I went on an adults-only cruise for the first time, and 8 things surprised me

After my first cruise in 2022, I didn’t think the vacation style was for me.

On board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, many offerings were geared toward children, from waterslides to splash pads. With kids running around screaming on the pool deck, it was tough to relax. By the end of the trip, I was ready to give up cruising altogether.

Then, I heard about Virgin Voyages, a luxury, adults-only cruise line that first set sail in 2021. I thought sailing on an upscale ship free of children might change my mind about cruising, so I booked a seven-night Mediterranean cruise in August 2023 on Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady ship. I stayed in a cabin with a balcony, and the starting rate was $5,910, though Business Insider received a media rate for the weeklong cruise.

My trip was far better than my first cruise. I sailed in peaceful luxury from Spain to Italy and France, and the ship was full of surprises I never saw coming.

The first thing that struck me was the ship’s alluring aesthetic.

The ship was more stylish than I could have imagined. Multicolored lighting, iridescent panels paired with bold artwork, and modern furniture gave it a futuristic feel. Pops of Virgin’s signature bright-red color were everywhere, from furniture to accent pieces.

Colorful glows, from pink and purple to blue and green, lit the decks and elevators. I felt like I was surrounded by rainbows. Simply wandering the ship renewed my sense of childlike wonder, yet no kids were in sight.

My cabin felt more spacious than I expected.

I wasn’t expecting my 225-square-foot cabin to feel spacious, but multipurpose furniture and clever storage hacks left me with enough floor space to stretch and move around.

The queen-sized bed transformed into a couch during the day, an ottoman was tucked underneath the desk instead of a chair, and the nightstand was thin and light, making it easy to move out of the way when not in use.

The balcony had a side table, two chairs, and a big, netted hammock. Two years later, I’m still thinking about how peaceful I felt curled up in that hammock in the middle of the ocean.

I didn’t expect to find a playground on a ship for grown-ups.

The last thing I expected to find on an adults-only cruise ship was a playground. But it wasn’t just any playground — everything was jumbo-sized, from the seesaws to the swings. It was clearly built for grown-ups.

The cruise ship playground was surrounded by fun activities, like a human-sized chess set, a boxing ring, and a net suspended above an ocean view.

If there had been children around, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable taking up space on this playground. However, surrounded by only adults, I felt free to enjoy these activities.

Going on the swings and playing competitive games made me feel like a kid again. Simply playing refreshed my state of mind in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I think all adults could use it on a vacation.

There was no shortage of play indoors, either.

When I wanted to beat the heat, I headed inside on deck seven, where I found a retro-style arcade and a game room full of board games, puzzles, and large tables to play on.

The board game selection was nostalgic for me. I spotted childhood favorites like Mouse Trap, Clue, and Cranium.

I never thought I’d see a tattoo parlor on a cruise ship.

While wandering the indoor shopping strip on deck six, I stopped in my tracks when I spotted Squid Ink, a tattoo parlor. Virgin Voyages says it’s the first-ever cruise line to offer tattooing on board. According to Cruise Gear, tattoo pricing starts at around $150.

I love getting tattooed, so I was delighted by the shop, but I resisted the urge to get one on this trip.

With so many high-end restaurants on board, I was surprised that none of the food cost extra.

On my first cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, a lot of the food on the ship was included in the ticket price, but specialty restaurants incurred an additional price. Many cruise lines operate this way, so I was surprised to learn that none of the food on my Virgin Voyages cruise cost extra.

The all-inclusive dining was especially shocking, considering all the upscale restaurants on board, with offerings ranging from Mediterranean seafood and fresh pasta to sushi and steak. I indulged in the opportunity to forget about finances while dining.

I expected to see a lot of day drinkers on board, but communal decks were calm during the day.

On my first cruise, I spotted many people drinking and partying throughout the day, so I expected to see even more of that on an adults-only cruise. But the communal decks were calm during the day. It was easy to relax by the pools — one had music playing, while the other was silent.

I talked to a bartender about my differing experiences, and they said Mediterranean cruisers tend to be less interested in partying than Caribbean cruisers.

My first adults-only cruise made me feel like a kid again. That was the biggest surprise of all.

On a luxury ship without kids, I expected to enjoy my adults-only cruise more than my first cruise. But I didn’t expect the Virgin Voyages cruise to make me feel like a child myself.

Playing for hours surrounded by rainbows and eating whatever I wanted without thinking about money allowed me to let loose in a way I hadn’t in over a decade.

I would definitely cruise with Virgin Voyages again, and maybe next time, I’ll add some ink to my arm.

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