Adults-Only Cruises: Are They Right for You?
From Virgin Voyages to Viking and Oceania, discover a different way to cruise.
By Jim Hoover, Cruise Planners Travel Advisor
When you hear “adults-only cruise,” what comes to mind?
Maybe you picture a quiet ship filled with couples relaxing by the pool with a glass of wine. Or perhaps you’re imagining a lively evening with great food, music, dancing, and a party that doesn’t wind down until well after midnight.
The surprising answer is that an adults-only cruise can be either one—and just about everything in between.
Virgin Voyages and Viking are two of the best-known examples. Both are designed for adult travelers, but the experiences couldn’t be more different. And now Oceania Cruises has joined the adults-only category for new reservations, giving travelers another very different option.
That’s what makes adults-only cruising so interesting. It’s not really about the absence of children. It’s about creating an entire vacation experience designed around adults.
1. What Does “Adults-Only” Really Mean?
An adults-only cruise has a minimum age for guests rather than designing the ship around families traveling with children. But don’t confuse adults-only with one particular style of cruising.
Removing kids’ clubs, water parks, character experiences, and other family-focused amenities gives cruise lines the opportunity to use that space in very different ways. That might mean more restaurants and bars, expanded spa facilities, sophisticated entertainment, quiet spaces, enrichment programs, or simply more places for adults to relax.
2. Why Choose an Adults-Only Cruise?
For some travelers, the biggest attraction is obvious: no kids. But the difference goes beyond having a quieter pool deck. Because these ships aren’t trying to appeal simultaneously to toddlers, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and everyone in between, the cruise line can build the entire experience around adult travelers.
- More sophisticated dining
- More adult-oriented entertainment and nightlife
- Expanded bars, lounges, spa and wellness experiences
- Fewer large family attractions
- Programming designed specifically for adults
- More opportunities to socialize with other adult travelers
3. Virgin Voyages: Fun, Modern & Completely Different
If you’ve cruised before and think you know how cruising works, Virgin Voyages may surprise you. Virgin deliberately threw out quite a few traditional cruise conventions. Guests—Virgin calls them Sailors—must be at least 18.
Instead of a traditional main dining room and buffet, you’ll find a collection of restaurants and casual dining venues with very different personalities and menus. You’ll also find fitness classes, entertainment, nightlife, unusual shows, parties, and plenty of places to simply hang out.
But what really separates Virgin isn’t a list of amenities. It’s the personality of the ship. The experience is casual, social, sometimes quirky, and intentionally different from traditional cruising.
If you’re deciding between an inside cabin, a Sea View, and a Sea Terrace, I think the Sea Terrace is worth considering for the private outdoor space—and that hammock. There’s something pretty great about climbing into it in the afternoon, relaxing after a day in port, or just lying there watching the ocean go by.
Almost all Sea Terrace cabins offer the hand-woven terrace hammock, so if having one is important to you, let us know when you book and we’ll help you choose the right cabin. Sometimes it’s the little things you remember most about a cruise. On Virgin, that red hammock is definitely one of them.
4. Scarlet Night: Don’t Just Watch It—Join In
One of Virgin Voyages’ signature experiences is Scarlet Night. You’ll see red everywhere. Sailors dress in red, entertainment begins appearing around the ship, performers pop up in unexpected places, and the evening gradually turns into one big shipwide celebration.
Wear something red. Walk around the ship. Follow the music. And keep your plans flexible.
They led us into a private room in the spa area with only two other couples. A few moments later, the lead singer came in and performed a couple of songs just for the six of us.
It was completely unexpected—and one of those cruise experiences we still remember. Will the exact same thing happen to you? Probably not. But that’s the point. If you’re invited to something unexpected and you’re comfortable going along with it, don’t automatically say no because it isn’t on your schedule. Sometimes the best memories are the ones you didn’t plan.
5. Viking: Relaxed, Refined & Destination-Focused
If Virgin represents one end of the adults-only cruising spectrum, Viking shows just how different the other end can be. Viking’s ocean cruises aren’t built around waterslides, casinos, late-night parties, or big resort-style attractions. The focus is much more on where you’re going.
The ships have a relaxed Scandinavian feel, with comfortable public spaces, beautiful views, enrichment programs, destination-focused dining, and plenty of places to sit with a book or a glass of wine and watch the world go by.
