There’s a reason cruises are popular among older travelers: Guests unpack once and then wake up each day in a different destination or spend a day relaxing at sea.
But not every cruise is equally suited to seniors. Some stop in cities that demand lots of walking, while others require passengers to be tendered ashore in smaller boats that can be difficult to get in and out of. The best cruises cater entertainment and itineraries to an older audience and feature amenities for the mobility challenged.
These cruise ships and itineraries offer senior travelers the world with convenience and ease.
Best Cruise Ships for Older Travelers
These cruise lines offer great options for every budget and travel style.
Best for Value: Holland America Line and Azamara
There’s a reason Holland America Line has a fiercely loyal customer base of 65-plus travelers. The cruise line’s 11 ships accommodate 1,432 to 2,668 guests each and offer a wide range of itineraries — from seven-night Caribbean voyages to 100-day world cruises crossing several continents — at reasonable fares. The food and entertainment are excellent, especially on new ships such Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Koningsdam, which feature 10 dining venues and the full MusicWalk experience with jazz, rock, classical, and pop performances nightly. HAL is also the official cruise line partner of the Professional Pickleball Association and all ships have courts for lessons and tournaments.
If you prefer a smaller ship, consider sailing with premium cruise line Azamara. Although cabins are notably snugger than those on luxury cruise ships, its fleet of four identical vessels, each accommodating around 700 guests, offers excellent cuisine and abundant time in ports, including late departures and overnight stays. Azamara also offers country-intensive voyages to destinations such as Japan, Italy, Croatia, South Africa, Norway, and Iceland that allow for a deeper dive into local culture.
Best for Traditional Cruising: Cunard Line
If you love traditional afternoon tea and gala evenings requiring fancy cocktail attire, Cunard Line’s four ships keep these traditions alive and well. Its three older ships — the 2,081-guest Queen Elizabeth, the 2,061-guest Queen Victoria, and the 2,691-guest Queen Mary 2 (famous for its transatlantic crossings) — feature classic Art Deco details inspired by its storied heritage. Cunard’s newest ship, the 2,996-guest Queen Anne, offers a modern update that combines Art Deco patterns with a more contemporary design and a livelier ambiance.
Best for Accessible Travel: Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises
Because Holland America’s guests are generally of retirement age or older, its ships offer a wide array of amenities for travelers who require a walker, wheelchair, or scooter. There are three types of accessible cabins, some with roll-in showers. In addition, most ships (with the exception of Volendam and Zaandam) feature tender lifts that allow guests who use wheelchairs or scooters to roll directly onto and off of tenders.
Princess Cruises also welcomes a loyal base of mature couples on its 16 ships, which accommodate 2,000 to 4,300 guests. Features include accessible cabins and pool lifts designed to meet the needs of wheelchair and scooter users.
Another option for older cruisers who need assistance, but prefer a more contemporary vibe or are traveling with younger family members, are Celebrity Cruises’ new 2,900-guest Edge-Series ships: Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Ascent. Each notably features the Magic Carpet, a moveable platform that when positioned for tender boarding allows for easy on-and-off transfers. Other amenities include accessible public restrooms, wheelchair seating in the theater and restaurants, and lifts in at least one pool and hot tub.
All three cruise lines offer pre-cruise mobility/accessibility assistance and planning via their website and a specialized customer service team.
Best Luxury Cruise Ships: Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, and Oceania
The luxury cruise segment, with its smaller ships and longer itineraries, is ideal for retirees who have the time and budget for five-star travel. That said, each of the major luxury cruise lines, whose ships on average accommodate about 700 guests, deliver an upscale ambience that’s slightly different.
Crystal currently has two ships: the 740-guest Crystal Serenity and the 606-guest Crystal Symphony. Both are older vessels that were extensively renovated in 2023 and offer excellent dining options (including Umi Uma, the only restaurant at sea by legendary Chef Nobu Matsuhisa), as well as exceptional service from a well-trained and loyal crew.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is known for ships with spacious staterooms and suites and for ship-wide decor that sparkles and gleams — especially on its three newest 746-guest vessels: Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Splendor, and Seven Seas Grandeur. With Regent’s all-inclusive pricing, guests can dine in seven restaurants, enjoy a wide array of wines and cocktails, and choose from a selection of shore excursions in every port. There’s even an on-board Culinary Arts Center for cooking classes.
