Non-Disney person on a Disney cruise?

[gumbypee]

I don't want to force my friend to go on one, but she is not too keen on Disney, doesn't dislike it or anything but doesn't want to "hug Mickey at every turn". I have only been on one and it was pretty immersive Disney from what I recall but am I recalling correctly? Or are there non-Disney shows, comedians etc, or activities like trivia? Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[smiths02]

You can go on Disney Cruise Line Blog and look up navigators which give you an idea of the shows.

The entertainment we experienced was Beauty and the Beast, Believe (a collection of Disney songs), a magician (non-Disney related), and the Incredibles 2...also Pirate Night (fireworks would appeal to anyone).
We also watched Avengers in a movie theatre.
Dinner one night included talking to Crush...we skipped Pirate Night dinner but that involved people possibly dressing like a pirate

Anyhow, honestly, if I didn't really love Disney or have young children and want that family-friendly atmosphere, I'd pick a different cruise line. No, you don't have to hug Mickey at every turn, but there is a LOT of Disney and with relatively small ships not as many other options. I wouldn't pay 1.5-2x for Disney and family friendly.

 

[lklgoodman]

They have a lot of different types of music trivia games in the adult clubs that have nothing to do with Disney.

 

[southerngirl528]

I don't want to force my friend to go on one, but she is not too keen on Disney, doesn't dislike it or anything but doesn't want to "hug Mickey at every turn". I have only been on one and it was pretty immersive Disney from what I recall but am I recalling correctly? Or are there non-Disney shows, comedians etc, or activities like trivia? Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks

Not trying to be a smartie or anything, but if your heart is set on another Disney cruise, maybe find a different friend for that Disney cruise!

 

[NZMUM]

She doesn't need to "hug Mickey at every turn". During the day stick to the adults only areas. In the evening there are the adults clubs. The shows are Disney based shows, but the extra entertainment are non Disney - magicians, jugglers etc. As was said above, check out the adults part of the navigators for what activities can be available.

 

[kenthanson]

I found that there wasn't that much Disney at all when we went. If I had a friend who really wanted to go on a cruise and not with Disney then I would go on another line, the service is great but the ships are older and geared to families and kids.

 

[Shanti]

If you really just enjoy the ships and Castaway Cay, you can do that without Mickey. There is an adult-only lounging area on deck, an adult-only spa & gym, adult-only game shows, adult-only pool & hot tub, and adult-only beach on Castaway Cay. There tend to be adult versions of the novelty shows. The main shows are Disney, but the spotlight show (such as BATB) is not Mickey Mouse Disney, but rather the classic fairy tale Disney, which is a bit more sophisticated at least.

I think the quality is high enough to sail DCL without being a Mickey lover. The adult areas get so much seclusion, I'd really like to sail adult-only someday.

 

[starvenger]

I can see how someone who isn’t into Disney could perceive DCL as too much.

Forcing them to go will make them look for ways to find fault with the ship. If they go willingly, they won’t look for the mouse as much, and thus won’t see the mouse as much. Sell them on the things Shanti mentioned. I think that might get them to go willingly.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

The adult lounges typically have non-Disney program offerings at night. Honestly, if you don't want to be immersed in Disney, I would look into other cruise lines. DCL is, typically, priced much higher than other cruise lines. Why pay more for the Disney experience when you don't want it? You will get a bigger bang for your buck elsewhere.

 

[Bethany10]

I think the quality is high enough to sail DCL without being a Mickey lover. The adult areas get so much seclusion, I'd really like to sail adult-only someday.

I'm hoping to take my non Disney loving DH on a Disney cruise in 2020. I've looked at past navigators and have pretty much mapped out where we'll spend most of our time. The quoted above is my reasoning behind it, well that and I AM a mickey fan and really want to go myself. Our kids have "aged out" of Disney and if we were to spend the $$ for all 4 of us to go then I'd choose a different cruise line.

 

[starvenger]

The adult lounges typically have non-Disney program offerings at night. Honestly, if you don't want to be immersed in Disney, I would look into other cruise lines. DCL is, typically, priced much higher than other cruise lines. Why pay more for the Disney experience when you don't want it? You will get a bigger bang for your buck elsewhere.

