June 21, 2011 - The Wonder breaks the Alaskan icebergs!

[justhat]

Hi everybody,
Who else is on this one with us?!

Our party currently consists of:
Me (Justine)
my husband (Joey)
mom (Dorothy)
daughter (Madison - 7yo)
son (Henry-4yo)
and daughter (Scarlett - 16 months)

[fabumouse]

We're on it!!! but nervous. Everything else we've done has been a bit closer to the equator. How does one swim in the Mickey pool in Alaska? :scared1:

me (Mychelle)
DH - Aaron
DD#1 Kailey - who will have just turned 10. Oh my!!
DD#2 Madeleine - who will almost be 5. Double oh my.

[justhat]

You! It's like you are following me from cruise to cruise! Weren't you on my 8/29/09 sailing? And I think I saw you post on the 7/6/10 Baltic thread too. Hmm... ;)

Regading the pool, I would pack some wetsuits.

[CarolAnnC]

We are booked too!

Me (Carol)
DH Crissup (John)
DD DISTeach (Kristen)
possibly DD Jen

We have connecting category 6 staterooms and are thrilled! :)

[justhat]

Yea! More people, welcome aboard!

[JsMom2]

We're booked! It'll be me (Wendy) and DD Jasmine almost 13 by that time!

[justhat]

I hope there are more people booked on this cruise tomorrow. 4 families!! Hey, aren't some of you on my Baltic Cruise 7/6/20110?!?!

[CarolAnnC]

I hope there are more people booked on this cruise tomorrow. 4 families!! Hey, aren't some of you on my Baltic Cruise 7/6/20110?!?!

Yes, we are on that Baltic cruise as well! The AK cruise will put me into the Platinum Castaway Club category, yay! :)

[justhat]

That will be cruise 9 for us, just short of platinum. Of course, I'm trying to get my husband to go for a 3 night in late May for my 30th birthday, but so far he's not biting. That would inch me closer to platinum so totally worth it to me!

[mousemom11]

We're in! Room #5128 & 5129 and main dining.

Me (Becky)
DH Tom
DD12 Emma
DD10 Dottie

Time to go make another cruise clock! :banana::banana:

[CarolAnnC]

We're in! Room #6108 and main dining.

Me (Becky)
DH Tom
DD12 Emma
DD10 Dottie

Time to go make another cruise clock! :banana::banana:

Welcome! :)

[mousemom11]

Welcome! :)

Thank you! Already made a change to our rooms. I saved $260 by changing from 4 of us in a 5C to 2 & 2 in a 5C/11B combo. Less money and more space - my kind of deal. :thumbsup2

[DCLInauguralXmas]

We just switched our 2010 11 night southern Christmas cruise to the 7 night Alaskan. We have always wanted to cruise to Alaska and now we are!!!! :cool1:

It will be myself (Denise), DH (Dennis), DS (Scott 20), DD (Shelby 19), twin DS (Daniel & Darrin 13), and Grandma (my mother Anita) in cabin's 7016 & 7018.

I look forward to getting to know each of you (electronically), between now and then.

[mousemom11]

We just switched our 2010 11 night southern Christmas cruise to the 7 night Alaskan. We have always wanted to cruise to Alaska and now we are!!!! :cool1:

It will be myself (Denise), DH (Dennis), DS (Scott 20), DD (Shelby 19), twin DS (Daniel & Darrin 13), and Grandma (my mother Anita) in cabin's 7016 & 7018.

I look forward to getting to know each of you (electronically), between now and then.

:welcome: Glad you are joining us.

[justhat]

Thank you! Already made a change to our rooms. I saved $260 by changing from 4 of us in a 5C to 2 & 2 in a 5C/11B combo. Less money and more space - my kind of deal. :thumbsup2

Great deal! I would definitely make that switch too.

My SIL is looking into this cruise too and the price for her to have 4 people in a Cat 9D is more than 2 people in 2 Cat 11Bs. Seems like a no brainer to get more space for less money, like you said.

[mousemom11]

Great deal! I would definitely make that switch too.

My SIL is looking into this cruise too and the price for her to have 4 people in a Cat 9D is more than 2 people in 2 Cat 11Bs. Seems like a no brainer to get more space for less money, like you said.

In looking at the price breakdown, it's because DCL has majorly increased the price of the 3rd and 4th passengers. The 3rd & 4th in our 5C were $1399 each, :scared1: while the 1st & 2nd in an 11B were only $1239. I'll bet DCL's line of thinking for that big increase to the 3rd & 4th passenger rates was that Alaska has not been seen as a family cruise destination, but that with Disney a lot of families would jump on it. And 1st time cruisers might not think to price out a 2nd cabin.

[justhat]

Okay, so now I am going to price out what it would be to book a Cat 11B and list 2 people in there as opposed to having everyone in my room. Thanks for that tip cause I think it might end up saving me some money too! Even if we don't actually sleep in the 2nd room, if it's cheaper I'll go for it!

[mousemom11]

Okay, so now I am going to price out what it would be to book a Cat 11B and list 2 people in there as opposed to having everyone in my room. Thanks for that tip cause I think it might end up saving me some money too! Even if we don't actually sleep in the 2nd room, if it's cheaper I'll go for it!

You are quite welcome. Hope it works out for you.

[Ginamarie]

Hi Justine and Mychelle and everyone else!!!

We're booked!!

Our crew is as follows:
In a 10A (deck 7)
Myself (Ginamarie)
DH (Josh)
DD (Olivia) (will be FIVE when we sail)
DS (Salvatore) (will be 2.5 when we sail)

In a 10B
DBro (George)
DSIL (Dawn-Marie)
DBro (Grant) (will be just short of his 8th birthday)


In another 10B
DMom (Rosemarie)
DDad (Daniel)
DSis (Gillian)
DSis (Giuliette) (will be 13 when we sail)



We were hoping to be in 10A's, but there was a whole snafu when we booked this morning and the 10As went fast! So I'm hoping that a couple of 10As will open up so we can all be on deck 7.

[fabumouse]

GM - hooray!!!!!! :cool1:

[Ginamarie]

GM - hooray!!!!!! :cool1:

I know.. I knew Justine was booking this date but I didn't realize you guys would be onboard too. So cool!

[Ginamarie]

Oh and I just was able to get another cabin on Deck 7! So just one more room to move up!

[justhat]

Good luck with that Ginamarie! I am guessing that when the 3 day holds are up some other rooms might open up for you.

[vacationsitis]

I am new to this board but our 5th Disney cruise. We are in cabin 6616.

Me (Sumita)
Husband Chris
Daughter Asha (13 by then)
Daughter Amy (11 by then)

Looking forward to it.

[Northern_Julie]

I am booked in 6631. First time cruiser but live in northern region of Canada so I know the diversity of the north. June 21st is summer solstice and probably the my favorite time in the North and I can't wait to see how Disney does it.
It may be warmer than you expect with the sun not setting.
Anyways I am traveling solo at the moment and actually really like the idea but it would be cool to know others on the ship.

[fabumouse]

I am new to this board but our 5th Disney cruise.

Welcome!! My daughter will love meeting yours. It's hard to drag her out of the kids' clubs - do yours enjoy them?

[fabumouse]

I am traveling solo at the moment and actually really like the idea but it would be cool to know others on the ship.

Welcome to you, Julie! I'm hoping that as time goes on, we'll come up with a first meet date, fish extender list, etc. :thumbsup2

[mousemom11]

I am new to this board but our 5th Disney cruise. We are in cabin 6616.

Me (Sumita)
Husband Chris
Daughter Asha (13 by then)
Daughter Amy (11 by then)

Looking forward to it.

I am booked in 6631. First time cruiser but live in northern region of Canada so I know the diversity of the north. June 21st is summer solstice and probably the my favorite time in the North and I can't wait to see how Disney does it.
It may be warmer than you expect with the sun not setting.
Anyways I am traveling solo at the moment and actually really like the idea but it would be cool to know others on the ship.

:welcome: My DD's will be 12 and 10 on the cruise, so it sounds like friends are in the making.

Julie, the meet threads are a great place to make connections with other on the cruise. Looking forward to chatting with you.

[Queenofthecastle]

Hi Everyone!

Glad to see this meet thread up and running!

We are two adults sailing! We'll be driving up from Portland...about a 6.5 hour drive for us. I feel so fortunate not to have to book airfare this time! We were just on the 9/19 western on the Magic and had a fabulous time. I will miss the warm(hot) Caribbean weather, but are super excited to visit Alaska!

Looking forward to getting to know our group!

[fabumouse]

Hi Everyone!

Glad to see this meet thread up and running!

We are two adults sailing! We'll be driving up from Portland...about a 6.5 hour drive for us.

Welcome!! I went to Clackamas High School - I know Portland well! :thumbsup2

[farfalla818]

Hello fellow cruisers!

I'll be sailing with my son, Andrew, who will be 7. We're in my fave cat, 7A. (Nav Ver).

Right next door are the grandparents!

We have 7626 and 7628

Whoo-hoo!

[vacationsitis]

Welcome!! My daughter will love meeting yours. It's hard to drag her out of the kids' clubs - do yours enjoy them?

Yes, they loved kids club. The older one on the last vacation through Panama Canal was in between age groups & did not enjoy as much. She was too old for the younger group & too young for the teen groups. I am hoping that in Alaska she will officially be a teenager & enjoy it.

[vacationsitis]

[QUOTE=mousemom11;33757660]:welcome: My DD's will be 12 and 10 on the cruise, so it sounds like friends are in the making.


Yes, it sounds like it. Looking forward to meeting all of you.

[CarolAnnC]

Welcome to all the new cruisers who will be joining us in Alaska! This is an adventure that I am very much looking forward to! Can't wait to see when the excursions are put up, what they will be offering...though I know that is pretty far away for now, lol. :)

[mousemom11]

Hello fellow cruisers!

I'll be sailing with my son, Andrew, who will be 7. We're in my fave cat, 7A. (Nav Ver).

Right next door are the grandparents!

We have 7626 and 7628

Whoo-hoo!

Welcome!! How nice, 3 generations sailing together. :grouphug:

[PPFQP]

We're in! This will be our 3rd Disney cruise. Right now, it is me, dh and our twin dds in a cat 5C on deck 6, but I have already emailed the travel agent to check into changing to 2 rooms to save some $$$! It definitely looks like it will be slightly cheaper for us also to do 2 rooms. I am thinking maybe we'd be better off with a navigator's verandah; we love having a verandah, but that's when we're in the warm sunny Caribbean!

Our dds will have just finished 10th grade when we sail. :scared1: We have to do the June 21 sailing so we can be back in time for them to get their driver's licenses on July 7th!!! They were insistent about that!

This is our third Disney cruise, but it will be our 5th overall cruise. (Well, 6th for me and dh) We did an Eastern Caribbean on RCCL in 2007 and are doing a Med cruise with RCCL next summer. We're super excited about Alaska though! I have always wanted to see it.

[mousemom11]

We're in! This will be our 3rd Disney cruise. Right now, it is me, dh and our twin dds in a cat 5C on deck 6, but I have already emailed the travel agent to check into changing to 2 rooms to save some $$$! It definitely looks like it will be slightly cheaper for us also to do 2 rooms. I am thinking maybe we'd be better off with a navigator's verandah; we love having a verandah, but that's when we're in the warm sunny Caribbean!

