Thinking About Disney-No Kids Good Idea?

[KrystalWaters]

Hey All, after reading a lot about DCL i'm curious. It seems like fun! Husband and I are big kids at heart, although we do not have any kids.

 

Is DCL a good idea then?

 

Is the ship deserted after 10pm?

 

Is there comedy shows or adult entertainment later on in the evenings? We don't mind being amongst kids but i'm just wondering is the rumor that their is nothing to do for adults after a certain time true or not.

 

What are fun things to do for adults without kids during the cruise? It seems like DCL is great about having separate areas for adults and kids. We are looking at the Fantasy leaving Port Canaveral during the Fall 2013.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

[stefndoug]

Hey All, after reading a lot about DCL i'm curious. It seems like fun! Husband and I are big kids at heart, although we do not have any kids.

 

Is DCL a good idea then?

 

Is the ship deserted after 10pm?

 

Is there comedy shows or adult entertainment later on in the evenings? We don't mind being amongst kids but i'm just wondering is the rumor that their is nothing to do for adults after a certain time true or not.

 

What are fun things to do for adults without kids during the cruise? It seems like DCL is great about having separate areas for adults and kids. We are looking at the Fantasy leaving Port Canaveral during the Fall 2013.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

 

I have been on two Disney cruises and booked our third. Hubby and I have no kids. We have done many many cruises with a variety of cruiselines... I find the Disney cruise is the best one for adults. Here is why:

 

1. Kids are so entertained that you barely see them.

 

2. Adults only area is strictly enforced

 

3. Adults activities are geared for adults but not geared for the gutter mind adults (as in comedy shows).

 

4. I have never seen so many adult only activities on a ship that was entertaining

 

5. you don't have to be a kid to enjoy Disney... I have a Mickey Mouse tatoo ;)

 

Stefani

[reimero]

Hey All, after reading a lot about DCL i'm curious. It seems like fun! Husband and I are big kids at heart, although we do not have any kids.

Sounds like us!

 

Is DCL a good idea then?

It's a very good idea!

 

Is the ship deserted after 10pm?

The pool decks tend to clear out sometime between 10 and 11pm. On the Fantasy, the clubs and lounges are just starting to kick into gear at that time.

 

Is there comedy shows or adult entertainment later on in the evenings? We don't mind being amongst kids but i'm just wondering is the rumor that their is nothing to do for adults after a certain time true or not.

Again, speaking for the Fantasy, there is adult entertainment going on just about every night starting around 10:15 or 10:30.

 

What are fun things to do for adults without kids during the cruise? It seems like DCL is great about having separate areas for adults and kids. We are looking at the Fantasy leaving Port Canaveral during the Fall 2013.

 

Thank you for your assistance.

We did trivia contests, a couple arts and crafts-type things, there are cooking classes, various tastings (wine, rum, tequila, mixology classes...), live music, behind-the-scenes tours, comedy acts, talent shows, bingo, etc. We also did some family events (in spite of not having kids) and were welcomed into those.

[shellyc]

We are two seniors 66+ and will be going on our 10th Disney Cruise in September (NYC to Canada) We enjoy the ships, and have been on all four. You don't have to see the kids if you don't want to. Our Fantasy sailing in May 2012 has 1000 kids, and we had early seating for dining and our section were mostly adults. There is plenty to do. They have comedy shows geared to adults later on in the evening, but we also went to the family comedy shows. No casino, but they have bingo.

[cyclenut]

With appologies to those that have read my comments on this before, I will share with you the observations that my wife and I had regarding DCL. You can decide if you feel these things are a big deal to you ... or not.

 

1) The shows on DCL are arranged differently. When I choose late seating on RCL, I can watch the show AFTER dinner. If you choose late seating on DCL, you watch the show BEFORE dinner. We like to choose late seating to give us more time to get ready for the evening aboard the ship and give us plenty of time to get back from onshore. This is especially important on formal night. We felt very rushed on DCL and actually missed a part of one show and missed another show altogether.

 

2) We found the "adult" activities for the evening to be lacking in variety. There are basically only three areas on board the smaller ships (Wonder and Magic) and that was it. Not all ships on other lines will do better, but it seemed to us that the two previous ships we were on, which were smaller, had more to offer. The ship had real "dead zones" after 10pm.

