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Spirit of the Rhine

Cruise line Saga River Cruises (Saga Cruises)

Spirit of the Rhine current position

Spirit of the Rhine current location is at Europe Inland (coordinates 47.75975 N / 18.59936 E) cruising en route to KELHEIM. The AIS position was reported 4 minutes ago.

Specifications of Spirit of the Rhine

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Spirit of the Rhine Review

Review of spirit of the rhine.

The 2021-built MS Spirit of the Rhine cruise ship is Saga UK's first newbuild riverboat (constructed in Serbia, at Vahali Shipyards) and inaugurated in September 2021. SAGA Group's boats are operated under a long-term charter being owned by different companies (shipowners and cruise lines) and target predominantly the British source market.

The sisterships are named Spirit of the Rhine (2021-launched), Spirit of the Danube (2022), Spirit of the Moselle (2025), Spirit of the Main (tba) and Spirit of the Elbe (tba).

Saga River Cruises ships are in the industry's luxury category and navigate on Europe's main and largest rivers (Danube, Main, Rhine, Moselle, Elbe) as well as on the Belgium-Dutch inland waterways.  Saga Cruises ' ocean-going newbuilds are the sisterships  Spirit of Discovery  (2019) and  Spirit of Adventure  (2020).

Like all currently operated by Saga riverboats, Spirit of the Rhine is operated by the UK-based cruise company under an exclusive time charter deal. The shipowner is the Dutch shipping company Rijfers Nautical Management BV.

Saga plc is a British travel company and cruise brand targeting mainly UK travelers in the 50+ age group. Saga UK annually serves around 2,7 million customers. The company is LSE-listed (on London Stock Exchange) under the stock symbol (ticker) SAGA.

The ship operator Saga Holidays provides travel package holidays, cruises and tours worldwide. Saga plc also owns Titan Travel UK (specializing in escorted tours, short-break coach tours, ship cruises) and Destinology (custom-designed luxury all-inclusive holidays and ship cruises).

The boat (ENI number 2338872) is currently Switzerland- flagged (MMSI 269057750) and registered in Basel .

Decks and Cabins

Saga Spirit of the Rhine staterooms (96 total) provide this boutique-type riverboat with max passenger capacity 182. All cabins are with double occupancy and similarly sized (17 m2 / 185 ft2). All Lower Deck cabins (deck 1) are with non-opening Porthole windows (located near the ceiling) and are smaller (14 m2/150 ft2). All cabins on decks 2 (Main) and Upper (3) are with French Balconies accessed via slide-opening floor-ceiling windows.

A total of 12 cabins are "Single" and can be booked without a single supplement (subject to availability). These rooms are in the category "Single Deluxe" with French Balcony (IS-Middle Deck, GS-Upper Deck) and "Single Standard" (KS-Lower Deck).

On Spirit of the Rhine, Saga provides as standard cabin amenities (complimentary to all staterooms regardless of cabin category) a hotel type Queen bed (convertible to two twin beds) sized 200 x 160 cm, with luxury bedding sets and pillows, ample wardrobe storage space, bedside tables, wall-mounted reading lamps, LED ceiling lights, individual air-conditioning (thermostat controlled), 220V / 110V voltage outlets. The seating area is furnished with two armchairs, a coffee/dining table, a mirrored vanity table (writing desk) with a chair, wall-mounted magnifying mirror.

All staterooms have private/en-suite bathroom (with glass-door shower stall, single-sink vanity, WC, hairdryer, premium bath amenities, plush robes), electronic safe box (in the closet), direct-dial phone (for shipboard use only), mini-bar (fridge), complimentary bottled water (supplied daily), smart HDTV (satellite reception, Infotainment system / Internet, movies-on-demand, real-time bridge cam views), free of charge WiFi Internet (shipwide coverage).

Complimentary alcohol (beer and wine by the glass) and soft beverages are provided during lunch and dinner. On MS Spirit of the Rhine, Saga Cruises for the first time included (as standard) in the cruise fares gratuities (onboard tipping), beverages (beer, wine, soft drinks) and VIP coach transfers (from the passengers' homes/hotels).

The boat has 4 passenger decks , of which 3 are with cabins.

Shipboard facilities

Saga's Spirit of the Rhine has a wellness area (small Gym room on deck 1), Panorama Restaurant (on deck 2, with adjacent galley/kitchen), Panoramic Bar Lounge (Lorelei Lounge on deck 3, serves as music salon/cinema/lecture hall and has a grand piano, dance floor, terrace with outdoor seating, library/reading corner), Foyer (lobby area on deck 3 with Reception Desk, Tour Desk and ship entrances / portside and starboard), Rheinfels Cafe (A La Carte Restaurant Rheinfels/aft on deck 3).

