June 28, 2011 Disney Wonder 7-day Alaska

[HeelMD]

I guess I will get it started.

It will be my family: Myself, wife, daughter (11), son (7); Room 8516

Also our good friends and DCL travel mates: Husband, wife, 3 sons (17, 15, 13); Room 8016

It will be our fourth and our friends' 8th.

Now I have to pray I don't get deployed overseas during that time...

[IrishCowboy]

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

[nordkin]

We are me - Donna, my partner - Joi, my mother - Katherine, 25 yr old daughter Alessa, 23 yr old son -Kyle and his wife 24 yr old Elena, and 23 yr old son Ilya.
I know it is a big group, but everone is looking forward to this trip.


Donna

List of Cruisers

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b218/nordkin/AlaskaCruisers5-28.jpg

Fish Extender List

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b218/nordkin/FishExtenders5-28.jpg

I have also created a Google Docs spreadsheet if anyone would like to print the spreadsheet. The second sheet is just the Fish Extender group. The link is below

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=t1M1O2ymtDvIMOma-I5FScw&authkey=CL6gx8EB#gid=0

[HeelMD]

nordkin,

I am a physician in the Army reserves. Should be ok since I am heading over to Iraq in Fall 2010 for three months.

[nordkin]

nordkin,

I am a physician in the Army reserves. Should be ok since I am heading over to Iraq in Fall 2010 for three months.

I didn't know they let you know that far in advance that you are going to be deployed. I am a military brat, my dad was in the Air Force for 22 years, and admire anyone who makes that commitment to our country,

I hope we get more people joining the thread. Joi and I are doing the 2010 WB Transatlantic and there are times I have trouble keeping up with the thread. They are a great group of people.

Our group is excited about being on the ship on July 4 and the kids are placing bets as to whether or not the fireworks will be different.

[adorelc]

I just found this thread! We are booked on this sailing. I am excited but nervous about it. Why is everyone so negative? I have never been to Alaska, but how can a Disney Cruise be bad? :)

I was just chosen to host a DCL House Party so I am going to do my best to get everyone else to join us!

[nordkin]

Welcome, as for why people are so negative, I have no idea. We are excited about this trip and have been waiting for Disney to go. We are not excited about any other cruise line as we have been on others and miss the Disney touches.

[adorelc]

Welcome, as for why people are so negative, I have no idea. We are excited about this trip and have been waiting for Disney to go. We are not excited about any other cruise line as we have been on others and miss the Disney touches.

That is why we are sailing as well. We have always wanted to go to Alaska, but I could not imagine going with any other cruise line. I have young kids and my first priority is that they have a great time!

I am looking forward to seeing info on excursions and ship modifications (if any) for Alaska. Please post if you hear of anything! Thanks for starting this thread!

[IndyStarGazer]

Hello everyone,

We just today switched our reservation for a March 2009 Magic cruise to this cruise! We are me (Doug), DW Kim, DS(13) and DS(10). We went on our first cruise last year, a four night sailing on the Wonder. DW had doubts but we all loved it enough to make reservations for a longer cruise.

DW has always wanted to visit Alaska and after our first cruise we agreed we would go on one more Disney cruise, then an Alaskan cruise after that....then Disney went and changed things on us! We talked and talked about it and finally decided that we can't afford to cruise every year, so we switched to this sailing.

We're really looking forward to this cruise! I can understand why some people are a little dubious; this is new for Disney after all. I'm sure it will be fantastic though.

DS13 and I are really curious about modifications to the ship. I know it won't be frigid in June, but will Disney do anything to enclose the pools on the Wonder? It would seem to make sense but it would be hard to do without blocking those huge movie screens.

Anyway, I look forward to meeting everyone -- it's a long way off still but hopefully the time will fly!

[nordkin]

I guess we don't have many Diser's doing this trip as we don't have much activity.

We were also wondering about the modifications to the ship. I know they are enclosing part of deck 10 above the Cove Cafe, but aside from that I don't know. We debated getting verandahs, but with 3 rooms it would be way too much.

We have the Westbound Transatlantic in 2010 with just the two of us and then this one in 2011 with 9 of us, all three kids and their significant others and/or spouses (one is married and who knows maybe we will have to book a child by then, but I hope not since they just got married in August) and my mother.

Donna

[Pocahantas]

We are booked on this cruise also and can't wait. My husband and I have wanted to go to Alaska for quite some time. It is me, DH and DD(12 now) in stateroom 6616, my parents (first cruise for both of them) in stateroom 6118 and our friends and their daughter (8 now) in stateroom 6614. We met our friends on our first DCL cruise a couple of years ago. Looking forward to cruising with them again and seeing Alaska's beauty!

[IrishKevin]

Hello to everyone! We just booked on Sunday. We were on the "6 day" EC and took advantage of the onboard offer. We went to Alaska on our honeymoon with HAL in 1994 on the "Maasdam" and thought it would be nice to bring the kids!

[parrothead365]

Hello Everyone. We will be joining you. We are DW(Connie) Myself(Doug) and DS(Kevin) 18. This will be our first trip to Alaska. We are all Disney cruise veterans and look forward to the trip.

[pmoments]

We are also on this sailing. There are 3 of us my DH and DD (at sailing will be 14). We are looking forward to going and planning to come up over the weekend and check out Vancover.:cool1:

[ILuvJimny]

Bringing me, DH and DS17, along with my sister, her DH and DD16. 1st Cruise for them, but 2nd for us! Looking forward to an AMAZING adventure!

[SpfAkf]

Well, we will be on the ship ourselves in room 6626. It looks like My mom and her husband my be booking themselves as well in room 6639. Can not wait to see the updates on the ship! See you then.

SPFAKF:yay:

[thej]

We finally took the plunge. We (DW, DS, and myself) are on this sailing someplace Deck 7 inside. We had a Verandah on our only other DCL cruise, but that was my FIL taking his entire family :) This one is a bit too pricy for us to spring for that. In fact we can (and probably will) book a 4 night cruise for the difference!

We've been to Alaska before, but... this is DS' first trip, and our first up the inside passage.

[SpfAkf]

Hello Mates,

Just checking in and can not believe we almost have a year before we sail. I am so ready. Our room # is 6614.

[parrothead365]

Less than a year people :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1::banana::banana ::banana::banana::banana::banana:
:scared1::scared1::scared1::scared1: I better get the DW to start packing NOW!!!!

[ldconley]

Just got back from the Northern Europe cruise. It was great. We took advantage of the on board booking and have booked this Alaska cruise as our next one.

It will be me, DH and DD-15. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

[Maribell]

Hi Everyone,
DH and I will also be on this cruise...traveling with some friends. This is the first Disney cruise for all of us and our second cruise to Alaska. I can't believe it is less than a year away.....woohoo!

[oldpatterns]

We just booked this cruise. We should be on the 2nd floor. We cruised on the Wonder during Thanksgiving last year and loved it. We can't wait to get back on her! Is anyone staying in Vancouver before/after the cruise? If so, where are you staying?

I think we are flying into Seattle and driving up - flying from Boston to Vancouver is very expensive!

oldpatterns
near Boston, MA

[parrothead365]

We are arriving the day of the Cruise I believe.

[Maribell]

We just booked this cruise. We should be on the 2nd floor. We cruised on the Wonder during Thanksgiving last year and loved it. We can't wait to get back on her! Is anyone staying in Vancouver before/after the cruise? If so, where are you staying?

I think we are flying into Seattle and driving up - flying from Boston to Vancouver is very expensive!

oldpatterns
near Boston, MA

We are planning to arrive in Vancouver on Sunday. We haven't decided where we are staying yet. It is also too expensive to fly out of Albany...we may fly from Philly with our friends...way cheaper.

[oldpatterns]

We'll start looking for flights next month when the 11 month window is open.

I'm glad to hear you folks are bringing your teens. I have a 14 year old who had a great time meeting the other teens on a cruise on the Wonder last Thanksgiving.

Everyone we have spoken to said the cruises to Alaska are amazing!

We just got back from going to Tokyo Disneyland - what an amazing set of parks!

[marlaymike]

We also are booked!! We will be three; Me - Marlene, DH - Michael and Beautiful Niece - Catalina (11)!! :) So happy to go to our seventh cruise with our niece (her third)! Wohoooooo!

[pmoments]

Hi there, we are also on the cruise DH and DD (14). Also, planning on flying into Seattle and taking the Amtrack up the next morning. Already purchased the train tickets. Glad to see other teens onboard. My DD loved the teen club this pass summer on a double dip.

[daisy112878]

Hey!!!! We're on this cruise as well. We actually booked it on our last cruise in sept. 2009. It's been a long wait!

My room will be me, dh, DS (2 yr old), DS (9mth old). It's dh and I's 4th disney cruise, DS (2yr old) is 2nd cruise - he cruised at 16wks. My parents will be next door to use. My sister, her dh, DS14, and DD11 will be on the other side of us. Also I think my aunt will be coming as well as her DD and family.

We get to book our flights next week. My whole family will be flying from ATL to Seattle on saturday before the cruise. Then we'll drive up either Sunday or Monday.

[oldpatterns]

Just bought our flight from Boston to Seattle. Anyone know a good place to stay in Seattle or Vancouver? I saw someone post they are taking a train from Seattle to Vancouver. What are the rest of you planning to do? We have to see what is cheapest - train, bus or renting a car.

Michelle from Mass

[pmoments]

We are taking the train to Vancouver. It was about $100 for the 3 of us. We plan to stay 1 night in Seattle explore for the day and Sun. head to Vancouver and stay look around until Tuesday. I figured out hotel yet.

[oldpatterns]

Have you folks looked at hotels yet? We where able to get a pretty good deal at the Delta Vancouver suites with a triple A discount. It is pretty close to the pier and has a room with a separate beds for my kids. (Different genders and ages).

We are still looking into how to get from Seattle to Vancouver.

Are we going to do fish extenders? If so, how many of us are on the cruise so far?

[nordkin]

We have booked our flights directly into Vancouver with frequent flyer miles and have booked our hotel directly through Disney as well as transportation through them. We just find it easier and less stressful to go through Disney. We arrive Sunday and plan on seeing some of the city and surrounding area in the couple of days we are there.

We are game for FE's if everyone else is.

[Maribell]

I would be interested in doing fish extenders. I would need some pointers though as this would be my first time. :yay:

[oldpatterns]

here is the link for the fish extenders

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

[booger73]

How quiet this thread is still.. wonder what that means.

Although, when we looked at rebooking onboard during our July 2010 trip, all the midship cat 5/6's on deck 6-7 were all 'sold out' already

Betcha it's a lot of non-dis people huh?

[yanni2]

We are Me - Michelle, Dh - Ken, DD - Corinne (13 at time of cruise), DD - Kiana (10 at time of cruise) and my mom - Nana. We are in rooms 7125 and 7123.

We are also traveling with my uncle, aunt, my 2 cousins and their husbands and their kids (nephew 14, niece 11, nephew 2 and nephew 8 months). They are staying on deck 6, but not sure of rooms.

My family is very excited about the cruise, since we have never been on a Disney cruise (dh and I have been on other cruises). The rest of my family have all been on at least 1 Disney cruise (some of them way more than one).

One of our big reasons in going is to celebrate my uncles 60th birthday on July 4th, and we are adding my 40th birthday on July 9th.

We are really wanting to do the fish extenders and possible some meets. My dd's are also wanting to decorate the doors after seeing some pictures

[parrothead365]

Welcome !!!

[nordkin]

This is a very slow thread. Now that I am back from the Transatlantic I will check this one more often. If we are doing fish extenders we need to start tracking who is interested so we have a count. This will be our 9th cruise and I have organized the Fish Extenders before and am willing to this time as well if no one else would like to. Just let me know. It is wonderful for everyone to come back to their rooms and find a little trinket left for them. The kids always love it.

Donna

[oldpatterns]

We are in for the Fish extenders! We have 2 kids - 1 10 boy and 1 14 year old girl. Just tell us how many folks are going to do it so we can get things for everyone!

We have our hotel confirmed for 3 days in Vancouver before the cruise. Gotta book a hotel for Seattle on the night after the cruise. Just some other small details to complete - but we are mostly set! Can't wait!

The Lee's
from Massachusetts

[Maribell]

here is the link for the fish extenders

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607



Thank you so much! Sounds like so much fun! I am also looking forward to meeting some fellow DIS'ers on the cruise!

[nordkin]

What can we do to get this thread moving? I am keeping track of those of you who have expressed interest in Fish Extenders and it is a short list as we are not having much movement on the thread. We need to keep it on page one and the way to do that is post, post, and post. We can talk about anything to get to know each other before the cruise.

[adorelc]

Please count me in for fish extenders! My family will include my 8 and 6 year olds. We have never done it before, but it sounds like something they would really like.

[nordkin]

Trying to keep this on page one so everyone sees it. I update the FE list as I see postings. How about everyone introducing themselves again and give a little background.

I am Donna and I am traveling with my life partner Joi, our children Alessa, Kyle and his wife Elena, and Ilya as well as my mother Katherine. It is my and Joi's 9th cruise and the kids 6th. My mother is on cruise 4 and my daughter in law is on cruise number 2. We have three staterroms on deck 5 booked and are really looking forward to this cruise. We are arriving in Vancouver 3 days before the cruise to see the surrounding area. I already have airfare booked on frequent flyer miles and the hotel booked. Now I just have to pay off the cruise.

[Maribell]

Hi Everyone,
My name is Mari and this is my second cruise to Alaska and my first cruise with disney :cool1:!! I am really looking forward to meeting some folks from the DIS and participating in the fish extenders. I will be travelling with my husband Brian, my sister Dina and her husband Martin and my nieces Gabby (14) and Mackenzie (12). We will also be travelling with friends Kathy and Jeff and their daughter Julia (11). (We would all like to participate in the fish extenders!! :banana:)

We are planning to arrive in Vancouver on Sunday. We still need to make our hotel and plane reservations...need to get busy on that!

