I'm Not a Disney Adult But I Went on a Disney Cruise — Here's What Happened.

It’s true, I don’t care that much about Disney. There’s no denying Disney creates a certain kind of magic no one else can replicate. But for me personally, Disney has never and likely will never be at the top of my vacation list. But, you know what is at the top of my vacation list?

Convincing my family and friends to go on cruises with me!

My older sister is just about as magical as Disney in my opinion. They are whimsical, creative, unafraid to be truly authentic…and their favorite Disney princess is Tiana. They LOVE Princess Tiana. And you know what experience combines Princess Tiana with sailing across the ocean? A cruise on the Disney Wonder.

So, we decided that would be our next adventure. And, with to some light (read:heavy) peer pressure and sending of endless tiktoks and youtube videos in our group chat, we also roped in my sister’s best friend and his wife (who are also two of my favorite people).

And thus, the trip left the group chat and boarded the Disney Wonder.

Here’s how it went !

1. The Food

For me personally, food is an important part of a cruise. Unlimited food is an exciting prospect…but only if the food is good. I had heard Disney Cruise Line had really great food, so I had high expectations.

And I would say Disney food was good! It was definitely not the best cruise food I've had overall, though (that award goes to Virgin Voyages). There were some highlights, like the churro mickey waffles (pictured to the left), and we had a few really yummy dishes in the restaurants. Cabanas, the buffet, had a decent variety and got the job done.

If you're the kind of traveler who plans a trip around chasing down the most unusual dish on a menu, you'll want to adjust your expectations here. This isn't the cruise where you're going to have a "wow, I've never tasted anything like this" moment. The flavors are safe. Seasoning is on the milder side across the board, even on dishes that are labeled as having some kick to them. I found myself reaching for the hot sauce and extra seasoning.

This makes sense given DCL's target demographic, so we weren't bothered by it. Our party was all able to find something we enjoyed at most meals, and never went hungry!

I will say, Disney ships all have one or two adults-only paid specialty restaurants, which I've heard are usually amazing and much more impressive, but we did not experience those during our sailing so I can't speak to that experience personally.

2. The Service

This really is where Disney shines. I mean, building an experience through incredible service is kind of Disney's THING. And man, did that show throughout our entire cruise. Our restaurant team, Vicky, Chariza, and Dursel were incredible. On DCL, you change restaurants each night but your service team follows you. Because of this, we got to know them all really well and our group still talks about how we miss them. They got to know our preferences and by the second night had our preferred drinks waiting for us. They swept our crumbs off the table in between courses. The service they provided was incredible, and we loved getting to know them.

Our stateroom attendant, Efrain, was equally stellar. He always left us the cutest towel animals, made sure we had everything we needed in our cabin, and even organized our electronic cords so our vanity was neat when we came back each day.

Apart from our own service team, all of the castmates we encountered were kind and so helpful. Overall, the service made our trip what it was. I'd recommend DCL based on the service alone.

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3. Adults Only Areas

There were a lot of kids onboard. Like, a lot. Granted, we went during spring break so that was to be expected, but you can't go on a Disney cruise and expect there not to be kids everywhere. That being said, DCL, especially on the Wonder, has some great adults-only areas.

The Quiet Cove pool area really is quiet. They somehow created an invisible sound barrier between this area and the rest of the busy and loud pool deck, which really is some sort of Disney magic. The pool area was never very crowded and there was always a lounger to grab.

Cove Cafe, which is the coffee shop just off the Quiet Cove pool area, was also a great kid-free space to enjoy a beverage, snack, and some quiet time.

I would have appreciated an adults-only dining experience that wasn't an upcharge, even if it was a pool snack bar or something. There was plenty of food on the pool deck, but it was mostly pizza, chicken tenders, the usual poolside stuff. Some more adult-friendly foods close by would have been nice.

Overall, the adults-only areas on the Wonder were really great and made it easy to find a kid-free spot to relax.

4. Recommendation

So, would I recommend DCL for a non-Disney adult? I might think twice about it.

We had a wonderful experience and I definitely don't regret the trip. I do think the familiarity of Disney and excellent service was a great way to introduce my travel-mates to cruising in general.

That being said, I think some of the Disney magic was lost on me because I'm not a huge Disney person. I think this cruise line is obviously ideal for families, but I do think it could also be a great experience for adults who really love Disney. It wouldn't be my top choice for adults without kids who aren't Disney-obsessed, though.

Moral of the story: DCL is a great line for the right demographic, but it wasn’t the perfect fit for me.

If you have kids who love Disney or you yourself love Disney, I would love to help get you booked on one of their ships!

But if you want a vacation that leans a bit more adult-focused, I have some great ideas and options for you too.