- I’ve accomplished greater than 5 Disney cruises with my household, and we have liked each single one.
- My husband and I not too long ago determined to take one other Disney cruise by means of Europe, with out our children.
- We reconnected as a pair and loved all of the adults-only areas supplied on board the ship.
The primary time my household sailed aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship, my youngsters have been 8 and 10. Almost 5 years later, we have taken a number of Disney cruises as a household. However when my husband and I not too long ago began discussing a Disney cruise to Europe, my now 13- and 15-year-olds have been completely uninterested. They each had plans and commitments that fell through the seven-night journey and requested to remain at residence, leaving us questioning whether or not we should always take a Disney cruise with out our children.
Whereas the cruise line presents adults-only areas and eating experiences, we knew there’d be rather a lot of youngsters on board. There’d be characters to satisfy, Disney-themed theatrical exhibits to see, and the AquaDuck — a water coaster that runs throughout the highest deck of the ship overlooking a kid-packed household pool and an enormous film display that is at all times displaying a Disney movie. Was it logical to board the Disney Dream sans youngsters?
As lovers of each Disney and cruising, my husband and I made a decision to go for it and signed up for a week-long cruise to Spain, France, and Italy — with out our children. We might by no means been to Europe earlier than and figured there was nobody higher to point out us the ropes than Capt. Mickey and Capt. Minnie. It turned out, we have been proper: Our child-free Disney cruise was exponentially extra enjoyable than ones we might taken as a household (sorry, youngsters). Actually, we have joked that we could by no means deliver our youngsters on a Disney ship once more.
Listed below are 9 issues we liked about our Disney Cruise Line journey with out our children.
Having a pre-cruise night time in Barcelona set the tone for an adults-only week
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After flying from our residence in Central Florida to Barcelona, Spain, the place the ship would depart from, we had a complete night time to discover the town earlier than boarding the next day. With our children in tow, we might have targeted on museums, parks, and different must-see places, however on our personal, we felt far more relaxed.
As an alternative of going into full vacationer mode, we had dinner on our resort rooftop, then scoped out vermouth bars close by. Spending an evening stress-free after our whirlwind journey day was simply what we wanted.
The adults-only pool areas have been our oasis on days at sea
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Aboard the Disney Dream are two adults-only pool areas, the Quiet Cove pool and Satellite tv for pc Falls. Throughout our two days at sea, we spent all day at these pool areas, sipping bloody marys or rosé and studying.
We did go away the shelter of the adults-only space to seize lunch and trip the AquaDuck however rapidly returned to our peaceable lounge chairs. As we lounged, sipped, and sometimes chatted with different cruisers, not a single yelling baby waded by means of the world, one thing we each appreciated on our break from parenting.
We developed a pre-dinner ritual of drinks behind the ship
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On deck 12 of the Disney Dream, Meridian is a cocktail bar close to the ship’s adults-only eating places. Along with unimaginable views of the sundown and scrumptious craft cocktails, the watering gap was staffed with pleasant bartenders whom we loved chatting with.
Meridian is one other kid-free area on the Dream, so visiting the lounge and sipping martinis felt like a decadent technique to begin every night. Every night time felt like its personal date night time, as we might come again to our stateroom after exploring every port, bathe, and dress up for a night on board.
We did dinner when — and the place — we wished every night time
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If you journey with youngsters, it is all about retaining as a lot of a schedule as attainable. On earlier Disney cruises, we might eaten dinner every night time within the ship’s most important eating rooms with our children. On this journey, we have been free to play issues by ear.
Some nights, we dined with households in the primary eating room — this was removed from our favourite dinner expertise on board, as even on the 8:30 p.m. dinner seating, there have been loads of drained, cranky youngsters inflicting chaos. As an alternative, we regularly ordered room service (one thing that is free on the cruise line) or snacked on rooster tenders and pizza from the eating places on the pool deck.
As soon as, we dined at Palo, one of many two adults-only eating places on the Dream. We sipped a scrumptious bottle of purple wine whereas consuming our fill of calamari, contemporary mozzarella, pasta, and steak and searching at a beautiful sundown. And like all adults-only areas on the cruise line’s fleet, it was blissfully quiet.
The ship has a devoted adults-only district for nightlife
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On deck 4 of the Dream lies the District, a group of bars used for occasions and trivia through the day that turns into adults solely at night time. From cocktails on the elegant Skyline lounge to bubbly toasts at Pink, the ship’s Champagne bar, we spent a while every night having in a nightcap within the ship’s bars.
We additionally performed trivia video games within the relaxed 687 Pub and danced at Evolution, an open area the place occasions happen nightly. The relaxed environment of those kid-free areas lent to the sensation that each night time was date night time aboard the Disney Dream.
Sure, we nonetheless met characters
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With or with out my kids, the journey wouldn’t have had a distinctly Disney really feel with out assembly a number of characters. We snapped pictures with Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck (in particular Italian-themed clothes), and Captain Hook and his sidekick, Mr. Smee. A Disney grownup by means of and thru, I will by no means be satisfied they don’t seem to be the actual characters in these meet-and-greet moments. In spite of everything, what’s life and not using a little creativeness?
Since we dressed up for date nights every night, our pictures turned out splendidly and can be part of the journey I treasure.
On port days, we noticed Europe in (stress-free) model
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Since we might by no means visited Europe, we opted for Disney Port Adventures at every vacation spot. Port Adventures, booked by means of the cruise line, have been the right technique to see every metropolis and its highlights whereas being led by an skilled information.
In our moments of free time, we sipped Aperol spritzes whereas staring on the Leaning Tower of Pisa and roamed the streets of Amalfi with glasses of limoncello in hand. We shopped and ate superb road meals, and we did all of it on our personal time with out worrying about our children.
I discovered whole mother bliss in not having to assist my youngsters plan actions every day
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Once we boarded the Dream and related to the ship’s WiFi, I instantly jumped onto the cruise app to see which youth actions have been occurring on the ship that day. Catching myself, I stated to my husband, “I can not imagine I haven’t got to counsel to the children what they need to do all day, daily on this cruise.”
Mothers bear the psychological load on holidays; that is no secret. What was stunning was the overwhelming reduction I felt from not having to prod my typically delinquent youngsters into making buddies on board or attending occasions within the youth-activities golf equipment.
On our kid-free Disney cruise, we reconnected as a pair
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Whether or not we have been smooching underneath fireworks on the highest deck of the Dream or holding palms within the streets of Florence, Italy, my husband and I had seven days to reconnect and have enjoyable collectively with out our children. Whereas I like my youngsters dearly, it was a break we did not notice we wanted till I turned to him one night and stated, “I really feel like I am falling in love with you once more.”
It was true. After practically 20 years of marriage, it is good to be reminded that generally you must act like a child once more your self and have enjoyable together with your associate. From our dancing with Minnie Mouse within the ship’s atrium to exploring the streets of Ezé, France, collectively, it was extremely rejuvenating to spend every week targeted solely on one another. The following time we sail with Capt. Mickey and Capt. Minnie, we simply may go away our children with Grandma once more.