May 2022 Wonder w/Young Kids (almost 3 and 5) & Nursery for almost 3?

[jktmom]

We are consider the May 16, 2022 sailing on the wonder to Alaska. We have been to AK twice pre-kids and loved it! A few questions about AK w/Disney and w/kids!

1.) If you've sailed with young kids to AK, how did your kids do? They they find it interesting at all? Did they like excursions? What excursions did you do?

2.) We have always taken a balcony cabin but the price on Disney is pretty high. I do feel it would be OK for my husband and I not to have a balcony but think we may need it with kids so we can still enjoy AK while kids are resting or taking some down time. What kind of cabin did you take with kids and what was your general experience?

3.) Our youngest will be 1.5 month shy of 3. This is the most economical and best time for us to cruise because our oldest will be starting kindergarten in the fall so Sept. is out. Has anyone sent there almost 3 year old to the nursery? Did they have activities to keep a child of this age occupied?

Thanks!

 

[ElenaRN]

I have never cruised to AK so I can't speak on that.

You will get a lot of differing opinions on veranda vs ocean view. We have done both with kids. The veranda is nice, but TBH not sure if its worth the extra $ for the amount of time used. We have done mostly 4 day cruises so maybe it would be worth it on a 7 day. If you plan to have your kids take naps in the room during the day or they keep early bedtimes on vacay, then a veranda might be more beneficial so you can spend time out there while kids sleep.

We have used the nursery many times in general and once when DD was a few months shy of 3. They had a ton of age appropriate stuff for her to do. FYI- you have to make reservations for the nursery and it's an extra fee.

 

[Quellman]

I'm going to be a total debbie downer in my post. Sorry. What do you hope to get out of this vacation? You've been to Alaska before. So you know what to expect - kind of. Are you just wanting to build relationships with your kids? I ask because they are going to have a really tough time remembering the trip to Alaska without the help of photos.

Disney and Alaska is $$$. We don't think that the Disney difference is worth it for this part of the globe. We sailed another cruise line (pre kids) and used that money for excursions. I have 2 kids. For us there are plenty of vacations to do much closer to home while they are younger and may not remember as much. That is our cost vs. value analysis anyway. It allows us to plan a lot of our bigger trips (Europe, Grand Canyon, Alaska) for when they can get the most out of it. Again, same can be said about Disney. We took our kids when they were really young and still do. It was for them in new environments and us enjoying their reactions more than anything else. We weren't concerned with price. Everything is a balance.

With 3 year old, excursions might be somewhat limiting or more difficult since little bladders mean frequent restroom breaks. But there are plenty of things to do outside of the cruiseship. Lumberjack shows, whale watching, glacier trails, train rides. Our kids always took naps during the day, even through kindergarden. So when we cruised, a Balcony was a must while a little was napping. (We didn't feel the need to pay the nursery for nap time).

 

[OpieDoodle]

Okay so my response may sound a little blunt and I mean absolutely zero offense to you. I have been considering a Alaska cruise for a while now. We are dying to go. I personally love traveling with my kids and letting them experience things but something to remember is if they're too young #1 they won't remember the trip, on the flip side YOU will and that's very important but another factor is many of the excursions will not be able to be done by the youngest.

Personally I'd consider putting this off a couple years if you're set on going with the kids or go another time without the kiddos!

Here's my answers based on if you still opted to go.

1.) If you've sailed with young kids to AK, how did your kids do? They they find it interesting at all? Did they like excursions? What excursions did you do?

A worry I would have is most (if not all) of the time on the Alaska cruise it'll be too cold to swim, the deck is pretty chilly so the sports area probably isn't a good option either. That will leave the kids clubs as the only real things to do during the day. The youngest will be too young for the actual kid club so you'll be looking at paying for the nursery which is an added expense on a very expensive trip.

They may not enjoy seeing the glaciers and all that as they would other things. It just depends on your kids tho. My kids love the woods and such so they'd be interested for a second but I bet I'd lose them after maybe 10-20 minutes.

I've never done an Alaska cruise but I know a lot of other more adventure and exploring type excursions in other areas are generally ages 8-9 and up. So I'd look at the itenerary and look at the excursions for each port before you book. Look and see what options you can actually do.

2.) We have always taken a balcony cabin but the price on Disney is pretty high. I do feel it would be OK for my husband and I not to have a balcony but think we may need it with kids so we can still enjoy AK while kids are resting or taking some down time. What kind of cabin did you take with kids and what was your general experience?

I love balcony rooms. I sit on them early mornings and nights (I mostly cruise in the Caribbean so its warm, not sure how much I'd use it if it was cold). Generally there isn't a HUGE price jump between a balcony versus a window.

I would at least want a window.

3.) Our youngest will be 1.5 month shy of 3. This is the most economical and best time for us to cruise because our oldest will be starting kindergarten in the fall so Sept. is out. Has anyone sent there almost 3 year old to the nursery? Did they have activities to keep a child of this age occupied?

