Disney Cruise: Alaska - Share your impressions/reviews!

[CampbellzSoup]

Eyeing Alaska as my next Disney cruise destination! Just wanted to hear from my Disney fans what was your experience like on the cruise:

- What port adventures did you do while in Alaska?

- how was DCL compared to other lines of youve done Alaska with another?

- can anyone share any photos of your experiences?

- did your cruise include a formal night?

- how did you enjoy it overall?


Thanks these kind of helpful responses will help me a bunch!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You should look for some trip reports from previous years.

 

[xlxo]

- What port adventures did you do while in Alaska?
- how was DCL compared to other lines of youve done Alaska with another?
- did your cruise include a formal night?
- how did you enjoy it overall?

Thoughts...

• Did the Carcross/White Pass combo in Skagway. Whale watch/Mendenhall combo in Juneau.
• Did HAL in Alaska the year before. Big differences I found.... HAL took me to Glacier Bay, Disney did not. DCL was charging significantly more for pixie dust compared to the competition. HAL also offers one way trips to Anchorage. HAL offers a Yukon Denali option.
• Yes there was a formal night.... the second day.
• Alaska was beautiful.... do plan for extra days pre/post-cruise in Vancouver. Vancouver is much bigger than all the Alaskan ports combined.
• there is no pirate night...
• there is no fireworks... however if you plan your cruise visit in Vancouver on July 1st, there is a fireworks show just West of the cruise terminal. There is also a 25 minute fireworks competition in late July downtown if you plan your cruise on those dates.

Question for you.... which month are you considering your trip? I recommend going June/July for dryer weather. My August trips got hit with rain.

 

[jtba]

Eyeing Alaska as my next Disney cruise destination! Just wanted to hear from my Disney fans what was your experience like on the cruise:

- What port adventures did you do while in Alaska?

- how was DCL compared to other lines of youve done Alaska with another?

- can anyone share any photos of your experiences?

- did your cruise include a formal night?

- how did you enjoy it overall?


Thanks these kind of helpful responses will help me a bunch!

check out my TR from July 2015: http://www.disboards.com/threads/an...-13-2015-alaska-day-6-posted-1-26-16.3430303/

still need to write up the last sea day but it has the excursions we chose as well as some photos.

yes, there was a formal night (day 2).

can't answer your question re. other lines as it was our first cruise.

overall? LOVED it! fell in love with both Alaska and DCL and can't wait to go back!

p.s. glad you enjoyed Aulani! we are eyeing that for our next vacation.

 

[Ljbadfan]

We have gone 3 times. August and July. July was warmer. It's a peaceful cruise very relaxing. We don't do excursions. We the ship when people get off. We walk around the towns. We go to the Christmas store in Ketchikan. We want to go back. Looking at 2017 if they have Alaska cruises

 

[Ljbadfan]

Message me if you want

 

[brewcrew]

We went to Alaska last summer (2015). We were the second cruise out for Disney that summer. It was absolutely amazing! I would go back again in a heartbeat! I wrote a review of our cruise here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/back-from-amazing-alaska.3419897/

If I did go back to a Alaska, I would probably go on another cruise line just to have a different itinerary. I don't think you would be disappointed with an Alaskan cruise! Good luck with your decision!

 

[jenf22]

We loved, LOVED, Alaska. I was just whining to my husband this weekend about how I wanted more money so we could go to Alaska again. Right now there are too many places we want to see! We did the last cruise of the season in 2012. It left on Labor Day out of Seattle and returned to Vancouver. The ship was maybe 1/2-2/3 full. It was so nice having the ship that empty! We had pretty good weather, it was drizzly in Juneau but sunny otherwise. The excursions we did were:

Skagway - We used Chilkoot Charters and did the train up and the bus back. Our excursion included the dog cart ride and lunch.
Juneau - We did Best of Juneau through DCL. It was a whale watch boat ride (thankfully it didn't start raining until we got off the boat), lunch at a lodge, and then a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier.
Ketchikan - Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition (?) - We saw bears feeding in a stream while walking on suspension bridges and got to feed reindeer.

