Adults Only Cruises | Best Adult Cruises

What is adults-only cruising?

Very much what it says on the tin. Adults-only cruises are sailings reserved for guests over a certain age. However, because the cruise industry heavily focuses on the family market, there are fewer options than you might expect.

Only a handful of cruise companies have a fleet-wide no-kids policy. A few more lines have dedicated some of their ships to the adult market.

What to pick?The best adults-only cruise lines

What are the best adults-only cruise lines?

The five main adults-only cruise lines are Saga, Oceania Cruises, TUI River Cruises, Viking and Virgin Voyages. The last four have a minimum age requirement of 18. Saga operates slightly differently – the main passenger must be 50 or over, but they can travel with an adult over 40.

Ambassador Cruise Line mostly operates adults-only voyages but runs a handful of multi-generational sailings every year. In addition, Marella Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines operate one adults-only ship each: Explorer 2 and Borealis, respectively.

P&O Cruises has two adults-only ships – Aurora and Arcadia. However, in 2025, the line announced it would open some sailings to families from December 2026.

Taking a partner? The best cruises for couples

Cruise lines

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises has built a reputation for its approach to small ship luxury. Onboard its intimate, upscale vessels, food sits firmly at the centre of the experience, with refined dining that ranks among the best at sea. Beyond that, the adults-only line is known for its destination-led itineraries, favouring lesser-visited ports and longer stays ashore.

Cruise lines

Virgin Voyages

Almost everything is different on this brash new entry to the cruising market, including an emphasis on adult relations, gym time, and self-indulgent social activity. Sir Richard Branson's adults-only, bright red-liveried new ship also has a fantastic nightclub and a food court instead of a buffet. There are exciting plans for a fleet of new ships on the horizon, to join the already established fleet of cruise ships that go against the grain.

Cruise lines

Saga Cruises

Saga’s ships have redefined British boutique cruising with their contemporary and stylish aesthetic, and impressive feat of engineering. More akin to boutique hotels than cruise ships, vessels offer an intimate, relaxed and luxurious style of cruising that will no doubt appeal to its mature clientele - who value sumptuous public spaces, exquisitely appointed cabins and excellent cuisine over cutting-edge, high-tech facilities.

Cruise lines

Tui River Cruises - Information & Reviews

TUI river cruises offer adults-only voyages on all the major European rivers. The all-inclusive sailings come with top service and an array of tempting shore excursions. You'll be spoiled for choice! There are currently three river cruise ships - TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla. All TUI vessels have capacity for a maximum of 155 guests, ensuring that there's plenty of personal space onboard.

Cruise lines

Viking - Ocean Cruises

Viking began as a river cruise line and entered the ocean-cruise market with the launch of the 930-guest Viking Star. Viking has already made an indelible mark on the sector with its fleet of stylish, near-identical, adult-only ships. The cruise line currently has 10 ships in its fleet.

Cruise lines

Viking - River Cruises

Viking is the largest river cruise line operators in the world, with a fleet of 76 ships running sailings across four continents on an army of award-winning ships. The river arm of Viking is just one of Viking's cruise options, the super-premium Norwegian ocean cruise line known for its superlative cruise experience, small ships with Scandi-chic interiors and fantastic destination and cultural enrichment programme. On the river, Viking offers cruisers the chance to sail in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US, offering facilities like sundeck swimming pools, relaxing Aquavit terraces and well-stocked libraries. Continually making new additions and expanding, Viking has recently upped its Nile river cruise game with two new ships, and also sails the Mississippi river. The cruise line also champions themed cruises, taking passengers to the likes of the Passion Play at Oberammergau and offering exclusive pre-and post-cruise land tours.

Cruise lines

P&O Cruises

Founded in 1844 as the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises can claim to be the world’s oldest cruise company. It’s also the largest British cruise line specialising in no-fly sailings from Southampton.

Cruise lines

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

With more than 175 years of know-how behind it, this heritage brand has the expertise to deliver quality cruising with strong, customer-friendly value. It's known for its ideally sized ships and caters to a broad range of guests, including couples, solo travellers and families. It also offers a wide selection of carefully curated itineraries, from no-fly mini cruises from the UK to mystery cruises in the Mediterranean.