Have a great day everyone!

Mari

[nordkin]

Anyone else want to introduce themselves and give a little background? It is a great way to get to know one another before the cruise.

[Jen24]

We will be taking this cruise.:thumbsup2 Our third cruise and all DCL. We were on the Magic ETA 2010 and will be on the Wonder Mexican Riviera April 2010. Joining 2 (maybe 3) other couples all in late 50s. :goodvibes

We lived in Seattle for many years so this is a bit of a homecoming trip for us. We love Vancouver. We haven't decided if we are getting there Sunday or Sat. Any suggestions for hotels?:confused

Me, Jennifer
DH, Marc

[nordkin]

There is a great thread on the main cruise board that has a lot of information about Vancouver including hotels and places to eat. Check it out.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2283011

[IndyStarGazer]

Hi All,

It's hard to believe that I haven't posted in this thread for nearly a year, and the cruise is still a long way off! We're starting to get more excited about it though.

I've been reading all of the information about Vancouver and trying to figure out flights and transportation. Like a lot of people I think we'll be flying into Seattle the weekend before the cruise and then using Amtrak to get to Vancouver. The price difference for us in flights is close to $1000!

The last time I flew into SEA-TAC it was for boot camp...something tells me this time will be a little more enjoyable. :rotfl:

We did FE's (fish extenders) on our first cruise and would love to do it again. Also, if people are interested we could look at getting our dinner reservations set up so we sit together for meals.

I look forward to meeting you all. Is anyone else doing Seattle the weeekend before the cruise?

Doug

[Pocahantas]

We have rooms booked at the Pan Pacific for two nights before we sail and two night after but none of us have purchased airfare yet. Pan Pacific has pretty good discounts with AARP rate for anyone who is 50 or over. My parents were already members and DH went ahead and joined. We have decided to fly from our home airport (LFT) directly to Vancouver. We will have to stop in Houston but that shouldn't be too bad. We considered driving to Houston so we could fly direct to Seattle but it just seems like too many steps so we are just going to concentrate on Vancouver and the cruise this trip. I have a DD (13) when we sail who may want to meet other teens for the teen club. This will be new for her. Our last cruise she was 9 and didn't do any of the kids clubs at all during our trip.

[adorelc]

A great rate hit yesterday for our flights to Vancouver! I have been searching on Bing. It feels good to have that out of the way. I am starting to get excited...it feels like forever since we booked.

If anyone is interested in renting a car in Skagway, Avis has their bookings open for our cruise time. They do not accept any coupons that I could find, but I was able to get a minivan for a good price. We are looking forward to our trip!

[cozit]

Figured that since I booked the cruise a couple weeks ago, I should find the thread on DIS. This will be our 3rd Disney cruise, and first trip to Alaska. Family is Joe (DH), Liz (me), DS(14), and DD (12, turning 13 on the trip).

It's still way too far away! DS is a little excited about the teen room - he was in the pre-teen area last trip on the Magic. DD isn't sure if she's going to choose older or younger this trip - it'll probably depend on what the mix looks like on the trip - or who she "meets" before it.

Oh, for anyone with pre-teens who hasn't heard, the Wonder is gaining a pre-teen area much like the Magic's next month (December... the name of which escapes me now, but I think I remember that the Wonder's will be called the Edge). The CM I spoke to on the phone said that she was told that the age would remain 13 for the teen area, even though the Magic shifts at 14 since they added the pre-teen area.

My daughter wants to know if anyone is up for DIStag... first time was fun, the couple getting married was given both tags as souvenirs by the rest of us, the last time, both DIStags went missing... we looked on *every* door on every floor while getting exercise in high seas just after mid-trip. Walking during the 20+ foot waves was both amusing and interesting, so we just kept going...

Oh, and best guess for Port Adventure info showing up is some time in December - but that was *purely* a guess... the CMs on the phone line have no clue either, which is frustrating them a bit, considering how often they've been asked lately.


... oh, and anyone know how to get a list of who's who (DISid, names and ages that have been given) up at the top of the list? nordkin or HeelMD up for editing their original posts for the ease of all of us not able to keep track without a scorecard? :-)
:yay:

[nordkin]

... oh, and anyone know how to get a list of who's who (DISid, names and ages that have been given) up at the top of the list? nordkin or HeelMD up for editing their original posts for the ease of all of us not able to keep track without a scorecard? :-)
:yay:

I will do it. I have been keeping a spreadsheet for FE's anyway. I will try to get it done this weekend if I have time.

[cozit]

Yay! Thanks! *Much* easier to try to match up kids and keep track of who's who that way. Trip's still too far in the future for my liking... though my kids did note that it's less than 2/3 of a year to go now.

[nordkin]

Yay! Thanks! *Much* easier to try to match up kids and keep track of who's who that way. Trip's still too far in the future for my liking... though my kids did note that it's less than 2/3 of a year to go now.

No problem. Are you guys going to be doing the fish extenders? Just curious because I am also keeping that list.

[cozit]

No fish extenders for us. We've got some car travelling to do while revisiting parts of the Northwest, as well as trying to keep luggage down for the ship, so we'll have a few magnets, but no extender.

[nordkin]

I have addded the list of people cruising and the information provided on page 1 post 3. If anything is incorrect, please let me know and I will correct it. If any changes occur, please let me know that as well. I know we have changed rooms and that is the accurate information on the list of cruisers.

[thej]

I just upgraded us from an interior cabin to a 9A ocean view, and it seems they are going quickly. We were told there were only a few left on deck 5, and we didn't get a cabin assignment, so are just in GTD status... Fingers are crossed hoping for an upgrade ;)

We've also got a couple nights at the Pan Pacific before the departure. It should be fun to spend a more than a day in Vancouver for once.

Having never done fish extenders (and having very limited luggage space thanks to making this a 2 week trip) not sure if we are going to do that this time. Seems like a cool idea tho :thumbsup2

[pmoments]

We also are planning on stay at the Pan Pacific 2 nights prior to the cruise. I have a DD(14) that would love to meet other teens prior to the cruise. PM we can exchange email address.:cool1:

[booger73]

Southwest flights in to Seattle booked today! Reservations are now open through August folks, so check if you're flying into Seattle. For us.. $400/pp vs $880 into Vancouver!

[pmoments]

What that a one way flight?

[nordkin]

As of right now we have 15 cabins participating in the fish extender exchange, but only six family groups participating.

I know many of you are worried about luggage restrictions, but it is possible to participate and give very light weight things. We have participated on every cruise, including the Med and Transatlantic cruises and never had issues with weight.

This is a slow thread and I can't help but think we have very few Diser's on the cruise. This has happened on some of my cruises before, but those of us on the Dis boards got to know one another leading up to the cruise through posting.

[cozit]

As of right now we have 15 cabins participating in the fish extender exchange, but only six family groups participating.

I know many of you are worried about luggage restrictions, but it is possible to participate and give very light weight things. We have participated on every cruise, including the Med and Transatlantic cruises and never had issues with weight.

This is a slow thread and I can't help but think we have very few Diser's on the cruise. This has happened on some of my cruises before, but those of us on the Dis boards got to know one another leading up to the cruise through posting.
Don't worry too much, yet. Both the previous cruises I was on were quiet until it got close to time to start planning adventures (both on and off ship). I suspect we'll get more vocal after they get around to putting up the land adventures, and update the ship activities (last I saw, they hadn't even put up the change in clubs I was told was happening this coming month.. and that's bbeen a known for almost a month now).

I'm not up for the fish extenders... but. Is anyone interested in attempting DIStag? I figure I can *hope* that the magnets don't get stolen this time around, and both kids had fun tagging doors and finding out who was tagged at the time before (and 12yo DD is definitely interested in "helping" figure out who next again).

Both my kids are somewhat shy, and the younger still avoiding use of her e-mail... or they'd be peeking in here. Maybe closer to sail time... (can we hurry up the time?... except for the weekend for a gymnastics meet at World of Sports, that is :-)

-Liz

[ldconley]

It has been several months since I posted to this group and I never did really introduce myself. So, I thought I should do that.

My name is Lorie. I am traveling with my DH Mike and our DD Breanna. Breanna will be 15 when we cruise. This is our fourth cruise, the third with DCL. We have never been to Alaska, so we are really looking forward to it.

Other than the cruise reservation I have not done any other planning. I looked at plane ticket prices several months ago and it was looking like flying in Seattle was the best deal, but we have not decided for sure. Guess I need to get started on all of that pretty soon.

I am glad to see that there are so many teens around Breanna's age. I really need to get her to "meet" some of them before we travel. On our cruise this past Summer she was old enough for the teen club, but only went once for the first night planning meeting. She is kind of shy when she first meets people. She thought they would kind of do some icebreaker stuff and everyone would introduce themselves or something. They did not, just voted on what they wanted to do that week, then everyone just kind of broke up. So, she left and since she did not meet anyone that night, she never went back. Hopefully this trip will go better.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone and meeting you all on the ship.

[ldconley]

I'm not up for the fish extenders... but. Is anyone interested in attempting DIStag? I figure I can *hope* that the magnets don't get stolen this time around, and both kids had fun tagging doors and finding out who was tagged at the time before (and 12yo DD is definitely interested in "helping" figure out who next again).

-Liz

What is DIStag? We have been on three DCL cruises but I have never heard of this. Sounds like it might be fun.

[parrothead365]

Ok, flights are now booked, researching the hotels, guess I might as well start packing :rotfl:

[thej]

I just upgraded us from an interior cabin to a 9A ocean view, and it seems they are going quickly. We were told there were only a few left on deck 5, and we didn't get a cabin assignment, so are just in GTD status... Fingers are crossed hoping for an upgrade ;)

We've also got a couple nights at the Pan Pacific before the departure. It should be fun to spend a more than a day in Vancouver for once.



We got a cabin assignment, 5506 which is just fine with us. DS (9) is thrilled that we have a view now, and don't have to get chilly on deck all the time :). We also booked our flights and an extra day at the Pan Pacific after the cruise. We are really all set now. Oh wait... vacation insurance, Pet Sitter, excursions, and then we can pack!

It never occurred to me until now that we are going to be cruising for both 4th of July AND Canada Day. I wonder if they will recognize both since the ship sails from Canada?

[adorelc]

We got a cabin assignment, 5506 which is just fine with us. DS (9) is thrilled that we have a view now, and don't have to get chilly on deck all the time :). We also booked our flights and an extra day at the Pan Pacific after the cruise. We are really all set now. Oh wait... vacation insurance, Pet Sitter, excursions, and then we can pack!

It never occurred to me until now that we are going to be cruising for both 4th of July AND Canada Day. I wonder if they will recognize both since the ship sails from Canada?

We are in the connecting SPH rooms right down the hall from you. I love that location on the ship!

[thej]

We are in the connecting SPH rooms right down the hall from you. I love that location on the ship!

We thought about those and the secret verandah rooms originally, but they were all taken by the time we made up our minds to go on this one. It's nice to know somebody close by tho, and you even have a kid close in age to our son!

[cozit]

What is DIStag? We have been on three DCL cruises but I have never heard of this. Sounds like it might be fun.

Tag, using "Mickey shaped" magnet that can be written on. Starts off one person writes a brief note on it and puts it on another's door (kinda helps to have the room numbers for this - or if not from the DISboard, then at least a floor and general area (front/back/midship) with a description of how your door will be decorated, so it can be found). That new person/family writes another note and moves it to the door of another player (preferably one that hasn't been tagged yet). Keeps going until the end of the cruise... or if people want, a gathering on the last evening.

First cruise I went on, we ended up using 2 because it was a short cruise, and there were many people in the game. All decided that the magnets should go to the couple who were married on the trip. Last time, it was a week long - and we noticed that one of the tags had gone missing after 2 days... the other was active for about 4 before it went missing. No idea if they were taken by someone or for some reason taken in by the person whose door they were left on and not sent on... was too bad it stopped.

My kids have had fun both figuring out where it should go next, and when it had been a while since we'd seen one, going searching to see if they could figure out where it was then (which is how we know about when those last two disappeared). Also, they had a rule that you should try not to get caught putting it on - which meant that they kept walking past a door once, since someone came out of it just as they were walking up to put it on (they turned around at the next elevator bank, walked back and put it up... which ended up amusing the next person who returned to their room 5 minutes later to find it had appeared).

Only rules are to add that note (or at least a name), and pass it on within a day of it showing up on your door - if it moves several times a day, all the better, but at least once.... more than that is tough sometimes, since you've got to figure out where to take it next and get it there, in between all the activities on the ship you want to go to :-)

[parrothead365]

Booked into the Pan Pacific on the 27th whooo hooo

[pmoments]

We're booked in the Pan for the 26th & 27th!!:yay:

[oldpatterns]

They have posted the excursion info on the disney cruise page today!

Can you add us to the spreadsheet of people on the cruise?

The Lee's Peter and Michelle (the adults), Samantha (14), Erick (10) - we are on the 2nd floor - I'll have to ask my husband for the room #. We are staying at the Delta hotel in Vancouver before the cruise!


This is our second cruise on the Wonder. We went for the Thanksgiving cruise in 2009 and loved it!

The Lee's

[nordkin]

They have posted the excursion info on the disney cruise page today!

Can you add us to the spreadsheet of people on the cruise?

The Lee's Peter and Michelle (the adults), Samantha (14), Erick (10) - we are on the 2nd floor - I'll have to ask my husband for the room #. We are staying at the Delta hotel in Vancouver before the cruise!


