Adults Only cruise 2009?

[Schplinky]

Thanks! I've been gathering the names of places. We don't want buffets of chicken fingers either! The reference to Soltice is a tempter; as you know, I'm impressed.

 

I'm off to google now...

[Polydonald]

We've been to a couple of adult-only AI's in the Dominican Republic. We can recommend Excellence Punta Cana.

 

It's a different vibe that a cruise. Lots of honeymooners and anniversary couples. Romance is in the air. Lots of hand-holding, cuddling and other public displays of affection but nothing inappropriate.

 

The focus is definitely on the beach and pool. While there are shows, they aren't the slick productions that the cruise lines come up with. The activities staff at the resorts work their tails off. The casinos are usually fairly lame.

 

Lunch was usually the worst meal but dinner, especially at the specialty restaurants, was usually pretty good although you have to remember that the ingredients are sourced locally and very little of it is shipped in. Many of the AI resorts now offer some sort of limited room service. At Excellence last July, our room also came with a fridge stocked with beer, rum and fruit juice, all complimentary.

 

Compared to a cruise, you get a huge amount of square footage. The rooms tend to be large and quiet. Excellence had a jacuzzi in every room. Even the public areas are expansive at most AI resorts.

 

The US cruise industry needs to recognize that there are those of us who are interested in the adult-only cruises. The biggest downside I see is that it would cut into the trend towards multi-generational cruises.

 

To me, it seems so unfair that there is a cruise line like Disney were you know upfront that you'll have lots of kids and families without there also being the option of of a sophisticated, romantic affordable line that caters just to adults.

 

If anyone from =X= is reading this, please know that your fans would really like to see this.

[LouisV]

May I suggest Secrets Excellence on the Mayan Riviera? Adults only. Buffets only for breakfast and lunch ( or a la carte if you wish) Dinners are all a la carte. This was our first AI and I would go back in a heart beat. We spent our first 2 weeks else where in Mexico and saved the 3rd week to be spoiled. We never even left the resort!

[Ridget]

What!? No crumb crunchers? No patter of slapping feet over your stateroom on the deck above? Like... no screams of squeely voices bursting from the elevator? No cute little ketchup stained fingers reaching between your arm and ribs to grab that last piece of pizza. No sitting at a table with a bale of debris, straws and bubble gum wrappers on the floor? What about that breeze as they flash by down the companionway? Or the cascade of Coca-Cola accross 3 tables as their glass hits the floor perfectly flat? What is wrong with you people!?

[caviargal]

We've been to a couple of adult-only AI's in the Dominican Republic. We can recommend Excellence Punta Cana.

 

It's a different vibe that a cruise. Lots of honeymooners and anniversary couples. Romance is in the air. Lots of hand-holding, cuddling and other public displays of affection but nothing inappropriate.

 

.

 

That is one reason we like Le Blanc. There were singles, couples, moms and daughters, diverse ages, etc. Although I have enjoyed the atmosphere at resorts like Couples Negril, too much of it (like at Sandals ) gets a little boring in big doses.

[LouisV]

What!? No crumb crunchers? No patter of slapping feet over your stateroom on the deck above? Like... no screams of squeely voices bursting from the elevator? No cute little ketchup stained fingers reaching between your arm and ribs to grab that last piece of pizza. No sitting at a table with a bale of debris, straws and bubble gum wrappers on the floor? What about that breeze as they flash by down the companionway? Or the cascade of Coca-Cola accross 3 tables as their glass hits the floor perfectly flat? What is wrong with you people!?

 

too funny!

[Blondie007]

We take vacations as Sandals resorts as its child free. But to be honest, never ever had a problem on Celebrity. We cruise January or late October/November and to date, have hardly even seen a child on board. I think on our last cruise there was maybe one or two..never ever at night, and never at pool through the day... In fact, come to think of it, even the kids area aft was empty so dont think there cuold have been more than one or two on board and they were tots.

As for P&O..forget it... if you have cruised Celebrity, one would not find the standards of X on P&O.. even on adult only...better choose an X cruise outwith kids vacation times. (IN fact, I'd rather have teeth pulled than go P&O but thats another matter)

We really like adults only vacations, but as I say..to date NEVER ever a problem with Celebrity and we would definately notice if there was an issue.

