My wife and I recently completed a 4-day Bahamas cruise on the Dream without the kids. I wanted to share some insights we had about going on a DCL cruise as a couple because many friends thought we were crazy to go on DCL versus others cruise lines that appear more adult oriented. As background we have sailed on DCL 6 times and also 3 other cruise lines. To be completely honest we are long time Disney fans (but not complete fanatics) and enjoy the Disney atmosphere so this may jade my views some versus other cruise lines.
When you cruise as a couple you get a totally different perspective of how DCL designed the ship. We have enjoyed the adult areas before but somehow when you really get a chance to enjoy the adult areas without coordinating with your kids it feels much different. Also it is my opinion that the DCL adult areas are much nicer and adult oriented than other cruise lines.
Dining: For lunch once boarding the boat go straight to the sit down restaurant versus Cabanas. Basically the same buffet food but a much more relaxed pace. It was nice to have a server and not feel in a rush. This was the first time we did this and will now do it ever time with or without kids. For dinners request a table for two and suggest the late seating. Nice to enjoy a quite dinner and your servers can support you better if your looking for a long or short meal. Also the second seating gives you more time in the day to do what you want (spa, swim, nap, etc). For breakfast every day we went to the dining rooms and again enjoyed a peaceful meal. Also Palo or Remy is a must. We prefer Palo and had a wonderful dinner and brunch there. If you do not prefer the Pirate Night then this could be a good option to have dinner. Also there is a quite area next to the Meridian bar to watch the fireworks.
Spa/Gym: if your a spa person then get a cruise length Rainforest pass and start using it on the first day. You will find the Rainforest is not always as busy and especially go late in the day maybe during the first dining seating. It was completely empty for us at most times. Go to the spa raffle on the first day as you may win (we did). Also go the gym every morning to work off those calories after waking up at your leisure. It was a good start for the day for us. For massages wait to book while onboard as they run great daily deals and you will have more flexibility on times.
Adult Pool/Castaway Serenity Beach: this is an obvious must. Again you will find its much easier to get a lounge chair and come and go as you please. We never had a problem finding a chair. Don't forget reading materials as my wife found out what is on the boat is very limited. The store does have a few for sail and also the Cove Cafe has free books for borrow while on the cruise. While at Castaway doing something you usually do not get the chance to do.
Ship Activities: still enjoy what you like such as the shows, movies, etc. We found it more fun going just the two of us. We would have normally gone to every show if the kids were with us however we only went to the ones we really wanted. Try some of the adult activities such as trivia. We had a blast sitting in the sports bar for a couple of hours playing cards while a few different trivia contents were held. Big tip is use the Navigator app and see what activities are planned. We found more activities on the Navigator app than on the paper version. Check under adult filter but also the family one. Also take a ride on the Aqua Duck but know you can go when the line is short such as the first dinner seating. At the last minute we decide to do the Champagne tasting (I am not a big on Champagne) and we found it to be very fun and informative. The cost of the tasting was cheaper than the cost of total champagne we tasted. Also take a nap because you can.
Room Drinks: we use to bring several choices for drinks until the recent policy change. However we found out we where fine with bringing two bottles of wine each for our room. Be sure to request wine glasses from room service as we asked for 4 every day. It was nice to have a glass of wine before dinner or late night on the balcony. Also bring your own tumbler to keep hydrated with water or if you want a soft drink while around the ship.
Debarkation: unless your in a hurry to catch a plane or get home take your time. Since it was only two of us we only had two bags plus a backpack to roll off the boat so no need to pack up the night before to be picked up. We casually spent our time getting ready and took our time getting to breakfast. This allowed most of the boat to get off the ship and go through immigration. No one tried to hurry us off the ship and it was easy to leave.
So if your considering taking a couples cruise and concerned Disney may not be the best choice then I suggest you reconsider. You will find it is a different experience at may not feel kid overwhelmed while still being a kid at heart. We are already looking for the next time we can do this again however we did miss spending the cruise with our kids and will take them next time.
When you cruise as a couple you get a totally different perspective of how DCL designed the ship. We have enjoyed the adult areas before but somehow when you really get a chance to enjoy the adult areas without coordinating with your kids it feels much different. Also it is my opinion that the DCL adult areas are much nicer and adult oriented than other cruise lines.
Dining: For lunch once boarding the boat go straight to the sit down restaurant versus Cabanas. Basically the same buffet food but a much more relaxed pace. It was nice to have a server and not feel in a rush. This was the first time we did this and will now do it ever time with or without kids. For dinners request a table for two and suggest the late seating. Nice to enjoy a quite dinner and your servers can support you better if your looking for a long or short meal. Also the second seating gives you more time in the day to do what you want (spa, swim, nap, etc). For breakfast every day we went to the dining rooms and again enjoyed a peaceful meal. Also Palo or Remy is a must. We prefer Palo and had a wonderful dinner and brunch there. If you do not prefer the Pirate Night then this could be a good option to have dinner. Also there is a quite area next to the Meridian bar to watch the fireworks.
Spa/Gym: if your a spa person then get a cruise length Rainforest pass and start using it on the first day. You will find the Rainforest is not always as busy and especially go late in the day maybe during the first dining seating. It was completely empty for us at most times. Go to the spa raffle on the first day as you may win (we did). Also go the gym every morning to work off those calories after waking up at your leisure. It was a good start for the day for us. For massages wait to book while onboard as they run great daily deals and you will have more flexibility on times.
Adult Pool/Castaway Serenity Beach: this is an obvious must. Again you will find its much easier to get a lounge chair and come and go as you please. We never had a problem finding a chair. Don't forget reading materials as my wife found out what is on the boat is very limited. The store does have a few for sail and also the Cove Cafe has free books for borrow while on the cruise. While at Castaway doing something you usually do not get the chance to do.
Ship Activities: still enjoy what you like such as the shows, movies, etc. We found it more fun going just the two of us. We would have normally gone to every show if the kids were with us however we only went to the ones we really wanted. Try some of the adult activities such as trivia. We had a blast sitting in the sports bar for a couple of hours playing cards while a few different trivia contents were held. Big tip is use the Navigator app and see what activities are planned. We found more activities on the Navigator app than on the paper version. Check under adult filter but also the family one. Also take a ride on the Aqua Duck but know you can go when the line is short such as the first dinner seating. At the last minute we decide to do the Champagne tasting (I am not a big on Champagne) and we found it to be very fun and informative. The cost of the tasting was cheaper than the cost of total champagne we tasted. Also take a nap because you can.
Room Drinks: we use to bring several choices for drinks until the recent policy change. However we found out we where fine with bringing two bottles of wine each for our room. Be sure to request wine glasses from room service as we asked for 4 every day. It was nice to have a glass of wine before dinner or late night on the balcony. Also bring your own tumbler to keep hydrated with water or if you want a soft drink while around the ship.
Debarkation: unless your in a hurry to catch a plane or get home take your time. Since it was only two of us we only had two bags plus a backpack to roll off the boat so no need to pack up the night before to be picked up. We casually spent our time getting ready and took our time getting to breakfast. This allowed most of the boat to get off the ship and go through immigration. No one tried to hurry us off the ship and it was easy to leave.
So if your considering taking a couples cruise and concerned Disney may not be the best choice then I suggest you reconsider. You will find it is a different experience at may not feel kid overwhelmed while still being a kid at heart. We are already looking for the next time we can do this again however we did miss spending the cruise with our kids and will take them next time.
But I cant wait to take the kids on one end of summer. We also never felt overwhelmed with a ton of kids which actually shocked my DH.
