Adults Only Vs. Family-Friendly: Which Is Best For Child-Free Travellers?

This is a sponsored post for Marella Cruises.

If you’re travelling without children, there’s one piece of cruise advice that comes up again and again: book an adults-only ship.

And yes, on the face of it, I can see why some people think it makes perfect sense. If you’re looking forward to lazy sea days, quiet cocktails and relaxing by the pool, why would you choose a ship where children are welcome?

But after sailing on plenty of family-friendly ships as well as adults-only ones, I don’t actually think it’s that straightforward.

Not All Family-Friendly Ships Feel the Same

I think this is where a lot of people get caught out. It’s easy to imagine that every family-friendly cruise ship is full of screaming children racing down corridors while frazzled parents try to keep up.

And that certainly can happen on some ships, particularly those that are designed around huge waterparks, rollercoasters, climbing walls and endless attractions aimed at keeping children entertained all day.

But plenty of family-friendly ships don’t have that atmosphere at all. They’re ships that welcome everyone.

Couples, groups of friends, solo travellers and families all share the same spaces, and because the ships aren’t built around children’s attractions, they often feel much more balanced.

That’s something I’ve always liked about Marella Cruises. Families are absolutely welcome, and there are some great facilities for the kids, but the ships don’t feel as though everything revolves around them.

The overall atmosphere is very much aimed at everyone enjoying their holiday together – and that includes the grown-ups getting their own chill time.

The Things Adults Actually Worry About

Let’s be honest – most adults travelling without children aren’t worried about simply seeing kids onboard. I think some are, but that tends to be the really traditional cruise crowd, and most cruisers are fine with seeing younger people onboard if they aren’t ‘inconvenienced’ by them.

But it’s the little things that people tend to remember.

• Will the pool be noisy all day?
• Will you struggle to find somewhere peaceful to read your book?
• Will the buffet feel chaotic?
• Will children be running around the lounges late into the evening?

And then there’s the subject that seems to divide cruise passengers more than almost anything else…

Hot tubs.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen heated (pun intended) debates online about children sitting in hot tubs for hours while adults wait for a space.

On some cruise lines, children are allowed in certain hot tubs. On others there are age restrictions, but they aren’t always consistently enforced.

Marella Cruises is at least clear on this. Even on its family-friendly ships, children under 13 aren’t allowed in the hot tubs, and from what I’ve seen, that rule is properly enforced. I’ve been on a lot of cruises and I’m pretty sure Marella was the only cruise line to really stick to the rule.

It might sound like a small thing, but it’s one of those little policies that can make quite a big difference to adults looking for a relaxing afternoon.

Of course, none of this means you’ll never hear children laughing around the pool or see families enjoying themselves together. That’s part of sharing a ship with people of all ages.

But there’s a big difference between a ship that welcomes families and one where adults feel like they’ve become the supporting cast in someone else’s family holiday.

Think About When You’re Travelling

Children cruise all year round. Babies and toddlers obviously aren’t tied to school holidays, and plenty of parents take advantage of quieter periods outside peak season – whether that’s home educated kids, or just the parents happy to pay the fines to take their children out of school during term time.

So, booking outside the school holidays doesn’t mean you’ll have the ship to yourself and your fellow child-free travellers.

That said, there’s no getting away from the fact that you’ll generally find more families onboard during the summer holidays, at Easter and over Christmas.

If you’re someone who really values peace and quiet, or you’re celebrating a special occasion and want a particularly relaxed atmosphere, those can be great times to look at an adults-only ship instead.

On the other hand, if you’re travelling in quieter periods, you might find that a family-friendly ship feels every bit as relaxing as you hoped.

Adults-Only Cruises Are Brilliant… But They’re Not Automatically Better

I completely understand why adults-only cruises have become so popular.

There is something lovely about knowing every bar, every restaurant and every pool area is designed with grown-ups in mind. And cruising HAS changed a lot in the last 10-20 years, and there are many more kids onboard. If you’ve been cruising for a long time, it might be that you just prefer the adults-only atmosphere.

Those cruises are usually calmer, evenings often feel a little more sophisticated and you’re never going to find children playing nearby while you’re trying to unwind.

That doesn’t automatically make them better though. It’s important to remember that.

Sometimes a family-friendly ship has a slightly livelier atmosphere that people genuinely enjoy. The entertainment can feel a bit more energetic, the public spaces have a real buzz about them and it’s simply a different kind of holiday rather than an inferior one.

I’ve met plenty of couples who’ve happily sailed on family-friendly ships for years and wouldn’t dream of changing.

I’ve also met people who tried an adults-only cruise once and immediately decided they’d never go back.

Neither group is wrong, they’re just looking for different experiences. And it’s why I wouldn’t say one is better than the other.

So Which Should You Choose?

If your perfect holiday involves complete tranquillity from the moment you step onboard, then an adults-only ship could be exactly what you’re looking for.

If you’re more interested in a great itinerary, friendly service, good food and a relaxed atmosphere, then I’d never automatically rule out a family-friendly ship.

In fact, you might be surprised by just how adult it feels, and how many quiet spaces you can still find.

That’s one of the reasons I like the direction Marella Cruises is taking.

From winter 2027, Marella Discovery 2 will join Marella Explorer 2 as an adults-only ship, while the rest of the fleet continues to welcome guests of all ages. Rather than suggesting one experience is better than the other, it gives people more choice depending on the type of holiday they want.

Whichever you choose, you’ll still get the things that make Marella popular with so many cruisers, including flights, overseas transfers and a selection of alcoholic drinks included in the fare. Add in the genuinely friendly service from hardworking crew members, and it’s easy to see why so many guests keep coming back.

Personally, I would never automatically dismiss a family-friendly ship just because I’m travelling without children. And sometimes an adults-only cruise is exactly what I’m in the mood for.

Ultimately, I’d much rather choose the itinerary or the ship that appeals to me most and enjoy everything else that comes with it.

The important thing is picking the holiday that suits you, not following a rule that says adults should only ever cruise with other adults.

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