My husband and I struck the perfect balance between family time and couple time with Disney cruises.
We have an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old, and taking a trip without them isn't practical right now.
But our kids love the onboard youth clubs so much that we hardly see them during the vacation.
Taking a vacation without our kids isn't practical right now.We've grown to love Disney cruises.
Jill Robbins
I daydream a lot about romantic getaways, but I don't like the idea of my kids skipping a family vacation so my husband and I can have one without them.
Plus, limited vacation days, difficult logistics of overnight childcare, and lack of funds make a parents-only vacation nearly impossible right now.
We enjoy most of the vacation activities our kids get excited about (adventure sports, theme parks, laser tag, and anywhere with a great arcade). But we also enjoy more adult pursuits our kids would label as boring (spa treatments, wine tastings, lying on the beach, and gourmet meals).
Surprisingly, we've found that a Disney Cruise offers a happy compromise. Even though my onboard time with my kids is mostly limited to meals and bedtime, we all come away with great memories.
Disney cruises offer a nice balance between family and couple activities.Both the cruise ships and the private island have adults-only activities.
Jill Robbins
Our family has been on five Disney cruises (with two more booked), and the combination of family time plus couple time is what keeps us coming back.
My husband and I enjoy the Senses Spa and the other adults-only options on board. It's nice to have some time to reconnect as a couple and talk to each other without our kids present — although we usually end up talking about our kids.
The ships also have entertainment and lounges that cater to families, so we can always find something to do all together.
Our kids love the onboard youth clubs and spend a lot of time there.My sons can still go into two different youth clubs on board.
Jill Robbins
Disney Cruise Line offers three tiers of youth clubs: The Oceaneer Club/Oceaneer Lab (ages 3 to 12), Edge (ages 11 to 13), and Vibe (ages 14 to 17). There's also a nursery for younger kids that must be booked in advance and requires extra fees.
Youth activities are included in your cruise, and our kids enjoy activities such as crafts, dance parties, and games. There's a mix of both organized group activities and solo pursuits.
Since our kids are 11 and 12, they can go to both Oceaneer Club/Lab and Edge. They spend most of their time in Edge with kids closer to their own age, but one of my sons enjoys going to the Oceaneer Club to draw.
We set ground rules for our kids that we're all comfortable with.My kids spend a lot of time in the youth clubs.
Jill Robbins
My kids are experienced cruisers and travelers, and we know they're comfortable navigating the ship on their own.
They each have a smartphone with the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App, which allows us to message each other on board, so we're always connected.
As for the rules, they have to stay together at all times, and they can't go into anyone else's stateroom or invite people into ours.
We also don't let them use the pools or slides unless we're present, and they have to clear any movie times and selections with us in advance so we can approve of their choice and relax our check-in rules while they're in the theater.
They lose their free-roam privileges if they don't answer their messages or if they split up.
While our kids are off on their own, there are a surprising number of adults-only activities.The spas on board are very relaxing.
Jill Robbins
One of the things that always surprises people about Disney cruises is how many adults-only options there are.
We've met a lot of passengers traveling without kids, both on the ships and in Disney Cruise groups on Facebook.
We enjoy the Senses Spa, which has a variety of spa treatments available to book. There's also the Rainforest Room relaxation space, which we've yet to experience but we're hoping to try it on our upcoming cruise.
We love spending time on the quiet adults-only pool deck and taking in the comedy shows, trivia, and games aimed at the 18-and-older crowd in the lounges. We've been on the Magic, Wonder, and Dream ships, and each has three lounges that are adults-only after 7:00 p.m.
If your cruise stops at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas, you can even enjoy a tranquil adults-only beach called Serenity Bay.
Sometimes we also treat ourselves to an adults-only dining experience.Dessert at Palo restaurant.
Jill Robbins
All Disney ships offer Palo, an Italian-themed signature dining room. But the Dream, Fantasy, and Wish also offer Remy, an even more elevated experience featuring French cuisine.
Signature dining isn't included in the price of your cruise and kids are not permitted.
But we've found the food to be top-notch, and we've loved the experience of dining in a tranquil, ocean-view setting with no kids.
We still get to make memories as a family.We've been on five Disney cruises together.
Jill Robbins
On our most recent cruise, we made time to do games and a silent disco together as a family.
We also require our kids to leave the youth clubs for meals and join us for onboard entertainment.
We usually eat as a family, although sometimes my kids will grab pizza and ice cream on deck in lieu of a sit-down meal with mom and dad. Unlimited soft serve is a big part of the cool factor of Disney cruises for my kids.
Although my boys would probably prefer to skip the Broadway-quality shows to play video games in Edge, there are a few experiences we insist they take part in.
Since my kids are independent tweens (aka too cool for mom and dad) they usually opt to sit a few rows ahead of us, so it ends up being part family activity and part date night.
