Is DCL a good choice for childless 20-somethings?

[off to neverland]

Hi all,

I'm set on a DCL cruise with kids and DH, and there is talk of my 20 something siblings joining us. I'm wondering if this is the cruise line for them. What do you all think? Would Princess or Carnival be better?

I'd love to hear some opinions...........

 

[danicaw]

Hubby and I were childless 20-somethings when we did our first DCL cruise and loved it.
If they like or even love Disney I would say "go for it". If they think Disney is for Kids or Cheesy, maybe not. The cruise is not 24x7 characters and pixie dust, but it is definately filled with Disney's own brand of magic.
We honeymooned at WDW, bought DVC a few years later and have found our way to Disney (either WDW or DCL) almost every year since.
So, you know a bit more of where we come from.
We just did our first DCL trip with Child and loved it to.

 

[CM_Mom]

Depends on what they're expecting. I don't think anyone would describe DCL as a place for swinging singles. However if they want to have a fun, relaxing time and spend some time with your family in a magical family atmosphere then they'll have a blast.

 

[jlowejd5]

We've got our third cruise coming up, and we're just now into our 30s. We have had a blast each time. One was a "I gotta get away from school" vacation, the second one was the honeymoon, and the next one is "hey, let's get all our friends to come along with us".

We don't have kids, and in general, we're not big fans of the little ankle-biters. But at no point did we feel overwhelmed by them. The only point where it gets a little crazy with the midgets is at the Mickey Pool. So aside from a chicken finger run or two, we were golden. Disney knows that kids bring the families in, but mom and dad write the checks.

But there really is a lot for younger people to do. The nightclubs are fun, but not overly crowded. The shows are breathtaking. But I would definitely agree with Danicaw that it helps to be a "Disney person".

 

[smilingmouse]

I am a single, childless, 20-something, and I am taking my 3rd DCL cruise in September...I loved the 1st two.....

 

[Patricia1]

Dh and I were childless until last year and took 6 DCL cruises and absolutely enjoyed every single one of them! We now have a 9 mth old and can't wait to introduce her the "Disney Magic" in August!!! The quality and service are phenomenal and the excursions have always been excellent... we always opt for the more adventurous and have enjoyed every single one!!
At first we expected them not to be as fun, but have been pleasantly surprised every year!!! So go for it... but I agree you have to at least like the "Disney Thing"!

 

[brianvdb]

Add my name to the list of childless 20-something Disney Cruisers (or DINKs, as we like to call ourselves... dual income, no kids). Leina and I took our first cruise on DCL when we were 22. We weren't honeymooning, weren't tagging along with anyone, we just went because we wanted to take a cruise vacation on our own... and it was the most relaxing vacation we've ever taken.

We are 27 now, looking forward to our second. Some things to keep in mind though:

1) Disney is by no means a 'party boat' when it comes to adult couples. It's a pretty mellow cruise ship. If they're looking to party all week long at all hours of the night, they will be disappointed. If they are going to relax, be pampered, enjoy the activities, and enjoy the ports, then they will do fine.

2) Chances are that there will only be a handful of OTHER childless 20-somethings on the ship. There is a little bit of a demographic divide, it seems. There are quite a few older childless couples. There are quite a few younger couples with kids. There are a lot of kids and teens. But there were only a handful of kid-less young adults. On the up side, Disney appears to try and group all these folks together during dinner rotation. We were with another 20-something kidless couple, and the tables around us were mostly 30- and 40- something adult couples/groups.

3) If they want to be away from the kids, they CAN be away from the kids. We didn't realize how many kids were actually on the boat until, on the LAST day of the cruise, we happened to walk past the line of kids getting ready to participate in their end-of-cruise event (talent show?) in the main theatre. We said to each other at the same time 'holy cow, where did all these kids come from?'

4) They will not be 'Disneyed to death.' Everything does kind of have a Disney air about it, but it's not overwhelming.

5) There will definately be clubs and other kidless stuff for them to do in the ports, if they are so inclined.

Depending on their personality, they MAY like the party atmosphere of Carnival better... they will have more folks their age w/out kids around... but your siblings should still have a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation on DCL.

