Childless DCL cruisers unite

[Dug720]

LOL My husband and I joke about bringing our two rotten kitties on our DCL cruises.

After Mo decided to nip my wrist this morning and then swat me - ALMOST scratching my eye - when I said "No!"... He is going nowhere fast. LOL.

 

[o&smom]

My husband and I have yet to cruise without our kids ages 6 & 13. On our very first cruise in 2010 we both agreed that we would both choose Disney even without kids. The beautiful ships, the service, the happy and not drunk people and not having to deal with smokey casinos makes us happy. We did not even get to take advantage of any of the adult only areas, except for Palo on this cruise, either. We have still only been able to enjoy very little time at theses locations as we are on a "family cruise". Looking forward to our next cruise with our kids and a future with Disney by ourselves when they are grown.

 

[mevelandry]

One day we were sitting (bored) at the pool of Coronado Springs. To kill some extra time, we ordered drinks and my husband got us booklets about Disney Cruise Line so we could have something to read. I read a part talking about the Quiet Cove on the cruiseships and Castaway Cay. It looked amazing. We already had a NCL cruise to the Bahamas booked at that time so cruising was already part of our plans but we were not sure if we would really be into cruising.

So we decided that since we were not sure we'd enjoy cruising, we might as well try it with DCL thinking "If we hate cruising, at least there will be a little bit of Disney there as a consolation prize".

Turns out we love cruising (with or without Disney).

Most of the things we love on Disney Cruise Line are the things we can also find with other cruise lines to be honest: good food, good service, a nice adult only section, a verandah (I'm obsessed with the ocean), mixology/wine tasting classes, specialty dining (18+), free movies and free ice cream & I love musicals (my DH doesn't).

For the price they charge for cruises longer that 3-4 nights, we can most likely do two vacations. We prefer to travel more. So, since we are getting bored with the Bahamas and because all the DCL ships are pretty similar, we will try something else for a while (we have a list of 6-7 other cruises/land trips that we would like to do) and reevaluate the offer in 5 years when the new cruiseship arrives, pending on itineraries. Same for WDW. We've been there 7 times in the last 5 years and need to experiment something new.

Our upcoming Land & Sea trip is our «Goodbye» trip.

 

[mandylovesdisney]

After Mo decided to nip my wrist this morning and then swat me - ALMOST scratching my eye - when I said "No!"... He is going nowhere fast. LOL.

Well... that sounds like our Dexter (hubby's kitty) . I know, I know.... that's what I get for naming him after a serial killer. Oliver (my kitty) on the other hand is sweet and would probably be no trouble.

 

[Dug720]

Well... that sounds like our Dexter (hubby's kitty) . I know, I know.... that's what I get for naming him after a serial killer. Oliver (my kitty) on the other hand is sweet and would probably be no trouble.

He's usually very sweet. I don't know what his deal was this morning though. Maybe I moved more than usual in my sleep or something.

I tease him he needs to be nice to me - I rescued him from the shelter AND the name his former owner had saddled him with. Colington.

 

[mevelandry]

On Carnival I felt like an imposition at every turn from meals, to waterslides even down to getting pool towels (they took my name and stateroom number and were going to charge me $20/towel if I didn't "check" them back in - ridiculous).

The towel fee is the only thing I did not like during our Carnival cruise. I'd rather bring (and use) my own than taking the risk to lose it.

 

[lucas]

Dh and I are a childless couple. And, we love all things Disney! We are Florida residents and enjoy going to WDW as much as possible. So, a DCL cruise makes perfect sense to us. We also sail with other cruise lines, too and also enjoy them. DCL is getting out of hand with their prices!

 

[dragynally]

Dh and I are a childless couple. And, we love all things Disney! We are Florida residents and enjoy going to WDW as much as possible. So, a DCL cruise makes perfect sense to us. We also sail with other cruise lines, too and also enjoy them. DCL is getting out of hand with their prices!

Yeah I hear that a lot. It's good that other cruises offer more options.

 

[dragynally]

One day we were sitting (bored) at the pool of Coronado Springs. To kill some extra time, we ordered drinks and my husband got us booklets about Disney Cruise Line so we could have something to read. I read a part talking about the Quiet Cove on the cruiseships and Castaway Cay. It looked amazing. We already had a NCL cruise to the Bahamas booked at that time so cruising was already part of our plans but we were not sure if we would really be into cruising.