Silversea Cruises is also known for its culinary focus, notably on its four newest ships — Silver Moon, Silver Dawn, Silver Nova and Silver Ray — which accommodate 596 to 728 guests. The line’s immersive S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) program encompasses curated food-centric shore excursions and regionally themed tasting menus. Silversea has also expanded into expedition cruising with the polar-ice-rated 220-guest Silver Endeavour, offering itineraries in Antarctica, the Arctic, and Northern Europe.
Travelers seeking an intimate luxury-ship experience can also opt for Seabourn, whose fleet includes four ocean ships that accommodate 458 to 600 guests and two 264-guest expedition vessels, with itineraries in Antarctica, the Arctic, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea, the South Pacific.
If you need to stretch your budget, check out premium cruise line Oceania Cruises. Its four newest ships — Oceania Marina, Oceania Riviera, Oceania Vista, and Oceania Allura (debuting in 2025) — carry around 1,200 guests, feature elegant contemporary décor, and a choice of multiple complimentary dining options. The four smaller ships, R-class vessels that accommodate 670 guests, aren’t quite as luxurious but offer great value for a still-higher-end experience.
Best Adults-Only: Viking Ocean Cruises
Yes, the luxury cruise lines above are all adult-centric, but kids are allowed onboard (you’ll find them mostly during June, July, and August as well as the December holiday period). Viking is the only luxury cruise line that is adults-only, and all guests must be 18 or older to sail on any of its virtually identical 930-guest ships. This creates an onboard vibe that is elegantly casual and focused on the things Viking’s mostly retirement-age clientele loves: enriching lectures about the destinations visited, inviting Nordic-inspired spaces for enjoying conversations with fellow guests, an aft infinity pool and relaxing thermal suite in the spa, and five complimentary dining venues serving cuisine that’s flavorful rather than fussy.
Best Contemporary Cruise Ships: Celebrity Cruises
If you’re an older traveler who’s still young at heart, Celebrity Cruises could be the perfect fit. The cruise line’s new Edge Series takes design to creative new heights and, as mentioned above, makes tendering possible for those using a wheelchair or scooter. The ships’ nightlife/entertainment scene is livelier and edgier than on other ships catering to older travelers.
Best for Multi-Generational Travel: Royal Caribbean and Norwegian
When it’s time for a family vacation with your adult children and grandkids, you want everyone to be happy. Aboard Royal Caribbean and Norwegian’s newer, larger (3,000-to-6,000-guest) ships, you can enjoy pool time or dance lessons by day and Broadway-style musicals at night, while the younger generations can ride adrenaline-rush waterslides, play laser tag and arcade games, and meet new friends in the onboard kids and teen clubs.
If booking with Royal Caribbean, consider the Oasis-, Quantum, and Icon-class ships for the most expansive onboard offerings — including a wide variety of bars and lounges, rock climbing walls, simulated surfing and sky-diving, ice rinks, and diving shows. It’s worth noting that all of these ships have Royal Caribbean’s adults-only Solarium enclosed pool.
On Norwegian, check out the Breakaway-, Breakaway Plus-, and Prima-class ships, which offer plenty of activities (including waterslides and a multi-level go-kart racetrack on the latter two ships) and amenities for all ages. However, the pool scene on Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva might disappoint in comparison to its Breakaway and Breakaway Plus vessels and to the pools on Royal Caribbean.
Best Cruise Itineraries for Older Travelers
Based on your vacation style, interests, and mobility, consider these ocean cruise destinations.
Best for Relaxation: Caribbean, Bermuda, Tahiti, and Transatlantic
If you’re simply looking for an alternative to a resort-based beach vacation, consider a Caribbean cruise — more specifically, an itinerary in the Eastern Caribbean or Southern Caribbean. Islands visited during the former may include St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Tortola, and the Bahamas, while Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are popular ports on the latter.
