Viking Cruises No Longer Wants You To Bring Your Kids Along


For many families, the idea of going on a cruise as a family vacation is a great idea. However, while perusing cruise ship providers, families currently looking to book a holiday might want to pass over Viking Cruise Lines as they apparently no longer what you to bring your kids along.

According to Orlando Weekly, Viking Cruise Liners will make all of their cruises — ocean and river — adult only affairs. Previously, their river cruises were considered family friendly. However, they did state that their cruises were for children over the age of 12-years-old, meaning they have never been entirely child-friendly.

When Viking Cruise Liners opened their service up to ocean voyages, they did so under the proviso that it was an adult-only service. So, now it seems that they are lining up all of their services to match.

Viking senior vice president of marketing Richard Marnell released the following statement on the matter, according to News.com.au.

“Viking has always offered experiences that are designed for travelers who are 50 and older, with interests in history, art, culture, and exploration. It’s what we’re known for,” Marnell said.

“Previously, we had allowed a degree of flexibility in the minimum age for travel, but increasingly our guests have told us how much they appreciate an environment where they can travel without children. In addition to marketing what Viking is, we believe our guests also appreciate knowing what Viking is not.”

Viking Cruise Liners will no longer offer kid-friendly cruises

However, this is not the first time a cruise liner has decided to go kid-free on their voyages. As Orlando Weekly points out, Virgin Voyages announced last year that they would have adults only cruises when their ship debuts in 2020. Marketed as “Adult by design,” this new company is a joint venture between Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and the private investment firm, Bain Capital.

For those that have already booked a family-friendly cruise with Viking Cruise Liners, there is no need to panic, though. According to their terms and conditions, the adult only aspect of their cruises will be rolled out over time and is not effective immediately.

“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.”

As yet, it is unclear just how many other cruise liner companies might also follow suit. However, it does seem unlikely that all cruise ship providers will end up being adult only since family cruises are considered a large part of the cruise liner industry.

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