Cruising with Disney (Adult’s Version)

In June 2013, our little family embarked on our first Disney Cruise Line vacation aboard the Disney Fantasy. We were surprised by the number of couples traveling without kids. At one point, I remember my husband asking “why are you sailing Disney without kids?” The answer was always “ask us at the end of the week.”

In my 8 sailings with Disney, I can fully attest that their service is unrivaled. When we began to plan our 20th anniversary trip, a few “adult-only” options were discussed, but we continually came back to Disney Cruise Line. We always enjoy the time we get together when sailing with the kids. What exactly would an “adult-only” DCL vacation look like?

We selected a Marvel Day at Sea on the Disney Dream out of DCL’s newest port, Port Everglades, also known as Fort Lauderdale. Once you get to know me, you know that I will try anything once in order to offer the best level of service and knowledge for my clients. We are also pretty huge Marvel fans, so it worked out. While we did some of the Marvel Day at Sea experiences (the shows were fantastic!), we did not partake in all that was offered. I would recommend a Marvel Day at Sea sailing for Marvel fans because Disney really does a great job with this experience – so many character meet and greets, themed onboard activities, and more.

This was the best vacation we have ever done as a couple. The amount of time we spent together was immeasurable. It was exactly what we needed and could not have been achieved elsewhere. Disney Cruise Line offers so many experiences for adults that even though we saw families everywhere, we were in our own little world together.

1) Adult-Only Pools – we spent most of our at-sea days at Quiet Cove and Satellite Falls. These areas are secluded on Decks 11 and 12 on the front of the ship. Satellite Falls is slightly more secluded since it is adjacent to the Concierge Guest area, but both were relaxing. We could not have asked for better weather, even if our second day at sea was a little rough. The service we experienced from the bar staff at Currents and the Cove Cafe, and walking around both decks was superb. We were indeed taken care of throughout the day.

2) Rainforest Room at Senses Spa – Beau has heard me rave about my Rainforest Room experiences on the Dream, Magic, and Wish. I decided he needed to “trust his travel agent” and book a Rainforest Pass for the duration of our sailing. On the Disney Dream, the Rainforest Room features rain themed showers with varying temperatures, pressures, and experiences, a sauna, a steam room, hot tubs, and heated ceramic loungers. This area was the perfect way to unwind and spend time together in a relaxed environment.

3) Couples Massage at Senses Spa – we completely indulged ourselves on this trip. We booked a couples’ massage while onboard. It was an incredible 75-minute experience. We both felt tension in our day-to-day lives melt away and reconnected afterward. You do not realize the stress your body holds onto until you can just let it all go and it stays away because you are on vacation! Our massage therapists were great and listened to what we wanted, where we were experiencing tension, and gave us the best experience possible.

4) Palo – while I have dined at Palo with Travel With The Magic on every sailing, we chose to forego Palo and enjoy family time with rotational dining on our last 3 sailings with the girls. On our anniversary night, we had an incredible dinner at Palo. The server and sommelier had the best recommendations and impeccable service. I cannot recommend this experience enough. If you have the opportunity to enjoy dinner on your sailing or brunch on sea days, please take it.

5) Main Dining Room – we were seated with three other couples, all sailing without kids. I was a little disappointed initially because I wanted alone time, but it was a great experience. While we didn’t fill out any preferences form, Disney Cruise Line could not have paired us up with better couples. We all had the best times chatting at dinner and spending time together at Castaway Cay. Our serving team was great at breaking the ice the first night and getting everyone “out of their comfort zone.” As always, the Disney level of service never ceases to amaze me. Since we dined at Palo on the last night of our cruise, we would miss Animator’s Palate. Our server heard me recommending the Black Truffle Pursette Pasta appetizer to our new friends, and he brought it out even though we were dining at Royal Palace. The surprises did not stop there; he also brought a special anniversary dessert.

6) Serenity Bay – I love Castaway Cay. It is truly my favorite stop on all of my DCL sailings. Beau and I have never been together. I have spent plenty of time at this secluded part of the island with my Travel With The Magic team. This is an adult-only portion of the island. It is beautiful and so serene. Here, you can find the Hangar Bar, Serenity Bay BBQ, and more great servers walking the beach, just in case the lounge chairs are too amazing to leave to refill your beverage. We did not rent a private cabana, but when we go back with “couple friends”, this will be a priority for us. You can walk or pick up a tram to get to this serene escape. Trust me when I recommend the tram!

7) Adult-Only Lounges – Hands down, Pink Wine and Champagne Bar is my favorite DCL lounge on any ship, especially after the service we experienced on this sailing. All Disney ships have several themed lounges offering a variety of drinks and experiences. You can find mixology classes, tastings, dance parties, and more. David was the BEST bartender we have had anywhere, ever. On our first night, we ordered from the menu but began discussing cocktails with David and what he enjoys making. This guy truly exemplifies Disney’s service. You could tell he was passionate about craft cocktails, especially old-world cocktails. He spoke with such veracity and appreciation. We decided to let David be in charge of our nightly drink experience and craft something he recommended. David is an artist when it comes to cocktails – nothing fancy or over the top, just a nice, clean, and classic cocktail. Listening to his stories and how he started was a wonderful experience. If you are sailing the Dream and stop by Pink, please tell him hello! We also enjoyed live entertainment on a few nights. My favorite was the violinist who played Love Story by Taylor Swift. Disney x TSwift, always!

I cannot recommend Disney Cruise Line enough as an adults-only vacation experience. We felt a little guilty leaving the kids behind, but we overcame that quickly. If you genuinely cannot fathom leaving your kids behind, there are several ways to create small adult-only experiences so you can relax and reconnect. We always say, “ Before we were Mom and Dad, we were Claire and Beau.” Disney Cruise Line made it possible for us to remember exactly what that felt like. We cannot wait for our next DCL adventure, both with and without our kids.