9 ways to have an adult vacation on a cruise ship full of kids

If you aren’t cruising with kids, the family-friendly lines can sometimes seem a little too kid-friendly.

I’m sure you’re picturing goggle-clad youngsters playing Marco Polo in the hot tubs where you thought you could relax and preteens loitering in the stairwells and pushing all the buttons as they crowd into an elevator. Or the massive mess you always find on the countertops around the soft-serve dispensers because hordes of children overfill their cones. Plus, why is it that the family-focused activities always seem to overshadow the seemingly small number of adults-only activities? Even on a giant megaship, it can seem like your entire vacation is overrun with rowdy throngs of kids.

But if you know where to look for child-free spots on board, and how to navigate the ship to avoid places where kids congregate, you can avoid interacting with big groups of children for most of the day.

Trust me — I do not travel with kids, yet I have taken nearly 15 cruises on the top family-oriented cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line. I have found many ways to have an adult-focused vacation on these kid-friendly cruises.

Try my nine tips and you, too, can have a grownup vacation on a cruise ship full of kids.

Seek out adults-only sundecks or solariums

We all want to get some sun while on a cruise. While you could head to the pool decks brimming with kids, a better option is to seek out adults-only sundecks or solariums. On most family-friendly cruise lines, you’ll find an adult hideaway where plush loungers, calming whirlpools and cool swimming pools are waiting.

My favorite adults-only pool area is on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, which has a solarium that overlooks the ship’s bow. The fully enclosed space has air conditioning, making it an alluring spot on hot Caribbean days and rainy afternoons. The space features plenty of lounge chairs and tiered water areas with cool pools and hot whirlpools. Even better, the minimum age to enter the solarium is 18.

On Utopia, there’s also an attached restaurant called the Solarium Bistro. The buffet-style eatery is known for its fresh Mediterranean flavors for breakfast, lunch or dinner. While the restaurant is not exclusively adults-only, I’ve rarely seen kids inside since it’s attached to a designated 18-and-over venue.

Another one of my favorite adults-only sun decks is Satellite Falls on Disney Dream‘s Deck 13. It’s named for the round wading pool at its center that has a cascade of water flowing into it.

I love this space because it’s typically quieter and less crowded than the adults-only Quiet Cove Pool and Cove Cafe coffee shop on Deck 11. I like to relax on one of many lounge chairs and take in the views off the bow of the ship. The only downside is drink service to the deck can take awhile, so I tend to grab my cocktail from a pool bar before finding my lounger.

Choose to dine later in the evening

No matter which family-friendly cruise line you’re sailing on, you will find fewer children in the dining room the later you eat in the evening.

I try to opt for flexible, open-seating dining, when available, so I can make my way to the dining room as I please without a scheduled arrival time. This allows me to eat when I’m actually hungry, and not miss any of the fun activities that happen earlier in the evening. Plus, I’m less likely to be seated at a table with or near children.

Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line all offer a flexible dining option. Before you choose this dinner seating, though, make sure you understand the rules. For example, some cruise lines recommend that people still make reservations for the dining room each night, so guests aren’t waiting too long to be seated.

Another major perk of flexible dining is that you can let the restaurant’s host know that you would like to dine alone or with other people, and you can specifically request tables without children. While the requests are usually met, sometimes you might have to wait a short time for a table to be available.

If you prefer to have a set dining time or can’t book a flexible option, choose the latest set-seating time to avoid children. While the timing varies by cruise line, most ships offer early seating between 5 and 6 p.m., and late dining can be anytime from 7:45 to 9 p.m. Besides the perk of fewer kids, late dining times often allow you more time in ports of call when there are late departures.

Related: ‘My time’ dining vs. traditional dining: Which should you choose?

Enjoy a specialty restaurant or two

Some cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, will allow kids in extra-cost specialty restaurants, but others, like Disney Cruise Line, do not allow children in these venues.

I love Disney Cruise Line for this reason. While I enjoy the cruise line’s main dining restaurants with their themed decor and live entertainment, I love that I can have an adults-only meal at one of the four specialty restaurants found throughout the fleet (the Italian Palo and Palo Steakhouse, and French-inspired Remy and Enchante).

