Ahoy, Kids! Scrap the Summer Plans...We're Sailing with Mickey to Alaska! (Upd 9/8)

[MickeyMomTo2]

After the hook/line fishing demonstration, we went to another area (off the coast of Annette Island), and the crew members threw fish pieces out into the water. It didn't take long for the eagles to show up! They were everywhere. They flew right over our heads (thankful we didn't get pooped on) and around the boat. Unlike the whale adventure, I didn't have my photo on landscape mode, so I was able to get shots that weren't blurry. But, it was hard to keep up with them because they were so fast!


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The eagle viewing put smiles on our faces for sure!


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(Cont'd in next post so I don't exceed my photo limit.)

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

After the amazing eagles, it was time for crab fishing! We went to an area where they already had the traps/cages in the water, and they hauled one in using their equipment. One thing I learned from this excursion--fishing is very difficult work! They brought the creatures around for us to touch and hold. You will notice that DS isn't in many of these pictures. Touching animals (other than our small dog) isn't really his thing, but DD loved it!


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After all this fun, it was time to head back to Ketchikan. On the return trip, the fishermen told more stories. I enjoyed every one, but someone was a little too tired to stay awake during the tales of adventure.


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As we neared the port, we passed the Saxman Village.


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We also got a picture with some of the crew of the Aleutian Ballad.


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And here's our lovely lady waiting for us...


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The Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour was lots of fun and educational, too! I was very pleased with all of our excursions. I thought we had a variety of experiences that really gave us a taste of Alaska. I would recommend them all!

Coming Up...A Rainy Return!

 

[TheHippie524]

Your little girl looks TOO excited to hold those creatures! It's soo cute. She's a thousand times braver than I would be.

 

[WDWaddictt]

Wow! Awesome! Loved your pictures! So beautiful! Don't think I would touch those creatures either...scarrry!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Your little girl looks TOO excited to hold those creatures! It's soo cute. She's a thousand times braver than I would be.

Thanks. I do love her expressions in these pics!

Wow! Awesome! Loved your pictures! So beautiful! Don't think I would touch those creatures either...scarrry!

Thank you. She can be very brave when it comes to touching creatures and going down Summit Plummet, but doesn't like to sleep alone. Go figure!

 

[erk711]

After the hook/line fishing demonstration, we went to another area (off the coast of Annette Island), and the crew members threw fish pieces out into the water. It didn't take long for the eagles to show up! They were everywhere. They flew right over our heads (thankful we didn't get pooped on) and around the boat. Unlike the whale adventure, I didn't have my photo on landscape mode, so I was able to get shots that weren't blurry. But, it was hard to keep up with them because they were so fast!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99043721@N04/9307447227/
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The eagle viewing put smiles on our faces for sure!

These are fabulous photos. I especially like this action shot

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

These are fabulous photos. I especially like this action shot

Thank you!

 

[lucy0558]

Fantastic photos...I think your eagle shots may have sold me on the camera!

 

[ctalley]

I am enjoying your trip report. The last minute guarantee rates intrigue me. I am an over planner as well so I have loved hearing your thoughts. I also have enjoyed reading about the excursions you booked on your own. An Alaskan cruise is on my travel wish list. I look forward to reading more.
Thank you!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Fantastic photos...I think your eagle shots may have sold me on the camera!

Thank you! I do love my DSLR! The best part is the continuous shooting. You can hold the button down and the shutter fires rapidly. I take a lot of bad shots, but with a quick shutter, you can get lots of good shots, too!

I am enjoying your trip report. The last minute guarantee rates intrigue me. I am an over planner as well so I have loved hearing your thoughts. I also have enjoyed reading about the excursions you booked on your own. An Alaskan cruise is on my travel wish list. I look forward to reading more.
Thank you!

