We Went on a Disney Cruise Without Our Kids

I’ve done more than five Disney cruises with my family, and we’ve loved every single one.
My husband and I recently decided to take another Disney cruise through Europe, without our kids.
We reconnected as a couple and enjoyed all the adults-only areas offered on board the ship.
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The first time my family sailed aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship, my kids were 8 and 10. Nearly five years later, we’ve taken several Disney cruises as a family. But when my husband and I recently started discussing a Disney cruise to Europe, my now 13- and 15-year-olds were totally uninterested. They both had plans and commitments that fell during the seven-night trip and asked to stay at home, leaving us questioning whether we should take a Disney cruise without our kids.
While the cruise line offers adults-only areas and dining experiences, we knew there’d be a lot of children on board. There’d be characters to meet, Disney-themed theatrical shows to see, and the AquaDuck — a water coaster that runs across the top deck of the ship overlooking a kid-packed family pool and a giant movie screen that’s always showing a Disney film. Was it logical to board the Disney Dream sans teenagers?
As lovers of both Disney and cruising, my husband and I decided to go for it and signed up for a week-long cruise to Spain, France, and Italy — without our kids. We’d never been to Europe before and figured there was no one better to show us the ropes than Capt. Mickey and Capt. Minnie. It turned out, we were right: Our child-free Disney cruise was exponentially more fun than ones we’d taken as a family (sorry, kids). In fact, we’ve joked that we may never bring our teenagers on a Disney ship again.
Here are nine things we loved about our Disney Cruise Line trip without our kids.
Having a pre-cruise night in Barcelona set the tone for an adults-only week
The author and her husband in Barcelona. Courtesy of the author
After flying from our home in Central Florida to Barcelona, Spain, where the ship would depart from, we had an entire night to explore the city before boarding the following day. With our kids in tow, we’d have focused on museums, parks, and other must-see locations, but on our own, we felt way more relaxed.
Instead of going into full tourist mode, we had dinner on our hotel rooftop, then scoped out vermouth bars nearby. Spending a night relaxing after our whirlwind travel day was just what we needed.
The adults-only pool areas were our oasis on days at sea
The author poolside aboard the Disney Dream. Courtesy of the author
Aboard the Disney Dream are two adults-only pool areas, the Quiet Cove pool and Satellite Falls. During our two days at sea, we spent all day at these pool areas, sipping bloody marys or rosé and reading.
We did leave the shelter of the adults-only area to grab lunch and ride the AquaDuck but quickly returned to our peaceful lounge chairs. As we lounged, sipped, and occasionally chatted with other cruisers, not a single yelling child waded through the area, something we both appreciated on our break from parenting.
We developed a pre-dinner ritual of drinks at the back of the ship
The author and her husband drinking martinis at the Meridian. Courtesy of the author
On deck 12 of the Disney Dream, Meridian is a cocktail bar near the ship’s adults-only restaurants. In addition to incredible views of the sunset and delicious craft cocktails, the watering hole was staffed with friendly bartenders whom we enjoyed chatting with.
Meridian is another kid-free space on the Dream, so visiting the lounge and sipping martinis felt like a decadent way to start each evening. Each night felt like its own date night, as we’d come back to our stateroom after exploring each port, shower, and get dressed up for an evening on board.
We did dinner when — and where — we wanted each night
The author and her husband eating dinner aboard the ship. Courtesy of the author
When you travel with kids, it’s all about keeping as much of a schedule as possible. On previous Disney cruises, we’d eaten dinner each night in the ship’s main dining rooms with our kids. On this trip, we were free to play things by ear.
Some nights, we dined with families in the main dining room — this was far from our favorite dinner experience on board, as even at the 8:30 p.m. dinner seating, there were plenty of tired, cranky kids causing chaos. Instead, we frequently ordered room service (something that’s free on the cruise line) or snacked on chicken tenders and pizza from the restaurants on the pool deck.
Once, we dined at Palo, one of the two adults-only restaurants on the Dream. We sipped a delicious bottle of red wine while eating our fill of calamari, fresh mozzarella, pasta, and steak and looking out at a gorgeous sunset. And like all adults-only areas on the cruise line’s fleet, it was blissfully quiet.
The ship has a dedicated adults-only district for nightlife
One of the bars aboard the Disney Dream. Courtesy of the author
On deck 4 of the Dream lies the District, a collection of bars used for events and trivia during the day that becomes adults only at night. From cocktails at the elegant Skyline lounge to bubbly toasts at Pink, the ship’s Champagne bar, we spent some time each evening having in a nightcap in the ship’s bars.
We also played trivia games in the relaxed 687 Pub and danced at Evolution, an open space where events take place nightly. The relaxed atmosphere of these kid-free spaces lent to the feeling that every night was date night aboard the Disney Dream.
Yes, we still met characters
The author and her husband with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. Courtesy of the author
With or without my children, the trip would not have had a distinctly Disney feel without meeting a few characters. We snapped photos with Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck (in special Italian-themed clothing), and Captain Hook and his sidekick, Mr. Smee. A Disney adult through and through, I’ll never be convinced they aren’t the real characters in those meet-and-greet moments. After all, what’s life without a little imagination?
Since we dressed up for date nights each evening, our photos turned out wonderfully and will be a part of the trip I treasure.
On port days, we saw Europe in (stress-free) style
The author and her husband in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Courtesy of the author
Since we’d never visited Europe, we opted for Disney Port Adventures at each destination. Port Adventures, booked through the cruise line, were the perfect way to see each city and its highlights while being led by an experienced guide.
In our moments of free time, we sipped Aperol spritzes while staring at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and roamed the streets of Amalfi with glasses of limoncello in hand. We shopped and ate amazing street food, and we did it all on our own time without worrying about our kids.
I found total mom bliss in not having to help my kids plan activities each day
The author enjoying a drink aboard the ship. Courtesy of the author
When we boarded the Dream and connected to the ship’s WiFi, I immediately jumped onto the cruise app to see which youth activities were happening on the ship that day. Catching myself, I said to my husband,