Frozen Fireworks: Alaska on the Wonder July 2, 2012

[lucky1]

RGirl - Not sure about Alaska excursions, but I bet there would be some that would be sightseeing and seeing wildlife. Since this is the first year, DCL has done Alaska it might be good to ask the question on the main board to those that have traveled to Alaska or check out the trip reports board to see who has done one with young kids. I think you DD will just enjoy the cruise and all the activities they have on board. My DD was 7 for our first cruise and she had a blast.


Laura

 

[RGirl]

Thanks again, lucky1. It is nice to have a cruise veteran willing to answer newbie questions!

I was just looking at some of the excursions on the DCL website, and it definitely looks like there are some good ones for us - including a family package that includes three excursions at three ports. Man, they are expensive though!! I definitely would like to do two or three because I chose the Alaska cruise because I really want to see Alaska - never have, and it looks so beautiful. I have visions of sitting on my verandah gazing at glaciers.

Have you been on cruise threads for your other cruises? Do these result in meets and FE exchanges? Can you tell that I am really excited?

 

[lucky1]

Yes.. i have been involved in DIS meets in 3 other cruises.. The first cruise was before I found DIS. Each one we have been involved in FE and I assume as this meet grows it will be organized. It is something that is very fun for the kids. Also good to get them involved in the "giving".


Some people do book excursions at the ports that are not through DCL and they are not as expensive. You can check cruise critics boards on the cruise critics sites to see about none cruise ship related excursions.

 

[Cagirl767]

Hellloooooo everyone!!!!

We are officially booked on this cruise! This is my first Disney cruise and 7th overall. It will be myself, dh, dd will be 5 and ds who will be 7. We are from AZ also! Grandma is also coming along with her friend.

We are booking a wildlife tour/hike and the Salmon Bake glacier tour, and deciding between the train with panning for gold or the sled dog thing - the kids keep changing their minds. I really wanted to do kyaking but the kids won't be old enough. No way anyway will dd get into a kayak.

Does anyone know what Disney does for the 4th on the ship?

Looking forward to the FE exchange also!!!!

WOOHOOOO!!!!

 

[RGirl]

Yes.. i have been involved in DIS meets in 3 other cruises.. The first cruise was before I found DIS. Each one we have been involved in FE and I assume as this meet grows it will be organized. It is something that is very fun for the kids. Also good to get them involved in the "giving".


Some people do book excursions at the ports that are not through DCL and they are not as expensive. You can check cruise critics boards on the cruise critics sites to see about none cruise ship related excursions.

Thanks lucky!!! I was checking out the various excursions and pre-pay items on the DCL site today. Even my mother is excited about this trip!

Hellloooooo everyone!!!!

We are officially booked on this cruise! This is my first Disney cruise and 7th overall. It will be myself, dh, dd will be 5 and ds who will be 7. We are from AZ also! Grandma is also coming along with her friend.

We are booking a wildlife tour/hike and the Salmon Bake glacier tour, and deciding between the train with panning for gold or the sled dog thing - the kids keep changing their minds. I really wanted to do kyaking but the kids won't be old enough. No way anyway will dd get into a kayak.

Does anyone know what Disney does for the 4th on the ship?

Looking forward to the FE exchange also!!!!

WOOHOOOO!!!!

Welcome Cagirl767!!!! Our daughters will be the same age on the cruise! I can't believe you already have your excursions figured out. Ooooh - I have been wondering about the Fourth too!

 

[lucky1]

Hellloooooo everyone!!!!



Does anyone know what Disney does for the 4th on the ship?

Looking forward to the FE exchange also!!!!

WOOHOOOO!!!!

Calgirl767 from another Arizonian. Grandma is coming with us as well.

I am sure they will do something, but it depend on where we are in the water. I believe they can not shot off fireworks in Alaska, but not sure. Given that most of the crew and the ship is not US based, maybe this isn't a big holiday. We did a NYE cruise and they did fireworks and a hugh party up on deck. We got lithographs and candy in our room. Lots of little give aways.

