Disney Cruise Line for adults only? Absolutely! I celebrated my best friend’s 40th birthday on a Disney cruise with 8 girlfriends, and it was an absolute dream. Literally…because we were on the Disney Dream. But it opened my eyes to how much fun an adults only getaway can be. Here are 8 pointers on how to make a Disney cruise for adults magical and how to leave the mom guilt behind.
Disney Cruise for Adults: 8 Pointers to Make it Fabulous
Deciding on a vacation destination for a group of Disney loving friends was easy peasy. Considering many of us had done trips together to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, we were looking for something new and fun. Although many of the nine of us had done a Disney cruise, we had never done a girls only cruise before. Well, now that we’ve tried it, we ALL can’t wait to plan another one. Here are my 8 pointers of best things for adults to do on a Disney cruise.
1. Choose Your Cabins Wisely
Tip: Get adjoining cabins or better yet, choose cabins with balconies. The partitions between the balconies can be removed, creating one big balcony and a wonderful place to hang out together! Our staterooms were #5534, 5536 and 5538. They are Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah (oversized verandah) which means those balconies are extra big. As midship and one level away from entertainment district, these staterooms were the perfect location.
2. Get a Rainforest Room Pass
The Rainforest Room pass at Senses Spa was my guilty pleasure. This was my best purchase onboard by far. Suffice it to say that girlfriends having a spa day together is vacation perfection. Imagine that EVERY day on a cruise! Read more about my Rainforest Room experience and details.
3. Dine at Palo or Remy
We dined at Palo for both brunch AND dinner to celebrate our friend’s 40th birthday. Worth every penny and then some! Whether brunch or dinner, both are both divine. The service is impeccable and the food is truly spectacular.
This photo may give you a small sampling of the brunch, but to feast on more, read my full review of our Palo experience.
Although we did not try Remy on this cruise, I have dined at Remy on the Disney Fantasy. Another decadent dining experience-a bit more on the romantic, couples side for me, so I felt Palo was a better fit for our girls’ only trip. My Remy review from the Disney Fantasy will give you a flavor about what to expect.
4. Try Mixology or Tasting Class
When on a Disney cruise, one of the best deals is a mixology or a tasting class: only $ 20 per person! From making your own mixed drinks to tastings specifically focused on specific beverages, there is something for everyone’s preference:
- Beer Tasting on a Disney Cruise
- Rum and Amari Tastings on a Disney Cruise
- Tequila and Margarita Tasting on a Disney Cruise
- Chocolate and Liquor Tasting on a Disney Cruise
- Whiskey and Cognac Tastings on a Disney Cruise
- Martini and Champagne Tastings on a Disney Cruise
- From Stem to Stern Wine Tasting on a Disney Cruise
While on our girlfriends trip, we tried the Tequila and Margarita Tasting. Blanco, reposado, and añejo–oh my! I learned that I like the aged tequila (añejo) best and confirmed that I truly prefer a margarita on the rocks and not frozen.
A mixology class is mini-bartender school that has you making and sampling 5 of the most fun beverages. Our Mixology Class on the Disney Fantasy introduced me to many new drinks and made me realize that I should not quit my day job to become a bartender!
For the cost and the social fun, a mixology/tasting class is well worth it!
5. My Favorite Oasis: Satellite Falls
Unique to Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy, this is my favorite adults’ only social space on the entire ship. Sure, Quiet Cove Pool is a close second and is available on all Disney Cruise Line ships. But there’s no better place than Satellite Falls to sip a drink while you soak in the sun and listen to the cascading rainfall.
Definitely a wonderful social spot for adults, so it makes a prime location for friends and couples to congregate, chat, and unwind.
6. Spend the Day over on Serenity Bay
Find the grownups playground on Castaway Cay, aka Serenity Bay. The beauty is, it’s for adults only. So our gaggle of gals beelined it over there to claim lounge chairs on the beach. Serenity Bay lives up to its name as an oasis from the bustling kid areas on the island. Don’t get me wrong, I do love exploring ALL of Castaway Cay. But in this case, sitting with our booties in the sand and drinks in hand with my dear friends was a practically perfect way to spend the day.
7. Plan an Excursion While on Castaway Cay
Say you don’t want to lounge around the island all day. There are many activities and excursions that can get you moving beyond the chaise lounge on the beach. Our family has tried the Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure and the Castaway Cay Getaway Package that includes three times the fun with snorkel gear, bikes and floats.
For a girls getaway cruise, I would highly recommend the Castaway Cay Sandbar Beach Adventure You know it’s going to be a great excursion when it is captioned “Rum, Sun, Sand and Stories.” For $ 73, we were jetted our on a speedboat to our very own sandbar private island that only appears during low tide. We could eat conch, play volleyball, drink rum punch, snorkel, and see all kinds of wildlife like dolphins/porpoises, stingrays and crazy crabs like his one.
I promise we returned the crab to the beach. No crabs were harmed in the writing of this blog post. I have to write this because apparently I really offended someone by swimming with dolphins in the Dominican Republic!
8. Book Another Cruise and Say “Sea Ya Real Soon!”
If planning a future cruise on Disney Cruise Line, make sure to stop by the Future Cruise Desk and either arrange your next cruise or get a placeholder for one. I like the placeholder option because it’s only $ 250 and it saves you 10% off your future final cruise fare. Plus, you also earn you up to a $ 200 onboard credit ($100 for 3-6 night cruises, $200 for 7+ night cruises). It must be done before you disembark, and I would suggest NOT waiting until the last day of your cruise because that office gets pretty busy. Bonus: you can reserve up to two staterooms per household.
You Might Also Like:
Great post. That Rainforest Room looks and sounds so relaxing and amazing!
It sure is! One of the best DCL “secrets” that isn’t so much of a secret anymore 🙂