Thanks for reading! Last minute is definitely not something we usually do, but I am so glad we jumped on it for this trip! I hope you are able to go one day!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Throughout this cruise, we had been very fortunate with rain. Other than a little drizzle in Skagway, we really hadn't had any rain at all. When the Aleutian Ballad returned to Ketchikan, however, it started raining. It wasn't a downpour, but it was a steady light rain. We pulled our hoods on and headed back to the Wonder. I don't know what the problem was, but we were greeted with a HUGE line to get on the ship. We still had 3 hours in port, but it seemed that everyone was trying to get on at the same time. It was about 5 when we got in line, and we didn't make it onto the ship until a little after 5:30. Of course, waiting wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been raining, but it wasn't fun to wait in the yucky weather. I will interrupt here to say that on port days with a chance of rain, Disney hands out ponchos for free as you are leaving the ship. We didn't use ours, but we did grab one for each of us. We will take them to WDW next time we go. They are the same ponchos they sell in the parks for $7 or 8 dollars, so I was sure to grab them!

Thankfully, our hoods kept us decently dry because we only had ten minutes to change for dinner. We were back in Animator's Palate, and it was the Taste of Alaska menu. I had the Alaskan King Crab Legs (good), Crispy Garden Salad (good), Marinated Sirloin Steak (good), and the Skagway Chocolate Truffle Torte (can't remember). My DH and I also shared some Elk, but we weren't crazy about it. Keep in mind that you can always order more than one item on the menu. They are happy to let you try more than one thing!

The kids left dinner early to go to the Ratatouille Cooking School in the Lab with their friends. When DH and I finished eating, I talked him into going to see Mickey and Minnie with me. They were together in their Alaskan outfits, and I couldn't pass that up (I love getting character pics when they are wearing outfits that aren't their regular clothes).


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After the pic, we went to find the kids so we could all see the show together. They had been having a fun time making cookies.


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Their friends' parents were at Palo, so the kids joined us for the show. It was The Physical Comedy of Michael Holly. Truthfully, I don't remember lots of details from this show, but I remember that we enjoyed it.


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After the show, we said good-bye and headed back to our room. We were sad that our days in Alaska were over, but we were looking forward to one more relaxing day at sea!

Coming Up...Our Final Day!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

If you remember, my kids missed seeing Monsters University the night is was the main show because their mean parents made them go to bed early. So...on Sunday morning, they went to see it at the Buena Vista Theatre with their friends. While they were watching the movie, DH and I exercised and went to Parrot Cay for breakfast. Although I would still like to see the movie, it was nice to have a little grown up quiet time!

After breakfast, I went to get in line for the Princess Gathering in the Atrium. (Just a note--as long as you are in line for a character meet and greet by the end time listed on the Navigator, you will get to see the character.) When Monsters University ended, DD joined me in the line. While she was waiting, a friend showed up to talk.


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I think the pinky promise had something to do with Snow White, but I don't remember what it was. After visiting with Peter, DD met Snow White, Ariel, Cinderella and Tiana. Snow White remembered that DD had a graphic shirt on the day before and said, "You always wear shirts with such nice messages!"


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After seeing the princesses, we went to the gift shops for our final purchases. I ended up with a DCL Alaska Christmas ornament, a Mickey keychain, and a set of Alaskan/Disney nesting dolls. DD got an Alaskan Minnie, but she also loved this set of characters. She had spent all her money, so I told her we would take a picture of them so she could remember them.


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On the way back to the room, we managed to visit Daisy as well.


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For the next little bit, the kids swam, and we managed to fit lunch in at some point. At 2:00 we went to at variety show in the Walt Disney Theatre. The performer was Kevin Johnson, and while the kids loved it, this was my least favorite of the variety performers. DS thought he was the best, however, so don't take my word for it!

Later in the afternoon, DD and I went to have tea with Disney Friends. This event takes place two times during the cruise, and you must have a ticket. You can make reservations as soon as you board the ship on the first day. During our cruise, the two choices were 4:00 on either Tracy Arm day or the last at-sea day. I didn't want to miss any of Tracy Arm, so we chose the at-sea day. DD and I got to enjoy apple juice and cookies, and we visited with Ariel and Tiana. DD really enjoyed it, and it was fun mommy-daughter time.


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Coming Up...Our Final Day, Part Two!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

After tea with our Disney friends, it was time to get ready for our final dinner. We were in Parrot Cay, and it was the 'Til We Meet Again Menu. I don't remember what I had for an appetizer, but I had Beef Wellington for my main dish and wasn't crazy about it. We also tried the Baked Alaska for dessert (which was okay), but I know I also got another dessert, even though I can't remember what is was. Here are a few pictures from the Parade of Nations, which included the chefs displaying the baked Alaska.