Our dds will have just finished 10th grade when we sail. :scared1: We have to do the June 21 sailing so we can be back in time for them to get their driver's licenses on July 7th!!! They were insistent about that!

This is our third Disney cruise, but it will be our 5th overall cruise. (Well, 6th for me and dh) We did an Eastern Caribbean on RCCL in 2007 and are doing a Med cruise with RCCL next summer. We're super excited about Alaska though! I have always wanted to see it.

:welcome: Good to have you with us.

[Queenofthecastle]

Welcome!! I went to Clackamas High School - I know Portland well! :thumbsup2

Hi! :wave2: It's always good to see someone who knows the PNW!

[Queenofthecastle]

Welcome to all the new cruisers who will be joining us in Alaska! This is an adventure that I am very much looking forward to! Can't wait to see when the excursions are put up, what they will be offering...though I know that is pretty far away for now, lol. :)

Oh, I was glad to read this. I thought I was the only insane one itching to book the excursions. Good thing it's still far away so we have time to save our pretty pennies since it's going to cost an arm and a leg! ;)

[PPFQP]

I was able to change our one cabin to two - and save money in the process. Yay! We switched from a 5C to a 7A (navigator's verandah) + 11B (inside). The two rooms are across the hall from each other. The good thing about an inside is that the sun won't wake us up when it rises before 4 am!!! I think it is so cool that we will be on board for the summer solstice!!
Oh it is going to be a looooooooong wait for this cruise!

[Northern_Julie]

I was able to change our cabins to two - and save money in the process. Yay! We switched from a 5C to a 7A (navigator's verandah) + 11B (inside). The good thing about an inside is that the sun won't wake up when it rises before 4 am!!! I think it is so cool that we will be on board for the summer solstice!!
Oh it is going to be a looooooooong wait for this cruise!

Thats how I justified having my inside cabin. I by then will have had seven summers with the full daylight and this will be a week of somewhat normal sleep patterns in the midst of summer ( a huge treat). My typical summer sleep pattern is up for 3 nights and crash hard the next. My typical June 21st is to sit out on my deck and read with the sunrise followed by sunset it ...sitting out and reading on the wonder will be a nice spin. I am so excited!!!

[NutzaboutDisney]

Hey All,

We returned recently from a cruise to St. Maarten and St. Thomas and booked the Alaskan itinerary on the ship! Our DIS group for the previous cruise was a blast, and I'm excited to make more friends and experience the magic once again! Two years seems like light-years away, but I know it will fly by! Especially with the planning and preparing we will do with our DIS friends!

On this cruise will be only dh(bigferrell) and myself. We will be traveling with another couple sans kids. ALASKA!!!! I can't wait!:cool1:

[eileenrbl]

The whole family is on this one - two sets of grandparents, aunt and uncle, kids and grandkids! I've been to Alaska before but not on DCL. I'm really looking forward to it! :banana:

[mousemom11]

Hey All,

We returned recently from a cruise to St. Maarten and St. Thomas and booked the Alaskan itinerary on the ship! Our DIS group for the previous cruise was a blast, and I'm excited to make more friends and experience the magic once again! Two years seems like light-years away, but I know it will fly by! Especially with the planning and preparing we will do with our DIS friends!

On this cruise will be only dh(bigferrell) and myself. We will be traveling with another couple sans kids. ALASKA!!!! I can't wait!:cool1:

The whole family is on this one - two sets of grandparents, aunt and uncle, kids and grandkids! I've been to Alaska before but not on DCL. I'm really looking forward to it! :banana:

:welcome: It does seem a long time away, doesn't it? I booked our Western 18 months ago and now it's here next month! :banana: It has been so nice planning and hanging with our DIS friends during that time - it sure made time go by faster, and now we have a whole group of friends that we can't wait to finally meet in person.

Eileen, what a wonderful cruise with all the generations! So many great memories will be created, that's for sure.

[carolmb]

We just booked on this cruise. Me, DH, DS (12) and DD (10) at the time of the cruise. This will be our 1st time to Alaska and looking forward to it. We are going on the Baltic cruise next summer.

[mousemom11]

We just booked on this cruise. Me, DH, DS (12) and DD (10) at the time of the cruise. This will be our 1st time to Alaska and looking forward to it. We are going on the Baltic cruise next summer.

:welcome: Our DD's will be 12 and 10 on this cruise as well.

[IrishCowboy]

I have added a link to your thread on the main index page. Have a great cruise!

[rsschneck]

Hi Everyone!

We are now booked on the June 21st cruise :cool1:
We were originally booked on the June 14th cruise (Father's day and my Mom's Birthday) until I realized my oldest nephew will be graduating high school during that week. My sister would kill me if I missed his graduation because of a cruise.

We have 2 adjoining cabins on deck 6. My parents are in one room (60's) and myself, hubby (40's) and daughter will be in the other. My daughter will be 14 at the time and will have finished the 8th grade. She does love to email other girl's and get to know them before cruising.

Our family just moved from the Portland, OR area last year and now we are in Austin, TX so I guess we fit right into this group.

We have cruised Alaska before and LOVED it but missed the Disney touches so we are very excited for this Disney cruise especially. This will be our 6th Disney cruise and I am glad Disney is starting to reward their repeat cruisers like the other cruise lines already do.:lovestruc

[fabumouse]

Hi Everyone!


Our family just moved from the Portland, OR area last year and now we are in Austin, TX so I guess we fit right into this group.



Yes, I would say moving from Oregon to Texas is an excellent choice! :thumbsup2 Hope you're enjoying the fall weather as much as we are. I think I have a sweater here.. somewhere.

[CarolAnnC]

Welcome to all the new folks who will be joining our cruise! We are also on the Baltic next summer, so will start more in depth Alaksa planning after that one.

Sometimes the advance planning is fun, and sometimes is just seems like so far away. Hope everyone has a nice Sunday! :wizard:

[DCLInauguralXmas]

We are no longer in adjoining cat 5's we are all in #8530. Not sure who is keeping the list, but I wanted to make sure we changed that while I was thinking about it.

Cannot wait, I have always wanted to cruise to Alaska but my oldest DS would not cruise on anything but Disney. So now we are both happy! :cool1:

[DenverVal]

We booked this sailing while onboard the Magic a few weeks ago. It will be me, DH, DD18 and DD16. My younger DD is really excited because a group of kids (and their parents of course) from our previous sailing will be on this sailing.

Roxanne, do you remember me?

[rsschneck]

We booked this sailing while onboard the Magic a few weeks ago. It will be me, DH, DD18 and DD16. My younger DD is really excited because a group of kids (and their parents of course) from our previous sailing will be on this sailing.

Roxanne, do you remember me?

Sure! Nice to have you on board. We sailed together through the Panama Canal, correct? Wow! The kids just keep getting older don't they? I know we don't get any older just the kids.:rolleyes1

[DenverVal]

Yes, that was the one. Such a fun cruise. I just can't believe that by the time this next cruise rolls around, my oldest DD will have completed her freshman year of college! :faint:
My girls (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30717138&l=b191250b34&id=1433317783)
DH and me (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30717137&l=654d955c9f&id=1433317783)

[rsschneck]

Nice pictures Val! Looks like you and hubby have some GREAT pirate costumes. I will have to loose some pounds in order to get into mine. I guess I have a few months before the cruise:lmao:

[Ginamarie]

Hey everyone! I was able to upgrade the cabins for our trip. Now we have 10As for everyone :) Deck 7 for our family members and a SPH for me! I'm SO excited to have snagged one of the SPH rooms.

[DenverVal]

How did you snag a SPR? They weren't available when we booked.

[Ginamarie]

How did you snag a SPR? They weren't available when we booked.

They were all booked when we originally booked too, but we kept checking to see if any opened up and found one available one day :)

[DenverVal]

Congratulations - which one are you in? We're in 5500 up front.

[dixieslanding]

just booked for this cruise. my family and mother in law. we are DH - ageless.... DW - equally ageless... DD ... hmm she will be 16 and OMG driving. DS will be 14... Dang..

Will be very different cruise. we've done all the carribeans and had opportunity to do maiden on Disney Dream.. but i'm of opinion the Magic and Wonder will continue to be the more elegant ships. Dream is to 'modern' and to big. Magic and Wonder are just right.

Alaska will be interesting. We hit home run and have the first two cabins on the port side (8000 and 8002). that way we don't have to smell smoke from smokers upwind (yuck... can't wait for Disney to put one side non-smoking completely).

Both Cat 4s... Cat 1 and 2 sold out.. and cat 3 doesn't make sense. Did the Family veranda as i have some hope my wife's cousins and aunt will join us and then we do the big room swap.

Anyone know if the pools are heated? Can't say i'm focused on swimming (we do Maine every year so the brisk air will be just our thing).

Anyone look at the plan for trip. Leave it to Disney to make sure both sides of ship get great views!

Any ideas on excursions? Anyone done Alaska before? We always do the excursions. Looking for glaciers, fishing, flying, exciting things... Don't think we will be diving in water though... brrrrrrr

Too far away....

[dixieslanding]

oh.. and given timing i know we are spending time in port before the cruise. So as i research the city i'll post what i find. makes sense to do that pre cruise

can't wait for day at sea!!!!

[rsschneck]

We did ALaska 2 summers ago and LOVED it! We can't wait to go back on Disney this time.

We did the railway train in Skagway and I believe panned for gold. In Ketchikan we went to a native totem poll village and saw a lumberjack show maybe in Juneau (can't remember which port had what now). My MIL did a float plane and said it was the experience of her life.

We will pick different excursions this time because there are so many choices and they are so different than the tropical offerings.

We purchased the coolest fur rug in Ketchikan (I think). There is a shop downtown and they only have rugs. The fur rugs are made out of moose, deer and cow. Very unique!

[Northern_Julie]

oh.. and given timing i know we are spending time in port before the cruise. So as i research the city i'll post what i find. makes sense to do that pre cruise

can't wait for day at sea!!!!



I have been to Vancouver and there is lots to do. I will be happy to provide ideas. Grouse Mountain and the Cappilano bridge are amazing but involve a chunk of time. Downtown Stanley Park has lots to do including an aquarium....huge park you could do that for a day in itself.
I plan to go a few days early and do Granville Island because I love the energy. Post Cruise I may head over to Victoria.
Also the Olympics is only a few months away and it being in Vancouver I am sure they will showcase the city.

[IrishCowboy]

subscribing

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

Hi everyone!

My family will be on this cruise, as well. Myself, DW, DD will be 13, and other DD will be 9. We're in 6056, a Cat 5b. Next door in 6058 will be my parents. It's been my Mom's dream to go to Alaska, so when Disney announced the Alaska itinerary at D23, I got the wheels in motion to get us onboard.

Looking forward to all of the planning we have to do!

Take care,

Brian

[mousemom11]

FYI for all of you who are going to be on a DCL cruise in the near future. We were on the 11/14 Magic and I reshopped this Alaska cruise onboard. The prices had hardly moved at all since booking opened, so between the 10% onboard discount and $200 per cabin OBC (we have 2 cabins), we saved about $1,000. :thumbsup2

[ratt1345]

Hi all!!! DW and I have been booked on this cruise since the day it came out. I have been posting on the Thanksgiving cruise because that's the one we were just on. So I can concentrate on this one now.

