Is a Disney Cruise worth going if you are alone?

[Mr Mannn]

This is a bucket list thing for me. Likely this will be my only cruise. Disney is supposed to be the best and I really love Disney.

I want midship balcony cabin to myself. so I will be paying double (I think). I want a simple 4 or 5 day Caribbean cruise. Last I checked (before the virus) there were several cruises stopping at Key West...that is what I am really looking forward to. I won't plan any excursions into Caribbean countries.
``I really want to sit on my balcony sipping a cup of tea, watching the ocean go by.

my question: I'm 62. I'm not interested meeting girls, I just want a relaxing time. Is Disney so family oriented that I would be better off on one of the other Cruise Lines? I'm thinking something like this will leave me out.

 

[auntlynne]

I am single and have cruised both with family and on my own. I did the Panama Canal, two week, itinerary without a cabin mate. But was not alone, as I joined a table of other DISboard members. Each night, I had these new cruise friends to have the feeling of connection.

At some ports, I did Disney excursions (I think), I joined a few organized by one of the dinner mates, and I ventured forth on my own at least once.

I never felt like a misfit as a solo cruiser. I might have if I had to dine alone the entire time.

Ship activities are always fine to attend without a companion, as you are in a room of people doing something - trivia, tastings... same for activities, exercise, movies...

I have sailed Royal C, Princess and Carnival (solo) and cannot imagine recommending them for solo cruisers. But, yes, to Disney solo (I also will do WDW solo).

 

[Karin1984]

Yes.

 

[Quellman]

Disney sets up their ships like this: Kids only spaces. Family/everyone spaces. Adult spaces.

Based on what you said is important to you- Drinking tea, not meeting anyone, relaxing, visiting key west. Disney is a fine choice if you want the Disney amenities. Disney stage productions, rotational dining, etc. If you aren't sold on the Disney aspects, like fireworks at sea, and want to save a little money, you might consider looking at some other cruiselines that do that same itinerary. Typically the ships are a little smaller (older). But you can still have a great time.

 

[jtntx34]

If it is a bucket list item, you should do it!

The adult only areas aren’t usually that crowded, and they do a good job of keeping them adult only. The spa is also really great if that interests you. If you stay onboard when the ship is docked, you will have a ton of room to roam.

If you like solitude, you may have some issues with dinners. The main dining rooms are a little louder than other cruise lines, and they don’t really have great alternate options available every night. You could do room service, but the menu is limited. You can eat a sit down meal in Cabanas (but not the first or last night of cruise). You can eat at specialty dining venue (but reservations and an up charge are required and may be difficult to get as well). You can request a private table, but you may have to do that after boarding.

Cruise vacations are a lot of fun, because you can basically make them your own and do what you like. However, Disney is geared towards families with kids. I travel without kids and found the kids to be well-behaved and didn’t have any problems with them. But they definitely are there.

 

[wombat_5606]

This is a bucket list thing for me. Likely this will be my only cruise. Disney is supposed to be the best and I really love Disney.

I want midship balcony cabin to myself. so I will be paying double (I think). I want a simple 4 or 5 day Caribbean cruise. Last I checked (before the virus) there were several cruises stopping at Key West...that is what I am really looking forward to. I won't plan any excursions into Caribbean countries.
``I really want to sit on my balcony sipping a cup of tea, watching the ocean go by.

my question: I'm 62. I'm not interested meeting girls, I just want a relaxing time. Is Disney so family oriented that I would be better off on one of the other Cruise Lines? I'm thinking something like this will leave me out.

If it's on your bucket list, then you should go.

I have been on several Disney cruises as a solo. In fact, my very first cruise was as a solo cruiser. You will be fine on Disney. Unless you prefer a table alone, Disney will seat you with other solo cruisers. You, therefore, have someone to talk to you as much or as little as your prefer.

I just question, why, if you are going to stay in your cabin, you are choosing a Disney cruise? You are paying a premium and believe me, there are lots of nice balcony cabins on other cruise lines. Disney is good, but I wouldn't say they are the best. Having made Platinum, I feel I am qualified to compare them to the other cruise lines I've traveled with.

I suggest you take a look at Holland America, especially one of their new ships. They are very nice and I would love to be sitting solo on their balcony right now. They do have cruises that stop in Key West.

I like Disney too, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

I did the Panama Canal, two week, itinerary without a cabin mate.

I did too and I loved it! I even had a table by myself and all of the officers always stopped by my table at dinner for a chat. There was a lady officer that said meeting me gave her courage to travel as a solo.

