Alaska 2018

[Bridgett_Anna]

Hello everyone! In 2018 I will be going on the 9-night Alaska cruise. I want to hear from the people who have done this cruise before! What did you excursions did you do? How was the food? I mean, the food was probably AMAZING, but was it mostly seafood? And I mean, this if going to be a really dumb question, but how cold were you when you would walk outside on the deck? Yeah, I know, dumb question because you are basically in an icebox. I just want to know if it was tolerable if you wanted to take a stroll on deck, whatever.

Okay, that should be all. Thank you for taking the time to read my poorly written questions. Have a wonderful day!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello everyone! In 2018 I will be going on the 9-night Alaska cruise. I want to hear from the people who have done this cruise before! What did you excursions did you do? How was the food? I mean, the food was probably AMAZING, but was it mostly seafood? And I mean, this if going to be a really dumb question, but how cold were you when you would walk outside on the deck? Yeah, I know, dumb question because you are basically in an icebox. I just want to know if it was tolerable if you wanted to take a stroll on deck, whatever.

Okay, that should be all. Thank you for taking the time to read my poorly written questions. Have a wonderful day!

Actually the weather in Alaska can be quite warm. It is summertime, after all. BUT, it can change in minutes.

Certainly you can walk on deck. Or not, if it's too cold/rainy. I've found that some Caribbean cruises you can't walk on deck as it's too hot. Depends on your comfort zone.

The food onboard most Disney cruises is pretty much the same from cruise to cruise. There may be some small variations, due to supplies, but a look at the past cruise menus will show you what's been offered:

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/menus/

You can also look up past Navigators here: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/ to get an idea of what sorts of activities were done on the Alaska cruises.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Hello everyone! In 2018 I will be going on the 9-night Alaska cruise. I want to hear from the people who have done this cruise before! What did you excursions did you do? How was the food? I mean, the food was probably AMAZING, but was it mostly seafood? And I mean, this if going to be a really dumb question, but how cold were you when you would walk outside on the deck? Yeah, I know, dumb question because you are basically in an icebox. I just want to know if it was tolerable if you wanted to take a stroll on deck, whatever.

Okay, that should be all. Thank you for taking the time to read my poorly written questions. Have a wonderful day!

I have only done the 7 night cruise and despite a couple of hiccups it was fantastic! We had originally booked a helicopter/dog sled tour but it got cancelled due to weather. Hopped on a whale watching tour instead and due to overbooking, volunteered to get off that and ended up doing a salmon hatchery tour and glacier tour. It was complimentary since we volunteered to get off the other tour but I don't believe we'd pay for it again. That was in Juneau. In Skagway we did the salmon bake and panning for gold with the characters - it was only 1 character mind you. It was fun for the kids but we'll skip it next time. In Ketchikan we did a lumberjack show and also a float plane to Misty Fjords and boat back. Definitely our favorite excursion. The llumberjack was also very fun for the kids and us adults enjoyed it as well. We didn't pay for any of our excursions but the salmon bake as Disney Comped them all but I would have gladly paid for the float plane. It was so majestic!

I'm not a seafood eater so I can't comment on how much there was. I do know the night they served lobster DH had two servings lol. I'm sure there were plenty of options but I just didn't notice. I don't eat anything from the ocean. Not because of any personal beliefs but just because I don't like it. Otherwise, the food was fantastic! The buffets are a little better than most you'd find on land I think but nothing spectacular. The MDR was always fantastic.

The only time it ever got REALLY cold was when we went into Endicott. At that time you needed multiple layers. Other than that, a light sweater or long sleeves were more than efficient and you'd even find plenty of people in the pools. It was typically never THAT cold but never too warm either. You could walk comfortably on deck and not need layers even if you typically run cold. (I don't think it ever got below 55 maybe besides Endicott - I'd say 70 was average?).

You will LOVE it!

 

[dclpluto]

Alaska is not that cold for when you are going. Remember you are going to southern Alaska in the summer time. I was on DCL first Alaska cruise may 4 2011 I believe the date was. It wasn't bad at all.

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

This year's 9-night Alaskan cruise hasn't even left yet. I know because I am on it. It leaves on July 24th and gets back August 2nd.

 

[TestingH2O]

This year's 9-night Alaskan cruise hasn't even left yet. I know because I am on it. It leaves on July 24th and gets back August 2nd.

This.

I just got back from a 7 day though. The weather was beautiful. Low to mid 60's during the day and 40's at night. Definitely needed a jacket or sweater but not a parka. Our glacier day was relatively warm and the afternoon was very sunny.

Keep your excursions in mind too. When we were in the Carcross desert, DD wasn't even wearing shoes! But the next day on the water in Juneau, we all had on our layers.

 

[saxmangeoff]

My usual answers to "how cold is it" are

1. It depends
2. Where are you from? (i.e. what's your definition of "cold")

Highs could be anywhere from the 50s to the 70s, and you should be ready for rain at all times.

