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 .

 

[reluctantredhead]

Following! We're contemplating all the same things as OP. Currently booked on the Wonder in August 2027, but given the price point for a Verandah room, it's almost at luxury cruise level, so I've been researching those lines and contemplating booking one of them instead. Part of the issue for us is that an Alaska cruise is pricey, and we want to make sure we will enjoy it even if the weather is terrible, excursions get cancelled, one of us gets sick and ends up in the room a lot, etc. We cruised RC once and it wasn't for us (though my in-laws have highest tier status on that line and are devotees), but we've enjoyed the 6 DCL cruises we've been on. The reviews are all over the place for the luxury lines and we don't know which one(s) to believe, and don't know anyone IRL who's ever sailed on one. At our ages (mid 50s) we think we'd enjoy the luxury lines, but we are casual, informal people and just don't know if we'd feel out of place and/or be bored during ship time...which makes us circle back to Disney (sigh), even though we know the itineraries, ports, etc. would be better on other lines. Nice problem to have, I know...but we find the older we get, the more indecisive we get and the stronger the impulse to return to what's familiar with respect to travel.

 

[writersblock]

Following! We're contemplating all the same things as OP. Currently booked on the Wonder in August 2027, but given the price point for a Verandah room, it's almost at luxury cruise level, so I've been researching those lines and contemplating booking one of them instead. Part of the issue for us is that an Alaska cruise is pricey, and we want to make sure we will enjoy it even if the weather is terrible, excursions get cancelled, one of us gets sick and ends up in the room a lot, etc. We cruised RC once and it wasn't for us (though my in-laws have highest tier status on that line and are devotees), but we've enjoyed the 6 DCL cruises we've been on. The reviews are all over the place for the luxury lines and we don't know which one(s) to believe, and don't know anyone IRL who's ever sailed on one. At our ages (mid 50s) we think we'd enjoy the luxury lines, but we are casual, informal people and just don't know if we'd feel out of place and/or be bored during ship time...which makes us circle back to Disney (sigh), even though we know the itineraries, ports, etc. would be better on other lines. Nice problem to have, I know...but we find the older we get, the more indecisive we get and the stronger the impulse to return to what's familiar with respect to travel.

This is so astute and really accurately describes where we are at. We are low-key people as well, and the formality of some of the other cruise lines feels intimidating. Some of the others we have written-off as while we may like the odd cocktail we are not big drinkers or party people. And like you said, the older we get, the more we want to revisit things we enjoy. It’s not that we fear newness or don’t crave the excitement of grand adventures (we are doing a huge road trip soon to many places we haven’t been and we can’t wait!) but we find ourselves more drawn to places and things that either remind us of other great things we enjoyed, create a sense of nostalgia, or just feel easy so we can have space to relax.

Alaska is a hard one for me - in some ways it feels like grand landscape but repeatedly. So I’m a little unsure whether it’s going to be an initial ‘wow’ followed by the feeling flatlining with no additional new point of interest. That’s another reason why I’m thinking Disney will be the better choice - I know I love the ship experience. Whereas with something like HAL, which feels aesthetically clinical to me, I sort of wonder if I will spend half the cruise wondering what the hell I have done.

 

[Wedgeout]

Paying the premium for the on board experiences. I’m a must have a verandah while cruising Alaska. I can downgrade on any other location. The darn Disney atmosphere and character wardrobes is so conflicting to my wallet.

The Wonder is the perfect size and deck plan design for Alaska scenery. I however have only sailed Holland America so far for that area for cruising. Disney Alaska still sits on my bucket list though.

I pick the cruise more by its itinerary. Including the time in each port. Which ports. Where the glacier viewing will be. (Disney with Vancouver base does get better sights of the inner passage). I’m usually sailing out of Seattle and only got that once with a reroute return on a round trip.

 

[happycamper47]

We've done Alaska 6 times, 4 on DCL(Wonder) and 2 on NCL(Encore and Joy). We much prefer DCL with the exception of having to go to Vancouver. Port wise NCL's Ketchikan dock is 20 minutes from the city, they do provide shuttles, but it's not convenient as you're dropped off at Berth 4 on the South side of Town. You then need another shuttle or cab unless you prefer the 1/2 walk. Also we did not go to Endicott or Tracy Arm, but we did on DCL and we feel they have better scenery. We also did not care for Icy Strait Point on NCL, but we found Sika to be an interesting historical stop.

Neither are perfect, and it just depends on what you really want to see while there and with DCL now running two ships the selection is much better.

 

[Retiredcruiser]

This is so astute and really accurately describes where we are at. We are low-key people as well, and the formality of some of the other cruise lines feels intimidating. Some of the others we have written-off as while we may like the odd cocktail we are not big drinkers or party people. And like you said, the older we get, the more we want to revisit things we enjoy. It’s not that we fear newness or don’t crave the excitement of grand adventures (we are doing a huge road trip soon to many places we haven’t been and we can’t wait!) but we find ourselves more drawn to places and things that either remind us of other great things we enjoyed, create a sense of nostalgia, or just feel easy so we can have space to relax.

Alaska is a hard one for me - in some ways it feels like grand landscape but repeatedly. So I’m a little unsure whether it’s going to be an initial ‘wow’ followed by the feeling flatlining with no additional new point of interest. That’s another reason why I’m thinking Disney will be the better choice - I know I love the ship experience. Whereas with something like HAL, which feels aesthetically clinical to me, I sort of wonder if I will spend half the cruise wondering what the hell I have done.

We are right there with you as well. We have cruised to Alaska twice (NCL and RCL). Never again will we sail on RCL. We are Platinum on Disney and when we saw the Wonder in BC all we could think about is how we could make a break for it to get off of RCL! While the ports are the Alaska attraction for sure, we found the ship experience does matter. When the service or the dining room food isn't good coming back onboard after an excursion we quickly realized RCL was a mistake.

Of the ones you mentioned, DCL is the right choice. I will put a good word in for Celebrity after our first sailing two weeks ago. It reminded us a lot of sailing with DCL in regards to service and they treat you like adults!