Cass, Rob & Kira - July 2022 Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise - Worth the covid!

[dcassetta]

Best TR ever, and I have to say that Kira seems like an amazing girl! Have fun on your friends cruise!

 

[KGmomoftwins]

Awesome TR!!! I’m so glad you are all finally feeling better! I appreciate your TR! We are 9 days out and I’m getting a little nervous biggest trip we’ve ever done. I hope you have fun with your friends and I look forward to reading your next report!

 

[Timon]

I hope Kira is ok!

She's all good now! We went to Urgent Care and got her all fixed up.

You're an awesome mom!!! Hope Kira is doing better today xx

Awww, thanks! Anything for that kiddo! She's definitely on the mend and happy to be home.

best mom ever!

Well, maybe top 100.

Darn. I'm sorry you were infected. An Alaskan cruise is a dream of mine ....

Yeah, it took 5 cruises but it finally got us. Thankfully we are all vaccinated and it wasn't much worse than a cold.

oh bummer with Kira's toe, I hope she's okay! good job Mama for rescuing her, but it sounds like a very long day. So wait a minute, are you turning right around and doing a do over with this cruise, like very soon??

It was sooo long but it all worked out and we're all home now and healthy. And yes, three weeks tomorrow, I fly back to Vancouver and do it all again.

Oooh, do-over cruise? Love those. Mom and I are doing the Alaska September 12 because we did a Princess Cruise at the beginning of summer and even though it was an amazing British Isles cruise it just wasn't DCL lol.

Right? Nothing compares to a Disney cruise. It just doesn't. You will be getting on the ship the day I get off.

I binged your report when I was supposed to be working today. I have got to book an Alaskan cruise....they look amazing! Love all your pics and love how grown up Kira is now. She's so cute!

Jill in CO

Lol, that's quite the binge, my friend! Glad you enjoyed it.

Hope Kira's toe is feeling better. I am absolutely loving your trip report and will be sad when it's done.

She's doing much better, thanks!

That beef wellington sure looked well done!
Surprised no nexus line at YVR security even for domestic! I always hit the nexus line even when flying to YYC! Ugh.
Glad to hear everyone's over the covid, hope K's foot is ok!

All my meat was overcooked this trip. I normally order it medium and it comes out perfectly! This next cruise, I am going to order medium rare and see if that works out better.

They had the Nexus line for the queue, so we did skip about 50 people but there was no dedicated Nexus security so all electronics and liquids had to come out, shoes off, etc. That's what they have here in YYC when we fly to USA, you can skip the line if there is one but then you just go to whatever machine they put you and it's not for trusted travelers. For YYC Air Canada gate, there is a dedicated Nexus, no need to pull anything out, you keep shoes on and you usually sail right through! More like when we fly Pre-Check in the USA, easy, breezy, super fast! I discovered that YYC Westjet (Flair & Swoop) have the same deal as USA gates, you get to skip the main line, if there is one but you go through the same machines as everyone else and must remove everything. I hate that! What is the point of going through the hassle to be a trusted traveler and then just go through security like everyone else? Makes no sense.

Oh Cass, another amazing novel has come to an end, and I don't want it to!!! That is saying alot, for you to say that is your most favorite cruise, we've seen and been thru them all with you. But for those of us that have followed you for many, many years, I get it. You didn't need the shows. Or the Trivia. Or even the top notch service (although I'm very sure you loved every minute). All you needed was, the views and the pool at night. I GET YOU. I so get it. Its funny, because my soon to be daughter in law, grew up in Alaska and I've told her, all I want to do is a Disney cruise to Alaska. She says, noooo don't do it from a cruise, you've got to experience it by land! I understand both sides. I know myself, and I'd want to be spoiled by cruising, and not worry about one single thing. Are Kira and Rob jealous that you're going so soon again? Oh how lucky you are. Okay, so now I wait. I know we don't get another one and understand, but I know you, and hopefully in another year or so, I'll be sitting right here, enjoying every last moment with your amazing family. THANK YOU for sharing it all with us!!!

Yup, you totally get me, girl!

I'm a cruise girl, so what got me was not just the mountains and clouds, but also the water! And being ON the water. Doing what I love and not being 6000 degrees!

I think they are a little jealous but they are both very happy that my friends get to go to Alaska and experience what they just experienced. They are close family friends so they are just so happy for them. And they get how much I loved that cruise, they are also happy for me that I get to go back and do it all again.

