Hi all,

Since Carnival won’t let people under 21 book rooms anymore without parents, my friend and I were looking into disney cruises. I’m already 18, but she’s going to be 18 in a month and we wanted to cruise to celebrate.

We wanted to go to Carnival because the mood seems really laid-back and more "party," but since we wanted to cruise this year Disney looks like a fun alternative. However, what are the disney cruises generally like? Are they more kid-based (like, for kids 13 and under) or are there a lot of things that adults can do too? We don’t really care for drinking and gambling, but we want to still have fun and play around in pools, go dancing, spa, etc.

We want to do shore excursions, but we’re still debating whether to go to the Bahamas or Carribean. Which destination has the best off-boat activities?

Sorry for all the questions, I’ve probably got more to ask but this is all I can come up with right now I really want to make this cruise fun and memorable, and don’t want to be disappointed if DIsney is overly-childish.

When my niece (17) and nephew (14) come along, I prefer to book a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Many of those ships have climbing walls, surfing pools, ice skating rinks, all kinds of stuff. Like Disney, they have the teen only area, etc.
The shows are generally not that good, but would you like the shows at the Disney Cruise (I know I do!). They are like mini theatre productions based largely on their movies. In the seven day cruises there will also be a couple of magician/ comedian/ ventriloquist shows (which I have found to be really good, but tame enough for little kids). These guys will also do 1/2 hour shows for adults only on certain days.
In my opinion, the buffet style food at Royal Caribbean is better, with more variety and less rigidly scheduled.
Royal Caribbean tends to be more expensive than Carnival but cheaper than Disney.
On Royal Caribbean, I would base my choice more on the ship than on the itinerary, since the amenities vary considerably. Disney Wonder and Magic are virtually identical.