Thanks lucky!!! I was checking out the various excursions and pre-pay items on the DCL site today. Even my mother is excited about this trip!

When you book a DCL excursion, you are just booking and you pay for it at the end of the cruise. Hence if you change your mind you can cancel prior to sailing. Saying that I don't think you can start booking excursions until you are Paid in full (PIF) and you meet your check in date. For example since I am a Silver Castaway member, I can start booking excursions on April 3rd

 

[Cagirl767]

Hello Everyone! And thanks for the welcome! Funny coincidence Lucky that we're from AZ and the moms are coming! My mom is actually from California but we are all traveling together. She is in a cabin down the hall though with her friend. ~Was told this cruise is just about full and there weren't closer cabins. I called several times to verify and looked on Costco.com at the cabins also.

I had just read on Tripadvisor.com that fireworks aren't permitted in Alaska due to environmental issues. The booking agent thru Costco where I booked this through, told me however, that Disney is one of the only cruise lines permitted to shoot fireworks off their deck. (I'm guessing not in Alaska though).

RGirl - Yes, my dd will be 5.5 next July. She is looking forward to dressing up on pirate night and says she wants to dress up as Mary Poppins one night also. She's very timid so that sort of limits our shore excursions, but we will have a great time anyway. We had to make sure there would be off ship things she'd want to do before we booked the cruise. She's not a water child, so she wouldn't have too much fun in the Caribbean. So we chose Alaska. I've btdt in the Caribbean anyway and sooo tired of Mexico. But hoping she'll want to go to Atlantis someday. Did you get first dinner seating?

April 3rd is 75 days out and that's when our final payment is due, so can we book shore excursions then too?

Group hug to everyone!!!!

 

[Mackie Mouse]

To book excursions you must be paid in full and have reached your designated booking date based on whatever your Castaway Club status is. So it's a ways off for all of us

When we booked this cruise on board our last one, the booking agent told us that for the 4th Disney does do a few fun things, but that that won't have special fireworks in Alaska. They will likely do a character meet-and-greet and a special dinner, though. The fun part for me is that my birthday is July 5...which would make the celebration even more fun!

We love doing meetups and FE exchanges as well - have done them on both our previous cruises and looking forward to it on this one...if we actually go

Were outside Philly and were pummeled two weeks ago by hurricane Irene...we got some (minimal, but still significant) water in our basement and had to have our carpet cleaned and disinfected and have padding ripped out and professionally replaced, after investing in a shop vac and a dehumidifier...and it's reminded us of some non-pressing yard work (removing a tree, regrading part os the yard) that we really need to work on. I think our Alaska budget may be going to that and we'll have to push back to 2013. We're waiting on Disney to announce the itineraries, though, before we make a final decision...

 

[lucky1]

H
April 3rd is 75 days out and that's when our final payment is due, so can we book shore excursions then too?

Cagirl - yes, you will be able to book at April 3. I was incorrect since we are silver we can book at 90 days out, but only if we are paid in full. After this cruise we will be GOLD, so we can book at 105 days out.

 

[RGirl]

Hello Everyone! And thanks for the welcome! Funny coincidence Lucky that we're from AZ and the moms are coming! My mom is actually from California but we are all traveling together. She is in a cabin down the hall though with her friend. ~Was told this cruise is just about full and there weren't closer cabins. I called several times to verify and looked on Costco.com at the cabins also.

RGirl - Yes, my dd will be 5.5 next July. She is looking forward to dressing up on pirate night and says she wants to dress up as Mary Poppins one night also. She's very timid so that sort of limits our shore excursions, but we will have a great time anyway. We had to make sure there would be off ship things she'd want to do before we booked the cruise. She's not a water child, so she wouldn't have too much fun in the Caribbean. So we chose Alaska. I've btdt in the Caribbean anyway and sooo tired of Mexico. But hoping she'll want to go to Atlantis someday. Did you get first dinner seating?