[raymac46]

Our last cruise was in November, the Med, two weeks on Millennium. There were a few kids but they were well supervised and well behaved.

There wasn't a lot of pool activity - the weather wasn't exactly tropical and most folks were there for the itinerary rather than the ship.

On late seating I didn't see a kid anywhere in the dining room.

[JCDeck]

What!? No crumb crunchers? No patter of slapping feet over your stateroom on the deck above? Like... no screams of squeely voices bursting from the elevator? No cute little ketchup stained fingers reaching between your arm and ribs to grab that last piece of pizza. No sitting at a table with a bale of debris, straws and bubble gum wrappers on the floor? What about that breeze as they flash by down the companionway? Or the cascade of Coca-Cola accross 3 tables as their glass hits the floor perfectly flat? What is wrong with you people!?

 

Says it all!! I don't CARE how cute they are.

[96740]

What I'm reading here from some posters is not so much a kid-free cruise but a cruise with well behaved kids. That's reasonable.

 

But then I would like a cruise with no rude smokers or loud drunks that stumble out of the casino, or deck chair hogs, barge onto elevators, and other ill mannered behavior. On our last cruise the couple across the hall were fighting constantly, every other word out the mans mouth was the F-Bomb. Is there such a cruise?

 

Hey, I agree, brats on a cruise is annoying. Rude adults is more annoying.

 

Agreed. Like I said before... I don't hate kids...I just like it better when their not around. A well behaved child is fine. I've just not seen any in the past ten years. :o

[ottawapuppy]

That is one reason we like Le Blanc. There were singles, couples, moms and daughters, diverse ages, etc. Although I have enjoyed the atmosphere at resorts like Couples Negril, too much of it (like at Sandals ) gets a little boring in big doses.

 

Good points. We also wouldn't go to a Couples resort because I believe they are owned by Sandals. In the past, Sandals has allowed gay men to make a reservation, only to tell them when they arrive that they must each pay for a separate room because two men sharing a single room is unnatural. They only abolished the policy when big cities (London, Toronto) refused to allow them to advertise in their public spaces. So, now they "tolerate" more diversity but who wants to be tolerated on their vacation.

 

Agreed. Like I said before... I don't hate kids...I just like it better when their not around. A well behaved child is fine. I've just not seen any in the past ten years. :o

 

I do think that it is becoming more rare, as parents see their role (and unfortunately, the role of everyone around them) as keeping little Brianna or Jacob stimulated 24/7 with DVD's in the mini-van, letting them wander around the dining room, etc. I dislike when people with children who are not in arms require the ability to pre-board, to be treated specially, etc. Those are the kids (and parents) we try to avoid and why an adults only cruise would be my thing.

[LouisV]

Our last cruise was in November, the Med, two weeks on Millennium. There were a few kids but they were well supervised and well behaved.

There wasn't a lot of pool activity - the weather wasn't exactly tropical and most folks were there for the itinerary rather than the ship.

On late seating I didn't see a kid anywhere in the dining room.

 

This is a little off topic but I hve to ask...what was the weather and temps like exactly in the med in November? I'm planning a cruise for next year around the same time and it would be helpful to know. We cruised the med in mid September one year and it was pretty nice tanning weather.

[Blondie007]

Good points. We also wouldn't go to a Couples resort because I believe they are owned by Sandals. In the past, Sandals has allowed gay men to make a reservation, only to tell them when they arrive that they must each pay for a separate room because two men sharing a single room is unnatural. They only abolished the policy when big cities (London, Toronto) refused to allow them to advertise in their public spaces. So, now they "tolerate" more diversity but who wants to be tolerated on their vacation.

 

 

 

I do think that it is becoming more rare, as parents see their role (and unfortunately, the role of everyone around them) as keeping little Brianna or Jacob stimulated 24/7 with DVD's in the mini-van, letting them wander around the dining room, etc. I dislike when people with children who are not in arms require the ability to pre-board, to be treated specially, etc. Those are the kids (and parents) we try to avoid and why an adults only cruise would be my thing.

 

As a regular at Sandals, can I inform you that firstly, sandals do not have anything to do with couples resorts, totally different companies, and secondly, Sandals (I cannot speak for couples resorts) have no issues with gays what so ever. We have spent times with many gay couples, both male and female, at various sandals resorts in Jamaica and it is NOT an issue!

