Alaskan Adventures on the Wonder! June 3,2013-FE info post #61!

[Jordan'sMom]

If anyone is shopping for wet weather-friendly footwear, I just picked up a pair of Chooka duck skimmer shoes at Costco for $25. They're normally $65! They are comfortable and seem like they'll be perfect for wet conditions.

http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/pro...000&kwid=1&ap=7&mkwid=U4j00a&adid=Cebqhpg+Nqf

That's a great deal!

I just ordered these hiker boots for my son and I from Lands End, also on sale for $25. http://www.landsend.com/pp/boys-alpine-trekker-boots~244981_-1.html I decided on the Laughton Glacier Hike and Rail excursion in Skagway, so we will need something with good traction. I hope they fit!

 

[mom2twokids]

Hi everyone!
We just booked today! We are from Alberta and couldn't help but take advantage of the Canadian resident rate. My parents are already booked on the cruise to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. We had to pull the plug last year when they originally booked a room for us and for them as the $ was too steep. I'm happy to say we were finally able to make this work!! To make it even better, we are surprising our parents. We will not tell them, just show up the day of and hope we accidentally run into them. For this reason we will not tell the kids we are going either.

We have 4 kids (hence the high cost). DD8, DS7, DS2, DD1.

It's our second time on the Wonder. Two years ago we did a Mexican Riviera cruise. It was by far our best vacation ever.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Hi everyone!
We just booked today! We are from Alberta and couldn't help but take advantage of the Canadian resident rate. My parents are already booked on the cruise to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. We had to pull the plug last year when they originally booked a room for us and for them as the $ was too steep. I'm happy to say we were finally able to make this work!! To make it even better, we are surprising our parents. We will not tell them, just show up the day of and hope we accidentally run into them. For this reason we will not tell the kids we are going either.

We have 4 kids (hence the high cost). DD8, DS7, DS2, DD1.

It's our second time on the Wonder. Two years ago we did a Mexican Riviera cruise. It was by far our best vacation ever.

Welcome!

A surprise cruise is really fun. We did it with our kids 2 years ago on the MR. We told them we were going to Arizona for baseball spring training (they were so not thrilled). They didn't know till we pulled up to the ship! DS's best friend and his family joined us as well (also a surprise!). The kids didn't know till we met up with them in the terminal. You'll love it!

Christine

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

I updated the Fish Extender list on post #61 of this thread, as well as on the spreadsheet! We now have 16 cabins participating! Woohoo getting excited. I imagine that we'll have more joining in as the discounts start.

On most other cruises I've been on, the cutoff date for joining the FE was 30 days ahead. Any objections to that? I know sometimes people want to accommodate late joiners (like 2 weeks out from the cruise date), but since I think most people are probably flying to this cruise you have to figure out your packing ahead of time.

 

[Squirrely13]

This will be our 1st 7-nt cruise. Also 1st to AK. Excited, but also getting nervous 'cuz winter won't leave the Midwest & just heard it will be colder than normal in AK from Apr-Jun. Ug!

Expecting the kids to be spending more time than normal in the kids' clubs since the pool won't be as appealing as on the 2 Caribbean cruises. To that end, we thought we'd see if they could seek out some vacation buddies before we get on board. I have a 13YOS who is a BIG Disney, Simpsons, Star Wars & Dr. Who fan. I also have a 10 YOD who is into everything girly--the sparklier, the better!

Anyone else got kids who might like someone to hang out with? If either of my kids fit the bill maybe we can work out a "meet", either online or onboard. Now I think I might look into that "Champagne tasting on pg. 6"!

 

[sqektoy]

I updated the Fish Extender list on post #61 of this thread, as well as on the spreadsheet! We now have 16 cabins participating! Woohoo getting excited. I imagine that we'll have more joining in as the discounts start.

On most other cruises I've been on, the cutoff date for joining the FE was 30 days ahead. Any objections to that? I know sometimes people want to accommodate late joiners (like 2 weeks out from the cruise date), but since I think most people are probably flying to this cruise you have to figure out your packing ahead of time.

I'm good with setting 30 days as a goal and if we have any late joiners, maybe play it by ear as to how many staterooms we have.... Thanks again for coordinating and keeping us all updated!