We live in northern Idaho and went to Alaska with my son and daughter-in-law, who live in Las Vegas. Most often, my wife and I were "chilly" and our son and DIL were "frozen."

 

[terrybsw]

We did a seven day June 19. I was comfortable walking on deck..it didn't seem as windy as the Caribbean voyages I have been on as the ship was usually in a passage vs open sea. The best thing to do is bring layers and put on/take off depending on the weather of the day. Rain gear is also important.

I did not sit out on the deck to read like I do in the Caribbean with the exception of the last sea day as the closer we got to Vancouver the warmer it got...70's. We had no trouble with seat saving on deck!! I did read out on our Navigator Veranda but with at least one blanket (you could find blankets in all the towel cabinets on deck).

The dining menus were not mostly seafood. There was always a fish offering plus chicken, beef, veal, pasta etc. The only big difference in menus was the Frozen night menu. It has a Norwegian flair with several less usual offerings like wild boar; and lots of ligenberry (sp?). If you like seafood, make sure to visit Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau. It is right on the dock. It is a crew favorite and had awesome king crab legs. I was able to see menus from this year on the Disney Cruise Blog.

Enjoy your trip. We absolutely loved it!!

 

[cmph]

The dining menus were not mostly seafood. There was always a fish offering plus chicken, beef, veal, pasta etc. The only big difference in menus was the Frozen night menu. It has a Norwegian flair with several less usual offerings like wild boar; and lots of ligenberry (sp?). If you like seafood, make sure to visit Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau. It is right on the dock. It is a crew favorite and had awesome king crab legs. I was able to see menus from this year on the Disney Cruise Blog.

Quick question about food... did you notice much Alaskan seafood available? Like salmon at lunch in Cabanas or (I assume) Triton's at lunch? I glanced through the dinner menus to see if they had regional inspiration sorts of things, but of course that doesn't tell me anything about lunch. I feel like i need to prep my dad for the lack of Alaskan seafood that he is expecting. He remembers the king crab legs and salmon from our Princess cruise (um, 20+ years ago!), some of which were on midnight buffets no one even does anymore, and doubtless in quantities his memories have inflated.

 

[Bridgett_Anna]

My usual answers to "how cold is it" are

1. It depends
2. Where are you from? (i.e. what's your definition of "cold")

Highs could be anywhere from the 50s to the 70s, and you should be ready for rain at all times.

We live in northern Idaho and went to Alaska with my son and daughter-in-law, who live in Las Vegas. Most often, my wife and I were "chilly" and our son and DIL were "frozen."

I am from Florida so 70s is pretty cold for us! haha

 

[ChristyBey]

I have only done the 7 night cruise and despite a couple of hiccups it was fantastic! We had originally booked a helicopter/dog sled tour but it got cancelled due to weather. Hopped on a whale watching tour instead and due to overbooking, volunteered to get off that and ended up doing a salmon hatchery tour and glacier tour. It was complimentary since we volunteered to get off the other tour but I don't believe we'd pay for it again. That was in Juneau. In Skagway we did the salmon bake and panning for gold with the characters - it was only 1 character mind you. It was fun for the kids but we'll skip it next time. In Ketchikan we did a lumberjack show and also a float plane to Misty Fjords and boat back. Definitely our favorite excursion. The llumberjack was also very fun for the kids and us adults enjoyed it as well. We didn't pay for any of our excursions but the salmon bake as Disney Comped them all but I would have gladly paid for the float plane. It was so majestic!

I'm not a seafood eater so I can't comment on how much there was. I do know the night they served lobster DH had two servings lol. I'm sure there were plenty of options but I just didn't notice. I don't eat anything from the ocean. Not because of any personal beliefs but just because I don't like it. Otherwise, the food was fantastic! The buffets are a little better than most you'd find on land I think but nothing spectacular. The MDR was always fantastic.

The only time it ever got REALLY cold was when we went into Endicott. At that time you needed multiple layers. Other than that, a light sweater or long sleeves were more than efficient and you'd even find plenty of people in the pools. It was typically never THAT cold but never too warm either. You could walk comfortably on deck and not need layers even if you typically run cold. (I don't think it ever got below 55 maybe besides Endicott - I'd say 70 was average?).

You will LOVE it!

So....we will be doing our first ever DC in two weeks. Thinking about using a placeholder - our youngest will graduate in 2019 and wants to do an Alaskan cruise. We were thinking there is no way we could afford a Disney Alaskan cruise, but this post got me curious... you said you didn't pay for any of your excursions except the salmon bake...are there excursions at each stop that are included in the overall cruise fare? I'm a newbie to cruises in general, but know nothing about Alaskan cruises. (At least I've researched the Caribbean a lot!!)