I think the next time we do Alaska, we will be sure to take a cruise line that goes to Glacier Bay. Disney was great but we're more about the ports now.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I did the DCL Alaska cruise that started and ended in Seattle. Because of that, the port times were very short. We had a great time, anyway. We will be going again in a few months. I looked at other lines, but we decided to stick with DCL this time.

Excursions are expensive in Alaska, but they are worth it. You can get cheaper excursions by booking directly with tour companies vs. booking through DCL.
In Skagway, we took a narrated bus tour of the Yukon that went into Canada. It was through M and M tours and was very good. We still had time to walk around the town and have lunch. Next time we will take the train and then spend some time in the town.

In Juneau, we did 3 event adults only tour through DCL. It started with a whale watching tour (it was okay, we did see whales, seals and bald eagles, but we weren't too impressed after having many excellent whale watching tours elsewhere), then it went to Mendenhall Glacier which was excellent, but we didn't have enough time there, and it ended with a Salmon Bake which was pretty bad. The Salmon Bake was outdoors and full of gnats and mosquitos. Not exaggerating, our food was covered with bugs. I had to keep waving my hand over my plate. Other people just ate, bugs and all. Next time, we are just going to Mendenhall Glacier on our own so we can spend as much time there as we want.

Ketchikan is beautiful because it is such a rainy city, but we only had 4 hours there. We just walked around the town and went shopping. We spent a lot of money in this town. Next time we are going to do a nature hike in the Tongass National Forest (not offered through DCL).

We also had a few hours in Victoria, and I loved that city. It isn't on our port list for next time, though. We did an adults only city tour and visit to Butchart Butterfly Gardens through DCL.

There was a formal night, but we didn't pack clothes for it, so we did go to MDR that night.

My favorite part of the cruise was the Tracy Arm day. It was narrated and we spent a lot of time there. The captain turned the ship around when we were by the glacier so both sides of the ship had a long period of time to view it. Hot chocolate and warm chocolate chip cookies were served on deck. Earlier in the day, there was a very delicious barbeque lunch served on deck. We just found it by accident, actually. I can't convey how amazing it was to sit on the deck and eat an incredibly delicious meal while watching the sights of the inside passage. It was very cold outside, but it was so breathtaking.

The Cove Cafe and Outlook Cafe were always full. Our cruise was cold and it rained on our sea days. So, the inside areas were packed. Unfortunately, it seemed some kids were bored and unsupervised. We were mostly in the indoor areas, but at dinner one night, I needed to use the restroom and all the stall doors were locked. I switched floors 3 times before I could find a restroom I could use. It was because bored kids were locking all the stall and crawling out the bottom as a way to entertain themselves. Now I know that if I need to use the restroom while at dinner, I'll just go all the way back to my room. It's easier than going floor to floor trying to find a restroom.

The shows were good and we had a couple nature presentations. Overall, I enjoyed it more than my other Disney cruises because it is so gorgeous in Alaska and there seemed to be better entertainment/activities.

 

[ahain]

We DCL Alaska in June 2015. It was a wonderful cruise - the scenery is absolutely amazing. We were also blessed with wonderful weather on our cruise. The only day that was wet/drizzly was our Tracy Arm day - VERY cold & wet that day!

Skagway, Like pp, we booked directly through Chilkoot Charters and did the train up and bus back, including the dog cart ride.
Juneau - We did the Wings Airway Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Discovery sea plane, booked direct. It was very pricey, but we figured we were likely only going to be in Alaska once and that we needed to make certain we experienced the things that we really wanted to do. It was AMAZING! Hands down, the highlight of our trip.
Ketchican - We just wandered around town & Creek Street and did some shopping.

