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

[tinkerbell 766]

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.

Exactly

 

[k3chantal]

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

Disney is for everyone; including adults without children or adults who want to spend some time away from their kids.

I don't think you are going to find yourself needing that part of the boat. When we sailed on the Wonder, we never felt that a part of the boat was cut off from us because the space we could occupy with our kids was large enough and we sailed for 7 nights.

You also never know.....perhaps your kids will want to go to their clubs thus providing you an opportunity to use the adult space.

 

[Henlady]

Please understand that not ALL DCL cruisers are families! DH and I are 61yo and we love cruising Disney. In fact we ONLY cruise DCL - we love the ships, the amenities, the service. There are many adults who enjoy DCL for many different reasons. There are also adults who travel solo. I feel Disney does an excellent job in providing both child only, family and adult only venues. Something to satisify everyone. If parents want to spend all of their time with the kiddos - great. If a parent wants a bit of alone time while the kids are in the club - wonderful - they probably deserve a few hours to themselves. If adults traveling without kids want a bit of time away from everyone elses kids ,they should have that time too. I don't believe the adult only areas are keeping any families from enjoying themselves. There is nothing there that would be of any particular interest to a child that is not in other areas of the ship, except possibly coffee type beverages at Cove Cafe - so get them something from there and take it to them.

Don't judge others just because they wish to take advantage of the Adult venues on the Disney Cruise, it does NOT make them bad or lacking parents or mean, nasty oldies who hate kids. We are just adults who enjoy Disney, one day when your kids are older and on their own, you will understand.

 

[FJS961]

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.

I made the suggestion because the poster said that the grandparents are the primary babysitters when they go on date nights.

 

[marcybear]

And on the other side, I know many Grandparents that love to go along on a cruise or a DW trip and enjoy their time with both their kids and grandkids. We have gone along on 2 family cruises, as well as the 14 cruises that my husband (70) and myself (69) have gone on as "adults only"

 

[DJinPA]

I can understand why OP is asking. Some days the boards can have a higher concentration of posts that can appear, especially if you never have been on DCL, as if some people are really annoyed by kids-and before I went on a cruise, it seemed odd to me as well. I think most people that cruise without kids on a Disney ship generally enjoy the kids (note that many refer to the kid inside all if us).

It is just important to understand that the adult only areas are a choice which some view as a benefit and those who do not see it that way can easily avoid

 

[MouseMomx2]

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.

But the OP said that the grandparents were the usual babysitters so it was a perfectly appropriate suggestion for this thread.

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

Tees are fine and shorts are not turned away. We have always stuck by the dress code and still have not forced our kids into dressy clothes for dinner. The exception is Formal Night but you will still see all kinds of dress on that night as well. My son was 3 when we first cruised and he wore a pair of Docker-style pants with a tee shirt or short-sleeved button up shirt. Nothing that he wore took any more time or effort than shorts and a tee shirt would.

Actually, manateesmom, I see by another post you made that you have yet to sail on DCL. Please know that the MDRs are not the formal affairs you seem to expect them to be. They are quite casual and everyone is welcome. There is no need to skip them simply because you don't want to get dressed up. Just throw a pair of pants on your 3yo and have a great night.

 

[MDennis28]

It is just my DH and me-55 years young. We covet the adult spaces but enjoy the deck parties as well. I am glad Disney understands everyone needs their own special areas...though I would love to hang out in the teens and children's areas once! They look cool!!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My DH and I love being parents and our whole upcoming Disney trip has pretty much been planned with my son in mind. However, I'm not embarrassed to say that we do occasionally reminisce about the things we enjoyed doing before we had him. We miss such things as weekly quiz nights at the pub, or even just being able to go on a spontaneous, unplanned, date night out.
I love that a week on a Disney cruise will afford us plenty of quality time with our son. But I'm also really excited about spending some quality time with just my husband, without any of the advanced planning required to do this at home. I think having adult-only areas on the ship will make this quality time even more enjoyable.

 

[daisywithak]

Hi OP. I went on a Disney cruise last year with just my partner. We did it because I love Disney and I think they have exceptional service. I loved that they offered adult's only areas, not because I don't want to be around children, but because I wanted to have lots of different options. We are now going on another Disney cruse and brining an 11 year old with us. Iassure you that you will have tons of options for family entertainment. In fact, you will not be able to do everything that you want to. Just enjoy yourself and your family and don't worry!

 

[keri125]

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.

I've never been on a cruise but just wanted to say I thought this comment was hilarious! I don't mind being around children in general but it always seems like there are a few families that leave childcare to whoever happens to be around them. I can see how it would be nice to have areas where you know this won't happen. I spent ten years doing community mental health with children. Quite time and effort intensive. When I'm on vacation I want to spend time with MY SON, not other people's children. He is an only child as well. I think a cruise where he could go off and play with other kids for a few hours a day would be heaven for him, and then we would have the whole rest of the day to be together. Geez, now I'm really sad I can't afford a cruise! LOL! Anyway, I thought "itty bitty bundles of id" was really funny!

 

[gary7777]

LOL, my daughter can't wait to be separated from me; she would forgo meals/sleep/pool for the kids clubs if I would let her.

I think adults need a bit of peace time as well

 

[Floridagram]

We also usually keep our grandkids with the family on vacation. Part of the reason we go as extended family is to spend the time together. On our first cruise they did stay with us all the time except when we went to Palo. We had plenty of stuff to do, in fact you still cannot do everything!

