by Don’t get me wrong: I like Toy Story as much as the next parent. But it’s not the Hey Howdy Breakfast, with a singing guitarist hitting chords every five minutes, and Woody, Jessie and Bullseye dancing as we sneak into waffles that were like Mickey Mouse having fun.
“It’s a bit far at this time of the morning,” sighed my sister Susie, expecting a pensioner dressed in a Woody suit who knew all the words. You have a Friend in me. Like us, he was on this Disney trip unaccompanied by children.
Wait – Disney Cruise without kids? What sane adult would do that? Quite a lot, it seems. Years ago, on a magical Disney trip with my over-excited four-year-old son, we were amazed at the number of adults sailing with Mickey but without children. Not all of them were die-hard Disney fans with Mickey tattoos (although we’ve seen those too).
Now Susie and I were on a week long Caribbean cruise to see if Disney Cruise Line could deliver for adults only. As we set sail from Port Canaveral Florida with costumed characters on the main deck and the funnel playing When you want a free star,I wonder what we will tell ourselves.
During the cruise, this center of the ship was angrier than the center of the ship. Disney movies had fun with the “funnel vision”, rides in inflatables hurtled around the tube water slide above the pools (one shaped like Mickey’s head), deck parties came and went, and children queued for ice creams, burgers and sodas.
But beyond the screen at one end of the deck, an air of calm prevailed around the adults-only pool. A member of staff distributed cold towels to guests who were lying comfortably in and around the pool; others wallowed in the hot tub watching the waves through the glass floor. It was as if the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Online Game made the rounds.
Our ship, the 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy, had other child-free areas, including a clutch of bars and lounges, a nightclub and pub, two gourmet restaurants and a dreamy spa.
Here we went with Stephanie from Kansas City in the hot tub on the deck. She was also traveling child free with her sister. The reason? “It’s just the best sailing line,” she enthused. “And he has the best medical care for diabetics – my sister is very diabetic.” Although they both spent most of their time in the spa, the very expensive treatment prices put us off.
Instead we went to a wine tasting at the elegant Oh La La Bar, where Alison and Russell from North Carolina told us they preferred Disney to other cruise lines they had tried.
“It’s not a party cruise,” Alison said, ignoring the nearby table of adults dressed up for that evening’s pirate party. “We’re here for the service, the food and the atmosphere.”
I saw what she meant as we settled in and headed south. As your waiters move around the ship’s restaurants with you, they get to know your personal preferences, building a good relationship as the cruise progresses.
The food is good, sometimes great. Our first meal, in the Versailles-inspired Enchanted Garden, was so delicious with its tuna tower, lobster ravioli and caramelized scallops, Susie was surprised it wasn’t one of the specialty restaurants.
The after dinner shows were West End standard. And the decor everywhere was delightfully art deco rather than in-your-face Disney. Instead, there were small touches, such as Mickey’s hand indicating which floor the elevator reached, and Mickey’s head being cut off at the bottom of the lampshade in our comfortable cabin for four only spaced on for two.
After two days at sea, we arrived in the Virgin Islands, ready for a trip to Tortola. Apart from cocktail tasting, there was no adults-only tour on our cruise, so we opted for a fun four-by-four jeep ride, driving up and down a road rollercoaster to a height-popping height and a 360-view point. degree. . The next day in St Thomas, we snorkeled with turtles on an adults-only trip – some parents couldn’t control their children on the poor creatures.
Crush the turtle (character from Game Finding Nemo) better at Pixar Day at Sea, with its own deck party. I didn’t though – this was the day I was embarrassed by Disney. When I asked a little girl who a dog character was meant to be, her father looked at me with disdain before saying through pursed lips: “It’s Dug from Up”. Doh!
A whole new level of Disney fandom was on display here, with families competing to wear the best fancy dress – kudos to whoever portrayed the characters from Inside Out – and others racing their crawling babies in the Incredible Diaper Dash (yes, really).
Meanwhile, Susie and I got to embrace our inner child in a different way. We couldn’t resist splashing on the Aqua Duck water slide and enjoyed a detective mystery through interactive pictures around the ship. We even turned up at dinner wearing Minnie Mouse headbands. Disney characters came and went – we jumped at the chance for a picture with Chip and Dale when we realized there was no queue, and later bumped into Cinderella on the stairs (shoe still on).
All too soon, the last full day of our cruise, along with my 58, arrivedth Birthday. And where to spend it. We arrived at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, and headed to the adults-only Serenity Bay, where I snorkeled through giant shoals of fish to see the sparks of fish lying on the sea floor. Back on board in the evening, there was a delicious tasting menu to match a flight of wine at the elegant Remy (after the film Ratatouille). And yes, I got a birthday snap with Mickey Mouse.
It was all a great surprise, nothing that I was happy about. Kids obviously don’t have to enjoy a Disney cruise – although you might want to steer clear of the Hey Howdy Breakfast.
Fundamentals
Jane Knight was a guest of the Walt Disney Travel Company International (0800 169 0742; disneycruise.disney.go.com), which has a seven-night cruise on the Disney Fantasy from £2,611pp in August, with flights are included. A three-night cruise from Southampton to Belgium next year costs from £917pp. Holidayextras.com has an eight-day meet and greet at Heathrow from £107.
