[category]
[title]
If the sound of cannonball contests at the pool and sugar-hyped kids racing down the hallway isn't exactly your vacation vibe, one cruise line is betting you're not alone.
Marella Cruises, based in the U.K., has announced that its vessel, Marella Discovery 2, will become a permanently adults-only ship beginning in winter 2027, joining Marella Explorer 2 as the line's second ship dedicated exclusively to guests older than 16.
Marella plans to completely reimagine the ship's former children's spaces, replacing them with four new adults-focused venues: a speakeasy, an escape room, a karaoke room and an arts and crafts studio. The ship first entered service in 1995 as Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas before joining the Marella fleet, where it now carries nearly 1,800 passengers.
"Our winter 2027 program will focus on the regeneration of Marella Discovery 2 returning as an adults-only ship for a second consecutive winter season," Marella Cruises CEO Chris Hackney said in a statement. "With demand for adults-only cruising continuing to grow, we're investing in four new onboard concepts to enhance the experience even further."
From November 2027 through March 2028, Marella Discovery 2 will sail from Tenerife and Gran Canaria before shifting to Málaga for the remainder of the season. The ship will also debut a new seven-night "Atlantic Fusion" itinerary that includes stops across Spain's Canary Islands and a return to Agadir, Morocco, alongside longer repositioning and transatlantic voyages.
The cruise line is also expanding its Cruise & Stay program by adding 39 hotels in destinations including Málaga, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Barbados, La Romana and Palma, bringing the total number of participating hotels to 197.
Marella isn't the only company leaning into the adults-only trend: Virgin Voyages has built its entire brand around child-free cruising since launching in 2021 and Carnival Cruise Line has experimented with adults-only sailings through its Sailings Exclusively for Adults (SEA) program. Rather than setting aside a handful of special departures, though, Marella is giving one of its ships a permanent identity tailored to grown-up travelers.
For anyone who thinks a cruise is best enjoyed with cocktails, late-night karaoke and an escape room (not a kids' club!) that could make Marella Discovery 2 one of the more interesting options sailing the Atlantic in 2027.