July 12, 2011 - Sailing to Alaska is WONDERful style!!!

[Bullseyebaby]

aloha,
Just booked our car for the 3 day stay in Vancouver. We got a great deal at Dollar. A mini van for $307.00 tax and fees included. I'm going to drop everyone at the port and return the car to the airport. They have a shuttle to the port for $15.
It's only 30 minutes from the port.

aloha,
hawaiian mickey

Aloha Hawaiian Mickey.... I have a present I want to send to you. PM me an address to send it to.

Thanks for the heads up on the car rental. We may end up doing that too. We fly into Vancouver on the 6th... What are you going to do for the days your there? Just site see or do you have actual trips planned? I feel like I'm so far behind! I've been to vancouver before but only in the winter. I'm sure it's just beautiful in the summer time & I can't wait to explore!

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Same here-I feel like I have done nothing for this cruise!!
How do we get in on the FE exchange?

Hi Fivepin,

I'm not sure who is doing the FE list.... I'll have to look back on the thread and see.

Is the facebook page active? Guess I'll have to check that out too. Oh, I'm so far behind!! Got to kick it into gear.

Interesting that there isn't a whole lot of dis activity for this cruise, but sometimes less is better! Gives us all a chance to get to make new friends!

~janie

 

[hawaiian mickey]

aloha,
Hi guys just found out they do groupon in Vancouver. I'm going to check to see if they have any for restaurants,excusions and events. This will help in getting good prices for all the above.

aloha,
hawaiian mickey

 

[hawaiian mickey]

aloha,
Just booked our flight to Vancouver before the price goes up with all the unrest in the middle east.

aloha,
hawaiian mickey

 

[susiemmfan]

Good morning,

Final payment due soon. We booked our flights a couple of weeks ago. Glad we did since the prices have gone up.

We are interested in participating in the FE as well.

Spent some time last night looking a private tours in some of the ports just in case not able to book the port adventures we have picked.

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Yes, we bought are airfare a while back. So glad we did. I've heard that Alaska is easy to book excursions on your own. Please pass on any information you may find out. In reading the Disney ones, there are so many to choose from! I really want to do the Mendenhall Glacier & float in Juneau, & the White Pass Rail in Skagway. Both sound like amazing adventures! I'm so excited

 

[susiemmfan]

We are looking at the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching tour as well as the White Pass Rail in Skagway. Can't wait until we can book!

 

[mellojon]

Hey All.
Glad to be joining you on the Disney Wonder for my 10th Cruise!!!!!

Were in room 7044

Cant wait to get onboard!!!!!
Jonathan

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Hey All.
Glad to be joining you on the Disney Wonder for my 10th Cruise!!!!!

Were in room 7044

Cant wait to get onboard!!!!!
Jonathan

Welcome Jonathan!

I think as we get closer a few more people will join in the discussion. Must be a lot of newbies on the Alaska cruise. Has anyone here cruised Alaska before and could give us a hint of how cold it will be and how the seas are (calm?). It looks so tranquil when you see pictures, I'm hoping that will be the way it is. Are we always close enough to see land, or is just when we're pulling in or out of port? I thought about buying a new pair of binoculars but not sure if I should spend the money. Our other ones are quite old & heavy.

~janie

 

[mellojon]

Welcome Jonathan!

I think as we get closer a few more people will join in the discussion. Must be a lot of newbies on the Alaska cruise. Has anyone here cruised Alaska before and could give us a hint of how cold it will be and how the seas are (calm?). It looks so tranquil when you see pictures, I'm hoping that will be the way it is. Are we always close enough to see land, or is just when we're pulling in or out of port? I thought about buying a new pair of binoculars but not sure if I should spend the money. Our other ones are quite old & heavy.

~janie

Thanks,
Cant wait till we get onboard 129 Days
Jonathan

 

[mellojon]

Welcome Jonathan!

I think as we get closer a few more people will join in the discussion. Must be a lot of newbies on the Alaska cruise. Has anyone here cruised Alaska before and could give us a hint of how cold it will be and how the seas are (calm?). It looks so tranquil when you see pictures, I'm hoping that will be the way it is. Are we always close enough to see land, or is just when we're pulling in or out of port? I thought about buying a new pair of binoculars but not sure if I should spend the money. Our other ones are quite old & heavy.

~janie

Thanks,
Cant wait till we get onboard 129 Days
Jonathan

 

[vpalmer]

Good morning,

Final payment due soon. We booked our flights a couple of weeks ago. Glad we did since the prices have gone up.

Us too! I am so glad we got our airfare booked about a week before the fares went up. We decided to fly directly into Vancouver instead of Seattle because the cost was only $300 more for all three of us plus it allows us to spend more time in Vancouver. We'll be flying in on Saturday and will have until Tuesday to explore.