My can’t-miss meal is sea-day brunch at Palo or Palo Steakhouse, depending on which ship I’m sailing on. From the incredible almond croissants to the golden brown and cheesy chicken parmesan, I always walk away from this meal stuffed and blown away by the food and service. If you prefer dinner at these restaurants, don’t miss the potato gnocchi with basil pesto sauce — it’s easily one of the best dishes on any Disney Cruise Line ship. Both meals cost $50 per person.

If your ship doesn’t offer an adults-only specialty restaurant, you can still enjoy a kid-free meal by looking into one of the more expensive or upscale restaurants. Try Murano Restaurant on Celebrity Cruises ships, known for its elevated French cuisine and smart-casual dress code, or intimate Chef’s Table experiences on various lines. I’ve enjoyed a meal at the Chef’s Table on Carnival Cruise Line, where experimental dishes and unique pairings bring in adventurous foodie adults.

Related: 7 reasons you should treat yourself to a cruise ship specialty restaurant

Consider staying on the ship during a port of call

If you want to take advantage of your cruise ship’s pool decks and water features without kids racing past or splashing you, I recommend you stay on the ship during a port of call, especially if it’s one that you’ve been to multiple times. For me, that’s Nassau, Bahamas, or Cozumel, Mexico. The ship empties out and you’ll find that most families are taking advantage of the stop to enjoy a shore excursion or time at the beach.

Pools and hot tubs will be less crowded, so you won’t be bothered by kids taking up all the space or goofing off. I love big water parks, like the ones found on newer Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships, but I hate waiting in line, especially with kids pushing past. On a port day, I can race my family and friends down the twisting slides without too much of a queue.

For example, I’ve seen lines for Disney Cruise Line’s AquaMouse raft ride surpass 30 minutes on sea days. I’m definitely not wasting my time standing around on a cruise. Instead, I find that the middle of a port day is a great time to hop onto the AquaMouse raft ride without much of a wait.

Related: 8 things that happen when you have a cruise ship (almost) all to yourself

Look for late-night movies

All of the family-friendly cruise lines offer movies on board, whether it’s outside on the pool deck on a massive Jumbotron or inside at a dedicated movie theater. Adults looking for a dinner-and-movie date night will want to opt for the movies that show later in the evening. Families with kids who have gotten up early in the morning are likely winding down for the evening and back at their cabin, and those who started their day later in the morning might be looking for more lively entertainment like music and dancing.

I always look to see what’s playing each night on the cruise line’s itinerary via the line’s mobile app. I also check the ratings for movies since some parents will shy away from younger kids seeing movies that are rated higher than PG.

On Carnival Cruise Line, pool deck dive-in movies often include a range of family-friendly and adult-centric options. Typically the lower the recommended parental guidance, the earlier the movie will be shown during the day; the higher the parental guidance, the later in the evening the movie is shown.

Disney is the only cruise line to show first-run movies on its ships that have just been released in movie theaters on land. While the fleet’s indoor movie theaters are rarely completely kid-free, the later movies are usually less crowded and have more adults in attendance. I enjoy going to a Marvel or Star Wars movie that starts at 10:30 p.m. or later for a more adult atmosphere.

And while R-rated films are rare from Disney-owned studios, they do appear on ships every once in a while. For instance, Marvel’s recent R-rated hit “Deadpool & Wolverine” is screening on Disney ships, and the cruise line does require kids under 17 to have an adult over the age of 21 with them if they want to watch the film.

Seek out adults-only activities

Every cruise ship offers a mix of onboard activities, some kid friendly but others adult focused. Look for events such as late-night karaoke and game shows, trivia and R-rated comedy routines. I always bookmark these activities on the cruise line’s app so I get a notification when it’s time to head to the activity and I know where to go.

You’ll get to know the entertainment staff who host the events and can follow your favorites throughout the cruise. For example, after playing a few games on Celebrity Ascent, I got to know the game host and made a point to show up to their events because they were so fun.