As incredibly beautiful as the scenery was, and as wonderful as the ship & crew were, I'm not 100% certain I would do the cruise again, unless it was a land & sea cruise that included Denali. Then maybe. Don't get me wrong....I'm absolutely thankful that we took this cruise so that we were able to experience the majesty of the Alaskan Wilderness - it was great! But it was also a very expensive cruise (we took my mom & her husband as well as myself, DH and DD), and I really prefer a warmer-weather vacation.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

You guys are the best thank you so so much for your help I mean it thanks so much

 

[dugthetalkingdog]

My DD(20) and I did this cruise the 3rd week of August last year and LOVED IT!!! My DD was hesitate to go on the Alaskan Cruise because she thought it would
be cold and BORING. Well, by the 2nd day after seeing whales and the beautiful landscape, she was hooked and wanted to re-book the cruise. We had not
even made it to our first port yet! In Juneau we did the helicopter ride and dog sled which was expensive BUT awesome. The helicopter ride up was
breathtaking. The sled ride was so much fun and the puppies are so cute. This excursion we booked thru DCL. In Skagway with booked Yukon Rail and Bus Tour
directly with Chilkoot Charters and saved some money. We took the narrated train ride up, then was greeted by our bus tour guide for the rest of the tour.
This trip did include lunch which was BBQ chicken and the fixins. Food was good, then we were able to meet and play with the puppies. This excursion made several
stops for photographs as we headed back to the ship. In Ketchikan my DD went on the snorkeling excursion which was booked thru DCL and the company was
Mountain Point Snorkeling Company. She had a blast on this excursion the guides did an awesome job. She did say the wet suit was really tight! While she
was on the excursion I explored the town. Make sure to make your way over to Creek Street. There are some shops and awesome photos can be taken. We
ate at Annabelle's for some yummy crablegs.

The shows were wonderful, the food was yummy. The day that the ship is at Tracy Arm, there is a Salmon Bake at the rear of the ship that is really good!
We did not have Pirate Night but we had Frozen Night instead which was a lot of fun with the Frozen Characters. My DD and I also had brunch at Palo's which
the food, view, and staff are wonderful.

In Vancouver we stayed at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel. The hotel was nice and so was the price! We had a water-front room with a balcony that we could
watch the seaplanes coming and going. This hotel is only a couple blocks from Canada Place where the ship is located. While in Vancouver we went to the
Capilano Suspension Bridge which was alot of fun. You can but tickets at Canada Place and also catch the free shuttle. (within walking distance from hotel)

My DD and I will definitely go back to Alaska!!

You will have so much fun!

 

[CampbellzSoup]

My DD(20) and I did this cruise the 3rd week of August last year and LOVED IT!!! My DD was hesitate to go on the Alaskan Cruise because she thought it would
be cold and BORING. Well, by the 2nd day after seeing whales and the beautiful landscape, she was hooked and wanted to re-book the cruise. We had not
even made it to our first port yet! In Juneau we did the helicopter ride and dog sled which was expensive BUT awesome. The helicopter ride up was
breathtaking. The sled ride was so much fun and the puppies are so cute. This excursion we booked thru DCL. In Skagway with booked Yukon Rail and Bus Tour
directly with Chilkoot Charters and saved some money. We took the narrated train ride up, then was greeted by our bus tour guide for the rest of the tour.
This trip did include lunch which was BBQ chicken and the fixins. Food was good, then we were able to meet and play with the puppies. This excursion made several
stops for photographs as we headed back to the ship. In Ketchikan my DD went on the snorkeling excursion which was booked thru DCL and the company was
Mountain Point Snorkeling Company. She had a blast on this excursion the guides did an awesome job. She did say the wet suit was really tight! While she
was on the excursion I explored the town. Make sure to make your way over to Creek Street. There are some shops and awesome photos can be taken. We
ate at Annabelle's for some yummy crablegs.

The shows were wonderful, the food was yummy. The day that the ship is at Tracy Arm, there is a Salmon Bake at the rear of the ship that is really good!
We did not have Pirate Night but we had Frozen Night instead which was a lot of fun with the Frozen Characters. My DD and I also had brunch at Palo's which
the food, view, and staff are wonderful.

