DCL for couples

[mevelandry]

You just described the perfect vacation for a couple!

DH and I love Cabanas though. We try to eat there as much as we can.

 

[lorimay]

My son and his Fiancee just booked The Disney Wonder Baja cruise for part of their honeymoon next May.
He has done 5 DCL cruises since the age of 10 and she has done 3, it was pretty much a non-negotiable for them to look at another line.

 

[Garyjames220]

You just described the perfect vacation for a couple!

DH and I love Cabanas though. We try to eat there as much as we can.

We are the same. Lovely buffet

 

[emnems34]

I totally agree! We were married at Castaway Cay during a Magic cruise and it was so perfect being there as a couple (although we were part of a larger group with our wedding guests obviously). Everyone thought we were crazy until they got there! There's so much that you can enjoy as a couple! We especially enjoyed the Mixology class and Serenity Bay at Castaway Cay. Palo (and Remy on Dream and Fantasy) is another amazing experience available only to adults. (We need to try the brunch!) I honestly don't see us ever cruising with anyone else again.

 

[Garyjames220]

Done palo. But doing remy in Feb can't wait

 

[jessicaknarr]

We are a childless couple that frequently goes to WDW & are prepping for our 1st Disney cruise this summer (We've cruised many times before on Royal)
Quick question, you mentioned going to the sit-down Dinning rooms for lunch - how does seating work for this? Can you request a table for 2 at breakfast/lunch? Or will we be forced to sit with others?

My husband and I are doing our third Disney cruise solo (we do not have children). On the first cruise we went my inlaws so they sat the 4 of us together. On the last cruise (October 2015) it was just my husband and i . They sat us with 2 other sets of couples. I newlywed couple and another married couple. it was nice getting to know other people and we even went out to the bar with them afterwards. You would also request sitting alone as well.

 

[Markonefive]

My wife and I are introverted anti-social people. I called DCL and asked our dinners to be at a table for 2. They said they will try, but can't guarantee. If we don't get it, we will happily and politely dine with others. We are looking forward to our first cruise ever together next week celebrating our 25th anniversary, and know there is lots for us to do: doing the shore excursion, relaxing walking around the boat or sitting on our verandah, going to shows etc. nightclub on the ship, the stores etc. We would like to take our two teenage daughters with us on a future cruise, but this one will be for us.

 

[darnheather]

We are a childless couple that frequently goes to WDW & are prepping for our 1st Disney cruise this summer (We've cruised many times before on Royal)
Quick question, you mentioned going to the sit-down Dinning rooms for lunch - how does seating work for this? Can you request a table for 2 at breakfast/lunch? Or will we be forced to sit with others?

Didn't see that your question had been answered. At the sit down lunch and breakfast you let them know how many people are in your party for that meal and are then seated. During busier times you might have to wait a bit for a table for two but you won't be forced to sit somewhere. In Cabanas there are plenty of tables for two. In fact my daughters and I often shared a table for two as the four tops were usually full.

 

[RedSox68]

Most of your points are things we discovered along the way and totally agree with. Once we discovered the relaxation of doing the lunch in a dining room rather than Cabanas, we never went back to Cabanas. Also in the dining room there is so much more room to place your carry-ons near your table than there is in Cabanas.

After our fourth cruise, we realized we didn't like rushing to the last breakfast or rushing to put our luggage out the night before, so started doing as you did -- sleep a little later, enjoy the slow pace of getting ready, grab some breakfast to eat in the room while we get ready, and then just walk off the ship. By then, the elevators are more empty and the crowds are thinned out.

So glad you had a good time!

 

[kiford]

Completely agree with what you said with the only exception is that we really enjoy being assigned a table with other people. We've met a lot of great people that we still keep in touch with. It's part of the joy of cruising for us.

We are a childless couple with 9 DCL cruises and several WDW vacations under our belt and planning our 10th cruise this year. Completely agree with CurtisB - we cruised last June with a couple and two brothers we met at dinner on our cruise in 2013 and we've visited the couple in Florida when we went to WDW last year (the brothers also spent time with them at WDW a year or so ago). We're planning to see them again this December. They brought along another couple on last year's cruise that they met 5 years ago on a DCL cruise. And we also still correspond with people we met at dinner on our 2010 cruise. One year we got seated at a table with a couple that we'd been seated with the prior year whose company we had enjoyed. So I have to totally agree that it's part of the joy of cruising for us too.

Having never cruised with children I can't comment on the difference of cruising as a couple only compared to with children, but the way that Disney provides an adult-only experience while still allowing you to participate in the rest of the activities (we enjoy watching the baby races and the tree lighting ceremony where they pick a child to orchestrate it, etc.) where you can see the joy on children's faces is what keeps us coming back. And they allow you to let out the child within you without feeling silly because everyone else is too.

 

[VowRenewal13]

Of our 10 Disney cruises, seven of them were without children. We are never bored. There are never too many children. We love Serenity Bay and the adult areas on the ship. There are two more "Adults Only" cruises booked and there will be many more. We are older cruisers (60's) and will take the grandkids again, but children are not a requirement to have a good time on Disney!!

 

[cmhguy]

Another couple that loves DCL for all of the reasons mentioned. We are a same sex couple in our mid 40s, and our friends just can't understand our vacation choice. "All of those kids". We discovered we love B2Bs on the Dream for the 2 stops at CC and Serenity Bay. We would go to the beach at any other stop anyway, so it actually becomes a small cost saver....lol.