I am considering getting the trolley pass. It looks like the second days is free if purchase online so we would use it on Sunday and Monday. It looks like the loop is 2 hours and you can depart as much as you like with a new trolley coming every 40 minutes. We are probably staying in Canada Place so it sounds like it would be a great way to see the sites around Vancouver without renting a car. Anyone know much about the trolley?

DH and I are still trudging through every single excursion on the DCL site. It is so hard to narrow down the choices. We have 15 saved and we are only half way through! Our DD is 8 so that limits us somewhat. Plus it is important to us to do uniquely Alaskan excursions.

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Well, doesn't look like to much is happening on this cruise with the Dis boards. It would be fun to at least have a little get together on board. As it gets closer, hopefully some new members will join in & some of the old members will come back & post.

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Us too! I am so glad we got our airfare booked about a week before the fares went up. We decided to fly directly into Vancouver instead of Seattle because the cost was only $300 more for all three of us plus it allows us to spend more time in Vancouver. We'll be flying in on Saturday and will have until Tuesday to explore.

I am considering getting the trolley pass. It looks like the second days is free if purchase online so we would use it on Sunday and Monday. It looks like the loop is 2 hours and you can depart as much as you like with a new trolley coming every 40 minutes. We are probably staying in Canada Place so it sounds like it would be a great way to see the sites around Vancouver without renting a car. Anyone know much about the trolley?

DH and I are still trudging through every single excursion on the DCL site. It is so hard to narrow down the choices. We have 15 saved and we are only half way through! Our DD is 8 so that limits us somewhat. Plus it is important to us to do uniquely Alaskan excursions.

Thanks for the thought about the Trolley. Haven't heard of it. We are flying into Vancouver about 5 days early to explore. Still haven't booked a hotel yet. Waiting to see if a friend comes through with a discount!

I too have been looking at all the DCL shore excursions. There are so many that sound similar... too many choices! I know many people say that its much cheaper to do it yourself and not through Disney, but we've never had a bad experience and don't want to ruin the vacation by picking the wrong vendor.

 

[vpalmer]

Thanks for the thought about the Trolley. Haven't heard of it. We are flying into Vancouver about 5 days early to explore. Still haven't booked a hotel yet. Waiting to see if a friend comes through with a discount!

I too have been looking at all the DCL shore excursions. There are so many that sound similar... too many choices! I know many people say that its much cheaper to do it yourself and not through Disney, but we've never had a bad experience and don't want to ruin the vacation by picking the wrong vendor.

I haven't booked the hotel yet either. I need to though! I think we will stay at the Pan Pacific.

I have always booked excursions through Disney directly. I have priced out both ways (in the Caribbean not on this cruise) and at the end of the day, the small savings wasn't worth the peace of mind - for me. Everyone is different though.

 

[Fivepin]

You are right-really no activity on this thread. I need to look at excursions since the 120 day mark is so close. I haven't researched Vancouver yet. I feel so lost. When we were on the Baltic, at this time frame I had everything reserved and researched. I feel so lost. I have the hotel book through Mariott points. We come in the day before and stay 2 days after. I haven't book a van yet.

Any news on a roster or FE exchange?

Any help from those who have done some research, please pass along good tips you have found.

Thank you so much.

 

[kiddisney]

congrats to all our fellow cruisers - final payments are due w/in the next day or so which means that now we're really going -

can't wait to spend an exciting week with our dis friends on the alaskan wonder cruise

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Paid off our cruise & now I get to book shore excursions but there are soooooo many to choose from! I thought I did my homework, but now I'm in a panic. At least I know this cruise is coming up soon. It's been a long time since we made our reservation (2009, I think). Getting excited.

 

[vpalmer]

Paid off our cruise & now I get to book shore excursions but there are soooooo many to choose from! I thought I did my homework, but now I'm in a panic. At least I know this cruise is coming up soon. It's been a long time since we made our reservation (2009, I think). Getting excited.

We are paid off too but our booking window for excursions doesn't open until 90 days, I think. We are silver members. I am so lost on what to book. We are on page 6 of the 10 pages of excursions in the three ports. We already have almost 20 excursions saved. We have to keep researching so we have our choices ready to go by April.

 

[Bullseyebaby]

Well, our reservation window opened up, so we booked.... everything was still available.

Takshanuk Adventure in Skagway
Mendenhall Glacier & Float in Juneau
Misty Fjords (for DD & I) & Bear Creek Zip line for DH & DS in Ketchikan.

Hope we chose good ones! I actually let the kids pick, that way I'm off the hook if they aren't fun. The helicopter & float planes all look so amazing, but expensive once you times it by 4, so we opted for a little less adventure.