Disney Cruise Lines

Disney is a name long associated with light hearted, family entertainment. The Disney Cruise is an extension of the fantasy and fun that's part of the Disney theme parks. What started as a family cruise program has become a vacation option for all ages from families to couples to honeymooners.

The two Disney ships are decorated with a nod to old world cruise elegance and a wink to the Disney icons. You must stay on the lookout for those "hidden Mickeys" the famous mouse outline that peeks out from unexpected places like wallpaper or the swirls of fine china.

The ship's atrium is massive and provides a great meeting place for families and groups on the way to the next activity. One complaint that families often have about cruise travel is the need to walk through the smelly casinos to get to other public areas of the ship.

Disney Cruise Lines have the distinction of no casinos onboard, just wholesome entertainment so you can allow your older children and teens free access around the ship. Another distinctive that families appreciate is the "Soda Card" which lets any passenger receive unlimited sodas at the restaurants or the poolside beverage stands.

If you've never cruised before, on most ships you had to order a simple diet soda from the bar and pay bar tab prices for a soft drink. This popular feature - the soda card - is being copied by other ships.

Another great benefit on DisneyCruises is the unusually generous cabin sizes. Knowing that the ships would attract families, Disney Cruise Lines have family cabins to hold six with a bath and a half.

Over 40% of the outside cabins have open balconies. Bathtub, mini-bar, safe and hair dryers are standard equipment in all cabins. As nice as the cabins are, why stay inside where there are so many fantastic shipboard activities?

The Disney Children's programs are well organized, creative and clearly a step above the usual shipboard babysitting. Childcare begins for infants and toddlers. The Oceaneers (ages 3-7) have hands-on science games, Oceaneer Labs (ages 8-12) have marine biology game shows and the Teens enjoy a private club with video games, MP3 stations and soda bar.

These are free with only a charge for babysitting after 1 A.M. So where are the parents? They escape to a Broadway style theatre, elegant reservations-only restaurant, spa, sports pub, piano bar or the dance club.

Everyone looks forward to the day at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Since all children are automatically enrolled in the Castaway Club for supervised activities on the island, the adults can slip away to an adults-only beach or spend the day with the kids at the family beach with games and activities.

What's a Disney vacation without a theme park? Not to worry. Cruise guests get special land-sea packages so after docking at Cape Canaveral, they are whisked away to Disneyworld in Orlando for the full theme park experience. This vacation is really the best of both worlds.