This is our second cruise on the Wonder. We went for the Thanksgiving cruise in 2009 and loved it!

The Lee's

I have a little updating to do, but have been very busy at work and home. I hope to have it all updated this weekend. Are you interested in the Fish Extender exchange?

[cozit]

They have posted the excursion info on the disney cruise page today!

Can you add us to the spreadsheet of people on the cruise?

The Lee's Peter and Michelle (the adults), Samantha (14), Erick (10) - we are on the 2nd floor - I'll have to ask my husband for the room #. We are staying at the Delta hotel in Vancouver before the cruise!


This is our second cruise on the Wonder. We went for the Thanksgiving cruise in 2009 and loved it!

The Lee's

Yay! Thanks for the heads up. I just looked yesterday, and saw none. Anyone else looking, Skagway is the only one with Adventures actually on their page so far. *But* If you click on the search for Port Adventures near the bottom of any of the other pages, a page will come up with all the excursions for that port, and then you can search using that page for adventures at the other ports as well.

(Only took half a month longer than the original guestimate... guess now that the Dream is on the Atlantic, they've got more time to update their "other new stuff"...)

See everyone 6 months from *today*!! Yay!!! (now off to start looking at those excursions... even though it's a few months early to make "real" decisions about them :-)

-Liz

[oldpatterns]

Yes, the Lee's would like to do Fish extenders.

The Lee's
Chelmsford, MA

[nordkin]

I have updated the list of cruisers, but I have left off the children's names and last names for personal security reasons. You never know what people will use from the internet.

We are in the planning stage for excursions and I think we are doing most of them on our own as we have seven people to pay for. We will be doing some comparison between DCL offerings and costs versus what we can do on our own.

[pmoments]

We started looking at excursation also. We went a couple of years ago so looking to do a few new things. In Skagway, would like to do the 4x4. In Juneau, we are going to go back whale watching w/Harv & Marv. Great the last time!! We have scheduled a morning trip if anyone is interested there are 3 open seat (they only take 6 people). The cost is reduces to $140 plus tx for a group of six. If you're interested PM. We are 2 adults & 14 DD. In Ketchikan, we are trying to schedule a fishing trip for halibut. Can't wait to go back!!:banana:

[cozit]

I have updated the list of cruisers, but I have left off the children's names and last names for personal security reasons. You never know what people will use from the internet.

We are in the planning stage for excursions and I think we are doing most of them on our own as we have seven people to pay for. We will be doing some comparison between DCL offerings and costs versus what we can do on our own.

Personally, I'm *just* paranoid enough about getting delayed somehow to want to stick with the Disney "adventures" - Murphy's Law goes into effect way too often with my family attempting to be places on time, and I'd rather not miss the ship. If it's on a Disney port adventure, then that's one thing I won't have to worry about.

-Liz

[daisy112878]

nordkin - you can delete aunt/uncle/cousins/dh under Yanni2 b/c that's me and my whole family that she's talking about. :) Oh, me and my boys will participate in the FE. Just gotta go find my FE holder thingy from the last cruise. We're in 6058


Just checked out the excursions yesterday. We're thinking that we'll do the train and trail camp in Skagway. If my parents agree to keeping our boys, dh and I are trying to figure out if we can splurge and do the helicoptor/extended glacier trek in Juneau. It's a once and a lifetime thing so crossing fingers we get to do it. Of course I'm also trying to talk dh into rebooking onboard for the Disney Dream next year :)

[Jen24]

does anyone know if anything is planned for the 4th of July? I know there won't be fireworks off the ship.:sad1:

[Pocahantas]

Well, we FINALLY have our airline tickets purchased :cool1::cool1:! Bought them last night when I ran across a great price roundtrip to Seattle from our hometown airport. $386 per person total was just too good to pass up. Especially considering flights into Vancouver are $835 per person. We will spend 1 night in Seattle and take Amtrak up to Vancouver on Sunday morning. I am thinking we will take an Amtrak motorcoach back down to Seattle after the cruise and spend another night in Seattle near the airport before flying home on the 8th. I looked at other shuttles but most will bring you to the Seattle Airport. I think we would rather just arrive at Amtrak and take a taxi to whatever hotel we end up booking. I'll probably do Priceline for that. How is everyone else planning to get back down to Seattle after the cruise???

[cozit]

Well, we FINALLY have our airline tickets purchased :cool1::cool1:! Bought them last night when I ran across a great price roundtrip to Seattle from our hometown airport. $386 per person total was just too good to pass up. Especially considering flights into Vancouver are $835 per person. We will spend 1 night in Seattle and take Amtrak up to Vancouver on Sunday morning. I am thinking we will take an Amtrak motorcoach back down to Seattle after the cruise and spend another night in Seattle near the airport before flying home on the 8th. I looked at other shuttles but most will bring you to the Seattle Airport. I think we would rather just arrive at Amtrak and take a taxi to whatever hotel we end up booking. I'll probably do Priceline for that. How is everyone else planning to be back down to Seattle after the cruise???

We're planning to visit Portland first, then either drive or Amtrak up to Vancouver. My son was born in Portland, so as we're going to be on that side of the country, we figured taking an extra day when we haven't visited in 8 years would be a good idea :-) Whether we Amtrak or drive depends on whether we take the extra day to visit Mt. St. Helens - I admit to being curious how much it's changed in the last 14 years... and whether my friends in the Seattle area are going to be around or not, for visiting - the ones I most want to see travel a *lot* for their work.

Haven't decided which way to get back to Seattle for a flight home, yet - but since Southwest doesn't go to Vancouver, I know we will do so. Leaning towards Amtrak, but renting a car and taking our time to "sightsee" for the day has its appeal as well as catching an earlier flight the following day, rather than getting home so very late Eastern time.

*g* Narrowed down "interesting Port Adventures that are *maybe* in our price range" down to exactly 50 so far. Think we've got some more choosing to do...

[Pocahantas]

Just purchased Amtrak tickets up to Vancouver and then back down to Seattle after the cruise. We will be on the early morning train on Sunday the 26th and the late afternoon bus back to Seattle on the 7th. I feel like this trip is finally coming together. Now to decide on our excursions and what we want to see in Vancouver...

[cozit]

Just purchased Amtrak tickets up to Vancouver and then back down to Seattle after the cruise. We will be on the early morning train on Sunday the 26th and the late afternoon bus back to Seattle on the 7th. I feel like this trip is finally coming together. Now to decide on our excursions and what we want to see in Vancouver...

Won't be the same train as us, then... at least for the trip up, we're going to do the only train that goes from Portland to Vancouver with no bus, so getting up there quite late in the evening (should be "interesting" with the time shift just a day or two earlier... I shift in no time flat, going that direction, but not sure how the kids will do, and as teen and almost teen they're old enough to force themselves to stay up, rather than nap on the trip).

Trip back to Seattle, not sure about bus or train yet.

Do know that we're still holding at 48 "maybe" Port Adventures... once we set a definite budget for them, that'll probably knock it back by almost half again... and some of those are semi-duplicates (like variations on the train outing).

-Liz (hmm... maybe part of this "ice day" will be spent getting the kids to look over my shoulder on the computer...)

[marlaymike]

Hi! My name is Marlene and will be traveling with DH (Michael) and Dniece (she is 11). We are from Puerto Rico and will be our seventh cruise and third for Dniece!

We would like to participate in the "fish extenders". :cool1:

DH bought the tickets from San Juan to Seattle, arriving on 06/25; driving to Vancouver the same day. We will be staying at the Waterfront, or something like that, booked thru DCL. After the cruise we will be traveling to California to complete our vacations with Disneyland (first time for our niece).

[cryssi]

Greetings! Extended family will be taking this cruise! Too many to list and not sure they would want to be listed anyway. In our room is me, dh, and ds (1).

Can't wait! May want to participate in FE. Will have to see.

[rav4lcrv]

Just added "Adventures By Disney", to the package-VERY EXCITED

[Pocahantas]

We have our excursions booked as of today :banana:. White Pass Summit Rail & Bus booked with Chilkoot Charters in Skagway, Whale Watching with a stop at Mendenhall Glacier through Harv & Marv's in Juneau and a Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour with Island Wings in Ketchikan. We also plan to spend some time exploring each port so I think this is all we will be booking. It was so hard narrowing it down because there is so much to see and do but I am happy with what we have picked. Has anyone else finalized their excursions yet??

[ozdisneyfan]

Hello to All

We are Brett, Lea and DD Sarah aged 9.

We will be coming from Sydney Australia, as we have always wanted to see Alaska and DH loves Vancouver.

Coming into Vancouver the week before and staying at Pan Pacific. Room 8020 on cruise.

This will be our third disney cruise (4 day Wonder 2006, 15 Day Magic Westbound PC 2008) - we are very excited!

Looking forward to meeting new friends!

:yay::yay::yay:


BTW - Does anyone know when we find out about formal nights/theme nights etc?

[pmoments]

We are coming into Vancouver 2 days early changed my room from Pan Pacific to Coast Coal Harbour got a great deal if you pay in advance. Saved almost $200 figure it would be used for cruise. They also have great review on TripAdvisor. We are planning to also go with Harv&Marv we have an 8am trip, been with them before they are great. We plan to book the 4x4 adventure in Skagway. We did the train before with that company it was very nice. In Ketchican, we have booked a 4 hour halibut fishing trip with StrikeZone, they take out 6 people we only have a party of 3 if anyone is interesting in go. I can give you the website if anyone is interested. Can't wait to go!!:banana:

[cryssi]

We might come a couple days early to check out vancouver, but not sure where to stay or what to do?

[j&jsmama]

Hi! I have searched these boards endlessly for our many Disneyland trips (we live in AZ), but decided to breakdown and join for this cruise. We are so excited to be joining all of you on this adventure to Alaska! This will be our first cruise ever! It is me -- Amy, my dh, Jason and our ds (7) and dd (4).

We've booked our flights and will be coming to Vancouver on Saturday. Not sure where to stay and what to do while there.

What is fish extenders???

[cozit]

We have our excursions booked as of today :banana:. White Pass Summit Rail & Bus booked with Chilkoot Charters in Skagway, Whale Watching with a stop at Mendenhall Glacier through Harv & Marv's in Juneau and a Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour with Island Wings in Ketchikan. We also plan to spend some time exploring each port so I think this is all we will be booking. It was so hard narrowing it down because there is so much to see and do but I am happy with what we have picked. Has anyone else finalized their excursions yet??
How book your port adventures so early? I was told March. (though maybe it's because we've only been on two cruises, so don't get to do so so early?)

[Pocahantas]

How book your port adventures so early? I was told March. (though maybe it's because we've only been on two cruises, so don't get to do so so early?)

We didn't book our excursions through Disney. I went ahead and booked directly with independent tour operators. I felt comfortable enough in the ports we are stopping in to do everything on our own. I think March 30th is the day we can book with Disney.

[nordkin]

Hi! I have searched these boards endlessly for our many Disneyland trips (we live in AZ), but decided to breakdown and join for this cruise. We are so excited to be joining all of you on this adventure to Alaska! This will be our first cruise ever! It is me -- Amy, my dh, Jason and our ds (7) and dd (4).

We've booked our flights and will be coming to Vancouver on Saturday. Not sure where to stay and what to do while there.

What is fish extenders???


Welcome. Here is a good link about fish extenders.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

When I have the time this weekend I will update the list of cruisers and add your informartion as well as any others that need to be done or updated.

Donna

[Pocahantas]

We sail in exactly 5 months from today :dance3::dance3::dance3: and I am getting pretty excited! Hoping my teen daughter will want to do the teen club with the many other girls her age. She is really shy and it takes her a while to really warm up to new people.

[Balmacara]

We are on this sailing too (our first DCL), and having planned to take a trip to Canada this year anyway we were able to use our DVC points for the cruise which fitted in nicely! There was only a few rooms left for DVC use when we booked in September, although intially we had wanted to go on the sailing after this one which had no availability for DVC points! So our kids will be enjoying an additional week off school to fit this in.

It will be myself, DW and DD's (age 12 & 8). We are flying out from Aberdeen, Scotland via London to Vancouver on 06/25 and staying at Coast Coal Harbour before cruise and then again for 3 nights after cruise. Picking up car and driving West over Rockies to Banff before spending our last few days in Calgary with DW's cousin. Head home on 07/15.

Counting the weeks now & can't wait to get those Alaska excursions booked. :yay:

[Balmacara]

....of course I meant East over Rockies !!!:rotfl:

[j&jsmama]

Thank you.. now I understand what "Fish Extenders" are... makes perfect sense.

[watergal91]

I've booked our very first ever cruise Jun 28 Alaska. It should be fun celebrating Canada Day and July 4 on the cruise!

We are me (Jen), dh (Brent), ds(10), ds(8) and dd (5). This whole experience will be new to us but we'll do fe and distag for sure! I will "register" once I commit with deposit tomorrow.

Look forward to the fun & friendships! Any first-timer tips welcome. Thanks!

[ldconley]

Well, I just could not pass up the kids sail free offer, so we have moved our reservations from this cruise to the June 7th cruise. Please remove me from the FE list. I hope you all have a great trip.

[parrothead365]

Last payment sent :cool1: now on to the shore trips :thumbsup2

[rav4lcrv]

What is Canada Day?

[nordkin]

Well, I just could not pass up the kids sail free offer, so we have moved our reservations from this cruise to the June 7th cruise. Please remove me from the FE list. I hope you all have a great trip.
Have a great time and done.

[watergal91]

After dithering for days I've put down the deposit for our first cruise! :cool1:

Nordkin:can you add us to do fe? We're me & dh with 3 kids ds(10), ds(8) and dd(5). I got wise from the boards and changed us to 2 rooms from a 4A -we'll use 7624 as our dayroom. (2 in the group get seasick on small boats so I also booked a deck1 midship room 'til we know how they handle a cruise ship; plus saved a good chunk of cash:yay:).

