Disney for Alaska - experiences vs other cruise lines

[writersblock]

We are considering pairing WDW with Alaska and previously, we have considered other cruise lines for this (for Glacier Bay etc.) but we have reached a point where we can’t deny that we just love the Disney cruise experience itself. And for the next trip we want that magic. We are looking at the Wonder.

My question is mostly - for those who have done Alaska on Disney and with another cruise line, was Disney a poor choice for you? Did you regret not seeing certain things? Is there still the big ‘wow’ factor?

It’s now coming down to the above vs WDW and the usual Port C Bahamas/Castaway on the Fantasy (as we’ve not done that ship either).

Many thanks in advance!

 

[katiec786]

We are considering pairing WDW with Alaska and previously, we have considered other cruise lines for this (for Glacier Bay etc.) but we have reached a point where we can’t deny that we just love the Disney cruise experience itself. And for the next trip we want that magic. We are looking at the Wonder.

My question is mostly - for those who have done Alaska on Disney and with another cruise line, was Disney a poor choice for you? Did you regret not seeing certain things? Is there still the big ‘wow’ factor?

It’s now coming down to the above vs WDW and the usual Port C Bahamas/Castaway on the Fantasy (as we’ve not done that ship either).

Many thanks in advance!

Just gonna hop on the thread and follow as I’m curious to see responses! We are cruising on the Wonder in May for our honeymoon and first ever cruise. We looked at a couple of different cruise lines, but at the end of the day we thought well we trust Disney and their cast members - not only for the general excellent level of service, but if anything were to go awry we trust they’d look after us! Very excited to see Alaska!

 

[gatechfan99]

Have not done Disney Alaska but did RC last summer, even though all our other cruises have been Disney. Our main reason for RC was we wanted the one-way trip from Anchorage to Vancouver (of course you can do vice versa too). It was worth it to us to have a couple of days at the start of the cruise in the northern Gulf of Alaska area for the scenery, rather than just the round trip from Vancouver. Plus, if you have time, it gives you the opportunity to explore a little more of the Alaska interior around Anchorage for a couple of days before or after the cruise.

In general, yes, I prefer the Disney ships to RC, but this cruise felt so much more about the destination than the ship experience (as opposed to a Bahamas cruise for example), that we were happy with our choice.

 

[OKW Lover]

My question is mostly - for those who have done Alaska on Disney and with another cruise line, was Disney a poor choice for you? Did you regret not seeing certain things? Is there still the big ‘wow’ factor?

I've done Alaska twice on Royal. Never did it on Disney but I'm familiar with their product as I'm Platinum. With that disclaimer I'd say the real appeal of this trip is Alaska itself. The actual cruise line/ship plays little role other than transportation. I'm a huge Disney fan but I would go with which line/ship has the best timing and price point.

 

[Pens Fan]

We've done two Alaska cruises - one on DCL, one on NCL. Both were wonderful but in different ways. Our first was DCL when our son was younger. We were looking for the Disney experience first and foremost for our son and this delivered. We loved the ports and excursions we took - it was magical.

Several years later when he was older we wanted to try another line to add Glacier Bay and be able to do the one way cruise from Vancouver to mainland Alaska. This was spectacular. The itinerary we chose not only got us into Glacier Bay, but Hubbard Glacier as well. We then had the most amazing week exploring other parts of Alaska that you don't see on the round trip cruises. If Alaska is your number one priority, I feel that is the way to go.

Now, all that being said - we 100% made the correct decision when we took our DCL Alaska cruise. It was the right cruise for us at the right time. I always tell people you have to decide which is more important to you - Disney theming and service or Alaska? You will get plenty of Alaska on DCL, but you will miss out on some things. There is no wrong answer.

Or you can do what we did - take two cruises .