Charlie

[Ohana 4]

Is this thread for anyone or just those who cruise together? Alaska will be our first cruise ever. We are going as my son's h.s. graduation present. So excited but completely in the dark about everything. I'm reading everything I can about cruising, but because the Alaska thing is so new to Disney, there is just not much out yet I guess. I'm thrilled to be going though, even though it's so far off from now!

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

Hi Ohana!

The particular thread on the board is for the folks sailing on the June 21st Alaska cruise. But not necessarily because we're "together" just that we'll all be on the ship the same week. Sometimes as we all chat and plan our cruise we find we want to meet-up during the cruise, but not everyone attends. We're just hear to help and support everyone as we all learn the ins and outs of the Alaska itinerary.

Welcome aboard!

Brian

[Ohana 4]

Thanks Brian. Then I am glad I subbed to the thread. It's really exciting and kind of nice to be paid up so far in advance. By the time the cruise actually comes around, it will feel like it was free (at least that's what I'm telling myself).
We are a family of four booked in two 11B cabins. It seemed more cost effective than any of the others. Not really sure though, as we've never done this before.

[mousemom11]

:welcome: to all of those who have joined the thread recently. Looking forward to chatting with you over the next 18 months and then sailing with you in Alaska!

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

Thanks Brian. Then I am glad I subbed to the thread. It's really exciting and kind of nice to be paid up so far in advance. By the time the cruise actually comes around, it will feel like it was free (at least that's what I'm telling myself).
We are a family of four booked in two 11B cabins. It seemed more cost effective than any of the others. Not really sure though, as we've never done this before.

You'll love the Disney Wonder. We've "only" been on the Wonder twice, but both trips were fantastic.

For our cruise in April 2008 I got involved in the thread on the DIS and it was a lot of fun hearing what everyone was doing and planning on. Also helped a lot to hear people's excursion plans, et cetera. I think that will be even more helpful for Alaska; I know a lot about the Caribbean itineraries, but know nothing about Alaska and Vancouver and am already trying to figure out the best way to get to the west coast.

So, we'll all have lots to chat about!

Take care,

Brian

[DCLInauguralXmas]

Welcome aboard to all of the new DISers! I found this board extremely helpful and a great excitement booster for our Chrismas Cruise last year. I hope you do as well.

Is anyone else kicking around a trip to Anaheim to visit Disneyland after the cruise? I have found Disney Cruise Line to be unhelpful in planning such an extention. Originally I was trying to plan a day in Vancouver before the cruise and then renting a car and driving the west coast to Disneyland, but if you don't fly to anaheim you cannot extend there as part of the cruise you have to book directly with Disneyland and you cannot do that until 12 month prior. :confused3 I was just wondering what others were thinking.

My family of 8 is from Indiana and with air fare of over $680 per person we are thinking a "Griswald" cross country trip might be in the works. :thumbsup2

Happy Holidays to all of you!!!:santa:

[DenverVal]

It's significantly cheaper to fly to Seattle than to Vancouver.

Vancouver to Disneyland is a very long drive, two very long days, minimum, more likely three, and that's if you didn't stop to see the coastline, the redwoods, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, Crater Lake, Yosemite, San Francisco, Monterey, Hearst Castle, Solvang, Santa Barbara, all of the attractions in southern California. It's a trip in itself.

[Ginamarie]

Welcome aboard to all of the new DISers! I found this board extremely helpful and a great excitement booster for our Chrismas Cruise last year. I hope you do as well.

Is anyone else kicking around a trip to Anaheim to visit Disneyland after the cruise? I have found Disney Cruise Line to be unhelpful in planning such an extention. Originally I was trying to plan a day in Vancouver before the cruise and then renting a car and driving the west coast to Disneyland, but if you don't fly to anaheim you cannot extend there as part of the cruise you have to book directly with Disneyland and you cannot do that until 12 month prior. :confused3 I was just wondering what others were thinking.

My family of 8 is from Indiana and with air fare of over $680 per person we are thinking a "Griswald" cross country trip might be in the works. :thumbsup2

Happy Holidays to all of you!!!:santa:

The drive is too long for us! Anaheim and Vancouver are both on the west coast, but NOWHERE near each other.

Our plan is to fly roundtrip NYC-Seattle, and spend a few days in Seattle pre-cruise and maybe a couple of days in Vancouver post-cruise.

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

I have been playing with Yapta and Kayak to look at flights in 2010 for the same week as our 2011 cruise. Everything I am tracking is less expensive to fly to Seattle than Vancouver. We're in mid-north Indiana and may try to fly from Chicago non-stop to Seattle a few days before the cruise, take a day or so to see Seattle, day to get to Vancouver, day around Vancouver, then CRUISE! Not that I've been thinking about it or anything! :-)

[mstinson14]

my dd 14 at the time and my sister and i will be on.

[rsschneck]

my dd 14 at the time and my sister and i will be on.

My DD will be 14 at the time of the cruise as well. If your DD likes to email or facebook send me a PM and we will hook the girl's up so they can get to know each other before the cruise. We have sailed with Disney 5 times and we have been on one Alaska cruise already so if your DD has not experienced a cruise or a Disney cruise my DD could answer her questions.

I agree with others that a drive to Anaheim from Vancouver is very long. Flying would be the best option. Disneyland packages might be out by this Fall for 2011. Now if you book with Disney travel early and a deal comes out later for your travel dates you can apply the promotion code to get the discount but they will charge you a cancel fee (unlike Disney World). If anyone has questions about Disneyland you can send me a PM. If flying into Seattle and you don't want to rent a car there is always an option of the train from Seattle to Vancouver. Seattle is an awesome city to spend time in. I can't wait! We loved our last Alaska cruise and being on a Disney ship is going to make it even better!

Happy New Year Everyone!

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

If flying into Seattle and you don't want to rent a car there is always an option of the train from Seattle to Vancouver. Seattle is an awesome city to spend time in. I can't wait! We loved our last

Hmm... Interesting idea! Is the train easy to get to in both Seattle and Vancouver? Customs easy? Easy to get luggage on and off? Had not thought of this, but I bet it would be a lot easier than renting a car, and possible more scenic. Thanks for the idea!

[mousemom11]

Hmm... Interesting idea! Is the train easy to get to in both Seattle and Vancouver? Customs easy? Easy to get luggage on and off? Had not thought of this, but I bet it would be a lot easier than renting a car, and possible more scenic. Thanks for the idea!

Light rail will get you from the airport to within a block or so of the train station. In Vancouver, the SkyTrain is right by the train station and will take you to within a block of the pier.

["Ginger"]

Just got off the phone with Disney Vacation Club and we're in.:yay::dance3:
Now we're going to have to keep our fingers crossed that nothing happens to mess it up.
We are me Ginger, Bill and Ashley who will be 14 at the of time of sail.
This will be our 11 cruise with Disney, our last cruise was Oct, 2008. We took a break in 2009 with Disney and tried out a Royal Caribbean, it was nice but it just wasn't Disney.

I see I have 6 pages to read to catch up here.:lovestruc

[mstinson14]

Just got off the phone with Disney Vacation Club and we're in.:yay::dance3:
Now we're going to have to keep our fingers crossed that nothing happens to mess it up.
We are me Ginger, Bill and Ashley who will be 14 at the of time of sail.
This will be our 11 cruise with Disney, our last cruise was Oct, 2008. We took a break in 2009 with Disney and tried out a Royal Caribbean, it was nice but it just wasn't Disney.

I see I have 6 pages to read to catch up here.:lovestruc

My dd will be 14 at the time of sailing too, so maybe they can get to know each other, I believe someone else's dd is also. Can't wait for Alaska

["Ginger"]

My dd will be 14 at the time of sailing too, so maybe they can get to know each other, I believe someone else's dd is also. Can't wait for Alaska

That would be great, I'm sure my DD would love to get to know your DD and others.

[CarolAnnC]

Just a quick hi to everyone here! We are in Baltic cruise planning fever right now, but will get down to business with this one as summer approaches.

Hope everyone is well..

[ratt1345]

DW and I can't wait for this cruise. I've been checking online for anything and everything about Vancouver. And with the Olympics going on, wow, so much out there!!! We have been checking out all the possibilities to get from Seattle to Vancouver. This will be a switch for me. I have been so spoiled to be able to drive to Port Canaveral (only 2.5 hours away) and not have to spend money on a hotel room and plane tickets.

Charlie

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

Hi everyone!

I had posted a couple weeks ago that I was looking at flying to Seattle, then possibly taking the train to Vancouver. But as Charlie said earlier today, watching the Olympics has me thinking I want to spend more time before and after the cruise in Vancouver! It is hard to be able to compare all of the prices for flights, trains, rental cars, hotels, et cetera to see how the costs will pan out. And I am certain I will flip-flop a dozen times on flying to Seattle or straight to Vancouver. But I guess that's OK with our cruise being so far away!

Brian

[Ginamarie]

My dd will be 14 at the time of sailing too, so maybe they can get to know each other, I believe someone else's dd is also. Can't wait for Alaska

My sister will also be 14 when we set sail :)

Hi everyone!

I had posted a couple weeks ago that I was looking at flying to Seattle, then possibly taking the train to Vancouver. But as Charlie said earlier today, watching the Olympics has me thinking I want to spend more time before and after the cruise in Vancouver! It is hard to be able to compare all of the prices for flights, trains, rental cars, hotels, et cetera to see how the costs will pan out. And I am certain I will flip-flop a dozen times on flying to Seattle or straight to Vancouver. But I guess that's OK with our cruise being so far away!

Brian

From what I've seen, flying into Seattle is cheaper if you live in the US. Ideally, our plan is to fly into Seattle on the Thursday or Friday before the cruise, spend a couple of days there, and then up to Vancouver before we leave. Then we'd like to have a couple of days in Vancouver after the cruise.

I'm not sure about the options for getting from Seattle to Vancouver and vice versa though. There is a train, but the times are limited. I believe there is also a bus option. I don't know if either of those make more sense or if renting a car is the way to go. All things I'll have to look into this summer, after our TA cruise is over!

[justhat]

My sister will also be 14 when we set sail :)

You are so kidding me!!! What was she, 8 when I met her? 14!?!

[fabumouse]

Hi everybody,
Who else is on this one with us?!

Our party currently consists of:
Me (Justine)
my husband (Joey)
mom (Dorothy)
daughter (Madison - 7yo)
son (Henry-4yo)
and daughter-to-be (yet to be named - 1yo)

Update, lady! ;)

Daughter is now Scarlett. Feisty little thing.

[mousemom11]

Update, lady! ;)

Daughter is now Scarlett. Feisty little thing.

Congratulations!!:welcome: Scarlett

[mstinson14]

:welcome:Scarlett!

[jarudinski]

Hi everyone,

We will be on this cruise too. Myself (Julie) My husband, our 2 daughters (12 & 7 at time of sailing) and my father. Also planning to join us will be my mother in law, aunt & grandmother. Still in the midst of planning our Baltic cruise, but am still excited to cruise Alaska :)

[mstinson14]

Hi everyone,

We will be on this cruise too. Myself (Julie) My husband, our 2 daughters (12 & 7 at time of sailing) and my father. Also planning to join us will be my mother in law, aunt & grandmother. Still in the midst of planning our Baltic cruise, but am still excited to cruise Alaska :)

:welcome: Also just wondering which baltic cruise are you going on?

[jarudinski]

:welcome: Also just wondering which baltic cruise are you going on?

June 24th on the Magic. The Alaska cruise will be our 7th, but it will be the first time on the Wonder.