Though, we just experienced the Solarium on the Allure of the Seas for the first time, and if they would add a Cove Cafe to it, it would be nirvana for us.

When people don't understand our love for DCL as a couple, I just think...perfect.....fewer people at the adult people who will be spending all day there with me!

 

[clareyfairymouse]

We also love DCL and we are kid free (just big kids instead!)
There's nothing like the Disney magic, they look after you like no other.
There's so much to do, but at the same time, you've got every opportunity to kick back & relax!
We've done 2 Disney cruises & have a list of the others we'd like to do!

 

[sc426]

Thank you for your insight into a Disney cruise for a couple. We are a childless couple (and probably plan to remain that way) but are huge Disney people. We have not and will not consider any other cruise line. We love how Disney caters to people of all ages and childless couples. The insight into asking for a table for 2 is something I never knew we could do. Our next cruise is going to be in October 2017. We will definitely use all your insights to make our second of many Disney cruises magical

 

[GEK209]

Another couple, no kids: and we are scheduled for our 3rd Disney cruise this July. So glad to hear we are not alone. No one does it like Disney. Been on other cruise lines and nothing else can compare. Celebrating our 20th on the Fantasy in 69 days!!!

 

[phinz]

We are a childless couple and neither one of us can really stand most children, to be honest. We still cruise DCL because that's what we like. We tell friends who question our choice that you really don't have to see many children unless you want to. I also follow up with my observation that kids on DCL are, as a general rule, much better behaved than those at the parks.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

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..........
Agree 100%, when we cruised with our son he's always in the back of your mind. Especially when older and checking himself in and out. Is he having fun, doing okay, being safe, etc. And occasionally buzzing you to be picked up.
Dining: .......... For dinners request a table for two and suggest the late seating.............Also the second seating gives you more time in the day to do what you want (spa, swim, nap, etc).............. 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............
As another poster had written, we also like dining with others. If a first time cruiser is going back and forth on this I would suggest trying it at least once. We still keep in contact with one couple and ever stayed with them last year where they live. We are use to early eating here at home. On our last two cruises, four and seven nights we had second seating. First dining is a little more rushed but will always request it in the future. We actually prefer having the entire evening open to do as we please.
Spa/Gym: if your a spa person then get a cruise length Rainforest pass and start using it on the first day........
My wife convinced me we should sign up for the length of cruise Rainforest pass when we did a Panama Canal crossing cruise. Before this cruise I was not a spa person thought it would be a huge waste of money. I am a Rainforest Room believer, we were in there several times a day everyday.
Ship Activities: still enjoy what you like such as the shows, movies, etc. We found it more fun going just the two of us............Try some of the adult activities such as trivia.........We found more activities on the Navigator app than on the paper version........Also take a ride on the Aqua Duck ........... 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.
Agree on all these! Wife and I did some tasting together, some she didn't care for so I went alone and still had a very good time. The bartenders giving the presentation do a great job, very entertaining and it's fun to talk with the fellow tasters.
Room Drinks: we use to bring several choices for drinks until the recent policy change....We never got into the bringing alcohol on-board. Should maybe do wine sometime because we do enjoy it here at home.
So if your considering taking a couples cruise and concerned Disney may not be the best choice then I suggest you reconsider........... 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.

Great report, thanks for posting. When our son started college we started cruising Disney on our own (he is now 23). DW and I have done several Disney cruises on our own and in fact have another one booked for later this year, booked while on-board last trip. And we will probably have another one booked before we disembark on our next cruise

 

[NJtoATL]

Just went on our first Disney Cruise… We went for our 20th anniversary!! It was awesome. Disney Dream Deck 10 forward verandah room. Cabana #18 at CC. It took me 20 years trying to convince my Navy husband to go on a cruise. When we return from our trip he to me to plan a trip for next year. Happy!!! But mad at him for not telling on the cruise. Missed the B2B.

 

[Manwe967]

We are a couple with 3 kids (6, 13, 14). We've cruised mostly with, but occasionally without them. We really enjoyed it both ways. I'll be the one that admits that we also get some small twisted enjoyment out of encountering the occasional mild kid meltdown and sipping our frozen drinks as we walk in the other direction.
Does that make us terrible people....probably.

One minor complaint though is that we have had a real problem finding any kind of "nightlife" in the bar areas of the ship after say 11:00. That would typically be when things get going most places, but in our experiences it was just us alone with a bartender and everything shutting down. Maybe we are just hanging out in the wrong places?

Anyway, we love Disney with and without our kids and always have a great time.

 

[phinz]

We are a couple with 3 kids (6, 13, 14). We've cruised mostly with, but occasionally without them. We really enjoyed it both ways. I'll be the one that admits that we also get some small twisted enjoyment out of encountering the occasional mild kid meltdown and sipping our frozen drinks as we walk in the other direction.
Does that make us terrible people....probably.

One minor complaint though is that we have had a real problem finding any kind of "nightlife" in the bar areas of the ship after say 11:00. That would typically be when things get going most places, but in our experiences it was just us alone with a bartender and everything shutting down. Maybe we are just hanging out in the wrong places?

Anyway, we love Disney with and without our kids and always have a great time.

I've found stuff going on in the Tube on the Fantasy, but not a big crowd. Last cruise we actually had quite a bit of activity in the Tube at night, actually. We shut the bar down every night and there were people leaving with us.