The Sundeck (deck 4) houses an outdoor Terrace Lounge (also hosting alfresco dining with deck barbecues, bar service), Wheelhouse (retractable Navigation Bridge), shaded seating area (4 retractable awnings, deckchairs, tables), large sunbathing area (with loungers and low tables), deckgames area (with Giant Chess Board) and an aft-located Jacuzzi (outdoor whirlpool hot tub).

Due to its small seating capacity (34 seats), the A La Carte Restaurant is complimentary but reservations-only and dinner-only. The Dining Room Restaurant is complimentary, waiter-served and features an open kitchen (show cooking).

All the ship's main venues (Bar Lounge, Restaurant, Cafe, Atrium) are with floor-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows. One glass elevator (midship-located passenger lift) connects all cabin decks. All decks are interconnected via stairs (forward, midship and aft), including a grand staircase in the Atrium (midship). Sundeck is accessed via a staircase (14 steps).

Saga river cruise deals

Complimentary alcohol (beer and wine by the glass) and soft beverages are provided during all shipboard lunches and dinners. Complimentary (throughout the day) are unlimited teas, coffees and snacks. Price-inclusive are at least 3 land tours (on 7-night itineraries) and up to 8 shore excursions (on longer itineraries).

On MS Spirit of the Rhine, Saga Cruises for the first time included (as standard) in the fares gratuities (onboard tipping), beverages (beer, wine, soft drinks) and the door-to-door "Saga VIP" travel service. Saga also offers Standard-Class train travel as well as complimentary airport parking (for passengers travelling with their own vehicles).

Saga VIP is a premium travel (private chauffeur) service that includes a return MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle/minivan) service from your home to the airport, return service to your local airport (for a domestic flight to the international airport), return service to the UK departure point (Eurostar train station or ferry terminal), standard class train travel (from your local rail station to the UK departure point). Vacationers travelling with their own vehicles are provided with free airport parking.

Saga river cruise deals are inclusive of Economy-Class flights (domestic-only/subject to availability). Saga VIP services are available to all citizens of mainland-UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) plus Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands. Saga usually selects the form of transportation and/or the UK airport. The number of allowed passengers per MPV is 3-5.

Travel Insurance is optional (costs extra)

Itineraries

The inaugural cruise of Spirit of the Rhine (6-day itinerary) was initially scheduled for March 23, 2021. For the boat's maiden season (2021) were designed and scheduled the following itineraries.

• 7-day "INAUGURAL BEATLES CRUISE"/"KEUKENHOF and DUTCH DELIGHTS" itinerary (May 3) roundtrip from Amsterdam
• 10-day "FROM REMBRANDT TO RUBENS" (May 10) from Amsterdam to Brussels
• 8-day "MYSTERY CRUISE" (May 19) from Brussels to Arnhem
• 8-day "GILBERT and SULLIVAN" (June 24) from Amsterdam to Arnhem
• 15-day "BELGIUM and THE NETHERLANDS" (July 15) roundtrip from Amsterdam (GBP 2500 pp)
• 15-day "ACROSS THE CONTINENT" (July 29) from Amsterdam to Budapest Hungary (GBP 2800 pp)
• 15-day "RHINE, MAIN and MOSELLE" (May through November 2021) from Arnhem to Amsterdam (GBP 1940 pp)
• 12-day "FROM AMSTERDAM TO THE ALPS" (June through October 2021) from Amsterdam to Davos Switzerland (GBP 2450 pp)
• 12-day "RHINE and GLACIER EXPRESS" (June through October 2021) from Montreux to Amsterdam (GBP 2750 pp)
• 8-day "CASTLES and VINEYARDS" (June through October 2021) from Amsterdam to Basel
• 13-day "RHINE WINE FESTIVAL" (September 21) from Amsterdam to Trier Germany (GBP 2450 pp)
• 8-day "SOUNDS OF THE 60S and 70S" (October 11) from Basel to Amsterdam
• 5-day "RHINE CHRISTMAS MARKETS" (December 16) from Cologne to Dusseldorf (GBP 850 pp)
• 15-day "CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR" (December 20) from Cologne to Dusseldorf (GBP 2250 pp)
• 8-day "NEW YEAR ON THE RHINE" (December 27) from Cologne to Dusseldorf

The inaugural season's booking prices ranged between GBP 1450-1850 per person (with double occupancy) on 8-day voyages.