And, as always, we are hoping for our Christmas cruise out of Galveston, this time on the Magic, instead of the Wonder and I guarantee you, this is not our last Alaskan cruise! I already have some thoughts about next year.

Was the nexus line just not operating? I live in Vancouver so fly out of yvr all the time and always use the nexus line even for domestic flights.

It's been a LONG time since I've flown out of YVR, so I don't know what they have and don't have but this particular time, there was a Nexus line, that bypassed the regular line but then we were directed to the same machines that everyone else was using. (See above reply).

 

[lucas]

Awwwwww, another great trip report has ended. I loved reading about all the fun you guys had. And, your pictures are fantastic. You have me wanting another Alaska cruise!

I am pretty excited that DCL will be sailing out of Port Everglades next year. We live in Boca Raton, very close to Fort Lauderdale - so no more driving to Port Canaveral or Miami! Yay for us! Of course, that means lots more Caribbean cruises. But, we are like you, we cruise to be on the ships not so much the ports. We hope to get back to cruising real soon.

Have fun on your next cruise. And, I can't wait for another family trip report in the near future! Take care, Canadian friends!

 

[TxT365]

Yours are the only TRs that I anxiously await! You do such a good job and I feel like I know your family just from your posts! They are always realistic and still upbeat. I'm so sorry the family brought Covid back. That's definitely not fun. I'm disappointed you're not doing a TR on the girls trip, but I do hope you enjoy yourself!

Trish

 

[bcwife76]

Great time lapse coming back to Vancouver!!!

Why in the heck did you get such a large plane for a short flight to Calgary? I'm assuming it was doing a long haul flight out of Calgary after your stop?

Awww ....Boo!!!! What a sweetheart.

Can't wait for your next cruise in a few weeks, will be following along on your TA page for sure ;-)

 

[DMMarla07860]

July 18th, Part 1

I woke up just before we went under Lions Gate Bridge. It was 4:45am as we passed under.

Once we passed under, I went back to bed until 7am.

I time lapsed our arrival from the bridge to Canada Place.

It was pretty funny and very cool that when we opened up our curtains, we saw CANADA!

While Kira and I got ready and I packed up the last of our stuff, Rob went up to Cabanas for his final breakfast. They had closed the outside deck sadly.

It was about 20 minutes after Rob got back that they called our tag, Green Tink, so off we went. This was 8:27am.

We headed down to the baggage claim area.

We went through Canada Customs, where they asked us if we had bought anything and they were very specific, they wanted to know everything we had purchased. Oddly enough, no one asked to see our passports.

We followed the signs for Taxis where someone directed us to wait at a certain number. I specified that we needed a van. We were at #13 by 8:42am.

Looking back at the doors we just came out of.

At 8:48am, we loaded all of our luggage into the taxi.

Man, I'm going to miss Vancouver!

We were at the airport and had unloaded our luggage by 9:17am, it was $40 plus tip.

They don't have a dedicated Nexus line so it took awhile to get through security, they were definitely understaffed.

Kira and Rob got their Timmy's fix. I found a breakfast sandwich elsewhere, to munch on.

Heading to our gate, there is a massively long hallway FILLED with Disney figurines. It started with all of the Mickeys, then turned into Donald's, then Goofy's and so on and so on. That is quite the collection, YVR!

We found our gate, and eventually our plane showed up.

Just as we were about to board our plane, I noticed a tickle in my throat. I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before, I was really hoping that's all it was, At home, when I get a bad sleep, I sometimes wake up with that same tickle and it usually goes away as the day goes by.

Rob was excited because we got to fly for the first time on a Dreamliner 787. He told me I was going to love it. I did not.

We took off 30 minutes late, at 2pm. I love how Mount Baker was sticking out above the clouds.

And then other mountains too! <3

This was the reason I didn't care for the Dreamliner...funky new windows. They didn't have a pull-down shade. That little button on the bottom was supposed to tint the windows but it wasn't working. Rob asked one of the flight attendants and she didn't even know how to work them. Turns out, they hadn't reset them yet so none of them were working. This was a pain because it was hot and very bright and no one could do anything about it. If you were trying to watch a movie on the screen, good luck, you couldn't see it! Just before we landed in Calgary, the windows were reset and I pressed the button to make it as dark as possible and it was only partially shaded. So, there was no way you could get it dark all the way, just a little less bright. And then, as luck would have it, as I was playing with the window, seeing how dark it could get, the windows reset again and I couldn't get it back to the non tinted version.