My impression is that OP wants to do DCL, but the friend doesn’t.

 

[beachdrmn]

My husband nor myself (early 40's with an 11 year old son) are "Disney" people and we love DCL. For reference we really dislike Disney World. We don't feel like it is over the top at all. We go for the great service, food and cleanliness. I never thought I would get my hubby on a cruise much less a Disney cruise and we have now been on three. Waiting on the new ships to make it 4.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Maybe it's been my bad luck, but I only ever saw Mickey, et al. in shows or getting into their lines for photos. The rare times I encountered a character walking around, I just smiled and waved and moved on. If you don't make a move to come to them, I don't think they make an effort to come to you.

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[gumbypee]

Wow, thank you guys! You gave me alot to think about! And yes, my heart is set on Disney (Ive been on one and am dying to go on another) but I don't think she would appreciate it. I don't know how to find Disney friends to go with me LOL. The only other person I know who would like Disney couldn't afford to even go on any cruise. Oh well. maybe in the future.

Thank you again, I appreciate all the responses

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Personally, I find DCL to be a very different side of Disney from the parks. It's the more elegant side. True, there is Mickey on the ships, but you are more likely to see princesses and princes. The decor is bronze and glass. There are a few 'cartoony' areas, but it's generally a more sophisticated Disney. This might appease your friend a little (most people who object are more thinking of the cartoon side of Disney). If you don't want to hug Mickey, don't stand in line. But you don't see him at every turn - or any other playhouse pal. You will see Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, and Tiana.

That said, as others have pointed out the shows are largely with a Disney motif. You won't find a lot of opera on a Disney ship like you do on MSC. The main entertainment will be shows (think Disney on Broadway). Elegant, but still Disney. Very different from your typical "one person on a piano playing Bach for an hour for 2,000 people". You can find some of that in the adult bars. That's never really been my thing anyway. I prefer a good Broadway show over Opera or just watching musicians.

The ships are still very nice, the food is great and the service is the best on the ocean.

This is all my personal opinion though.

 

[Girl of the South]

Disney does hospitality well. They wrote the book on it, starting with Disneyland in 1955. The attention to detail is epic.

Even if you forget the characters, they are still lovely ships. I went on a 1 weeks Carnival Valour 2 years ago with some friends and I have to say, the food was really great. But the ship was sad. The decor was awful. No really nice public space. Tiny pools. It just made me sad all week . . . .

 

[smiths02]

My husband nor myself (early 40's with an 11 year old son) are "Disney" people and we love DCL. For reference we really dislike Disney World. We don't feel like it is over the top at all. We go for the great service, food and cleanliness. I never thought I would get my hubby on a cruise much less a Disney cruise and we have now been on three. Waiting on the new ships to make it 4.

We took my in-laws and they are not into Disney. The safety record, cleanliness record, service, food, elegance of the ship, idea that the ship wasn't a party ship (or a floating casino) appealed to them.
We also did NOT have a day at sea, so for my FIL who is more active, he had a shore excursion on Castaway Cay one day, explored Castaway Cay the other day, walked around Nassau a bit, went to meals with everyone, did do BATB (he fell asleep, though, honestly), and then pretty much just walked around the ship or watched tv in the room.

 

[cadien]

We aren’t Disney people. We went on our first cruise because we’re Marvel people. But we enjoyed it much more than our non-Disney cruise. It was just classier. And there was no hint of Disney on the adult pool deck or in Palo.

 

[mevelandry]

I don't want to force my friend to go on one, but she is not too keen on Disney, doesn't dislike it or anything but doesn't want to "hug Mickey at every turn". I have only been on one and it was pretty immersive Disney from what I recall but am I recalling correctly? Or are there non-Disney shows, comedians etc, or activities like trivia? Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks

DH is not a Disney fan so we had the chance to explore many areas.

I think if you avoid shows, stick to the Quiet Cove, Royal Palace, Triton's, Enchanted Garden (mdr), Palo, Remy, the Spa, gym, Serenity Bay, alcohol tastings... The Disney theme is quite toned down. Other than that I did not notice many non-disney activities (however I did not attend trivia) or shows.