Should I try a Disney Cruise?

[Jp23rockstar]

Is a Disney Cruise worth it for only adults? For reference, I’m a young male adult in my twenties. I just went on Allure of the Seas on RCI a week ago. I enjoyed it for the most part with a few exceptions. Does the extra money justify the Disney product?

 

[Rob1872]

Well, you ARE going to get a slightly biased opinion on these boards.

Disney service is high quality. I've only gone on a cruise with my family, but would happily go with just my wife in the future.

 

[Shanti]

Is a Disney Cruise worth it for only adults? For reference, I’m a young male adult in my twenties. I just went on Allure of the Seas on RCI a week ago. I enjoyed it for the most part with a few exceptions. Does the extra money justify the Disney product?

It depends on what you're looking for. Disney Cruise Line features beautiful ships, very attractive and spacious staterooms, good service, and good food. Its private island, Castaway Cay, is a gem. It has an adults-only pool, hot tub & deck area, as well as an adults-only after-hours area, adults-only specialty dining, and some adults-only activities onboard. Castaway Cay has an adults-only beach & adults-only buffet.

You will see lots of families around, and the Disney characters, too. If either of those would be annoying to you, I don't recommend it. Otherwise, I would recommend the line to anyone interested & willing to pay the higher prices, with the understanding that DCL is not a luxury line. It's most worth it to those who like Disney theming and entertainment.

If you don't care about Disney characters or entertainment or the private island, I don't know that the price hike is worth it. Maybe try Crystal, if you're just looking for an upscale line?

 

[NS8VN]

What do you want in a cruise? And what do you consider something worth paying more for?

RCCL is a great line, they do some things better than DCL, some things equally well, but some things are much better on DCL and other things only DCL does. If you are looking for water slides, or a casino, or a drink package, then DCL falls short. If you are looking for a classic style ship, rotational dining, or the overall Disney experience on a ship, then it might be worthwhile.

So if you can tell us what your answers are to the two questions I started with, then we can help you get a better idea of whether you will find it worthwhile.

 

[Laundress]

As a young person in my twenties I would have enjoyed it. Are you a Disney fan in general? Looking at it as only a cash value ...probably not. There are lots of very nice cruise ships. DCL is worth it for us on an emotional level. Its beautiful ships, we are treated very well, and a family atmosphere.
sometimes the ship is the destination.

 

[DisMommyTX]

DH and I are night-owls, so we usually enjoy night clubs and live music into the wee hours. When we went on the DCL Magic, everyone disappeared about 10pm! It was bizarre. So. Very. Quiet. They had a single club open doing a late-night game show type thing that would have been standing room only on RCL or Carnival--but there were maybe 15 people in the room after 10:15. We LOVE Disney and have taken many adult-only trips to WDW, but would not choose DCL for our adult-only cruises. If we take the kids back on DCL again, it will definitely be one of the newer/bigger ships.

 

[hanscarlet]

Depends on what your interests are like others have said. If you are a Disney fan then simple answer is YES. It's magic on the seas! And it's a phenomenal experience, better than the parks in my opinion. If you are into night life and casinos then no, you won't like it as much as RCCL and the other lines. If you are a neat freak and enjoy broadway shows then YES, cleanest ship on the seas and the entertainment outshines all of the competitors. If you want to enjoy a family cruise with your parents or siblings it's a great line for that as well. It's not a party boat but it's everything else besides that and then some.

 

[Alura21]

I'm 28 and planning to do a disney cruise solo. It honestly depends what you're looking for. I work in animation, I don't like to party, and I trust disney with their port excusion vetting. So for me, Disney is a good fit. But if you like to party, I wouldn't book a disney cruise. I'd also say it depends on where you want to go as well and how long you're looking to go for.

 

[Pens Fan]

Not knowing you, it's hard to say. Are you a Disney fan? Does having Disney characters appeal to you? Will you be satisfied with the entertainment being primarily Disney focussed? We have experienced equivalent service and better food on other lines, so in my opinion Disney does not hold the monopoly on either of those. What Disney does excel at is, well, doing Disney.

It's a personal decision. We stuck with Disney when our son was younger, and I don't regret a penny we spent (and we spent a lot!). But now that our son will be 20 in a couple of months and is busy with college, internships, etc., we are either vacationing as three adults or just my husband and I. We can get superior food, equal service and better itineraries on other lines at cheaper prices.

There isn't a right or wrong answer. It just depends on what is important to you. If you value the "Disney" aspect to your vacation, then of course it's worth it. If not, well maybe some more research would be helpful.

 

[Shanti]

I trust disney with their port excusion vetting.

Don't expect DCL-booked excursions to be any higher in quality than other excursions. The excursions are contracted out, not run by Disney CMs & CMs typically do not go along.

