What is an adult?

[linco711]

Hi, everyone,

I'm really pleased with this thread - there is a level of discussion here that is rare on message boards, a level of respect, ya know? And that's why I keep coming back to DIS!



Well, that was short lived...

OK, get the nachos back out, I have to jump in here, too.

We've been traveling with our kids on vacations since their first birthday. That's what family memories are made of. We've made annual trips to the beach since they were one year old, annual trips to WDW since they turned 3 years old, and this will be their first cruise and they are 6 years old. We've not considered taking them on any other cruise line other than DCL. If they were older, we'd consider RCCL, but for now, families and DCL go together like peanut butter and jelly.

DH and I have taken annual cruises with two other couples leaving the kids at home for years - only missing the year the kids were born. For those cruises, we chose a more "adult oriented" (for lack of a better description) cruise line during the school year - we did this on purpose - so that there would be less kids to mingle with - we've talked to, played with, shared snacks with, given towels and chairs to, etc. other people's kids because we value kids and families - but if we are leaving our children behind for the sake of an adult vacation, we want it to be reasonably "adult oriented" without a lot of the distractions that seem to follow in children's footsteps. We're looking forward to our DCL cruise, but have completely different expectations than we did on Princess...we'll see how it all turns out.

DCL is family oriented and I'm sure that they try to have adult areas to keep peace with everyone; however, this isn't QEII and Disney would be alienating the base that's made it successful it it tries to make it a classic, formal cruising experience.

I Totally Agree!!

 

[linco711]

How is DCL charging your 17 and 13 yos?

That may help you and DCL decide.

My DD age 16 was charged as an adult since there were only two of us sailing.

 

[Keggy]

DCL is family oriented and I'm sure that they try to have adult areas to keep peace with everyone; however, this isn't QEII and Disney would be alienating the base that's made it successful it it tries to make it a classic, formal cruising experience.

Disney is a family entitiy. The cruise line is not excluding families or adults from their clientele. My DH and I love Disney but do not have children. We should still be able to cruise on DCL and have adult only areas. Also, parents who want adult only time should be able to utlize adult only areas as well.

I do enjoy being arounds kids a great deal. If we were seated with kids at dinner that would not be a problem for us - we would probably talk to the kids more than the adults! If we wanted an adult only meal we would go to Palo. That is the great thing about cruising on DCL.

Kelly

Edited to add: I guess I am confused by your post - are you trying to say that if I want to enjoy adult only areas that do not permit kids to enter that are under the age of 18 that I should not cruise DCL? Please clarify - I do not want to assume or put words in your mouth. THanks!

 

[goofymama]

Edited to add: I guess I am confused by your post - are you trying to say that if I want to enjoy adult only areas that do not permit kids to enter that are under the age of 18 that I should not cruise DCL? Please clarify - I do not want to assume or put words in your mouth. THanks!

I shouldn't try to answer for someone else ... but here I go anyway ... I think she was just responding to the poster that implied that children should eat in the Children's clubs and not in the dining rooms so that they did not ruin the formal atmosphere for adult only cruisers.

Now pass me some of those nachos

 

[Disney with Triplets]

Disney is a family entitiy. The cruise line is not excluding families or adults from their clientele. My DH and I love Disney but do not have children. We should still be able to cruise on DCL and have adult only areas. Also, parents who want adult only time should be able to utlize adult only areas as well.

I do enjoy being arounds kids a great deal. If we were seated with kids at dinner that would not be a problem for us - we would probably talk to the kids more than the adults! If we wanted an adult only meal we would go to Palo. That is the great thing about cruising on DCL.

Kelly

Edited to add: I guess I am confused by your post - are you trying to say that if I want to enjoy adult only areas that do not permit kids to enter that are under the age of 18 that I should not cruise DCL? Please clarify - I do not want to assume or put words in your mouth. THanks!

I wasn't clear...I apologize. I agree with you, too. I fully agree that adult areas should be enforced and respected as such. I plan to take advantage of them too while on this cruise with my family.

My reaction was more to those in this post, as well as others regarding dress codes, referring to, and I am paraphrasing here - a classic, formal cruising experience of the day when cruises weren't affordable to most families and the rare child on a cruise behaved in such a way to be seen, but not heard.

This is our first DCL cruise, and our first cruise with our children and I'm looking forward to the balance in family time and adult relaxation time that DCL seems to offer.

Have we finished off the nachos yet? I'm ready for a beer.

 

[goofymama]

Have we finished off the nachos yet? I'm ready for a beer.

Now you're talking! This diet coke just isn't doing it for me ... who brought the keg?