Someone asked about Canada Day. It's the Canadian national holiday on July 1. I'm sure it won't be on DCL's radar but since we're leaving from Vancouver I expect there'll be a few groups wearing red&white that day. As for our family, I hope to raise a glass in celebration once we reach the Yukon or Fraser, BC if we get on a White Pass trip! (Anyone know if there's a duty free shop at the border crossing?;) We look forward to adding blue to our outfits 3 days later and celebrating July 4 with our American friends :cheer2:

We can't wait!!!!

[nordkin]

I have updated the list of cruisers on page one post number 2. If there are any additions or changes, please let me know.

[oldpatterns]

The Lee's are in room: 2510 Can't wait for the trip!

We are heading to WDW in a less then two weeks!

Regards,
The Lee's

[cozit]

My kids alternate between shy and outgoing - never know which it'll be. Video games get my DS (14) talking, and right now he likes watching birds (odd combo, but..). My daughter's (12 turning 13 on cruise) going to be angsting over her 7 or so missed gymnastics practices during the cruise and travel time, at the same time she's really looking forward to seeing Alaska, having "family time", and I *hope* this cruise she'll find someone she likes doing things with on the ship. Unless they change the age ranges between now and then, she's waiting until cruise time to decide which age group she wants to be with, since the shift is at 13 she's allowed to pick which group this cruise. She's a "young 12", but she's also got good friends who are 15 and 16 because of gymnastics... so we'll see.

The kids were attempting to help me narrow down excursion choices again last week... think we're down to 44 choices ... think we need to look again, and glad that we've got some time before the decision has to be made :-)


-Liz

[cozit]

Well, I just could not pass up the kids sail free offer, so we have moved our reservations from this cruise to the June 7th cruise. Please remove me from the FE list. I hope you all have a great trip.

I saw that offer and started *really* wishing our schools got out earlier. We're in until the 21st now - and only have two more days that they can extend the school year if we get more snow/ice. So no luck for us even thinking about saving the money and going early. In fact I'm *really* hoping we don't end up extending the year with more snow days any further, as I work in a school, and could really use a day or two to pack before the trip...

-Liz

[Pocahantas]

I have updated the list of cruisers on page one post number 2. If there are any additions or changes, please let me know.

My parents are now in 6614 - our friends (spfakf) have cancelled because of some work schedule conflicts so they won't be sailing with us and I don't think his parents will be sailing either. :sad1:

[hsinglanjin]

The Hsing's are going. Our last Disney Cruise was on the Wonder in 2006, so we're extremely excited. It'll myself, my husband and 2 daughters (16 / turns 17 during the cruise and 14).

I've just started trolling this discussion board to get ready for our trip as it's been 5 years since our last cruise and had a few questions if anyone knows:

1. are they decorating Canada Place Pier to have a "Disney" look for when folks are checking in prior to getting on the Wonder?
2. will there be other ships in the ports the same days we're in port?
3. It's probably safer to go with the Disney excursions, but just curious that if I didn't, would I be saving any money if I booked excursions on my own at each port or is the cost differentiation not much?
4. If my husband went fishing, would he be able to bring his catch back on the boat and would they keep it in the freezer?
5. What time will we be able to start checking in and getting on the boat?
6. We're arriving into Vancouver the day before. I've tried the Beaver Tail treats at Epcot Canada Pavillion and would love to find it in Vancouver. Any suggestions where?

[nordkin]

My parents are now in 6614 - our friends (spfakf) have cancelled because of some work schedule conflicts so they won't be sailing with us and I don't think his parents will be sailing either. :sad1:

I have made the change. Thank you for the information.

[cozit]

4. If my husband went fishing, would he be able to bring his catch back on the boat and would they keep it in the freezer?
5. What time will we be able to start checking in and getting on the boat?
6. We're arriving into Vancouver the day before. I've tried the Beaver Tail treats at Epcot Canada Pavillion and would love to find it in Vancouver. Any suggestions where?

Those are the only three I can answer at all...
4) Pretty much guarantee that you won't be able to put the fish in a freezer - they only have refrigerators in-room, and general food safety concerns would prevent them from offering space in any of their kitchen freezers.

5) You *must* be on board by 4pm, according to the information given. Knowing their Florida schedule, that means they'll probably set the official boarding time around noon (varying depending on what's happening with their turnover from the last cruise) - but sometimes they start boarding earlier or later than that.

6) Beaver Tails are "just" a variation of Fried Dough, with a catchy name. Can't tell you where, exactly, to look for them/it though. I'd be surprised if anyone other than a fry-place sold them regularly, as (at least in the parts of eastern CAN I've been to) they seem to be a fair-type treat just like down here. If you find someplace, let me know, please... we're spending a day before the cruise sightseeing around Vancouver, and part of the disembark day as well... and I'm a sucker for good fried dough :-)


-Liz

[smb6]

Some of the fishing excursions offer to freeze and ship your catch to your home for an additional charge.

[cozit]

5. What time will we be able to start checking in and getting on the boat?


Just found the time info online... slowly, but surely, they're getting more information up. On the travel logistics page, they say:
"The Cruise Terminal opens at 10:00 a.m. and boarding begins around 1:00 p.m."
and
"Additionally, on the day of your sailing, all Guests must board the ship no later than 4:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. on September 20, 2011)"

Which is pretty similar to the Florida cruises, so I'm guessing that *if* they're ready to start boarding early, they will... but don't count on being able to board before 1pm.

[Pocahantas]

Thanks for sharing the info!!!

[rav4lcrv]

Has anyone else considered the Adventures by Disney add on?

[cozit]

Has anyone else considered the Adventures by Disney add on?

Wishing they had a choice that only involved a day before the cruise. Looked interesting, but we're planning on a day (and a bit) in Portland before catching a train to Vancouver, BC and spending one day (2 nights) before boarding the Wonder.

*g* Still wondering whether my DD or I will be having a better time on her birthday (on ship, Tracy Arms, I believe)

Anyone heard for certain whether the age change between The Edge and the Teen area (which ever name it'll have by then) is going to be 12/13 13/14 or an overlap for the 13 year olds? My kids (especially the turning 13 DD) are getting curious whether they'll be together (it'd be a first for a cruise) or not.


-Liz

[nordkin]

Has anyone given any thought to a Dis meet on the day we board? It is a great way to meet everyone and put faces to names. I suggest the Promenade lounge at 3:30. What do others think?

[lalo]

Please add me to your list of cruisers. In addition to my dh, ds (3) and dd (5), we'll also be cruising with 2 other families. (I'll see if I can get them to join the DIS boards.) In our group, there will be a total of 7 adults and 7 kids. I'm so excited that they're coming--their kids are older but love mine. I have dreams about dining at an all adult table while all the kids sit together at another table....

I recently took a sewing class so I'll attempt to sew my own fish extender. Just don't look at the stitches too closely.

We're in cabin 2079.

[oldpatterns]

Don't we have to do a safety check at 4 PM like on the east coast ships? 3:30 would give us a short time to say hi and then we would have to grab our life preservers.

The fish extenders should be pretty easy to sew. I just picked up some mickey fabric at Joanne fabric. There are some patterns on how to make them online. I am planning on sewing ours too!

The Lee's from the Boston area.

[Pocahantas]

Has anyone given any thought to a Dis meet on the day we board? It is a great way to meet everyone and put faces to names. I suggest the Promenade lounge at 3:30. What do others think?

That would be great!

[cozit]

I have a feeling that 3:30 is a very bad time... like oldpatterns said, there's going to be a safety drill... and if it *is* at 4pm... or even at 4:30, that's not much time to say hi, then run.

Hoping it's a lifevest-less drill like a few more recent photos in TRs have shown... but not holding my breath.

Then right after the drill it'll be about time to set sail... and I suspect that some folks prefer different areas for that (me, I like the upper deck, looking down... enjoy the music, etc... but far less crowd than on the pool deck).

And the given set sail time is 5pm, running into the early diners (we're second seating, but hoping to maybe change that).

It'd be "easy" if it were the Caribbean - getting together from 2pm until drill worked really well by the pool... but since temperatures tend to be cooler in Vancouver...

I'm thinking that we might be better off waiting for the first trip reports to come in in May before setting up a specific time/place. I'm hoping to poke someone who I'm pretty sure I was on a previous cruise with to ask either what worked for her/them or what they'd suggest. And if we get *very* lucky, an early Navigator copy... or a friendly CM might be a better guide.

*Definitely* would like to meet-up though!

-Liz (who will drag at *least* the kids along to a meetup... hopefully DH as well :-)

[nordkin]

Please add me to your list of cruisers. In addition to my dh, ds (3) and dd (5), we'll also be cruising with 2 other families. (I'll see if I can get them to join the DIS boards.) In our group, there will be a total of 7 adults and 7 kids. I'm so excited that they're coming--their kids are older but love mine. I have dreams about dining at an all adult table while all the kids sit together at another table....

I recently took a sewing class so I'll attempt to sew my own fish extender. Just don't look at the stitches too closely.

We're in cabin 2079.

Welcome and I will add your group to the list.

[nordkin]

I was just making a suggestion on a meet up and would be more than happy if someone else would take this on. We are a party of 7 with my elderly mother who has mobility issues so if someone else would take it on it would be great.

[cozit]

I was just making a suggestion on a meet up and would be more than happy if someone else would take this on. We are a party of 7 with my elderly mother who has mobility issues so if someone else would take it on it would be great.

I'm thinking... just haven't come up with a great idea yet. It'd help if I had a clue what the terminal will look like and if they're giving out boarding times or not (meeting pre-boarding worked really well during one of the cruises I was on)... and of course, the weather makes that pool idea not as good as one (unless we got really lucky that day .. never know :-)

I like the idea of the Promenade Lounge... maybe starting about 3:00ish would be good? That way there's enough time to say hi, and still run off to grab a lifejacket if we need them for the drill. The drill *is* scheduled for 4pm, cast-off at 5pm, first dinner seating is 5:45 .... yeah, I actually called and asked... which doesn't give much time "free" from general activities.

Out of curiosity, who else has second seating? Wondering what faces I *might* see (considering there are three restaurants and all... hey, I know I've been seated at a table next to two other DISboard acquaintances before :-)

[nordkin]

I have updated the list of cruisers. If you are participating in the Fish Extender exchange I need your stateroom number so we know where to deliver the gifts.

3:00 sounds good for the Dis meet. We have always preferred Promanade Lounge because it accomodates a lot of people and it does not matter what the weather is, it is comfortable.

[disdel]

Greetings to all!
Looking forward to meeting/greeting with fellow Dis'ers in Alaska.

It's Ken and DW Debbieprincess:, still in GTY status, so no stateroom to report. Like some others, we're "luggage restricted", so no FE for us this time (though I'm the one who enjoys it<g>)

We're one of the couples mentioned earlier by Jen24. We met on the EBTA in April '09, and became fast friends. We booked this cruise, and then badgered:rolleyes: Jen & Marc until they joined us:woohoo: Our EBTA table had another couple that completed a trifecta of seating for our head server Wira in that we were such a pefect match for friendship (who we're STILL cajoling about this trip).

Nordkin (Donna), thank you for the organizing, and please add us to the DIS spreadsheet!

Will be dropping in here more often to "get to know" y'all!

[nordkin]

If anyone is interested, one of the secret verandah rooms ( 6134 ) is available. It looks like since the pay in full date is today there are several rooms opening up that were not there earlier. We already have a secret verandah room so I thought I would pass it on. It is a category 7A with a plexiglass wall like the category 5's but it has a slightly obstructed view.

[disdel]

My daughter wants to know if anyone is up for DIStag... first time was fun, the couple getting married was given both tags as souvenirs by the rest of us, the last time, both DIStags went missing... we looked on *every* door on every floor while getting exercise in high seas just after mid-trip. Walking during the 20+ foot waves was both amusing and interesting, so we just kept going...:yay:

We're ready for this:woohoo:, maybe the interest and sign-ups will pick up now that final payments were made (things get a little more "real", ya know?)

posted by nordkin
If anyone is interested, one of the secret verandah rooms ( 6134 ) is available. It looks like since the pay in full date is today there are several rooms opening up that were not there earlier. We already have a secret verandah room so I thought I would pass it on. It is a category 7A with a plexiglass wall like the category 5's but it has a slightly obstructed view.

Thanks for the info, Donna - when I looked, it was still there, but pricing is still what it was months ago. We still show in 9A-GTY. Reservations shows no availability for 9A now, and 9B's are only slightly lower than what the 9A's had been, so maybe they are selling this date pretty well.

Meanwhile, getting ready to make those excursion reservations - DW is doing her planningprincess:, I'll do the executing:surfweb:

And, am I reading it right, we'll have a meet-up, 3PM @Promenade Lounge?

[Pocahantas]

Out of curiosity, who else has second seating? Wondering what faces I *might* see (considering there are three restaurants and all... hey, I know I've been seated at a table next to two other DISboard acquaintances before :-)

We have the second seating for dinner. Maybe once the cruise gets closer we could all post a picture in this thread that way we can recognize one another on the ship.

The 3:00 meet time would be fine with us.

[ILuvJimny]

Our plans have been up in the air a little and we weren't sure if we were going to be able to go on the cruise; but I am happy to report that we were able to make the final payment yesterday and everything is back on. We even researched moving to a Navagator's Veranda, but just couldn't justify the cost. Here is our information now:

We are Curt and Jean from Idaho, bringing our 17 year old son and are in room 2118. We will celebrate our anniversary on July 5th, while on the cruise.