[mstinson14]

June 24th on the Magic. The Alaska cruise will be our 7th, but it will be the first time on the Wonder.

We will be on the July 18 on the magic, that is why I am asking. The alaska cruise will be our 9th and our 3rd time on the wonder.

[tinkerfun]

Hi everyone,
This is my famliy's 3rd Disney cruise. Previously did Disney Magic in Summer of 2004 and 2006.
On this cruise:
me & DH
DD16
DS14
and my mom & Dad
We have connecting rooms 5728 & 5730 and main dining.
Looking forward to a great cuise!
(another) Julie ....are there already like 3 Julie's???

[mstinson14]

Hi everyone,
This is my famliy's 3rd Disney cruise. Previously did Disney Dream in Summer of 2004 and 2006.
On this cruise:
me & DH
DD16
DS14
and my mom & Dad
We have connecting rooms 5728 & 5730 and main dining.
Looking forward to a great cuise!
(another) Julie ....are there already like 3 Julie's???

:welcome:

[mstinson14]

Hi everyone,
This is my famliy's 3rd Disney cruise. Previously did Disney Dream in Summer of 2004 and 2006.
On this cruise:
me & DH
DD16
DS14
and my mom & Dad
We have connecting rooms 5728 & 5730 and main dining.
Looking forward to a great cuise!
(another) Julie ....are there already like 3 Julie's???

How could you have done the dream when it was not built yet in 2004 and 2006?

[CarolAnnC]

Hi all. We have just booked our Baltic excursions and once we are through with that cruise, we will be concentrating more on this one. We are still thrilled to be looking forward to Alaska.

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the coming spring season..

[tinkerfun]

How could you have done the dream when it was not built yet in 2004 and 2006?

Must of had the Dream in my head when I wrote that! It was the Disney Magic.

[DenverVal]

I received a mailing from DCL with general details about our cruise next year :goodvibes

DD14 was very excited, as some of the friends she made on our October cruise will be on the same sailing. DD17 smiled that satisfied smile and commented that she will be old enough for the spa next year. :rolleyes2

It didn't really give any specific information on how to do it yourself because of course they'd really prefer that you book through them, but it was nice to read. Filed it in the cruise folder for later. Checked the expiration on the passports. We're good.

[123peterpan]

going on alaskan cruise june 21. does anyone know of any books i can read about alaskan wonders. thanks

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

going on alaskan cruise june 21. does anyone know of any books i can read about alaskan wonders. thanks

Great question and timing, as I checked out two books from the local library two weeks ago that fit the bill!!

I am reading Frommer's Alaska 2010 and am reading a lot of good info. It is a general travel book, but has some specific tips for those cruising, as well as tips for people not cruising that want to avoid the crowds the ships bring. It's a huge book, but you can read the general info and the info about our ports of call and get a good amount of info.

I also picked-up National Geographic Traveler: Canada. It has a lot of good info about Vancouver. But a lot of the info in the book is a repeat of what is on their web site, which I like a lot. So get the Alaska book and then just check out NG Traveler's web site.

Enjoy!

Brian

[123peterpan]

thanks brian will head to the library tomorrow have a great night. chris

[CarolAnnC]

Only 13 months to go for this cruise! Can't believe how time flies.. :)

[AustinFamily]

hope to see u on our first cruise. We're on deck 6 also.

[Boutilier]

This will be our first cruise. There will be 4 of us - DH, myself, DS-10 and DD-8. We are on deck 6 with main dining. The kids don't know we will be cruising. We told them we are just going to Canada for a 2 week vacation - hoping for about 1 week in Vancouver/Whistler prior to cruise. It's very hard not to talk about the trip at home so this thread is great!!
Jennifer

[DenverVal]

Welcome, Jennifer! This thread has been pretty quiet recently. I know I've been slammed by my kids' activities so I'm looking forward to a little free time for planning this cruise.

[Ginamarie]

I just realized that we only have a little over 12 months before this cruise. :cool1:

We have to do a little adjusting to my group. My dad is going to be bowing out, but there won't be any extra room in my mom's cabin because DH and I are expecting baby #3. Now I just have to decide which one of my kids will be rooming with Nona :)

[fabumouse]

I just realized that we only have a little over 12 months before this cruise. :cool1:

We have to do a little adjusting to my group. My dad is going to be bowing out,

My MIL has been pricing this cruise - also looking to sail without the grandpop but hasn't completely agreed yet. Hmmmm - I wonder which kid I could stuff in *her* room. :thumbsup2

[Ginamarie]

My MIL has been pricing this cruise - also looking to sail without the grandpop but hasn't completely agreed yet. Hmmmm - I wonder which kid I could stuff in *her* room. :thumbsup2

Yeah, we can't fit in our cat 10 with three kids, so my mom is going to HAVE to take one of them. I don't think she'll mind too much. My dad is a grump on vacation, so having a kid is easier than taking him along. I wish we could have afforded to go the route of cat 4 cabins again. We were so spoiled on the TA cruise. I'm going to miss all of that space!

[ratt1345]

It is nice to see this thead has had a little more activity in recent months. It will be 53 weeks come June 15th!!! Where has the time gone?!?!? These next 12 months will be here and gone before we know it.

We will also be checking out some travel guides on Vancouver and Alaska in general. I have already put in my request for time off!!!!:thumbsup2 Don't want anyone to beat to the punch or say I didn't give enough notice:lmao:!!!

This will be my 6th Disney cruise and DW's 2nd. Can't wait for next year!!!!

Charlie

[mousemom11]

:welcome: to all the new cruisers! I've been away from the thread for a while because we were not sure that we were actually going to sail on this cruise. We had been considering a DIY land trip combined with a one-way Anchorage-Vancouver with either RCCL or Princess. However, after many family discussions, we decided to stick with Disney and spend time in Vancouver pre-cruise. So you're now stuck with us! :lmao:

We live in a suburb of Seattle and have been to Vancouver a few times previously, so feel to use us as a resource if you have logistical/sightseeing questions for these areas.

Boutilier, we surprised our 2 daughters last year with their first cruise. The video that I took of the "reveal" (as we were driving across the causeway into the port) shall live on in family history. It's perfect that you told them that you're doing a Canada vacation. That way you can at least talk about the Vancouver stuff ahead of time. You're right, this board was a great outlet for me as I planned our cruise last year since I couldn't talk about it at home.

Can't wait to cruise with all of you! Alaska and Disney - there is no better combination!

[mstinson14]

1 year 3 days!!!!!!! :wave: everyone

[Ginamarie]

On this day next year--- we will be sailing!!!!!!!!

:love:

[DenverVal]

A year from now. That sounds like an eternity. I'm going to need a sunny beach between now and then.

[mousemom11]

On this day next year--- we will be sailing!!!!!!!!

:love:

:thumbsup2 The ticker is now below 1 year

[Ohana 4]

Yay! Today is a big day for all of us!

[LVaughn]

Our family is on this cruise as well. I have DW, DS14 and DD11 joining me on this cruise. We're really looking forward to it. It'll be our 4th DCL cruise.

We're looking into flights and hotels for the night before the cruise. I'm about to head over to the main cruise forum, but I wanted to post here first. Has there been discussion about this already?

[Ginamarie]

Our family is on this cruise as well. I have DW, DS14 and DD11 joining me on this cruise. We're really looking forward to it. It'll be our 4th DCL cruise.

We're looking into flights and hotels for the night before the cruise. I'm about to head over to the main cruise forum, but I wanted to post here first. Has there been discussion about this already?



I know we're flying Jetblue into Seattle because we have a lot of Jetblue airlines credits to use up. I need to figure out the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver though! We will be flying in a couple of days before the cruise.

[rsschneck]

We have been busy planning too many cruises. With the KFM deal we booked January, March and Alaska for June. I need a second job! The other kicker is we are thinking about adding onto our DVC membership and buying into Hawaii. I am wondering if I can make a sign and stand near a freeway exit to help make money for our vacations!:banana: Anyone want to contribute?:thumbsup2

[DenverVal]

I saw a preliminary points chart for Aulani - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2494121 7 nights in a 1-BR standard view during late May to early June is 259 points. At $114 per point, $29,526. Spring break (March) is 308 points for a week.

[rsschneck]

I saw a preliminary points chart for Aulani - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2494121 7 nights in a 1-BR standard view during late May to early June is 259 points. At $114 per point, $29,526. Spring break (March) is 308 points for a week.

I know it is a killer! We are looking at 125 point add on so we can go every third year in a one bedroom ocean view choice season (350 points)

We are still talking ourselves into or out of it. I can't decide! I just don't think it is going to be too easy to book Hawaii at 7 months as it is WDW.:confused3

[DenverVal]

It is such a beautiful place and all the islands are a little different. Borrowing and banking a smaller number of points sounds like an excellent idea. Can you tell I've been thinking about it??

[rsschneck]

It is such a beautiful place and all the islands are a little different. Borrowing and banking a smaller number of points sounds like an excellent idea.

We LOVE Hawaii! Maui mostly though. Since moving to Texas from Oregon we are not going to Hawaii but every third year (airfare is too expensive). With the incentives right now we are looking at $13000 add on which is still pretty steep considering it is for an every third year vacation.:confused3

[DenverVal]

Our favorite is the Big Island, and we'd really rather stay there than on Oahu, so although I had a moment of excitement, after a little number-crunching and some consideration, we've decided not to add on.

[rsschneck]

Our favorite is the Big Island, and we'd really rather stay there than on Oahu, so although I had a moment of excitement, after a little number-crunching and some consideration, we've decided not to add on.


Still on the fence. Do you think making reservations at 7 months is going to be easy or impossible.

[DenverVal]

For what it's worth, I think that holidays will be impossible to get, and the least expensive times of the year may also be hard to get. I think it will be very, very popular, but the price of airfare may make some folks take pause. It's expensive and no one can get out of paying it. And you can't drive there. Using the points every three years essentially means about 17 vacations over the length of the contract; dividing your investment by 17 is about $1470 per trip for accommodations.

[rsschneck]

don't forget about the annual dues every year for a resort that will be used every third year. We figure about $3000 per week on average. Don't forget you will have to pay the resort a timeshare tax with each trip as well. Arggg!
Tough decision!!!

[DenverVal]

My favorite B&B in Volcano Village runs about $120/night and the breakfast was the best meal of our day. I'd rather spend that money on something amazing to do than somewhere amazing to sleep. Good luck with your decision.

[Ginamarie]

Coming from the east coast, Hawaii is a place we may only visit once or twice in our lifetime instead of WDW which we can potentially visit once or twice a year. The DVC in Hawaii is out of the question for us, but I wouldn't be against renting points to stay there when we visit. I'm also holding out hope that DCL will take 2 week cruises from CA to Hawaii at some point, because I'd be all over that (only having to pay airfare to CA and getting another 2 weeks on DCL) :).

[CarolAnnC]

Although we plan on visiting Hawaii in the future, and will use our DVC points most likely, we are not going to buy in there. We have about 1100 points now and will take our chances on the 7 month window.

Now that our Baltic is over, we will be starting to plan this one out in depth. In between we are taking my mom on a 3 day in October for her birthday gift. That will put me into the Platinum group for Alaska!

Anyone thinking about excursions or what they may offer yet?

