2015 DVC Alaska Member Cruise 5/25-5/31/15

[Ariel93086]

Hello all! I am new to all for the Disney Cruise Line! Been a DVC member for many years but this will be our first DCL cruise and DVC cruise AND TRIP TO ALASKA! Needless to say we are a tad excited! Haha! So we are totally in for the FE. Been doing endless research on all this fun stuff! Anyone have any tips/tricks for us newbies? Thank you!!!

 

[poison ivy]

Hello all! I am new to all for the Disney Cruise Line! Been a DVC member for many years but this will be our first DCL cruise and DVC cruise AND TRIP TO ALASKA! Needless to say we are a tad excited! Haha! So we are totally in for the FE. Been doing endless research on all this fun stuff! Anyone have any tips/tricks for us newbies? Thank you!!!

Welcome to our cruise meet!! Glad to have you here and hope you join in all the fun!

wish I had some tips/tricks to share but right now I'm still compiling a cheat sheet from all the great info shared on the DIS.

If you have time to read thru this thead, there are a few links to information we've all been sharing so far.

You can also search for great trip reports shared from other Disney Alaskan cruisers here: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10;

 

[poison ivy]

Has anybody gotten any feedback on the gifts from the latest members cruise?
I haven't taken the time to really check but thought I'd ask here first.

 

[Ariel93086]

Welcome to our cruise meet!! Glad to have you here and hope you join in all the fun!

wish I had some tips/tricks to share but right now I'm still compiling a cheat sheet from all the great info shared on the DIS.

If you have time to read thru this thead, there are a few links to information we've all been sharing so far.
;[/url]

Thanks so much! For the past two days I have been reading all the comments on this thread! So excited for everything! I do need your opinion though. I would love to participate in the FE, however, I think we might be too old for it! Hahaha! All the guests in my cabin are adults! I'm going with my mother and aunt (both middle aged) and I am 28 years old. So I would absolutely love to participate but do you think people will not want to give because we are all adults? Let me know what you think! I mean, you're never too old for Disney right?

 

[Johnny Quest]

Thanks so much! For the past two days I have been reading all the comments on this thread! So excited for everything! I do need your opinion though. I would love to participate in the FE, however, I think we might be too old for it! Hahaha! All the guests in my cabin are adults! I'm going with my mother and aunt (both middle aged) and I am 28 years old. So I would absolutely love to participate but do you think people will not want to give because we are all adults? Let me know what you think! I mean, you're never too old for Disney right?

By all means join the FE. We have participated on 4 of our 5 cruises as an adult group and we love it. People will give you age appropriate gifts. hen you join the list everyone will be aware that there are no kids in your cabin so go for it.

 

[Ariel93086]

By all means join the FE. We have participated on 4 of our 5 cruises as an adult group and we love it. People will give you age appropriate gifts. hen you join the list everyone will be aware that there are no kids in your cabin so go for it.

Ok great! Thanks! I'm super excited!

 

[Ariel93086]

Ok another quick question... (sorry!)...

We booked the cruise as soon as it opened up and have only received a confirmation letter. I keep reading about trip planners and booklets that cruisers are receiving. Am I missing out? I am thinking about calling DCL tomorrow morning.

Thanks again!!

 

[Jay Kat]

It is just my husband and I and we are quite a bit older than 28. We did the member cruise last year with adult daughter and did FE and LOVED it. I had a blast coming up with goodies, and we received so many wonderful things. If we get a lot like we did this last year and break into an "Adults Only" FE we will go that route. It will be our second member cruise and first Alaska trip. VERY excited!

 

[poison ivy]

Here's another trip report I stumbled upon on the DIS. I'm particularly interested in the late May Alaskan cruisers to get an idea on weather and clothing.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3297215

two chapters so far I found very informative;

chapter2: bus across the border.
They took the Quick Shuttle from Seattle to Vancouver which was one of the options we were exploring way back.
http://www.wanderingmouseketeers.com/2014/07/09/alaska-cruise-trip-report-update-79/

chapter 11: useless knowledge put to use
Has some great pics to show the temp on their at sea day and how cold they were on their balcony. Also a glimpse of a DCL Alaska blanket they purchased which I know I am going to want one! (hoping it'll be one of our gifts!!!)
http://www.wanderingmouseketeers.com/2014/08/06/alaska-cruise-trip-report-update-86/

needless to say, my packing plans are getting interesting.

 

[poison ivy]

Ok another quick question... (sorry!)...

We booked the cruise as soon as it opened up and have only received a confirmation letter. I keep reading about trip planners and booklets that cruisers are receiving. Am I missing out? I am thinking about calling DCL tomorrow morning.

Thanks again!!

You're not missing much. It's called a "planning guide" but it's just a little blue jacket with a pamphlet inside. We've gotten one for every cruise except our first one which leads me to believe they are mailed to castaway club members.
(everyone is automatically enrolled as a CC member after their 1st Disney cruise)

Here's what they look like.

Front Cover



Contents



Inside Brochure

 

[Johnny Quest]

I just came across this as a sticky at the top of the cruise meet page. Apparently this was announced on July 4th, "God Bless America".