They have plenty to do in the nursery for the age children they have there.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

My son was 8 when we sailed to Alaska with DCL. He loved every minute of it! We booked the summer dog sled excursion and the helicopter glacier walk excursion in Skagway. In Juneau, we booked a private whale watching trip followed by a gold panning excursion. We did the lumberjack show in Ketchikan. We went to naturalist talks on the ship, and played a lot of bingo (it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be). One afternoon we watched a movie. We also did a couple of the crafts. We got photos with all the characters on deck on glacier day. He swam. He read. It was an awesome awesome trip and it was 100% worth it for us.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I’m going against the grain… go! Enjoy! Take pictures! We are booked on the May 16, 2022 Alaska cruise with our will be 2 and 1 month shy of 7 year olds! We did a 10 day Alaska pre-kids and loved it and are so happy we get to go again, get to experience it with our kids and with 3 generations. I have no idea how they will do on the excursions we are considering. Our oldest has traveled extensively pre-Covid but our youngest has only done a few car trips as he was born just on the cusp of Covid lockdowns. Ps if you do book I’d love to connect and maybe set the kids up as play pals

 

[jktmom]

Thanks so much for all the feedback. While I certainly agree the kids won't remember it, we love to travel, we love cruising and Alaska and we will definitely remember it. Plus, I think there is a short window to sail on Disney. I don't anticipate my kids will enjoy it as much as they get older although I know some definitely will.

Would still love feedback from someone who has done it!

Thanks!

 

[jktmom]

I’m going against the grain… go! Enjoy! Take pictures! We are booked on the May 16, 2022 Alaska cruise with our will be 2 and 1 month shy of 7 year olds! We did a 10 day Alaska pre-kids and loved it and are so happy we get to go again, get to experience it with our kids and with 3 generations. I have no idea how they will do on the excursions we are considering. Our oldest has traveled extensively pre-Covid but our youngest has only done a few car trips as he was born just on the cusp of Covid lockdowns. Ps if you do book I’d love to connect and maybe set the kids up as play pals

So excited we aren't the only crazy ones taking littles to AK! I will definitely let you know if we book and either way, enjoy your trip! One of my main factors in favor of selecting Disney is that there will always be something to do with the kids or do as a family. I want everyone to enjoy the trip and no one is happy if the kids are bored!

 

[cmph]

Thanks so much for all the feedback. While I certainly agree the kids won't remember it, we love to travel, we love cruising and Alaska and we will definitely remember it. Plus, I think there is a short window to sail on Disney. I don't anticipate my kids will enjoy it as much as they get older although I know some definitely will.

Would still love feedback from someone who has done it!

Thanks!

We had this same perspective! We went on our DCL Alaska cruise in June 2018 with extended family. 4 of 6 adults had already cruised Alaska on Princess but wanted to go back, and specifically my parents wanted to DCL with the whole family. Kids were 13, 9, 8, 6, and 2. My 2yo nephew had a good time, whether or not he remembers! He loves looking at photos of himself, so he can continue to enjoy his non-memories.

I can't comment on the nursery, b/c he didn't go. But things he liked most were dinner (our waiter was a joy and repeatedly did the same magic tricks that delighted him), the little play area set up next to what is now Tiana's lounge (which was conveniently located while other family members joined activities there, played board games, had drinks, etc.), and open play time in the kids club with his cousins and siblings. The weather was warm almost the entire time - I barely needed a jacket the day we cruised by the glacier - so he did use the toddler water play area as well.

For excursions - we purposely picked whale watching (private) in Juneau as the one thing the whole family could do. In Ketchikan, we split up. My sister and I had the 2, 8 and 9 year olds and went on a last-minute ridiculous bus tour (don't recommend) but he was delighted by the eagles swooping down. He enjoyed that tour more than the rest of us. We split up in Skagway too, and I wasn't with him - but my sister and mom took him and the 6yo on a tour that involved panning for gold, sled dog puppies, and costumes. it was a DCL tour, can't remember the name. He slept in a stroller almost the entire time, even through the puppies, but it was the best excursion option we came up with that didn't involve lengthy travel.

We all had oceanview cabins. We were fine with that, b/c it's the easiest layout to put kids to bed at night and still move around getting yourselves to bed. Plus no issues with late night light outside.

My sister and BIL took turns putting him to bed in the evening after dinner, so they did each miss evening activities. A little different for you, b/c that means someone is going to evening activities solo, whereas they had the rest of us to go to activities with.

We are so glad we went! No regrets were expressed by anyone. I get what others are saying, but this isn't your once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan cruise, so you know why this plan makes sense to you. If we waited until all the kids were old enough to remember things, then the older ones would go nowhere and we'd be left with far fewer memories. Turns out this is likely the last cruise we'll have with extended family, so I'm very happy all of us adults (and older kids) have the memories and photos.

 

[OpieDoodle]

Thanks so much for all the feedback. While I certainly agree the kids won't remember it, we love to travel, we love cruising and Alaska and we will definitely remember it. Plus, I think there is a short window to sail on Disney. I don't anticipate my kids will enjoy it as much as they get older although I know some definitely will.

Would still love feedback from someone who has done it!

Thanks!

