Adults looking for a break from family-focused vacations are fueling new growth at sea, according to Virgin Voyages, the brainchild of Sir Richard Branson.

Virgin Voyages said it’s posting its strongest mid-Wave season performance yet, with the Miami-area-based cruise line marking its highest booking month it its 5-year history.

The results come as industry analysts project the adult-only travel market will grow from $9.2 billion in 2024 to $18.1 billion by 2033, with Cruise Hive reporting a number of cruise lines adding adult-only voyages and spaces into their operations to keep up with the demand.

But Virgin Voyages has a leg up, operating as one of the few cruise lines solely for adults. No passengers under the age of 18 can sail with the cruise operator, which added its fourth ship to its fleet, Brilliant Lady, in 2025.

“We didn’t approach kid-free travel as a short-term trend,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “We built Virgin Voyages around it from day one.”

Saverimuttu says more adults are looking for space to truly switch off and reconnect and credits the innovative cruise line’s transformation of adult-only travel “from a niche idea into something people actively seek out.”

“That’s why we’re growing faster than the industry, and why our repeat rates are at record levels,” he added.

The company said longer itineraries are outperforming forecasts, particularly in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Northern Europe. Alaska bookings are up by triple digits, and ships are currently sailing at full commercial loads, according to the company.

Growth Outpaces Competitors

Virgin Voyages isn’t just resting on a strong Wave season. It closed 2025 with its strongest year-over-year performance since its launch. The cruise line said gross ticket revenue increased nearly 30 percent in 2025, while bookings rose almost 20 percent year-over-year. 

According to analytics firm Similarweb, website traffic to Virgin Voyages increased 98 percent year-over-year in January, while the average competitive growth was about 10 percent during the same period.

“We’re not slowing down,” said Saverimuttu. “Kid-free travel is not a niche category. It’s a movement. And we are now the go-to brand for anyone traveling without kids.”

Virgin Voyages launched in 2021 with just a single ship, the Scarlet Lady, which sailed from Miami. It was followed by Valiant Lady in 2022 and Resilient Lady in 2023, and completed its planned quartet of “ladies” with the arrival of Brilliant Lady bringing the fleet capacity to roughly 11,000 berths.

That ship, which launched with inaugural sailings from New York City and Miami, is part of the same 2,700-passenger class as its sisters with more than 20 dining venues included in the base fare, and no traditional main dining room or buffet.

Cabins feature the line’s signature configuration, including mood lighting features, convertible terrace hammocks, and RockStar suites with expanded outdoor space.

Since its debut, competitors have been expanding adults-only cruises, including Carnival Cruise Line, which announced in December 2025 that it will add two kid-free transatlantic voyages and a Mediterranean itinerary to its 2026 lineup.

Oceania Cruises, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, announced in January 2026 that it is repositioning the entire fleet into an adults-only brand, with all bookings made after January 7 to be for passengers 18 years and up.

Beyond Virgin Voyages and Oceania Cruises, Viking Cruises is also kid-free. P&O Cruises’ Aurora and Arcadia ships also offered adults-only sailings, but the cruise line decided it would open the vessels to families beginning in December 2026.

Cruise lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean feature adults-only retreats onboard, such as the Spice H20 on Norwegian Cruise Line and Solarium on Royal Caribbean.

The shift reflects the broader trend and cruise lines are carving out more space for guests seeking time away without a family-focused atmosphere.

Virgin Voyages Reports Record Wave Season as Adults-Only Cruising Gains Ground