Any cruise can be a couples cruise—if you’re going as a couple. But there’s often a significant difference in the onboard experience from one cruise to another, and some cruises are just built for romance. These cruises typically also offer a variety of dining options—from decadent meals in specialty restaurants to intimate repasts set up on stateroom balconies. Other enclaves like a dedicated adults-only pool or relaxation spaces (often available for a nominal fee) and expansive spas with a broad range of treatments are also staple amenities on romance-minded cruises, as are pampering indulgences like butler service or otherwise high staff-to-guest ratios.
As far as romantic destinations on a cruise itinerary, couples might spend their days exploring winding historic streets in a European capital, relaxing on a white-sand beach on a tropical island, or perusing the ship’s library for deck chair reading materials on a transatlantic crossing—it’s all a matter of individual taste. Here are some of the most romantic couples cruises to book for 2023.
Princess Cruises
Itinerary: 7-Night Mexican Riviera
Departure: January to March; October to December 2023
Experience: The Mexican Riviera onboard Princess was the backdrop for multiple seasons of the original Love Boat television series. Nowadays, the sailings are on board the brand-new Discovery Princess, which can sound the Love Boat theme from the ship’s horn. When couples aren’t busy exploring Puerto Vallarta’s historic square or El Arco in Cabo San Lucas, the ship offers couples secluded dining options like waiter-served breakfast on their own balcony—a space that’s included with every outside stateroom—or signature beverages and light meals at the adults-only enclave The Sanctuary.
Seabourn Cruises
Itinerary: 7-Day Classic Yachtsman’s Caribbean
Departure: January to March 2023
Experience: Cruising the Caribbean’s more secluded ports like Gustavia on St. Barts and Soper’s Hole in the British Virgin Islands on a 300-stateroom yacht is romantic on its own—but pair that with Seabourn’s amenities and shore excursions like “Caviar in the Surf,” where liveried stewards set up a surfboard bar stocked with caviar and chilled Champagne just steps into the surf off a white-sand beach, and one has a couple’s escape par excellence. For added indulgence, book a Wintergarden Suite with a glass-enclosed patio featuring a whirlpool and daybed. Suite Hosts and attendants make sure minibars are stocked with guests’ preferred beverages and draw pampering baths in lusciously outfitted marble tubs boasting Molton Brown amenities.
Celebrity Cruises
Itinerary: 12-Night New Zealand
Departure: December 9, 2023
Experience: Sailing from and returning to Sydney Harbor is an iconic, romantic couples cruise experience by itself, but so too is hitting the best stops in Aotearoa (New Zealand), from the Art Deco haven of Napier to Milford Sound, where rainforests and waterfalls tumble down the sides of the fjord, and wildlife enthusiasts can spot fur seals, penguins, and dolphins from their Infinite Balconies onboard Celebrity Edge. Couples looking to splurge can book a suite for access to The Retreat, a separate lounge and sundeck, plus the private Luminae restaurant, featuring signature dishes by Chef Daniel Boulud. Public spaces on the ship are also chock full of commissioned art pieces by global artists.
Cunard
Itinerary: Transatlantic crossing
Departure: January 2023; April to December 2023
Experience: There are no ports of call on Cunard’s iconic transatlantic crossing, giving couples a week to enjoy the delights of the Queen Mary 2—the world’s last ocean liner and grand dame of sea-going glamour. Suite guests will dine in the single-seating Grill restaurants, with their own lounge and terrace, although afternoon tea in the Queens Room is a must-try on every crossing (don’t call it a cruise). On Gala Nights the two-deck high, chandelier-capped dance floor has a live band, ballgowns, and other fineries (guests can perfect their ballroom steps at a series of included daytime dance courses). Passengers can enrich their days checking out titles from the ship’s library and join the onboard book club for literary debates led by the ship’s librarian, explore the heavens at the ship’s planetarium, or attend lectures by invited experts.
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Itinerary: 14-Night Marquesas, Tuamotus, & Society Islands
Departure: April, July, August, September, November, December 2023
Experience: This two-week sailing makes for an ideal couples cruise, as it takes in some of French Polynesia’s most spectacular port calls: Fakarava has pink-sand beaches, and abundant shark life beloved by divers. Some ports in the faraway Marquesas are so secluded they don’t even have airports. Browse local wood carvings on Tahuata and visit artist Paul Gauguin’s frangipani-showered grave on Hiva Oa. Return on board each evening to musical backdrops courtesy of the ship’s Polynesian song-and-dance troupe. Banner spots like Bora Bora and Motu Mahana, the cruise line’s private islet off Taha’a, where a lavish beach picnic is set up, are featured in itineraries; cruise fares include onboard Wi-Fi, select alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and even butler service in some stateroom categories.
Viking River Cruises
Itinerary: Romantic Danube
Departure: April to November 2023
Experience: By itself, Vienna is one of Europe’s most romantic cities, where lingering in one of the city’s many coffeehouses is just as celebrated as the exciting buzz of evening concerts featuring works by famous denizens like Mozart and Strauss. Voyages on Viking’s Danube itinerary spend two nights in Vienna, plus there are other romantic stops like Budapest, Regensberg, and Pasau, ensure the itinerary would be an unforgettable couples cruise. An optional side trip to Salzburg to visit film sites from The Sound of Music and dine in Austria’s oldest restaurant are also on offer.