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Expecting the kids to be spending more time than normal in the kids' clubs since the pool won't be as appealing as on the 2 Caribbean cruises. To that end, we thought we'd see if they could seek out some vacation buddies before we get on board. I have a 13YOS who is a BIG Disney, Simpsons, Star Wars & Dr. Who fan. I also have a 10 YOD who is into everything girly--the sparklier, the better!

Anyone else got kids who might like someone to hang out with? If either of my kids fit the bill maybe we can work out a "meet", either online or onboard. Now I think I might look into that "Champagne tasting on pg. 6"!

That sounds great- my DS 13 is a big Disney, Star Wars, general comics, and LOTR/Hobbit fan. Meeting other "dis kids" ahead of time has always been great for him. He LOVES DCL and the cruises. Maybe they could meet up on email or FB?

Christine

 

[speakupjc]

Squirrely13 I have a 10 yod that would love to make friends with your 10yod. Maybe they could talk on the phone prior to getting together. I have an unlimited long distance plan so my daughter could call your daughter if you would like. My daughter loves anything sparkley and art.

 

[OrcaPotter]

I'm keeping my eye on the Pan Pacific for my pre-cruise stay. I'm hoping the rate goes below $300 soon. Anyone else book their pre-cruise hotel yet?

I was looking, too, for my post-cruise stay and holy cow--the rates at all the hotels jump at least $50 for that Monday night! Crazy!

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Has anyone found a good rate for a rental car? I was planning on using Quick Shuttle roundtrip from Seattle...but just got an alert that my flight back on Monday the 10th has been changed to 8:35 pm...I don't want to sit in SeaTac for 6 hours or whatever.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

One Fish Extender request from my family- please no candy. My DH and I are working really hard on weight loss and while we plan to enjoy the cruise food, it will be oh so tempting to bring that candy home.

Thanks! Just wanted to put that out there since I know some folks will be starting to plan. I was thinking of it today as I wondered what I am going to put in our Easter baskets!

 

[RHreha]

We're in! I don't know why it's taken me so long to check out the board for this cruise as we booked back in November.

Looking forward to the beauty and wonder of the Alaskan waters. Anyone have any suggestions on attire? I know that it will be cold but is it like winter coat cold or hoody sweatshirt cold? We are coming from Arizona so we don't have a lot of winter type clothing on hand.

We haven't booked our hotel room either and trying to figure out the best route to go. We too are coming in on May 1 and staying an extra day as my Birthday is June 10 and I didn't want to spend it in an airport.

We have 3 kids: DD 13 DS 12 DS 8 (will turn 9 on June 6)

 

[OrcaPotter]

We're in! I don't know why it's taken me so long to check out the board for this cruise as we booked back in November.

Looking forward to the beauty and wonder of the Alaskan waters. Anyone have any suggestions on attire? I know that it will be cold but is it like winter coat cold or hoody sweatshirt cold? We are coming from Arizona so we don't have a lot of winter type clothing on hand.

We haven't booked our hotel room either and trying to figure out the best route to go. We too are coming in on May 1 and staying an extra day as my Birthday is June 10 and I didn't want to spend it in an airport.

We have 3 kids: DD 13 DS 12 DS 8 (will turn 9 on June 6)

Welcome

There are a lot of threads on this topic on the main forum, so the gist of what I expect to pack is a lot of stuff to layer. Now, we're sailing at the very beginning of June, so I expect it'll probably still be pretty darn cool--if not cold. The average temps I've found online have the highs in the 60's. I'm from Florida, so that's mid-winter for me! My family bought us all weather-resistant jackets--not quite ski coats or very heavy, though. They seem perfect as the outer layer for being outdoors. Other suggestions that I'm planning to take to heart: a fleece jacket/pullover, long-sleeve shirts/sweatshirts, t-shirts, jeans, weather-resistant footwear, gloves, knit hat, thick socks, etc. It would seem the weather is unpredictable--not too much unlike Florida, so it shouldn't be that much of an adjustment other than the temperature. As for the dressy nights/PALO, I'll make sure to have a nice sweater and tights!

 

[jenna7394]

We're in! I don't know why it's taken me so long to check out the board for this cruise as we booked back in November.

