I don’t get as many questions from friends, family and coworkers about why we’re taking another Disney cruise as I usually get about returning to Walt Disney World again and again.  But I still get asked why we keep choosing Disney Cruise Line since our children are now adults.  Raise your hand if you feel my pain here!  We sail with Disney Cruise Line because we love the atmosphere (no casinos, lots of family-friendly activities), the service, the food, the shows, and the large, well-appointed staterooms.  Oh, and we love the itineraries.  Speaking of which, our next trip is coming up this summer and excited doesn’t begin to describe how we feel about this particular Disney vacation!

Our Next Disney Cruise – The Top 10 Things I’m Most Looking Forward to…  (Sure, I coulda said, The Top 10 Things to Which I’m Most Looking Forward, but I want you guys to like me!)

10.  Traveling to far off lands on a grand adventure!  We’ll be visiting Denmark and Norway, both for the first time, and cannot wait to see the beauty of these countries while learning a bit about their cultures.

9.  The Disney Magic!  On one hand, having sailed on the Magic three times before, it’ll be a bit like visiting an old friend.  We haven’t seen her since her makeover though, so we’re looking forward to her new-and-improved form.

8. The Food!  We think the restaurants on Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining are wonderful – add in a visit to Palo for an adults-only dining experience and we’re set for some pretty amazing meals.  Oh, did I forget to mention the on-deck quick-service pizza and treats?  The soft-serve ice cream?  The no-extra-charge in-room dining?  Oh, yeah, we’re stoked about the food.

7. The Entertainment!  Disney’s live shows are top notch – renowned as being the best in the cruise industry.  We’ll also be able to enjoy just-released movies, live music, comedians, and more.

6.  The Service!  We may be changing dining rooms each evening, but (except for Palo) our servers will stay the same.  They quickly learn guests’ likes and preferences and can be relied on to deliver friendly, efficient, and personalized service throughout the entire cruise.  Our cabin steward will, based on prior cruise experiences, seemingly never sleep and remain nearby, waiting for an opportunity to be of assistance.  As a family of complete slobs, whose suitcases seem to explode everywhere, the fact that our cabin continuously stays neat and orderly is magical indeed.  The towel animals, turndown service, and bedtime chocolates don’t hurt either.

5.  The Characters!  I know, if the kids were little, you could understand this one better.  But there is nothing that compares to the charm and excitement of seeing your favorite Disney characters and Princesses everyday, sometimes unexpectedly, always willing to pose for a picture.  I once ran into Mickey and Minnie in their formalwear on the Red Carpet before The Golden Mickeys show and I got such a kick out of it!

4.  Frozen!  Oh, hush up.  I know I’ve said a thing or two in the past about the Frozen-ization of Walt Disney World and how hurt I was when Anna and Elsa booted Snow White and Aurora from Princess Fairytale Hall, but if Frozen fits in anywhere, it’s on a cruise to the fjords of Norway!  We get a Frozen-themed deck party! (and more!)

3.  Copenhagen!  I could go on and on about Hans Christian Andersen, Tivoli Gardens and the Disney connection to them both.  And I probably will.  Go on and on, I mean.  Check back when I get back and brace yourself for tons of posts packed full of all the deets!  First we’ll explore the city on a Segway tour and then we’ll spend an evening experiencing the Tivoli Gardens.  If jet lag doesn’t slow us down too much, this will be an excellent day.

2.  The Excursions!  In Stavanger, we’ll be hiking to Pulpit Rock!  In Alesund, we’ll be kayaking!  In Geiranger, we’ve chosen a “Sky to Fjord Bicycle Adventure” and in Bergen, we’ll explore via the “Hanseatic Bergen And Mount Fløien Walking Tour”!  Lots of action-packed, fun-filled excitement awaits!!!

1.  Spending time with our kids!  They’re grown = we hardly ever see them.  We’re busy, they’re busy – our intentions are good, but we don’t get to spend as much time together as we’d like – and that is the beauty of a family vacation – lots of time to reconnect, catch up and celebrate what we love so much about each other.  I’ll get to have all-of-the-above, in their company, for more than a week!  (Now I’m secretly hoping they’ll do their best to make me sick of them, so I won’t miss them too much after we get home.)

Do you have a Disney cruise in your future?  What are YOU looking forward to?