[fabumouse]

Hey Carol... we are also now focusing on Alaska. My DD9 is annoyed, as it is 11 months away (and I'm expecting her to do some research about resources, etc.). But I just printed out some new magnets for the cruise and put them in my travel folder. :laughing:

[carolmb]

Hawaii is one of my favorite vacations. We have stayed on Ohau once, the Big Island 5 times and Maui once. Hoping to go back and stay at the DVC at some point.

Now that we are back from the Baltic cruise all I have been thinking about is Alaska. I think we will fly into Seattle a few days before and take the ferry to Victioria for one night and then to Vancouver for a couple of nights before the cruise. I am trying to look at all of the possibilities to figure out a ballpark budget. I really want to go whale watching.

Carol

[mousemom11]

We're back from the Mediterranean, so I'm starting to think about Alaska. After the long flights to Barcelona, we're very happy that all we need to do is drive from Seattle to Vancouver for the Alaska cruise. :thumbsup2

Tentatively, our plan is to spend 3-5 days in Vancouver pre-cruise. Our shore excursions will all be DIY, so once we decide what we want to do, I'll post it here to see if anyone else would care to join us.

[Ginamarie]

We're back from the Mediterranean, so I'm starting to think about Alaska. After the long flights to Barcelona, we're very happy that all we need to do is drive from Seattle to Vancouver for the Alaska cruise. :thumbsup2

Tentatively, our plan is to spend 3-5 days in Vancouver pre-cruise. Our shore excursions will all be DIY, so once we decide what we want to do, I'll post it here to see if anyone else would care to join us.

Lucky! We're planning to fly from NY to Seattle and then will have to take the train from Seattle to Vancouver. The flight is about 6 hours, so only a LITTLE shorter than our flight after the Transatlantic in April!

I'm hoping the rumors about DCL coming to NY in 2012 are true. I'd love to be able to drive to the port!

[CarolAnnC]

Hey Carol... we are also now focusing on Alaska. My DD9 is annoyed, as it is 11 months away (and I'm expecting her to do some research about resources, etc.). But I just printed out some new magnets for the cruise and put them in my travel folder. :laughing:

You are getting an early start, lol! I need to do some research myself and start determining exactly what port excursions will be appealing to us..

Hawaii is one of my favorite vacations. We have stayed on Ohau once, the Big Island 5 times and Maui once. Hoping to go back and stay at the DVC at some point.

Now that we are back from the Baltic cruise all I have been thinking about is Alaska. I think we will fly into Seattle a few days before and take the ferry to Victioria for one night and then to Vancouver for a couple of nights before the cruise. I am trying to look at all of the possibilities to figure out a ballpark budget. I really want to go whale watching.

Carol

I think we will fly direct to Vancouver. DH has lots of airline miles this year so I am hoping we can take advantage of those and get us directly there. Though, Seattle is appealing as well..

[mousemom11]

Lucky! We're planning to fly from NY to Seattle and then will have to take the train from Seattle to Vancouver.

You might want to consider the QuickCoach, which departs directly from the airport. It has more daily departures than the train, and that way you don't have to schlep your bags across the airport, onto the light rail train, and walk a few blocks in a not-so-nice neighborhood from the light rail to the train station.

http://www.quickcoach.com/

[Ginamarie]

You might want to consider the QuickCoach, which departs directly from the airport. It has more daily departures than the train, and that way you don't have to schlep your bags across the airport, onto the light rail train, and walk a few blocks in a not-so-nice neighborhood from the light rail to the train station.

http://www.quickcoach.com/

I saw the quickcoach. I think we're going to spend a couple of nights in Seattle before the cruise, so we'll probably be renting a car (or two). I still have to figure out all of the details though. This is actually as difficult to plan as the end of our Transatlantic cruise!

[DenverVal]

Thanks for the link, Mousemom! It's been a while since I checked airfares, and I was surprised to see how much more it will cost to fly to Vancouver versus Seattle. Even with a round-trip fare of $99, it's still a savings over flying to Vancouver.

I've never been up that way. Mapquest estimates 3 hours.

[mousemom11]

Thanks for the link, Mousemom! It's been a while since I checked airfares, and I was surprised to see how much more it will cost to fly to Vancouver versus Seattle. Even with a round-trip fare of $99, it's still a savings over flying to Vancouver.

I've never been up that way. Mapquest estimates 3 hours.

You are quite welcome. According to the QuickCoach schedule, it takes about 5 hours from SeaTac Airport to Downtown Vancouver, including all the stops and crossing the border.

[CAprincess]

New to the Disboards, so excited to find other Alaska cruisers! Me (Karen), DH (Ross), DS (10-Ian), DD (8-Natalie) and DS (Helen) will be onboard next June 21. I'm so glad it is finally less than 1 year until our trip. It seemed like such a long way off when we booked last year. We can't decide if we will be spending any time in Seattle before or after so I haven't made any flight or hotel plans yet. Look forward to hearing everyone's plans.

[CarolAnnC]

New to the Disboards, so excited to find other Alaska cruisers! Me (Karen), DH (Ross), DS (10-Ian), DD (8-Natalie) and DS (Helen) will be onboard next June 21. I'm so glad it is finally less than 1 year until our trip. It seemed like such a long way off when we booked last year. We can't decide if we will be spending any time in Seattle before or after so I haven't made any flight or hotel plans yet. Look forward to hearing everyone's plans.

Hi and welcome to the DIS! We are planning on spending some time in Vancouver, though Seattle would be tempting. Just need to conserve the days I need to take off work. :)

[ratt1345]

DW and I were discussing our flight plans last night. We are still deciding on flying into Seattle or Vancouver. We are not sure about flying the 6 hours or so from Florida and then get on the bus for 5 more hours.:confused3
What to do!!!What to do!!!:scared1: Also trying to figure out where to stay in Vancouver. We are looking at 7 or 8 places.

Charlie

[mousemom11]

DW and I were discussing our flight plans last night. We are still deciding on flying into Seattle or Vancouver. We are not sure about flying the 6 hours or so from Florida and then get on the bus for 5 more hours.:confused3
What to do!!!What to do!!!:scared1: Also trying to figure out where to stay in Vancouver. We are looking at 7 or 8 places.

Charlie

I guess you'll have to weigh the difference in price between flying into Vancouver vs flying into Seattle and taking the train/bus to Vancouver from there. You're right, there is definitely a hassle factor in doing the latter. So the question you will need to answer is how much $ savings do you have to have to be willing to put up with the hassle?

As far as where to stay in Vancouver, are you looking for something close to the pier?

[carolmb]

DW and I were discussing our flight plans last night. We are still deciding on flying into Seattle or Vancouver. We are not sure about flying the 6 hours or so from Florida and then get on the bus for 5 more hours.:confused3
What to do!!!What to do!!!:scared1: Also trying to figure out where to stay in Vancouver. We are looking at 7 or 8 places.

Charlie

We have decided to fly into Vancouver and are staying 3 nights at the Hampton Inn by the airport, then the night before the cruise at the Pan Pacific. I think that it will be cool to walk to the cruise ship straight from the hotel.

[fabumouse]

It seemed like such a long way off when we booked last year. .

Wait until 3 months from the cruise and you'll wonder where the time went for sure! :eek:

Welcome to the Disboards!! There is so much information here that it can be overwhelming, but the collective experience makes your cruise so much better.

Make sure you find a "what to pack for a DCL cruise" thread, b/c if you've never cruised before, things like "a clear over the door shoe holder" seem a bit out of place.... but I pack it first every cruise. :thumbsup2

[fabumouse]

Oh, and as it gets closer, I'll organize the Fish Extender Exchange. PM me if you are interested. :woohoo:

Justhat and Ginamarie, don't worry - you're already on my list. ;)

[Ginamarie]

Oh, and as it gets closer, I'll organize the Fish Extender Exchange. PM me if you are interested. :woohoo:

Justhat and Ginamarie, don't worry - you're already on my list. ;)

Yay! Yeah, three cabins for my group. I still have to call DCL to swap my dad off of the cruise and the new baby onto the cruise. :love:

[fabumouse]

and the new baby onto the cruise. :love:

Yayyyy. :thumbsup2

Are all 3 cabins going to be doing the FE?

I think we may be doing Whistler post-cruise. And yes, that's becoming a logistical issue too (not to mention, all my stuff will be stinky :laughing:).

[CarolAnnC]

Sorry to tell you all that we had to rebook this cruise due to a work conflict. I am sure you will all have a fabulous cruise, and I will hop on here sometimes to chat and to see how your cruise goes..we will be sailing in August.

Take care all..

[rsschneck]

Sorry to tell you all that we had to rebook this cruise due to a work conflict. I am sure you will all have a fabulous cruise, and I will hop on here sometimes to chat and to see how your cruise goes..we will be sailing in August.

Take care all..

I was reading your DVC post about the cruise. Were you finally able to switch your cruise dates without any problem?

Our family has also canceled this cruise due to a work conflict. We are sailing in January the Mexican Riviera and plan to rebook an August sailing for Alaska. I don't know which date in August yet and will decide that when we are sailing in Jauary.

[fabumouse]

Sorry to tell you all that we had to rebook this cruise due to a work conflict. .

I am bummed - I was looking forward to finally meeting you! Have a great trip in August! :goodvibes

[Gilland18]

We're on it, too. 18 people, 4 generations, ages 81 to 10 mos., 6 cabins on deck 5. Can't wait!

[mousemom11]

We're on it, too. 18 people, 4 generations, ages 81 to 10 mos., 6 cabins on deck 5. Can't wait!

Welcome! It sounds like a wonderful gathering. Where on deck 5 are you? We have 2 cabins aft portside.

[Gilland18]

We have 6 cabins forward portside. Should be handy for Flounders with the little ones.
Kim

[fabumouse]

We have 6 cabins forward portside. Should be handy for Flounders with the little ones.
Kim

Excellent! And welcome to the thread. :thumbsup2 Have you been on DCL before?

[Gilland18]

3 nites on the Wonder in 2003, part of a Land & Sea trip, and 3 nites on Carnival 20 years ago. Looking forward to 7 nights. It seems like we saw nothing of the ship on the 3 niter.

[fabumouse]

3 nites on the Wonder in 2003.... It seems like we saw nothing of the ship on the 3 niter.

I can totally understand that. We've finally been at sea enough days that our family has experienced the pools (although still not the goofy pool), the spa, the bars on Deck 3 (especially during the World Cup! :thumbsup2), a few movies at both theaters... but we still keep finding our way around.

A week gives you the time to at least remember your restaurant rotation. :)

[Ginamarie]

Yayyyy. :thumbsup2

Are all 3 cabins going to be doing the FE?

I think we may be doing Whistler post-cruise. And yes, that's becoming a logistical issue too (not to mention, all my stuff will be stinky :laughing:).

Yes, all three will be doing the FE. We love that part of the cruise :)


I finally called DCL to take my dad off of the reservation and add the two expected babies. The funniest part was that they couldn't guarantee early dining rotation for the newest passenger (the baby!) So we have a six month old on the wait list to dine with the rest of us. It's totally logistics, so I'm sure it will be fine, but the thought of the baby having to dine alone just cracked me up.

We booked our hotel for the night before the cruise. We'll be at the Hyatt Regency (I got a great rate on priceline).

