Princess Cruises, already a leader in the overall cruise industry, is taking strides to become the leader for adults. They offer family cruises as well, but their primary focus is on adults. Cruises designed for couples, cruises designed for groups of couples who like to vacation together, and cruises designed for singles are all options now offered by Princess.

The company’s new tagline states it all: “How can we help you escape completely?” Princess has created a variety of programs designed to offer entertainment targeted to adults. High-end dining, adult (not “adult”) entertainment options, and adult (again, not “adult”) activities are one part of their approach. At the other end of the “escape” approach are individual activities: full-service spas or massages can relax a guest, or a hardcore one-on-one fitness workout can invigorate a guest.

So much is Princess Cruises’ commitment to romance, they have their own online “Department of Romance.” Here, individuals are invited to share their ideas to make a cruise more romantic, and there are celebrity postings—including a regular column from actor Gavin McCloud, the captain of TV’s Love Boat.

Princess Cruises offers a club called the Princess Captain’s Circle. Like airline miles and such, membership to the Circle offers frequent cruisers discounts, rewards, and so on. But the Captain’s Circle offers much more—effectively, members are VIPs. They can get on and off the ship faster, have access to certain member’s only events, and receive a quarterly magazine discussing upcoming special cruises.

While not the only major cruise line aiming for the mostly-adult market, Princess Cruises is certainly making an effort to become the best. Their packages offer items that, quite honestly, families might shy away from, and they offer customer service and a rewards program that encourages repeat business.

Like all cruise lines, Disney offers a variety of destinations—anywhere from a long weekend to two full weeks, so in addition to the onboard activities, you can take your family places that they may have only read about. Your Disney Cruise agent will help you plan some off-shore activities based on the age and interests of your family. This little bit of extra customer service alone sets Disney apart from many other lines.

More important on a cruise than the destination is the journey, and Disney Cruise Lines offers a wide variety of entertainment during the journey. Like all cruises, there is a wealth of entertainment, live shows, and food. Lots and lots of food. But because they are a part of Disney, Disney Cruise Lines has Disney-themed activities. For instance, children and adults both can meet Disney characters.

But on a family vacation—especially if you are planning on adding to the family—it’s important to have some alone time for the adults. Disney Cruise Lines facilitates this in two ways: they offer, of course, venues for romantic dining, dancing, and such, while at the same time, they offer activities that cater only to children, like 3-D adventures or swimming in Mickey Mouse’s pool, complete with waterslide.

Finally, don’t think that the very young or teens will be left out. Each Disney Cruise ship has an on-board nursery with expert caregivers for children up to three years old. Also, there are teen-only activities, where teens can escape both their parents and their younger siblings and play games, dance, and spend time in an Internet Café.

Disney Cruise Lines is the ideal source for a family cruise vacation. Their prices are slightly—although not much—above industry standards, but the amenities and wide variety make it very well worth it.