Cruise lines are increasingly banning kids

Earlier this year, Oceania Cruises announced that it was “ushering in a new era of tranquillity and sophistication at sea” by becoming an adults-only cruise line, open only to those aged 18 and over.

It didn’t explain how having children is unsophisticated, but no matter. We can all agree that a cruise ship without others’ excitable offspring is certainly more tranquil, especially in restaurants and on the pool deck.

The move taps into a wider travel trend that, since the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen increased demand for adults-only hotels and land holidays, and various forms of relaxing, reward-me travel.

Oceania’s change isn’t immediate because the cruise line is honouring existing reservations. Given that some cruise customers book a couple of years in advance, you might well yet see children aboard Oceania’s ships, but you won’t be able to make further bookings for family sailings.

The announcement really just rubber stamps reality – Oceania has never provided kids’ facilities and has always aimed its cruises at mature, well-heeled travellers. It has never had many children on board, and none – at least in my experience – have been rambunctious.

The same can be said of other premium and luxury cruise lines such as Azamara, Explora Journeys, Ponant, Seabourn, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas, on whose ships children are few and far between.

There are however several adults-only cruise lines already. The most significant thanks to the size of its fleet is Viking Cruises, which positions itself as the cruise line for the “thinking person” and “curious traveller” interested in culture, history and enrichment experiences.

“Our guests consistently tell us how much they value a serene, adult-focused environment,” says Viking’s Michelle Black. “That’s why our ocean and expedition voyages have always been 18-plus, and in 2018 we extended the same minimum age to our river fleet.”

Taking a different tack to defining “adult” is Virgin Voyages, whose ships feature edgy nightclubs and entertainment, tattoo parlours, DJ pool parties and “relaxed singles and mingle meet-ups”.

For some reason, all the other adults-only cruise ships are owned by British companies. Saga Cruises isn’t just adults-only but for those over 50, should you think 40-year-olds are too silly.

Marella Cruises and Tui River Cruises (part of the same company) and Ambassador Cruise Line also operate adults-only ships, although the latter does offer occasional multi-generational itineraries.

Meanwhile, P&O Cruises UK has two adults-only ships, Arcadia and Aurora, and Fred Olsen Cruises has one adults-only ship, Borealis.

If you want the best of both worlds, then bigger, more budget ships such as those of Carnival, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean have abundant facilities and entertainment for children but also designated adults-only zones, usually 18-plus but sometimes 16-plus, which have been getting ever larger and more upmarket.

And yes, even Disney Cruise Line lets you escape the rugrats in parts of their ships. Sometimes we just need a bit of calm, and that grown-up feeling.