So glad it was only a 70-minute flight!

It had been raining all day long and stopped just as we landed.

It was a super long walk to the luggage carousel, all three bags made it safely and then Rob went and got our car from Park2Go while we waited for him.

I had been texting with my brother, he was dropping off our Boo for us so we unloaded the car quickly and then I waited at the door.

I always miss her so much. It's the only bad part of a vacation for me.

The best part of any vacation is going back home to your own bed, your own shower and kitchen and most importantly, your dog!

That night, I ended up getting a fever, chills, sweats and my throat was really sore! The next day, Kira felt off, she said she was extremely fatigued and her muscles were really sore. We both tested positive on the at-home covid tests and five days later, Rob also tested positive.

Kira was better after a week and was testing negative.

It took me three full weeks to recover but I was testing negative a few days after Kira. Rob was sick for two weeks and tested negative at the end of that second week.

As much as the covid part sucked, it was worth it because that was the best cruise I've ever taken, the best cruise Kira has ever taken and Rob's second favourite cruise, right behind the 10-night Southern Caribbean on the Fantasy in 2017. If he wasn't so cold all the time, it would have been his favourite.

And it turns out that I will be on the Wonder again after all, in only a few weeks.

This time I am going with two really good friends and I am so excited for them to experience what I just experienced. Minus the covid, I hope.

I will not be writing a trip report but I will post some photos on my TA FB page.

So that's it for this one, folks. Thanks so much for following along on this adventure with us. I appreciate all of the comments and the likes.

Until next time, Adios Amoebas!

Fantastic trip report yet again. Glad my Dad and I moved our to February 2023, with Covid and what not, but by that time I know for us it will be worth it to cruise again.

 

[cntkg1]

Best Trippie ever!!! Those pics were just incredible and amazing. I can't wait to see Alaska for myself!!!

Oh and "we don't talk about Juneau, no no" I can't be the only one here who sang that out! I'll be singing that all night long now.

 

[Malia78]

You will be getting on the ship the day I get off.

This means that you will be getting on the ship the day that I am disembarking

Alaska is one of my favorite cruises--living near Seattle has made it possible to sail this itinerary a few times and it never gets old

 

[Timon]

Best TR ever, and I have to say that Kira seems like an amazing girl! Have fun on your friends cruise!

Awww, that' sweet, thank you!

Awesome TR!!! I’m so glad you are all finally feeling better! I appreciate your TR! We are 9 days out and I’m getting a little nervous biggest trip we’ve ever done. I hope you have fun with your friends and I look forward to reading your next report!

Thank you so much!! I hope you have an awesome cruise!

Awwwwww, another great trip report has ended. I loved reading about all the fun you guys had. And, your pictures are fantastic. You have me wanting another Alaska cruise!

I am pretty excited that DCL will be sailing out of Port Everglades next year. We live in Boca Raton, very close to Fort Lauderdale - so no more driving to Port Canaveral or Miami! Yay for us! Of course, that means lots more Caribbean cruises. But, we are like you, we cruise to be on the ships not so much the ports. We hope to get back to cruising real soon.

Have fun on your next cruise. And, I can't wait for another family trip report in the near future! Take care, Canadian friends!

Awww, what a sweet post, thanks!

I'm excited for you, I can only imagine how many cruises I would try to take if there was a port that close to me.

Yours are the only TRs that I anxiously await! You do such a good job and I feel like I know your family just from your posts! They are always realistic and still upbeat. I'm so sorry the family brought Covid back. That's definitely not fun. I'm disappointed you're not doing a TR on the girls trip, but I do hope you enjoy yourself!

Trish

Aw, shucks! Thank you! That's very kind of you to say!

I am only doing trippies when I'm with my family, that way I know what I can and should post. Kira and Rob are so used to travelling with me and I've trained them well. I don't expect anyone else to do everything I ask Kira and Rob to do. They are such good sports and so patient with me. It's tough sometimes getting photos AND video of everything.

Plus, it's nice to just travel and chill and not worry about capturing everything.

I am travelling with a couple, so I will be a total third wheel but I love it! I'm a loner so I can easily sneak off and give them some couple time.

Great time lapse coming back to Vancouver!!!

Why in the heck did you get such a large plane for a short flight to Calgary? I'm assuming it was doing a long haul flight out of Calgary after your stop?

Awww ....Boo!!!! What a sweetheart.

