9-Night Alaskan or 10-Night Southern Caribbean?

[Shanti]

My 12 year-old son and I are booked on the 9-night Disney Wonder cruise to Alaska, but are considering jumping ship for the Fantasy's 10-night Southern Caribbean. Anyone want to share their opinions or insights on these two wonderful opportunities? They both look so great, I can't decide. Here is my current list of pros and cons for each cruise:

9-Night Alaskan on the Wonder, July 24th - August 2nd

Pros:

• Never been to Alaska before.
• Will get us out of the oppressive Texas summer heat.
• Cruise visits the Hubbard glacier, a first (and maybe only) for DCL.
• Since it's a west coast trip, I can try to add on a few days at Disneyland (using passes that will expire this December.) This will dramatically raise the trip cost, however.
• I'm a Frozen fan & would enjoy seeing the new Frozen show & deck party.
• My son likes cool weather.
• We've never sailed the Wonder before.

Cons:

• I don't like the cold, & as we must sail in an inside stateroom due to cost, our only glacier views will be from the (cold) ship decks. No oceanview cabins are available, & the cheapest verandah would cost $4,000 more on top of the already steep cruise fare.
• Alaskan excursions are quite expensive.
• Flights will be pricey and time-consuming.
• Wonder lacks the extra Dream-class amenities that my son and I enjoy.

10-Night Southern Caribbean on the Fantasy, June 28th - July 8th

Pros:

• Love the Fantasy.
• Offered during school vacation, & as a teacher I can't take a week off during the school year to do a winter or spring Southern Caribbean cruise.
• Never been to the Southern Caribbean, and Curacao, which DCL rarely visits, looks particularly cool to me.
• Gives us a ready-made activity for the 4th of July.
• Cruise apparently hasn't been selling well, so this itinerary/ship combo likely won't be repeated next summer.
• Cheap, non-stop flights are readily available between my hometown & Orlando.
• We sailed to Tortola in December, but the ship was so late that all Baths/Virgin Gorda excursions were cancelled. This cruise includes Tortola, so we'd get another chance at the Baths via DCL without having to repeat the whole Eastern itinerary.

Cons:

• Even more expensive than the Alaskan.
• We just sailed the Fantasy in December. (But we loved it!)
• The specter of Zika. My partner is infertile, so I'm not worried about pregnancy. However, I do have a weak immune system & my son is high-functioning autistic, so I definitely want to avoid any contact with a disease that affects the brain. We had no problem in December, got no bites, & I'm careful to avoid activities (such as rainforest hikes & garden tours) that increase the chance of getting bites. Still, the threat is there.

 

[anricat]

Alaska HANDS DOWN. No contest. Our Alaskan cruise was the best vacation we've ever taken. It was just amazing.

Instead of adding on the time at Disneyland, could you upgrade your room on the ship? For me, I loved sitting in our oceanview room on the couch and looking out the porthole. We were on deck 2 and it was fantastic. Also, I would consider adding time in Vancouver instead of Disneyland. It's an amazing city.

We're also in central Texas and let me tell you how amazing it was to escape the 100+ heat last August. It was amazing. Don't let the cold weather deter you. I also HATE cold weather. I'm always cold. Always. Alaska was no problem for me. The coldest we experienced was Tracy Arm (well, Endicott Arm) day and even then, with proper clothing, it wasn't an issue. Maybe mid 40's at the very very coldest. I was worried about this, too, but it was completely a non-issue.

As for flights, we booked WestJet and got flights for $333 roundtrip per person from Austin. They weren't crazy long either. I think total travel time was around 5-6 hours? We changed in LAX on the way out and Minneapolis on the way back. It wasn't a problem at all.

 

[Shanti]

Instead of adding on the time at Disneyland, could you upgrade your room on the ship? For me, I loved sitting in our oceanview room on the couch and looking out the porthole. We were on deck 2 and it was fantastic.

There are no oceanview rooms available on this cruise, and it would be a $4,000 price increase to get the cheapest available verandah. We'd definitely be sailing inside if we stick with this cruise.

 

[anricat]

There are no oceanview rooms available on this cruise, and it would be a $4,000 price increase to get the cheapest verandah. We'd definitely be sailing inside.

That's too bad. I'd still do Alaska. Have you considered the 7 night? Or do you really want the longer one?

