It never fails.  Whenever I mention that I have sailed with Disney Cruise Line, the first question I am asked is: "How did your daughter like it?".  Then I have to explain, somewhat sheepishly, that my daughter did not go along, that it was just my husband and I.  Some regard me with a perplexed look and let it drop.  Others ask how I enjoyed the cruise with all those kids.  Most certainly don't stay around to hear how I think that Disney Cruise Line has something special to offer adults.  So, this is my chance to let you in on a little secret: Disney Cruise Line is great for adults traveling alone, and here are my reasons why.

1. Gorgeous, Sparkling Ships

Disney went above and beyond when designing the aesthetic of their ships.  They hearken back to ocean liners with a dark hull, not black because that is not allowed, but a very dark navy blue.  The life boats are yellow to match the color of Mickey's shoes, which required special permission from the Coast Guard; but they match the rest of the ship so perfectly that it would be difficult to imagine the typical orange eyesores.  The wraparound promenade deck immediately made me think of the movie Titanic, with its teak loungers.  Art Deco or Art Nouveau is the style of the interior decor, depending on the ship, with a Dale Chihuly glass-blown chandelier in the atrium.  Sure, if you are looking for Mickey, you will find him; but the surprise is: you do have to look.  Disney is long known for placing "hidden Mickeys" around their theme parks, outlines of Mickey which are hidden in plain sight, and the Disney Cruise Line continues this tradition throughout the ship.  

Not only are the ships beautiful, but they are sparkling clean as well.  I have never seen a crew working so hard to keep a ship looking brand new as I did on the Disney Magic.  You will not find these ships looking rough around the edges in any way, shape or form.  With the higher percentage of children, they seem to double down on sanitizing and cleanliness.  And that is something that an adult can certainly appreciate. 

2. Large and Impressive Standard Staterooms

With the majority of the staterooms starting at 200 sq. ft., Disney has some of the largest standard staterooms in the business. Yes, there are even inside staterooms with that square footage. Additionally, almost all staterooms include the double bathroom concept, which Disney has pioneered with a sink and small tub in one room, and a sink, toilet and shower in another.  Even with only two adults, this feature is a godsend.  All staterooms include a sofa which can fold out to form a bed, and are beautifully decorated.  The Disney Dream and Fantasy have also added a new feature for inside staterooms: a virtual porthole which shows a real-time ocean view of what your cabin would see, were it on the exterior of the ship.  Fun characters from Finding Nemo float across from time to time (for those of us who are kids at heart).

3. Extensive Adults-Only Spaces

Most cruise lines have an area set aside for adults only.  Usually it includes some hot tubs, lounge chairs, maybe a pool.  Well, Disney ships have all that and more.  Inside the adults only deck area, there is a coffee bar as well as a traditional bar which you can enjoy with the guarantee of no kids hanging around.  Remember what I said about Disney going overboard on cleanliness because of kids? Well, the same holds true with adult amenities.  It seems that because they know their reputation, they provide more for adults than most other cruise lines.  In addition to the deck areas, there is also a night club district on every ship that is exclusive to adults in the late evenings.  (Sometimes the largest lounge has family comedy in it around 7:00, but after that, no kids!) The spa is top of the line with couples suites, complete with ocean view hot tubs and all the relaxation you can afford. The Rainforest room in the spa deserves a special shout out for aromatherapy scented steam rooms and showers.  

And how could I complete a section on adults only spaces without talking about the specialty restaurants?  Palo, an Italian-themed restaurant on all ships, is quite simply the best specialty restaurant that I have visited at sea. (And a bargain at only $20) The chocolate souffle is famous for a reason: a fluffy chocolate exterior with rich, creamy liquid chocolate inside and vanilla bean sauce or extra chocolate sauce to pour in.  The flatbreads, pastas, and entrees also impress, but my favorite thing about Palo is the brunch held on sea days.  Imagine an upscale buffet with seafood, salads, cheeses, pastries, desserts and more with a made to order menu featuring chicken parmesan and handmade pizzas.  

Remy, on the Disney Dream and Fantasy, is the most expensive specialty restaurant at sea ($75) and features French specialties.  Both restaurants are adults-only, and on the two newer ships, there is an adults only bar between the two restaurants called the Meridian Lounge.

4. Great adult entertainment

I must concede that the Disney produced shows are geared toward Disney fans and families.  Some are so sappy I found myself rolling my eyes continually.  But, the comedians, magicians and other performers are decidedly NOT Disney and almost always perform an extra "adults-only" show in one of the lounges after the second dinner seating.  Every single night there is some sort of show or activity geared especially to adults with a themed dance party following.  One night was the tried and true marriage game; another a Quest-style scavenger hunt (bras and all).  We were never bored in the evenings before or after dinner, and always looked forward to whatever offering they had for adults.  The "assistant cruise director" is entirely focused on adult entertainment, and has a personality to match.  Again, they are trying very hard to help you realize that this line is not just for kids.  Add in the true movie theatre with first-run 3D movies (even adult features like "Up In the Air") and the large variety of drink tastings around the ship, and adults are unlikely to get bored, even without the casino.   