If you live in the Northeast, another convenient itinerary is a Bermuda sailing from New York or Boston. Most of these seven-night cruises spend three days in Bermuda, giving you a chance to explore, and feature two sea days each on the way there and back.
One of the most serene and scenic itineraries is a roundtrip sailing from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, through the Tahitian Islands: Picture a mosaic of cerulean sea and sky, accented by white sand and palm trees.
The most relaxing itinerary of all — if you don’t have an issue with seasickness — is a transatlantic crossing. These range from a seven-night journey from Southampton to New York (and vice versa) on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 to a 14-night (or longer) repositioning cruise from the Mediterranean or Northern Europe to New York or Miami in fall (or vice versa in spring). In addition to a week of sea days on the crossing, you’ll also visit the Azores, Canary Islands, or Bermuda, and possibly a few Mediterranean or British Isles/Iceland ports.
Best for Scenic Cruising: Alaska, Northern Europe, and South America
If you’re the type of traveler who’s more interested in viewing gorgeous scenery than taking guided tours of historic old towns and museums, check out itineraries in Alaska, Northern Europe, and South America.
Alaska cruises are offered by most of the major mainstream, premium, and luxury cruise lines and sail roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver or one-way between those ports and Seward (Anchorage). You’ll enjoy panoramic vistas of mountains, bays, and glaciers as you spot whales and bald eagles from the deck of your cruise ship.
Further afield in Northern Europe — Norway and Iceland, in particular — you’ll be treated to dramatic fjords and waterfalls, while in the Southern Hemisphere, the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina is the spot to view glacier-studded fjords and spot penguins, condors, and llama-like guanaco.
Best for Nature-Lovers: Panama Canal, Galapagos Islands, and Australia and New Zealand
Certain regions are guaranteed to impress travelers who enjoy wildlife. Opt for a full Panama Canal transit from Miami to Los Angeles or vice versa to experience the jungles of Panama and Costa Rica, where monkeys, sloths, and colorful birds are easily spotted.
Head to the Galapagos Islands for an expedition-style cruise (the maximum ship capacity here is 100 guests) and see blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, frigate birds, and frolicking Galapagos sea lions with no fear of humans. Mobility is required, however, since guests are tendered ashore in inflatable Zodiacs.
If a far-flung adventure is what you’re seeking, the wildlife of Australia and New Zealand is renowned — from koalas, kangaroos, and wombats to flightless kiwi birds, soaring and diving Australasian gannets, and massive Royal albatrosses. Cruising is also an easy way to see one or both countries without having to take multiple flights.
Best for Culture: Mediterranean and Asia
If you love history and culture, two destinations stand out: the Mediterranean, where each port in almost a dozen neighboring countries offers a chance to step back centuries (or even millennia) in time; and Asia, where architecture, craftsmanship, and unique culinary experiences can be enjoyed on guided tours that help sidestep language barriers. Japan, in particular, is a popular destination for older cruisers.
Several things to keep in mind in the Med: Beware of extreme temperatures in July and August; May/June and September/October are better for older travelers. The Greek Islands, while stunningly beautiful, are also not very friendly to those with mobility issues. Look for an itinerary that calls on major ports such as Barcelona, Rome, Naples, Marseille, and Livorno (for Florence/Pisa), where there’s a choice of bus tours that require less walking.
Best for wine lovers: Pacific Coastal
A close-to-home itinerary that’s popular with wine enthusiasts is a Pacific Coastal sailing between Los Angeles and Vancouver. With calls in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Astoria (Oregon) and Victoria (British Columbia), these sailings offer wine-centric excursions to tastings at top West Coast vineyards.
Best for Bucket-Listers: Antarctica, the Arctic, and a World Cruise
Let’s not forget the bucket list! Cruising is the only way to visit the seventh continent, Antarctica, and the easiest way to experience the Northern Lights in the Arctic and perhaps spot a polar bear or two. Want an even more unforgettable adventure? Several months of incredible exploration await on a world cruise. They are offered yearly by most premium and luxury cruise lines, as well as select mainstream cruise brands.