 on vessels besides throughout Christmas vacation sailings.

Additionally, the longer the cruise, the less youngsters you’ll find. E-book a two-plus-week crusing to a extra unique location, like Asia or South America, throughout the college 12 months on a line like Holland America or Princess, and you may share the ship predominantly with adults.

As well as, budget-friendly line Carnival previously 12 months has begun providing a really small variety of invitation-only adults-only sailings geared toward gamblers, which embody expanded on line casino gaming, themed events and different choices geared toward adults. Passengers on these sailings should be 21 or older.

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