So anyone that knows me knows I
LOVE me a Disney Cruise. I’ve been on two in the past year. Both times I went
with other adults. No children. This tends to surprise people. I often speak
about them and friends, clients, etc. who have never been on a Disney Cruise
often have strong opinions on what they think a Disney Cruise is like. Their
vision generally has them standing in swarms of other people’s screaming
children while Mickey Mouse and all of his equally joyful friends are dancing
all around them….Well, I hate to break it to everyone, but this is simply not
the case. Has someone had that
experience? Perhaps, but I can promise you that is not the norm on a Disney
Cruise vacation. So I wanted to write this post to clarify the magic for adults
(and kids) on a Disney Cruise!
The Disney fleet is made up of 4
ships: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream all are
stunning vessels. In a day and age where the cruise liners are looking
increasingly like floating buildings or huge barges the Disney Vessels for
their size are simply beautiful impeccably maintained vessels. They look like
the ships from the golden age of cruising.
(Disney Fantasy next to a Royal Caribbean Ship..you tell me which one is easier on the eyes....)
Adults expecting an amusement park
at sea will be very surprised by the sophisticated, elegant ambiance which guests
initially experience after boarding the ships and arriving in large, open
atrium lobby, with a sweeping grand staircase and standing under a stunning
chandelier made of thousands of Swarovski Crystals. Not a carousel or cotton candy in site…(but
you want those things, you can find them on Royal Caribbean’s Allure or Oasis
of the Seas).
Once on board there are a wide
variety of adult only areas and activities for you to enjoy. If you want to
relax adults can relax at the quiet Cove Pool offering a peaceful environment
and a poolside bar. If you are sick of the sun you can visit the Senses Spa
& Salon which has a variety of treatments offered or my personal favorite
the Rainforest- a calming area with scented showers, sauna, steam rooms, a
whirlpool and heated mosaic tile lounge chairs overlooking the ocean (guests
can purchase a Rainforest pass for the duration of the cruise-get them early
only a small number are sold). If you
want to work off the amazing food you’ve eaten fear not the offer a variety of
fitness classes and a state of the art fitness facility.
If you are
tired of relaxing fear not there are plenty of other activities catered to
adults! Here are a few…The one-hour “Art of Theme” walking tour will take you
around the ship to see all of the amazing original art from Disney Animators
featured throughout the vessel. After
that you can participate in a cooking class from one of the Chef’s on board.
Then follow it up with a Whiskey, Martini, Rum or Tequila Tasting. I can
promise you- there are no kids there ;-)
The main
dining rooms on the Disney Ships are magical and a ton of fun I can promise you
the adults have the same look of wonder in their eyes when the walls change
color at Animator’s Palate on the Disney Magic & Wonder or when Crush the
Sea Turtle swims by and talks to them at Animator’s Palate on the Fantasy &
Dream! There are also two adult only restaurants on board- Palo and Remy. Palo
serves Northern Italian Cuisine and boasts a wine list of 90 Italian Labels.
They serve both brunch on Sea Days and Dinner Nightly for an additional $20 per
person charge. Remy has a French inspired menu and gives you a dining
experience like no other. Guests can choose from two eight- course tasting
menu’s that include wine pairings (which cost extra) or order a la carte. Remy
serves brunch on Sea Days for $50 per person and dinner nightly for $75 per
person.
No kids here!
Homemade pastries at Remy! Divine!
After
dinner check out The District on the Fantasy or Dream. The District beckons
exclusively 18 years or older. It has 5 different adult only venues. The
District Lounge with piano music, The Pub for watching sports or playing
trivia. Pink a bar that makes you feel like your sitting in a champagne bottle.
Then last but not least-Skyline. You feel like you are getting an amazing view
of the Skyline of a city…but I can’t tell you which city as the skyline changes
every 12 minutes- accompanied by a music change and a new drink special that
represents the new destination! If those 5 aren’t enough for you there is also
the classy Meridian Bar located between Palo and Remy. Many guests don’t even
know it’s there and it has leather armchairs, banquettes resembling steamer
trunks and maps on the windows that disappear as the sunsets. Meridian has
stunning views of the ocean from the rear of the ship.
If you’re
still worried that this isn’t enough then keep in mind that Disney Cruise has
been awarded best kids programs at Sea by every magazine and critic out there.
No one has better supervised kids and youth activities. I’ve heard countless
stories of parents who cannot get their kids to leave the kids programs to dine
or swim with them.
So there’s my plug. Do what you want with this information.
If you have any questions, let me know! If I don’t respond, it’s probably
because I am on my next Disney Cruise Vacation!
Bon Voyage!