Cruise lines

Ambassador Cruise line

Ambassador Cruise Line describes itself as a "premium value" service, offering value-for-money breaks aimed primarily at the over-50s. The company, based in Essex, first sailed out of Tilbury in 2022, with its first Ambassador ship - Ambience, now joined by Ambition. Guests can expect talks, a vast array of entertainment, and a healthy choice of restaurants. The tag claims "best value at sea" - we'd be inclined to agree.

What are the best adults-only cruise destinations?

Because of the smaller number of ships, you might find your ocean options more limited. The main destinations, including the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Northern Europe and the Caribbean, shouldn’t be a problem. Most cruise lines catering to the adult market position ships there for all or part of the year. But finding sailings to some of the less in-demand destinations may be more challenging.

Check out the schedule for the adults-only lines and book long in advance if you want to secure a cabin on the more off-the-beaten-path itineraries.

On the other hand, with Viking and TUI River Cruises both all-in on the adults-only sector, there is a good selection of kids-free river voyages. TUI River Cruises is mostly focused on Europe and Egypt sailings. Viking has voyages on many of the world’s rivers, from the Rhine and Danube to waterways in India and beyond.

Caribbean Cruises

Nile River cruises

Mediterranean Cruises

Danube River Cruises

Northern Europe Cruises

Rhine River cruises

Canary Isles Cruises

North America Cruises

Seine River cruises

Amazon River cruises

Rhône River cruises

Mississippi River cruises

Mekong River cruises

Moselle River cruises

Bordeaux river cruises

Douro River Cruises

Adults-only cruising: frequently asked questions

How does adults-only cruising differ from regular cruising?

Since adults-only ships do not have to cater for the needs of families, the main difference will be the lack of children-focused facilities like kids’ clubs or splash pools. This means more space for restaurants, bars, spas and other areas targeted at the adult market.

Other than that, adults-only cruises are very similar to regular cruises. In fact, they are regular cruises, but without kids.

Who are adults-only cruises for?

There are often two misconceptions about adults-only cruises: the first one is that it’s populated by people who hate children, and the second is, well… a bit more naughty. Neither of these have any basis in fact.

Adults-only cruising is perfect for everybody who just wants a kids-free holiday. Maybe you’re someone who enjoys the calm and quiet. Maybe you work with children and fancy spending time with adults. Maybe you’re a tired parent who needs a break.

Plus, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to adults-only cruising. Viking runs small-ship sailings focused on culture and enrichment, while Virgin Voyages focuses more on entertainment and facilities.

How expensive are adults-only cruises?

It depends. While there aren’t many adults-only operators, the ones that do exist target a variety of customers, and there is a good range of prices.

At the value end of the market, you’ll find sailings from the likes of Ambassador Cruise Line, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and Marella Cruises.

Virgin Voyages fits into the premium or mainstream luxury category. Fares are in line with those charged by Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises. At the top end of the market, Viking’s fares are mostly in line with other ultra-luxury lines such as Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea.

What if I can’t find an adults-only cruise I fancy?

While there are many adults-only sailings on offer, the choice is more limited as you cut many cruise lines out of consideration. So, what should you do if you can’t find the right cruise in the adults-only offering?

One thing to consider is checking out what adults-only facilities exist on other cruise lines. For example, Princess Cruises has the Sanctuary Club, Celebrity has the Solarium and Royal Caribbean has The Hideaway. Most regular cruise lines offer some adults-only areas.

You should also consider the cruise lines that, while open to all guests, are not actively chasing the family market. Many of the expedition, river and ultra-luxury lines – for example – have no kids’ clubs, or child-friendly programming and facilities. So, while kids are technically allowed, you’ll rarely find many on board those lines’ ships.

What's the dress code on an adults-only cruise?

The dress code varies from cruise line to cruise line. While cruising has become more casual in recent years, some cruise lines have retained a more formal vibe. You should always check what guests are expected to wear on a ship before booking.