Here is the link to it: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3298909

IMPORTANT!! - Disney Cruise Meet threads

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The DIS has been home to Cruise Meets for many, many years now.

We recognize that there are other options for hosting these discussions, but have begun to receive complaints about the way some of these options have been managed - excluding some members, private forums, argument about who is "in-charge", and even meet discussions hosted by people not even on the cruise.

Threads for Disney Cruise Meets (including Fish Extender programs) are welcome here just as they have been since DCL began back in July, 1998.

The DIS continues to be committed to providing a place where Disney Cruise discussions of all types are welcome and encouraged. We have also decided to no longer provide opportunity to solicit DIS members for other forums/social media.

We now request that links to Cruise Meet discussions other than on the DIS no longer be posted and that those who have posted such links edit their posts to remove them.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

 

[Ariel93086]

You're not missing much. It's called a "planning guide" but it's just a little blue jacket with a pamphlet inside. We've gotten one for every cruise except our first one which leads me to believe they are mailed to castaway club members.
(everyone is automatically enrolled as a CC member after their 1st Disney cruise)

Here's what they look like.

Front Cover



Contents



Inside Brochure

Thanks so much for the info! Yeah I definitely didn't get that. Haha

 

[Deanna1221]

I will be on this cruise also and I am very excited, it will be our first member cruise and our first Alaskan cruise. Also my first back to back cruise, I will be on the repositioning cruise right before this one. Another first repositioning cruise, but my 12th Disney cruise. I would like to join the fish extender also. I am new to Disboards so I will try to figure out how to message Autumn. I will be traveling with my husband and our 2 kids. We have a 19 year old son and a daughter that will celebrate her 18 birthday and high school graduation on board.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I will be on this cruise also and I am very excited, it will be our first member cruise and our first Alaskan cruise. Also my first back to back cruise, I will be on the repositioning cruise right before this one. Another first repositioning cruise, but my 12th Disney cruise. I would like to join the fish extender also. I am new to Disboards so I will try to figure out how to message Autumn. I will be traveling with my husband and our 2 kids. We have a 19 year old son and a daughter that will celebrate her 18 birthday and high school graduation on board.

You will need 10 posts on the Disboards to be able to PM.

One easy way to get posts is to go to the games board and participate in games. That's largely how I accumulated my huge post count.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=133

 

[ExpeditionEverest]

Has anyone done the "train ride" in Alaska and is it worth it? A friend brought it up in the parks last week and until I heard their friend's account of it I was like ehhh it's a train... NOW I am inquisitive and a bit open minded about it

Yes, it is worth it. My DH and I did it several years ago and it was so much fun. We did the bus option up (stopped at a few scenic spots for photos including a desert) and the train down. Between the bus and train, we visited a little village for free time including lunch, petting the puppies, visiting the stuffed animal museum. So much fun!!!! On the train ride down, it was snowing and we got some great photos. You will love it.

 

[pjstevens]

Yes, it is worth it. My DH and I did it several years ago and it was so much fun. We did the bus option up (stopped at a few scenic spots for photos including a desert) and the train down. Between the bus and train, we visited a little village for free time including lunch, petting the puppies, visiting the stuffed animal museum. So much fun!!!! On the train ride down, it was snowing and we got some great photos. You will love it.

We actually rented a car is Skagway and drove up the Klondike Highway to Emerald Lake. There are many places to pull off and take photos of the view (even the train).

 

[juliek16]

just finished the members cruise in florida and we are so excited to be going on this one next year. it will be our second cruise with Disney to Alaska. we will also be on the Calif. Coast 5 day right before...doing our first B2B. Cant wait to meet everyone! It will be me, my husband and our then 10 year old son.

 

[ohil]

Just got back from the 8/25 Alaska cruise and it was amazing! We did the helipcopter dogsled in Skagway, which was one of the coolest things we've ever done! I used my gopro to film it, you can go to YouTube and search "Gopro Hero 3- Helicopter Ride and Dog Sledding in Skagway Alaska" to see our trip to the glacier to dogsled. Highly recommend that!

 

[ExpeditionEverest]

I'm particularly interested in the late May Alaskan cruisers to get an idea on weather and clothing.

I have done the Alaska cruise three times now in late May, mid-June and late August. May is very cold on the boat if you are outside. In late May, I wore layers including hat, head band (to cover my ears), scarf, ski coat, jeans, wool socks, hiking boots and gloves with heat inserts. It was cold. I would estimate it was 40-45 degrees outside and maybe a little cooler with the wind chill factor.

The key to Alaska is lots of layers. We had great weather when we were in port as the weather was 55-65 degrees with no rain (which was unusual).

 

[ExpeditionEverest]

Just got back from the 8/25 Alaska cruise and it was amazing! We did the helipcopter dogsled in Skagway, which was one of the coolest things we've ever done! I used my gopro to film it, you can go to YouTube and search "Gopro Hero 3- Helicopter Ride and Dog Sledding in Skagway Alaska" to see our trip to the glacier to dogsled. Highly recommend that!

Thanks for sharing. Great footage. Looks that you all had a great time.