However, due to the Coronavirus crisis, Spirit of the Rhine's Maiden Voyage was rescheduled for September 23 (2021). The 13-night itinerary (from Trier Germany ) visited Bernkastel-Kues , Piesport-Mosel , Traben-Trarbach .

Next are listed the itinerary ports of the regularly scheduled by Saga Spirit of the Rhine cruises.

12-day "From Amsterdam to the Alps" itinerary - Day 1 (flight UK-Amsterdam/ship embarkation/overnight mooring), Day 2 (Amsterdam/city tour, canal cruise), Day 3 (Cologne), Day 4 (Koblenz to Rudesheim), Day 5 (Rudesheim to Mainz), Day 6 (Strasbourg), Day 7 (Breisach), Day 8 (Basel debarkation, 2-night Hotel Gaia stay, Bern tour), Day 10 (hotel breakfast, check-out, travel to Davos, Lake Lucerne Cruise, 2-night Davos hotel stay), Day 12 (Davos-UK flight). The crsuisetour included 7-night cruising, 2-nights 4-star hotels (in Basel and Davos), 28 meals (11 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 11 dinners), 5 excursions.

12-day "The Rhine and Glacier Express to St Moritz Spirit" itinerary - Day 1 (flight UK-Geneva-Montreux, 2-night Montreux hotel stay, Chillon Castle tour), Day 3 (transfer from Montreux to St Moritz/2-night hotel, Glacier Express train excursion), Day 4 (St Moritz/Bernina Diavolezza and Dialezza Glacier tour), Day 5 (transfer from St Moritz to Basel /ship embarkation), Day 6 (Breisach), Day 7 (Strasbourg/ tour and canal cruise), Day 8 (Mannheim-Mainz-Rudesheim /Heidelberg Castle tour), Day 9 (Rudesheim to Koblenz /Ehrenbreitstein Fortress tour), Day 10 (Cologne), Day 11 (Amsterdam/city tour, canal cruise, culinary tour, overnight boat stay), Day 12 (debarkation). The crsuisetour included 7-night cruising, 2-nights hotels (in Montreux and St Moritz), 28 meals (11 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 11 dinners), 7 excursions.

8-day "Castles and Vineyards of the Rhine" itinerary - Day 1 (flight UK-Amsterdam/ship embarkation/overnight mooring), Day 2 (Amsterdam/city tour, canal cruise), Day 3 (Cologne), Day 4 (Koblenz to Rudesheim), Day 5 (Rudesheim to Mainz/Heidelberg Castle tour), Day 6 (Strasbourg/city tour, canal cruise), Day 7 (Breisach), Day 8 (Basel debarkation, Basel-UK flight). The crsuisetour included 7-night cruising, 20 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners), 3 excursions. Themed cruises in 2021 included as guests Alastair Stewart (Aug 26), Jonathan Agnew (Oct 4) and Nick Nairn (Oct 25).

Spirit of the Rhine - user reviews and comments

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Other Saga River Cruises cruise ships

• MS Filia Rheni II
• MS Rex Rheni
• Spirit of the Danube
• Spirit of the Douro

Spirit of the Rhine Wiki

The vessel's construction (hull and superstructure) started on December 11, 2019, with the keel-laying ceremony held at Vahali Shipyard in Zasavica (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). The ceremony was attended by Robert Goodwin (Saga Group's Director of Product and Purchasing), Andrew Iwasyszyn (Saga River Cruises'Product Manager), Vincent Bekker (Vahali Shipyard's owner), Johan Rijfers (Rijfers River Cruises' owner) and Gilles Beschoor Plug (Holland's Ambassador in Serbia).

The 1923-founded Dutch shipbuilding company (Scheepswerf En Machinefabriek Vahali BV) owns and operates yards in Serbia ( Belgrade , and Zasavica) and in Holland (Gendt). Vahali Shipyard Zasavica was officially opened in 2013. Following the construction in Serbia, the ship was towed to Holland for final outfitting at Scheepswerf Vahali (Gendt).

The boats Spirit of the Rhine and Spirit of the Danube were oifficially named in a joint-christening ceremony on March 19, 2022, held dockside in Arnhem (Netherlands) . The special ceremony was attended by 100+ VIP guests (involved in their design and building) as well as by Peter Wright (Saga Cruises' Commercial Director), Otto Groen (Rijfers Nautical Management's CEO), Vincent Bekker (Vahali Shipyard's owner), Captain Marinus Pols (Spirit of the Rhine's Master/Dutch), Captain George Dudunica (Spirit of the Danube's Master/Romanian).