They also do have open house times at the kids club, when the entire family can go in together and use the facilities. That may work for your family.

One difference in DCL and other lines is the entertainment is mostly family oriented. We went on CCL last year and one of their nightly shows made me uncomfortable for the parents that were there with their kids. The girls had on t-backs and were gyrating too much for me. I personally do not think pre teen or teen boys need to be exposed to that. I know many will not agree but for that reason I prefer DCL shows. (Please no lectures, I am entitled to my opinion and am well aware many do not think this matters)

If you choose to go on DCL I do not think you will be disappointed especially with the ages of your kids.


PS: Many choose to use the adult only areas because if we are not with our own kids we do not want to be with other peoples kids either. They are not in parts of the ship where they are going to keep you from having a good time, usually either all the way to the front or back.

 

[jilljill]

I hope my question doesn't come off as being rude. I've never been on a Disney Cruise before... I just found it curious and I wanted to see the appeal for why adults would go. I know my kids don't want to be separated from us so the adults-only sections are something we probably won't even be able to see.

Our family vacations have been about spending time together as well, but going on a cruise is a completely different type of family vacation.

When you board the ship you are allowed to explore all public guest areas of the ship - whether they be for kids only, adults only or families. Once you and your kids see the kids areas and talk with the counselors you might change your mind and let your kids enjoy some time there. There are also times the kids areas have Open House where you are allowed to take them there to play and you have to stay with them - that sounds like it might be a good fit for you and your family.
If you decide to take your kids to the club/lab for 'their own time' keep in mind you aren't more than 5 minutes away from them should you be paged back there to pick them up.

OUr DD has grown up with DCL, she was 5 when we first sailed and is now almost 19. She doesn't want to go on another cruise line, and we don't either, and we have been on other cruise lines. DCL appeals to us because it is family friendly and kid friendly and adult friendly.

 

[ilovetexas]

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!!!!!

You keep trotting that statement out there and it's still factually inaccurate.

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.

Inadequate non-MDR options? You've never even cruised DCL!

"Family together time" or "a break from my kids", with no middle ground? Judgemental much?

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.

Seriously? This was in direct response to someone saying that they use the grandparents as babysitters. Grandparents ARE viable options for child care for a LOT of people. Maybe you should quit assuming every situation is like your own and let other people benefit from a suggestion that would help them.

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

Nobody on DCL cares if you bring your 3 year old to dinner in shorts and a t-shirt. It seems as though you harbor a lot of ill will and negativity toward a cruise line you haven't even sailed with yet. Perhaps you would be happier with a different type of vacation.

 

[ethanwa]

Hi everyone, thank you for your opinions! It has really helped give me a lot of perspective from other cruisers.

Ethan

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

To the OP--I think you will find plenty of family activities. Movies, shows, family game shows, the pool, etc. I would also suggest going into the kids clubs with your kids during the open house times when parents are allowed to stay. On our last cruise, they had several fun activities during these open houses, like Flubber super sloppy science and Ratatouie cooking school. I went to one of these with my 5-year-old, and he still went into the clubs by himself at other times.

To respond to some of the other comments on this thread--we are one of the families who likes the adult-only areas. DH and I have had a date night at Palo on each of our two cruises. I'm a SAHM, DH works from home, and we are around our kids a lot. We have no family close by to babysit, we've never had a vacation without the kids, and hiring a babysitter for 3 kids is expensive. We think it's awesome that the kids clubs are on the ships, and our kids like to spend 2-4 hours in them each day. The kids clubs are a big reason we choose to vacation on DCL. There's something for everyone in our family, and we still get to spend a lot of the day with our kids.

DCL offers a variety of venues and activities for families both together and separate. I feel that sometimes this discussion turns a little judgmental on both sides--i.e. people feeling judged for their kids spending too much time in the clubs, and people feeling judged for not wanting their kids go to the club. It's your vacation, do what makes you happy!

 

[k3chantal]

To the OP--I think you will find plenty of family activities. Movies, shows, family game shows, the pool, etc. I would also suggest going into the kids clubs with your kids during the open house times when parents are allowed to stay. On our last cruise, they had several fun activities during these open houses, like Flubber super sloppy science and Ratatouie cooking school. I went to one of these with my 5-year-old, and he still went into the clubs by himself at other times.

To respond to some of the other comments on this thread--we are one of the families who likes the adult-only areas. DH and I have had a date night at Palo on each of our two cruises. I'm a SAHM, DH works from home, and we are around our kids a lot. We have no family close by to babysit, we've never had a vacation without the kids, and hiring a babysitter for 3 kids is expensive. We think it's awesome that the kids clubs are on the ships, and our kids like to spend 2-4 hours in them each day. The kids clubs are a big reason we choose to vacation on DCL. There's something for everyone in our family, and we still get to spend a lot of the day with our kids.

DCL offers a variety of venues and activities for families both together and separate. I feel that sometimes this discussion turns a little judgmental on both sides--i.e. people feeling judged for their kids spending too much time in the clubs, and people feeling judged for not wanting their kids go to the club. It's your vacation, do what makes you happy!

Well said; I completely agree.

 

[Meghatron]

Disney is for families. Not all families have children.

THIS x1,000,000. Thank you.

 

[Postal68]

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

So many???????????????????????????