My mom wants to take her daughters (me and my sister 50+) and granddaughters (16 & 19) on a cruise for her 80th birthday this summer. She was set on a Disney Cruise and we nearly booked it last weekend, but now she is now second guessing that choice because she thinks that everything will be geared toward little kids. I’m trying to convince her otherwise (I’ve been on two Disney cruises, once before I had a child) and show her all the things that are offered to adults. However, it strikes me that my 16 year niece will not be old enough to enter the adults only areas, yet she’s also not going to want to hang out in the teen areas without her cousin, my 19 year old daughter. I know that the 19 year old can’t hang in the teen areas, but how strict are they with checking ages in the adults areas, including the restaurants? My niece looks and acts older than my daughter, so perhaps this is not a concern. Or, would you advise looking at other cruise lines for this trip? What are your thoughts?
We did a Disney cruise last Christmas when our daughters were 16 and 18. DD16 didn’t do any of the teen club stuff. DD18’s only “adult” activity was the Rainforest Room in the spa.
They spent a lot of time together (and with me and my husband) doing general activities like the Muppets Detective Agency and trivia as well as movies and, of course, the evening shows. DD18 and I had some relaxing time together at the spa while DD16 and DH enjoyed the pool deck and the specialty coffee at the cafe.
They definitely enjoyed themselves. It would really depend on what your girls like to do together. What sorts of activities do they enjoy?
Oh, and I wouldn’t count on the sixteen year old being able to enter the adult only areas. I think they’re fairly strict about that.
How much do the two girls like Disney, including all its movies? DCL ships do have a lot of theming, plus special events, merchandise, etc focused on Marvel or Star Wars, not just princesses or Mickey.
No matter which cruise line you’re on, they can still enjoy pools, sunshine, and food. But if the Disney-ness of it doesn’t interest them, and they like doing (or watching) the more physically active things, you could save money and choose RCL.
Our first cruise was on DCL, with sons that were 14 and just-turned 19. The younger one did not care for the teen club, especially since his brother couldn’t join him. This was long before Disney bought Marvel and Star Wars. But they really liked the endless food, the pools, and the freedom to roam. Since then, we’ve sailed on RCL and that’s a much better fit for them.
The 16 y.o. won’t be able to enter the adult area. That kinda defeats the purpose of having an adult area. There’s tons of stuff for the 19 and 16 yo to do together.
In re-reading my post I see that my concern was not expressed very well. At this point it doesn’t matter since we’ve made other plans. Thanks for your response.
Did you decide on a different cruise?
Yes, after a ton of research my mom preferred a Celebrity Cruise. It will be a totally different experience and I hope that the young adults in our group won’t be bored, but I’m looking forward to it.
I get it. I first was interested in Disney cruises, when I first got interested in cruising 4 yrs ago, but ended up doing a Princess cruise for my first. I really think I’d love a Disney cruise but I just couldn’t justify the price difference without knowing if I liked cruising at all (I did).