At first glance, Disney Destinations are not synonymous with a place where teenagers would select to vacation. Disney connotes cheerfulness, whimsy and merriment. If you have a teenager living under your roof, I think you’d agree that these adjectives wouldn’t be used to describe the typical teen disposition. But if there is a place where your too-cool-for-school teen can be liberated from his or her moodiness and angst, it’s Walt Disney World, Disneyland or Disney Cruise Line. Trust us!
On our recent family vacation on a seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary on the Disney Fantasy, our newly-turned 13-year-old replaced his ear buds and iPod with genuine laughter, bright smiles, new friendships and adventure. In his own words, he’s sharing what he enjoyed most about cruising with Disney on this edition of Friday Fives.
Food
One of the best things about a Disney Cruise is the unlimited food. I’m hungry all of the time, and on a Disney Cruise, you can get food at any time of the day. Like sushi, fresh fruit, and shrimp and crab legs at Cabanas; endless ice cream, pizza and chicken tenders near the pool; and soups, salads, main courses and desserts at the dinner restaurants. And the food is great quality - not like fast food at all. My favorite thing I ate during the whole cruise was the lobster tail at Royal Court. Our server asked if I wanted another piece after I demolished it quickly, but I said no. I wish I would have taken him up on his offer. I’m still thinking of that lobster tail.
All you can eat crab legs and peeled shrimp at Cabanas on the Disney Fantasy
Teen Club
Another one of the best things about taking a Disney Cruise is the Vibe, a club just for teens. The Vibe is cool because it is open late into the night (like 2 in the morning), giving teens like me and my friends a place to hang out when our parents are sleeping. The Vibe is on floor five on the Fantasy, but there is a secret entrance on floor four that you take to get to it. It also has its own pool, and you get to have special drinks made just for teens. The counselors are all very cool, and we had dance parties, sang karaoke, watched movies, played video games or just chilled.
Mom Note: Vibe is open to guests ages 14 to 17. Although our son was 13 at the time of our cruise, Disney allows parents to sign a waiver allowing teens not yet 14 to enjoy the exclusive Vibe lounge and activities.
A view of the Vibe pool and outdoor deck on the Disney Fantasy - NO adults allowed!
Friends
I really enjoyed becoming friends with the kids that I met on the basketball court. They’re from all over the place - New Jersey, Iowa, Florida, California and my home state, Oklahoma. With so many people on the ship, it’s pretty easy to find someone else your age that likes the same things that you do. You can hang out with them on sea days when you don’t have to get off the ship with your family. You can play basketball, swim, check out what’s going on at Vibe, eat, watch movies at the theatre, or play mini-golf. We walked around the ship a lot and even took pictures with Mickey and Ariel together. Because we all had phones and iPods, we exchanged numbers and email address. I hope that we keep in touch and maybe cruise together again.
Finding your teen son and his friends at O’Gills Pub watching March Madness basketball games - AWKWARD
Freedom
As a teenager, my parents let me hang out with my friends and walk around the ship with them. I didn’t have to be in the room at a certain time because they trusted me and the counselors at Vibe. One of the best times that we had together was watching the pirate night show and fireworks. We had a blast! We also had fun watching March Madness basketball games in the pub during the day. I even ordered a virgin pina colada with my stateroom key card while watching the games.
Mom Note: During online check-in or at guest services on the ship, you can block your children from making purchases with their stateroom key card. For some strange reason, we gave our kids charging privileges which, surprisingly, our teen didn’t abuse. Now, our 10-year-old on the other hand…..
Basketball Court
I play lots of sports and really like playing basketball. Since the first cruise we took with Disney, I hit the basketball court every day. It’s pretty cool playing basketball outside while you’re sailing across the ocean. And as I mentioned, it’s a great place to meet new friends. The basketball games are very serious though, so don’t go just to play around. There’s also a court on Castaway Cay at In Da Shade where I won a free throw contest. The only bad thing about the basketball court on the Disney Fantasy is that it closes early. I remember the court closing later on the Disney Wonder.
Can’t find your sports-loving son? He’ll be at the outdoor basketball court on Deck 12 of the Disney Fantasy.
If you have a teenager and think that they won’t have fun on a Disney Cruise, you would be wrong. There’s lots to do for teens, and I’m looking forward to going on another Disney Cruise to eat a lot, make new friends and play basketball at sea!