[fabumouse]

GM - if I didn't say so before, I added you for the Fish Extender exchange for all three rooms... and I love that part, too. We had so much fun the last cruise with that - some people were so creative - with things that I didn't remember to bring or wouldn't have even thought of. :thumbsup2

I laughed about the baby sitting on its own in the wrong dining rotation (visions of you just plopping it down in a seat and walking away...):lmao:

We also had dining rotation issues on this trip, which were resolved almost immediately, so we're all on early.

[tinkerfun]

Ok, I joined the post a while back and just got back on today. I thought I read through all the ones I missed, but I'm having trouble figureing out what the Fish Extender is....or was it Fish Exchanger. Now that I am typing this post, i can't see the previous ones. Help me out someone! :confused3
Julie

[LVaughn]

Ok, I joined the post a while back and just got back on today. I thought I read through all the ones I missed, but I'm having trouble figureing out what the Fish Extender is....or was it Fish Exchanger. Now that I am typing this post, i can't see the previous ones. Help me out someone! :confused3
Julie

The FAQ thread is your friend: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2068966

Also, if you scroll down when you're making a post, you'll see the previous posts in the thread.

[tinkerfun]

OMG....thanks so much for the FE info! I was really stumped on that one. And also thanks for the scroll down tip!

[Ginamarie]

GM - if I didn't say so before, I added you for the Fish Extender exchange for all three rooms... and I love that part, too. We had so much fun the last cruise with that - some people were so creative - with things that I didn't remember to bring or wouldn't have even thought of. :thumbsup2

I laughed about the baby sitting on its own in the wrong dining rotation (visions of you just plopping it down in a seat and walking away...):lmao:

We also had dining rotation issues on this trip, which were resolved almost immediately, so we're all on early.

I know, the image of the baby eating alone is too funny!

I still have so much to do to prepare for this vacation, though I'm getting anxious to hear the plans for 2012, which usually come out in the next few weeks. I'll be psyched if they position a ship out of NYC. Without having to worry about airfare, I know we'll be able to swing a 2012 cruise that way!

[mousemom11]

We sail 9 months from today!!!! :cool1:

[ratt1345]

Fabumouse, I don't think that I have told you...DW and I would like to be added to FE exchange. We had a blast doing it on our Magic cruise back in November. If a FE exchange had been talked about before, I must have missed it. I haven't really checked this very often because life has gotten in the way!!!:headache::lmao:

Can't wait to meet everyone!!!!:banana::thumbsup2

Charlie

[fabumouse]

ratt - happy to add you to the FE list!

Anyone who wants to be added to the fish extender exchange list, please PM me. :)

9 months? Wow! Although my 4 year old asks every other day - is *today* when we are going to the Mickey ship?

It's going to be a looong nine months.

Has anyone researched the towns we'll be visiting?

[fabumouse]

I'm getting anxious to hear the plans for 2012,

any word on that? I realized I'm also waiting to hear about the Med. cruises. Those *are* the ones you mean, right??:goodvibes

[Ginamarie]

ratt - happy to add you to the FE list!

Anyone who wants to be added to the fish extender exchange list, please PM me. :)

9 months? Wow! Although my 4 year old asks every other day - is *today* when we are going to the Mickey ship?

It's going to be a looong ten months.

Has anyone researched the towns we'll be visiting?

I know, all of the kids here are ready to get on the "mickey boat" already.

My parents actually did an Alaska cruise in 2008 and stopped at most (or all) of the ports we're scheduled to see so mom has some good info about them. I'm waiting to see what the DCL shore excursions list looks like before I decide what we're going to do in each port. There are a lot of cool Alaskan shore excursions, but they tend to be pricey so I'll have to see what we can swing and which ones we're most interested in doing.

As for 2012, I don't think I'll be able to swing a med cruise. Getting clipped for the airfare to Europe roundtrip would be too rich for my blood. I MIGHT get talked into a westbound repo trip though. We loved the repo this year, repos tend to have the best pricing, airfare would only be extra expensive in one direction, and we all said that we'd be interested in trying to cross the Atlantic westbound so that we'd GAIN an hour of sleep each night instead of losing it. I'd be most likely to book on opening day for any cruise out of NY (the longer the itinerary the better), and I'm REALLY interested in the Wonder possibly stopping in Hawaii. If they planned one or two two-week itineraries (either Los Angeles, stopping in Ensenada and to Hawaii and back or Seattle, stopping in Vancouver, to Hawaii and back) I might suck up the expensive airfare and book that. A long Hawaii itinerary from the west coast is on my bucket list!

The latest rumors for 2012 are eastern Europe and Greece/Turkey/Egypt. We'll have to see what the actual DCL announcement is in the next couple of weeks!!

[mousemom11]

I bought Fodor's Alaska Ports of Call, which is focused on cruise ship excursions, but I haven't read it yet. A friend of mine just got back from an Alaskan cruise last week, so I'm going to take her to dinner soon and pick her brain about excursions that she did.

[Peggy Jean]

Booked last week while we were on the Wonder. Got a great deal, (in addition to the 10% off, we only had to do 1/2 a deposit and Wonderful onboard credit) it'll be me, DH, DD23 and DS24. We're in 2, 11B category rooms, side by side. They're GTY rooms, maybe with a little pixie dust we'll get an upgrade. We did on the last one from a 12 to a 9!!!!, that was super.

Actually, rather than a room request I'd like to see my waitlist for Main seating for dinner fulfilled.

We're all really excited, my kids are both out of state and we're really only together a few times a year, so 7 nights together is a real blessing.

[fabumouse]

mousemom - did you get great information from your friend re: Alaska??

:cutie:

[mousemom11]

mousemom - did you get great information from your friend re: Alaska??

:cutie:

No, we haven't managed to hook up yet. But I'm seeing her on Saturday, so I'll talk to her about it then.

[mousemom11]

8 months from today we'll be sailing on a WONDERful cruise to Alaska!! :woohoo:

[Ginamarie]

8 months from today we'll be sailing on a WONDERful cruise to Alaska!! :woohoo:

YAAAY! :banana:

[fabumouse]

8 months from today we'll be sailing on a WONDERful cruise to Alaska!! :woohoo:

Hooray!!!

We've had so much else going on - I keep forgeting this cruise is coming up in a "few" months. :woohoo:

[justhat]

Hooray!!!

We've had so much else going on - I keep forgeting this cruise is coming up in a "few" months. :woohoo:

Wait, you are running the FE list!?! Who let that happen!?! ;)

[fabumouse]

Wait, you are running the FE list!?! Who let that happen!?! ;)

Oddly, you have the largest FE I've ever seen. What are you hoping for, a new car? :lmao:

[Ginamarie]

Oddly, you have the largest FE I've ever seen. What are you hoping for, a new car? :lmao:

I thought they said "it's not the SIZE of the FE that matters...."

:)

[Ohana 4]

:yay::banana::dance3::cheer2:
Cars 2 comes out while we're on this cruise. What are the chances that our wonderful ship will show this while we sail the waters of Alaska????
I hope, I hope, I hope!!!

[mousemom11]

I met with my friend earlier this week and got her input about her Alaska cruise. In Juneau, they took a helicopter flight and landed on the Mendenhall Glacier. They zip-lined in Ketchikan, and took the White Pass RR train in Skagway. She loved all 3 excursions.

I've also read Fodor's Alaska Ports of Call, and here is what they say are the best bets in each of the ports:

Juneau - Walk S Franklin St, Mt Roberts Tram, Mendenhall Glacier. Based on reviews that I've read, skip the river rafting. The overall consensus was that it's boring. Very positive reviews for whale watching with Harv and Marv. BUT, they do not take kids under 13. I think that we're going to zipline in Juneau and visit Mendenhall Glacier.

Ketchikan - Explore Creek St, Saxman Totem Pole Park, Rainforest Canopy Tours. I have also read lots of positive reviews about flightseeing, which I think that we're going to do.

Skagway - White Pass & Yukon RR, Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, shopping in Skagway. I'm looking into a combo bus/train excursion for Skagway.

If you want to do further research, I recommend the Cruise Critic Alaska Board here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55 and also Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.com. In Trip Advisor, just do a search for each city and then look under the Things to Do Category. Each attraction is reviewed.

[fabumouse]

OMgosh - thank you!!! this is great information Becky. And we really were looking into ziplines... guess it's a must do! :hippie:

[mousemom11]

OMgosh - thank you!!! this is great information Becky. And we really were looking into ziplines... guess it's a must do! :hippie:

You are quite welcome! All of us are quite excited to try the ziplines.

[Ginamarie]

OMgosh - thank you!!! this is great information Becky. And we really were looking into ziplines... guess it's a must do! :hippie:

I'm pretty sure we'll be breaking up the group so that some of us can do ziplining. DH and I did it in Costa Rica and LOVED it. We have a bunch of little kids, so not all of the adults can participate, but I know my sisters are dying to do it!

[mousemom11]

I'm pretty sure we'll be breaking up the group so that some of us can do ziplining. DH and I did it in Costa Rica and LOVED it. We have a bunch of little kids, so not all of the adults can participate, but I know my sisters are dying to do it!

Do we want to try to get a group together from our meet thread to zipline in Juneau? I'd be happy to coordinate. The company that we are looking at is http://www.alaskazip.com/. We picked them over Alaska Canopy Adventures because their minimum age and weight restrictions were smaller. That way our DD10 can go. If people are interested, I'll contact them and ask about their group sizes and if they offer any group discounts.

[Ginamarie]

Do we want to try to get a group together from our meet thread to zipline in Juneau? I'd be happy to coordinate. The company that we are looking at is http://www.alaskazip.com/. We picked them over Alaska Canopy Adventures because their minimum age and weight restrictions were smaller. That way our DD10 can go. If people are interested, I'll contact them and ask about their group sizes and if they offer any group discounts.

Sounds like a good idea! Please let me know what you find out.

I'm sure that we'll have a 2-5 adults interested as well as my 13 year old sister (assuming she meets the weight qualifications- I haven't looked on the website yet).

[mousemom11]

I emailed Alaska Zipline Adventures about whether they have room for a group and if they offer a group discount. Here is their reply:

Thank you so much for contacting Alaska Zipline Adventures! We're excited that you'll be zipping with us next summer! The maximum group size for each tour is 12 people. If you book all 12 spots for a tour, you'll receive a 10% discount for the overall price prior to sales tax. The tour price for adults (13 & up, 70-250lbs.) is $149 per person, and children (9-12, must weigh at least 70lbs.) are $99 each.

On June 25, 2011, we have 2 tour times that would work well for your group -- 10:00a & 11:00a. The tours are 3.5 hours in length, so you would return to Downtown at 1:30 and 2:30, respectively, after the zipline tour!

I've emailed hime back and asked how long he would give us to determine whether or not we will have 12 people who want to go so that we could get the group discount.

[fabumouse]

Do we want to try to get a group together from our meet thread to zipline in Juneau? .

Absolutely! My DD will be 10 and will want to do it. Count us in for 2 people (probably 3 if I can get someone to watch the 4 year old) :cool1:

[mousemom11]

Here is the reply that I received when I asked Alaska Zipline Adventures how long they would hold the 10 am tour for us to get 12 participants:

We're excited that your group will be ziplining with us next summer! In order reserve a spot on a tour, payment must be made for the desired number of spots. Until payment is made for the spaces, the tour must remain open for other customers to book online. Most tours will not start booking for another few weeks, though, so as soon as you know a number (or at least a tentative number), we can complete the booking for those who are guaranteeing to be on the tour. If you book at least 8 spaces and foresee booking the remaining 4 spots, I may be able to hold the remaining spaces for an extra week or so to allow you time to fill them. I hope that helps!