Just wanted to add, for myself I would have loved a disney cruise at any age. There is some disney yes but there's also a lot of "non-disney" stuff to do. The cruise ships aren't overly disney in your face so even as the kids get older they'll still have fun! We are going on a Disney cruise this Feb and the kids in our group range from 3 up to 12. The older kids I think are more excited than the younger ones LOL!

 

[jktmom]

cmph - Thanks! This was so helpful! I did 3 multi-gen cruises with my family when I was a kid and I was the oldest kid so I remember them all and they are some of my very best family memories!

 

[ilovebassets]

We went to Alaska on the Wonder when my oldest were 4 and 6, and I was pregnant with my third. Yes, it's expensive, and the then 4 year old doesn't remember a whole lot, but he does remember some things. But the rest of us have so many wonderful memories from that trip--if you can easily afford it, I wouldn't let the ages stop you from going. If this will be a once in a lifetime trip, I'd considering rescheduling when they're a bit older.

The hardest thing for us was dealing with the time change coming from the east coast. Getting to Vancouver from Atlanta wasn't the easiest either--surprisingly no direct flights when we went in 2017. Obviously those may or may not be issues for you depending on where you live.

All 3 of my kids have been in the Disney nurseries at various ages including in the 2 year old range. I always felt the employees there did a good job of engaging all the children, and the whole process was pretty analogous to our daycare.

Children under 5 are excluded from many of the shore excursions--important to realize this upfront in Alaska where there are many incredible things to do. That said, we still enjoyed many of them. We did whale watching and science expedition in Juneau, the scenic train and drive plus some kind of gold rush show in Skagway, and the logging show and a seaplane ride in Ketchikan. I'd recommend all of them except I'd never do a seaplane ride again as my husband and I both got pretty airsick, but I'm glad we did it once for the experience and some amazing photos.

Balcony cabin is more important in Alaska than anywhere else (i.e. Caribbean). The scenery is incredible, and you mostly stay close to shore where it's readily visible. Personally, I wouldn't go without a balcony. If you're going with multiple families/cabins, book cabins on different sides of the ship so you have views from both sides.

We decided that we would wait until our youngest was 5 before attempting Alaska again, but we're also quite far away coming from Atlanta where getting to Caribbean is just so easy. Depending on your circumstances, I'd definitely consider going with younger kids.

 

[Chica1581]

We took a DCL cruise to Alaska when my daughter was 5. She doesn't remember everything but she does remember seeing the whales and the totem poles. We didn't do any excursions and just walked around the little towns. We went in August and she was able to use the pool most days (except glacier days). It was definitely worth it for us, as we like to go somewhere cooler since it's sooo hot where we live during the summer.

 

[jktmom]

Thanks so much! This is all very helpful! We did end up reserving a balcony for May 2022 last night!! So excited!!

 

[dancebum]

We are consider the May 16, 2022 sailing on the wonder to Alaska. We have been to AK twice pre-kids and loved it! A few questions about AK w/Disney and w/kids!

1.) If you've sailed with young kids to AK, how did your kids do? They they find it interesting at all? Did they like excursions? What excursions did you do?

2.) We have always taken a balcony cabin but the price on Disney is pretty high. I do feel it would be OK for my husband and I not to have a balcony but think we may need it with kids so we can still enjoy AK while kids are resting or taking some down time. What kind of cabin did you take with kids and what was your general experience?

3.) Our youngest will be 1.5 month shy of 3. This is the most economical and best time for us to cruise because our oldest will be starting kindergarten in the fall so Sept. is out. Has anyone sent there almost 3 year old to the nursery? Did they have activities to keep a child of this age occupied?

Thanks!

I have taken both of my kids before they were three and it really varies based on their personality. Mine were about 1.5 when they used the nursery and they really didn't last very long. We were lucky to get an hour or two until we got the call to come get them. If your kiddo is already in a preschool/day care setting, they may adjust fine. When we picked up my daughter they always had a craft or certificate or character visit picture so they do seem to do activities with them. We didn't do Alaska, we did Mexican Riviera and Western Caribbean. Alaska would seem tough to do with littles. The tropical locations are a little easier because you can't go wrong with beach days.

We always get the balcony so we can chill out there if the kids are asleep. We love the Wonder and did all three of our cruises on her.

Make sure your kiddo is potty trained so they can use the pools, no swim diapers allowed.

Hope this helps! I get your logic in going before your oldest goes into kinder. We did a Panama Canal crossing with her when she was four before her brother was born and we had the BEST time.

 

[AZMermaid]

We went to Alaska when my super active son was almost 3, 1.5 months shy just like yours. I was worried he’d be bored or too rough in there but he loved it. The staff was amazing. We got photos of his adventures and crafts he did. Pluto and Goofy had stopped by while he was there! We were considering leaving him on the boat for an excursion but ultimately decided not to. Once we were there, we wish we had signed up for it!

We did feel like a warmer cruise would have been better for pool time and such, but it was great. Now my kids are 9 and 10 and I’d love to take them now… but we wouldnt do Disney to Alaska again- too pricey!