In Vancouver we stayed at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel. The hotel was nice and so was the price! We had a water-front room with a balcony that we could
watch the seaplanes coming and going. This hotel is only a couple blocks from Canada Place where the ship is located. While in Vancouver we went to the
Capilano Suspension Bridge which was alot of fun. You can but tickets at Canada Place and also catch the free shuttle. (within walking distance from hotel)

My DD and I will definitely go back to Alaska!!

You will have so much fun!

Wonderful though out post thanks so much

 

[CampbellzSoup]

We DCL Alaska in June 2015. It was a wonderful cruise - the scenery is absolutely amazing. We were also blessed with wonderful weather on our cruise. The only day that was wet/drizzly was our Tracy Arm day - VERY cold & wet that day!

Skagway, Like pp, we booked directly through Chilkoot Charters and did the train up and bus back, including the dog cart ride.
Juneau - We did the Wings Airway Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Discovery sea plane, booked direct. It was very pricey, but we figured we were likely only going to be in Alaska once and that we needed to make certain we experienced the things that we really wanted to do. It was AMAZING! Hands down, the highlight of our trip.
Ketchican - We just wandered around town & Creek Street and did some shopping.

As incredibly beautiful as the scenery was, and as wonderful as the ship & crew were, I'm not 100% certain I would do the cruise again, unless it was a land & sea cruise that included Denali. Then maybe. Don't get me wrong....I'm absolutely thankful that we took this cruise so that we were able to experience the majesty of the Alaskan Wilderness - it was great! But it was also a very expensive cruise (we took my mom & her husband as well as myself, DH and DD), and I really prefer a warmer-weather vacation.View attachment 151484 View attachment 151485 View attachment 151486 View attachment 151487 View attachment 151488 View attachment 151489 View attachment 151490

Your photos are beautiful thanks so much for sharing

 

[Atliana11]

Eyeing Alaska as my next Disney cruise destination! Just wanted to hear from my Disney fans what was your experience like on the cruise:

- What port adventures did you do while in Alaska?

- how was DCL compared to other lines of youve done Alaska with another?

- can anyone share any photos of your experiences?

- did your cruise include a formal night?

- how did you enjoy it overall?


Thanks these kind of helpful responses will help me a bunch!

 

[Atliana11]

We took the DCL Alaska trip in June 2014 as a graduation gift for our DD. Younger 14yo brother also came...in case you're bringing older kids. Overall impression by all of us was that it was a blast....we're very Disney nerdy so loved everything.

We have never gone to Alaska on any other cruise line, so I can't compare.

Vancouver...stayed in an awesome AirBNB for two days, right next to Costco and China Town. There was a phenomenal asian grocery store that would have to be seen to be believed. We specifically arrived two days early so we could tour downtown Vancouver and attended Shakespeare in the Park. Had a blast with both.

Had a window instead of a balcony this time (we've done two other DCL and had verandas both times) in order to save on money and because we didn't feel that with the colder weather we would spend much time on a balcony. We were right on both accounts. The scenery is beautiful but you can only look at a glacier so many times and it just becomes ice. We spent a lot of time doing things on the ship so whenever there was something cool to see outside, everyone usually went over to the railing. The only one who "tried" to spend more time in the room was DS, who after the second day of discovering that he was still staying in the room to binge watch TV nonstop, we took away his room key, locked the door, and told him to go explore and socialize!