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

So....we will be doing our first ever DC in two weeks. Thinking about using a placeholder - our youngest will graduate in 2019 and wants to do an Alaskan cruise. We were thinking there is no way we could afford a Disney Alaskan cruise, but this post got me curious... you said you didn't pay for any of your excursions except the salmon bake...are there excursions at each stop that are included in the overall cruise fare? I'm a newbie to cruises in general, but know nothing about Alaskan cruises. (At least I've researched the Caribbean a lot!!)

I made a post about why our excursions were comped. They're not typically included, in fact, they're very expensive for the most part. Here is the post I made: https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-disaster-turned-into-a-disney-dream.3537227/#post-56298346

 

[saxmangeoff]

are there excursions at each stop that are included in the overall cruise fare? I'm a newbie to cruises in general, but know nothing about Alaskan cruises. (At least I've researched the Caribbean a lot!!)

No, there are not free excursions at the ports, but each port has plenty you can do (and enjoy) for free. Also, sailing the inside passage is gorgeous, so for most of the cruise, there is something to see all of the time.

Tracy Arm does kind of feel like an excursion, since it's such a special place, and is included in the fare.

Although I'm doing excursions in each port on my upcoming Alaska cruise (my second time doing the cruise), I would gladly go and do no excursions as well.

 

[DesertBelle]

I skimmed everyone's responses, so forgive me if I comment about something that has already been mentioned. I don't feel like it is necessary to book excursions in all the ports for Alaska. If there isn't something you are dying to do there, there is a lot to see in the towns and they are all very walkable. And there are a lot of great local companies you can book tours with. My fourth cruise to Alaska was last June. In Ketchikan I prefer to do things on the water there, but if you stay in town there I like Creek Street and there is a small local museum my sister loved. I have never been to Icy Strait point, but any of the days cruising through Tracy Arm Fjord, Endicott Arm, ect are always much much colder. I usually will have a hat, my ski jacket and maybe a scarf. I always bring a light jacket as well. Throughout the trip we usually would wear long sleeved shirts. The last two trips though Juneau has been fairly warm out. So bring layers. The town in Skagway is really cute and fun to walk around. Last time we did a hike out to Smuggler's Cove and I highly recommend that. We had time to see the town and do the hike. I had some family members do the train trip, while they did it once it didn't seem like something they would be eager to repeat. At the end of the stop the scenery is not very good. For Juneau we did a whale watching tour with a local company so it was just our group...highly recommend. We sailed past boats crammed with people who couldn't watch the whales very well. Also near the dock you can book a ticket on a blue bus and get taken out to Mendenhall Glacier...also a high recommendation. It is an easy hike out to see the glacier. I have never really walked around Juneau much, normally we just hop on the bus and go to see Mendenhall Glacier. Honestly, it is so nice to just be able to have the leisure time to explore each port. The food last time on the ship was surprisingly not as good. It was weird, I didn't enjoy the menu items as much. They usually do a taste of Alaska night. But there isn't an over abundance of seafood. I definitely suggest Palo for dinner or brunch as well!

 

[terrybsw]

Quick question about food... did you notice much Alaskan seafood available? Like salmon at lunch in Cabanas or (I assume) Triton's at lunch? I glanced through the dinner menus to see if they had regional inspiration sorts of things, but of course that doesn't tell me anything about lunch. I feel like i need to prep my dad for the lack of Alaskan seafood that he is expecting. He remembers the king crab legs and salmon from our Princess cruise (um, 20+ years ago!), some of which were on midnight buffets no one even does anymore, and doubtless in quantities his memories have inflated.

They had salmon as an option each night at dinner. Smoked salmon available at breakfast and lunch. Smoked salmon Benedict at brkfst alternated with a Mexican Benedict; always had traditional eggs Benedict. There were fish options at Cabanas for lunch; we never went to any of the MDR for lunch. We had snow crab legs on the dinner menu...I believe as an appetizer but they were only so-so. After Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau it was a big disappointment, so keep that in mind.

I would look to the ports of call to be the places to enjoy Alaskan seafood.

 

[cmph]

They had salmon as an option each night at dinner. Smoked salmon available at breakfast and lunch. Smoked salmon Benedict at brkfst alternated with a Mexican Benedict; always had traditional eggs Benedict. There were fish options at Cabanas for lunch; we never went to any of the MDR for lunch. We had snow crab legs on the dinner menu...I believe as an appetizer but they were only so-so. After Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau it was a big disappointment, so keep that in mind.

I would look to the ports of call to be the places to enjoy Alaskan seafood.

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know! He made some comment about eating salmon every day, which I was skeptical about, but I guess might actually happen. Honestly, I can't remember him doing that on the Princess cruise either! I remember lobster and beef wellington, no way he ate salmon over either of those. I do remember head waiters carving up whole salmon fillets on night, which I've never heard of DCL doing, but maybe Princess doesn't anymore anyway. I'm encouraging my parents to do one of those salmon fishing excursions where you get it sent home, and hopefully they will join us at Tracy's (which is on MY list of things to do anyway!). thx again for your detailed reply!