 

3) While I can appreciate the adult only areas and the segregation of the kid zone activities, there was so much space on the Navigator dedicated to the various kids activities and age groups that it became really obvious to us that a substantial portion of the money we were paying to be on board was going to these activities that we were never going to experience, in any way ... shape ... or form. I was left feeling like I wasn't really getting what I was paying for. I am a kid at heart and honestly, some of that stuff looked like fun, but it wasn't available to me as an adult.

 

The best way to put this is that Disney ships are geared for families. Families include both adults AND children and it is those groups that get the most value and enjoyment out of the DCL cruise experience. It isn't that an adult can't enjoy (or won't enjoy) DCL, it is that Disney puts a lot of money into the enjoyment for kids (on a per ship basis, more than any other line) and every passenger pays for that (even those that have no kids or whose "kids" are actually adults). As an adult with no kids, you are not utilizing these services.

 

All said, DW and I are giving DCL another shot this September. We got a good price. If you can find a reasonable price on DCL, go for it ... adults only. You won't be disappointed. But if you are paying peak price, you may find yourself thinking ... where's the return on my investment.

[KrystalWaters]

Thank you all for your responses.

Cyclenut:i think you hit it exactly on the head what i was thinking about. I think that was a fair assessment of what my gut was telling me. Thank you:D

 

shellyc: thank you for your insight. I wasn't sure that Disney had comedy shows for adults. I'm sure they are PG rated but i love to hear some comedy. And yes, the Fantasy out of Port Canaveral is the particular ship we were looking at. Saw an awesome rate of $2300 for September OV. For some reason, I'm attracted to the Large Porthole vs balcony cabins. I think it would be so neat to pier out and watch the sea roll on by.

 

Reimero: thank you for your insight regarding the Fantasy. I just wish there were more in depth reviews w/pictures on the boards. I'm so use to Carnival's boards where it's the norm to have detailed picture reviews from cabin pics to what the cruiser ate.:p

 

I'm going to discuss with my hubby. I do think that if we were going to try DCL it would definitely be during "off season". Those prices during the summer are :eek::eek:

[Shmoo here]

Thank you all for your responses.

Cyclenut:i think you hit it exactly on the head what i was thinking about. I think that was a fair assessment of what my gut was telling me. Thank you:D

 

shellyc: thank you for your insight. I wasn't sure that Disney had comedy shows for adults. I'm sure they are PG rated but i love to hear some comedy. And yes, the Fantasy out of Port Canaveral is the particular ship we were looking at. Saw an awesome rate of $2300 for September OV. For some reason, I'm attracted to the Large Porthole vs balcony cabins. I think it would be so neat to pier out and watch the sea roll on by.

 

Reimero: thank you for your insight regarding the Fantasy. I just wish there were more in depth reviews w/pictures on the boards. I'm so use to Carnival's boards where it's the norm to have detailed picture reviews from cabin pics to what the cruiser ate.:p

 

I'm going to discuss with my hubby. I do think that if we were going to try DCL it would definitely be during "off season". Those prices during the summer are :eek::eek:

 

OK, I've got to put my 2 cents worth in here.

 

DH & I did 3 DCL cruises before we finally took the "kids" along. The kids are 19, 23 & 24 with a 28 year old friend thrown in. So technically, we've only cruised in adult-only parties.

 

We love it. And will continue to do it.

 

:)

[waltd]

Would love to ask another question. We are thinking about doing the Hawaii cruise in October. We are big movie fans. We normally cruise with Princess and as some of you know they do show a fair amount of movies on board. It's been quite a while since we have cruised Disney and we can't remember if they show many movies. Would they show movies other than Disney. Do they run later in the evening when the kids are in bed. Thanks for the information.

 

Joe

[KrystalWaters]

Joe i'm kind of in the same boat getting answers to some disney questions but i did notice that there was mention of movies being included. I was looking at what the cruise fare include on the Disney website.