The godmother of both riverboats is Dame Jennifer Susan Murray/Jenni Murray (1950-born English journalist, broadcaster, author). She was appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1999, and DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2011. Both are British orders of chivalry rewarding contributions to arts, sciences, charitable and welfare works, and public service outside the military. Jenni Murray is best known as the presenter/host of BBC Radio 4's 60-minute program "Woman's Hour" (health-education-culture-politics-themed topics aimed at women) in the period 1987-2020.

Note: You can see CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.

I Took a Traditional 50+ River Cruise (Food, Ship, Entertainment and More) – Saga

Wondering if a Saga river cruise is right for you? I took one and had an amazing time exploring the Danube. 

I’d definitely recommend a cruise with Saga but I wouldn’t recommend it to all.

The following 7 points will help you to make an informed decision about if a Saga river cruise is right for you.

Saga Cruises Are Aimed At a British Market

Without a doubt, Saga river cruises are aimed primarily at the British market. I recently returned from a Danube river cruise with Saga where almost all passengers were British. Having said that, Saga cruise are not exclusively for brits .

Saga don’t advertise in the USA/Canada/Australia so this explains the majority of passengers being British.

Saga Cruises Include British Touches

British favorites are regularly on the menu of Saga cruises. I had the most amazing fish and chips during my Saga river cruise. You’ll find more about the food later in this post.

Tea features heavily in the daily schedule. Afternoon tea happens each and every day and offers passengers a variety of sandwiches, cakes and teas to choose from.

Onboard there was a choice of Yorkshire tea, PG tips, and about 15 other tea choices. Tea/Coffee making facilities are available in the main lounge 24 hours a day and tea/coffee is also served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Saga Don’t Own/Build Their Own Ships

Saga don’t own their own river cruise ships, they charter them from other river cruise companies.

This means that there is a lot of variety in regards to onboard ship amenities within the Saga fleet. The ships are chartered exclusively for Saga meaning that no other cruise lines/companies are able to use the ships while they are chartered to Saga.

Other river cruise lines that build their own ships will usually have little or no variation in their fleet.

The ships chartered by Saga are generally speaking older than ships that you may find on other river cruise lines like Emerald Waterways and Avalon.

Filia Rheni River Cruise Ship Review

I cruised on the Filia Rheni which was built in 1999. She was a very comfortable ship and although not really showing her age you could still tell that she isn’t a modern river ship.

The design of river ships has changed in recent years and certain features onboard give away the ship’s age.

That said, all of the furnishings onboard appeared relatively new and there wasn’t ever anything that was broken or scruffy onboard. The Filia Rheni provides a traditional river cruise experience.

She has one big dining room, one lounge and a swimming pool on the top deck. The ship is a good size for the number of passengers that she holds, we certainly never struggled to find a seat or a sunlounger!

At one point I had 8 sun loungers, a giant chessboard and a swimming pool all to myself.

Filia Rheni Cabin Review

We stayed in a balcony cabin and it was a decent size. The cabin had everything that we needed and we were very comfortable there.

That said, there wasn’t anything in the cabin that particularly wowed me but I did enjoy leaning out of the balcony as we sailed along.

The cabin was cleaned every day to a high standard and my only complaint was that the bed wasn’t very comfortable because I could feel the springs digging into my arm when I lay down.

I fixed this by using the bed cover as a mattress topper and from this point onwards it was fine.

Saga Cruises Include Transfers

During my Saga cruise, I spoke to many other guests and asked them about why they liked cruising with Saga.

The most common reason I heard was that Saga looks after their guests and they include transfers in their cruise fare.

Saga seems to be pretty flexible when it comes to travel arrangements. Some passengers had caught trains instead of taxis and a few even have hotel stays included because they lived so far from the airport.

Transfer Distance

Saga includes a transfer if you live within 250 miles of the cruise port or airport which I think is amazing. I was picked up for my Saga cruise at 4 am and taken to the airport. The taxi alone would have cost over £100 and we had the same thing on the way home too!

This service is a private chauffeur for distances up to 75 miles each way, and a shared chauffeur service from 76-250 miles each way. Don’t want to chauffeur? No problem. We’ll also be happy to arrange complimentary car parking near the port, or can provide included rail/coach tickets, or even free flights from your local airport, subject to availability. – source .

Thie service operates only in the UK.

The Saga Team Will Look After You

Saga charter their ships so, as far as I can work out, most members of crew onboard will below to the ship rather than to Saga.

On my Saga cruise, the bar team, housekeeping team, and kitchen team were all incredible and made sure that every guest had everything that they needed.

On a Saga river cruise, there will be a few members of staff from Saga and I was lucky enough to have Charlie, Loraine, and Debbie. Charlie was our Cruise Host with Loraine second in command. Debbie was our entertainment for the week, she sang, she hosted games and she ran the Zumba! A lady with many talents.