 

[Shanti]

That's too bad. I'd still do Alaska. Have you considered the 7 night? Or do you really want the longer one?

I want the more unique itinerary. We could do DCL's regular 7-night next year if we skip Alaska this year- what's attracting me to this cruise is the extra days and the Hubbard glacier. DCL might not offer Hubbard next year, or it might be offered at a time that we can't sail.

 

[Vijoge]

We went to Alaska in July, hoping for cool weather. It was 85

 

[xlxo]

Additional thoughts...

• hope you have extra days planned for your bonus port Vancouver. Lots of activities to fill a few days.
• the Alaskan glaciers are not getting bigger
• In addition to Hubbard, Tracy Arm offers the tiny Sawyer. If you visit Mendenhall, it will be glacier three for the cruise. There's also glacier flightseeing for additional sightings.
• Alaskan mosquitos are safe to feed as they are Zika free.
• low terrorism threat
• Alaska welcomes US currency, no foreign currency fees
• more daylight! Especially when there is no clouds.
• No hurricanes.
• Don't expect all cold in Alaska in July..... it will be cool on rainy days and at Hubbard. But other times.... plan for a heat wave with the extended daylight.

 

[xlxo]

I don't like the cold, & as we must sail in an inside stateroom due to cost, our only glacier views will be from the (cold) ship decks.

Also consider the Deck 2 oceanviews..... a little more than the inside, but the large porthole (can't remember if it's 3 or 4 feet across) is like a climate controlled balcony.

 

[Shanti]

Also consider the Deck 2 oceanviews..... a little more than the inside, but the large porthole (can't remember if it's 3 or 4 feet across) is like a climate controlled balcony.

There are no oceanview staterooms available for this cruise. It's either inside or pay $4,000 extra for the cheapest available balcony, which I'm neither able nor willing to do.

 

[xlxo]

Looking at Expedia.... it states "limited space".

• I would give DCL a call to see if any are still available.
• Being we are several months out.... I wonder if there is a waitlist?

 

[Shanti]

Looking at Expedia.... it states "limited space".

• I would give DCL a call to see if any are still available.
• Being we are several months out.... I wonder if there is a waitlist?

The DCL website says "unavailable." Even if any became available, I'm not sure I'd want to pay an extra $1,000 for a window. That money could cover much of our Disneyland trip.

 

[Geomom]

I replied with Alaska, but then again Alaska is the only cruise we've gone on! Personally, I wouldn't want to go to the Caribbean in the summer--I would find it too hot and humid. The Wonder did just have a refurb, so it will look all shiny and new. I would think it's nice to experience new shows, new restaurants, etc by going on a ship you haven't been on. The Alaskan cruises also have naturalist talks on the sea days, and Tracy Arm day. I was really happy to go last year as the glaciers ARE shrinking--when you hear how much they shrink each year--I feel lucky to have actually seen them! You don't need to go for the priciest excursions to have a great experience--just pick and choose to get a mix of different experiences. We didn't do floatplanes/helicopter rides, etc, and have no regrets. Our 'big' excursion was the Chilkoot Charters one out of Skagway--bus up to the Yukon with multiple stops to take pics, dogcart ride, bbq lunch, and train back--fantastic experience.

You should be fine with an inside. DD16 and I 'need' an oceanview to deal with claustrophobia--we just needed a window to look outside. Depending on how many people are in your party--some sites may say there are still oceanview rooms available--as there are a lot of 9B category rooms that only sleep up to 3 people--so if you have 4, it won't show up. It is also possible to try and upgrade to an oceanview or verandah room on port arrival day (if there are any available)--it's supposed to be much cheaper than if you did it now--but it is still an extra cost.

 

[jdb in AZ]

If you're looking to get out of the "oppressive Texas summer heat" then going to the Caribbean during the summer isn't the best way to do that. We've cruised Alaska five times and can't wait to go back. It's a great way to escape the desert heat.

We enjoyed the fahncy bells and whistles on the Fantasy, but the Wonder has its own charm. We really enjoy the smaller ships. It's o.k. to love them all. Just because we love Disneyland, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy WDW too.

Since the cruise you're considering hasn't reached the paid-in-full date, there may still be cancellations and you can pick up an ocean view.

 

[Shanti]

If you're looking to get out of the "oppressive Texas summer heat" then going to the Caribbean during the summer isn't the best way to do that.

