Adults Only and Nearly Adults Only

I hope your Summer is off to a great start and that you are enjoying time with friends and family. This week’s newsletter I want to make give you some information on two different types of voyages. Adults Only and nearly adults only.

What if you could sail with all adults? No kids – no watersides – no bumper cars.

What if you could sail with gratuities all included?

What if you could sail and have all specialty restaurants included?

What if you could sail and have your loyalty status matched for onboard benefits?

What is you could casually disembark at 11am? No rush to leave stateroom by 8 am.

Free WIFI

There is a company that has these wonderful attributes and it is called Virgin Voyages! They were founded about 11 years ago by Richard Branson because he dreamed of having an entire fleet for adults only. They have a casual and laid-back vibe. The formalities that you find on other cruise lines are eliminated and focus is on you having a good time – whatever that may be! This company is growing because adults are finding that they want to be with other adults while vacationing.

There vibe is also environmentally conscious. For instance, there are no plastic water bottles, rather water is served in glassware. A glass carafe filled with water is in your stateroom. They use a grab and go kiosk for a quick lunch or snack anytime and all in recyclable containers.

Virgin has four ships and with several Caribbean itineraries varying in length. They also have a ship in the Summer that visits the Mediterranean. There ports of call are longer or overnight stays.  And if you book an Ocean Terrace stateroom you will have a wonderful red hammock to kick back and relax. 

So, what are you waiting for? Sail 4 or 5 nights out of Miami as a taster. I think you will readily see how Virgin Voyage is different and for the young and young at heart! You will want to go back and have more experiences on longer itineraries. Let me help you find your next Virgin Voyages sailing!

Switching to nearly Adults Only. This would be river cruising. For the most part the river cruise market does not have children onboard. If they do it is stated they must be over the age of four and under parental supervision. If a family wants to sail a river cruise, AmaWaterways has partnered with Disney Adventures where the entire ship is charted for Disney families. It would be a seldom occurrence for children to be onboard, mostly because the cruise is geared toward adults.

I happen to like very much AmaWaterways. I know you have seen or heard of Viking and that is because they have huge market share and advertising dollars. But to be quite honest all the for the river cruise companies ships are nearly identical. That is because they must be able to berth at each port city. The interiors maybe different depending on the budget. High end UniWorld have very dramatic unique stateroom décor. Some of the more budget river boats will be less glamorous.

The vibe aboard a river cruise is very relaxed. You can choose to get off in any port and take an excursion or get off and walk the village close by. I think that is one thing that really makes river cruising so simple. You can come and go as you please without long lines waiting to pass security. It is casual and yet it can be busy. 

I prefer AmaWaterways for a few reasons. First, they have simple deposits and final payments the way ocean going lines have in place. However, Viking wants nearly ALL the cruise fare within 30 days. You could be booking a cruise for 2026 and Viking wants all the money up front! Ama has wellness features. They have a dedicated trainer that is doing the morning stretch, walk the decks activity and can give the most dedicated athlete a good workout. A big feature with AMA is that they offer 3 - 4 FREE excursions in every port! Viking only offers one free excursion. AmaWaterways offers bike rides at each port and some can be quite challenging while others nice and casual ride. We took a beautiful ride last Fall and I can say it was a wonderful experience.

The places that Ama sails are not just the rivers of Europe, but they do travel to Egypt, Mekong Delta, and South America.  I would be happy to sail with you – just give me some dates and bring along a few friends. We could have a wonderful time!

Consider your next cruise vacation – Adults Only or nearly adults only. Whatever the choice, I can help you plan your next adventure!

For those who are still looking for something to do there are some last-minute deals that pop up. Even if it is just a getaway. There have been some really good deals on Europe too. Looking into Sept and Oct there is availability to sail the Mediterranean. Just get in touch with me, I am always glad to help. How about Valentine’s Day? That is always fun too. Here are some sailings to consider.

Kathy Hays