Brian

 

[Laurarn]

My 3 sisters and I (30-somethings) are doing a trip (without Hubbies and Kids) and looking forward to it. This is their 1st and My 3rd DCL trip. We're looking forward to pampering ourselves and catching up with each other. "Little Women cruise 2005"

 

[webray]

We took our 20 something daughter with us on one of our disney cruises. She absolutely loved it. We are planning a family cruise to include the rest of our 20 somethings and their fiances...I told my daughter about royal caribbean, she said..no, lets go on disney again..lol.

 

[off to neverland]

You all are the best! THanks for the great info.

We actually have quite a mix in our family. There's me, my husband and two kids, and we all love Disney. My mom and dad (Nana and Papa) also enjoy Disney, and my mom is actually a very quiet Disney fanatic.

One of my brothers is married without kids. As a couple, these two like to party and have fun. At a recent trip to WDW, Pleasure Island was one of the hightlights for this brother. In the theme parks, he really wasn't impressed with an attraction unless it was a thrill ride....

My other, younger brother is single and also likes to party and stay out late. Not sure what his take on Disney itself is. I think he likes it, but wouldn't necessarily seek it out. HE does tend to appreciate details and themeing that Disney does so well.

My cousin often joins us and he is single, and also enjoys to party. I think Disney could definitely grow on him, he goes with the flow and could appreciate the Disney thing with a Disney crowd of people.

"Feeling the Magic" isn't something that is a factor for any of these four..... Though they had a really great time and made some wonderful memories, I don't think they had any of those Magical MOments at WDW.... (My mom and I sure did, though, many times.......... I think you have to be in the right mindset to find those moments.)

I'm almost thinking this cruise may be best for me, hubby, kids and nana and papa and that my sibs would probably enjoy Carnival more....

Again thanks for all the great info.............

 

[CamColt]

DH and I were barely out of our 20s when we went on DCL without our kids.

We had a blast...and while we dont party much anymore, we do like to when we get the chance. We really enjoyed the clubs with the music and games. The adult beach was great and we even parasailed on CC. I like the adult pool too but the classical music got to me after a bit, LOL! Palo was delcious.

Likeothers have noted,I wouldnt say its a spring break type of atmosphere if thats what they are looking for, but it is loads of fun in its own way.

 

[logan1_2000]

I really commend Off To Neverland (you meant Peter Pan's home, not Michael Jackson's Institute For Weirdness, right?) for considering the veried replies, objectively considering her siblings' likes and dislikes, and concluding that DCL probably is not for them. The downside to the enthusiasm for DCL that so many DISers (I'm guilty of it, too, not trying to exclude myself) is that we think DCL is for EVERYONE, and it just isn't. And to bring along people who would be happier on Carnival is unfair to them and also to the rest of the traveling party.

My next cruise happens to be non-DCL, more a reflection of available itineraries, budget, coordinating with another couple, and time of year than the appropriateness of DCL.

 

[UGAFan0829]

My DH and I are both childless and in our twenties. We took our first DCL cruise back in Jan. and loved it. Now, I know some people think that you might have to be a Disney freak in order to want to take a Disney cruise without children, but we really aren't that way. Don't get me wrong, I do love Disney, I'm just not hardcore like some people. I probably wouldn't ever make it on WWTBAM, but I think that I liked it enough to enjoy our cruise, and even want to go back sometime soon!
I think our main reason for cruising Disney was because of their rep, and knowing that it was probably the best of the best!

 

[cindalu]

I might be a little slow but what does WWTBAM stand for.

 

[Disney Fans]

I too agree that it depends on if you love Disney then it would be fun with or with out kids. I think you all would have a GREAT time going!

 

[disneyholic family]

If they don't like Disney the answer is easy - no.
If they love Disney then they'll have a good time, otherwise Carnival or any of the others would be a better choice.
Especially if they like to dance and party.

 

[Disneyfan37]

DH and I are childless,and we love DCL.We wouldn't cruise with anyone else.We are also Disney fanatics thoiugh.

Maria