So we decided that since we were not sure we'd enjoy cruising, we might as well try it with DCL thinking "If we hate cruising, at least there will be a little bit of Disney there as a consolation prize".

Turns out we love cruising (with or without Disney).

Most of the things we love on Disney Cruise Line are the things we can also find with other cruise lines to be honest: good food, good service, a nice adult only section, a verandah (I'm obsessed with the ocean), mixology/wine tasting classes, specialty dining (18+), free movies and free ice cream & I love musicals (my DH doesn't).

For the price they charge for cruises longer that 3-4 nights, we can most likely do two vacations. We prefer to travel more. So, since we are getting bored with the Bahamas and because all the DCL ships are pretty similar, we will try something else for a while (we have a list of 6-7 other cruises/land trips that we would like to do) and reevaluate the offer in 5 years when the new cruiseship arrives, pending on itineraries. Same for WDW. We've been there 7 times in the last 5 years and need to experiment something new.

Our upcoming Land & Sea trip is our «Goodbye» trip.

WDW has gotten pricey for me too. I actually started couch surfing to save money. I actually am going on the NYC cruise because a day in WDW is included.

 

[perditax]

We enjoyed the concierge level service on the Dream, but being child-free, being locked into MDR dining has turned out to be the deal breaker for me for another DCL cruise. Everyone says the late seating is better, but kids screamed and ran throughout our 8:30pm dinners. We're also not people who like to linger over dinner. So dinner was a thing we came to dread.

(Other similar cruise lines open up the buffet for dinner, even on short sailings like the Dream's. If this one thing were different, DCL would probably get my (off-season) money, even at their current prices. But it's pretty clear they don't need my money.)

 

[dragynally]

We enjoyed the concierge level service on the Dream, but being child-free, being locked into MDR dining has turned out to be the deal breaker for me for another DCL cruise. Everyone says the late seating is better, but kids screamed and ran throughout our 8:30pm dinners. We're also not people who like to linger over dinner. So dinner was a thing we came to dread.

(Other similar cruise lines open up the buffet for dinner, even on short sailings like the Dream's. If this one thing were different, DCL would probably get my (off-season) money, even at their current prices. But it's pretty clear they don't need my money.)

Yeah the lack of a dinner buffet is a deal breaker for quite a few people.

 

[NoodlesMom]

We have kids (12,16) but we're cruising the 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise by ouselves and I'm super excited! My kids think that 10 days is too. We've decided to take them on a quick 3 day trip to WDW in May and they're perfectly fine with the that. We did a 3 night cruise without them one year and fell head over hills with Serenity Bay.

We love everything about DCL from the service to the shows. We're not at all interested in the characters and could care less about casinos on the other cruise lines. We've sailed RCL, Princess and Carnival but Disney is definitely our favorite.

 

[diznymom]

Customer Service. That is what brings us back.

 

[OrcaPotter]

Solo and childless myself. I'm a born and raised Disney fanatic with WDW in my backyard. My parents and I wanted to cruise Disney for years, but price always kept us on other lines. Then we finally found a price we were willing to pay and have been hooked ever since. The cleanliness, attention to detail, service, entertainment, and overall experience keeps us hooked--not to mention a deep love of the brand. But like others, prices are getting too out of reach for us. As a teacher, I'm limited to peak seasons. We decided to try the Oasis of the Seas this summer and it will be difficult not to constantly compare everything. My parents hope it'll be easier to meet other singles on a non-Disney ship. When I go on DCL, though, it's to relax and enjoy being like a kid again. I'm a geek with no interest in gambling or bars. In fact, my friends and I booked a Marvel cruise for next January (work doesn't know yet lol).

 

[ministrychick77]

Boyfriend & I are childfree, and we'll be going on our first Disney cruise in January. I grew up going to DL a lot as a kid, and now I love Disney. I've been to the parks solo, and had just as much fun(if not more) than most of the kids that were there. And if we could bring our cats on the cruise with us we would.

(Which totally gives me an idea that people can take if they want- what about giving our spoiled pets gifts for the FE or even just a group exchange people want to set up?)