True. The predicted midsummer highs are still 10-15 degrees cooler than the daily highs for central Texas, though. June is the dry season in Aruba and Caracao, so that would likely help. We like to go to Disney World in July, and find even humid Florida a refuge from the 100+ degree temps we regularly get here.

 

[angelinaxox]

Nice job listing your pros and cons for both. It makes it easy to see what is important to you in deciding on your cruise.

I voted for Alaska. When Disney released their cruise itineraries for this summer, that is the one I was most interested in booking. I did a 7 day land tour plus 7 day cruise with Princess (in an inside cabin) and I would probably rank the Alaska itinerary as my favorite of all my cruises and I've done a lot of different itineraries. You mostly see seven day cruises in Alaska among the different cruise lines so I consider it to be a unique itinerary. My parents are taking us on a big family cruise next summer, so I didn't end up booking it. However, I am hoping that this one will be offered in a couple of years as I would still really like to do it.

Have fun on whichever one you end up doing!

 

[Dug720]

Just pointing out that Alaska is not ALWAYS cold. I've been twice in that time frame and only had "Alaska weather" one day on each cruise. The rest of the time it was warm. I have very clear recollection of the on-deck cook-out in Ketchikan - pool deck roof open, steel drum band playing, sitting with friends in shorts and a tank top withbeautifsul sun.

I was not a fan of Icy Strait Point - felt TOTALLY manufactured for cruise ships, which it is. If I'm ever on a cruise that goes there again, THAT will be a ship day for me. But overall Alaska is so totally worth it.

 

[jrabbit]

alaska. if you can fly southwest that will save some baggage fees. you need layers for alaska. gloves are a must. sometimes multiple socks are needed as well. It can be 40 and rainy(or not), it can be 85 (unusual, but becoming more common). with the rain, you might want to swap out footwear because they might get wet. (we always take multiple tennis shoes to WDW and change every day (sometimes mid afternoon)to give them a chance to air out / breathe.

2011 was our first alaska cruise. warmest day was 72. the tracy arm was overcast and kinda cold.

we had a deck 2 porthole as usual, but when we were sightseeng from the ship, most of the time it was from deck 4 (outside), deck 9 behind the glass walls or out in the open on deck 10. we did look out the porthole while in the room (to change for the evenings activities or getting up in the morning or ready for bed) but 95 percent of the time we were watching the sceenery from NOT in the stateroom. so you should be ok with the inside room.

we are going on this 9 night alaska cruise and very much looking forward to it.

now about the extra socks. we did an excursion in skagway where we canoed up pretty close to a glacier. we dressed warmly, and they provided "farmer johns" and additional overcoats (waterproof as well). and rubber boots. that's why we needed extra socks. the cold from the water through the canoe through the rubber boots into my toes and feet ... cold!! but a way cool excursion

 

[bcwife76]

I'd say Alaska, too! Tp cut down on airfare costs, some people find flying into Seattle saves a lot of money. Then they take the train, coach or rent a car to Vancouver. We live in Vancouver which is why we are doing Alaska this year, no airfare to consider. The fact the Southern Carib cruise isn't selling well is very tempting but our kids go to school until June 29th so I don't want to take them out at the end of the school year (they go back after Labor Day).

 

[xlxo]

@Shanti: Have you decided which hotel you are staying multi-day pre-cruise in Vancouver? If not, we can give you some suggestions to free up some funds by avoiding hotels adjacent to the cruise terminal.

 

[Shanti]

@Shanti: Have you decided which hotel you are staying multi-day pre-cruise in Vancouver? If not, we can give you some suggestions to free up some funds by avoiding hotels adjacent to the cruise terminal.

We'll be staying at the Fairmont Airport Hotel, and will probably fly in the day before the cruise. Since I've already got the Disneyland passes, we'll likely spend our extra few days there rather than in Vancouver. We can't add any more days than that to our vacation for family reasons.

Haven't booked the flights as I haven't decided which cruise. My fingers are crossed that DCL will release their summer 2018 itineraries before the PIF date (late March) for the Alaskan cruise. Then I'll be able to take the offerings for next summer into account when deciding which cruise to take this summer. If the itineraries don't come out, it'll likely come down to which cruise is cheaper. If the Fantasy cruise goes GT, it'll likely be cheaper when I take into account airfare & excursions. If it doesn't go to GT, Alaska will probably win.