Once the preserve of the older generation, these days cruising appeals to every age group. But what if you want to enjoy a cruise at peak periods without the company of young families?
Whether you are a teacher seeking time away from children but are tied taking to breaks in school holidays, or empty-nesters who like to travel in peace in high season, by choosing carefully you can enjoy a child-free experience in 2013.
* P&O has three ships of various sizes exclusively for adults, each containing spas and lots of bars. P&O offers a seven-night cruise of the Norwegian fjords on board Adonia, departing on August 2.
If the sunny Mediterranean is more your thing, Arcadia sets sail on August 4 for 17 nights.
Alternatively, take a 12-night cruise of Iceland and Ireland aboard Oriana - it departs on July 24. All cruises start and end in Southampton. For more details, visit pocruises.co.uk.
* Saga (sagacruises.co.uk), the holiday company for over-50s (and their companions aged 40-plus), has an Easter getaway to the Canaries aboard its newest ship, Saga Sapphire, which will also call at Madeira, Agadir in Morocco, and Lisbon. There’s a 13-night round-trip from Southampton on March 28.
* Ramblers Worldwide Holidays offers a 14-night holiday combining a cruise with guided walks in Iceland, the Faroes and Norway. The Fred Olsen ship Black Watch departs Rosyth on August 18. Visit www.cruiseandwalk.co.uk.
* Azamara Club Cruises (azamaraclubcruises.co.uk) puts the emphasis on a sophisticated experience at sea. Although its two 700-capacity ships do not ban children, there are no kids’ clubs on board, and neither is there any entertainment for teenagers, so they tend not to attract families.
A 12-night Vineyards Of Europe cruise departs Southampton on August 16 and calls at Bordeaux and St Jean de Luz in France, Lisbon and Seville..
* You can be sure of an all-over tan on an adults-only nudist cruise with American company Bare Necessities Tours and Travel.
An eight-night trip departs Fort Lauderdale in Florida on February 9 and transits the Panama Canal. Visit bare-necessities.com for further information. - Daily Mail