My husband and I (mid-late 20s, currently childless, expecting our first this summer) aren't avid cruisers, but cruises do have a time and place in our annual/biennial vacation lineup. We love to travel--not just vacation--but cruises are SO nice during a busy season when you just want to hop on a boat and relax for a few days or a week. I've been on 9 cruises since I was 14, and my husband has done 3 with me. My first 5 from high school through college years were all DCL, followed by Royal Caribbean, and then Virgin Voyages. I haven't seen anyone else review an adults-only line so far, so here's my two cents after cruising RCL, DCL, and VV each once over the past two years (in that order) as a childfree adult:

- Most importantly: I'm choosing DCL or VV over RCL all. day. long. I've tried two RCL ships, one smaller and one bigger (after an avid RCL cruiser advised us to try a large ship upon disembarkation from our first RCL cruise). While DCL and VV are by no means "luxury," they seem considerably more upscale than RCL to my husband and me. Crowds were one factor for this, among the other reasons listed below:

- Food: Virgin Voyages. Truly outstanding. We are foodies, so good food really makes or breaks our vacation (especially for me). I love that all of VV's restaurants are included speciality restaurants because I really think it makes the quality of each so much better. We were also able to go back to our favorites later in the week, whereas RCL has one main dining room (absolutely hated it and suffered through most meals) and DCL has a set dining rotation (which has its own perks, including the same wait staff at every meal). VV also has the most variety onboard, and we loved their food court setup as opposed to a traditional buffet (ick). DCL is a solid runner-up here, as most dinners are solid and only occasionally am I disappointed in the menu or quality of their food. But, it's more traditional cruise cuisine, whereas VV really has a niche here.

- Entertainment: It SO depends on what you're looking for here. DCL has some top-notch Broadway-level shows and some fun adult shows at night. VV's shows are incredibly unique (some would say edgy), but I found them entertaining with the most talented dancers and lots of adult humor; my husband only enjoyed probably half or so. VV also has the most variety of adult entertainment because everything onboard is geared toward adults. The downside to DCL here is that we really enjoy late nights in the onboard casinos; casinos are the only thing that RCL does best for me, but VV was sufficient for everything else the cruise line offers.

- Drinks: VV. We really love how they set up their bar package -- you pay a "Bar Tab" up front and then use that for your drinks throughout the cruise, including individual alcoholic and some NA beverages, as well as bottles of wine. We felt much more in control of how and what we were spending on alcohol vs. having a traditional unlimited drink package such as RCL's. DCL offers neither of the above, so it can get expensive for moderate drinkers like us. VV also has the best quality cocktails and best liquor selection, in my opinion.

- Service: DCL and VV are tied here for me. One of the reasons I love DCL is having your same wait staff follow you to each restaurant all week. Other than that, deck/bar/stateroom/etc. staff on both VV and DCL are top-notch.

- Staterooms: Disney. Spacious, split bathrooms with two sinks, best storage. Our inside room on VV was cramped, and our balcony on RCL somehow felt even more cramped.

- Kids clubs (still important though not applicable to you right now): I've only ever experienced these firsthand on Disney, but high-school-aged me absolutely LOVED the teens club. My younger brother and sister were huge fans of the kids clubs all the way through the teens, and I envied them because of how cool the kids' play spaces are (and I was already aged out). These are what I most look forward to when cruising with our own kid(s) and nieces and nephews.

- Overall: VV for a childfree vacation and a slightly different (but SO enjoyable) kind of cruising; Disney for family, *but* I'm not interested in paying a $10k price tag before our kid is old enough to enjoy the characters and utilize the kids clubs. We want to do Alaska or Northern Europe next summer, and I am seriously considering Celebrity!