My mom and her friend are sailing with us as well. And they are also a few doors down from us.

We did get the first dinner seating - thank goodness, I didn't want to push to the late one with my DD. Will your DD be doing the Oceaneers Club/Lab? My DD is very excited that there is a place just for kids!

When we booked this cruise on board our last one, the booking agent told us that for the 4th Disney does do a few fun things, but that that won't have special fireworks in Alaska. They will likely do a character meet-and-greet and a special dinner, though. The fun part for me is that my birthday is July 5...which would make the celebration even more fun!

Were outside Philly and were pummeled two weeks ago by hurricane Irene...we got some (minimal, but still significant) water in our basement and had to have our carpet cleaned and disinfected and have padding ripped out and professionally replaced, after investing in a shop vac and a dehumidifier...and it's reminded us of some non-pressing yard work (removing a tree, regrading part os the yard) that we really need to work on. I think our Alaska budget may be going to that and we'll have to push back to 2013. We're waiting on Disney to announce the itineraries, though, before we make a final decision...

It's great to know they will do a little something for the Fourth. But I'm so sorry to here about your Irene experience. I hope you will be cruising with us.

Cagirl - yes, you will be able to book at April 3. I was incorrect since we are silver we can book at 90 days out, but only if we are paid in full. After this cruise we will be GOLD, so we can book at 105 days out.

Wow - this is totally confusing to me. Good thing I am months away from being able to decide on our excursions. I am pretty busy tweaking all my October WDW plans and starting to think about our surprise DLR trip for DD's birthday in January. I may as well sign my paychecks over to Disney this year!

 

[Cagirl767]

Mackie Mouse - So sorry to hear about your property damage. Hopefully you'll be able to join us on thsi fabulous trip!

Thanks for the booking info to all. We could still change our minds I'm sure, but had to make sure there would be fun shore excursions for all involved in our group before booking.

RGirl - I doubt dd will do any kids' club things at this point. We'll have to see when we get there and see if they're interested or not. I sure would like to get to a wine or martini tasting though! And once DS sees any video games.....well.....I may get some "me" time! We'll have shore excursions each port day, so they may very well be worn slap out after those. We wouldn't have booked the trip if we couldn't get first seating for dinner, and hopefully we won't be bumped from it! At this point, my kids both can't make it (peacefully) beyond 7:30 or so and after an action packed day, more like 6ish.

 

[RGirl]

RGirl - I doubt dd will do any kids' club things at this point. We'll have to see when we get there and see if they're interested or not. I sure would like to get to a wine or martini tasting though! And once DS sees any video games.....well.....I may get some "me" time! We'll have shore excursions each port day, so they may very well be worn slap out after those. We wouldn't have booked the trip if we couldn't get first seating for dinner, and hopefully we won't be bumped from it! At this point, my kids both can't make it (peacefully) beyond 7:30 or so and after an action packed day, more like 6ish.

Awww, maybe your DD will make some little Dis friends early on and surprise you with wanting to hang out with them! I'm still not convinced that my DD will truly want to go to the kids' club either, but I'm going to talk it up because I know that, if She does go occasionally, she will have a really fun time! And so will Mommy.

Either way though, we are going on a Disney cruise!!!! I can't complain about that!

 

[Doingitagain]

I think the excursions on the site are still from this summer. With the difference in port times, I believe some of them will change. So I am going to wait until 2012 to start thinking about excursions. Then I will go back and review teh good threads from the people who went this summer.

Passporters just came out with a new Disney Cruise book, and it says it has Alaska ports in it (but probably not DCL, since they were writing the book before the cruises took place in 2011). Has anyone seen it?

We were on the Magic on July 4 in the Med and they did have a special dinner. But I don't think they can do fireworks in Alaska.