I met a lady in the line for the pre-cruise hotel transportation and we saw each other off and on for the cruise and we would meet up at activities often during the 2 weeks. If I had not wanted to do that, I could have easily talked a few minutes and continued on my way.

I think any cruise line is fine for a solo trip. It just depends on what you want and what you expect. Most people are self-involved and don't even notice you are alone. Couples often go their separate ways on cruises and it's impossible to know who is with someone if you don't make an issue of it. Meals would be the only place where your solo status would be apparent. If that bothers the solo traveler, then eat in the buffet (if they continue to exist) or you can get room service. I have no qualms, though, dining by myself, regardless of what other cruisers think of my dining alone.

 

[T & R]

there were several cruises stopping at Key West...that is what I am really looking forward to.

I think Key West is voting this November on possibly banning cruise ships the size of Disney Cruise ships. Might want to check back after November and see if it passed.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I am a solo traveller and I have booked my first Disney Cruise. I was originally supposed to be on a 5 nigt Western Europe Cruise on The Magic which has been cancelled. I am now booked on the 2021 Norwegian Fjords cruise on The Magic.

I have no intention of being left out. I go to Disneyland California every year solo and never let being solo stop me experiencing anything. Being on the cruise will be no different. I fully intend to take part in as much ship experiences as possible, from character meals and meet and greets, to shows, games and other entertainment. I may even see if I can afford the upcharge restaurant and sit on my own in Palo and enjoy the fine dining experience.

If you enjoy solo travel and enjoy the Disney parks experience and Disney resorts and hotels then go for a solo Disney cruise.

Solo travel is a state of mind, if you enjoy it, then what other people think should not be an issue.

 

[monkeydawn]

If you truly think you will spend much of your time in your room, Id agree with the PP that suggested looking at other lines. DCLs cabins (IMO) arent worth the premium they charge. You could pay less for a comparable in room experience or pay the same for a better experience.

That said if you are a fan of Disney and would enjoy going to shows, meeting characters, participating in Disney themed trivia and other activities (rather than hanging out on your balcony the whole cruise), then DCL is a great option! If you think you'd enjoy shows and activities that arent Disney themed more then I would again suggest looking at another line.

In any case, DCL wont make you feel bad about being a solo cruiser provided you are comfortable traveling on your own in general. They dont hit you over the head with "family" type stuff.

 

[JM23457]

This is a bucket list thing for me. Likely this will be my only cruise. Disney is supposed to be the best and I really love Disney.

I want midship balcony cabin to myself. so I will be paying double (I think). I want a simple 4 or 5 day Caribbean cruise. Last I checked (before the virus) there were several cruises stopping at Key West...that is what I am really looking forward to. I won't plan any excursions into Caribbean countries.
``I really want to sit on my balcony sipping a cup of tea, watching the ocean go by.

my question: I'm 62. I'm not interested meeting girls, I just want a relaxing time. Is Disney so family oriented that I would be better off on one of the other Cruise Lines? I'm thinking something like this will leave me out.

What do you want to do? If you're not trying to socialize, you'll be fine.

DCL has beautiful ships and cabins, great entertainment, and a wonderful private island. It's worth the price premium over other mass market lines if you avoid peak holiday/summer pricing, imo.

 

[auntlynne]

...Is Disney so family oriented that I would be better off on one of the other Cruise Lines? I'm thinking something like this will leave me out.

I think the answer to that question is no. It is Disney-oriented. Workers in uniform, more professional than Carnival or Royal C.

Beautiful ships. Hands down better looking.

I think Key West is voting this November on possibly banning cruise ships the size of Disney Cruise ships. Might want to check back after November and see if it passed.

This might be the deal breaker; they seem to want a return to the laid-back mood of the Keys. We’ll see if the purse wins over the heart.

I have had the opportunity to cruise about 25 times. I’m glad I have gotten the cruise checked off my bucket list.

 

[jane01jp]

I am married with two grown children. We went on our first Disney cruise as a family when our son was 8 and our daughter was 5 (2004). I have been on 21 Disney cruises total, including 4 or 5 by myself. I have been with the whole family, with my whole family plus my niece, with just my wife, with just my son, with my wife and my daughter, and with my my son and his girlfriend. I prefer the shorter cruises (3-4 days) when I am traveling alone.

When I go by myself, I now request a solo table in the MDRs and spend my days working out, going to movies, playing bingo, going to the shows, going to the activities in the adult section, etc.

