Just returned from the Fantasy!

[Lovedisneycruise]

Mokismommy,

Thank you for your interesting perspective regarding adult DCL cruises.

[moki'smommy]

Mokismommy,

Thank you for your interesting perspective regarding adult DCL cruises.

 

You are most welcome.

Want a funny? I mentioned the idea to my daughter and the first words our of her mouth were "They won't do it."

 

It could be great IF done right.....

[Lovedisneycruise]

I was on this same cruise. It was my families 1st Disney cruise. Wonderful cruise!!!! When hearing 800 kids were sailing, I was "shocked". Now that I hear that number is LOW for the Fantasy, I think it would have been very overwhelming with 1500-1800 kids. We have a 5 year old ourselves. The pools and hot tub were jam packed with kids on sea days. It would have been much more crowded with double the kids.

 

Agreed! I felt the same way - the pirate party, lobby dance parties, etc. were JAMMED and I saw tweens roaming around the adult decks at times, possibly looking for their parents or just lost - I can't even imagine twice as many on that ship!

But it's good to know because I will NEVER sail summer with them!:eek: Even with all the new double dip cruises!

P.S. Glad you enjoyed your first cruise! Be forewarned that they are addictive!!:)

[Lovedisneycruise]

You are most welcome.

Want a funny? I mentioned the idea to my daughter and the first words our of her mouth were "They won't do it."

 

It could be great IF done right.....

 

:) If I said it to MY daughter' date=' her first words would be "I [i']wish[/i] they would do it!" lol

[Ex techie]

I think the only way DCL would ever do an adults only cruise would be if it were a private charter like the TCM cruises.

 

They could add extra value to the adults on cruises with a very low child count by opening up the Lab and Club late at night like they did on moki'smommy's cruise.

Maybe one for the suggestion box to DCL?

 

ex techie

[perditax]

Thanks for the report!

 

Hope you don't mind me hijacking--I asked the same thing on another forum, got reassured, but now this thread has me worried again. I'll be sailing on the Dream in September, two adults with no kids. I was really looking forward to the quiet cove area, especially cove cafe, as neither of us are kid people. I know it's a cruise for kids but I thought I had a reasonable chance of a few 18+ areas to escape to, or that the CMs would enforce rules to some extent. It sounds like this is a pipe dream?

 

I know it's a bit silly to go on a DCL cruise while not being a kid person, but I'm familiar with Disney's service levels and skill at theming, and I'm told DCL is good for first time cruisers. The signifcant other and I are very much cafe people, so cove cafe was going to be my ace in the hole for taking a breath when needed.

 

Ever since I learned (last night I think) that the 18+ areas are not enforced, I've been rethinking the cruise.

[moki'smommy]

The two big problems in the Quiet Cove area are kids "just passing thru" (with or without parents) and kids coming in to talk to a parent who is lounging by the pool or whatever. I don't really understand either of these situations, but.....in fairness, they rarely bother me. Yes, some are noisy and inappropriate; most are not. I've never forgotten the one on his heelies who ran into me while I was sitting in a chair reading! OK, heelies are not allowed, he was in an adult only area, etc.... Yes, I've seen them thrown out of the pool and I've seen obnoxious parents bring them into the Cove Cafe as if daring someone to remove them, but those events are rather rare. I think the 6 year old (or something close to that) in the pool surprised us all!

 

If you want to not see/hear kids in the adult areas, DCL is not for you. They DO enforce "no kids" in the nightclub areas in the evening and in the adult only restaurants. They used to make the spa "adult only," but now they've learned that they can make money off kiddie spa "treatments," so they are allowed in certain areas of the spa on the classic ships and have a teen spa on the new ships.

 

We specifially select "off season" cruises. The prices are better and there are a lot fewer school age kids. Off season cruises have lots of toddlers and pre-schoolers, but these kids are either in programming or WITH parents. Yes, their parents still walk them thru adult only spaces, but it's not nearly as big a deal as it can be with older ones.