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Xavier and Frehr were our wonderful servers for the week. Frehr was especially kind to my children. I really appreciated her sweet disposition!


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After dinner, DD went to the kids' club for one final evening of fun, and DS went to the top deck to shoot a few more hoops. DH and I decided to take in a little more scenery from the top deck as well.


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DD and I ended the evening by going to see Dreams, the final production in the Walt Disney Theatre. Minnie joined us as well. (Just a tip--you can get free ice water at the bar outside the theatre. DD took advantage of this every night.) We enjoyed the show, and it was a great end to the wonderful performances that we had seen all week.


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We ended our last day so thankful for the amazing trip. We were sad to leave, but also felt that a 7-night cruise was perfect. We had been gone from home for 10 nights, so it was time to return to Tennessee. Of course, I wished I could take the stateroom hosts and the chefs home with me!

Coming Up...From Vancouver to Nashville!

 

[WDWaddictt]

Sounds like a great last night! What a wonderful vacation, thanks for sharing it with us! I hope one day to go on an Alaskan cruise, looks so beautiful!!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Sounds like a great last night! What a wonderful vacation, thanks for sharing it with us! I hope one day to go on an Alaskan cruise, looks so beautiful!!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are able to go to Alaska. It was a wonderful experience!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

We woke up on Monday morning with a purpose. We were sad to leave, but we had a flight to catch! We had not set our luggage out the night before because we wanted to be in the first group to disembark. DH took the kids up to Beach Blanket to grab some food while I got ready, and then I went up and got a quick bite. By 7:20, we were heading down to the lobby.

The Navigator said that the first group would start disembarkation at 7:45, but when we got to the atrium at 7:25, people were already exiting. We showed our customs form to an agent as we walked out and were in our car pulling out of the parking garage at 7:40. Our flight out of Seattle was at 3:30, so our nerves about making it on time were greatly eased by the fact that we were leaving over an hour earlier than we had planned.

We experienced some traffic and confusion in Vancouver (you can't turn left onto some streets during certain times off the day, so we had to reroute; and traffic can also back up because there are no left turn lanes, even in areas where you can turn left), but made it into the US by 9:00 (20 minute wait at the border). We had a minor slow down for a wreck around Bellingham, stopped for gas in Seattle, and still made it to the rental car return facility at Seatac by 11:00 AM. We were at the Southwest ticket counter a little before 11:30, which was four hours before our flight.

On the way to Seattle, we received a text saying that our connecting flight in Las Vegas was already delayed. This was worrisome, especially considering it was almost 12 hours from flight time. Also, our flight was scheduled to land in Nashville after 1AM, so we didn't really want significant delays!

Thankfully, because our connecting flight was already showing a delay, the very nice Southwest agent changed our flight to one that left an hour earlier and arrived in Nashville almost three hours earlier (she didn't have to do this, but I guess we looked pitiful)! We were very glad to return to Nashville at 10:40! We were so happy, in fact, that we didn't even care when we got to Nashville and learned that our bags had been left behind in Seattle. There were about 30 of us with no bags, but we just went home, and Southwest delivered them to our house the next morning.

Our view on the flight home...


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This was truly an amazing vacation, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to make this trip. DH and I would love to return and go even further north into Alaska. There are also other excursions we would like to try. Of course, this will be in the future, probably once we are empty nesters (which will be a while).

For those of you looking forward to Disney Alaskan cruises, you are going to have a wonderful time, and you have every reason to be excited. For those of you on the fence, I highly recommend it! It was a vacation we will always remember!

I guess that's all from me, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading!

 

[jedijill]

Fantastic report! I'm sad its over. I really can't wait to go to Alaska now. Hopefully I can swing it in a couple of years.

I love SW customer service!

Jill in CO

 

[WDWaddictt]

Great TR! Glad you got your luggage...crazy. I would have been stressed out not knowing if I would ever get them or would it cost more to get them.

I will be looking for more TR's from you in the future!

Thanks!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Thanks for sharing! We just got back and LOVED our Alaskan cruise! Thanks for the info and tips - they were helpful!

Glad you and your luggage made it home safely!

 

[canadiandisneycruise]

Loved it! Thanks for the report- makes me excited for ours next year!!!