 

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruises-destinations/new-to-cruising/

 

Service and Amenities

On a Disney Cruise Line vacation, you can enjoy Disney's renowned service and amenities throughout the ship, all included in the price of the cruise:

 

• World-class staterooms
  
• Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and more
  
• 24-hour complimentary soda, coffee and tea at the beverage station
  
• 24-hour complimentary room service
  
• 24-hour Guest services
  
• First run-films at sea, including some in digital 3D
  
• Most voyages include fireworks at sea, weather permitting
  
• Clubs for kids 3 and up are filled with oceans of activities and amazing entertainment created so that everyone can enjoy their favorite things
  
• Private clubs for Tweens and Teens with their own, cool programs and activities
  
• Exclusive areas for adults such as nightclubs, the fitness center and many others!
   
  

Duh! I just saw you said OTHER than Disney. Ooops

[waltd]

Thank you. I'm just afraid that since there will be so many sea days going to Hawaii there will not be a lot for us to do. I have not been to any 3D movies so that might be fun. We do read a lot and if the weather cooperates we can sit out on the balcony. :)

[Host Mick]

...

Reimero: thank you for your insight regarding the Fantasy. I just wish there were more in depth reviews w/pictures on the boards. I'm so use to Carnival's boards where it's the norm to have detailed picture reviews from cabin pics to what the cruiser ate.:p

...

 

Though she's just a baby, Cruise Critic already has 22 member reviews of the Disney Fantasy.

There's more reviews of the Disney Dream because she's been around a bit longer. The Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream are nearly identical except for some mods to the pool deck and the general decor so it's helpful to read some Dream reviews.

 

Take a look at these reviews with photos:

Here's a Disney Dream review with lots of photos.

One of my all time favorite reviews of the Disney Dream by Jensieb

A great tour of the Disney Dream by Jenseib.

Here's a review with some videos of the Disney Fantasy.

 

Check these out and enjoy.

[ducklite]

I've cruised DCL twice and enjoyed both cruises--the second was with only adults in my party. I wouldn't rule out another DCL cruise at some point in the distant future, but after just getting off an all adult cruise on a very small boat (not a mistake, the classification of the vessel I was on was "boat") It's going to be a long time before I book a cruise on a ship that holds more than 700 or so people--and then it will be Regent to Alaska.

 

The difference between the two types of ships was enormous, and with only one sea day a week, we were far from bored. In fact we were so exhausted every night that we went to sleep early and missed at lot of the entertainment.

 

In my opinioin, cruising is not a good way to see Hawaii, you'd be better off with a land based vacation. Choose two or three islands and spend 3-5 days on each depending on your time and budget.

[reimero]

Would love to ask another question. We are thinking about doing the Hawaii cruise in October. We are big movie fans. We normally cruise with Princess and as some of you know they do show a fair amount of movies on board. It's been quite a while since we have cruised Disney and we can't remember if they show many movies. Would they show movies other than Disney. Do they run later in the evening when the kids are in bed. Thanks for the information.

 

Joe

 

The answer is... sorta. Basically, DCL only shows movies for which they don't have to pay extra royalties or fees. In other words, they only show movies they own or for which they are the distributor. On my cruise in May, the big draw was the Avengers (it was still very new at the time), but they were also showing Toy Story 3, The Muppets, Real Steel, Tangled, Warhorse, John Carter, Cars 2, The Help and the Lion King.

 

And if memory serves, they do have a late show.

[KrystalWaters]

Though she's just a baby, Cruise Critic already has 22 member reviews of the Disney Fantasy.

There's more reviews of the Disney Dream because she's been around a bit longer. The Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream are nearly identical except for some mods to the pool deck and the general decor so it's helpful to read some Dream reviews.

 

Take a look at these reviews with photos:

Here's a Disney Dream review with lots of photos.

One of my all time favorite reviews of the Disney Dream by Jensieb

A great tour of the Disney Dream by Jenseib.

Here's a review with some videos of the Disney Fantasy.

 

Check these out and enjoy.

 

Thank you Host Mick! I'm super excited to read these with the hubby. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the Fantasy. Maybe i should do a 3 day to see if it's something i like before i pull the trigger on a 7 day.:rolleyes::D

[reimero]

Thank you Host Mick! I'm super excited to read these with the hubby. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the Fantasy. Maybe i should do a 3 day to see if it's something i like before i pull the trigger on a 7 day.:rolleyes::D

 

Bah, a 3-day is barely enough to get you warmed up! Pull the trigger!!