My Sister Elaine and her husband Mike are from Utah and she is bringing her 16 year old daughter and are in room 2618. Their anniversary and also Mike's Birthday are a couple days before the cruise leaves. The cruise will be one big celebration for all of us!

We are all 'on board' for fish extending and DIS tag.

As mentioned, my family has cruised before, once on DCL and once with RC, both to the Bajamas. While the RC cruise was 1/3 of the price and a fun experience, we still dreamed of doing a longer cruise with Disney. While on board the first time with DCL in 2007, we booked 2 future rooms, which we have moved forward to keep the discount active until settling on the Alaskan itinerary.

We have officially booked all girls in one room and the boys in the other so we can use our discount and Castaway Club benefit on each room. Does anyone know if they will sort the boarding pass/keys out the way we want it or will we always be struggling with making sure we have the right card when we leave the ship...?

[nordkin]

Our plans have been up in the air a little and we weren't sure if we were going to be able to go on the cruise; but I am happy to report that we were able to make the final payment yesterday and everything is back on. We even researched moving to a Navagator's Veranda, but just couldn't justify the cost. Here is our information now:

We are Curt and Jean from Idaho, bringing our 17 year old son and are in room 2118. We will celebrate our anniversary on July 5th, while on the cruise.

My Sister Elaine and her husband Mike are from Utah and she is bringing her 16 year old daughter and are in room 2618. Their anniversary and also Mike's Birthday are a couple days before the cruise leaves. The cruise will be one big celebration for all of us!

We are all 'on board' for fish extending and DIS tag.

As mentioned, my family has cruised before, once on DCL and once with RC, both to the Bajamas. While the RC cruise was 1/3 of the price and a fun experience, we still dreamed of doing a longer cruise with Disney. While on board the first time with DCL in 2007, we booked 2 future rooms, which we have moved forward to keep the discount active until settling on the Alaskan itinerary.

We have officially booked all girls in one room and the boys in the other so we can use our discount and Castaway Club benefit on each room. Does anyone know if they will sort the boarding pass/keys out the way we want it or will we always be struggling with making sure we have the right card when we leave the ship...?

I will add your information to the list of cruisers. They will make the keys to the rooms any way you want them. We do this all the time.

[hsinglanjin]

1. On our previous DCL trips on the Wonder, we never got to try Palo's. Any options on whether Brunch, High Tea or Dinner is better? I'm leaning towards Brunch as I've heard there's quite a selection. If so, what time is brunch offered and which day would be best to do this?

2. Looking at Navigators from the current Mexican Riveria on the Wonder, I'm thinking they'll be doing the same shows for Alaska:
All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin
The Golden Mickeys
Showtime: Kimmy Tamley
Toy Story the Musical
Disney Dreams: The Enchanted Classic
Remember the Magic
We have the late seating for 8:15pm, so we'll be seeing the 6:15pm showing. Do they still have drinks and snacks you can purchase at the Theather to tie the kids over until dinner time?

3. Reading other posts and seeing that there's a Formal Night. We've never done this as we've only gone on a 4-day Wonder Cruise before. Is a tux and formal gown required?

[Pocahantas]

I've done brunch and dinner at Palo and if I had to choose just one would pick the brunch. The selections were incredible and oh so good.

[cozit]

1. On our previous DCL trips on the Wonder, we never got to try Palo's. Any options on whether Brunch, High Tea or Dinner is better? I'm leaning towards Brunch as I've heard there's quite a selection. If so, what time is brunch offered and which day would be best to do this?


3. Reading other posts and seeing that there's a Formal Night. We've never done this as we've only gone on a 4-day Wonder Cruise before. Is a tux and formal gown required?

I've done all three at Palo's... would recommend the Brunch if just choosing one, just because food is good at other dining places, too. But really, all three were enjoyable. I have to admit though, that I was rather disappointed last time... but part of that was because of the general disregard for giving those of us with tree nut allergies options beyond the plainest foods on the menus at any of the restaurants.

Formal clothes never required... though they will encourage strongly that people dress nicely for dinner in general (kids can get away with anything acceptable for the ship, but are encouraged to dress up like their parents).
Formal night I'll make sure I wear the nicest dress I bring, and that DH wears a button down shirt... but I *hate* dressing up... so even that's a stretch for me. Hmm.. this trip, he might actually take a suit jacket, since it'll be a tad cooler than the Caribbean trips :-)

Oh... and there's next to no way we could deal with formal clothes for the trip, given luggage restrictions both airplane and (more importantly) car trunk space.


-Liz

[cozit]

Almost forgot... the "Showtime" show... Any shows that aren't Disney, tend to rotate performers in and out - often two different performers on one trip (last one, we had a magician/comic and a dance/comic group that was amazing, even the "high seas version" of their show... ok, so I liked the magician as well, but I admit to a bias, as I knew him from the local renaissance festival before he started doing more cruises :-)


-Liz

[hsinglanjin]

I've done all three at Palo's... would recommend the Brunch if just choosing one, just because food is good at other dining places, too. But really, all three were enjoyable. I have to admit though, that I was rather disappointed last time... but part of that was because of the general disregard for giving those of us with tree nut allergies options beyond the plainest foods on the menus at any of the restaurants.

Formal clothes never required... though they will encourage strongly that people dress nicely for dinner in general (kids can get away with anything acceptable for the ship, but are encouraged to dress up like their parents).
Formal night I'll make sure I wear the nicest dress I bring, and that DH wears a button down shirt... but I *hate* dressing up... so even that's a stretch for me. Hmm.. this trip, he might actually take a suit jacket, since it'll be a tad cooler than the Caribbean trips :-)

Oh... and there's next to no way we could deal with formal clothes for the trip, given luggage restrictions both airplane and (more importantly) car trunk space.


-Liz

Thanks for the info Liz. Any thought on which is the best day to do the bruch. I'm thinking probably the Monday before we return when we're at sea.

Thanks for the clothing info. I don't think I'd ever be able to get my hubby in more than a suit jacket and I don't even recall the last time I wore a dress.

[daisy112878]

I have updated the list of cruisers on page one post number 2. If there are any additions or changes, please let me know.

We're in stateroom 6058 :)

[daisy112878]

1. On our previous DCL trips on the Wonder, we never got to try Palo's. Any options on whether Brunch, High Tea or Dinner is better? I'm leaning towards Brunch as I've heard there's quite a selection. If so, what time is brunch offered and which day would be best to do this?

3. Reading other posts and seeing that there's a Formal Night. We've never done this as we've only gone on a 4-day Wonder Cruise before. Is a tux and formal gown required?

1. I would chose Brunch or dinner. Personally we like dinner b/c to us it seems more slow place and nice to have dinner just the two of us. Brunch mostly a buffet with a few made to order items. Brunch usually is only served on at sea days.

3. Tux and formal gown are not required but they ask you to dress nicely. We like to get dressed up so we love formal night and usually go all out. We get the tux through DCL through so it's in the stateroom when you get onboard. Last cruise our DS1 was 4 months old and even wore oneies that looked like a tux. It was really cute :)

[nordkin]

I have updated the list of cruisers. If there are any changes, please let me know.

Just want to pass on that our family received some exciting news this week. Our son Kyle and his wife, Elena, are expecting their first child and our first grandchild. We are so excited for them.

[disdel]

I have updated the list of cruisers. If there are any changes, please let me know.

Just want to pass on that our family received some exciting news this week. Our son Kyle and his wife, Elena, are expecting their first child and our first grandchild. We are so excited for them.

:woohoo:Congratulations :banana:
Better book a few dummy dates while onboard for 2 cabins/5 cruisers to move out to about 2015 or later:laughing:

[nordkin]

:woohoo:Congratulations :banana:
Better book a few dummy dates while onboard for 2 cabins/5 cruisers to move out to about 2015 or later:laughing:
Thank you. We already have one dummy date booked. Can't wait to take the little one to WDW. That is one of the reasons we own DVC. We want to share our love of Disney with the kids and now grandkids.

[hsinglanjin]

I have updated the list of cruisers. If there are any changes, please let me know.

Can you please update ours. It's myself, my husband and 2 daughters, ages 16 (turning 17 on the cruise) and 14. We're in Cabin #2141. Thanks!

[cozit]

Thanks for the info Liz. Any thought on which is the best day to do the bruch. I'm thinking probably the Monday before we return when we're at sea.

Thanks for the clothing info. I don't think I'd ever be able to get my hubby in more than a suit jacket and I don't even recall the last time I wore a dress.

Nice thing about DCL... if you don't want to dress up, there's always the buffet that you can go to :-)

Brunch in Palo's is generally only on at sea days - I'm guessing they count the Tracy's Arm day as at sea also. I'll probably just go for whichever day I can get - they go fast.

For Palo's dinner, I haven't a guess anymore, since they've apparently stopped doing the strict rotation. The other two trips, we've made sure to do those reservations on the 4th day or later - so that we didn't miss the Animators Palate show. Now that the assignments are more random looking, I don't know how that will work :-(


-Liz

[cozit]

A quick heads up about the Port Adventures.

I went looking again this past week, and found a number of excursion choices that hadn't been on the list when I looked before (it included a couple choices that had activities my kids were interested in one of the ports there hadn't been that choice before).

Since our sign-up time is getting closer, I figure others might want to see all the choices that are out there, too :-)

-Liz

[adorelc]

I have updated the list of cruisers. If you are participating in the Fish Extender exchange I need your stateroom number so we know where to deliver the gifts.

3:00 sounds good for the Dis meet. We have always preferred Promanade Lounge because it accomodates a lot of people and it does not matter what the weather is, it is comfortable.

We still would like to participate in fish extenders. We are in room 5022. It is myself, Tricia, DH Kevin, DD8 and DS6. We also have connecting room 5024 for grandparents, but they will not participate. We are looking forward to it. Thanks for putting it together!

[nordkin]

I usually update the list of cruisers early Saturday mornings. I will make all updates then.

I am looking forward to reserving our excursions and Palo at 12:01 on March 15, the magic date for gold members. We have them all picked out and saved to our wish list so it should not take long to do.

[disdel]

I usually update the list of cruisers early Saturday mornings. I will make all updates then.

I am looking forward to reserving our excursions and Palo at 12:01 on March 15, the magic date for gold members. We have them all picked out and saved to our wish list so it should not take long to do.

Let us know how it goes, Donna.
We have to wait until 3/30, won't be Gold until after this cruise.

[parrothead365]

You can show us in room #6124 and no FE for us. We have the second seating for dinner. Thanks Doug

[cozit]

Impatiently waiting for the 30th here, too :-(


Meanwhile, someone posted times for various Port Adventures (not all of them, and I'm sure they still just apply to whichever they're going on in May... big difference in daylight from beginning of May to end of June that far north :-)

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2666085

Back to double-checking to see what else might have been added when I wasn't looking :-)

-Liz

[nordkin]

I updated the list of cruisers tonight.

For those doing the fish extenders we are now at 17 staterooms.

[hsinglanjin]

We are Curt and Jean from Idaho, bringing our 17 year old son and are in room 2118. We will celebrate our anniversary on July 5th, while on the cruise.

My Sister Elaine and her husband Mike are from Utah and she is bringing her 16 year old daughter and are in room 2618. Their anniversary and also Mike's Birthday are a couple days before the cruise leaves. The cruise will be one big celebration for all of us!

Great to see you have teens going on the cruise. I have 2 daughters 16 (turning 17 on the cruise) & 14 year old. They were a bit worried about not meeting anyone and it'll be the first time for both to hang out in the teen club. This is the 3rd DCL for us. Last one was 5 years ago also on the Wonder, so we're excited about going. We're down the hall from you guys in 2141. :banana:

[pmoments]

I have a DD, age 14, coming if any teen would like to meet and start talking let PM and they can exchange email address. Won't be long now.

[ozdisneyfan]

Hi Donna

In your next update, could you please put us down as Y for FE?

We are also in 8020, and our daughter is Sarah aged 9

BTW, a poll for everyone.....As we are coming from Australia, our luggage will be EXTREMELY limited - what do people think of yummy Aussie chocolate as part of our FE gift?

Thanks

Lea

[nordkin]

Hi Donna

In your next update, could you please put us down as Y for FE?

We are also in 8020, and our daughter is Sarah aged 9

BTW, a poll for everyone.....As we are coming from Australia, our luggage will be EXTREMELY limited - what do people think of yummy Aussie chocolate as part of our FE gift?

Thanks

Lea

I have made the update. I think Aussie chocolate would be great. We are always looking to try things from different parts of the world.

[ILuvJimny]

Great to see you have teens going on the cruise. I have 2 daughters 16 (turning 17 on the cruise) & 14 year old. They were a bit worried about not meeting anyone and it'll be the first time for both to hang out in the teen club. This is the 3rd DCL for us. Last one was 5 years ago also on the Wonder, so we're excited about going. We're down the hall from you guys in 2141. :banana:


Any groups with teens on the cruise that are on Facebook, PM me and we can get them chatting. If not on Facebook, still PM and I will see if I can get DS and his cousin to email your teens. He will be turning 17 in 2 weeks and can't wait!! He loved the teen club when we did our first DCL 2 years ago and had so much fun!

[nordkin]

Made all our excursion reservations as well as Palo reservations. We got everything we wanted. Just an FYI - Brunch is being offered on Tracy Arm day. Good luck to everyone when you are able to reserve your excursions and Palo.

[daisy112878]

I can't remember, do you have to pay for excursions now or do they get charged to your ship board account?

We're getting so excited about this cruise :)

[Pocahantas]

I have a DD, age 14, coming if any teen would like to meet and start talking let PM and they can exchange email address. Won't be long now.