So, if you are interested, please speak up ASAP with a count of how many would be going. If we don't have a group of 12 by the end of the week (12/3), then I'm just going to book our family to make sure that we get a spot.

[Ginamarie]

Here is the reply that I received when I asked Alaska Zipline Adventures how long they would hold the 10 am tour for us to get 12 participants:



So, if you are interested, please speak up ASAP with a count of how many would be going. If we don't have a group of 12 by the end of the week (12/3), then I'm just going to book our family to make sure that we get a spot.

I'll talk to my family about this. It's a crazy week around here though because I have sick kids, a sick husband, and I'm going to deliver a baby SOMETIME this week (baby will be induced on Saturday if he/she doesn't show up earlier).

[mousemom11]

I'll talk to my family about this. It's a crazy week around here though because I have sick kids, a sick husband, and I'm going to deliver a baby SOMETIME this week (baby will be induced on Saturday if he/she doesn't show up earlier).

Holy moly! You most definitely have a full plate. Happy birthing to you. Hope all goes well for you and the baby and that your family gets well soon!

[fabumouse]

Wow, GM!! I am so excited that the baby is coming soon. :cool1:

Becky - count us in for 3 people, I'm dumping the small one.

[justhat]

Wow, GM!! I am so excited that the baby is coming soon. :cool1:

Becky - count us in for 3 people, I'm dumping the small one.

Awww, Madeleine! She'll be so, so sad to hear all about Hengry and Madsin's fun adventures in port while she was trapped in the club. :sad1:

[mousemom11]

For those of you who are interested in ziplining in Juneau, please go to the website http://www.alaskazip.com/ and click on the Book Your Trip link in the upper right and book for the 6/25/11 10:00 am trip. In the Information You Want Us To Know section, please specifiy that you are with the Disney Wonder group that is booking the 10 am slot.

They cannot hold the entire 10 am time slot open for us, so please book it as soon as you can to be assured of a place in the 10 am tour. You will need to pay for it now, but they do have a 100% refund policy as long as you cancel at least 7 days before the excursion.

[Ginamarie]

Hey, has anyone looked into the ABD add on for our cruise? I just saw it listed on disboards. It looks awesome, but $$$ and not for my little travelers.

We finally booked air to Seattle for 6/10/11 and wound up booking a flight from Seattle to Vancouver on 6/20/11 because it was cheaper and faster than the train/bus. I still have to book air from Vancouver back to NY.

Oh, and fir anyone who didn't see my facebook, we had a baby boy two weeks ago :goodvibes His name is Owen Michael.

[DenverVal]

Congratulations on your new baby boy! How exciting!

I have been so busy with the Christmas season/end of the school semester that I haven't been keeping up with my airfare search. I'll be kicking the planning up a notch very soon, though. I am almost sure that I'd rather spend extra $$ to fly to Vancouver than to take the train/bus/ferry and save some money. The land/sea trip is longer timewise, and I'd have to plan my flights very carefully to make sure I could make the connections, or have long layovers. I'm not sure the savings is worth the brain damage.

[mousemom11]

Hey, has anyone looked into the ABD add on for our cruise? I just saw it listed on disboards. It looks awesome, but $$$ and not for my little travelers.

We finally booked air to Seattle for 6/10/11 and wound up booking a flight from Seattle to Vancouver on 6/20/11 because it was cheaper and faster than the train/bus. I still have to book air from Vancouver back to NY.

Oh, and fir anyone who didn't see my facebook, we had a baby boy two weeks ago :goodvibes His name is Owen Michael.

Congratulations! Looking forward to meeting you and the new arrival in June.

[Ginamarie]

Ave you guys looked at the shore excursions? They went up on the DCL website this week. I actually don't think we will be doing any of them. They have some cool options, but nothing that's both in my budget and/or kid friendly. :(

[RoE_Earth_Globe]

Ave you guys looked at the shore excursions? They went up on the DCL website this week. I actually don't think we will be doing any of them. They have some cool options, but nothing that's both in my budget and/or kid friendly. :(

I've started to look at the descriptions, but have not seen the pricing. Several of them look very interesting, but we'll have to see what fits the budget and our different travelers in our group.

[DCLInauguralXmas]

I am back, We just booked airfare for part of our group - direct flight from Chicago to Vancouver on United airlines returning home from Orange County CA, we are driving down the coast and spending time at Disneyland. for $608.41. The rest of our group are driving cross country in a motorhome, we are playing the griswalds and visiting mount rushmore, yellowstone, etc.

We just booked into the 10:00 am Alpine Zipline Adventure in Juneau.

We are interested in participating in the "fish extenders", who do I need to ask about that?

Does anyone know where I could park a 31 foot motorhome during the cruise? No one would be in it, so an open lot would be best.

I cannot wait! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! :banana:

Denise

[ratt1345]

Congrats Ginamarie!!!! Sorry it's a little late from me, but I've been busy with the holidays.

I read people aren't seeing the prices of the excursions. I only remember seeing one or two that didn't have a price. The rest, however, did. Some are quite high, at least for my budget. There are some that DW and I are interested in. We may look into doing them on our own and booking privately online. Still a little early. I know we are less than 6 months out!!!

DW and i still haven't made our flight plans yet, but we will fly into Vancouver. We also haven't decided on what hotel to stay at. Apparently from reading the Vancouver FAQ thread, their hotels, generally, only have 2 doubles no queen or king beds. Hey, as long as I have a place to sleep and get a good night's sleep, I am fine with that!!!!:cloud9::lmao:

Charlie

[jodeja]

Whew! I just read this whole thread! :)

We are booked for the June 21 Alaska cruise!
It will be another multi-generational group: Myself and my two DS who will be 12 and 10 on the trip, plus my parents. We have connecting rooms on deck 2.
Will my 12 year old have the choice of going to the Oceanear Lab with his brother or the tween club?

It will be my boys' first cruise, and my second cruise - although my first one was over 20 years ago when I was in high school! :laughing: For my boys & I, it is our first trip to Alaska as well. My parents have both been before, in fact my dad goes up there every year to fish.

SO excited, but lots & lots to plan! Starting with getting passports... Also, I am thinking we will take Amtrak from Portland to Vancouver, though the schedules aren't ideal.

We'd like to do the fish extenders too!

[DenverVal]

Took the plunge and booked our airfare into Vancouver tonight! Didn't expect to have to provide the passport info, and had to go digging for it. But it's done. On to deciding on where to stay and what to do for our 2-1/2 days in Vancouver. I tried to get the family to read through the cruise excursion list and tell me what each prefers - everybody wants to do something different, and we'll have to do some negotiating! The younger dd wants to do a zipline, the older one wants nothing to do with it and would rather go kayaking, the husband wants to do the mountain climbing (that came as a surprise)...good grief. Can't we just hike??

[fabumouse]

. I tried to get the family to read through the cruise excursion list and tell me what each prefers - everybody wants to do something different, and we'll have to do some negotiating! ??

Mine just look at me like I have three heads b/c the trip is at the end of June, so why plan now? :confused3;)

[fabumouse]

Whew! I just read this whole thread! :)

We are booked for the June 21 Alaska cruise!
It will be another multi-generational group: Myself and my two DS who will be 12 and 10 on the trip, plus my parents. We have connecting rooms on deck 2.
Will my 12 year old have the choice of going to the Oceanear Lab with his brother or the tween club?



Hooray! Welcome! :cool1:

And Disney has been more flexible about moving kids from clubs to clubs than maybe you have heard in the past. Talk to the counselors, and I'm pretty sure you will get what you want.

:wizard:

[DenverVal]

Mine just look at me like I have three heads b/c the trip is at the end of June, so why plan now? :confused3;)

Yes, I'm familiar with that look. ::yes:: :rolleyes2

[scubadiver]

We just got off the Wonder (1/21/11) on the Panama Cruise and booked this Alaskan cruise onboard.

My DD 8 went back and forth between the Oceaneers Lab and Club. My DD 12 spent her time in the Edge. She could have gone to the Lab and Club, but did not. Since our last Disney cruise, the Edge has been added and it was the best thing Disney could have done for that age group. This will be my wife's and my second Alaskan cruise during the summer solstice, but do not kid yourself, it will be cold in Glacier Bay.

It will interesting to see any modifications to the ship, as it will be going to Alaska.

[LVaughn]

Hello everyone. We've rebooked for a cruise on the Fantasy in 2012, so we won't be joining you in Alaska. Please remove us from the FE list. Enjoy Alaska. I'll still be looking for trip reports, as we're still interested in going to Alaska with Disney at some point.

[ratt1345]

LVaughn, sorry you won't be with us, but have a great time on your other cruise.

DW and I booked airfare to Vancouver, paid off the cruise and booked a hotel near port all last week. The hotel is Hotel Le Soleil. I am crossing my fingers that it is a decent hotel!!!:confused3 We are still trying to figure out what to do in each port. We have so many things we want to do, but we know we only have so much time. I think we will be doing just one main thing, then explore each place. We get to book stuff onboard and such in 43 days.:cool1:

Now I just need June to get here!!!!

Charlie

[mousemom11]

I received our final payment reminder in the mail today from DCL. Just wanted to remind everyone that our final payment is due on 2/21/11.

[DenverVal]

I got mine too. I was hoping it was a price adjustment, but no. That would be silly.

[mousemom11]

I got mine too. I was hoping it was a price adjustment, but no. That would be silly.

:lmao: Wouldn't it have been nice to open it and see a message that said "You have been sprinkled with Pixie Dust. Your balance due is now $0"

[DenverVal]

Yes that would be "Wonder"ful! :laughing::rolleyes1

[Ginamarie]

My payment reminder showed up today. Ugh! At least it will be paid off soon right?

All my flights are booked now. I just have to take care of the rental car/hotel in Seattle for our pre-cruise stay.

[Ohana 4]

Each time we pay some money towards the trip, DCL sends us a letter in the mail with an updated status. We paid the entire cruise off about three weeks ago and have received nothing saying we are paid off. The website says we owe $0, but I have nothing from mail. Has this happened to anyone, or is this the norm?
And my other question: Should we expect literature in the mail from DCL as our sail date gets closer? Or is everything online? This being our first cruise, I have no idea what to expect from here on. :)

[justhat]

I received our final payment reminder in the mail today from DCL. Just wanted to remind everyone that our final payment is due on 2/21/11.

Ours was due on 1/22, which really, really irritates me as we can't book anything till 2/21. We asked why and their reasons were insane: because it's a suite and because the port of origin is outside the US. Well, so was the Baltic cruise we did last summer, but we didn't have to pay so far ahead!

[justhat]

Each time we pay some money towards the trip, DCL sends us a letter in the mail with an updated status. We paid the entire cruise off about three weeks ago and have received nothing saying we are paid off. The website says we owe $0, but I have nothing from mail. Has this happened to anyone, or is this the norm?
And my other question: Should we expect literature in the mail from DCL as our sail date gets closer? Or is everything online? This being our first cruise, I have no idea what to expect from here on. :)

We've never received anything in the mail saying that we've paid, so I think you're fine. You will get stuff closer, cruise documents, but not till about 30 days out, I think.

["Ginger"]

I know I haven't posted much here been busy with work and such.
Anyway sad to said we had to cancel. After looking into the cost of flying to and from we decided to wait till we can do the 2 week adventure in Alaska.