[Lovedisneycruise]

I think the only way DCL would ever do an adults only cruise would be if it were a private charter like the TCM cruises.

 

They could add extra value to the adults on cruises with a very low child count by opening up the Lab and Club late at night like they did on moki'smommy's cruise.

Maybe one for the suggestion box to DCL?ex techie

 

Since you mentioned ..........I've been looking for a link to just such a thing the past few days. The only thing I can find is an 'email us' link on the DCL site. It let me put about 3 sentences in the box and I want to say much more!

 

Anyone have a link for DCL suggestion box or something similar?:D

[perditax]

Thanks for the response. I went for a September 14 sailing on the theory that most parents wouldn't be taking kids back out of school that soon. Is that what you mean by off season?

 

For me, it's not that the sight of a kid will enrage me, it's more about auditory stuff--not to do my own "special snowflake" routine but I have bat hearing and occasionally need a break from high volume stuff. (I spent a lot time researching cabin numbers weeding out noise complaints, and I have earplugs and a nice white noise machine--it's not just kids.)

 

In other words, a teen or a kid hanging around and chilling out isn't going to "ruin my vacation". But a toddler wailing at length in an adults' "quiet area" would defeat any relaxation I had achieved.

 

Point taken though, that I may need to rethink DCL (or possibly cruising). I'm at a point in life where I have the time and money to travel AND I recently overcame a lifelong fear of flying, but I'm an introvert (we both are) and my ability to handle crowds is small to moderate. Just have to strike a balance I suppose.

Edited February 9, 2015 by perditax

[Lovedisneycruise]

Thanks for the report!

 

Hope you don't mind me hijacking--I asked the same thing on another forum, got reassured, but now this thread has me worried again. I'll be sailing on the Dream in September, two adults with no kids. I was really looking forward to the quiet cove area, especially cove cafe, as neither of us are kid people. I know it's a cruise for kids but I thought I had a reasonable chance of a few 18+ areas to escape to, or that the CMs would enforce rules to some extent. It sounds like this is a pipe dream?

 

I know it's a bit silly to go on a DCL cruise while not being a kid person, but I'm familiar with Disney's service levels and skill at theming, and I'm told DCL is good for first time cruisers. The signifcant other and I are very much cafe people, so cove cafe was going to be my ace in the hole for taking a breath when needed.

 

Ever since I learned (last night I think) that the 18+ areas are not enforced, I've been rethinking the cruise.

 

No problem - hijack away! I learn a lot from this board.

Mokismommy already replied, but my thought is to give it a try, especially since it's a shorter cruise. The ship is so beautiful and you really should experience it in my opinion. I would think September is low with kids with the U.S. start of school, and a shorter cruise is a smart bet to see how you feel about these things. The Dream is similar to the Fantasy, but I don't spend much time near the adult pool because it always seems to be full of couples and honesty I feel a little odd just sitting there. We consider the Fantasy a step above, since it has (I think) 2 more portions of decks above the adult pool area reserved solely for adults, along with Satellite Falls (an adult water feature). I don't recall EVER seeing children in those areas, so we spend lots of time there.

 

I also have never seen children in Cove Café, ESPECIALLY in the evenings, so if that area appeals to you, I would also give it a try.

 

The one place that is always filled with kids is the center of Deck 11 and I usually try to grab my drinks and get out of there quickly.

 

The other suggestion I have is that if you see a little rule-breaker, don't hesitate to let a CM or the bartender know, or even Guest Services if it gets really bad. Disney really does want to keep the customer happy.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Lovedisneycruise

[Lovedisneycruise]

Thanks for the response. I went for a September 14 sailing on the theory that most parents wouldn't be taking kiss back out of school that soon. Is that what you mean by off season?

 

For me, it's not that the sight of a kid will enrage me, it's more about auditory stuff--not to do my own "special snowflake" routine but I have bat hearing and occasionally need a break from high volume stuff. (I spent a lot time researching cabin numbers weeding out noise complaints, and I have earplugs and a nice white noise machine--it's not just kids.)