1st Day At Sea - enjoyed the Spa with a pedicure (very relaxing w/large picture window to watch scenery go by, but no better than a pedicure on land)
Tracy Arm - DH and I splurged for a "romantic" morning double massage (once again very relaxing but nothing outstanding). In actuality we didn't like the timeslot we picked since we arrived at the Glacier during our massage and kept stressing we wouldn't be done in time to see it properly. We needn't have worried but we didn't know that at the time. Also, its cold outside, so the concept of snuggling with your honey on the balcony to watch the scenery is dampened by the fact that its cold and they need to clean the room for the next guests.
Skagway - DH is a railroad nut so of course we took the trip on the train in the morning....great experience but does get boring after awhile (kids slept on the way back). Lunch we did at a local place recommended by locals away from the cruise ships..great burgers and they make local root beer! Afternoon I decided to not purchase an adventure and instead we hiked Lower Dewey Lake...recommended on the forums and it was positively beautiful....no people, wonderful weather, pristine scenery....everything you think of when you say Alaska.
Juneau - Took in the Zipline Adventure and it was well worth the money. Lunch was in the heart of the tourist district but they too brew their own rootbeer. Food was OK but the drinks were great. DH wanted to take a last minute excursion to the Glacier while the kids and I went back to the ship to relax. He brought back great pics and wonderful stories...said it was well worth it He really had a lot of fun.
Ketchikan - we went to the local Natural History Museum...really neat place. Doesn't seem like a lot of folks go to it, but they're missing out. We also decided to do the tourist thing an attend the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show....what a hoot! Once again, it was worth the money, even if it's more touristy than other activities we did. Lastly, we went REALLY off the beaten path and walked over to the Totem Pole Museum (I don't think that's it real name). Not a lot to see if you're a young child or do not care much for local culture, however, we found it informative and a pleasant way to burn an hour. Unless you're really into totem poles I don't think you could spend much longer there.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I hope they announce 2017 Alaskan cruises

 

[anricat]

Lunch we did at a local place recommended by locals away from the cruise ships..great burgers and they make local root beer! Afternoon I decided to not purchase an adventure and instead we hiked Lower Dewey Lake...recommended on the forums and it was positively beautiful....no people, wonderful weather, pristine scenery....everything you think of when you say Alaska.
Juneau - Took in the Zipline Adventure and it was well worth the money. Lunch was in the heart of the tourist district but they too brew their own rootbeer. Food was OK but the drinks were great.

Do you remember the name of the place you had lunch in Juneau? We're looking for a lunch spot and my DD and I are big root beer fans.

 

[Atliana11]

The name of the restaurant was the Red Dog Saloon. A lot of folks spoke very highly of it, but we only found the food "just OK", hopefully you will have a better experience. However the root beer was great and it was nice to have something local. The place in Ketchikan was at the very end of the "main street" on the right hand side (pretty sure it's the last building). Very rustic decor.

 

[AquaDame]

Eyeing Alaska as my next Disney cruise destination! Just wanted to hear from my Disney fans what was your experience like on the cruise:

- What port adventures did you do while in Alaska?

- how was DCL compared to other lines of youve done Alaska with another?

- can anyone share any photos of your experiences?

- did your cruise include a formal night?

- how did you enjoy it overall?


Thanks these kind of helpful responses will help me a bunch!

We did the whitepass railway in Skagway, the Mendenhall Glacier Walkabout in Juneau and tried to book Misty Fjords but were rained out in Ketchikan. I haven't done another line in Alaska yet, but we are sailing with RCCL at the end of July on a one way northbound from Vancouver. I'm very excited to get to stay up around Anchorage for a couple more nights to see Denali, which would not have been possible on DCL.

I have so many photos...! Anything in particular you'd like to see?

It did include a formal night, and if I am remembering correctly the venison tenderloin was sooooo good! *almost* better than all the king crab legs!

I loved it! It was a very different (cold and windy but still sunny) cruise but Alaska is AMAZING, even to this PacNW girl. The sights are SO BIG, and all the wildlife was so relaxing to watch!

Edited to add since someone mentioned food - we had beers at the Hangar on the Wharf in Juneau which had a nice view and good selection. Tracy's Crab Shack was delicious there too but MAN was it expensive..! We went to Skagway Brewing Company for lunch when we were there and it was good - their Spruce Tip beer was especially memorable.