I sent you a PM

[Pocahantas]

Made all our excursion reservations as well as Palo reservations. We got everything we wanted. Just an FYI - Brunch is being offered on Tracy Arm day. Good luck to everyone when you are able to reserve your excursions and Palo.

Congrats and thanks for sharing the info about the brunch. I was hoping it would be offered that day.

[disdel]

Made all our excursion reservations as well as Palo reservations. We got everything we wanted. Just an FYI - Brunch is being offered on Tracy Arm day. Good luck to everyone when you are able to reserve your excursions and Palo.

Thanks, Donna. Count us among those hoping for Brunch in Tracy Arm. Soon . . .

[nordkin]

I had to make Palo changes last night and everything is till wide open. Still plenty of Brunch, High Tea, and Dinner reservations available.

Excursions are added to your on board account so you pay for them on the ship.

[Maribell]

Hi everyone,
Just checking in....I think it is 102 days until we set sail :cool1: :dance3::cool1: I am looking forward to meeting all of you! We finally have our arrival plans and hotel before the cruise set. We are arriving in Vancouver on Sunday and staying at the Pacific Rim. Now we need to decide what we are doing in Vancouver (thinking Stanley Park and Capilano Bridge) and trying to narrow down our excursions. We have been to all of these ports once before and are still having a hard time narrowing it down...so much to do...so little time. I will keep you posted. Donna, I will get our room numbers to you soon.

Have a great weekend.

Mari

[Mermaid422]

There will be three of us this time. 2 parents, 1 17 year old. We've been on a number of Disney cruises. I just joined the boards.
Love the tips from previous cruisers. Looking forward to seeing this crowd!

[nordkin]

Welcome. I maintain the list of cruisers on page 1. If you would like to be included, I will be happy to add you. Names of adults, room number, and whether you want to participate in the fish extender gift exchnage.

Donna

[Pocahantas]

98 days until we set sail!!! :dance3::dance3::dance3::dance3:

[cozit]

98 days until we set sail!!! :dance3::dance3::dance3::dance3:

Eep! Guess we'd better finish narrowing down our first and second picks of what we want (and can afford) to do for Port Adventures, with just over a week to go!

Getting a bit excited and wishing our spring was closer to an end..both for the trip time and end of allergies :-)


-Liz

[disdel]

Eep! Guess we'd better finish narrowing down our first and second picks of what we want (and can afford) to do for Port Adventures, with just over a week to go!

Getting a bit excited and wishing our spring was closer to an end..both for the trip time and end of allergies :-)


-Liz

OK, 96 days to sailing, and down to 6 days for bookings - still refining our Port Adventures picks, too.
Spring? You have Spring?:lmao: I'm watching ANOTHER 3-5 inches of wet snow still coming down for the second time this week - While we're super excited for this trip, all I see in my mind's eye right now is a mojito being delivered at Serenity Bay. Or at the very least at SIGNALS.:dance3:

[cozit]

OK, 96 days to sailing, and down to 6 days for bookings - still refining our Port Adventures picks, too.
Spring? You have Spring?:lmao: I'm watching ANOTHER 3-5 inches of wet snow still coming down for the second time this week - While we're super excited for this trip, all I see in my mind's eye right now is a mojito being delivered at Serenity Bay. Or at the very least at SIGNALS.:dance3:

The trees decided Spring was here over a month ago... Daffodils *just* started blooming on Sunday (appropriately enough). Odd part is that down here in MD, we're usually a week ahead of friends and family in PA... not this year. My sis has had blooming daffodils since the end of February (they got snowed on a bit once or twice, but...), *way* ahead of us.

I'm not in a hurry for the flowers to be over, just the trees and the hyacinth... both of which are causing me serious headaches. Then again of course, if spring was over, we'd be just a few days from sailing :-)

[thej]

So we just added my mother to our cabin and noticed that most categories are now sold out. It seems main dining is also full, so she currently has 2nd dining while the rest of us have main. Our travel agent (Missy with Small World, she's great!) has put in a request to get us all seated together, but we are not too hopeful given that the ship is filling up so much. We may just all switch to 2nd dining given the extended daylight and some of the late port departures.

Really looking forward to booking our excursions next week... if we can decide!

So the cabin is now me (Mark), DW (Jean), Mom/Grandma(Rebecca), and DS (9) for whoever is updating the list.

[nordkin]

We are boarding the Disney Dream today and we are so excited. We don't usuaslly do 3 or 4 day cruises, but my mother wanted to check out the new ship so we said why not. As we have gotten closer to the trip we have gotten more excited, not by the itinerary, but by the new ship. This trip we also brought my brother along who has never cruised before and has just gone through some very tough times in his life. Maybe this will help cheer him up, even if just for the week we are on the cruise and at WDW.

I will update any changes when I get home since the spreadsheet is on my main computer and not my netbook.

Donna

[Pocahantas]

We are boarding the Disney Dream today and we are so excited. We don't usuaslly do 3 or 4 day cruises, but my mother wanted to check out the new ship so we said why not. As we have gotten closer to the trip we have gotten more excited, not by the itinerary, but by the new ship. This trip we also brought my brother along who has never cruised before and has just gone through some very tough times in his life. Maybe this will help cheer him up, even if just for the week we are on the cruise and at WDW.

I will update any changes when I get home since the spreadsheet is on my main computer and not my netbook.

Donna

Hope you are having a great time Donna! We hope to book a cruise on the Dream for next year while we are on the Wonder.

[cozit]

Just finished reserving Port Adventures and an evening at Palo's (sigh... hoping I can change that time, since we've the later seating... but 8:30 was too late, so we went early).

Kids will be more excited in the morning, because all their first choices fit, though one isn't an ideal time. Musher's Camp/Sled Dog, Skagway Triple Adventure, and Chilkoot Horseback Adventure in Skagway (yeah, we're splitting up somewhat). Whales and the glacier in Juneau. And I get volunteered to take the kids on the zipline in Ketchikan (did I mention I have a fear of falling? going to be "interesting", but I know I managed to do rappelling in high school (one reason I know it's falling, not heights really)... so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and trying to go through with it).


Hope the rest of you able to sign up today get what you're hoping for! And that goes for anyone who still has to wait a couple weeks to get to your date, as well!


-Liz (now to *sleep*!)

[booger73]

See.. I'm glad I'm not the only one awake booking excursions also...

Still booking in the other window..
Surprised all the Palo brunches are almost all gone
Palo dinners are wide open pretty much (except d2@830p)


Currently: Railroad+Liarsville trail camp, Best of Juneau, and Totem/Village/Lumberjack for the kids

Brunch d2
Dinner d7

[daisy112878]

At 630am (atlanta time) there were no more palo brunch or high teas available. We got dinner on day 2 at 830pm through :)

We also booked the Skagway whitepass railroad and trail camp for everyone in my family. We had to do the 715am trip b/c of my boys go for naps at 1pm. Anyone else doing this early morning one?

Dh and I also splurged and booked the Extended Glacier Trek for Juneau. This should be interesting!!!

I also booked a hot stone massage for myself :cool1: But now the website keeps not working. I'm guessing everyone else is up

[parrothead365]

Had a small amount of trouble booking at about 6:15 AM But I was able to book the following:

Eagle Preserve Wildlife river adventure for my DW and I as well as Mammoth Falls zip line for the DS in Skagway.

We all will be doing the Mendenhall Glacier/Mt Rtoberts tramway in Juneau.

DS will be doing the Bear Creek zipline while DW and I take the Lighthouse,Totem and Eagle tour in Ketchikan.

Time to start packing Yet?????

[Jen24]

Was able to get Palo brunch and dinner:love: No tea was avaiable at 12:02AM. Also booked Best of Skagway. We plan to do Mendenhall and Tramway on our own. Also will explore Ketchikan on our won.

On line check in is complete and we got the 10:30 port time.

We leave tomorrow for LA and the 4/3 Mexican riviera cruise on the Wonder:yay::yay:

[Pocahantas]

We were able to get Palo Brunch on the Tracy Arm day but I had to do it as 2 ressies since only 1 or 2 party ressies were available. I plan to ask them to put us together at 1 table or seat us side by side once we get on the ship. That was all I wanted to book since we have already booked our excursions on our own. Haven't decided on spa treatments yet but there still seems to be alot of time slots available for the ones we looked at. I did our online check in and chose the 12 - 12:30 time slot since we will be walking down from the Pan Pacific. We normally arrive as soon as the port opens but this time I think we will wait until closer to boarding time.

[adorelc]

I was able to check in and get a 10:30 port time. A friend that is on the Magic now was told Saturday that the boarding numbers are assigned by online check in...who knows, I did my best! We are renting a car in Skagway driving to Emerald Lake and hiking in Juneau, but we plan on doing Bering Sea Tour in Ketchikan. Anyone else doing it? I have heard great things about it. My kids wanted to go ziplining, but they are not old enough.

[pmoments]

Made are reservations :cool1: do with Disney the 4x4 in Skagway & gold panning In Juneau. Booked on our own whale watching (Harv&Marv) in Juneau, halibut fishing in Ketchikan. Can't wait!!

[cozit]

DS will be doing the Bear Creek zipline while DW and I take the Lighthouse,Totem and Eagle tour in Ketchikan.

Time to start packing Yet?????

Bear Creek's the one I'm taking my kids on, afternoon in Ketchikan. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed... fear of falling will make it "interesting" for me. Thankfully, it's not a true fear of heights, or the kids would have to skip it. Bear Creek's the only zipline that my daughter is tall enough to do (she's a peanut, for all that she'll be turning 13 on the trip :-)

-Liz

[hsinglanjin]

I was able to log on at 12:15amPT. Was able to get Musher's Camp in Skagway and Medenhall Glacier & City Tour in Juneau. Would have preferred a bit later time for my excursion in Juneau (they had 7:45am), but I guess I can check later to see if anything else opened up.

Wasn't able to get brunch at Palo's as there was no times available on any of the dates.

[buddywesley]

Hi There. This is my first time posting on here but Ive been reading all your great posts. I thought I'd add a little bit of info as when I called today I asked when the Formal nights are etc for this sailing and was told (barring any weather changes) that formal night will be the first night at Sea. Pirate Night will be when we're in Juneau and Semi-Formal when we're in Ketchikan. Hope that helps anyone for travel plans. I wasn't able to book any brunch or high teas either as they were all gone when I logged on last night at 12:06amPT. Look forward to meeting everyone June 28th.

[parrothead365]

online check in completed :thumbsup2 all we need to do now is show up :cool1:

[daisy112878]

When did they start asking what time you'd be at the terminal? We have a shuttle taking us from Seattle to the cruise terminal so not quite sure what time we'll get there. We marked 1230pm on the online check-in but what happens if we're before or after that time.

[thej]

Last night we booked our excursions and Palo. I know we should have done them as soon as it opened for us on the 30th, but life got in the way. We can't do the checkin yet as we are still waiting on mother's passport.

We were amazed at how much was already gone at Palo. We did get a "date" dinner for DW & I at 7pm on day 4/Skagway which should be fine since we will be back aboard fairly early. But the few remaining were mostly a problem for us.

We've spent time in Skagway before, but never got to do the WhitePass railway. So we grabbed the later trip of that (12:30) and will just wander on our own beforehand. In Juneau we are doing the Mendenhall & Whale quest, which is our big excursion for the trip. We are looking forward to whale watching. We hadn't planned on doing anything in Ketchikan, just wandering around a bit. After we read the description of the lumberjack show, we were laughing so hard it became a must-do. So that's booked too.

DW & mother wanted massages, but all the decent times were booked. Everything left seems to conflict with dinner or some other event. I guess we can keep an eye out for openings. Us lowly silver castaway members

Also signed up DS for the kids program... I'm still amazed they will let kids as young as 8 check themselves out with parental approval. I guess maybe we are a bit overprotective since DS has some special needs, but I'd be a bit concerned about letting an 8yo round the ship on their own.

[ILuvJimny]

Okay, I admit it was mean. I texted the other 5 that are going with us on the cruise and told them I just got an email that there was a fire in a galley on the Wonder. There is smoke and water damage on most of the lower decks and the ship will be in drydock for at least 6 months for repairs.

Then I texted them that DCL will get back to us on what our options are for refund or rebooking and they could see more about it on www.aprilfools.com.

My actual reason for this post is to ask if there is somewhere to get information about the different ways to get from SeaTac to the dock in Vancouver. I have tried to find an answer on the boards but haven't found anything yet. We are still trying to decide how we will get there. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[booger73]

A couple other threads on here have talked about it:

Your options are 1) rent a car, 2) take the train, or 3) take the charter bus

Train: Amtrak Cascades: http://www.amtrakcascades.com/schedule.htm

Bus: Quickcoach: http://www.quickcoach.com/
or Greyhound: http://www.greyhound.com


We plan on renting car and driving

[daisy112878]

My actual reason for this post is to ask if there is somewhere to get information about the different ways to get from SeaTac to the dock in Vancouver. I have tried to find an answer on the boards but haven't found anything yet. We are still trying to decide how we will get there. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

We're taking a private shuttle to the cruise terminal from the seattle marriott but we have 10 people including my 2 little ones plus all our stuff. So for us it was cheaper just to get our own ride. Just reading other threads I've seen renting a car and greyhound being the most popular ways to get there.

By the way love the april fools joke. How did they take it?

[IndyStarGazer]

Hi all,

Sorry that it has been so long since I last posted. It's been an exciting winter and spring, to say the least. I just accepted an offer for a new job -- one of the main sticking points was making sure I would have enough vacation time for this cruise and Scout camp!

As I mentioned before, we are interested in doing Fish Extenders. We (myself, Kim, sons Andrew (14) and Nick (11) will be in cabin 6560. We just booked ziplines in Skagway (and then Palo that night) and a helicopter trip to Mendenhall Glacier through Disney. We're thinking about going with a non-Disney fishing charter in Ketchikan.

