When Virgin Voyages came on the scene in 2021, they were nothing like anything else the cruise industry had encountered before:
- Tips were included
- Wi-Fi was included
- There was no cruise director
- There were fewer announcements
- They offered a tattoo parlor at sea
- One of their entertainers was a drag queen
- Water, soda, drip coffee and tea were included
- Most staterooms with a balcony had a hammock on the balcony
- There was no “drink package”; they offered a prepaid bar tab instead
- There were no photographers offering to take your picture at every turn
- There were no main dining rooms or buffets; they offered 6 specialty restaurants instead
But “best of all” for a lot of people – and potentially the #1 reason why people book on Virgin Voyages to begin with – is that the cruise is exclusively 18+. Children are not allowed on board, period. In fact, they’ve even made some very clever advertisements about that very thing:
Other versions of “kid-free” cruises (but not the same)
Some other cruise lines eventually noticed and either started doing their own, albeit limited version of “no kids” cruises, or expanded the programs they already had.
- P&O Cruises’ UK-based fleet reserves 2 ships (Arcadia and Aurora) as exclusively for those 18+
- Viking Cruises, mainly known for its river cruises, welcomes travelers aged 18+
- Late last year, Carnival Cruises began experimenting with adult-only cruises on select sailings.
Several other cruise lines (Azamara, Scenic, Regent Seven, Silversea, Seabourn, Windstar, as examples) are not “exclusively” for adults but don’t offer any activities that children would find interesting. So although they don’t have an expulsion clause for people under age 18, chances are you won’t see very many children on those ships.
Other cruise lines, such as Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, are FAR from being “child-free.” However, they do have areas – bars, beaches, pools, etc. – where those under 18 aren’t allowed.
All that being said, Virgin Voyages was still the only cruise line to offer ocean liners that were 100% child-free.
Until now.
Enter Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises has announced that, effective Wednesday, January 7th, it is now an adults-only cruise line. For all new reservations, they will only accept guests who are age 18 and over.
Does this put Virgin Voyages at risk from competition?
Not one bit.
Cruise lines, in general, tend to attract a certain niche. Disney and Royal Caribbean, among others, are popular with families. Carnival is the “party” ship. Virgin Voyages tends to get Gen X and Y, with a smattering of Boomers.
But Oceania? Their demographics are almost all 55+. And, like Azamara, Scenic, et al., their activities were never really geared towards kids. But whereas those other cruise lines will still allow a minor on board (where they will be, um, bored), Oceania no longer will.
According to chief commercial officer Nathan Hickman, guest feedback informed Oceania that a change like this would be popular.
“We recognize this is a pretty big change, and I think it’s a good change,” he said. “It’s exactly what our guests have indicated that they want.”
“Our guests have consistently shared that the tranquil environment aboard our ships is one of the primary reasons they return time and time again,” Jason Montague, chief luxury officer at parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, added. “By transitioning to an adults-only experience, we are enhancing the very essence of the Oceania Cruises journey — one defined by sophistication, serenity and discovery.”
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