P&O Arcadia Lets Kids On, Ambience Goes Adults-Only — Who’s Got It Right?
P&O Arcadia is opening selected cruises to children — while Ambassador is moving in the opposite direction and going fully adults-only from 2027. So who’s got it right? We sailed Ambassador's Ambience with our teenage girls, so here’s what we think after experiencing a traditionally adult-focused ship as a family. P&O Arcadia and Ambassador Ambience have traditionally been known for a more grown-up style of cruising, but the two cruise lines are now taking very different approaches. From December 2026, P&O Cruises is allowing guests of all ages on a selected number of Arcadia cruises. Most Arcadia sailings will remain adults-only, but families will now have the opportunity to experience the ship on certain departures. Ambassador has been doing something similar with selected multigenerational sailings on Ambience and Ambition — including the Ambience cruise we recently sailed on with our teenage girls. However, Ambassador has announced that from the 2027 season its programme will become adult-only across every itinerary. So in this video we ask: * Should traditionally adults-only cruise ships occasionally welcome children? * Does it change the atmosphere onboard? * Are ships like Arcadia and Ambience actually suitable for families? * Does a family cruise need children’s clubs, waterslides and lots of activities? * What was our own experience taking two teenagers on Ambience? * And if we were choosing purely for family facilities, would we choose either ship? 00:00 Kids on an Adults-Only Cruise Ship? 00:32 P&O Arcadia – What’s Changing? 01:20 Arcadia vs Ambience 02:25 Ambassador’s Multigenerational Cruises 03:00 What Ambassador Says 03:45 What Are These Ships Actually Like for Families? 04:40 Family Activities – What’s Missing? 05:25 Would We Choose Either for a Family Cruise? 06:05 Why Adults Choose Adults-Only Ships 07:00 Our Experience on Ambience 07:40 So Who’s Got It Right? We enjoyed our multigenerational cruise on Ambience and our girls had a great holiday. But if we were choosing a cruise mainly because of activities for children or teenagers, neither Ambience nor Arcadia would necessarily be at the top of our list. And that leads to the big question: Should an adults-only cruise ship stay adults-only — or is there room for a few selected family sailings each year? We can genuinely see both sides. 🚢 What do YOU think? Are you happy that selected Arcadia cruises now welcome families? Or when you book an adults-only ship, should it stay adults-only all year round? Let us know in the comments — I think this one could produce some very different opinions! If you enjoy honest cruise reviews, full ship tours and practical cruise discussions without the sales pitch, please consider subscribing to Cruise Corner: https://www.youtube.com/@CruiseCornerLuci?sub_confirmation=1 #POArcadia #AmbassadorAmbience #AdultOnlyCruises