To conclude, I don't think that Disney Cruise Line is for all adult couples.  If a casino is important to you, you will be disappointed.  If you like show girls in your main theatre entertainment, you won't see them here. (Unless you count Ariel and Jasmine; they have somewhat skimpy costumes.) And you certainly won't forget that you are on a Disney ship with characters walking around, Disney music playing in the elevators and halls, and main dining spaces called Lumiere's.  "But what about the kids all over the ship?", you might ask. The kids programs are so extensive and large that you don't see the kids running around the ship like you might expect.  They even have a program where they serve the children their dinner quickly, then sweep them away to go play so that their parents can enjoy a longer meal.  The bottom line is, if you like Disney and want an amazing cruise experience, you can have it on this line, even without your children.

During the past week, I have seen many articles questioning the safety of cruise ships or questioning whether cruising is a good idea. I've talked to people who have never cruised before who are citing the Costa Concordia accident as a reason they will never cruise.  These reactions make me sad, and I believe much of the news coverage has been misleading.
 
Now, I certainly don't believe that cruising is perfect. I understand the negative side of the industry (and if you'd like a sobering breakdown of many cruise negatives, check out cruiselawnews.com).  But, I still believe that cruising is a great vacation at an amazing value with an incredible safety record.  So, what I want to do here is set the record straight a bit and look at why you should still cruise, in spite of  the Costa Concordia.

1. Cruising is the safest form of transportation.
Why has this Costa Concordia thing been such a huge deal? Because it NEVER happens. I know that now it has happened, and certainly there have been incidents in the past, but there is no way the fatalities from a cruise accident could compete with car travel, air travel or even just walking as far as danger goes.  Think about it: even on this very ship which did have a horrible tragedy, more than 99 percent of the people on the ship survived.  The images and realities of the accident are terrible, and I am not trying to downplay it, but let's think logically here. There are over a hundred mega ships sailing constantly with no incident. Have you even heard of Costa Cruise Lines before this incident? They are a huge line with 14 ships, and yet most North Americans had no idea who they were. I know it is easy to react to something like this with a snap decision "oh, well then I just won't cruise", but it really makes no sense if you look at the facts.

2. Cruising is a great value.
While cruising cannot really claim to be all-inclusive due to tips, port fees, shore excursions and other discretionary expenses, it still comes very close at a great price.  Let's look at a 4 day cruise at $269 per person, a fairly cheap, but not unheard of fare I found.  For a couple, you are at $540.  For that price, you get a hotel room for 4 nights, 24 meals (and any snacks), plus at least 3 nights of entertainment, and transportation to some amazing places. Even if you are paying $100 per night, it is a great deal.  You try to do that on a land vacation, and let me tell you from experience, you will be staying at Days Inns and eating at McDonalds.

3. Cruising provides a completely new vacation experience.
If you have never cruised, it is hard to properly explain how different a cruise vacation is from anything you have done before.  One of the things that stands out to me is the service.  I am not used to maid service in hotels being all that great.  I almost never see them, and am hardly ever impressed enough with the job they have done to take notice.  On a ship, they clean your room twice a day and often really attempt to get to know you.  They do fun things like towel animals, and have always exceeded my expectations.  Servers are there, waiting on your every whim.  You never have to throw away trash or put away dishes; just leave it and they will take care of it.  In fact, it is somewhat disconcerting to try and find a trash can when you actually need one because they are kind of rare.  I have never felt as pampered as I do on cruise ships, even on value lines.


Another entirely new vacation experience that I think only comes from cruising is the social aspect.  On the first night of our first cruise, we participated in a scavenger hunt and met people who we spoke to for the rest of our cruise.  It was then that I began to realize how different this experience would be.  I can't explain how cool it is to make friends on vacation that you keep in touch with later, to sit down and have a conversation from a different culture or to play trivia with a group of amazing, brash and sassy single ladies from New York City. (Shout out to 5 Girls and a Guy, the winners of progressive trivia on the very first Carnival Magic sailing!)  Even people who aren't usually social find themselves being sucked in by the ease of meeting people on a cruise ship.  Don't believe me? Just ask my husband.  In fact, on our most recent cruise, the absolute best part of the whole thing was our dining room tablemates who we ended up spending entire days with.  Where else is it not weird to hang out with complete strangers on your vacation?

I have one more thing to cite about cruising that sets it apart from other vacations, and that is the food.  You can try something new with no risk because you can always order something new.  Have you ever wished that you could order anything off the menu or two different appetizers? On a cruise, it is almost encouraged.  Even people who don't wish for their entire vacation to be focused on food will appreciate the variety and availability aboard without having to consider the cost.  

Whether or not you choose to cruise in the future is, of course, up to you, but I will continue to enjoy what I consider to be one of the best vacation values available.