During our cruise, they were always available for the guests and were constantly friendly and patient which made the atmosphere onboard very homely and welcoming.

If anything went wrong or anybody onboard ever had any questions we all knew that we could go to Charlie, Loraine or Debbie and they’d help sort it out.

I spoke to many other guests onboard all of whom loved the trio. Many praised Charlies ability to explain things, Loraines ability to organise everything (and everybody), and Debbies ability to make everybody laugh.

Saga Have Fixed Dining Times and Table Sharing

Saga has fixed dining times on their river cruises and table sharing is common. On most river cruises you will have fixed dining times because the majority of river cruise ships only have one main dining room.

There are a few new ships with multiple restaurant options but generally speaking, river cruise ships have one main dining room.

Saga River Cruise Breakfast

Saga offers a buffet breakfast in the main dining room. This usually is open for a couple of hours and when you arrive you will be seated with other guests.

You are able to arrive at any time when breakfast is open. Tea/Coffee is offered and there are a variety of juices and water available.

The buffet contained everything from a full English breakfast to continental favorites. Bread, cereals, and fruits were plentiful and always of really high quality. I’d find it very difficult to find any fault with anything in the buffet.

Saga River Cruise Lunch Options

There are two options for lunch. Guests can either have a 3-course meal in the main dining room or can have a ‘light lunch’ in the lounge. I tried both and they were great.

Main Dining Room Lunch

The sit-down lunch in the main dining room was very similar to dinner, the only difference is that during lunch guests are seated on a first come first serve basis. I quite liked this as it meant we got to chat with new people each lunchtime.

The options on the menu were varied and I never had a bad dish during the entire cruise. In fact, I never heard anybody say anything bad about any item of food for the entire cruise. Wow!

Light Lunch

I really enjoyed the light lunch. It was usually a collection of sandwiches/salads and things like pasta or soups.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘light lunch’ title, it definitely is possible to overeat. We were actually planning on leaving the ship one lunchtime when the smell of spare ribs wafted from the lounge… we decided, of course, to have lunch and then venture out.

Saga River Cruise Dinner

Saga has fixed tables for dining which will be given to you on the first night of your cruise. We were sharing with 4 other ladies all of whom were lovely. It’s always a relief to have nice table mates.

The dinner onboard is usually 4 courses, a starter, soup, main, and dessert. On occasion, other courses would appear such as a sorbet.

Our waiter would often give us another dish to share if he thought we should try a certain dish. We never really wanted the extra dessert but somehow always managed to eat it… funny that!

Saga River Cruise Food Quality

I’ve been on 23 cruises to date and I have to say that, in my opinion, the food served on Saga ships is up there with the best.

During my 6 night cruise, I didn’t hear a single complaint from any passenger about the quality of the food.

Saga River Cruises Include Some Excursions, Drinks with Meals, and WiFi

In addition to the transfers mentioned earlier, Saga includes a lot in their base cruise fare.

Are Excursions Included on a Saga River Cruise?

On our 6 night cruise, we had two excursions included. Plus a very strange bonus excursion on the first day which we didn’t expect. To read more about that, check out this post: Saga Danube River Cruise Daily Diary & Review. 

The excursions are mostly coach based. During our excursions we were given some time to walk around and those who were less able were given an option of waiting in a coffee shop.

Saga river cruises do not include daily excursions and the number of excursions offered does vary by cruise.

Having said this, cruise director Charlie was always available to do a ‘walk into town’ for the passengers who weren’t on an excursion. I thought that this was a lovely gesture as it helped the passengers to feel safer when exploring new places and meant that they knew where they were going when doing their own exploring.

Are Drinks Included on a Saga River Cruises?

Saga river cruises include drinks with meals. This includes beer, wine and soft drinks such as soda.

The ‘free’ drinks aren’t only available in the main dining room but they are also available in the main lounge when lunch is being served. Beer/wine isn’t served with breakfast.

Wine is Included on a Saga River Cruise

The wine servings were HUGE and most nights I didn’t have more than one other drink in the evening.

We actually only spent £42 on drinks during our cruise! Dinner is quite an event on Saga cruises and we often sat for quite a long time just chatting and getting our money worth out of the free drinks. There is only one seating of dinner you don’t have to be rushed out of the restaurant so can take as much time as you need.

A red, white and rose are available every night. This didn’t change during the cruise but I wouldn’t have wanted it too. I liked the rose. Check out those wine servings below!

