Honeymoon
The best honeymoon cruises for couples, from Santorini to the Caribbean
A cruise lets you unpack once and wake up somewhere new each morning. For a honeymoon it works best on the right ship, in the right cabin and in the right season, and that is what this guide helps you choose.
5 November 20264 min
Picolo Editorial
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A cruise line is the company that runs the ships, and the lines differ far more than most couples expect. Some ships carry thousands of families and have water slides on deck. Others take only adults, include drinks and tips in the fare, or carry a few hundred guests in suites. Below we compare five lines that suit a honeymoon, the routes worth sailing in each season, the cabins to book and how to add a few nights on land.
In short: honeymoon cruises
Adults only: Virgin Voyages and Marella Explorer 2, a ship from TUI's British cruise line, take adults only. Viking takes no guests under 18.
The most included: Seabourn, a small luxury line, includes drinks, tips and Wi-Fi in the fare.
The best routes: the Greek islands and the Mediterranean from May to October, the Caribbean from December to April, and the rivers of Europe in spring and autumn.
The cabin: book a balcony. On a honeymoon it is the private space you will use most.
Cruise and stay: add three or four nights on land before or after the cruise. Our hotel pick is Coral Reef Club on Barbados.
Our first choice for most couples: an adults-only ship in the Greek islands in June or September, with a balcony cabin. See our Greece honeymoon guide for the islands worth extra nights.
This guide is part of our honeymoon ideas and our best honeymoon destinations series.
Who a honeymoon cruise suits, and who it does not
A cruise suits couples who want to see several places without planning every transfer. You unpack once, the meals are arranged, and a week in the Greek islands can take in four or five ports. For couples recovering from months of wedding planning, that simplicity is a large part of the appeal.
The drawbacks are real too. You share the ship with hundreds or thousands of other guests, you often have only a day in each port, and on many lines drinks, tips and Wi-Fi add a lot to the price. A cruise also suits those who enjoy movement and variety more than those who dream of ten quiet days by one beach. For that kind of honeymoon, see our best honeymoon destinations instead.
Our assessment: the line matters more than the destination. An adults-only or small luxury ship turns a cruise into a honeymoon. A large family ship in the school holidays rarely does.
The best cruise lines for a honeymoon
We have chosen these five lines because each answers a different wish: no children, everything included, more time on shore, a private area on a large ship, or the feel of a small hotel at sea.
Virgin Voyages: adults only, with the restaurants included
Virgin Voyages, the cruise line from Richard Branson's Virgin Group, sails four ships that take adults only. The fare includes dining in more than 20 restaurants, Wi-Fi, fitness classes and what Virgin calls essential drinks. Virgin has no sailings from the UK planned for 2027, and in summer 2027 the ships sail in the Mediterranean, so you fly to the ship.
Marella Explorer 2: adults only and all inclusive
Marella is the cruise line of the British tour operator TUI, and Marella Explorer 2 is its adults-only ship. Fares include flights, transfers, meals, a selection of drinks and tips. In winter 2027 to 2028 the ship sails in the Caribbean from Barbados. Marella Discovery 2 also becomes adults only from winter 2027, sailing around the Canary Islands.
Viking: no children, no casinos and a tour in every port
Viking's ocean ships take no guests under 18 and have no casinos, and every cabin has a window. Fares sold in the UK include return flights from London, one shore excursion in every port, Wi-Fi, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, and onboard tips. Viking suits couples who want to see the places, not the ship.
Celebrity Cruises: The Retreat for suite guests
Celebrity's ships also carry families, but guests in the suites get The Retreat, a private area with its own sundeck and pool. It also has Luminae, a restaurant only for suite guests. Each Retreat suite has a butler. It gives you a quiet corner on a large ship with plenty of choice on board.
Seabourn: a small hotel at sea
Seabourn sails small luxury ships where every cabin is a suite with a sea view. The fare includes drinks, from wine and cocktails to a minibar stocked to your taste, tips and Wi-Fi. It is the most expensive choice here, but the price covers almost everything once you are on board.
Where to sail on a honeymoon cruise
The Greek islands and the Mediterranean (May to October): the classic honeymoon cruise, with Santorini, Mykonos, Croatia and the Italian coast. June and September are warm with fewer crowds than July and August. Read our Greece honeymoon and Italy honeymoon guides.
The Caribbean (December to April): the British winter favourite. Many cruises start in Barbados, so you fly direct from London, and the ships call at islands such as St Lucia and Antigua. Start with our Caribbean honeymoon guide and our Caribbean cruise guide to routes and ports.
