Why you’re mistaken if you think that Disney Cruises are for kids
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “cruises aren’t for me” or “I could never do a Disney Cruise - too many kids”! And in all honesty, I probably used to feel the same. But having worked behind the scenes years ago, it was revealed to me that we had all been missing a trick and I was gobsmacked. I'd been missing out on the ridiculously high standards of customer service, the element of surprise and magic at every opportunity and the attention to detail. I’ve highlighted a few reasons why, as an adult, you might just want to try cruising with Disney.
Kids are hilarious!
I seriously believe that kids make the best entertainment! And I don’t mean the various melodramatic meltdowns that you might see taking place around the ship - I mean high quality entertainment. It really is a great place for children (and adults) to live out their long awaited Disney Channel fantasies. One of the highlights of the cruise for me was an event called Jack-Jack’s Diaper Dash. This race is themed after The Incredibles and takes place in the middle of the 3-storey atrium. It consists of a large crash mat with individual lanes printed on it and LOTS of theme music from Rocky and other sports movies. Parents can enter their crawling toddlers into the race and one adult sits at either end whilst they coax their children to cross the finish line in the fastest time. It’s adorable, each of the toddlers have race numbers on their backs and respond to iPads, toys and encouragement from their adults. Of course what makes it so entertaining is that it’s completely unpredictable and all of the toddlers are so easily distracted. There were mini tantrums, naps, toddler's socialising, sudden changes of direction, toddler sabotage and endless entertainment for all of us. Every balcony in the atrium was jam-packed and anyone listening to the commotion from the outside would think that it was the Olympic stadium.
Alcohol Stash
Before you embark on your Disney Cruise Line adventure, I recommend that you stop off at the supermarket. DCL allow you to take an alcohol allowance for each adult cruising - it's the equivalent of one bottle of spirit, a couple bottles of wine or a 6 pack of beer. It may not sound like a lot, but every little helps when you are paying Disney prices and living your best "YOLO" life paying on your room key all cruise long. It's nice to be able to pop back to the cabin and pour yourself a generous serving of ice cold wine in a souvenir Mickey cup before heading up to the top deck. For the times that your shop-bought drinks just don't cut it, there are an incredible selection of cocktails available of every Disney Cruise and it's worth noting that they will happily add alcohol to any beverage for you.
The best kids clubs in the world
This is definitely a huge benefit to booking a Disney Cruise - Imagine all of your childhood Disney Channel dreams coming true whilst sailing across the sea with your favourite Disney Characters. You get the opportunity to experience the most interactive game shows and making friends from literally all over the world. The kids club activities vary from making slime in a Flubber science workshop, to dancing with Snow White, and everything in between. Mix this with a team of happy-go-lucky kids club hosts who spoil your children with magic and surprises, and you can pretty much guarantee that the kids are taken care of - so you are free to enjoy your time when you want to relax. Not only this, but even adults get the opportunity to experience the kids clubs. Every day there are Open House activities hosted by the activities team, and you'll find the adults letting their inner children takeover as they take part in a soap-racing competition or whizz down the slide in Andy's over-sized toy room.
Private adult pools
There are certain areas on the ship that are reserved for adults only - so for the times that you want to bury your head in a book, take a break from the over-tired tantrum-ing toddlers and hear peaceful sax music instead of kids giggling in the Mickey fountains - this spot is for you! There are even bar stools that allow your feet to dangle in the pool whilst your sip your refreshing cocktails, an adults-only coffee shop with an extravagant selection of delicious cakes and sun loungers that are so comfortable, they make you feel as though you're still lying in bed. Absolute heaven!
It's also worth mentioning that Disney actually have a private island in the Bahamas! It's called Disney's Castaway Cay. The only people allowed to visit are the Disney crew members who live there, and the guests from the cruise ship when it docks. It's a tiny island that you could explore easily in a few hours - but it's absolute paradise. White-powdery sand beaches, turquoise and teal waters, plus all you can eat food (and ice cream) prepared by the ship's chefs. Not only that, but in true Disney fashion, there is also an Adults Only Private Beach on the far side of the island. Just imagine over-sized hammocks hanging from the palm trees, beach huts serving the most refreshing cocktails and live acoustic music acting as your playlist as you soak up the rays of the Bahamian sun. If you're lucky enough to get a low tide on the day you visit, you can walk out across the rippled white sand for quite a while before your toes touch the crystal clear waters.