 

[tgr1116]

I am travelling on the Wonder in 2 weeks. This is to celebrated my DD17's
18th birthday a little early (she turns 18 next month) We have to go earlier because she begins COLLEGE before her birthday!!! I am having a difficult time telling my COLLEGE age daughter that she is required to swim with school age children and cannot go to adult areas in the evening with me. I am also taking my DD12 who will be fine in the LAB, but what to do with my DD almost 18? She is appalled at the thoughts of hanging out with 13yo in the teen area! Any ideas?

 

[2Princes_&_1Princess]

I am travelling on the Wonder in 2 weeks. This is to celebrated my DD17's
18th birthday a little early (she turns 18 next month) We have to go earlier because she begins COLLEGE before her birthday!!! I am having a difficult time telling my COLLEGE age daughter that she is required to swim with school age children and cannot go to adult areas in the evening with me. I am also taking my DD12 who will be fine in the LAB, but what to do with my DD almost 18? She is appalled at the thoughts of hanging out with 13yo in the teen area! Any ideas?

Would you want a night club to let her in before her birthday? A bartender to serve her liquor before her 21st? The military to draft her before her 18th?

She doesn't HAVE to go to the stack or hang out with anyone. As a very mature 17 year old, I'd think she'd be able to find plenty to do. It's not like you are telling her to go to the Mickey pool. You're asking her to go to the family pool, where there will be people of all ages.

 

[brendat22]

I have twin girls that will be 17 on the cruise - I would like for them to be able to go to the adult pool too! The goofy pool can be so noisy and crowded that I feel bad they are banned from the Quiet Cove since that is usually empty. I agree with the poster who said that there is a difference between kids and older teens - it would be nice if 16 & 17 year olds could accompany their parents to these areas - JMHO.

 

[DrCavin]

16 & 17 year olds could accompany their parents to these areas - JMHO.

They actually would allow someone to see them with a parent

 

[dahuffy]

Nothing against anyone...but we are going on a cruise in a few weeks and leaving the children at home for a reason. We want to be able to enjoy the adult areas and activites without having them around. We have cruised two times before with DCL and this is my dream to go without them, therefore this is my birthday present this year. I would be very upset at the CM's if they allowed anyone under the age of 18 into any of the adult areas. Several years ago after doing our first DCL we chose to go on another CL and although we had a great time we wished we would have sailed with DCL. So I am truly looking forward to cruisng with out our children. We both have wanted to go on DCL for a while without our children so we could enjoy the adult activities without having to worry about our kids.

Last year while at Palo's there was a little girl around the age of 5 walking around the outisde windows and looking in to try to find her mom. Just so happens her mom and dad were sitting beside of us. So for 30 minutes this little girl beat on the windows screaming for them. It was very upsetting that Disney would allow this and more upsetting that two parents would do this to their child. It was very distracting to have a child doing this. If I had wanted to hear a child doing this I could have walked out to the Mickey or Goofy pool. Thus, the whole reason for all adult areas.

 

[granmaz]

It must be hard for these almost 18 year olds, but once a 17 year old is allowed entry to an over 18 place than the next thing would be someone wanting their 16 year old in, then 15 etc etc. There just has to be a cut off somewhere.

 

[dahuffy]

I'm going to try to word my opinion on this very carefully, b/c I don't want to appear disrespectful of anyones feelings.

I do not have children...which I've discovered usually makes people stop reading my opinion right there But I have worked with kids of all ages in the past. One thing I dealt with ALOT were parents who thought their kids were different. They were certain Johnny could handle this, or that Susie was more advanced then those, etc. I'm not saying they were always wrong. But I'm saying that plenty of people think that way about their children. Plenty of them perhaps overestimated their chidren, some didn't.

SO, my point in saying that is that if you took every parent who thought their child should be the exception to the rule, AND made exceptions for them...there would be absolutely no point in there even being Adult sections. It would be in theory only.

Honestly, if DCL didn't have Adult only sections, that they truly enforced, then I would not go on DCL. They know this. They even know that parents want some adult only time. So much of the ship is geared towards families and kids, that I think the adults section deserves to be respected. It's a shame that a mature 16 or 17 year old may get bored or feel out of their element, but that should be taken into consideration when booking a vacation. It's a matter of if you make exceptions for one, when does it end? Who determines the cut off point?

I do partly question charging an adult price for under 18. Adults, teens, children all have special places and activities, so really the only reason Disney might justify why children are cheaper is the food consumption (adult menu vs. kid's menu.) Curious..

I'm in total agreement with this! We have no kids either(not by choice) and I like having a place that we can go to call our own. I think that the adult areas should be 21 and over really,since you must be 21 on DCL to drink and there's a bar around the adult pool. Then what would stop the folks from bringing them to Serenity Bay too? Go ahead and flame away guys.

 

[dahuffy]

Jsme....No need to apologize. We can't all agree on everything! But I bet we can all agree that no child should be loud and boisterous at dinner, no matter what their age! Whatever happened to manners!

Makes ya wonder how they are at home,doesn't it?!

 

[dahuffy]

You are all so right! But I've discovered that even 18 year olds can be annoying. And then there are the 21 and over group that can ruin the atmosphere! Let's just empty the cruise of all except the perfect ones...us!

 

[tgr1116]

Thank you all for your replies! I really wasn't trying to break the rules... would never allow my teenager to drink... just wanted to let her be able to spend a little time with me alone in some fun areas of the ship without DD12. Since she will be 18 AFTER she starts college next month this is a dilema on our parts. Most students entering college are already 18 (she has one of those "late" birthdays which has been a thorn in her side all of her life... the last one of her friends to date and to drive etc). This will just be another "thorn". Darn Mom and Dad for not planning her birth in a more convenient month LOL

 

[dahuffy]

Just wanted to let you know I have never had any issues with the smoke around Quiet Cove. Warning do not go in one of the adult bars. I also do not smoke and when around too much I break out in a rash.

Same here,no trouble around the pool. I'm an ex-smoker(10+yrs now) and I've had asthma since jr.high age (I'm soon to be 50).

 

[allears]

I've read and/or skimmed most of this thread, and it is one of the questions that always seems to crop up and run long threads. Though this is truly one of the most civil dicussions on such a hot topic that I've read.

While we can all rationalize why it's okay to bend the rules, for special occaions, more mature 17 year olds, whatever, the fact is the age limit is DCL's rule. If we choose to cruise with them, we are choosing to accept the rules and should abide by them. Though more and more in our society, it seems like most folks think the rules only apply to others.

We were looking at going on the Panama cannal cruise from LA next summer to celebrate my oldest son's high school graduation. Since he'll turn 18 next summer, we told him we'd be able to take him to Palo. This was a big deal to him. We've changed plans, mostly due to what should be his college scheudle next August, and we're hopefully going this February. He'll still be 17 and we won't be taking him to Palo. Sure he's a mature 17, he's traveled with us since birth, conducts himself like a gentleman and no one looking at him would be able to say, "hey you're 17 not 18." But the rule is 18 and if we break it we teach him that our wants, desires and needs are more important than everyone elses'.

I totally agree with many of the previous posters, if the line is 18, but we say 17 is okay, where do we stop counting back. Since DCL has a rule, we don't have to, we just stick to it.

I don't agree with the concept that we pay adult fares for them, so they should have full access. I pay full fare for myself, but I can't go play in the kid's club or lab or use the Mickey slide. But kids over a certain age do cost the crusie line just as much in resources as adults (for the most part) so they pay full fare.

 

[eva]

I definitely appreciate that DCL keeps the adult only spaces, Adults Only.

 

[eva]

I've read and/or skimmed most of this thread, and it is one of the questions that always seems to crop up and run long threads. Though this is truly one of the most civil dicussions on such a hot topic that I've read.

While we can all rationalize why it's okay to bend the rules, for special occaions, more mature 17 year olds, whatever, the fact is the age limit is DCL's rule. If we choose to cruise with them, we are choosing to accept the rules and should abide by them. Though more and more in our society, it seems like most folks think the rules only apply to others.

We were looking at going on the Panama cannal cruise from LA next summer to celebrate my oldest son's high school graduation. Since he'll turn 18 next summer, we told him we'd be able to take him to Palo. This was a big deal to him. We've changed plans, mostly due to what should be his college scheudle next August, and we're hopefully going this February. He'll still be 17 and we won't be taking him to Palo. Sure he's a mature 17, he's traveled with us since birth, conducts himself like a gentleman and no one looking at him would be able to say, "hey you're 17 not 18." But the rule is 18 and if we break it we teach him that our wants, desires and needs are more important than everyone elses'.

I totally agree with many of the previous posters, if the line is 18, but we say 17 is okay, where do we stop counting back. Since DCL has a rule, we don't have to, we just stick to it.

I don't agree with the concept that we pay adult fares for them, so they should have full access. I pay full fare for myself, but I can't go play in the kid's club or lab or use the Mickey slide. But kids over a certain age do cost the crusie line just as much in resources as adults (for the most part) so they pay full fare.

Totally agree!