A cruise without kids? Carnival expands adults-only sailings

• Carnival Cruise Line is expanding its adults-only offerings where children will not be allowed onboard. .
• The sailings are on offer in the USA and Europe.
• For now it’s only for select voyages, but this appears to confirm that they will become a permanent part of Carnival’s itineraries.

Cruise Passenger previously reported that Carnival was looking to expand its ‘sailings exclusively for adults (SEA)’ and now the cruise line is moving ahead with this, releasing two new adults-only sailings.

The new sailings are in March and April 2026, with departures from Port Canaveral, Florida and Barcelona. They will be available only to guests 21 years and older.

In total there are five current sailings available as adults-only cruises. You can sign up for updates on future cruises here.

• Five-day transatlantic sailing from Port Canaveral to Barcelona on Carnival Glory in March 2026
• 15-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona on Carnival Glory in March 2026
• 10-day Caribbean cruise from Tampa on Carnival Paradise in April 2026
• Nine-day western Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Galveston on Carnival Dream
• 15-day transatlantic sailing from Galveston to Barcelona on Carnival Dream

While the vast majority of Carnival cruises will remain family-friendly, this marks the beginning of a new era for Carnival, as adults-only cruises were previously unheard of for lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

It’s a possibility that if Carnival’s new model remains successful, other cruise lines could consider opting to run occasional adults-only cruises as well.

The cruises have reportedly been extremely popular so far and received strong feedback from cruisers, with cruisers saying, “It was like parents’ night out without kids, so we could all relax and let our hair down. Last thing…I was able to enjoy the hot tub on the lido and the pool. I watched a movie in the hot tub for the first time! It was definitely an elevated experience.”

With the program expanding, Aussies will surely be keen to hear if these SEA sailings could make their way over to Australia. Aussies have expressed plenty of enthusiasm for the idea and would surely sell out the cruises just as quickly as they’ve been going in the USA so far.

Carnival Cruise Line ambassador John Heald said, “We are excited to be hosting some additional adults-only cruises next year!

“This is definitely on a first come first to get a cabin situation here so my advice would be to register as soon as you can.”