The Canary Islands (November to March): mild winter sun four hours from the UK, now with an adults-only ship from Marella from winter 2027.
The rivers of Europe (April to June and September to October): the Douro in Portugal, the Rhine and the Danube. River ships are small, dock in the centre of towns and are calm on the water. Viking's river ships have the same age limit as its ocean ships.
From a terrace in Fira, the ships in the caldera look close enough to touch
How to choose the cabin
Book a balcony. Breakfast on your own balcony as the ship sails into a new port is one of the best moments of a cruise honeymoon.
Choose a cabin in the middle of the ship on a lower deck if one of you gets seasick. You feel the movement least there.
Check what is above and below the cabin. A cabin under the pool deck or next to a nightclub can be noisy late at night.
Consider a suite on a large ship. On lines like Celebrity, a suite also gives you a private area, restaurant and staff.
Tell the cruise line you are on honeymoon when you book, so they can note it on the booking.
Cruise and stay: add a few nights on land
A few nights on land before or after the cruise give you the slow days that a cruise lacks. Arriving a day or more before departure also protects you if your flight is delayed, since the ship will not wait.
On a Caribbean fly-cruise from Barbados, three or four nights on the west coast before sailing are an easy way to start. The west coast, often called the Platinum Coast, has calm water and the island's most classic hotels, a short taxi ride from the cruise port in Bridgetown, the capital. Read more in our Barbados travel guide.
When to book a honeymoon cruise
Book as early as you can if you want a particular cabin, since the best-placed balconies and suites go first. Avoid the school holidays if you want a calmer ship, especially on lines that also carry families. If your wedding date may change, ask about the cancellation terms before you pay the deposit.
Plan the rest of your honeymoon
Set the budget with how much a honeymoon costs, choose the month in our honeymoon calendar, and use plan your honeymoon for the checklist. For more ideas, see luxury honeymoon destinations and our winter honeymoon destinations.
Our pick for a cruise and stay
Coral Reef Club: slow days on Barbados before you sail
Coral Reef Club has been run by the O'Hara family for more than sixty years and is a classic of the west coast of Barbados, with cottages and suites spread through large gardens down to the beach in St James. It is the calm start a Caribbean cruise needs, about 10 kilometres from the cruise port in Bridgetown. It has two pools, a spa and The Reef Restaurant by the sea, and guests give it 9.8 out of 10 on Hotels.com.
Our verdict
What Picolo recommends: choose the line first, then the route. For most couples that means an adults-only ship or a small luxury ship, a balcony cabin, and a few nights on land before you sail.
Why: the ship sets the mood of the whole trip, and the wrong ship is hard to escape at sea. The route can always be repeated later.
The trade-off: a cruise gives you many places but little time in each. If you want long, slow days in one place, an island resort suits you better.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best cruise line for a honeymoon?
The best cruise line for a honeymoon is usually one that takes adults only or keeps the ship small. Virgin Voyages and Marella Explorer 2 are adults only, Viking takes no guests under 18, and Seabourn includes drinks, tips and Wi-Fi on small luxury ships. On larger lines, Celebrity's suites give you a private area called The Retreat.
Is a cruise a good idea for a honeymoon?
A cruise is a good idea for a honeymoon if you want to see several places with one booking and little planning. You unpack once and wake up in a new port. It suits couples less if they want long, quiet days in one place, since you often have only a day in each port and share the ship with many others.
Where is the best place to go on a honeymoon cruise?
The Greek islands and the Mediterranean are the best places for a honeymoon cruise from May to October, with Santorini, Mykonos and the Croatian coast. From December to April the Caribbean is the classic choice, often with a fly-cruise from Barbados. In spring and autumn, a river cruise on the Douro, Rhine or Danube is a calm alternative.
Is a river cruise good for a honeymoon?
A river cruise is good for a honeymoon if you prefer small ships, calm water and towns over beaches. River ships dock in the centre of places such as Porto, Vienna and Budapest, so you can walk straight ashore. Viking's river ships take no guests under 18. The best seasons are spring and autumn.
Sources
The ship facts come from the cruise lines' own pages: Virgin Voyages, TUI's guide to Marella All Inclusive, Viking's list of what is included and what Viking is not, and Celebrity's page on The Retreat. Seabourn's inclusions are listed by the cruise agency CruiseDirect. Marella's winter 2027 to 2028 programme was reported by Cruise Critic, and Virgin's 2027 plans by the independent news site VV Insider. The hotel score comes from Hotels.com, and the facts about Coral Reef Club from Visit Barbados, the island's official tourism site. Last checked: 5 November 2026.
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