Cruising With Kids—or Choosing an Adults-Only Ship

Children can bring a wonderful energy to a cruise. They can also bring cannonball contests, hallway sprints, and the occasional public disagreement over ice cream.

That does not make family cruising bad, and it does not make adults-only cruising selfish. They are simply different vacations.

Why Families Love Cruising

A family-friendly ship can make traveling with children much easier. Meals, entertainment, pools, youth programs, and accommodations are all in one place. Children can try new activities while parents avoid planning every hour of the day.

The best family ships are designed for that purpose. They have spaces where children are welcome and plenty for adults to enjoy too.

Why Some Adults Want a Different Experience

Some travelers want quiet pools, later dinners, adult entertainment, and public spaces that are not organized around families. Couples traveling without children, empty nesters, groups of friends, and solo travelers may prefer a ship designed for adults.

Virgin Voyages fills that niche with cruises for guests age 18 and older. Other cruise lines allow families but create adult-only pools, sun decks, lounges, or retreat areas.

Neither model is universally better. The important thing is choosing the environment you actually want instead of booking a ship because the price looked good.

Adult-Only Spaces on Family Ships

Adult-only areas can provide a useful middle ground. Families can enjoy the same ship while adults have somewhere quieter to read, relax, or have a conversation without competing with a waterslide.

The difficulty is enforcement. A space advertised as adults only is not very useful when the rules are treated as a vague suggestion. Cruise lines should make the age policy clear before booking and apply it consistently onboard.

What About Premium Areas Such as The Haven?

Ship-within-a-ship areas create another question. Guests pay extra for private lounges, restaurants, pools, and additional service. Some people believe children staying in those suites should have access to everything their family purchased. Others feel at least part of the premium area should remain quiet and adult-focused.

I can understand both sides. Families should receive the amenities included with their cabin, but adults paying for a peaceful retreat should also receive the experience that was advertised.

Choose the Ship, Not Just the Itinerary

Before booking, look beyond the ports. Check the cruise line’s age policy, the number and location of children’s facilities, the rules for adult-only spaces, and the general personality of the ship.

A cruise with children can be a terrific family vacation. An adults-only sailing can be exactly the break someone needs. Trouble begins when we book one experience while expecting the other.

What Do You Think?

Should children staying in premium suite areas have access to every lounge, pool, and restaurant? Or should some spaces remain adults only even within those areas?

• Yes—families paid for the premium experience.
• No—some premium spaces should remain adults only.
• A mix—set family hours and adult-only hours.

Share your answer in the comments, or send it through Ask the Laptop Lady. I suspect cruisers will have opinions. Cruisers always have opinions.