Can't wait for your next cruise in a few weeks, will be following along on your TA page for sure ;-)

I think it was heading back to Vancouver and then the next day it was going to Europe, if I remember correctly. Glad we got the experience though.

I will try to post some highlights on my FB TA page and I'm thinking of getting generic video to make a "This is what you get when you book an Alaskan cruise" type video.

Fantastic trip report yet again. Glad my Dad and I moved our to February 2023, with Covid and what not, but by that time I know for us it will be worth it to cruise again.

It will work out for you, I have faith.

Best Trippie ever!!! Those pics were just incredible and amazing. I can't wait to see Alaska for myself!!!

Oh and "we don't talk about Juneau, no no" I can't be the only one here who sang that out! I'll be singing that all night long now.

I hope she sings it again on your cruise, I've been singing it since the cruise.

Can't wait to see your reactions.

This means that you will be getting on the ship the day that I am disembarking

Alaska is one of my favorite cruises--living near Seattle has made it possible to sail this itinerary a few times and it never gets old

Oh wow, so you will be on the DVC cruise! How exciting!


Have a great time! Don't hit any ice, okay?

 

[Malia78]

Sending the Captain a preemptive memo right now...

 

[loislane]

Thank you for doing trip reports. I love reading along about your adventures.

 

[valskate86]

Nice!! He was soooo awesome!!! You can call and request him, I requested the same team for my next cruise in a few weeks.

I'm on the September 12 cruise....is that your in a few weeks lol?

I have already requested Luis!

 

[Camonkeygirl]

I am on the Sept. 12th cruise to Alaska too

 

[Lesley Wake]

Just finished the TR since I was on the Wonder for the last few installments! Just got off yesterday and I'm missing it. We had awesome weather, only rain was on the last sea day (which was insanely windy and choppy in the morning). All our food was delicious though, so it looks like you had some bad luck!

It does seem like most of the excursions were closing up shop in the next week or so. But we took the White Pass railway and I adored it! I spent most of the trip out on the back of the train car admiring the scenery.

 

[Kiotzu]

Reading through now, as I have a major cruise bug. My grandfather actually worked on the SS Klondike, he is also on a CBC mural in Whitehorse and did all of the Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts for the Yukon back in the day.

 

[TestingH2O]

The biggest problem that stemmed from the propeller issue, which thankfully didn't affect us much, was the vibration. When you went to the aft areas of the ship, you could really feel the vibrations.

There was definitely still some vibration on the August 8 cruise. The vibration was a livable level, but it was more than usual. And we didn’t get to sail north the normal route so we miser a whole day of beautiful scenery.

 

[Kanga2Roo]

Just got caught up! Another awesome trip and report! So glad you had a good time.

 

[Deb Stoltman]

What a fabulous trip report, Cass! An Alaskan Disney cruise is definitely on my bucket list now! And your photos were all absolutely incredible! I'm so happy you all had the best time! It sounds like Ms. Kira has found some lifelong new friends! I can't wait to hear about your next cruise now! Enjoy!

 

[Timon]

Sending the Captain a preemptive memo right now...

Hahaha!

Thank you for doing trip reports. I love reading along about your adventures.

Thanks for reading!

I'm on the September 12 cruise....is that your in a few weeks lol?

I have already requested Luis!

Nope, I'm on the one before yours. I hope you get Luis, tell him the Pettigrew family said HI!

I am on the Sept. 12th cruise to Alaska too

Missing you by one week!

Just finished the TR since I was on the Wonder for the last few installments! Just got off yesterday and I'm missing it. We had awesome weather, only rain was on the last sea day (which was insanely windy and choppy in the morning). All our food was delicious though, so it looks like you had some bad luck!

It does seem like most of the excursions were closing up shop in the next week or so. But we took the White Pass railway and I adored it! I spent most of the trip out on the back of the train car admiring the scenery.

I'm so glad you had a great cruise!

And glad your food was good, maybe they just had an off-week.

Reading through now, as I have a major cruise bug. My grandfather actually worked on the SS Klondike, he is also on a CBC mural in Whitehorse and did all of the Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts for the Yukon back in the day.

Oh wow, how cool!!

There was definitely still some vibration on the August 8 cruise. The vibration was a livable level, but it was more than usual. And we didn’t get to sail north the normal route so we miser a whole day of beautiful scenery.

How did your route differ exactly?

How was your food?

For my next cruise, we are all the way in the back and we won't be upgrading, should be interesting!

Just got caught up! Another awesome trip and report! So glad you had a good time.

Looking forward to October.