WiFi is Included on a Saga River Cruise 

WiFi is included on Saga river cruises. The quality of the WiFi depends on where you are cruising at the time. Sometimes the WiFi was pretty good and other times it was awful. To use the WiFi you’ll need to get a password from reception and use this to log in.

Travel Insurance is Included on a Saga River Cruise 

Saga river cruises include travel insurance. This is a big benefit for a lot of their passengers who may find it expensive to buy travel insurance.

If you don’t want to take the travel insurance Saga will usually offer you a small discount on the cruise fare.

Saga Are a 50+ Cruise Line

Saga are a 50+ cruise line. The only exception to this rule is that guests 40+ may travel if they are cruising with somebody who is 50+. Having said this, I don’t think I saw anybody in their 40s on my Saga cruise, most were in their 60s or 70s.

You may have noticed that I am not 50! I’m 25.

Saga invited me on the cruise so that I could learn about it and report back here on this website and on YouTube , I also updated Instagram , Facebook and Twitter daily during the cruise. When the cruise was booked for me I went onto Saga’s website to try and order a brochure and it wouldn’t let me until I pretended I was 50, haha…

Despite the cruise definitely not being targeted at me I had a really great time and I’ll remember the cruise forever.

To read more about the cruise I took with Saga, check out this post: Saga Danube River Cruise Daily Diary & Review. 

To learn more about cruising with Saga, visit Saga’s website here .

If you are considering a river cruise but are not over 50 it may be worth checking out Emerald Waterways. I took a cruise with them along the Rhone and it was brilliant. To learn more read my daily cruise diary here: Emerald Waterways, Daily Cruise Diary, and Review. 

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15 Child-Free Cruises Retirees Should Unashamedly Book In 2024

Posted: June 6, 2024 | Last updated: June 6, 2024

One of the perks of retirement is more time to spend with kids and grandkids — but it’s understandable to want some child-free quiet sometimes, especially on vacation . Some major cruise lines have caught onto this need and created cruises that are adults-only.

If a kid-free cruise sounds intriguing to you, here are 15 options to consider (note: some of the cruises here don’t ban children, but they don’t offer any kid-oriented attractions so they’re much less likely to be on board).

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Virgin Voyages

The top choice for travelers looking for an adults-only cruise experience is Virgin Voyages — as all its ships are 18+. And with destinations around the U.S., Caribbean, Mediterranean, and more, Virgin has options whether you’re looking for a quick weekend voyage or a trek across the Atlantic and beyond.

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Viking Ocean Cruises

Viking takes great pains to ensure customers that they won’t find the loud and at times disturbing standard cruise attractions on its ships — that means no children under 18, no casinos, no surprise charges for different restaurants, no photo sales, etc.

What’s more, the company has cruises all over the world — whether you’re looking to cruise around Hawaii and Polynesia or sail the Adriatic Sea.

Saga Cruises

Saga Ocean Cruises are made specifically with retirees in mind — as the British cruise line’s ships are for passengers 50 and over.

The company offers ocean cruises and river cruises — and sails from fascinating ports around the world, from its cruise around Greece and Egypt to the Dutch and Belgian explorer, which highlights Holland and the best of Belgium.

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P&O Cruises Aurora

P&O; has two options that are completely child-free, including the Aurora.

This ship takes World Cruises and what the company refers to as “epic journey” holidays, but is also available for shorter stints — like its Scandinavian cruises, trips to the Canary Islands, and more.

P&O Cruises Arcadia

Arcadia is P&O;’s second adults-only ship. It took its first voyage a few years after the Aurora.

It has similar trip offerings to the Aurora (minus the world cruises) — and can take cruisers on an array of excursions, from “short breaks” in the English Channel to a 16-night discovery cruise around Norway and Iceland.

Azamara is one of those small cruise lines that focuses on luxury. While cruisers under 18 are not outright banned, onboard activities are heavily adult-focused, so you likely won’t be dealing with too many families.

It has an array of excellent options around the world as well — from a Western Africa Voyage to a trek around Bali and Western Australia.

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Swan Hellenic

While Swan Hellenic allows children aged 8 and over aboard its ships, the remote excursions and onboard activities focused on health, wellness, and relaxation mean most families traveling with children will opt for a more kid-friendly option.

The adult focus and array of destinations, from Antarctica to the Caribbean, make this another great option for retirees.

Scenic is another cruise line that caters to adult travelers and considers its ships the “world’s first discovery yachts.” Retirees can enjoy these ultra-luxury experiences all over the world, from the beautiful islands in the Caribbean to the stunning shores of Antarctica.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Regent Seven Seas also offers a luxury experience catered to adult passengers — its all-inclusive travel experiences even include airfare to the destination you’ll be departing from.

