Travelers who love the idea of relaxing under the Caribbean sun on board a luxury cruise ship but aren’t keen on dodging children everywhere they go just got one more option for their travel consideration. As of January 7, 2026, Oceania Cruises is now an adults-only cruise line, making it one of the few major ocean cruise brands to formally exclude children from all new bookings. It reflects both a shift in the company’s demographic, and broadly suggests the cruise line sector is splitting even further, with mega-cruises for families on one side and smaller, more destination-focused cruises for adults on the other.
Photo: Oceania Cruises
All 200-Plus Oceania Cruises Are Now Adults-Only
For all reservations made on or after January 7, 2026, passengers will need to be at least 18 years old at the time of sailing. Existing bookings that include travelers under 18 will be honored, so it’s likely some criuses in 2026 and into 2027 could have a few children on board. The adults-only policy will apply across all cruises, most of which already skew toward destination and cultural experiences rather than onboard attractions. Oceania operates roughly 230 cruises annually with approximately 600 destinations available each year, from Caribbean islands and Mediterranean ports to smaller Asian and South Pacific ports typically visited only on longer sailings.
Oceania’s eight ships carry between 670 and 1,200 passengers, as compared to megaships like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas (7,600 passengers) or MSC’s World America (6,762 passengers). The announcement from Oceania Cruises positions the move as the logical next step of its long-standing focus as a small-ship and culinary-focused brand that appeals to “mature, affluent travelers.” It also cited its own internal research that suggests customers are drawn by the brand’s “serene atmosphere” and “unhurried pace” — two elements harder to achieve with families and children on board.
Reacting to cruise industry trends
Photo: Oceania Cruises
Oceania’s decision may seem like it’s going against cruise trends, as many cruise lines focus on attracting multi-generational travelers. In 2024, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reported that more than 30 percent of cruising families had at least two generations on board, and that 28 percent had three, four, or five generations on board. However, it also found that interest in expedition cruising is growing, increasing by 71 percent between 2019 and 2023, and another 22 percent in 2024. Millennials and Gen Zers — two generations less likely to have children than generations before them — are also a growing segment of the cruise market.
While adults-only cruises are still a niche in the cruise market, they’re a growing one. Virgin Voyages operates fully adults-only ships with a minimum age of 18 across its fleet, but most major cruise lines still welcome children, instead applying age limits to certain venues on board, like nightclubs or spas. It effectively means Oceania will lose customers traveling as families who wanted a more relaxed experience, but will likely gain more customers drawn by the idea of not having children on board. Oceania Cruises is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. (NCLH), allowing the company to further differentiate the Oceania experience from the Norwegian Cruise Line experience. 