I have grown quite fond of adult-only cruising, it’s nice to have the option to sail with or without kids and let’s face it, sometimes some of us just need some peace and quiet in an adult-only environment.
I’ve sailed a few cruises where there hasn’t been a child in sight and that’s because the voyage was on an adult-only ship. My Arctic Circle cruise in March last year was aboard P&O Cruises Oriana, a ship on which children are not permitted to sail, and my Baltic and Mediterranean adventures this year were aboard Saga Sapphire, again a ship only for adults – those over 50 to be more specific.
What I like about cruising though is that, even if the ship is geared towards families, there are still going to be sailings where the majority of those onboard are adults, so we can take full advantage! I embarked on a 35-night Caribbean cruise in 2013 with P&O Cruises and I think there were only 5 children onboard. The voyage was on Oceana (one of my favourite ships) which is in fact a family-friendly vessel, but because of the time of year and duration of the voyage, there were barely any children onboard. I know some people will argue with me and say but 5 children is still 5 children, but on a ship the size of Oceana trust me, you really didn’t know they were there. I will be joining Oceana in February 2016 for another 35-night sailing, this time taking in the Caribbean and the USA, and I expect that too will be virtually child-free.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is also ideal for those looking for a child-free option. I had a wonderful Baltic cruise on Braemar in 2014 and I am joining Boudicca on a British Isles voyage in less than 2 months! Not all Fred. Olsen sailings are adult-only, so be sure to check with your Cruise 1st travel agent before you book, but for 2016 alone there are 20 sailings that are offered child-free! Personally I would say that Fred. Olsen don’t really cater for kids, so I’d imagine that even the majority of the sailings, where kids are welcome, would still be rather quiet.
Another I would recommend would be Cruise & Maritime Voyages. I sailed aboard Marco Polo on a 3-night mini-cruise a few years ago and aside from it being a great cruise it was also child-free. A wonderful little ship with lots of character and personality, and she sails to some amazing places. I have made it my mission to sail one of her Amazon itineraries at some point – they look absolutely incredible! The lines newest ship, Magellan is also an adult-only vessel. I am yet to sail on her but I did visit her a few months ago and she is a very nice fleet addition. She offers a slightly more modern feel than Marco Polo and is far bigger in size, the ideal choice if you still want to have those typical cruising traditions and lots of open deck, but on a slightly newer more modern vessel.
Other adult-only cruise ship suggestions would be Azamara Quest and Journey, P&O Cruises Adonia, Oriana and Arcadia and CMV Magellan. Thomson cruises also offer some adult-only cruises, so again check with your Cruise 1st travel agent.
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Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons and P&O Cruises Image Library. Credit: azuaje, P&O Cruises, Roel Hemkes.