We have gay friends who are married, and they have enoyed vacations at sandals resorts.

Last year alone I spend six weeks in total (4 x vacations) at Sandals in Jamaica, (three sandals resorts) and tell you, it is NOT a problem!

The problem arises at Sandals when two same sex people arrive who are NOT gay! There are only double king beds at Sandals, and guests arriving for example for a wedding..get a bit of a surprise when they learn they have to share a double:rolleyes:

SO... please dont run down my beloved sandals without knowing the facts:)

[raymac46]

This is a little off topic but I hve to ask...what was the weather and temps like exactly in the med in November? I'm planning a cruise for next year around the same time and it would be helpful to know. We cruised the med in mid September one year and it was pretty nice tanning weather.

Well now we are from near Ottawa Canada so what passes for warm and toasty for us may not apply if you're from Fort Lauderdale. :)

Barcelona was absolutely perfect with temperatures in the low 70s. When we got on the ship and throughout the cruise we found the weather delightful. We didn't have one rainy day and when we were in the Greek islands temps were in the mid 70s.

In Istanbul it was cooler in the evenings and in Venice it was 50s and 60s with quite chilly nights. However when we got back to Montreal it was snowing and we've had close to 10 feet of snow since, so it's all relative I guess.

[LouisV]

Well now we are from near Ottawa Canada so what passes for warm and toasty for us may not apply if you're from Fort Lauderdale. :)

Barcelona was absolutely perfect with temperatures in the low 70s. When we got on the ship and throughout the cruise we found the weather delightful. We didn't have one rainy day and when we were in the Greek islands temps were in the mid 70s.

In Istanbul it was cooler in the evenings and in Venice it was 50s and 60s with quite chilly nights. However when we got back to Montreal it was snowing and we've had close to 10 feet of snow since, so it's all relative I guess.

 

well we are from southern interior of BC and we still have a lot of snow on the ground. The winter was so long this year!

[bububr]

However before we get back on topic, I have to address Blondie007. First you are totally and completely wrong in your answer.

 

I've included a link...and there are many others but I won't get into it.

 

http://www.planetout.com/news/election/article.html?2004/10/12/4

 

 

Back on topic.

 

This thread is not about a few well behaving children. There are ALWAYS a few well behaving children on a ship. This thread is not about adults acting badly..There are plenty of those also on every ship.

 

This thread was about the possibility of having one maybe more ADULT ONLY ( 21+ ) cruises during the year, and especially during high season and school breaks......

 

While I'm sure we all try to be polite, we could have edgier comedians, edgier more risque shows, we would have to watch our language around youngsters...we could have a more adult party atmosphere by the pool.

 

Personally If it were possible, I be there.

 

This is not saying that we hate kids...just that we want a vacation without having to see, hear, or smell the little buggers. It would be a nice change from time to time.

 

Dave:eek:

[CamilleandNick]

Sign us up ...adults only.

[curiouscat]

We'd love an "adults only" vacation that was not of the "optional" clothing or of the "swinging" variety:eek: ... a lot of times I've seen on boards,this one too, where folks are wanting an "adults only" vacation quite a bit different then what we have in mind....

 

So if I owned a cruise line I would from time to time offer an over 18 cruise..... It would be so great not have to hear the shrill/shriek of kids

 

However, realistically it ain't gonna happen. I've also been hesitant to plunk down the money for crystal or seabourn only to have pesky kids on there too... then I think I would totally loose it...:p

 

CuriousCat

[Susan-M]

 

 

While I'm sure we all try to be polite, we could have edgier comedians, edgier more risque shows, we would have to watch our language around youngsters...we could have a more adult party atmosphere by the pool.

 

 

This reminds me of the line, "Be careful what you wish for." Having kids on board is starting to sound more appealing. ;)

[CamilleandNick]

YIKES!:eek: I had not even thought of some of these things. Scares me. A few kids would be okay compared to the swingers ship. Double YIKES.

Not for us.

 

"Over 18" cruise might have a better connotation.

[dkjretired]

In my opinion there is no difference between the discrimination exhibited in the posts against children on this thread than that exhibited by Sandals against gays...