FYI, I talked to the DCL folks about dining. So far they think that Formal Night will be the second night and Semi-Formal will be the 6th night - though of course that is all subject to change. The bad news - no fireworks, even though we'll be sailing on the 4th!

ILuvJimny asked about going from SeaTac to Vancouver. We're thinking about doing the Amtrak Cascades trip that booger73 mentioned. It seems like a really convenient and costs about $275 for all four of us round trip. The only downside is that we may have to do the bus rather than the train on the trip back. One train leaves before 7AM, the other leaves after 5PM. That would make for a long night of flying assuming I could get something out of Seattle that late!

Ah well, it's still better than the prices for flying in and out of Vancouver from Indianapolis - Seattle is less than half the price of Vancouver!

[buddywesley]

Hi all,

FYI, I talked to the DCL folks about dining. So far they think that Formal Night will be the second night and Semi-Formal will be the 6th night - though of course that is all subject to change. The bad news - no fireworks, even though we'll be sailing on the 4th!





yes! this is what I had posted earlier too. Pirate night will be when we're in Juneau too. Another fun fact...sunsets will be really late. When we're in Skagway (when we're doing Palo) it doesn't set till 10pm! Very excited to have the view while we dine this time :-)

[cozit]

yes! this is what I had posted earlier too. Pirate night will be when we're in Juneau too. Another fun fact...sunsets will be really late. When we're in Skagway (when we're doing Palo) it doesn't set till 10pm! Very excited to have the view while we dine this time :-)

Didn't even think about the view part. LOL it'll be better than the last time I had a view at Palo's... for brunch, and they don't block off that part of the ship except evening - let's just say that one individual was wearing something he really shouldn't in public, and it's a bit disconcerting to have people stopping to stare in the windows at you while you're eating. (dinner doesn't have that problem, at least not the two times we went before)

Sigh... so wish that second evening (the 29th) wasn't going to be the Formal Evening. Not doing Formal (heck, even my only formal dress is about 12 years old, and I have no interest in wearing it unless my arm is twisted), only dressing up ... though I guess I'll actually stick a nice dress in for that night, rather than just my "teacher wear" that I usually use for dining.

Getting closer, but not close enough. Our school district just started our 4th quarter, and we fly out literally 2 days after the last day (I've been threatening the snow gods that there had better be no more snow days... I can't deal with the idea of packing on the last day of work to fly the following day). I'm going to be more than ready for the cruise when it gets here :-)

-Liz

[disdel]

Hi all,

Sorry that it has been so long since I last posted. It's been an exciting winter and spring, to say the least. I just accepted an offer for a new job -- one of the main sticking points was making sure I would have enough vacation time for this cruise and Scout camp!
!

Hi, Kim - congratulations on the new job, and glad you made time for Scout camp!

After numerous glitches with that "lovely to look at, pain to use" DCL website, ended up with all we planned - even though it had "lost" my PALO requests when it booted me of, when I was finally able to log back in, I was still able to get our dinner and brunch times (brunch inTracy Arm, yay!) but tea was no longer available.
Best of Skagway, Whale encounter/Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, and City Highlights followed by a non-Dis flightseeing of Misty Fjords in Ketchikan round things out.

Did I mention how EXCITED WE'RE GETTING:banana::banana::banana:
We'll be seeing y'all real soon!

[disdel]

Didn't even think about the view part. LOL it'll be better than the last time I had a view at Palo's... for brunch, and they don't block off that part of the ship except evening - let's just say that one individual was wearing something he really shouldn't in public, and it's a bit disconcerting to have people stopping to stare in the windows at you while you're eating. (dinner doesn't have that problem, at least not the two times we went before)

-Liz

Hi, Liz - We had a similar brunch experience:scared1: disconcerting was just the start of it:eek:
So, this time, it will be light out for PALO dinner, but hopefully that area should still be blocked off. If not, well, we'll compare notes if there's any show - and I don't mean the Northern Lights:rotfl2:

[IndyStarGazer]

Hi, Kim - congratulations on the new job, and glad you made time for Scout camp!

Thank you! Sorry, I should have been clearer though...I'm Doug, my wife is Kim. :D

Scouting is important to us both, and fortunately the new employer is being very understanding. It is definitely a "Northern Exposure" summer for us...the Alaskan cruise at the end of June, and then the boys and I will be off to northern Wisconsin for Scout camp at the end of July.

Something tells me I'm going to be missing my bed on the Wonder about two days into Scout camp....not to mention the stewards, wait staff, etc, etc....


I was still able to get our dinner and brunch times (brunch inTracy Arm, yay!) but tea was no longer available.


I really wanted to do Palo dinner at Tracy Arm, but by the time I remembered to do that, the only time left was the last seating. Way too late for a big dinner for me!

[j&jsmama]

Hi all,
We are getting close to being able to book our excursions and my sil saw a potential problem...
For the White Pass Railway trip w/ youth activity... it says it's geared towards 5 to 9 year olds. We both have 4 and 1/2 year olds as well as older children. Do you think they will let them go to the youth activity??? If not, we're thinking we should go non-Disney for the same trip. Any advice?????

[disdel]

Thank you! Sorry, I should have been clearer though...I'm Doug, my wife is Kim. :D

Scouting is important to us both, and fortunately the new employer is being very understanding. It is definitely a "Northern Exposure" summer for us...the Alaskan cruise at the end of June, and then the boys and I will be off to northern Wisconsin for Scout camp at the end of July.

Something tells me I'm going to be missing my bed on the Wonder about two days into Scout camp....not to mention the stewards, wait staff, etc, etc....



I really wanted to do Palo dinner at Tracy Arm, but by the time I remembered to do that, the only time left was the last seating. Way too late for a big dinner for me!

LOL! Sorry, ok, Doug - congrats on YOUR new job!:thumbsup2

I'm still a Scouter myself, but less camping these days. Did spend over 3 weeks as Staff at last year's National Jamboree, though! Slept in Army barracks, so it would have been nice to board the MAGIC or WONDER afterwards! I think you have your timing backwards for this summer:laughing:

As far as PALO, keep trying online, and go for it as soon as we board, hopefully you'll get something earlier. Maybe even book that last seating, and then try and get them to change it when you board, I think you can still cancel it that first day w/o penalty.

[booger73]

82 days and counting......

Oh as an update.. It's Ian, Shannon, DS10, 7 for the list on the first page.. in 7046.. Going to skip the FE sorry..

Did sign up for a helicopter ride (new).. hope it's not a lot of air/motion/sea-sickness.. never been in one before, nor on a glacier.. so figured, why not give it a go

Speaking of reservations - just checking tonight but: FYI

Palo dinner: Lots of Day 1,6 and 7 still left
Brunch is only Day 2 @ 11am left

Excursions:
All open except "Disney Dog Musher", "Dog Sledding on Mendenhall w/Helicopter" and "Whale Watching w/Salmon Bake" and the '3-port packages'

Wonder if people are just booking on their own

[Pocahantas]

We booked all of our excursions on our own back in early February.

[cozit]

We are boarding the Disney Dream today and we are so excited. We don't usuaslly do 3 or 4 day cruises, but my mother wanted to check out the new ship so we said why not. As we have gotten closer to the trip we have gotten more excited, not by the itinerary, but by the new ship. This trip we also brought my brother along who has never cruised before and has just gone through some very tough times in his life. Maybe this will help cheer him up, even if just for the week we are on the cruise and at WDW.

I will update any changes when I get home since the spreadsheet is on my main computer and not my netbook.

Donna


How was your trip on the new ship?


-Liz

[cozit]

Hi all,
We are getting close to being able to book our excursions and my sil saw a potential problem...
For the White Pass Railway trip w/ youth activity... it says it's geared towards 5 to 9 year olds. We both have 4 and 1/2 year olds as well as older children. Do you think they will let them go to the youth activity??? If not, we're thinking we should go non-Disney for the same trip. Any advice?????

Why don't you call Disney and ask for their advice. From what I remember when looking at that activity, the kids are in one car, and parents can be in the next car, but other than being able to see through a window, the kids' car is segregated the whole trip, with no go-betweens, unless there is an emergency. Disney is *sometimes* flexible about the age - it would probably depend on your child... but generally when they say 5 and up, they mean it.

However, from when I was considering doing that trip, there is nothing saying you can't do the round-trip with the kids staying with you - they couldn't do the wine tasting, obviously, but the trip information does say that the separation is optional, they don't have to go to the kids' car. Just bring something for them to do, as it's not a short trip... and while they can walk around the train, most kids (definitely mine) have a limited patience with just looking at scenery and relaxing.

-Liz

[nordkin]

How was your trip on the new ship?


-Liz
The trip was good, but there are 32, yes 32, severely obstructed verandahs on the Dream and we had one of them. I complained and a DCL representative on shore called me when we returned to explain they do not feel they have any obstructed verandahs on the ship. This was after guest services and I both sent them photos of our verandah that the top was obstructed for almost half the verandah.

We did not let this spoil our cruise and had a wonderful time. I will say the Aquaduck is a lot of fun. We had a great time just being together. The ship is very different and it took two days to figure out how to get to certain things.

We had to do a cruise on the Dream to see how it was, but we will be sticking to the special Disney cruises and skip the Fantasy.

We are now looking forward to this one.


I will try to update everything this weekend.

[jamsbad]

Hello everyone! I'm totally new to this forum, but have been getting some great information from all the posts!

My family and I are joining this trip along with two other families and we're very excited! DW (Marivic), DH (Orlando), DD (14), DS (11), DS (7). We'll be in Stateroom 2081 and would love to participate in the FE!

Looking forward to the trip! :)

[nordkin]

I have update the List of Cruisers on page 1 post 2. If there are any corrections, subtractions or additions, please let me know.

The number of staterooms signed up for the FE exchange is now up to 19.

[daisy112878]

WHAOOOOOO I got Palo brunch this morning!!!!!! :banana::banana::banana: They have 1-2 people reservations for July 4th around 1130am. I got one for my parents as well. They also had hight tea on July 4th at 3pm

[nordkin]

WHAOOOOOO I got Palo brunch this morning!!!!!! :banana::banana::banana: They have 1-2 people reservations for July 4th around 1130am. I got one for my parents as well. They also had hight tea on July 4th at 3pm
Congratulations. We also have brunch on July 4, but that is the day we wanted in the beginning. If you want something, keep checking several times a day as people do change plans and things open up.

[Maribell]

Hi everyone,
78 days and counting....woohoo! :cool1: We are all getting so excited. We are booking our excursions on Thursday. So much to choose from...so little time to do it all.

Donna,
Here are our room numbers...finally....
Mari & Brian 7006
Dina & Martin 7012
Kathy & Jeff 7054

Looking forward to doing the FE's but still not sure what I am doing. Trying to think light and packable (suitcase space is limited)....planning is part of the fun.

Have a great day everyone!

Mari

[Pocahantas]

Donna,

you can add our names to the List of Cruisers: Monica & Charlie and my parents are Larry & Rose.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

[rav4lcrv]

Jeri & Gary also joining the cruise-anyone else doing the ABD add on?

[Jen24]

Wanted to give you our stateroom 5129. Thanks, Jen and Marc

[buddywesley]

Hi there! Wanted to give you our info for the list. We're Paula & Joey and have DS (8 1/2) and DD (4 1/2) We'll be in Cabin 6540.

Still trying to get brunch or tea at Palo. There were none available when I booked everything else at our 90 day mark. We've never done either so we're hoping to try it this time. We do have a dinner planned there for the Skagway night though.

[parrothead365]

Okay, we have done several Disney cruises but never any excursions. We have ours booked for this trip and was wondering....when do we pay for them? :confused3

And..Anybody know the best way to get from the Vancover airport to the port/hotels (Pan Pacific) inparticular)??

Thanks

[nordkin]

Your excursions are charged to your stateroom so you pay for them onboard.


I will be updating the list of cruisers tomorrow morning.

[nordkin]

I have updated the list of cruisers on page 1 post 2. If there are any additions or changes please let me know.

[marlaymike]

Our stateroom is 6007, and our niece name is Catalina, but everyone calls her Cata

[cozit]

Didn't realize I hadn't put the stateroom number in (even though not doing FE :-)

For now, we're in 6062... which looks like two doors down from someone else on here. OTOH, on both of our other cruises with Disney, we've ended up with a changed cabin by the time we've actually boarded... so we'll see. I suspect that won't happen this time, but you never know.

Getting closer, but not close enough, yet. My 12yo DD is getting more excited, and my 14yo DS is looking forward to better chances to see eagles soaring, but won't admit to any more than that :-) (I think part of DD's excitement is that she is also starting to look forward to turning 13 on board... I know she did a happy dance when we got a Palo dinner day other than on her b-day)

-Liz

[Balmacara]

as first time DCL cruisers we were able to book our excursions on Thursday. All our first choices were available - "Yukon Suspension Bridge & White Pass Railway", "Best of Juneau" and "Misty Fjords Boat & Floatplane" :).

We have also completed online check in and as we will be in Vancouver for a few days before I put in the earliest time for arrival at the port - we will be sooo excited anyway! Someone in thread mentioned that your boarding time is linked to order of online check-in? I hope we will not have to wait hours from arrival:confused3. Those of you seasoned DCL cruisers may know?

Doug

[oldpatterns]

It looks like our room # hasn't been added to the chart in the front of this list.