 

[Bishoparc]

For my wife and I Disney is the right niche for us. We wouldn't want something more "thrilling" than the Aquaduck, not our style. Could care less about a rock climb wall or a zip line. Don't want the smoke of the casinos, etc. For us (as the ad says) "The difference is Disney".

First, we are "Disney People" (we live in the panhandle of FL). I always had enjoyed Disney but my wife, even though she's from Orlando, had never been to Disney a lot. Within a couple of months of us starting to date I took her to Disney for her first time as an adult and she loved it and now I'd put us border line overboard Disney fans (we haven't painted the house in Mickey colors but our bedroom has a wall dedicated to DCL and one dedicated to parks lol). So <3'ing Disney, DCL is obviously a good choice.

Second the ships, in my opinion, look like what a cruise ship should look like and are so well taken care of. I love the nostalgia of the outside of the ships. I've only been on the Dream so far but you look at her, outside and in, and it looks like she just came off of the dry dock. My hats off to the crew because it is a ton of work but I believe my money is well spent on the product I get to partake in. They are just the right size and have so many unique spaces. The attention to detail, which you learn even more about if you do one of the tours or making of sessions, blows me away and I find new things every cruise (6 so far) that I didn't notice the last time. I mean look at this thing:

Third, the crew. They make you feel so welcome, just like family. No, I haven't made personal relationships with any of them, but even though I don't know them we feel like we do. Someone else mentioned it but the housekeeping staff, wow. Even if you run into someone who isn't your room host, they always welcome you home, ask how your day is, compliment you, etc. My hats off to them because they are probably some of the friendliest people onboard. We got to attend our first officers reception on the last crew and had the pleasure of talking to several of the officers for a bit as well as Captain Thord one on one. These people are passionate about what they do and it shows through in so many ways. (..and nothing beats walking across the threshold to board that beautiful ship when you catch your first glimpse of the atrium again as you hear "Disney Dream please welcome aboard... of course now I'm crying because I miss it lol)

Last, but certainly not least, there's always something to do. You can be as busy or as relaxed as you want. There are activities that everyone can enjoy. Even after 6 times on the same exact ship in less than 2 years there are things we still haven't done or experienced.

I've tried numerous times to convince myself to try Royal but it just has no appeal to me. Disney can keep taking my money as much as they want it. My first cruise ever was on Disney in Sept of 2015 and I'm already Gold and will be Platinum by early next year (God willing). They have my business.

PS...the food is amazing lol

 

[clareyfairymouse]

The thing that sets Disney at a different level for me is that the second I step on board all my troubles drift away & im completely relaxed which is exactly what I want from a holiday.
Nothing is too much trouble for the cast members who will go out of their way to help & remember you thought your stay.

I enjoy the broader age range too, not a party boat or majority 55+ and there's something for everyone.
Can't wait to go again!

 

[carrieshields]

Our family of four includes mom, dad, 24 year old daughter, and 18 year old son. Our 7 night March, 2018 cruise on the Fantasy will be our first cruise. We chose DCL because we love Disney and trust the product/experience we are buying. The cost is significantly more than other lines, but we are confident it will be well worth it!

Any advice on activities for an 18 year old? Too old for teen activities but not old enough for some of the adult stuff.

 

[dtrain]

The service, food, amazing ships, shows, spa services and the fact that we love all things Disney.

Also my wife and I do not drink, and loathe the booze cruise atmosphere. I think that plays a big part as we find less drunken sailors aboard and more thoughtful, warm people to interact with.

 

[bobbiwoz]

As we were entering the Miami terminal, one of the shore terminal workers asked us "Where are your grand kids?" She was surprised when we said we were alone on the cruise and very happy to be so! It was a Merry Time cruise and we had a ball!

We have had great cruises on Carnival, Royal and Princess, but I keep coming back to DCL because no other cruise line makes me feel like I do when I see Mickey on board. Sometimes the price differential is too great, we booked RCCL to Hawaii in 2015, and we may again in 2018 if we go, but part of the reason is we go with others who have never sailed DCL. However, those friends just may ask to go on DCL ( if DCL goes to Hawaii in 2018 ) because they have had a ball in Aulani, twice so far, and they are sensing something different about the Disney experience. These friends will be 80 on our next trip!