TORONTO — Kids, or no kids? For many cruise clients, that is the question. And whatever the answer, the cruise industry is all too happy to oblige.
Whether passengers are fine sailing with plenty of children around (including their own), or keen on getting away from younger passengers altogether, kids-or-no-kids policies are now major selling points.
Visibility for the no-kids marketing message is much higher too.
“Explore the world the Viking way, from the quiet comfort of elegant small ships, with no children, and no casinos.” Everyone is familiar with Viking Cruises’ TV ads. Delivered in the first few seconds, with the British-accented voiceover so recognizable in Viking’s ads, it’s an up-front no-kids pitch. ‘Adults only’ doesn’t cut through any more. To get people’s attention, companies now use no-kids messaging as a key value proposition.
It’s effective, and it’s working. In its 28 years Viking has grown from four ships to more than 100 – a fleet size no other cruise line has achieved.
The cruise industry’s other big no-kids proponent, the 18+ Virgin Voyages, recently celebrated its Sailors after passing the two million mark.
“IT’S THE WHOLE POINT OF OUR BRAND”
Travelweek asked Virgin Voyages if ‘kids-free’ is a Top 3 selling point for the cruise line. “Top 3? It’s the whole point of our brand. Not a selling point, the experience point. Everything flows from it,” said Nathan Rosenberg, Chief Brand Experience and Marketing Officer.
Virgin Voyages didn’t survey its way into adults-only, Rosenberg tells Travelweek.
“We looked at an industry that had spent 40 years bolting adult experiences onto family ships and asked the obvious question: what if you built the opposite? A superyacht for all, designed for the grown-ups Richard [Branson] would actually want to sail with. That was 2018. We got called crazy.”
Interesting: in the very early stages, Virgin Voyages wasn’t going to be kids-free. “But it did not take us long to realize what people wanted from us,” said Rosenberg.
“Our team looked at cruising and saw an industry designing for every segment, then delivering a watered down version of ideas by apologizing to adults with a roped-off deck and a quiet bar. We asked a harder question: what happens if you don’t compromise?”
He calls it ‘category creation.’
“Oceania flipped to adults-only this January. The legacy lines are quietly rewriting their playbooks. We just had our biggest revenue day for the company in August which is unprecedented, and our repeat rate is at record levels and growing.”
There’s more riding on kids-free travel at sea than on land, says Rosenberg. “On land, adults-only is a wing. A pool. A resort tucked behind a hedge. At sea, it’s the entire operating system. On a family ship with an adults-only section, you’re still riding the elevator with a birthday party of nine-year-olds. That’s not an adult vacation; it’s a compromise.”
For advisors, clients for adults-only cruises can include Millennials, Gen X, empty nesters, friend groups, honeymooners and more. “They’re all chasing the same thing: uninterrupted time with people they actually chose to be around,” says Rosenberg.
MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS
What about misconceptions? There are a few. We asked him about myth-busting talking points First Mates can share with their clients.
“Two big ones, and they sit on opposite ends. First: adults-only doesn’t mean hushed luxury. Our ships aren’t a library. They’re social by design. If someone’s picturing a whispered dining room and a string quartet, they’ve got the wrong brand.
“Second: adults-only doesn’t equate to a 24/7 party ship. That’s the other misread. We didn’t build a floating nightclub. We built a ship where the immersive, festival-energy stuff lives near a hammock nobody’s going to disturb. Same day. Same ship. Sailors set the pace, we just make sure every pace is exceptional and memory making.
He added: “The real job for First Mates: sell what’s underneath the adults-only headline.”
Oceania Cruises’ Nathan Hickman, SVP and Chief Sales Officer, says one misconception he’s seen since Oceania officially went 18+ earlier this year stems from travellers and advisors wondering if Oceania’s onboard experience has changed.
“In reality, we have historically carried very few children and have always been best suited for adult travellers. The policy is really about putting a clearer definition around the experience that already exists, rather than changing the atmosphere, programming or overall guest experience onboard,” Hickman tells Travelweek.
The move to 18+ wasn’t trend-chasing, he adds. Guest and advisor feedback consistently pointed to Oceania’s serene atmosphere, sophisticated service and culture-driven itineraries as the big selling points. “Formalizing an adult-only policy allows us to protect and further strengthen that experience over the long term.”
“WE DO NOT TRY TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE”
Which brings us back to Viking.
Viking has long catered to travellers 55+, but it was only in 2018 that the cruise line formalized its no-kids policy. Viking’s ocean sailings were adults-only from the get-go, in 2015. But the river cruises were more lenient, allowing kids 12 and older. In 2018 Viking officially went 18+ on both lines, and launched its ‘Did You Know’ campaign with the famous ‘What Viking is Not’ list. No nickel-and-diming, no umbrella drinks, no photography sales, no art auctions and no inside staterooms, just to name a few (and, of course, no kids and no casinos).
“We have always done things differently from our competitors,” says Michele Saegesser, Viking’s SVP, Sales. “While we cannot speak to the industry as a whole, we continue to see that our policy for no children under 18 continues to resonate with our guests. We do not try to be all things for all people.”
Saegesser has her own take on myth-busting. “Perhaps one misconception is that an adults-only voyage means there is less to do. Our guests are curious travellers who are interested in enriching experiences focused on the destination. We hope that travel advisors and potential guests understand that a Viking voyage is truly destination-focused.”
STEERING THE OTHER DIRECTION
Of course the vast majority of cruise lines still cater to all ages, especially families. The market potential is vast, especially among new-to-cruising travellers, long a massive market.
According to one recent data set from international consulting firm Kantar, among families with kids, 51% said they would consider taking a cruise in the near future. Among adults-only households, that percentage was only 26%.
So what about cruise lines that go the other way, loosening restrictions on age limits for younger passengers?
A quick chat with Aurora Expeditions’ Chief Marketing Officer, Katie Malone, offered some insights. The expedition cruise line recently lowered its minimum age to 6+, down from 8+, applicable across all voyages. Aurora specializes in Antarctica, and also offers the Arctic, Europe, Indonesia and Borneo, and Costa Rica, Panama and Patagonia.
Malone told Travelweek the move is less about differentiation in the marketplace, “and more about making expedition travel accessible to anyone with a desire for discovery and exploration.
“We recognize that travellers have different preferences when it comes to vacations, but we don’t see this change as altering the core Aurora experience.”
The booming multi-gen market is just one factor, she added. “Expedition travel lends itself naturally to shared discovery — grandparents, parents and children can explore new places, encounter wildlife and learn together, creating experiences and memories that span generations.”
Plus, there’s something to be said for opening a child’s eyes to the globe. Taking the long view, these kids will grow up to see the world as a whole, broadening their horizons beyond their own corner of the earth.
“Many of the environments we visit are places they may previously only have encountered in books, documentaries or classrooms. Experiencing these places for themselves can create a much deeper connection to the natural world and, we hope, help inspire the next generation to understand, value and advocate for its protection.”
After all, “curiosity doesn’t have an age limit.”
This article appears in the Oct. 8, 2026 edition of Travelweek; click here.
Lead image caption: Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady; Viking Vela; Oceania Allura
