I booked myself onto Disney Cruise Line as an adult without kids to put it to the test to see if it really is the top-notch premium cruising vacation and option for travellers like this as most fans of the line say it is. Discover if I had a Disney dream or Disney nightmare at sea.....
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ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 96 cruises I have done to date.
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00:00 Start
00:37 For Disney Fans Only?
05:42 Really For Adults?
09:22 Dining
11:00 Excursions
11;18 Cabins
12:16 Dress Code
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
cruising on Disney as an adult without
0:02
kids proved to be a much bigger roller
0:04
coaster ride than all those Disney
0:06
Cruise Line fans have told me as you
0:08
will see and hear I'm Gary bembridge and
0:11
this is what I experienced and what I
0:12
discovered any adult perhaps you
0:14
thinking of cruising Disney without kids
0:16
absolutely needs to know now before I
0:19
talk about some of the highs and also
0:21
the more challenging aspects including
0:23
uncomfortable interactions with parents
0:25
on board there is a belief that fans of
0:28
Disney Cruisers have that I absolutely
0:30
need to discuss and blow out the water
0:33
before going fans of the line told me it
0:35
was a myth that I needed to be a Disney
0:38
fan to have a great time and many
0:40
actively encourage non-disney fans like
0:42
me to go now I found Disney Cruise Line
0:45
to be a totally themed Cruise it was as
0:48
I expected a Disney Kingdom at Sea
0:51
Disney was everywhere it was woven into
0:54
every single aspect of the cruise in
0:55
some way it's very different to any
0:58
other Cruise Line I've been on the
0:59
minute I Stay to board I was immersed in
1:02
this Magic Kingdom of Disney Ness I was
1:06
greeted by characters the decor and the
1:09
design of the ship had Disney woven in
1:12
all over now sometimes it was very avert
1:14
but if not then it was intricate and
1:17
hidden so for example there were even
1:19
hidden Mickeys in the roof of the adult
1:21
only specially dining restaurant
1:24
parallel the shows were all Disney on my
1:27
cruise it was Tangled the story of
1:30
Rapunzel Disney dreams which was a
1:33
compilation of kind of the greatest hits
1:35
of Disney films twice Charmed a
1:39
reimagining of the Cinderella story and
1:42
then there was once upon a song a
1:43
concert with lesser-known Disney songs
1:46
all the films that were shown in the
1:48
cinema were Disney and the trivia was
1:50
always Disney linked the three main
1:52
dining room restaurants were also themed
1:55
and most had some kind of show during
1:57
the meals and I was rotated around each
1:59
of them each night which happens on
2:01
Disney so Disney Magic I had Rapunzel's
2:04
Royal table this was linked to the story
2:07
of Tangled animators palette which is
2:10
all around Disney animation and
2:12
lumiere's which is linked to Beauty and
2:14
the Beast
2:16
there were Disney characters popping out
2:17
throughout the ship like at the sail
2:20
away party the end of cruise party the
2:23
Frozen themed deck show characters
2:25
popped up everywhere there was Disney
2:27
artwork all around the ship and many
2:29
guests of all ages wore Mickey ears or
2:33
Disney merchandise and many of the cabin
2:35
doors had Disney themed door decorations
2:38
put up by the guests almost all the
2:40
shops were Disney merchandise related
2:44
I soon realized that if you do not know
2:47
your Disney you miss out on some of the
2:49
nuances for example
2:51
at Rapunzel's Royal table dinner and
2:54
show I was actually confused I didn't
2:57
understand who the characters were or
3:00
why it was being held as a birthday
3:01
party it wasn't until I saw Tangled the
3:05
show some days later that I appreciated
3:07
who the characters were and the
3:09
significance of the birthday even at the
3:12
Frozen deck party I mentioned I knew the
3:13
song of course Let It Go and it was sung
3:16
by Elsa but it didn't understand who the
3:18
other characters were and what they were
3:21
doing and why some people cheered and
3:23
why some people booted them so I think
3:25
you miss out on some of the enjoyment if
3:27
like me you don't know your Disney or
3:31
you're not traveling with someone who's
3:33
really into Disney
3:35
I found the passengers were largely all
3:39
big Disney fans they knew everything
3:41
Disney the scores for example in the
3:44
Disney trivia sessions proved that they
3:46
were really really high and when the
3:48
merchandise stores opened on the first
3:49
night they were totally mobbed by the
3:52
guests wanting to get in and get the
3:54
latest Disney merchandise people kept
3:57
asking me if I enjoyed the shows which
4:00
the line of famous for the shows are
4:03
impressive from a production value they
4:05
have an incredible cast of all ages the
4:08
staging is magnificent it's probably
4:10
some of the best I've seen on any Cruise
4:12
Line
4:13
but if you don't like Disney shows then
4:17
you may not enjoy that and so I really
4:19
