Jack Lord is no stranger to traveling with family. But on a recent trip to New York with his kids and grandkids, he returned home to Sedona, Arizona, exhausted.
“Quite frankly, we needed a vacation after the stay,” said Lord, 70, a forensic pathologist who works in health care innovation. “Kids just have a lot of energy.”
It was a far cry from a trip that he and his wife took in 2024 to the Naviva resort in Punta Mita, Mexico. The Four Seasons property boasts coastal forest, luxury bungalows — and an adult-only policy.
For some travelers, getting away from it all includes escaping the noise and needs of children. The idea isn’t without controversy: Parents have been chided for going to Disney theme parks without their kids. Nearly every week, a new debate erupts on social media when an annoyed passenger suggests airlines offer child-free flights. A California hotel’s decision to ban kids sparked a statewide debate over age discrimination.
Still, resorts and cruise lines are eager to capture the no-kid market, with some companies recently pivoting to serve the niche group of grown-ups who want to be surrounded solely by other adults.
Oceania Cruises, an upscale line with nine ships, announced in January that it was restricting sailings to 18-and-older as it entered “a new era of tranquility and sophistication at sea.” Even Carnival Cruise Line, a famously family-focused brand, started dabbling in adult-exclusive sailings last year with more planned this year.
“It is a differentiator,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of Cruise Critic. “And for some cruisers, that is exactly the kind of lure that would get them to a particular cruise line.”
Viking and Virgin Voyages, major cruise lines with longtime adult-only policies, have seen steady growth, keeping in line with the overall cruise market, according to Larry Pimentel, the cruise executive in residence at Florida International University. Both cruise companies make their child-free status a major part of their marketing, sometimes cheekily. Virgin Voyages, which launched in 2021, featured an ad full of sad, angry children singing about being excluded from their ships.
There is also a vast selection of kid-friendly cruises and resorts that carve out space for adults, setting aside pools, events and dining options exclusively for the 18-plus crowd.
Paws Up, a Montana resort, started planning its adult-only Green O section before the pandemic. Manager director Steve Hurst — who prefers adult-only vacations when he travels — heard from traveling couples who wanted a more isolated, quiet experience, sparking the idea.
I’m not sure why everyone gets mad about the discussion of child free flights? No one’s saying you’re not allowed to take your kids on a flight, some people would just prefer a flight that doesn’t have kids, I always book child free hotels, that’s just what I prefer
— mr worldwide (nancy) (@nancyctattoos) May 19, 2023
“It’s really important for my wife and I to have that time, to feel like we can remember what brought us together in the first place,” said Hurst, 53. “These very romantic settings, such as the Green O, certainly lend to that and bring that feeling back. But also you want to be an adult a little bit. You just want to take a break from all the kids’ engagement and have your own time.”
Some resorts have moved away from accepting everyone — leading to controversy. The Alila Marea resort in Encinitas, California, announced last yearthat it would be transitioning to an adult-only resort, leading to controversy about whether it’s legal to refuse service to people under 18 in the state. (A maximum of two people are allowed in a room, and children are only allowed at specific events as part of an “adults-focused” policy).
The transition to an adult-only environment has gone smoother elsewhere. When Mike and Cindy Watts sought to reopen the spa resort Castle Hot Springs, they thought about how to build a tranquil environment in the Arizona desert and settled upon restricting service to adults. It’s also opened up different activities that might not be suitable for the whole family, said Kevin Maguire, the general manager at Castle Hot Springs, including e-bike explorations, ATV tours and horseback riding.
Im on a Virgin Voyages cruise and I will never go on the other cruise line again. No children allowed of any kind. No new borns, children, teens. None. No exceptions. It’s so beautiful. The market for no kids experiences is huge and they sell out. pic.twitter.com/igC2GOhlv5
— Hank Yeomans (@HankYeomans) December 2, 2025
Coming from an early career working in hotel restaurants in Boston, Maguire particularly appreciates that the resort’s Harvest restaurant is based on an exploratory farm-to-table model.
“You can do some really good kids’ culinary adventures if you wanted to, if the kids wanted to,” Maguire said. “But most kids don’t. Some want their grilled cheese with the crust cut off.”
There are risks to starting an adult-only resort or cruise line. Intentionally limiting the customer base might thwart growth. But for Viking, which began transitioning to an adult-only cruise model in 2013, the policy helped set it apart while fueling growth in both its river and ocean cruises.
With destination-inspired cultural performances, TED Talks and even resident historians, Viking has targeted travelers who are 55 years old and over. Focusing on travelers who are at similar life stages is how Richard Marnell, executive vice president of marketing at Viking, believes the operator has become the largest adult-only cruise line.
“Being able to travel with like-minded travelers, you have central things that are immediately relatable to each other, a shared history, a perspective on life,” said Marnell, 59.
But adult-only destinations aren’t always dominated by older demographics. Whereas Viking attempts to cultivate a highbrow experience, Virgin Voyages’ four vessels are “an edgy, popular product, particularly appealing to couples,” said Pimentel, complete with a tattoo parlor, various options for live music and drag performances.
McDaniel, of Cruise Critic, said the line has become popular with older millennials and Gen X travelers.
On paper, Virgin seemed like the ideal fit for Jasmine Kovalevich, 20, a student at Pennsylvania’s Mercyhurst University who typically travels with her cousin. The two like to connect with other young adults, which left them disappointed that their Virgin trip was largely populated with older adults. Still, Kovalevich remains curious about adult-only travel.
“The idea of kids is overstimulating when you’re just trying to like relax and have a good time,” said Kovalevich, noting that she’d be open to going on another adult-only cruise. “I’m not a big kid person. I’m not gonna lie.”
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