Nobody wants to go on a cruise where there are hundreds of children. Even parents with small kiddos would rather not be among so many munchkins. That’s because, as lovely and entertaining as children are, they are also loud and boisterous (as they should be) making rest and relaxation almost impossible, not only for their parents but for everyone around them. And if there’s one vacation type that’s all about unwinding, it’s cruising, so why not try to do everything in your power to avoid kids during your next sailing?
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How to Make Sure Your Next Cruise Isn't Ruined by Screaming Children
Look at the calendar closely
In the past two years, I’ve been on six cruises with five different cruise lines and I’ve learned about the best times of the year to cruise without being surrounded with kids.
It goes without saying that taking a cruise outside of school holidays is the most surefire way to not be bothered by the presence of children. June, July, and August are obvious no-gos, while January, May, September, October, and early November are great options.
“On average, September and October have fewer family bookings versus the months of June through August on Norwegian Cruise Line ships for guests who want to sail with less children on board,” a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line explained in an email.
I sailed the Mediterranean with Princess Cruises onboard the Sun Princess on the last week of May 2024 and while I can’t say that the ship was overrun with little ones, it certainly was the most children I’ve ever seen on a cruise.
Post-labor day cruises, like the cruise to Alaska that I took with Holland America in late September/early October in 2022, the Mediterranean sailing that I experienced with Oceania in November 2022, the circumnavigation of Iceland that I took with Atlas Ocean Voyages in September 2023, and the transatlantic crossing I did with Holland America in November/December 2023 were almost entirely devoid of children. That means that the pool was never packed with splashy, floaties-wearing mini tornadoes, that meals in the various dining venues were quiet, and that the activities and entertainment were focused on adults only, providing a huge variety of fun things to do at all times of the day and night.
Tricks to employ to avoid children while cruising
Of course, it’s not always possible to avoid the summer months, spring break, or the holidays. If you don’t have a choice but to cruise when you know there will be kiddos on board, there are some ways to dodge them.
The first is to book a longer cruise. As pointed out by cruisers on multiple Reddit threads, families with small children tend to go for shorter cruises (seven or eight-day sailings maximum), making longer voyages more adult centric.
The second is, when you can, to splurge for the exclusive onboard spaces, where the number of passengers are limited and where children are often persona non grata. On Holland America, that means signing up for Club Orange so you can have breakfast and dinner in a private venue. On Princess Cruises, you can pay for the Sanctuary Collection, which grants you access to a private restaurant, the private and adult-only Sanctuary Club with its own pool and cabanas, and the Suite Lounge a private space located on the top deck. On MSC, the Yacht Club, while not an adult-only area, is a retreat space that caters mostly to grown-ups with a private restaurant and pool, and exclusive services, reserved to few passengers. Carnivals cruise ships have their Serenity Adult-Only Retreat and Royal Caribbean’s have the Solarium, a retreat space for 18-plus passengers.
Not every cruise line, or cruise ship, offers exclusive, kid-free spaces, however. If you’re totally averse to spending any time being surrounded by children, look at adult-only cruises.
Adult-only cruises
The only two cruise lines that advertise themselves as adult-only are Virgin Cruises and Viking Cruises. They have vastly different offerings and atmospheres, and, as such, attract a very distinct clientele.
There are many cruise lines that don’t explicitly say that they don’t accept children on board, but on whose ships you’ll never see any kids. Those are the cruise lines that don’t have any programs or activities for children on board, no playground, and skew towards a more mature, wealthy audience, including Oceania, Crystal, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Silversea. Look at the ship you’re interested to travel on carefully and if you don’t see any children areas, waterslides, or bumper car rides, you should be in the clear.
River cruises and expedition cruises also tend to be off limits to children. For example, on its website, Scenic Cruises & Tours explains that “Luxury expedition style cruising is not recommended for children under 12. Guests under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by an adult and must share their accommodation with an adult. No children programs or babysitting services are available on board.” 