Oldpatterns (the Lee's) are in room 2510 we are doing fish extenders. We have a son who is 10 (4th grade) and a daughter 14 (9th grade). We will be in Vancouver for a few days before the cruise. After the cruise we are going down to Seattle for a day. We are taking the amtrack train from Seattle and a amtrack bus back down to Seattle.

regards,

The Lee's

[booger73]

We have also completed online check in and as we will be in Vancouver for a few days before I put in the earliest time for arrival at the port - we will be sooo excited anyway! Someone in thread mentioned that your boarding time is linked to order of online check-in? I hope we will not have to wait hours from arrival:confused3. Those of you seasoned DCL cruisers may know?

Doug

On the main DCL board and some of the Dream and Mex. Riv postings people had noted that your online check was _maybe_ linked to your boarding time.. if it is, it's something they've only recently instituted (at least since the Dream started cruising this year).. that part was never in the online check-in before..
I'm not sure how well they'll institute it.. and the fact that Disney has never sailed out of Vancouver/PP/Five Sails dock, etc.. who knows. Even if you have to wait some it's a really cool area to explore though, I think you should have no problem either way..

[Pocahantas]

Just purchased our tickets for Vancouver Trolley. They are offering the second day free when you purchase a one day pass online. We are spending two days in Vancouver before we cruise and I have seen quite a few recommendations on CruiseCritic as a good way to see alot in a short amount of time. Now I just have to narrow down what we want to see the last two and a half days in Vancouver after our cruise. I am pretty sure we will spend a whole day in Stanley park and may also venture up to Grouse Mountain. May even consider driving up to Whistler.

[disdel]

Just purchased our tickets for Vancouver Trolley. They are offering the second day free when you purchase a one day pass online. We are spending two days in Vancouver before we cruise and I have seen quite a few recommendations on CruiseCritic as a good way to see alot in a short amount of time. Now I just have to narrow down what we want to see the last two and a half days in Vancouver after our cruise. I am pretty sure we will spend a whole day in Stanley park and may also venture up to Grouse Mountain. May even consider driving up to Whistler.



Thanks for the tip! Just checked the site http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/ and it looks like a great idea. Will run it past all our companions, but I think it's the way to go! We'll be there all day Sunday and Monday, so the two days is perfect.

[nordkin]

Thanks for the tip! Just checked the site http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/ and it looks like a great idea. Will run it past all our companions, but I think it's the way to go! We'll be there all day Sunday and Monday, so the two days is perfect.

We are also using Vancouver Trolley. We are arriving Saturday evening around 5:30 so the two day pass is perfect for Sunday and Monday.

[elderfam]

Hello everyone!

We are the Elders and this will be the first cruise for most of our crew!
We want to sign up for the fish extenders!
Look for us in Stateroom 6311-JT, Cynthia, & Jonathan (3)
6319-Tim (DBL)& Jamie (13)
6521-Pat (DFL) & Brandon (16)
We are really looking forward to getting on the Wonder!
My father-in-law has never been on a cruise and seeing alaska is on his bucket list. Getting to do it on a Disney cruise with his grandchildren is Priceless!

[nordkin]

Hello everyone!

We are the Elders and this will be the first cruise for most of our crew!
We want to sign up for the fish extenders!
Look for us in Stateroom 6311-JT, Cynthia, & Jonathan (3)
6319-Tim (DBL)& Jamie (13)
6521-Pat (DFL) & Brandon (16)
We are really looking forward to getting on the Wonder!
My father-in-law has never been on a cruise and seeing alaska is on his bucket list. Getting to do it on a Disney cruise with his grandchildren is Priceless!
Welcome!! We sailed together on the WBTA this past September. I will add you guys to the list when I update it later this week.

My mother has always wanted to see Alaska and she is also coming with us. Our three children and daughter in law are also coming. She is expecting our first grandchild and just makes the 24 week cut off as she will be 22 weeks when we sail. Look forward to sailing with you again.

[elderfam]

I havent had time to read all the post yet, so is there anything really important I need to know? Are we doing lanyards? Are there any restrictions on fish gifts?

Thanks!
Cynthia

[nordkin]

I havent had time to read all the post yet, so is there anything really important I need to know? Are we doing lanyards? Are there any restrictions on fish gifts?

Thanks!
Cynthia
We are not doing lanyards and as of right now there are no restrictions I know about on fish gifts. We have had some discussion on a DIS meet the first day, but have not come to a decision on when and where.

[ozdisneyfan]

Hi Donna

Could you possibly add the FE column to the list of cruisers in the post on the first page, if no-one minds?

Thanks

Lea

[nordkin]

I have updated the list of cruisers on page 1. Sorry about leaving the fish extender column off the last one, but it was just an error on my part when I copied the spreadsheet.

I have also created a Google Docs spreadsheet for those who want to print the spreadsheet prior to leaving for the cruise. The link is also posted on page 1.

If there are any corrections, deletions, or additions please let me know.

[ozdisneyfan]

I have updated the list of cruisers on page 1. Sorry about leaving the fish extender column off the last one, but it was just an error on my part when I copied the spreadsheet.

I have also created a Google Docs spreadsheet for those who want to print the spreadsheet prior to leaving for the cruise. The link is also posted on page 1.

If there are any corrections, deletions, or additions please let me know.

Thanks so much!

:thumbsup2

[oldpatterns]

Thanks for updating the list! Do we know how many are involved in the Fish extenders?

[That_Australian_Kid]

Hiya,
Not sure if my family will be on this cruise yet.. Though its looking quite likely!
Just wondering if there will be a teen meet up on the first day? Or if any of your teenagers have facebook, it would be fun to connect before the cruise! I'm happy to add anyone, just pm for a link (:
I am fifteen and in tenth grade, by the way!

[nordkin]

I have posted a list of cruisers and a list of those participating in the fish extender exchange on page 1. There is also a link to a Google Docs spreadsheet for those that would rather look at it in that format. The spreadsheet has two sheets that are clearly labeled with what information they contain.

[j&jsmama]

I finally have our room number handy... it is 6506... So, you can add our room to the list (our names are already on there).

Two questions... What does FE involve? What are people REALLY going to wear to formal and semiformal nights? (I have searched the threads and found the gamut... but, with this being Alaska, is it going to be a bit less formal than the others???) Thanks for any answers!

Amy

[Pocahantas]

For formal night I will probably just wear a regular black dress with heels and jewlery to dress it up a bit - similar to what most would wear to church or a wedding. For semi-formal night it will probably be a more casual dress with sandals. I also plan to wear these same dresses for our Palo dinner and brunch. DH will probably wear khakis with a long sleeve button up dress shirt for formal night and khakis with a short sleeve shirt for semi-formal night. Like everyone else we are going to try to pack light so we are not bringing really dressy stuff. I am trying to pack things that we will wear at least twice and if it can't or won't be worn twice it doesn't go in the suitcase. We'll be traveling for almost 14 days so I am hoping we can really limit what we pack. And I have also budgeted to let Disney do our laundry for us on the ship halfway through the trip. We know it will be big $$$$$ but I don't want to spend my vacation time doing laundry.

[j&jsmama]

Monica,
Thanks so much for your answer. I like your plan... our total trip is 10 days and we want to pack light as well. I may copy your plan including shelling out some $$ to have our laundry done.... what a luxury that would be!

Amy

[adorelc]

I finally have our room number handy... it is 6506... So, you can add our room to the list (our names are already on there).

Two questions... What does FE involve? What are people REALLY going to wear to formal and semiformal nights? (I have searched the threads and found the gamut... but, with this being Alaska, is it going to be a bit less formal than the others???) Thanks for any answers!

Amy

My family will not be dressing formal, but we will still be at formal dinner. I will wear a dress and my husband will wear a button down shirt. I was so worried on my first cruise about what to wear to dinner, but I saw everything. I can't believe the cruise is getting close....finally! We are really looking forward to it.

[nordkin]

I have been out of town so have not had the opportunity to update the list of cruisers. I promise i will get to it in the next couple of days.

I would like an opinion on a cut off date for the fish extenders. Those participating do haveto make plans for gifts so I was thinking May 31 or June 1st. Any thoughts?

[adorelc]

I have been out of town so have not had the opportunity to update the list of cruisers. I promise i will get to it in the next couple of days.

I would like an opinion on a cut off date for the fish extenders. Those participating do haveto make plans for gifts so I was thinking May 31 or June 1st. Any thoughts?

Sounds good to me. Thank you for putting this together!

[ozdisneyfan]

I have been out of town so have not had the opportunity to update the list of cruisers. I promise i will get to it in the next couple of days.

I would like an opinion on a cut off date for the fish extenders. Those participating do haveto make plans for gifts so I was thinking May 31 or June 1st. Any thoughts?

I vote for May 31st, then I know I nothing will change after May...

Thanks for organising!
Lea:thumbsup2

[nordkin]

There has been a request from someone participating in the fish extender exchange to have the names of the children as their gift is going to be personalized. I have the names of some of the children, but not all. If you are participating in the fish extender exchange and would like to provide your child's name there are a couple of ways we can handle it so the names are not on the internet.

1. Email me the names at nordkin@aol.com and I will send them on the the person making the request.

2. I can provide the DIS name of the peson and you can send them a PM

3. You can send me a PM, I will compile the list and send it on to the person.

4. I can allow editing by anyone with the link to the Google spreadsheet and make the color of the font white so it does not show and then everyone can just change the font color to get the names.

Your choice. I will do what ever the majority wants.

[ozdisneyfan]

There has been a request from someone participating in the fish extender exchange to have the names of the children as their gift is going to be personalized. I have the names of some of the children, but not all. If you are participating in the fish extender exchange and would like to provide your child's name there are a couple of ways we can handle it so the names are not on the internet.

1. Email me the names at nordkin@aol.com and I will send them on the the person making the request.

2. I can provide the DIS name of the peson and you can send them a PM

3. You can send me a PM, I will compile the list and send it on to the person.

4. I can allow editing by anyone with the link to the Google spreadsheet and make the color of the font white so it does not show and then everyone can just change the font color to get the names.

Your choice. I will do what ever the majority wants.

Hello!
Option 2 or 3 is fine with me, I too will go with the majority though, whichever is the least effort for you.

Thanks!:thumbsup2

[adorelc]

Option 2 or 3 is sounds good to me as well. How nice of someone to personalize things! This will be our first time participating in Fish Extenders. We are excited about it.

[cozit]

You realize that the Wonder started its first Alaska cruise yesterday? Someone on the first voyage's thread posted a link to see where it is, and where it's been http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=9&oldmmsi=308457000&olddate=5/4/2011%2012:58:00%20PM


Didn't realize that it went out into the Pacific, rather than up the other side of the island, but I guess it makes sense.

(can't wait for our trip... for many reasons :-) And the kids are excited as well, now... my son's looking forward to checking out the Stack (oops... it's Vibe, now), and my daughter's waiting to compare the new Edge to what she remembers of visiting with her brother in Ocean Quest on the Magic a few years ago)


-Liz

[Pocahantas]

Wow, how cool is that! Thanks for posting that link Liz. We are getting pretty excited here too.

[nordkin]

To make things easier for me I have opted to let everyone participating in the Fish Extender exchange PM the DISer with the information. I will forward the information already provided to me via email. The DISer is
ILuvJimny.

I have also updated the list of cruisers with any additional information that has been provided.

The official cutoff date for the Fish Extenders is May 31, 2011.

[ozdisneyfan]

To make things easier for me I have opted to let everyone participating in the Fish Extender exchange PM the DISer with the information. I will forward the information already provided to me via email. The DISer is
ILuvJimny.

I have also updated the list of cruisers with any additional information that has been provided.

The official cutoff date for the Fish Extenders is May 31, 2011.

Thankyou!

[daisy112878]

I can't believe we are getting so close. Still a little scared about flying from ATL to Seattle with a 2yo and 8 1/2 month old but I know we will survive.

I can't wait for 5/31 so I can then officially start planning out our FE gifts for everyone. We had such a blast doing this the last cruise and I know Bailey (my 2yo) is going to LOVE it this time.

[daisy112878]

So does anyone know what the temperatures are like in alaska for our cruise? Just wondering if I should be looking for new pants for my 2yo who has officially outgrown his 18-24mth clothes.

[cozit]

So does anyone know what the temperatures are like in alaska for our cruise? Just wondering if I should be looking for new pants for my 2yo who has officially outgrown his 18-24mth clothes.

As far as averages, it's rather cooler there than in Atlanta, you will definitely need a pair or two of long pants (*g* I know my nephew just north of Atlanta owns almost no pants... I think two pairs, mostly for playing in snow there or when visiting Grandpa in PA). Mostly, layers are good for the changing and unpredictable temperatures - but that will still require pants. If you look at Deb's blog on allears.net, you can see what the first cruise looked like last week http://land.allears.net/blogs/debwills/2011/05/the_disney_wonder_is_in.html (and then you can go forward and back from there - to get the whole western trip she took... that woman still amazes me after about 15 years of watching her information sharing grow)

Oh... and according to one of the blogs of that trip, the Wonder was the *first* passenger ship into Ketchikan for the season... many of the stores weren't even open yet.

I'll be watching weather.com's forecast before packing for real. But be aware that in most of Alaska, forecasting is ah.... not so do-able. Weather can change rapidly - even as far south as Juneau. Note that the averages given on these calendars are just that - averages... they can get 90 degree days even up in Anchorage from time to time... just rather more rare, with the cold Pacific and mountains there. They can also get very cold mid-summer... but again, relatively rare.

Juneau June averages: http://beta.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/monthly/USAK0116?month=1

Ketchikan June averages: http://beta.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/monthly/USAK0125?month=1

Skagway June averages: http://beta.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/monthly/USAK0225?month=1




-Liz
(yeah, having *way* too much fun/spending way too much time checking out info on that first cruise and starting to plan packing... and how many time I'll have to wash clothes... taking "Dropps" along again - they worked very well the last cruise, and are "pre-measured" :-)