[cyclenut]

Thank you Host Mick! I'm super excited to read these with the hubby. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the Fantasy. Maybe i should do a 3 day to see if it's something i like before i pull the trigger on a 7 day.:rolleyes::D

 

If you are going to do it, do the 7 day. You really can't tell much from the 3 day. If you are happy with the cruise price, you'll love the experience.

 

As for the PP question about movies, yes ... they do run late into the evening/early morning hours. There is a very nice theater just for movies and they also show movies out on the deck after nightfall.

[waltd]

Krystalwaters just curious have you been on a cruise before? A 3 day cruise is nice if you need a quick getaway but they really are not enough time to get relaxed and in the swing of things. :)

 

Joe

[Host Mick]

Bah, a 3-day is barely enough to get you warmed up! Pull the trigger!!

 

One of the top five phrases heard on a 3-night cruise:

"What do you mean pack? We just got here?"

[KrystalWaters]

Krystalwaters just curious have you been on a cruise before? A 3 day cruise is nice if you need a quick getaway but they really are not enough time to get relaxed and in the swing of things. :)

 

Joe

 

Yes, i have. And you are correct in 3 days is too short. Personally, 7 days to me is too short. The perfect amount is 10 days. BUT I don't want to be on a ship and wish i wasn't on the ship. Does that make any sense?:p

 

One of the top five phrases heard on a 3-night cruise:

"What do you mean pack? We just got here?"

 

HAHAHAHA! You are so right, Mick!:D

[waltd]

Disney cruises is a bit different then other cruise lines so I understand where you are coming from.

[beachbummers]

I always get a lot of flack from the Disney at any age crowd when I recommend other cruise lines. You'll get an unbiased answer if you pose your question on other cruise lines boards.

We've been on 2 Disney cruises and 5 different cruise lines. My kids are 10 and 14 and are done with Disney. Maybe we'll go back with the grand kids some day.It's sad to see them grow up, but most people do, except those aforementioned Disney at any age crowd. Disney service is great , but the cruises aren't cheap. Now that the kids aren't interested, We'd give up some service to save a few thousand with another cruise line.

With most everything geared toward the kids, you're paying for a lot of things you can't participate in. And maybe things you shouldn't participate in. Our family has always thought it odd and creepy to see kid less "grownups" at the shows or waiting in line to interact with characters. For most families, Disney is about the memories created from the reaction of our kids

I'll leave you with a line from comedian Jim Gaffigan. "What do you call people who go to Disney without kids? Weirdos!"

[stefndoug]

I always get a lot of flack from the Disney at any age crowd when I recommend other cruise lines. You'll get an unbiased answer if you pose your question on other cruise lines boards.

We've been on 2 Disney cruises and 5 different cruise lines. My kids are 10 and 14 and are done with Disney. Maybe we'll go back with the grand kids some day.It's sad to see them grow up, but most people do, except those aforementioned Disney at any age crowd. Disney service is great , but the cruises aren't cheap. Now that the kids aren't interested, We'd give up some service to save a few thousand with another cruise line.

With most everything geared toward the kids, you're paying for a lot of things you can't participate in. And maybe things you shouldn't participate in. Our family has always thought it odd and creepy to see kid less "grownups" at the shows or waiting in line to interact with characters. For most families, Disney is about the memories created from the reaction of our kids

I'll leave you with a line from comedian Jim Gaffigan. "What do you call people who go to Disney without kids? Weirdos!"

 

I disagree... i love everything Mickey Mouse and we have no kids. I even got a Mickey Mouse tatoo and nobody has ever told me I am wierd... they say I know how to stay young at heart. Granted we are all entitled to our own opinion though... but i have been on Princess, NCL, Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Carnival... my fav cruises have been the two Disney ones I did and if you know how to budget, we did our repositioning Disney cruise for cheaper than most other cruises... just pays to know when to book and what deals to look for. But, saying that... each cruiseline has their own plus's... I love Carnival for their price, but if you want to cruise with a bunch of drinkers, then that is the cruise for you. I love Celebrity for their "quietness" of their cruises, but if you want something with a little more excitement, then that usually isn't the cruiseline you go on. It's all in what you are in the mood for... no other cruiseline does a show like Disney. As an adult in a Mickey Mouse world... I love being there and love all aspects of Mickey Mouse and do not consider myself weird (I do other things that might get me that title though LOL)

 

Stefani

[alaska_planner]

I've cruised DCL twice and enjoyed both cruises--the second was with only adults in my party. I wouldn't rule out another DCL cruise at some point in the distant future, but after just getting off an all adult cruise on a very small boat (not a mistake, the classification of the vessel I was on was "boat") It's going to be a long time before I book a cruise on a ship that holds more than 700 or so people--and then it will be Regent to Alaska.

