Thread: Adults only cruise...

Ok. I may get some lashing for this, but here it goes. I'm going on a cruise, with my wife in October and we're leaving our 11 year old behind with her grandmother. We really don't want to hear kids on our cruise or see kids. I'm assuming the best time for that on the boat would be between 11pm to 5am, rough estimate. Are there any adult only or no kids cruises? How do others feel about this? Lastly, since I know kids will be on my ship, what tips to do you have to avoid them?

Originally Posted by nc28540

Ok. I may get some lashing for this, but here it goes. I'm going on a cruise, with my wife in October and we're leaving our 11 year old behind with her grandmother. We really don't want to hear kids on our cruise or see kids. I'm assuming the best time for that on the boat would be between 11pm to 5am, rough estimate. Are there any adult only or no kids cruises? How do others feel about this? Lastly, since I know kids will be on my ship, what tips to do you have to avoid them?

In the UK P&O have two "adult only" ships Arcadia and Artemis. Sorry but I don't know if there any ships in the US like that, but if not someone is missing a trick.

It really depends on the ship, length of cruise, destination, and date as to how many kids will be onboard any particular cruise.

For example; if you're going on a 7-night Carnival cruise during Spring Break, kids will be in over abundance! However, if you're taking a 9-night cruise on Holland America in September, there will be very few kids onboard.

Since you're going in October, chances are you will encounter only a small number of kids. Depending on the destination, length, and ship, will have a further impact on the numbers.

The spa pools on most ships are designated as adults only areas, so it's always a great place to lounge around without all the noise.

Pete

As noted above, the best way to ensure a small number of kids onboard is choosing the time of year, length of cruise and cruiseline. Some don't cater to kids at all. Some only have the kids' program going when there's a minimum number of minors onboard. There used to be an adults only cruiseline maybe about ten or 15 years ago, but they went out of business. Not sure about any others but I guess you can google and see. Maybe an adults only charter. Of course, that might be bringing up a type of cruise you won't be interested in .

I have been on nine cruises so far with a wide range of number of kids. Some with just a few (when our child was one of only three five year olds...that was in February) and some with a whole lot. I never check the numbers before we had any kids and never felt they were a bother as the kids' program kept them pretty busy. And I think that's an important factor...are the kids onboard your cruise going to the program and not just roaming around the ship, unsupervised by anyone, even their parents.

The only cruise that we found kids a problem was our last one...and those kids were all from the same extended family, with parents that choose not to supervised them (and the kids themselves seemed bored, just hanging about the stairwells, running around the hallways at all hours while their parents camped out in the casino). My daughter didn't see them at all in the kids' area, maybe because English wasn't the second language, or that their parents didn't take them over there. The other 240 kids or so onboard were very well behaved (including a certain 8 yr old).

Nice, thank you. It all makes sense now...

A few years ago the Saga Rose used to offer adult only cruises. -- Haven't heard anything about them in a long time.

I noticed that you mentioned that you booked a cruise for October.

Which cruise Line?? Out of what port? How long is the cruise?

You need to answer a few questions so that we can help you more.

11 PM - 5 AM?? Depening on the cruise line you may hear children all night.

We had a bad experience on Princess one time when the child in the cabin next to us had play time time from 10 PM until 3 AM!!! And the father watched TV until 6 AM!! After we called the pursers office a couple of times and complained we were told that there was nothing they could about it since they were friends of the captain!!!!

So we came home dead tired -- little sleep and had to report to work one day later.

Oh -- yeah -- this cruise was the second week of November.

Just goes to show, you can have a few kids on the ship, and if they're spoiled and the parents don't care about anyone else, then you're basically screwed. But you can be on a ship with tons of kids and not really see much of them if they are well-behaved and are kept busy. It's the spoiled brats factor and the bored kids factor that will get you.