 

In other words, a teen or a kid hanging around and chilling out isn't going to "ruin my vacation". But a toddler wailing at length in an adults' "quiet area" would defeat any relaxation I had achieved.

 

Point taken though, that I may need to rethink DCL (or possibly cruising). I'm at a point in life where I have the time and money to travel AND I recently overcame a lifelong fear of flying, but I'm an introvert (we both are) and my ability to handle crowds is small to moderate. Just have to strike a balance I suppose.

 

One other thought.....Deck 4 is the "walking" deck; I call it the QUIET DECK (on the outside). I too am an introvert and love to go there and just look at the water and relax. There are cushioned lounge chairs on both sides and I'm always amazed at how empty they are no matter what cruise I am on. I walk laps there and usually pass a few people snoozing or reading in these chairs. So I highly recommend you utilize that deck if you go. (One caveat---there is a shuffleboard and sometimes families are playing that, but it's hardly "loud".)

Edited February 9, 2015 by Lovedisneycruise

[perditax]

Thank you, I really appreciate the detailed response and the encouragement! I really WANT to do this. I grew up in Florida and spent many many trips at WDW. As I said in a post up thread, I'm just now (in my 40s) beginning to be able to do more extensive travel, but I'm a bit timid and twitchy still. :)

 

EDIT: I just saw your second post. I think I'd highlighted something in my UO DCL guide book about deck 4, because I like walking anyway. That sounds nice!

Edited February 9, 2015 by perditax

[Ex techie]

Since you mentioned ..........I've been looking for a link to just such a thing the past few days. The only thing I can find is an 'email us' link on the DCL site. It let me put about 3 sentences in the box and I want to say much more!

 

Anyone have a link for DCL suggestion box or something similar?:D

 

I don't have that info to hand right now.

I know there are two email addresses, one has a dot in doesn't and does not work.

 

If no one else replies, I will try to find it tomorrow.

 

ex techie

[cyclenut]

Was on the same sailing. I created a review but it hasn't been posted yet. I also created another thread in this forum with a link to pictures. My wife and I were adults only on this cruise. We had a really great time and noticed that Disney seemed to do a pretty good job of enforcing the adult only pool area. If you want to be more secluded, try the Satellite Falls area. No need for kids to pass through there.

 

We enjoyed most every aspect of this cruise. Our dining arrangement was wonderful and our tablemates were a great match. We had an excellent time on shore and chose our port excursions wisely. Just right for us. Well ... my wife didn't care much for part of the St. Thomas adventure, but she liked the beach area.

 

We did Remy for brunch and Palo for dinner one night. We even experienced table service dinner in Cabanas and were pleasently surprised. Very nicely done and perfect for Pirate night.

 

For quiet cove, while we did see a lot of kids pass through the area, we also noticed several adults stop with their kids and find another way around when they saw the signs. We were impressed really. We also saw a kid get removed from the hot tub that was in their with his parents. They knew what they were doing was wrong, but the family hot tub was full so they thought they would sneak their kid into the adult one.

 

The weather was truely spectacular. Pirate night was awesome too. Castaway Cay had the most beautiful weather in many weeks, and even beat some summers, according to some CMs I spoke with.

 

As for offering adult only cruises for DCL, I can't see that. They can tell what their guest saturation is already for adults only and can probably see there isn't much value in it. Families spend more money. Adventures by Disney does offer a few adult only vacations, so I don't suppose it is out of the question, but it would simply be too difficult to tailor the staffing of the ship. Contracts are staggered and are in 4 months on, 2 months off intervals. This would take some serious creativity to lower youth staff without kids or repurpose them in some other way. I also think it would create confusion for families trying to book cruises.

 

There was one couple I met on board that complained about not finding a quiet space on the Disney ship ... too much noise and too many kids. I was a bit surprised actually. My wife and I had no issues. When I talked to them further, they didn't know about satellite falls and hadn't considered booking Palo or Remy for dinner. They just wanted to take a cruise and heard the Fantasy was wonderful. They liked Disney, but found that there were just too many screaming kids on our ship.