We do hope everyone here has a wonderful time and we're looking forward to reading your trip reports.

Sending lots of fun pixie dust your way.:love:

[fabumouse]

We've never received anything in the mail saying that we've paid

But you did pay, right?;)

Ginger - sorry to see you won't make it for this cruise - I hope your next one will be fabulous!

[justhat]

But you did pay, right?;)

Ginger - sorry to see you won't make it for this cruise - I hope your next one will be fabulous!

We did. Did you? You never answered me on that, so you aren't trying to bail, are you?

[fabumouse]

We did. Did you? You never answered me on that, so you aren't trying to bail, are you?

Bail on "free" cheese plates at midnight? Never!popcorn::

[justhat]

Yes, the very expensive free cheese plates.

[fabumouse]

and yet, I shudder to think what we are subsidizing for that midnight dessert buffet that we never make it to..... must send the girls this trip for that. :thumbsup2

[DCLInauguralXmas]

Hello all - I have been poking my head around some of the Vancouver and other Alaskan cruise threads...and I thought I would share a few items with you.

They suggest, due to the amount of rain and the unpredictable weather that some of our ports get during the summer, to layer your clothes beginning with under armor/cuddle duds, t-shirts, sweatshirts, then topping with the light weight wind/water resistant jacket.

They also suggest bringing light weight hats and gloves. I plan on watching the sales on under armor, hats and gloves and getting them soon, since in Indiana they are pretty hard to come by come May and June. :)

Also is there a list of the people wishing to participate in a fish extender program? Does anyone know if there is a full service campground in Vancouver? I cannot find any online and have not gotten any responses from the post that I put on the Vancouver site. :yay:

[jodeja]

I'd also like to get on the Fish Extender list, please :thumbsup2

[jarudinski]

We are on this cruise, so excited !!!

Is anyone planning/coordinating a Fish extender and/or meet and greet or is it just too early for that yet? I am willing to help if needed =)

I am going to start getting into planning mode come Monday but I thought I would just check in and say hi =)

Julie =)

[Gilland18]

I'm so excited! Our whole party (6 cabins) got rooms at the Pan Pacific for the night before at a super rate!

[carolmb]

I'm so excited! Our whole party (6 cabins) got rooms at the Pan Pacific for the night before at a super rate!

We are also staying at the Pan Pacific the night before the cruise. We are actually arriving on Friday, June 17th and at the Hampton Inn Airport until the the 20th.

Has everyone narrowed down their shore excursions yet? My plan is Skagway - train to Yukon, Ketchikan - Kayaking to Orcas Cove and Juneau - whale watching though I have not figured out which company to use for whale watching yet. It is about $400 cheaper for my family of 4 to book the excursions on our own than through DCL.

[DCLInauguralXmas]

Did anyone just see the promo for Pirates 4 it comes out June 20th, I bet that they will be playing it on the Wonder during our cruise...:cool1: :cool1:

[justhat]

Yep, my son saw that promo and was pretty excited.

Fabumouse is doing the Fish Extenders, I think. Not sure where she is, I'll go harass her to get on here.

I don't know if we planned a meet yet or not, but there will be one! And if no one has taken on the planning for that, julie (jarudinski), you're free to take it on!

[fabumouse]

Ugh, thanks Justine - always my friend. :goodvibes

I *am* doing the fish extender list - anyone who wants to be on it, please send me a PM.

I have a list, here, somewhere. ;)

Someone asked the group - and for me, no, I haven't decided my activities. I have a few days yet... I'm thinking "cold activity, or colder activity"...

[justhat]

Ugh, thanks Justine - always my friend. :goodvibes

I *am* doing the fish extender list - anyone who wants to be on it, please send me a PM.

I have a list, here, somewhere. ;)

Someone asked the group - and for me, no, I haven't decided my activities. I have a few days yet... I'm thinking "cold activity, or colder activity"...

How many FE people do we have so far? Do you have a tally yet, or is it too early?

[Ginamarie]

Ugh, thanks Justine - always my friend. :goodvibes

I *am* doing the fish extender list - anyone who wants to be on it, please send me a PM.

I have a list, here, somewhere. ;)

Someone asked the group - and for me, no, I haven't decided my activities. I have a few days yet... I'm thinking "cold activity, or colder activity"...

Do we want to pick a deadline for sign ups for the FE? I know we did that for our last cruise so that we could determine how many items we needed to bring with us beforehand. Last time, I ordered canvas bags from Oriental Trading and then ironed on our cruise logo. Totally cute, but I'm not sure I have the energy to do something so involved this time.


We are still deciding on excursions. The kicker is that there's no infant rate, so all of my kids would have to pay for the excursions, and I know the six month old isn't going to get anything out of it! The excursion on the Deadliest Catch boat is EXCELLENT for anyone who was thinking about that one. My family (not me) did this on their last Alaskan cruise and said it was the best excursion they'd ever taken. I would have signed up for that one, but it's only for kids age 5 and above.

All of my airfare is now booked and paid for (woohoo!) so I'm getting close. I just have to pay for the remaining cruise fare and a hotel/rental car in Seattle.

[fabumouse]

Do we want to pick a deadline for sign ups for the FE?
All of my airfare is now booked and paid for (woohoo!) so I'm getting close. I just have to pay for the remaining cruise fare and a hotel/rental car in Seattle.

Good job, GM!! I haven't booked airfare yet, must do that soon. Must decide if I am staying for a few days up North or not.

BRRRRRR.

Re the deadline for the FE's - I'm thinking a month before the cruise. I will keep everyone posted so we have a general idea of how many participants there are.

PS. My favorite FE gifts have always been magnets for my door. ;)

[kveens]

Me (49), DH (59) and twins (b/g 12) will be sailing with you all on June 21st. We were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in 2008, then last year went on the 4-day Bahamas cruise, so have been on the Magic and the Wonder both. Really looking forward to Alaska. All my kids want to do is see a Moose! None of the excursions mention moose, so I hope we will get lucky and see at least one, or their trip will be ruined, j/k.

Kerri

[mousemom11]

Has everyone narrowed down their shore excursions yet? My plan is Skagway - train to Yukon, Ketchikan - Kayaking to Orcas Cove and Juneau - whale watching though I have not figured out which company to use for whale watching yet. It is about $400 cheaper for my family of 4 to book the excursions on our own than through DCL.

We booked all our excursions on our own, too, as they were much cheaper than going through Disney. We are ziplining in Juneau, flight-seeing the Misty Fiords in Ketchikan, and have a private tour booked in Skagway to go into the Yukon.

Me (49), DH (59) and twins (b/g 12) will be sailing with you all on June 21st. We were on the Mexican Riviera cruise in 2008, then last year went on the 4-day Bahamas cruise, so have been on the Magic and the Wonder both. Really looking forward to Alaska. All my kids want to do is see a Moose! None of the excursions mention moose, so I hope we will get lucky and see at least one, or their trip will be ruined, j/k.

Kerri

:welcome: I know for sure that your kids will be seeing a Mouse, not so sure about a moose. :lmao:

[kveens]

Too funny, Becky (Mouse vs Moose)!

[jodeja]

Hi Kerri!

Just wanted to say HI to a fellow Portlander who will be on the cruise with us :goodvibes

[kveens]

Hi Kerri!

Just wanted to say HI to a fellow Portlander who will be on the cruise with us :goodvibes
Hi Jodeja! Since this is your first cruise with Disney, let me know if you have any questions. You are going to LOVE it!

[jarudinski]

I just moved our cruise from this one to June 7th to take advantage of the Kids Sail Free Promotion. Saved so much money I can now easily justify our Dream cruise in August. Wasn't sure how we were going to fit 2 cruises in this year but it all works out.

I hope everyone has a wonderful cruise .. best of luck on all your planning. I really have to go check out the ports now that we are sailing 2 weeks earlier .. yikes =)

[DCLInauguralXmas]

Welcome Kerri-

I have twins (b/b) that will be 13 at the time of our cruise this summer, just thought it was cool that we both have twins about the same age. :clown:

[PPFQP]

Welcome Kerri-

I have twins (b/b) that will be 13 at the time of our cruise this summer, just thought it was cool that we both have twins about the same age. :clown:

I have twins also (g/g) that will be 16 at the time of the cruise! Any other families with teens on this cruise?

[kveens]

I have twins also (g/g) that will be 16 at the time of the cruise! Any other families with teens on this cruise?

It looks like a twin-filled cruise! That will be fun:)

My twins won't be 13 until November, so not dreaded teenagers yet:woohoo:


Thanks for the welcomes,
Kerri

[PPFQP]

Is there any way to look at the options for Disney excursions before being paid in full? We are making the final payment next week, and can book 90 days out (in March), but I am curious as to what's being offered.

[DenverVal]

www.disneycruise.com => click on Cruises & Destinations. In the drop-down menu, center column is Port Adventures. Click on that, scroll down, and choose one of the categories under port adventures on the left side of the page, or choose a port from the drop-down on the right side of the page.

[PPFQP]

www.disneycruise.com => click on Cruises & Destinations. In the drop-down menu, center column is Port Adventures. Click on that, scroll down, and choose one of the categories under port adventures on the left side of the page, or choose a port from the drop-down on the right side of the page.
Thanks! That's a big help. I've clicked and clicked and don't know how I managed to miss that.

[DenverVal]

No problem! I spent a fair amount of time clicking everything a few weeks ago :rolleyes1

I will have a DD16 and a DD18, and I also received a PM from Twinparents a few weeks ago, who said she would be on this cruise too. She has twins (b/g) as well who are 14. Four pairs of twins on the same cruise!

[PPFQP]

No problem! I spent a fair amount of time clicking everything a few weeks ago :rolleyes1

I will have a DD16 and a DD18, and I also received a PM from Twinparents a few weeks ago, who said she would be on this cruise too. She has twins (b/g) as well who are 14. Four pairs of twins on the same cruise!

Wow, very cool!

[justhat]

Do we want to pick a deadline for sign ups for the FE? I know we did that for our last cruise so that we could determine how many items we needed to bring with us beforehand. Last time, I ordered canvas bags from Oriental Trading and then ironed on our cruise logo. Totally cute, but I'm not sure I have the energy to do something so involved this time.


We are still deciding on excursions. The kicker is that there's no infant rate, so all of my kids would have to pay for the excursions, and I know the six month old isn't going to get anything out of it! The excursion on the Deadliest Catch boat is EXCELLENT for anyone who was thinking about that one. My family (not me) did this on their last Alaskan cruise and said it was the best excursion they'd ever taken. I would have signed up for that one, but it's only for kids age 5 and above.

All of my airfare is now booked and paid for (woohoo!) so I'm getting close. I just have to pay for the remaining cruise fare and a hotel/rental car in Seattle.

Ginamarie, don't worry, Scarlett will be 10 months older than Owen and won't be getting anything out of the excursions either. So we can pay for nothing together! ;):rolleyes:

Joey would probably die to do the Deadliest Catch thing, but fat chance he's going anywhere alone, and Madison would have little interest to go with him. Henry would, but he'll be 6 weeks shy of 5yo, so no excursion for him.

Actually, we're thinking about flying into Seattle before the cruise (courtesy of your idea!) and Joey really wants to go on the Boeing tour, but no handheld babies allowed and no one under 48". So he might take Madison, but then not sure what the small ones will do with me. Sigh. So many restrictions!