Decided not to cruise 2013 About This Page:

[Lilianna]

Planning a grad trip for my son in 2013. We were up in the air about DL or WDW. Cruise or not to cruise. Considering 2013 resort rates aren't posted yet, I was on the Disney cruise website to start my planning. (I love planning!)

Why we decided not to cruise...my son will be 18 when we cruise. He's too old to do any of the teen activities and not adult enough to enjoy the adult stuff on board. From what I've found out, he can get into the onboard bars/clubs, but can't drink.

I think Disney has forgotten about this age group (18-20) on their ships. It just so happens that I was talking with an acquaintance who just returned from a Disney cruise with her young children. She said she heard that is a big complaint for that age group...there's not much for them to enjoy on the ship. All I can do is speak from my own planning experience and would tend to agree.

[Dave Marx]

They do try - they do have social mixers, such as group lunches, organized for that age group. But a facility and staff dedicated to people aged 18-20? What would that offer that wouldn't or couldn't be offered to all other adults?

While it's true that 18-20s can't have alcoholic beverages, there's a lot more to the adult-only areas than drinking (plenty of older adults don't drink, either). The spa and health club, a choice of either the family or adult pool, dancing, fine dining, the full range of organized adult activities (with the exception of alcoholic beverage tastings), all the family-friendly facilities and activities - movies, televised sports in the sports bar (which is open to all ages before 9:00pm).... They have the whole ship and all its activities at their disposal except the kids, tweens, and teen clubs. On Castaway Cay, they have every beach and all but the kids activities at their disposal - seems like a good deal to me.

The real question for me is, should this or any cruise line treat 18 year-olds, who are adults under law, as something other than adults? It's American society that delays consumption of alcoholic beverages to 21 - the cruise lines simply reflect that (they can't drink around the World Showcase, either). This is a much bigger issue for young adults from countries that allow drinking at younger (sometimes much younger) ages. However, unlike ashore, 18 year-olds on the ship are welcome wherever alcohol is served, giving them more, rather than fewer, options. On my last cruise there was a significant group of young adults enjoying the dance club, every night. They couldn't get in the door ashore.

As parents, we're always going to be concerned about our kids having a good time. However, under most circumstances, by age 18, they've taken responsibility for making their own friends and organizing their own good times. There will always be the question of whether a family event (like a vacation) is going to pull them away from something they'd rather be doing, like a road trip with friends. If we do pull them away from friends, we want to be sure they won't be unhappy with us for doing that.

Yes, young adults are usually the smallest group on board. I don't think it's because the cruise line has a reputation for being less than enjoyable for folks that age. Most adults have to be a bit older before they can afford cruising on their own. That's also the age when they're out enjoying their freedom from family obligations, before marriage and parenthood bring them back into the family fold. And for those families who've been paying college tuition all year long, perhaps it's a relief that the kids would rather hang out with their friends. One way or the other, I'm not sure there's much Disney could do to make its cruises friendlier to young adults without going the party-all-the-time route of some other lines.

[Lilianna]

Don't get me wrong. My son doesn't need to drink to have a good time. That said, no one needs to drink to have a good time. But, we do come from Canada where the legal drinking age is 18. So, if he wants a beer while dancing or during dinner, I don't see a problem with that. I also see the cruise as a safe environment to have a few drinks. He can't drive anywhere after a couple of drinks.

I have no problem with Disney cruises as a whole. We've sailed them before and I think they are great for families. My problem, I suppose, is that he is charged an adult fee, but isn't really treated as such on the cruise.

But, its not dampening our Disney vacation. Like I said, we were undecided exactly what we wanted to do and where to go. This decided it for us. We'll enjoy Disneyland just as much if not more so.

[Dave Marx]

Everyone over 12 is charged the adult fare.

As to the drinking issue... wherever you travel, it's always a matter of "When in Rome." Since Disney's primary market is the U.S., they're not going to buck U.S. practices. Your son isn't going to be treated as a full Canadian adult anywhere south of the border. It's not something peculiar to Disney. Even on Carnival Cruise Line, with its reputation for partying, the drinking age is 21.

When I was 18, the most common drinking age in the U.S. was 18. When the voting age was dropped from 21 to 18 by constitutional amendment (back in the early 70s), a lot of states followed suit with drinking age (some had been at 18, some 19, some 21). It was the Vietnam era, and "Old enough to fight, old enough to vote" (and drink) was a popular sentiment. In 1984 (oh, the irony) the U.S. passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which withheld certain federal funds from states that didn't raise their drinking age to 21. Such is life in Rome.

Yes, in the vast majority of nations around the world, 18 is the legal drinking age, and in most, drinking below that age is allowed with some form of parental supervision - even that isn't allowed in 15 U.S. states.