really enjoyed the production value of
4:21
the scale of it but the show's as good
4:23
as they were by the end of the week to
4:25
be honest I was craving some a
4:27
non-disney shows too so for example I
4:31
did love though that I could go and see
4:33
within my fair two of the new Marvel
4:35
film releases because then they are now
4:37
part of the Disney World now so I saw
4:40
the new Thor film and I saw the new
4:42
Doctor Strange film
4:44
what I would say though is they do the
4:47
immersion and deliver the Disney theme
4:50
incredibly well their attention to
4:52
detail is amazing I went on the art of
4:55
the theme tour which other guests
4:57
constantly said that I should do this is
5:00
where they explain much of the design
5:02
and the detail it was absolutely
5:04
fascinating the daily program is like
5:08
other premium classic cruise ships they
5:11
have live music trivia cooking
5:13
demonstrations all those kind of
5:15
activities but they almost always had a
5:19
Disney spin of some kind so I came away
5:21
believing that you do need to be a
5:23
Disney fan or go with one to really
5:26
appreciate and get the most out of the
5:28
experience I realized though that Disney
5:30
fans don't necessarily appreciate how
5:34
much people like me missed by not
5:36
knowing the detail
5:39
I was worried before going that Disney
5:41
wouldn't cater for adults like me
5:42
without kids and I was worried adults
5:45
without kids would be treated with some
5:47
kind of Suspicion now this I did
5:49
actually experience I was filming the
5:51
Thor character for this channel while he
5:54
was interacting with a small child this
5:57
is actually what happened this is what
5:59
you can see in this clip actually I
6:01
filmed the kid's parent came up to me
6:03
challenging me on why I was filming his
6:06
kid I explained to him my channel how
6:08
carefully I tried to be an actor showed
6:10
him that I had stopped filming before
6:13
showing his child while he was reassured
6:15
he reminded me how worried and sensitive
6:17
parents are especially today and while
6:20
it made me uncomfortable it did though
6:22
drive home to me that on Disney more
6:25
than any other Cruise Line kids and
6:28
family are the focus and they're their
6:30
priority and as an adult with our kids
6:32
in tow even more sensitivity more space
6:35
more care is required than any other
6:39
line that I've been on even those more
6:41
Family Lines now saying that over the
6:43
rest of the cruise of course I came to
6:45
appreciate that I was in fact surrounded
6:46
by mostly adults traveling without kids
6:49
now that's partly because of the time of
6:51
the year I went schools had just started
6:53
and I was going to the Norwegian fjords
6:55
which I'm not sure was a big kids kind
6:57
of destination
6:58
I met many multi-generational groups
7:01
there might be say one small child but
7:03
then there were five or six or more
7:05
adults of all different ages with them
7:07
someone also reminded me there's
7:10
probably up to 40 weeks a year when
7:12
schools are in so kids can't really go
7:15
most of the time so there are lots and
7:17
lots of adults there is lots of Praise
7:19
by Disney Cruise Line fans of the adult
7:22
only spaces on board so how did I find
7:25
these adult only spaces there are
7:28
probably more dedicated adult-only
7:30
spaces than on any other Cruise Line
7:33
I've been on so let's take a look at
7:35
what they actually had there was a pool
7:37
deck which had the signals bar and the
7:41
Curve Cafe that at all times of the day
7:43
and night is for 18 plus guests only and
7:47
it is really strictly enforced the gym
7:50
and the spa are also adult only they
7:52
then had after dark which after 9 pm was
7:56
an adult only area in there they had
7:58
fathoms which is a lounge Cabaret area
8:00
where they hosted various things silent
8:02
disco's Bingo juggling lessons a
8:05
nightclub and so on which is open to
8:07
everybody until 9pm after nine o'clock
8:10
they did run some adult comedy shows
8:12
some adult only events and game shows
8:14
then there was Keys a piano cocktail bar
8:18
there was also ogils which is a very
8:20
popular Irish themed Pub where they had
8:23
adult only trivia and an Irish band
8:26
performing in there after 9 pm there is
8:29
of course no casino on board on Disney
8:32
Magic they had Paolo which is the
8:34
Italian specialty dining adults only
8:37
restaurant amazing food fabulous service
8:39
on other ships they have Remy which is a
8:42
more French orientated place and some of
8:46
the new ships I believe have both of
8:47
those like on wish and the new treasure
8:50
as good as they are I personally think
8:52
that the adult spaces are slightly
8:54
overhyped in terms of what they are in
8:57
practice and during the day the pool
8:59
deck Barn Cafe is a really good
9:01
adult-only space but in the evening you
9:04
do need to be a night owl or be a
9:06
drinker because all of those places in
9:08
there are basically drinking or party
9:11
places and they're only then kid and 10
9:14
free after 9 pm now of course this
9:16
Arrangement probably suits many
