Cruising for adults who don't drink

[jxhide]

Hi guys,

I am going on my first cruise ever with my sister. We don't drink alcohol and we're not much into sitting by the pool type of people. Is there a lot of stuff to do? We are on the 7 day Star Wars Fantasy Cruise. My sister thinks we are going to be bored but I've never been on a cruise and always wanted to try it out especially now for the Star Wars.

When I look on the internet for activities for adults most are related to going to the bar, Mixology classes, the spa, or the adult only pool. Are there other activities in the day time? I know there are movies and shows later on at night and we already have Palo and Remy set. Thanks for any help.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi guys,

I am going on my first cruise ever with my sister. We don't drink alcohol and we're not much into sitting by the pool type of people. Is there a lot of stuff to do? We are on the 7 day Star Wars Fantasy Cruise. My sister thinks we are going to be bored but I've never been on a cruise and always wanted to try it out especially now for the Star Wars.

When I look on the internet for activities for adults most are related to going to the bar, Mixology classes, the spa, or the adult only pool. Are there other activities in the day time? I know there are movies and shows later on at night and we already have Palo and Remy set. Thanks for any help.

There are movies all day, not just at night. You don't have to drink alcohol to enjoy a cruise. There are lots of other options: trivia; ship's tours; some cruises have dance classes; food prep demonstrations; board games are available. It's also nice to just sit and watch the ocean go by, or read a book.

Have you checked out the various Navigators to see what sorts of activities there are? Here's a link to some:
http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/

 

[mom+3girls]

I don't drink either however I don't mind sitting by the pool, I've been on the Disney Cruise in December when it was too cold to sit by the pool and still loved it. There are lots of things to do. Movies play all day, and with you being on the Star Wars cruise I'm sure there will be special events. You will receive a Navigator in you room each day just check it and find something to do. Try to look online for Navigators for the 7 day Disney cruise and it will give you a good idea of things to do.

 

[cruisehopeful]

There will be live music, trivia, bingo and different things going on in the lounges/bars. You do not have to order anything while there. I often will order a non alcoholic drink.

There are family activities going on many place throughout the day. I rarely go to those, but do on occasion. It sounds like adults also visit the kids clubs during the open houses and they participate in activities while there.

 

[tobikaye]

Remember that the only days that there is really a lot of down time is sea days. The other days you really might not have as much down time as you think. So, look for things to break up your days at sea. I am not a pool person so the only day I even put on a swimsuit was for Castaway Cay. I did spend an hour or so in the water at Serenity Bay before lunch. Then I headed back to the ship and went on the AquaDuck a couple of times.

Also, just because you do not drink alcohol does not mean you cannot check out the non-alcoholic drinks that you might find in the bars. The best fruit punch my mom had in the last few years came from one of the bars on the Dream. You could make a game to try some of the non-alcoholic drinks they offer.

Also, look at things you can take with you to do that might be fun. Maybe come up with a game of your own, such as a scavenger hunt for the two of you. Think of things you might find on the cruise or might not and see who can find the most items by the end of the trip.

I did take some yarn as I was teaching myself to knit. I would work on it for about 30 minutes every so often while sitting on the balcony or watching an old Disney film. It helped me not feel bored when I was just killing time before going to do something else.

 

[BruinEd03]

If you are "Disney" fans instead of just "cruise" fans, there are also character meet and greets. The shows are also really enjoyable. They will also have tons of movies playing (the most popular ones in the last year or so) Aside from all of the activities that other people have mentioned, there are also arts and crafts, animation demonstrations, DVC presentations (not to actually sign up, but they do give away freebies including an opportunity to win OBC). Furthermore, you will also have days where you are in port. For Castaway Cay, you can also run the Castaway Cay 5k. They have non-alcoholic drink of the days, too. Even if you don't wan to lounge by the pool, there are also lounges on the decks around the ship, where you can read a book or take a nap. If you know how to play shuffle board, there's also shuffleboard. I've never had a problem being entertained on the ship save for maybe a couple of hours over an entire trip.

 

[OKW Lover]

Cruising (at least on DCL) has never been about drinking. There are lots of things to do on board including shows, spas, good food, bingo, trivia, first run movies and classics, and just relaxing in general.

 

[jxhide]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I think maybe doing a little bit of relaxing mixed would be good. We're always rushing from place to place on our land vacations.

 

[anricat]

I don't drink and I always feel like I can't get everything squished in! There are still things I've wanted to do and having been able to (Art of the Theme Show Tour is on my list). Take a highlighter and when you get your Navigators, highlight all the cool stuff you want to do.

You may even find that you bump into activities. We stumbled across the "Baby Jack Jack Diaper Dash" going on in the atrium in October on the Magic. It was the most random, hilarious, goofy thing I saw the whole trip. We laughed so hard. You never know what your going to find!