[Lilianna]

[QUOTE=Dave Marx;3928720]Everyone over 12 is charged the adult fare.

As to the drinking issue... wherever you travel, it's always a matter of "When in Rome." Since Disney's primary market is the U.S., they're not going to buck U.S. practices. Your son isn't going to be treated as a full Canadian adult anywhere south of the border. It's not something peculiar to Disney. Even on Carnival Cruise Line, with its reputation for partying, the drinking age is 21.QUOTE]

Oh, I agree with you. I'm just opposed for paying an adult fare for my 18 year old when he's not treated as a full adult. A 12 year old is charged an adult fee, but there's a whole program dedicated to them. Would it be so hard to have a few organized events for these 18-20 year olds? This way they don't have to mix with 30+ crowd? Can't the 18-20s get into the teen club to play Wii, etc.? After all, I don't know many 18 year olds who are into fine dining and spa treatments.

I have nothing against Disney as a whole. This is just something that is stopping us from cruising this time around.

[dizneediva]

My family and I just went on the Maiden Voyage of the Fantasy and they do have social times for just 18-20 to meet which are marked on your navigator. I have 2 children age 15 and 17 and they can not wait for our next cruise November 2013. If you ask my kids Disney World (which we have been there 5 times) or a cruise they will both tell you the cruise is the best.

[toddjodybrent]

While our son isn't old enough for us to deal with your issue, his age and what is offered on the ship have been taken into consideration when deciding what ships to be on when he is a "tween" as the Magic and the Wonder don't have the same type of facility for that age group as the Dream and the Fantasy.

The issue isn't keeping us from cruising, just considering it when we decide when and where to sail.

Enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World!

[Lilianna]

Originally Posted by dizneediva

My family and I just went on the Maiden Voyage of the Fantasy and they do have social times for just 18-20 to meet which are marked on your navigator. .

Good to know!

Originally Posted by dizneediva

I have 2 children age 15 and 17 and they can not wait for our next cruise November 2013. If you ask my kids Disney World (which we have been there 5 times) or a cruise they will both tell you the cruise is the best.

And at 15 & 17 they were able to enjoy the teen clubs.

I've got a 5 year old as well as the 17 yr old. (6 & 18 when we would sail.) To please them both, Disneyland would be voted over the cruise. If it was just me, there'd be no contest. I'd be on the cruise. But, it's not just me, so Disneyland it is. Which is fine. I'll just have to work a foot massage for myself into the vacation somewhere.

[Lilianna]

Originally Posted by toddjodybrent

While our son isn't old enough for us to deal with your issue, his age and what is offered on the ship have been taken into consideration when deciding what ships to be on when he is a "tween" as the Magic and the Wonder don't have the same type of facility for that age group as the Dream and the Fantasy.

The issue isn't keeping us from cruising, just considering it when we decide when and where to sail.

Enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World!

Thanks!

[pamcarey]

Originally Posted by Lilianna

Why we decided not to cruise...my son will be 18 when we cruise. He's too old to do any of the teen activities and not adult enough to enjoy the adult stuff on board. From what I've found out, he can get into the onboard bars/clubs, but can't drink.

I think Disney has forgotten about this age group (18-20) on their ships. It just so happens that I was talking with an acquaintance who just returned from a Disney cruise with her young children. She said she heard that is a big complaint for that age group...there's not much for them to enjoy on the ship. All I can do is speak from my own planning experience and would tend to agree.

I will definitely agree with you on this one. We just returned from a 7-night cruise on the Fantasy. My kids are 16 and 11. My 16 y.o. LOVED Vibe, and can't wait to go back. But I only have 14 months until he turns 18, and that's sooner than I planned on cruising again. I'm trying to find a way to fit in a shorter cruise before he turns 18.

On my recent cruise there were mixers for the 18-20 y.o.'s, but I met the mother of an 18 y.o., and she said only 4 kids showed up for the mixer. Her son did enjoy being able to go to Palo with his parents, but for the most part, that age group is not well addressed on the ships. Is there any way you can cruise before he turns 18?

[pamcarey]

[QUOTE=Lilianna;3929063]

Originally Posted by Dave Marx

Can't the 18-20s get into the teen club to play Wii, etc.? After all, I don't know many 18 year olds who are into fine dining and spa treatments.

Just an FYI, on my recent cruise, they did have one night where the 18-20's had an event called "Storm the Vibe", and they took over Vibe from the younger teens.

[Lilianna]

Originally Posted by pamcarey

Is there any way you can cruise before he turns 18?

I wish! Our vacation budget just can't handle it until next year and he turns 18 this November.