 

I will say that of the apparently 800 on board, most seemed to be elementary school age or younger. I saw a lot of grandma taking daughter and grandaughter type groups. There were a few "family reunion" groups too, but in all, not as many teens.

 

We did have problems in the Royal Court at dinner the first night, second seating. We were at Table 3, which wasa off in a separate room. There were a couple of young kids who were fussy through the entire meal. Crying, screaming a little ... basically very tired acting. Typical really, but not something we wanted to deal with. We were trying to get to know our table mates and felt like we had to shout at times to hear from one end of the table to the other. It was pretty bad. We asked our head server to move us but then we never came back to that restaurant. It wasn't so bad in other places. Just that one room that one night.

[cruzinlisa]

Thanks for the response. I went for a September 14 sailing on the theory that most parents wouldn't be taking kids back out of school that soon. Is that what you mean by off season?

 

For me, it's not that the sight of a kid will enrage me, it's more about auditory stuff--not to do my own "special snowflake" routine but I have bat hearing and occasionally need a break from high volume stuff. (I spent a lot time researching cabin numbers weeding out noise complaints, and I have earplugs and a nice white noise machine--it's not just kids.)

 

In other words, a teen or a kid hanging around and chilling out isn't going to "ruin my vacation". But a toddler wailing at length in an adults' "quiet area" would defeat any relaxation I had achieved.

 

Point taken though, that I may need to rethink DCL (or possibly cruising). I'm at a point in life where I have the time and money to travel AND I recently overcame a lifelong fear of flying, but I'm an introvert (we both are) and my ability to handle crowds is small to moderate. Just have to strike a balance I suppose.

 

I would not "rethink" cruising. I have not cruised DCL yet (going to), so I cannot comment on whether it is going to suit your needs, but they do market to families. If it does not suit your needs, maybe consider another cruise line. I know that my husband and I cruised on Celebrity last year the first week of April (without our daughter) and there were very few kids there. We stayed in Aqua Class, which I believe has room capacity of 2 people, which tends to reduce the number of kids. It has its own dining room, Blu as well. I think that we may have seen one or two children at dinner, with a large family. Even though I was not looking for kids as much since I did not have mine with me, I am easily annoyed by bratty kids.

 

Not that I am trying to sway you from Disney, because I cannot say whether it will meet your needs. But I wanted to let you know that there are alternatives, even with mass market cruise lines.

[BullDawg91]

You might want to choose late dining when you're not dining in Palo or Remy. Early dining has more kids. I found the MDRs noisy on the Dream, but not the Wonder. The time of year will play in your favor in general.

 

On my cruises, there were never kids hanging out in the adult areas. Kids and parents sometimes passed through (you'll see why), but it was no different than two adults passing through.

 

One thing that DCL does is that they offer plenty for kids to do so maybe you won't find troublesome kids much. And it's great fun to watch kids at a distance meeting characters.

 

If you still don't like it, jump to Celebrity next time. Check their website. You won't find any kids or watersides. They make their point without saying they don't cater to families.

[perditax]

BullDawg, I think you were replying to me although I no longer specifically remember hijacking this thread with my adult-cruising concerns. :) Thank you, your notes are encouraging. :)

[monty913]

Love to read about other peoples experiences!! I have been on DCL in September and December. There were way more kids on the December cruise, not sure if that is because of the time of year, or because it was a 4 day. We also had a couple of very windy days in December, we didn't get to dock at CC because of winds (not complaining, I know it happens and they do it for everyone's safety). But we made the best of it and had a blast on board!

 

Cant wait to sail again on the Fantasy in Sept. We will still be silver, but my parents are coming along for their first cruise ever!!! :cool:

 

 

After reading a little more, we also love deck 4. We love to get up early and jog deck 4. So peaceful and quiet.

Edited March 3, 2015 by monty913