Looking forward to the beauty and wonder of the Alaskan waters. Anyone have any suggestions on attire? I know that it will be cold but is it like winter coat cold or hoody sweatshirt cold? We are coming from Arizona so we don't have a lot of winter type clothing on hand.

We haven't booked our hotel room either and trying to figure out the best route to go. We too are coming in on May 1 and staying an extra day as my Birthday is June 10 and I didn't want to spend it in an airport.

We have 3 kids: DD 13 DS 12 DS 8 (will turn 9 on June 6)

Yay! Another Arizonan! Welcome to the group. I have a 12 year old boy also (and a 14 year old boy). There are several boys in our group around that age.

We are still trying to figure out what types of warm stuff to bring. The cooler weather is going to be a shock for sure. I heard to dress in layers and even though it may be cooler, it is humid and therefore doesn't feel as cold.

Hope that helps!
Jenna

 

[jenna7394]

I'm keeping my eye on the Pan Pacific for my pre-cruise stay. I'm hoping the rate goes below $300 soon. Anyone else book their pre-cruise hotel yet?

I was looking, too, for my post-cruise stay and holy cow--the rates at all the hotels jump at least $50 for that Monday night! Crazy!

We booked the St. Regis Hotel on Sunday. It is a boutique hotel that has free breakfast also. Had great reviews on hotels.com. I was looking at the Pan Pacific also, but it looks like it is all sold out for the 2nd.

 

[sqektoy]

Yay! Another Arizonan! Welcome to the group. I have a 12 year old boy also (and a 14 year old boy). There are several boys in our group around that age.

We are still trying to figure out what types of warm stuff to bring. The cooler weather is going to be a shock for sure. I heard to dress in layers and even though it may be cooler, it is humid and therefore doesn't feel as cold.

Hope that helps!
Jenna

Yeah! Looks like AZ may be the winning state!! It will certainly be a switch to go from our 105+ to whatever Alaska weather will be! We bought coats for the first time ever this year with the cruise in mind. Our DS just turned 9 so hope the boys can hang out in the clubs. See you at the meet up on sail away day at 3:00 at the Promenade!

 

[jenna7394]

For those of you who are veteran cruisers...What time do you actually get off the ship? I am thinking about transportation to take us back to the airport, but don't know what time to schedule it for. DCL says we are off the ship at 8am. Is that accurate?

Thanks for the help!

Jenna

 

[OrcaPotter]

It depends. At PC, the Dream was cleared for disembarkment around 7:30-7:45--which, if I remember correctly, was about the time listed on the itinerary as "all ashore." However, that may not necessarily mean you can just walk off at that time. We waited until a little after 8 before heading down and had no wait to get off the ship and only minutes in line at customs.

It seems the port at Vancouver, however, will not be the same. We will have to wait until our luggage tags are called. I've done it that way before with the other cruise lines I've been on. If you need to leave by a certain time to make a flight, though, I believe if you ask guest services they'll give you the corresponding luggage tags for the first group off the ship.

 

[ItAllStrtdWAMouse]

We're in! I don't know why it's taken me so long to check out the board for this cruise as we booked back in November.

Looking forward to the beauty and wonder of the Alaskan waters. Anyone have any suggestions on attire? I know that it will be cold but is it like winter coat cold or hoody sweatshirt cold? We are coming from Arizona so we don't have a lot of winter type clothing on hand.

We haven't booked our hotel room either and trying to figure out the best route to go. We too are coming in on May 1 and staying an extra day as my Birthday is June 10 and I didn't want to spend it in an airport.

We have 3 kids: DD 13 DS 12 DS 8 (will turn 9 on June 6)

Happy Birthday Fellow Gemini! My birthday is the 10th also and we are staying until the 11th before we fly out. My son also will celebrate his birthday on the trip he turns 8.

 

[ItAllStrtdWAMouse]

I just booked the Executive Hotel Vintage Park for 154.00 + 36.00 in tax fees a night on Hotels.com They are 1 mile form the Canada Place in Downtown and offer a free Shuttle to the port.

This was a special rate so not sure how long it is available. The concierge desk said its a 15 minute walk to the skyway station, but bus service is closer. Most downtown attractions are within walking distance. A cab from the airport is about 30.00-35.00 during rush hour.

Good luck hunting everyone. See you then. We will be in Vancouver on the 1st.