The company offers shorter trips, like a seven-day trip from Seward to Vancouver, as well as extended vacations — like a months-long Grand Arctic Adventure, which travels up the East Coast from New York to Canada and Greenland before crossing the Atlantic to Europe.

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Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises is another luxury line that offers a more intimate cruising experience with smaller ships and more individual attention for cruisers.

Silversea takes cruisers to all seven continents and 900 destinations around the globe — and travelers can expect around 700 or fewer passengers per voyage, which can be a luxury in itself.

Seabourn Cruise Line

Guests aboard Seabourn’s ships can also expect a more intimate experience with a focus on luxury and adult-focused activities and entertainment.

With destinations all over the world, from Antarctica to the Amazon, this is another great option for retirees looking for the luxury experience — and as a bonus, each suite on board comes with a host and attendant.

Windstar Cruises

Cruises aboard Windstar’s ships are more like luxurious yacht trips — and it’s unlikely that fellow travelers will see these voyages as fit for kids. Each ship fits only between 148 and 342 cruisers, and the ships go everywhere from Costa Rica and the Panama Canal to Tahiti.

Explora Journeys

Explora is new to the scene and already making a name for itself with its luxurious, adult-focused voyages. The ships offer many different Mediterranean experiences, are carefully curated based on traveler needs, and can stretch from 7 days to 21 days.

Guests can also enjoy a variety of dining/drink options in 18 restaurants, lounges, and bars onboard.

French-owned Ponant offers a smaller, intimate cruising experience with a limited number of staterooms and suites and voyages that travel to stunning, remote destinations.

It offers some truly unique routes as well, like the Tropical Odyssey between North East Australia and Indonesia and a Norwegian Fjords cruise.

Crystal is another favorite among adult luxury travelers — and its two ships, Serenity and Symphony, now sail to 281 destinations across 112 countries.

They offer standard (shorter) cruises, as well as months-long world cruises that hit dozens of countries and “Grand Journeys” that range from 38 nights to 45 nights.

Bottom line

While luxury cruises tend to be a bit pricier, sometimes the peace of mind and quietness are worth the extra money. Plus, you may save more by booking with a top travel credit card .

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but going to carribean islands?

3 replies to this topic

This is an open ended question!

Is there a timeframe when you contemplate cruising?

And, do you have a particular departure and arrival port in mind?

You would be best to fly to one of the Islands & cruise from there

Barbados/Antigua come to mind

Panama may be an option depending on the time of year

Beginning in MX? Not that I'm aware of.

MSc has sailings from Barbados, Martinique and Guadalupe. Great island itineraries with ports every day. Usually only sailing November through April or so .

Worth taking a look at those, if you can get to any of those starting points..

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Dive into the Many Summer Activities Along the River Walk

Discover the many sides of San Antonio this summer, starting with the vibrant San Antonio River Walk. Dive into unique pool parties, immerse yourself in arts and culture, and embark on family-friendly adventures. Here’s our ultimate guide to summer activities along the river:

Unique Experiences

• Go Rio offers unique experiences such as kayaking, paddle boarding, and sunset cocktail cruises.
• Stop by the historic Arenson Theatre for the River Walk Live! Series .
• Take a free yoga class with Mobile Om at Confluence Park .
• Explore the three different sections of the river with Slingshot Rentals .
• Stop by the two new culinary hubs in the Alamo City, Pullman Market + The Creamery District .

Make a Splash at San Antonio River Walk Pools

Did you know you can get a day pass to certain pools along the River? Take a look at some of our favorites:

• Thompson San Antonio River Walk
• Mokara Hotel & Spa
• Grand Hyatt Hotel
• Hotel Contessa
• River Walk Plaza Hotel
• San Antonio Marriott River Walk
• San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk

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Embrace Arts + Culture

• Explore the free River Walk Public Art Garden .
• Head to the Museum Reach to marvel at the outdoor art.
• Visit one of the museums along the river:  San Antonio Museum of Art , San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum , Briscoe Western Art Museum , and Witte Museum .
• Stop by our neighbor and enjoy the murals at San Pedro Creek Culture Park .
• Catch a show at the new Stable Hall , Aztec Theatre or Tobin Center for the Performing Arts .
• Learn about the history and visit San Antonio Missions National Historical Park .
• Don’t miss the San Antonio Saga Show at San Fernando Cathedral .
• Shop at support local artists at the oldest neighborhood in San Antonio, La Villita Historic Arts Village .