[Schplinky]

As a regular at Sandals, can I inform you that firstly, sandals do not have anything to do with couples resorts, totally different companies, and secondly, Sandals (I cannot speak for couples resorts) have no issues with gays what so ever. We have spent times with many gay couples, both male and female, at various sandals resorts in Jamaica and it is NOT an issue!

We have gay friends who are married, and they have enoyed vacations at sandals resorts.

Last year alone I spend six weeks in total (4 x vacations) at Sandals in Jamaica, (three sandals resorts) and tell you, it is NOT a problem!

The problem arises at Sandals when two same sex people arrive who are NOT gay! There are only double king beds at Sandals, and guests arriving for example for a wedding..get a bit of a surprise when they learn they have to share a double:rolleyes:

SO... please dont run down my beloved sandals without knowing the facts:)

 

Sandals did have this policy until about a couple of years agio, which is likely why you see gays there now. I am not running down "your" sandals.

 

Here is a news article covering their change of policy 4 years ago. The media consensus at the time was not that they had had an evolution in thought but that they were increasingly unable to advertise in places that bad discrimination.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/oct/12/gayrights.immigrationpolicy

[Schplinky]

In my opinion there is no difference between the discrimination exhibited in the posts against children on this thread than that exhibited by Sandals against gays...

 

 

The difference is that gay people were not finding out until they got to the resort that they were not welcomed and would be required to pay twice as much for their holiday (being forced to get a second room). Gays were not given weeks they were welcomed and weeks they were not.

 

This thread is advocating for one or two sailings for those who choose not to sail with children, not a total ban on children. There is a great difference. People choose to have children and can choose to leave them with caring relatives. Nobody is saying we should not allow parents to come at all, which Sandals said of gays.

[dkjretired]

The difference is that gay people were not finding out until they got to the resort that they were not welcomed and would be required to pay twice as much for their holiday (being forced to get a second room). Gays were not given weeks they were welcomed and weeks they were not.

 

 

 

This thread is advocating for one or two sailings for those who choose not to sail with children, not a total ban on children. There is a great difference. People choose to have children and can choose to leave them with caring relatives. Nobody is saying we should not allow parents to come at all, which Sandals said of gays.

 

 

According to one poster who frequents Sandals quite a bit, that did not happen but I was more referring to the comments made by the posters on this thread. What about those parents who don't have the ability to leave their kids with caring relatives...

 

I don't have a problem with someone wanting an adults only cruise but some of the comments are out of line. What if I made comments like that about any group, they would be pulled real quick. Double standard.... Not only that some thought it was funny...

[brazilgirl]

Thank you Don ! I am rather new to these boards , so I ´ve been wary of expressing what seems to be a controversial opinion.I have been following this thread since the beginning.The first day I was saddened by the harsh words and derogatory comments about kids and their horrible parents.Apparently , there haven´t been any well- behaved kids in the last 10 years ( according to 1 poster) and kids are ketchup stained liitle hooligans who leave trails of crumbs everywhere they go while shreiking and holding up lines. (I am sure I forgot some other colorful comments). Oh and all parents are held hostage by their kids , letting them behave in any manner they

choose to with no consequence. Of course , all the while the parents beam at little Susy and little Tommy´s antics.

 

Goodness....I couldn´t sleep after all the posts on the first day. I am going to cruise with my family for the first time in May and I began imagining all the hostility emanating towards me as I walked up the gangplank.

 

Then I started to get upset. I , like the previous poster , started to imagine if I made rude and stereotypical comments about other groups of people.Try to envision it-threads about women , gays , latin-americans , asian-americans, blacks , white people from the midwest , people who weigh more than 135 pounds , muslims , christians , jews , senior citizens , people with disabilities.......(By the way I am included in many of these groups). What if someone said `"I don´t want people with walkers thumping down the halls ,making noise". Is that nice?

 

Let me be clear- I DO NOT take my kids everywhere. I love quiet time , romantic dinners , adult weekends with my husband. I certainly believe that the market should provide Adult-only cruises if there is a demand for them ,just as there is a demand for singles cruises , GLS cruises, chocolate-lovers cruises etc. However there is no need to slam the group you wish to exclude.

Glad to get that off my chest. The world would be a better place if people were not judged by race , religion , sexual orientation , politics , AGE...Hey, you might stop for a moment today and talk to a kid. They might just surprise you and have something interesting to say.