 

[Cagirl767]

Doingitagain, so did you just get back from a Wonder Alaska cruise!? Do tell!...

 

[Doingitagain]

Doingitagain, so did you just get back from a Wonder Alaska cruise!? Do tell!...

Yes, we did. As you can guess we really enjoyed it and are planning to do it again. DD22 would really like to do the Fantasy in the warm Caribbean, but Alaska was such a great cruise for DS19 and DH that I figured it was their turn.

I can answer specific questions if anyone has them. Just know that the port times are a bit different in 2012 vs. 2011, and it leaves from Seattle vs. Vancouver. I am disappointed, because we loved Vancouver.

 

[Cagirl767]

I'm sure my kids would appreciate this cruise much more if they were your kids' ages, but my mom wants to go now, having just finished breast cancer treatment. I know the kids will like it now, but probably forget most - if not all of it, they'll be 7 and 5 in July. At least DH and I can scope out Alaska and what all we'd like to do next time, whenever that may be.

I'm sure my mother would have liked the Caribbean, but not so much my kids. DD4 doesn't like the water at all. Now if I were 22, I'd choose the Caribbean too!

Gee, I have all kinds of questions, nothing too crucial, just general questions about what you liked and didn't like. I've been on quite a few cruises over the past 20 years and never found them too exciting, but I didn't have kids then and they weren't *Disney* cruises. Are there any must-do's that you know of that younger kids, or must-not do's? DD is 100% girlie and into princesses and all the girlie characters and DS is 6 going on 12 and 100% boy, past the Toy Story and Cars phase.

 

[Doingitagain]

The activities on the ship were similar to other cruises, except that the weather was cooler so some deck activities were moved indoors. It has been a while since my kids were that young and in activities, there are probably other general cruise threads talking about activities for those ages.

The characters dressed in "Alaska" costumes periodically, that was cute.

On Tracy Arm day, a lot of people spent time on their balconies or up on deck. They even put the kids clubs on the sports deck.

The nice thing about DCL is that there are so many things your children can enjoy on the ship and you can spend time with your mother. Then you can go on port excursions together.

Bring along layers. The weather was cold/warm depending on sun and wind.

When you get closer to booking excursions, the "must read" thread is http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2723087. But be careful, since our port hours are different, the excursions may be different (including shorter).

 

[calihannah]

Hello to all the future cruisemates!!

We were on the Med 5/28-6/8 on the Magic, and it was AMAZING. Interestingly, very shy DD4 was *thrilled* to be in the Oceaneers Club and went there at every.single.opportunity -- including staying aboard the ship a couple of times while DH, DD 6 months, and I went ashore for excursions. DD will be 5.25 on this cruise to Alaska, and she will definitely be all about the kids club again (hopefully nothing drastic happens to change that!!). We're going to the Mexican Riviera right after Christmas on the Wonder also, and she already talks almost daily about going back to the club.

We're doing the late seating for dinner even with two little ones -- in the Med, we successfully shifted their schedules to stay up until 11pm each night and sleep really late each morning. It gave us so much more flexibility. We're hoping to do the same for both the MR and Alaska.

 

[Cagirl767]

Welcome Calihannah! How fun to have another little DD coming! My DD will be 5.5 in July. Although our first Disney cruise, will be my 7th I believe, I've lost track it seems, lol.
Tell us about your Med cruise.....I'd definitely like to do a European cruise. My mom was on a Med cruise (not Disney) and they lost all their luggage for the entire cruise, and said the ship and ports sold nothing really, so they had no toiletries, no socks, no underwear etc! I think they learned to always carry a complete change of clothing at least in a carry on, we sure are!

Thanks for the info Doingitagain, I think I'm going to bring rain gear too and hope for the best!

 

[lucky1]

Ohh. That would be terrible to be on the cruise without the necessities. I assume they did their laundry, but makes it hard when you have formal nights etc...