Family-Friendly Adventures

• Stay cool with an adventure at LEGOLAND Discovery Center , LiggettVille Adventure Center , Sea Life San Antonio .
• Make a splash at Historic Pearl or Hemisfair’s splashpads.
• Visit the San Antonio Zoo and take a ride on the zoo train.

BONUS: You can save BIG on your trip by getting a San Antonio CityPASS and visiting four attractions along (or near) the River Walk.

Investor’s Edge: Two cruise lines that are worth a look

• Updated: Jun. 05, 2024, 10:08 a.m. |
• Published: Jun. 05, 2024, 10:05 a.m.

Syracuse.com logo

• Jim Burns, CFA

In my lifetime, I’ve been on just a few cruises, the worst actually being on my honeymoon. It was two weeks of tedium in August of 1999, when the weather in Syracuse was great, but my cruise ship was — literally — passing icebergs in the North Atlantic. We were also the youngest cruisers by about 40 years.

The boredom over those two weeks became so bad, I was hoping, somewhat seriously, that we would hit one of the icebergs, a la the Titanic. The only difference being my desire that everyone would be safely rescued. Unfortunately, no luck there.

Needless to say, my view of cruises became quite jaded.

Modern cruises, however, are nothing like what I experienced 25 years ago. The cruise ships of today are essentially floating mega resorts complete with gourmet dining, casinos, theaters, laser tag, live music, and even roller coaster rides.

In fact, cruises are more popular than ever. According to Expedia, 2024 is projected to see a record 36 million global cruise passengers — a number that is expected to grow to nearly 40 million by 2027.

Recently I had a client rave about a Viking cruise that she and her husband experienced that went from Antwerp, Belgium to Amsterdam. As Viking Cruises just went public on May 1, I think it is a good time to look at this growing industry.

I will focus on only the two top players in the industry that local investors should consider embarking on.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN (TICKER: RCL)

Miami based Royal Caribbean International is the world’s largest cruise line by revenue and accounts for nearly 20% of all cruises taken around the globe.

Royal Caribbean vessels are the essence of the floating “mega resorts” I mentioned above, which center around offering just about every type of entertainment imaginable from rock climbing walls and water slides to ice skating rinks and Broadway shows. With a focus on luxury and top-tier service, Royal Caribbean is considered by many to be the gold standard in the mega-cruising industry.

The company is currently firing on all cylinders with record booking levels, ship capacity, and profit margins. In fact, after three years of losses during the pandemic from 2020-2022, Royal Caribbean’s earnings per share skyrocketed back to $6.69 in 2023 and are projected to crest $10 per share in 2024. Despite the stock being up more than 90% in the past year, the stock still sells at a very reasonable 19 times earnings — far lower than its top competitors.

I believe Royal Caribbean is a solid buy within the cruise industry.

VIKING (TICKER: VIK)

While most cruise brands try to offer a large variety of experiences and entertainment that appeal to everyone, Viking unapologetically does not. Viking offers high-end adults-only cruises for the affluent and intellectually curious.

Viking sails across 88 countries in all seven continents. The hallmark of a Viking cruise is world-class accommodations, food, and curated cultural experiences both on and off the ship.

The company’s “secret sauce” is its niche position and fiercely loyal customer base. In fact, more than 50% of patrons return for another Viking cruise and Viking’s total revenue per passenger is more than four times larger than a standard cruise line.

According to Bank of America, Viking’s average cruise is booked 11 months ahead of time, providing meaningful earnings visibility.

Furthermore, while most cruise lines focus mainly on the Caribbean, more than 60% of Viking’s excursions take place on European rivers, allowing it to carve out a niche with little competition.

Viking is undergoing an aggressive expansion strategy to keep up with rising demand. The company plans to build 14 river cruise ships and 10 ocean ships by 2030.

The company just went public on May 1 and already the stock has risen more than 12%. With only a $13 billion market cap, Viking has a lot of room to grow.

The risks involved with these stocks is a steep economic downturn or, as in what happened in 2020, a worldwide crisis like a pandemic. Barring that, however, the cruise lines in general have been very good investments.

To note, I don’t personally own either of these stocks. I prefer owning meaningful positions in a lesser number of businesses. That said, I am currently looking into a Viking cruise later this year and I think this the cruise line stock with the most runway.

Viking and Royal Caribbean are two very different, but still best in breed cruise players that are growing rapidly. For growth-oriented investors, either is an excellent stock to consider setting sail on.

Jim Burns is a chartered financial analyst, is president of J.W. Burns & Co. The opinions expressed here are his and do not necessarily reflect those of The Post-Standard. Readers should do research before deciding on an investment. Contact him at [email protected]

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