I love going either with my family, or without them. For full disclosure, I have also been to both WDW and DL multiple times by myself, as well as beach weeks and even a solo trip to Northern Arizona.

 

[gismo1554]

Disney is actually the only cruise line I have sailed solo on and I love it. There is so much to do that you don't feel "solo" at any time apart from when you return to your cabin I find - and I like that peace and quite. You can do as much or as little as you like but you definitely wont feel left out or odd being there. Even photo sessions with the characters are perfectly normal as a solo 40 year old They try and put you with similar people for dinner - last time I had 4 groups of friends/sisters that were really nice and chatty so it was a lovely dinner situation. If however your plan is to just sit on your balcony all day you might want to consider a different cruiseline just because you will save yourself some money. Disney you are paying for the entertainment side of things and if that isn't what you are interested in then I would look for a different option as you can save a substantial amount.

 

[Blondie58]

I have never been on a Disney Cruise so I cannot offer a specific opinion about a Disney Cruise when going solo. However, I have taken Adventure by Disney trips where the travel group is limited to 30. And yes, traveling solo is great. The whole group becomes family by the end of these magnificent trips. I have also taken three American Cruise Line trips and sailing solo is great. I love small ship cruising.

 

[mrp4352]

I've cruised both on Disney and Royal as a solo passenger and both times loved it. I will say, on the Disney cruise I had joined a group before hand and we had linked our reservations about a month before the cruise so we would be seated together in the dining room. That was really lovely. It ensured I had people at my dinner table that I knew I would have at least one common interest with. On the Royal, I found that I ate in the buffet a whole lot more than I usually would on a cruise because it allowed me greater freedom as a single traveler.

I will say that the upcharge dining on Disney handled me as a solo better than Royal did. I know it's a hard line to walk between providing great service and not quite knowing what to do with someone who's by themselves and Disney walked it beautifully at Remy. On Royal, the server was so worried that he decided I needed a new best friend (despite the fact that I had my book open and out on the table as a sign that I really didn't want to engage beyond meal service).

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

I've only cruised with my family, but the Young MacSpiffs are going to be launched soon. After that happens, I'd have no issues with cruising DCL alone. I've met / talked with lots of solo cruisers who were having a great time.

 

[MomOTwins]

My husband and I have done a lot of solo activities on the Disney cruises because our youngest did not want to go to the kids club so one of us was always with him doing kiddie things while the other went off to do grown-up activities. I really enjoyed everything I did on my own. The entertainment lineup was terrific and the staff are so engaging you never feel bored being alone. The spa was wonderful (get a rainforest room pass). And if I was feeling chatty I just went to one of the bars and the bartenders were always nice about engaging in some conversation. The service for me is really the standout aspect of Disney cruises. It also really is a beautiful ship, with lovely staterooms. I will say if I were solo, I wouldn't bother with the cost of the verandah as there are plenty of quiet places to sit and enjoy the view--we only really need our verandah as a family because of kids' naps.

 

[lds0191]

I have not cruised solo but after 16 DCL cruises with my daughter, extended family and friends, I am seriously thinking of booking the WBTA 2021 (sailed WBTA 2019) and will probably be travelling alone. My daughter is grown and will just be returning from an Alaskan cruise with her boyfriend so no option for her to be going with mom. I am fairly confident I will still have a great time. My love for DCL is so great that I have no desire to cruise other lines. I am not saying anything against any other lines it is just my personal preference to sail DCL. From what I have seen there are always single cruisers onboard and they seem to be having a good time. I am even jumping way out of my comfort zone and may spend a week in England solo prior to sailing. (Someone tell me I have not lost my mind, lol.) Also, I have joined a FB page for the cruise and I am hoping there may be other single cruisers in the group and that would be great to at least have someone to have a drink with while onboard. There are always FB groups for every cruise so that would be worth checking out. Honestly, I may find it refreshing to have alone time and only have to worry about me

 

[auntlynne]

Throwing in another two cents.

If this your only cruise and you do love Disney, don’t be dissuaded. They are beautiful ships and they have the Disney magic.

Get the cabin you want.

I have friends who enjoy Disney cruises but have switched (or also) sail Celebrity.

Just wait until things are more normal and get the experience without masks and worried people.

... In Key West, I took a float plane to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas; beautiful way to see the water. And plenty of time afterward to see the town.

 

[Mr Mannn]

Thank you for all of your responses. I was concerned, but I am going to go for it. Key West or not!