6. Virgin vs. Viking: Two Adults-Only Cruises That Couldn’t Be More Different
Choose Virgin Voyages if you like:
- A lively, social atmosphere
- Creative and varied dining
- Casual dress
- Nightlife and parties
- Contemporary entertainment
- Fitness and wellness
- A little unpredictability
Choose Viking if you like:
- A quieter, more relaxed atmosphere
- Destination-focused itineraries
- History and culture
- Enrichment lectures
- Smaller ships
- Understated Scandinavian design
- More inclusions in the cruise fare
7. Oceania Cruises: Food, Destinations & a More Upscale Experience
There’s another name to add to the adults-only conversation: Oceania Cruises. Effective January 7, 2026, Oceania began accepting only guests age 18 and older for new reservations on future voyages. Existing reservations made before the change that include guests under 18 are being honored during the transition.
Oceania is especially interesting for travelers who want an adults-only atmosphere but don’t fit neatly into either the Virgin or Viking experience. Think great food, sophisticated surroundings, interesting destinations, and a relaxed adult atmosphere.
8. Do I Have to Choose an Adults-Only Cruise Line?
Absolutely not. Maybe you like the idea of a more grown-up cruise but don’t necessarily need every passenger onboard to be over 18. Premium and luxury cruise lines can often provide a very adult-oriented experience even when children are allowed onboard.
- Longer itineraries
- Cruises outside school vacation periods
- Smaller ships
- More expensive itineraries
- Destination-intensive cruises
- Ships with fewer family attractions
9. 18+ Doesn’t Always Mean 21+
Adults-only and drinking age aren’t necessarily the same thing. If someone in your travel party is between 18 and 20, don’t assume that an 18+ cruise automatically means every onboard activity or beverage policy will apply the same way everywhere. Rules can vary based on the cruise line, itinerary, and where the ship is sailing.
10. Which Adults-Only Cruise Is Right for You?
Instead of starting with the cruise line, start by picturing your ideal day.
🎉 “I want fun, food, music and nightlife.”
Start with Virgin Voyages. You want a cruise that feels social, contemporary and a little unpredictable.
🌍 “I want to really experience the destinations.”
Take a close look at Viking. You’re interested in history, culture and exploring, and you appreciate a quieter ship.
🍷 “Great food is a huge part of my vacation.”
Oceania deserves a serious look. You want an upscale, relaxed atmosphere where dining and destinations are major parts of the experience.
🌴 “I want an upscale adult atmosphere, but I don’t care if a few kids are onboard.”
Don’t limit yourself to adults-only lines. Premium and luxury cruise lines may give you exactly the atmosphere you’re looking for while opening up many more ships and itineraries.
11. Who Will Love an Adults-Only Cruise?
- Couples traveling without children
- Honeymooners and anniversary trips
- Groups of adult friends
- Solo travelers
- Empty nesters
- Parents taking a vacation without the kids
- Travelers who prefer quieter pools and public spaces
- Food and wine lovers
- Travelers who want more adult-oriented entertainment
And you don’t have to dislike children to enjoy an adults-only cruise. Plenty of parents and grandparents love them. Sometimes it’s simply nice to take a vacation where everything onboard has been designed with you in mind.
12. Is an Adults-Only Cruise Better?
No—and that’s an important point. An adults-only cruise isn’t automatically better than a family cruise. It’s just different.
But if you’re traveling without children, you may discover that you don’t need a waterslide, kids’ club, carousel, or character breakfast taking up space on your ship. You might rather have another restaurant, a larger spa, a quiet lounge, an adults-only pool, or simply a completely different atmosphere.
Start with you. Do you want nightlife or quiet evenings? Lots of sea days or lots of ports? Casual dining or something more traditional? Big entertainment or cultural enrichment? A large resort-style ship or something smaller and more intimate?
Once we know those answers, choosing the right cruise becomes much easier. Sometimes that answer will be Virgin. Sometimes Viking. Sometimes Oceania. And sometimes the best cruise for you won’t be adults-only at all.
Ready to Try an Adults-Only Cruise?
Cruising without kids can be wonderfully relaxing—but as Virgin Voyages, Viking, and Oceania demonstrate, there’s no single adults-only cruise experience.
You can dance late into the night on Virgin, spend your days exploring history and culture with Viking, plan your vacation around great food and fascinating destinations with Oceania, or choose an adult-focused sailing on another cruise line altogether.
Jim and Christine Hoover at Vacay Dreams can help you compare cruise lines, ships, itineraries, cabins, and what’s included so you’re not simply booking an adults-only cruise—you’re booking the right adults-only cruise.
Contact Jim & ChristineBecause getting away from the kids might be nice. But finding the cruise that feels like it was designed for you is even better.
CP Vacay Dreams 