Posted on 09/01/2018 10:03:00 AM PDT by Simon Green
When Virgin Voyages announced last year that the cruise line’s first ship, to debut in 2020, would be for adults only, it surprised many in the industry. Cruises are typically marketed to families and boomers. Recent years have seen cruise ships add wild theme park-like attractions onboard, ranging from multi-story in-suite slides to go-kart tracks to indoor skydiving. Families are big business in the industry.
Marketing the no-kids move as “Adult by Design,” Virgin Voyages, a joint venture between Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and private investment firm Bain Capital, looked to fill a void in the market. Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin wasn’t shy about saying why the company made the move, pointing to their own market research showing demand for such offerings. But it now looks like McAlpin might’ve been a bit too loud in pointing to the adult-only designation as a key point the company would use to distinguish itself.
Viking Cruise Lines recently confirmed that all of their cruises are now limited to those 18 and older. When the luxury cruise line known for their river cruises launched ocean cruises in 2015, it adopted the 18-and-older policy, but river cruises remained family-friendly with guests 12 and older welcomed on the ships. The new rule covers all Viking cruises.
On the Terms and Conditions section of the website, Viking lays out their new policy and any explains it may be some time before the ships become entirely adult-only. “Due to the nature of our cruise and travel itineraries, the Carrier does not maintain facilities or services on our Ships for individuals under the age of 18 years. For all cruise/cruise tours booked after August 1, 2018 (regardless of departure year), you must be 18 years old on or before the day you are scheduled to embark on the cruise tour. Cruises through the 2019 may still have passengers under 18 as the cruises were booked prior to August 1, 2018.”
Speaking to Travel Weekly, Viking senior vice president of marketing Richard Marnell explained that while the cruise line previously had some “flexibility” with the minimum age rules, guests on the ships, which are typically marketed to those 50 and older, appreciated a child-free environment.
Viking ships are typically smaller than the those of family-friendly cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Instead of merry-go-rounds and zip lines, Viking’s sleek Scandinavian-designed ships offer a more subdued cruising experience with educational lectures, afternoon tea service, and live classical music.
Other cruise lines have dabbled in the adults-only cruise option for some time. P&O Cruises, owned by Carnival, announced earlier this year that it would soon roll out its third adult-only ship, a refit of the formerly family-friendly Aurora.
U by Uniworld, a new river cruise line focused on millennials that launched last year, had age restrictions on both minimum and maximum ages, banning anyone over 45. The maximum age restrictions have since been removed, but the no-minors policy remains.
Viking’s new age policy is now one of the strictest in the industry, but with so few children on their ships already it’s unlikely the company will see in any negative financial repercussions due to the move.
I’m pretty tolerant of a little wildness. But society has grown colder, and there is less love. Children are not unaffected.
Banning minors makes it easier to enforce the “no alcohol for minors” rule.
I’m older. I like seeing kids about. Gives me hope.
Viking is a niche cruise company, anyway. Mostly river cruises with a few ocean going ships, and costly compared to the mass market lines. I doubt they will feel the loss of not having families with kids onboard.
Most young families with kids with that kind of money are more likely to spend their big bucks on a Disney cruise, which are way overpriced IMO.
Agreed!!!!
It’s their choice. So what’s the problem?
Like you said, take Disney
I guess, at this point, my life is nearly entirely kid-free.
It’s nice to see little ones when the opportunity arises.
I saw Robert F. Kennedy and shook his hand at Disneyland right before he was assassinated in Los Angeles.
Bain Capital is Mitt Romney’s company.
I just do NOT see him as a partner in any venture with Richard Branson.
Viking river boats are not huge. Actually, most kids would be bored to death.
Wow.
Doesn’t matter the political affiliation (usually).
It’s always really cool to meet someone like that.
He was the one killed by Sirhan right?
Never understood the whole thing or why this guy killed him
That’s a bummer. Now where can I go on that ship to get my fill of clouds of cigarette smoke and drunken assholes bitching?
No one knows why a Palestinian Arab would want to shoot an American politician unless it was a paid hit. Just glad he didn’t shoot him while I was in the vicinity. I backed Nixon that year but my adult relatives and the like voted for George Wallace, mainly for some of the same reasons people backed Trump in 2016. People forget Wallace was a populist in addition to all the segregation jazz.
Don’t know much about Wallace.
Heard the name though.
Need to do some reading up.
Exactly.
Wow! What a target.
While I have on occasion seen the undisciplined set, most kids I’ve encountered on cruises have been fairly well behaved. I cruised to Alaska and their was a group of teens on the ship that we’re having a really good time and at the same time there was no bad behavior. The problem sometimes is sheer volume and a tipping point during certain weeks of the year that make kids unbearable on a ship. I cruised in a mega ship once and there were less than 200 kids on the ship that week. Other than the family who didn’t leave karaoke night once “family time” was over, there were no issues. Apparently the week between Christmas and New Years, 1500 children were on that ship. The crew were still shell shocked a month later. I’ve shied away from March and April cruises as well as late December/early January because of families.
They interviewed then-Governor Reagan on the night RFK was shot.
Reagan remarked that RFK was sounding ‘more conservative’ than the Republicans in the race.
People forget that the Kennedy family and Senator Joseph McCarthy & Roy Cohn were friends.
“Most kids today are spoiled little brats who need a trip to the woodshed.
They just mimic their parents.”
Don’t get me started their parents. I have no clue what is wrong with them! They off in another world while their kids run and scream in Wal mart or restaurants. Tell me are they tone deaf or just out right deaf?
Please tell me why they ignore their kids bad behavior? If I had done even half the crap their kid so my parents would have whooped my ass! In face I would not have done half the crap their kids do because I knew better!
These parents act like their kids are not even there and they don’t see what their kids do!
While I’m on this major rant because I’m now Thelma Harper will state what I hate the most. I’m talking to an adult and some kid comes up and interrupts me! When I say “kid” I mean everything from 5 years old to a young person of about 22. Kids with no manners that you don’t interrupt someone talking unless it’s an emergency or very important and then you say “excuse me for interrupting but...”
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