Summer is slowly creeping up on us and trip planning is on the minds of a lot of families. Most moms do most of the planning and we tend to stress and anticipate the activities that will be in store for our summer vacations. My family and I recently went on the most stress free and fun vacation we could imagine with our son, a Disney Cruise!
A few months ago, my husband and I wanted to take our first family trip after the holidays. His birthday is in January and we wanted to do something that would include my son in all our activities. We are both big Disney fans and thought a Disney cruise would be fun. I have always heard from friends that they are the best and the whole family will enjoy the cruise. We booked our cruise not knowing what to expect but knew we would have fun no matter what. Here are a few reasons why I think cruises especially Disney cruises are the best stress free vacation with kids.
- It’s Disney…they always do everything top notch and it doesn’t matter if you are 60 or 6 years old everyone will enjoy the magic and fun that happens on the ship. There are character meet and greets and Disney music playing throughout the ship all the time. I enjoyed the little details that were on board, there were paintings on board and a few of them would become interactive when you walked by them.
- Activities for all ages– every evening you receive a personal navigator that gives you a list of activities for the next day. It is broken down by time and age group. Our family did a 4 night cruise and we didn’t even scratch the surface when it came to all the activities that were on board the ship. For kids 6 months to 3 years old there was It’s a Small World Nursery, a nursery where these little ones can enjoy caregivers in a safe environment. For kids 3-12 years old Oceaneers Club is a place where kids can hang out with other kids and play games and interact with crew members and Disney characters. For the tweens and teens Edge and Vibe club is a place where they can chill out and hang with kids their age and watch movies and do group activities.
- Healthy and yummy food– the food on board was more than chicken nuggets and fries, there was a wide arrange of healthy and delicious food for kids and adults to enjoy. There was an assortment of fresh fruit, sandwiches, pasta and pizza station and many wonderful grilled items for adults like steak, chicken and seafood. We never got bored of the food selection available and our stomachs were satisfied at every meal.
- Rotational dining– Depending on the cruise ship you are on there are several restaurants on board and Disney does something called rotational dining. Dinner every night is at a different restaurant with a different menu, but you have the same waiters. We loved this because we got to know our waiters really well and by the end of the cruise they had the drinks we liked ready at the table for us.
- Friendliest and warmest staff, no matter who you met on board everyone that worked on the ship had a genuine smile and enjoyment in what they were doing. There were many occasions were we talked to crew members and got to know them on an individual basis and get to know their culture and why they loved working for Disney Cruise line.
- Adults only– There were many areas of the ship that were adults only, pools and dining areas. My husband and I did take advantage of this and went to eat at some adult exclusive restaurants. These restaurants aren’t included in your cruise price, but we thought it was worth it.
- Castaway Cay– We did a 4 night Caribbean cruise which included Disney’s own private island Castaway Cay. The great thing about Castaway Cay is the crew on the island is the same crew as aboard the ship and there was no need to worry about it being unsafe or worry about being in unfamiliar foreign country. Castaway Cay has so many activities, areas for snorkeling and swimming in the family beaches. There were also areas for adults only so you can go lay on a hammock and nap till it was time to get back on the ship. Since you were still technically in the Bahamas, the water was warm and clear and the sand was white and soft to walk on.
- Fireworks– Disney is the only cruise line allowed to shoot fireworks and the fireworks coincide with pirate night aboard the ship. The entire ship is pirate themed and before the fireworks there is a pirate show that leads up to the fireworks. It was cool to end the night with a fireworks show that could be seen from miles around.
My husband and I both agreed that we didn’t want this trip to end, our days were filled with fun and relaxation. I can’t rave enough about our experience on the ship and we will definitely be back for more Disney cruises in the future.