 

The difference between the two types of ships was enormous, and with only one sea day a week, we were far from bored. In fact we were so exhausted every night that we went to sleep early and missed at lot of the entertainment.

 

In my opinioin, cruising is not a good way to see Hawaii, you'd be better off with a land based vacation. Choose two or three islands and spend 3-5 days on each depending on your time and budget.

 

 

was the small boat too rocky for you?

 

i almost booked a cruise on silversea to alaska this summer (on the silver shadow - holds about 350 passengers), but became concerned that the ship would be too small for my motion sickness issues...

 

since you've been on both big and small ships/boats - did you notice a significant difference?

[ducklite]

was the small boat too rocky for you?

 

i almost booked a cruise on silversea to alaska this summer (on the silver shadow - holds about 350 passengers), but became concerned that the ship would be too small for my motion sickness issues...

 

since you've been on both big and small ships/boats - did you notice a significant difference?

 

I'm going to toss out my last DCL cruise as an anomoly when I answer. (We were on the Dream cruise last October that hit the 70 mph winds and the day we got back into port, DCL and either RCCL or CCL both held outgoing ships until the next morning due to the high seas and hurricane force winds! That ride was like being on Body Wars at Epcot, no exaggeration.)

 

To your question...

 

We felt no more movement on the small ship than on the large ones. It was very stable. The most movement was when we crossed from the Med into the Aegean and back--similar to crossing the Gulf Stream. It felt a little "rumbly" but wasn't a problem. We were eating in the restaurant in the very front of the boat during the worst of it and we felt a bit of pitching now and then, but nothing that was at all uncomfortable.

 

We had a few pretty windy days, and every now and then a really large wave would hit us and we'd feel a slight shudder or pitch, but nothing that impacted our cruise at all. We watched one day while the pool water sloshed back and forth like crazy, and we all agreed that we weren't feeling what we were seeing.

 

Considering that I booked another small ship cruise (albeit on a different line) while on the Wind Surf, that's a pretty good indication that it was a stable, smooth ride. :D

[alaska_planner]

I'm going to toss out my last DCL cruise as an anomoly when I answer. (We were on the Dream cruise last October that hit the 70 mph winds and the day we got back into port, DCL and either RCCL or CCL both held outgoing ships until the next morning due to the high seas and hurricane force winds! That ride was like being on Body Wars at Epcot, no exaggeration.)

 

To your question...

 

We felt no more movement on the small ship than on the large ones. It was very stable. The most movement was when we crossed from the Med into the Aegean and back--similar to crossing the Gulf Stream. It felt a little "rumbly" but wasn't a problem. We were eating in the restaurant in the very front of the boat during the worst of it and we felt a bit of pitching now and then, but nothing that was at all uncomfortable.

 

We had a few pretty windy days, and every now and then a really large wave would hit us and we'd feel a slight shudder or pitch, but nothing that impacted our cruise at all. We watched one day while the pool water sloshed back and forth like crazy, and we all agreed that we weren't feeling what we were seeing.

 

Considering that I booked another small ship cruise (albeit on a different line) while on the Wind Surf, that's a pretty good indication that it was a stable, smooth ride. :D

 

oh oh - your Dream comment scared me - i'll be on the Dream with my mom and sister in October...i hope the gale force winds stay far away from us!!

 

thanks for the comments on the small ship.....i really want to try one of the small ship companies....the issue is finding the time that DH can actually tear himself away from work.....reading through the possibilities, i think that seabourn might be most to my liking, but seabourn, silversea or regent would probably suit me well....just a time issue....i could always go alone, but somehow that doesn't sound very fun :rolleyes: