What's with all of the "adults only" stuff on the DISNEY cruises?

[UCFGrad01]

I've been on two Disney cruises so far and I don't have kids. I've also cruised RCCL and am a far bigger DCL fan.

There are a lot of definitions of "family" and I think DCL does an incredible job making sure there's something special for all of them. IMO, DCL pays a lot more attention to providing areas for kids, areas for families traveling with kids that want to do things together, and areas for adults who might want some time away from kids. As one would expect, the vast majority of things on the ship are kid-friendly. Once onboard, I really don't think you'll find that you feel limited or that big parts of the ship are cut off for you.

 

[nannylori]

Will be going on our 4th DCL cruise on 3/9.
Only one of these did we take our youngest with us,he was 9 at the time-he is now 22. Otherwise,it's just DH & I.
DS has ADHD. You can bet DH & I were a tad anxious ourselves about how he would respond to all the activity and constant commotion on the ship.
WE had a few episodes at WDW, with some rides and were hoping a cruise might be more suited to his abilities to deal with the environment.
Well.he LOVED it!! Being in the club,for short periods of time,made him feel more sure of himself,that he could handle being a tad more independent. The CM's were so absolutely wonderful with him.
We went on shore excursions together,ate all our meals together,saw movies together. But raising children,with or without disabilities, can be draining and parents have to take care of themselves too.
So we certainly did make use of the adult only areas,which is why we not just love cruising,but cruising with DCL-they invented the adult only concept and provide the most venues and variety of any cruise line,while others are still trying to catch up.
Cruises provide the opportunity for all kinds of families to tailor their vacation to their individual needs and at the end of the day,everyone had their own great time.
So yes, it'll be just DH & I in a few weeks,again.
When you've been on other lines,like we have, you see & feel the difference,from the way the employees are trained,to number and quality of activities, ship cleanliness,food,the whole package. DCL is classy,which is what we pay more for.
We have 4 children and 10 grandchildren and all their schedules haven't allowed for a family vacation yet. But when all the planets align & we can be in one place at one time for more than just two days, we'll be trying for a DCL vacation.
Until then, DH & I are cruising!!!!!

 

[mbrocker]

Want brutal honesty? I prefer Adult only areas on a ship..not to escape MY children..but to escape OTHER PEOPLE'S LITTLE BRATS if my kids want to have club activity time.

Plus, Disney, by nature of being Disney, draws lots of families. The adult areas are a way of easing the minds of non child luxury travelers that they can "escape" itty bitty bundles of id if they need to.

 

[MrRay]

If anything I would think the kids only areas would be the bigger problem because parents can't follow their kids in there. As far as adults only areas, on the newer ships anyway...

its a small pool with a bar...kids can use the main pool area with Mickey slide

a cafe...and if your kids really want to go to a cafe there is one near the atrium open to all

bars at night...but several of them are open earlier in the day and even feature family dance parties in the nightclub

The sun deck on deck 13fwd... But if you want a quieter area from the main pools then there is a small area on deck 12 forward with a little splash pool


I really think it's not a big issue, there's more things that are kids only than adults only. There is plenty to do as a family.


Personally I would like more adults only areas in the parks too.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I cruise Disney because I love Disney. I'm a big kid at heart. I've loved Disney my whole life since well before I ever dreamed I'd even be a mom. My "babies" are now 15 & almost 17. We all still very much enjoy the Disney experience with the nostalgia and whimsy mixed-in. That said, I love that the Disney ships offer spaces and activities geared towards all age groups. "All" includes adults-only. There's plenty of designated spaces and activities that are kids only. There's clubs & fun stuff for the tweens and for the teens. Believe me, the TEENS really don't want us adults crashin' their digs! There's spaces and activities designated as family entertainment. Why shouldn't there be spaces and activities designated as adults only? Disney isn't just for little kids. It's for kids at heart of all ages. That's why I choose Disney. I'm not down with casinos, party boats, and sailing sans my favorite Big Cheese. Disney is for everyone. Not just adults. Not just families. Not just kids. Everyone. So on a Disney cruise with your family you can do things together then you can do things independent of each other. It's the best of both worlds all rolled into one fantastic experience. That's why I go!

I agree with this!!!! I love kids (mine are now 25, 22 and 13), but I am grateful there are some areas which are child free. When DS Is doing his thing in the Edge, DH and I can chill in our space too. As the above poster says, Disney is for everybody. There are plenty of kids and family activities and areas, why would you want to deny adults (quite often hard working parents) a little quiet time away from kids whilst their own are enjoying their cruise

 

[FJS961]

We do have time away here at home with date-nights for my wife and I, or vacations to Vegas, etc, but we usually have trusted grandparents watch the kids then.

Maybe a Disney Cruise just isn't right for us then?

Perhaps the grandparents can go too. We have done that and it worked out great. My kids don't like being dropped off for hours on end in the clubs.

 

[manateesmom]

OP, I totally get your question. I'll take it a step further and say that I think DCL has inadequate non-MDR dining options for a family-oriented cruise line - I have zero desire to stuff the kiddo in nice clothes every night on vacation.

What I've learned is that there are two very strong, distinct vacation personality types. There's the "vacation is family together time" and the "vacation means a break from my kids" types. Families where both parents work, and which lean towards attachment style parenting tend toward the first type. I'm always surprised by very different parenting styles, and the vacation deal is just another area where I scratch my head at how other people take such different approaches.

The major plus of DCL is how few people will argue that you shouldn't even take kids on vacation, which I see all the time on other cruise forums. There's still a segment of childless folks or empty nesters who really dislike kids, and you'll get that tone here and elsewhere, not much you can do. But DCL is still the most kids-positive line.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

But surely DCL is one of the cruise lines where you (or indeed, your children) do not need to get into fancy clothes every evening. The majority of nights are cruise casual.

 

[manateesmom]

Perhaps the grandparents can go too. We have done that and it worked out great. My kids don't like being dropped off for hours on end in the clubs.

Not an option for many, even most cruisers. I see this comment ALL the time and always want to respond.

The grandparents in our family: a) can't afford to cruise DCL, so we'd be paying thousands out of pocket for babysitters, b) aren't Disneyesque loving and caring g-parents who would selflessly agree to watch kids and do a good job with them (histories of abuse), and c) have physical limitations that don't make them well-suited to care for active little ones, even if the other issues didn't apply.

I know very few grandparents who would be willing and appropriate caregivers on vacation, so I wish people would not assume that this is a viable option for child care.

 

[manateesmom]

But surely DCL is one of the cruise lines where you (or indeed, your children) do not need to get into fancy clothes every evening. The majority of nights are cruise casual.

Cruise casual still means no shorts or tees, which is dressing up for a 3 year old in the summer.

 

[disprincess4ever]

Im a teen and my brother and I always hang out with our parents on the cruise. I thinks its good that Disney has clubs that appeal to all ages and that allows relaxation for parents and structured fun activities for kids. I guess its about what your looking for on your cruise. Some people want more family time than others.
As a family there are plenty of things to do as well. You can play sports, put put golf, go to the pool, hang out in the family club, do the midship detective agency as a family, and even watch disney movies in your stateroom together. Everyone just wants to gain different things out of the cruise Personally, I didnt care to make more friends my age, but lots of others do Trust me, the Disney ship is designed perfectly.

 

[Momma2Jax]

My DS was only away from us once on our cruise, but we didn't feel like we missed out on parts of the ship... It's really only a couple places that are adults only. They market them a lot to get adults who only book "for the kids" excited about it, too.

We took him in the club only when it was open house time, and did it all as a family. The only time we were separate was for a 2 hour palo brunch. We had a great time!

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Well said! And my kids that still love Disney are 23 and 20 so we can do the adult meals and adult beach together!

I cruise Disney because I love Disney. I'm a big kid at heart. I've loved Disney my whole life since well before I ever dreamed I'd even be a mom. My "babies" are now 15 & almost 17. We all still very much enjoy the Disney experience with the nostalgia and whimsy mixed-in. That said, I love that the Disney ships offer spaces and activities geared towards all age groups. "All" includes adults-only. There's plenty of designated spaces and activities that are kids only. There's clubs & fun stuff for the tweens and for the teens. Believe me, the TEENS really don't want us adults crashin' their digs! There's spaces and activities designated as family entertainment. Why shouldn't there be spaces and activities designated as adults only? Disney isn't just for little kids. It's for kids at heart of all ages. That's why I choose Disney. I'm not down with casinos, party boats, and sailing sans my favorite Big Cheese. Disney is for everyone. Not just adults. Not just families. Not just kids. Everyone. So on a Disney cruise with your family you can do things together then you can do things independent of each other. It's the best of both worlds all rolled into one fantastic experience. That's why I go!

 

[ginger3son]

We choose to do to DCL because we feel that we get lots of family time as well as adult time on the ship. I have 4 boys and I do not feel comfortable leaving them with a babysitter for an adult weekend get away....but I do feel comfortable with bringing them to the kids club for a few hours while my husband and I have some alone time by the pool. My kids are also the type that want to do the kids club as much as possible. We would actually have to limit the amount of time they were allowed to attend the clubs. That being said my favorite times on the ship were doing family activities such as: Bingo, karaoke, family trivia, dance parties, eating meals together, and watching the boys enjoy the pools/slide. I would say the DCL is a win/win for our family.
I do think your family will enjoy your cruise and be able to find plenty to do. There is something for everyone!!!

 

[AudreyKThompson]

When we went on our Honeymoon aboard the Magic, DH and I were grateful for adult only areas. When we took DS7 and DS5 on the Dream, there was so much to do as a family that they spent only 4 hours total in a 3 day cruise in the kids club, so we were together almost the entire time but never felt we were missing parts of the ship. Later when we took DSx2 and DD on the Fantasy, the boys were excited to show their sister the clubs and with the longer cruise, on one of the sea days most of the cool stuff going on onboard was in the kids club. We hadn't intended it, but our kids chose to spend almost the whole day in there- so, DH and I enjoyed brunch at palo and the rainforest room . . .again, glad there were adult only areas for relaxation.
Also, once the kids and DH (early-to-bed kinda guy) were all tucked in, I (the night owl of the fam) headed to the clubs and had a great time watching the shows. I'm sure if they weren't in an adult only area, Disney would have made them more family friendly, and I would have really missed the hilarious Match-Your-Mate and the antics of Trevor.
On the flip side, I have NO interest in going to another line's adult oriented ship with the partying, drinking, casinos, scantily clad dancers etc. I think Disney offering adult areas is the perfect balance!

 

[AudreyKThompson]

Yep, our kids are with us constantly on vacations. I understand some people need "time away" from kids, but for us we enjoy the family vacations with all of us together. My son specifically has high anxiety and autism-like qualities at times, so dropping them off at kids activities can be very stressful for the whole family. They are currently 5 (girl) and 7 (boy). Maybe if they were older (10+) it would be easier... As far as night time activities, how can we do that with a 5/7 year old? We can't just leave them in the room alone while they sleep.

We do have time away here at home with date-nights for my wife and I, or vacations to Vegas, etc, but we usually have trusted grandparents watch the kids then.

Maybe a Disney Cruise just isn't right for us then?

I apologize, I responded earlier without reading the entire thread, and missed this post.

I would say, on the contrary, DCL is the perfect place for your family! First off, I want to say that my DS8 is autistic with several other special needs and Disney as a whole is downright AMAZING for my special kids!

The counselors are very well trained and very understanding and always worked very hard to keep my son engaged in the club activities. For separation anxiety the wave phones worked wonders! my son kept one and knew he could reach us at all times (I have only cruised DCL, so I am not sure if this is accurate, but I *think* DCl is the only line with wave phones or similar options). For the night time activities, most of the time DH stayed in the room with kids as he is not a night owl, but you do have the option of leaving your kids in the club- they are open late! One night, we put the kids in PJs, settled them on nap mats in a quiet area, and when we came back to pick them up later 2/3 were asleep, and the other was quietly watching movies.

But, even if your children never leave your side, the entire experience is so family friendly that it will be a great vacation! Since, as most DISers will tell you, you can't do it all anyway, what you don't do might as well be the adult areas . . . I hope that makes sense.
You won't be missing out- Disney is wonderful and pampering in all areas.

HTH,

 

[bdcp]

I don't get it... I'm going with my KIDS on a DISNEY cruise... why are there so many adult sections and restaurants on the ship? My kids want to spend the whole time with us and I feel like it cuts off part of the boat for us...

Am I the only one who is confused by this? If you want adults-only why don't you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Ethan

Okay, not sure if this was addressed as I only read the first couple of pages, but, we cruise on Royal Caribbean all the time and WISH we had the adult only areas that DCL has. Royal has virtually nothing that's off limits to kids. There is no adult only restaurants, the one pool area(solarium) that is supposed to be, has to be constantly reinforced because people ignore the 16 and over age limit. The casino is adult only, but most everything else kids are welcome at. I'd say, you would prefer RCI over DCL based on your post.

 

[ludari]

I don't get it... I'm going with my KIDS on a DISNEY cruise... why are there so many adult sections and restaurants on the ship? My kids want to spend the whole time with us and I feel like it cuts off part of the boat for us...

Am I the only one who is confused by this? If you want adults-only why don't you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Ethan

Ethan,

I have been on six solo Disney cruises and similar to other adult travellers we go because we enjoy Disney. In addition having been on other cruiselines I have noticed that Disney provides the best service and entertainment by far.
If I had a problem with being around children I would definitely select another cruiseline but that is not the case. I have to admit that I do enjoy having some quite places where I can be with other adults who also enjoy Disney as much as I do. I think some of the children areas are awesome and I would love to visit but obviously this is their private space and I respect that just as I would hope they would respect the adult private areas.

 

[luv2sleep]

Not an option for many, even most cruisers. I see this comment ALL the time and always want to respond.

The grandparents in our family: a) can't afford to cruise DCL, so we'd be paying thousands out of pocket for babysitters, b) aren't Disneyesque loving and caring g-parents who would selflessly agree to watch kids and do a good job with them (histories of abuse), and c) have physical limitations that don't make them well-suited to care for active little ones, even if the other issues didn't apply.

I know very few grandparents who would be willing and appropriate caregivers on vacation, so I wish people would not assume that this is a viable option for child care.

And some people no longer have grandparents either.

 

[lbgraves]

Cruise casual still means no shorts or tees, which is dressing up for a 3 year old in the summer.

I see that you are going on your first DCL cruise. Until DCL enforces the recommended dress code printed in the navigators, no one will be turned away from the MDRs for dinner unless they are in a wet swimsuit.