Do you drink coffee? I found Cove Cafe really relaxing. My DH and I hung out there sometimes while our daughter was in the club on our last cruise and it was really nice and relaxing. Just another place to chill out. Even if you don't drink coffee, don't miss it. They have a little case full of two-bite sweets that are really delicious. They always hit the spot for me when I want just a little small sweet mid-day.

 

[iambrink]

You can be as bored or as busy as you want. 7 night cruises have many more activities to choose from. Take a look at some previous navigators if you want to get a better idea or wait and get on board to be surprised at how there is to do.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I was pregnant on my first Disney cruise and had a toddler with me on my second, so I didn't drink on either. I found plenty to do. We saw the shows on our first cruise, swam, shopped, met with characters, watched a movie on demand, spent time in the ports, etc. Since we had a kid the second time, we did more kid-oriented activities and went to bed earlier. But I still had stuff I wanted to do that I never got time to experience, such as going to a movie or playing mini golf. I found there was much more to do on the ship itself than two other lines I had traveled on; on those lines, I enjoyed the ports more than the ships, but with DCL, I enjoyed both equally.

 

[shelbell77]

You don't have to drink to enjoy cruising. I went on a 14 night cruise this year and only went to the pool twice. More than enough to do. If you do some google searches for Disney Navigators you can see the daily papers from other cruises and all the multitude of activities offered. There's often more than one thing at a time and you have to pick and choose which you will do. Besides what you mentioned theres crafting, trivia, seminars, and more.

 

[Sir William]

Cruising (at least on DCL) has never been about drinking. There are lots of things to do on board including shows, spas, good food, bingo, trivia, first run movies and classics, and just relaxing in general.

I usually avoid the pool areas, though I do try out the hot tub every so often. Otherwise, I spend much of my free time reading, either on my veranda or on deck somewhere, seeing a movie or two, attending the cooking demos, seeing the shows (even though I've seen them on previous cruises), walking around the promenade deck for exercise, looking at the paintings and photos around the ship, and generally just doing whatever I feel like. I read the Navigator the night before and make very general plans for the next day, but I keep my options open and flexible. I've yet to find time to be bored.

 

[diznymom]

There are lots and lots of activities. Look up some Personal Navigators for similar cruises and you can see what all has been planned. Even on Sea Days.

We are not alcohol drinkers, I don't have the patience to sit by the pool......except when there is a movie on the Tunnelvision I want to see. There are more activities I want to do than I have time to do them.

 

[jubjubrsx]

as stated tons of stuff to do on a cruise, the wife and myself arent really pool people, and dont drink alcohol. we still had a great time. pro tip if you want a free drink just hit up the DVC speech. lol

 

[jxhide]

Thanks for the tips! I'll keep an eye out for the daily personal navigator for fun stuff to do.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I don't drink and I don't lie out in the sun.

I have been on 2 7 day DCL cruises and a 3 day... and I remember very little down time. There was always something I wanted to do - movies, mid ship detective agency, character drawing, tours, making things, meeting imagineers - the list goes on and on. More than I can ever fit into 20 cruises.

 

[codex57]

I don't drink. I can't. DW doesn't like the taste. We have plenty of fun. Even if I didn't have my kids around, I couldn't fit all I wanted to do.

And I really don't feel like I miss out. There's a lot of stuff marketed to alcohol drinkers like that beer mug and stuff, but it's easy to ignore. Virgin drinks are decently priced so it's not like I don't get to experience the "bar" service either.

 

[Barbydoll8]

I don't drink but DH does and I never felt weird in any of the clubs with him. He also gets very bored easily. He has to be entertained. People watching is a sport for us and there is plenty to be had on DCL.
I would also add to all of the suggestions, do not forget to allow yourselves to be silly. Part of a lot of the activities is a lot of hoakiness and just plain fun.
Since you are going on a specialty cruise, they probably will have specialty events planned for sure. Again, just be sure to map out via the Navigators what you must do, what you'd like to do and what you'd do if you can't fit the first two in. There are usually things in each category each day.
Exploring the ship is an adventure in itself.
2nd cruise on the Dream DH & played the detective game on board (lots of walking so be prepared for it) and it was so much fun. Not only did we (and most adults on board not kids) play and have fun but it gave us some opportunity to walk around on each floor and explore the extensive and creative decorations on peoples stateroom doors. That was awesome in itself.
Don't be afraid to stop by customer relations and ask them if they have a scavenger hunt or game you can play. Even in WDW at some of the hotels they have this.

Have a wonderful cruise.

 

[TiffyRose]

As everyone else has said, no need to fear boredom, unless you like being bored. Every time we asked my dad how he was doing during our first cruise, he said he was "bored". This meant, "I'm having a great time." On that trip, no one in our party drank and everyone had fun. This time, only my disband and I will be drinking. A cruise is just like regular life in that you'll have as good a time as you choose to based on your attitude and chosen activities, and drinking/not drinking will affect that experience as it would any other activity.