We've loved our Disney cruises, but our worst experience out of all of them was the one DCL-booked excursion we took, which was late to start, featured lines, waits & unpleasant bus transportation, including the buses initially taking all of the passengers on the wrong tour for the first hour. Even after that got straightened out, it wasn't great. From now on, we either book excursions independently of DCL or explore the port without an excursion.

 

[aggiedog]

If I'd been in my 20's, knowing what I know now, I'd have to say no. I loved our DCL cruises with the family, and dh and I are not big night-life people, but for cost alone, I'd recommend another line.

Now, if cost is no issue or you find a great deal on an off season cruise, and you are ok with limited night life, then go for it. The worst that can happen is you don't have as an exciting time as you'd hoped. The service should be good, the food is good (though not great sometimes), you can watch all kinds of movies, and sit by the pool in the adults only section (where kids may or may not be regardless.)

As for excursions, we did 2 DCL excursions and vowed never again. Too many people, not an efficient use of port time, and all for as much or more money than the ones we arranged ourselves.

 

[undertheradar]

Is a Disney Cruise worth it for only adults? For reference, I’m a young male adult in my twenties. I just went on Allure of the Seas on RCI a week ago. I enjoyed it for the most part with a few exceptions. Does the extra money justify the Disney product?

Perhaps if you listed what those exceptions were, it would give us perspective of what you are looking for.

 

[Jp23rockstar]

I read through all of the posts so far and do have additional info to share. I’m a Disney fan on a scale 1-10, I would consider myself a 7, don’t gamble, and as far as excursions, I can do them on my own at a cheaper rate for the most part. Does Disney have any nighttime activities at all? Maybe I try a 4 night Bahamas cruise, so I can have a taste of the Disney experience.

 

[Shanti]

I read through all of the posts so far and do have additional info to share. I’m a Disney fan on a scale 1-10, I would consider myself a 7, don’t gamble, and as far as excursions, I can do them on my own at a cheaper rate for the most part. Does Disney have any nighttime activities at all? Maybe I try a 4 night Bahamas cruise, so I can have a taste of the Disney experience.

Yes, there are late evening activities, just don't expect too much. If you are a Disney fan, then I recommend the cruise. Plenty of single/childless adults go and love the cruises.

 

[Shanti]

I read through all of the posts so far and do have additional info to share. I’m a Disney fan on a scale 1-10, I would consider myself a 7, don’t gamble, and as far as excursions, I can do them on my own at a cheaper rate for the most part. Does Disney have any nighttime activities at all? Maybe I try a 4 night Bahamas cruise, so I can have a taste of the Disney experience.

Here is a link to a Dream Personal Navigator that lists some of the adult activities onboard:

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp-...3N-Bahamian-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-20171226.pdf

 

[mevelandry]

Only if you are a big fan of Disney. My husband (since we have tried Carnival) is not interested in cruising Disney anymore because he doesn't care about the mouse at all.

I am still a fan of DCL, because I like the characters a lot but as for the cruising part itself, I think other cruise lines do just as good or better. I would do Disney for Disney.

 

[undertheradar]

I read through all of the posts so far and do have additional info to share. I’m a Disney fan on a scale 1-10, I would consider myself a 7, don’t gamble, and as far as excursions, I can do them on my own at a cheaper rate for the most part. Does Disney have any nighttime activities at all? Maybe I try a 4 night Bahamas cruise, so I can have a taste of the Disney experience.

Much is going to depend upon when and where you cruise. Sailings on the Wonder, out of Galveston, have been a better price compared to sailings out of Port Canaveral. The newer ships are priced higher. Personal experience says to avoid the shorter cruises, as people are rushing to squeeze as many activities as possible, in a short period of time. There is nothing quite as relaxing as several sea days in a row.

 

[tvguy]

I think everyone should do at least one Disney cruise. The higher price is the only potential negative.

I've been cruising since 1980 and cruises have changed a lot since then. There were 2 children out of 500 passengers on that small ship in 1980. Our last cruise was on HAL, and the cruise line with the "old people" reputation was packed with kids, and they had kids clubs, and special activities just for kids, so I don't think you're going to avoid children on any cruise anymore.

I would also say another change in cruising is the night life, or the lack of it. I first noticed this on Disney, pretty much they roll up the sidewalks by 10 or 11 pm, but it was the same on my HAL and NCL cruises after that. My first cruise, the night club didn't even OPEN until 1:30am!

 

[DCSWO]

If you are interested in mingling with other 20-something singles, you will likely not have a lot of company. Obviously DCLs primary audience is families, but I have seen plenty of couples without children who are Disney fans.