9:18
Travelers one thing I missed was there
9:21
was no quieter non-kid or non-full-on
9:24
Disney alternative to dining there was
9:27
only Paolo which effectively I could
9:29
only go to once you can go twice if you
9:31
go on embarkation day but of course you
9:33
then also have to pay it was 45 dollars
9:35
per person at the time of recording the
9:38
buffet restaurant Cabanas was closed for
9:40
dinner and I believe on some cruises
9:42
when it does open it's then a seated
9:44
table service only Dakin which was
9:47
serving so-so Burgers was open at at
9:50
night so that was an option or I could
9:52
have done room service but it's really
9:54
hard to have an adult only non-themed
9:58
not too boisterous show kind of dinner
10:01
option many fans told me before I went
10:04
the food was amazing among the best in
10:07
the premium category they compete with
10:08
so lines I call an America princess
10:10
virgin Cunard piano cruises UK those
10:13
kind of lines now I wasn't as impressed
10:15
with the food as I thought that I would
10:18
be I did though find the menus large and
10:21
the food on Disney was good but it
10:23
wasn't in my view as good as say
10:25
celebrity or virgin which is in the same
10:28
category as them it probably though was
10:30
on par with Cunard Holland America and
10:33
though was definitely better than
10:34
princess and piano so it's kind of a
10:36
mid-range in the category when it came
10:38
to food I guess which was a surprise
10:40
however on the plus side I like that I
10:43
could request any table size I wanted so
10:46
the first hair is a solo adult traveler
10:48
I could ask for a table myself which was
10:51
great but also I could have joined other
10:53
similar Solo or other other you know or
10:56
other adult Travelers or couples if I
10:58
preferred that as well the second area
11:00
that was mixed was adult only excursions
11:03
they did have some not many but they
11:05
sold out really quickly even before the
11:07
cruise went however on the plus side if
11:09
you're going to the Caribbean and going
11:10
to Castaway Key they have a whole area
11:13
called Serenity Bay which is adult only
11:16
thirdly when it comes to cabins there's
11:18
a couple of other things that I found
11:19
were important as an adult traveler the
11:22
beds in most of the cabins are set as a
11:24
queen bed but unlike other Cruise Lines
11:26
they don't split into twins so that's
11:30
important if you're traveling say with a
11:32
friend not a partner and you're used to
11:34
having more twin beds many of the cabins
11:36
also have split bathrooms which is a big
11:38
plus because you have a toilet and hand
11:40
Basin in one and then you have a shower
11:43
which is in bath and a basin in another
11:46
but they are because they're split
11:48
against relatively tight a couple of
11:49
people had said to me before I went they
11:51
found them a little bit cramped for
11:52
adults you know I'm tall I'm six foot
11:54
two and it was a little bit cramped I
11:56
guess
11:57
you do though also need to make sure
11:59
that as an adult you avoid the decks
12:03
with kids clubs because there's lots of
12:04
back and forth you know when those are
12:07
going and also make sure that you get
12:09
one without an interconnecting door
12:10
because you'll often find that you're
12:12
going to have a family or something in
12:14
the room next door fourthly another Plus
12:16
for many adult Travelers that I spoke to
12:19
was that the dress code is very casual I
12:22
could wear shorts and t-shirts if I
12:24
wanted to for dinner and many people did
12:26
they do have a formula of those of a
12:28
semi-formal night but it's not a strict
12:30
must dress up so whilst they do have
12:33
those adult areas and touches like that
12:36
I did feel though that they were mostly
12:38
giving me a space where I could Escape
12:40
or Retreat to especially during the day
12:42
there my view their work still best if
12:45
you're a Disney fan first and foremost
12:47
and all you want to do is have some
12:49
spaces where you can escape to and get
12:52
some respite from
12:54
now I relaxed into traveling as an adult
12:56
without kids in the end despite that
12:58
incident and concerns because there were
13:00
loads of adults around there were loads
13:02
of couples solos groups traveling
13:04
together and I guess in fact on many
13:06
cruises adults are the majority like the
13:09
one that I was on but the key thing if
13:11
you want to go on Disney as an adult
13:14
focus on out of school vacation time
13:16
Focus out of the big holiday seasons and
13:20
probably go on itineraries like I did to
13:22
the fjords go on longer cruises but I do
13:25
believe that you must be a Disney fan go
13:28
with one or certainly brush up on Disney
13:30
now if you do want to go on a Disney
13:32
cruise watch this video where I've put
13:34
13 things that will make your Disney
13:36
Cruise better starting with the biggest
13:38
thing I wish I had sorted out before
13:41
boarding it's a big one see you over
13:44
there
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