Disney Cruise Line’s four classic ships (Disney Magic, Wonder, Fantasy and Dream) each have a dedicated club and lounge zone that’s adults-only after 9 p.m. Crew members will check the cabin keycards of anyone who looks under 18 and will escort out anyone underage. Adults can have an entire evening of games, karaoke and dancing without kids — and without having to travel far from venue to venue.

Take a day for the spa’s thermal suite

The spa is another onboard destination with an age minimum, so you can unwind in the spa’s thermal suite with nary a child in sight. Here, you can lay out on heated stone loungers, relax in whirlpools, sweat it out in steam rooms and cool off with an aromatherapy shower.

I try to book at least a day at the thermal suite on every cruise. My favorite is the thermal suite on Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Viva and Prima, which features a flotation salt pool and a vitality pool, a charcoal sauna, an infrared sauna, a salt room, an ice room and a steam room to rotate through. There’s also a relaxation area that has incredible forward-facing views and plenty of plush loungers to enjoy.

You can also gain access to some thermal suites with your cabin type. For example, if you book an AquaClass cabin on Celebrity Cruises you’ll get complimentary access to the SEA Thermal Suite. Those in Carnival’s Cloud 9 Spa staterooms also get unlimited access to the onboard thermal suite.

Related: The best cruise ship spas

Enjoy adults-only areas on cruise line private islands and beaches

If your itinerary includes a stop at your cruise line’s private island or beach, you can avoid the throngs of families with kids by heading to the available adults-only areas. These exclusive-entry beaches are strictly kid-free and often offer an elevated experience compared to the rest of the island.

Hideaway Beach is the adults-only area on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises’ private island. It’s great for adults looking for a beach club vibe with five bars, two food venues, lounge chairs and a DJ. Royal Caribbean limits the number of guests at Hideaway Beach to 1,800 per day, and no kids are allowed on the premises. Adults do have to pay to gain entry.

Disney Cruise Line stops at two exclusive island destinations, both complete with an adults-only beach called Serenity Bay. Here you’ll find lounge chairs with umbrellas, hammocks and cabanas for rent, plus a barbecue lunch and full-service bar. At Disney’s private island Castaway Cay, Serenity Bay is a tram-ride away from the family beach on the other side of the island.

Book adults-only or private shore excursions

When it’s time to get off a ship in ports of call, you can ensure that there are no kids on your tour if you book adults-only or private shore excursions.

To find adults-only excursions, filter the options on the shore excursions search page for the port of call. Then you can see each excursion and the age minimum, if any. Carnival Cruise Line takes filtering one step further and lets you sort excursions by minimum age; it offers a handful of tours that are 18-plus.

Child-free day-tours might include wine or beer tastings, luxurious meals at historic sites, booze cruises, and ATV or motorcycle tours. Disney Cruise Line offers some adults-only sightseeing tours, as well.

For a truly exceptional experience, consider a private excursion. These are available through most cruise lines, but you can also book them independently through third-party vendors like Viator or TripAdvisor. Hiring a private car for just your group will guarantee no kids and ensure you get to see everything you want at a port-of-call.

Just be sure your driver knows exactly when you need to return to the ship, because cruise lines are not obliged to wait for late passengers who have booked independent excursions. I always try to return to the ship at least one hour before the final boarding time to ensure my safe arrival.

For a luxury experience, Celebrity Cruises has a request form where the line can build you a private and personalized excursion in destinations around the world. This takes the planning out of your hands and puts it into the hands of an expert. In the past, Celebrity has created personalized itineraries for guests in places like Rhodes, Greece, and Lisbon, Portugal.

Related: Ship-sponsored vs. independent shore excursions on cruises: Which should you book?

Bottom line

If you’re a group of adults booked on a family-friendly cruise line, don’t panic. You can still find plenty of things to do on and off the ship that are exclusively for adults, or that will minimize your chances of encountering many, if any, kids.

Cruisers who truly can’t stand to be around kids on vacation should also consider traveling when schools are in session or trying out kid-free cruise lines, such as Virgin Voyages or Viking. And definitely avoid booking cruises during popular school break weeks when your ship will have hundreds of children on board — and you might have trouble finding anywhere to escape the hordes of under-18 cruisers.

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