Can Adults Enjoy a Disney Cruise Without the Kids? Absolutely!

So, call me a bad mom, but I am not afraid to do Disney without the kids. In fact, I think Disney has a lot to offer adults who WANT to enjoy the magic on their own without the littles. Most recently, my husband and I took a five night cruise out of Galveston on the Disney Magic, just the two of us, as an anniversary celebration. Having taken many cruises with the kiddos, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much there was to offer the adults, primarily self-care, pampering, and just taking things at a slower pace.

Off to Sea

On the first full day at sea, I indulged in a trio of treatments from Senses Spa: a massage, an Elemis Biotec Lifting and Firming Facial, and the Ioniethermie Body Slimming treatment. The facial was the equivalent of a mini-face lift, I looked like it had taken five years off my face. My skin was firmer and more lifted, and even my hooded eyelids looked like they had been hit with Botox. The effects don’t last forever, but it is nice starting a trip looking younger. While I was at it, I may as well start looking slimmer as well! I was skeptical about the slimming treatment, but measurements both before and after were taken, and I could see the results with my own eyes. I lost over eight inches total from that one treatment, and continued to lose inches over the course of the next couple of days.

Spa Day

I started every day in the Senses Spa and Rainforest Room. Not having to worry about getting the kids up, dressed, fed, and situated at the pool or kids’ club, I would have all morning to pamper myself and truly indulge in self-care. First, I would hit the dry sauna for 15 minutes at a time, followed by a dip in one of the cool Rainforest showers. Let’s face it, after all the eating and drinking the night before, serious toxins needed to be expelled from my body! After doing this twice, I would hit the steam room. For a small cost, I was provided with a body care trio that included a scrub, mud, and lotion. While in the steam room, I would scrub my skin and let all those yummy oils just soak in. Rinse, and repeat with the mud. After the last Rainforest rinse, I would take my shower using the spa showers, which are easily three times the size of the showers in the staterooms. Finally, I would wrap myself up in the robe and enjoy the heated stone loungers for an hour, before proceeding with the rest of my day and joining my husband for lunch.

Food

After lunch, there was no shortage of things to do, from trivia game shows to Bingo. In the evenings, though, was when the adult life really began. We had the second seating for dinner, so if we were not interested in in the live show for that evening, we would hit one of the many clubs available onboard with live music and enjoy a pre-dinner drink. Keys was my absolute favorite; it was spacious with plenty of seating, and had an amazing cocktail selection. There was also a special wine of the day that the sommelier would pick, so if you were feeling adventurous, you could get a really good deal on wine.

Being a five night cruise, we had opportunity to enjoy Palo for dinner, without sacrificing an experience in one of the rotational dining settings. This was certainly an elevated experience for adults, enjoying food and wine not found on other parts of the ship. Palo for dinner used to be a set price for anything and everything you could want from the menu, but has switched to your choice between a prix fixe limited selection, or a la carte from the entire menu. We chose to go a la carte, because I absolutely HAD to order the Dover Sole carved tableside, while my husband chose the Osso Bucco. This was by far one of the best meals I have ever had on a Disney Cruise.

We enjoyed Palo so much, we went back the next morning for brunch. Brunch is a fixed price for anything and everything on the menu. We were greeted with mimosas and bread service, and went on to choose a charcuterie board, a pizza, and other Italian dishes that were just phenomenal. Honestly if I had to choose between dinner or brunch, I would choose the brunch. That pizza was one of the best I have ever had in my life!

Characters

Being a Disneyphile, we still had plenty of time for standing in line to get pictures with the characters. What I loved most about this trip, though, was the flexibility to go at our pace and do what we wanted, when we wanted. We had brought some games to enjoy for slower periods, and while we were playing Epic Galaxies in one of the public spaces, Spiderman came over and chatted with us. Never breaking character, he talked about the other galaxies he had visited but still preferred Brooklyn, his home, although Earth was not necessarily his favorite planet overall. He was just hanging and chilling with us while we taught him how to play the game. Believe me, even on adult-only trips, there is plenty of magic that presents itself at the most unexpected times!

Would I take another adult-only Disney cruise? Absolutely! Of course I love travelling with my kids, but if there is another unbeatable deal out of Galveston for a party of two during the school year, grab it while you can and take the kiddos on the next one. Most cruises are “sleep when you’re dead” while traveling with the kids, so enjoying the change of pace is a must to keep the love for Disney cruises alive.