May 24, 2014 Alaskan 9 night Wonder

[JimB.]

Booking.com has Pan Pacific at less than $200 on May 23rd. Will prolly book tomorrow........ Too sore to get to my wallet right now..

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[pequele]

Is there some benefit to booking planes, trains, and hotels now? Other than it is done?? The price for the Pan @ 200 is awsome. I am looking at prices and watching them. But not seeing anything that makes me want to jump on it right then.

Did you do this directly thru their site? I just checked and it says the AAA rate is not available. Could be you got the last room, lucky you.

Since I am doing the California coast cruise, and will arrive in Vancouver on the Wonder, I just need a room for DH and maybe my nephew if he goes with us.

I went through the AAA website and found them. Since the AAA rates are not showing on their website, I emailed Pan Pacific direct and got their AAA rates without having to prepay for the stay.

Makes sense...I am so used to watching and booking usually 2months out or less, thank you military . We are not members of AAA but are members of other travel programs. I will start stalking those

I have been looking at flights (via airfarewatchdog) and checking in on them here and there and not finding anything below $600 yet, so when I found them via an alert from airfarewatchdog for about $375 I jumped on it. I can't imagine I will be able to find better really. I can't pass it up as it is costing me about the price it was looking like for 1 ticket, but now I got 2!

As I was saying I didn't even think to look through AAA. I don't mind paying ahead of time for the room, one less thing to deal with then. Expedia's price was $187 though for both before and after and the day after the trip on the hotel's website was about $330 for the cheapest. Only reason, again, that I want to get the room done when I figure under $200 is a deal for this place, is because I really find the convenience for us to be there is worth it. Sure I could totally save more elsewhere but then deal with getting to and from port...you just add money on there! And looking at Disney's Fairmont, well sorry just no way I want to pay about $1000 for a hotel stay for 2 nights...that's excursion money wasted!

I guess just from habit, prices tend to go up up up...looked at the cruise and currently the cheapest is about $500 more than we paid on opening day already! Excursion money!!!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I went through the AAA website and found them. Since the AAA rates are not showing on their website, I emailed Pan Pacific direct and got their AAA rates without having to prepay for the stay.

Got it booked this morning, and if they charge my card now, that is fine too, but I think they took my cc no just to hold the reservation. This is just for DH as he is going to fly into Vancover and get on the ship there. My SIL and I will be arriving in Vancover on the Wonder from the California Coastal cruise.

Like, Pequele, I am glad to have one more thing out of the way. I don't like waiting until too close to the trip to have everything arranged. Next thing will be airfare.

We are only 10 months out people!!!

 

[pequele]

I was thinking about this the other day and forgot to ask until now. How do people handle getting cash for going to Alaska? Well ok, not really Alaska but leaving from Vancouver. I was thinking of just dealing with an ATM when we got there (then there are the fees) plus, I don't want nothing but $20 to tip a bellboy/cab driver/whoever so do I get a little at the bank before we leave? We are only spending a day before and a day after there but I know I will need some cash. And I don't want to have a bunch left over after. Sure we are only about 3hr from Montreal but it isn't like we go there hahaha. I have however thought about going there and hitting an ATM and spend some so I have change ahaha. Yeah so not worth the gas prices I think

What did those of you who have been there do? What is everyone else thinking of doing?

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Got it booked this morning, and if they charge my card now, that is fine too, but I think they took my cc no just to hold the reservation. This is just for DH as he is going to fly into Vancover and get on the ship there. My SIL and I will be arriving in Vancover on the Wonder from the California Coastal cruise.

Like, Pequele, I am glad to have one more thing out of the way. I don't like waiting until too close to the trip to have everything arranged. Next thing will be airfare.

We are only 9 months out people!!!

on getting the room.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we are sadly, still 10 months away!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

on getting the room.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we are sadly, still 10 months away!

Typo, I fixed.

And I just checked and I do have a a confirmation in my emails stating the rate. I feel better now. I had not been able to find any rates anywhere for under $200. I checked all the sites that people mentioned, and I was never able to find anything less than $229.00 before taxes. Good luck to everyone else.

 

[pequele]

on getting the room.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we are sadly, still 10 months away!

Typo, I fixed.

haha who's counting?

305 days til we leave

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I was thinking about this the other day and forgot to ask until now. How do people handle getting cash for going to Alaska? Well ok, not really Alaska but leaving from Vancouver. I was thinking of just dealing with an ATM when we got there (then there are the fees) plus, I don't want nothing but $20 to tip a bellboy/cab driver/whoever so do I get a little at the bank before we leave? We are only spending a day before and a day after there but I know I will need some cash. And I don't want to have a bunch left over after. Sure we are only about 3hr from Montreal but it isn't like we go there hahaha. I have however thought about going there and hitting an ATM and spend some so I have change ahaha. Yeah so not worth the gas prices I think

What did those of you who have been there do? What is everyone else thinking of doing?

OK, I don't know if this will help or not, but my boss is from Canada, and he goes home a couple of times a year. I just asked him and he said for tipping that they will take US currency with no problem. And he said that for anything like hotel bills, meals, etc., he just uses his US credit card because the rate for the exchange fee seems better than doing it any other way. Right now the rate is pretty even, just a few cents difference, but it could change between now and then.

Since my DH is the only one staying in Vancouver, and I don't know if my SIL and I will even leave the port, we probably will not worry about having anything other than US currency.

 

[MousseauMob]

Booked Pan Pacific after a few email exchanges and a phone call we were able to secure a AAA rate on a double/double room with a sofa bed for $207 with breakfast buffet for 2. Without breakfast it was $194. This is city view, but we're fine with that. No pre-pay with cancellation of 24 hr before arrival!

She also quoted me a Premier Double with sofa bed for $240. - I think... I believe these are corner rooms with amazing harbor views, but with 3 more hotel stays to book for this trip, I'm feeling frugal.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Booked Pan Pacific after a few email exchanges and a phone call we were able to secure a AAA rate on a double/double room with a sofa bed for $207 with breakfast buffet for 2. Without breakfast it was $194. This is city view, but we're fine with that. No pre-pay with cancellation of 24 hr before arrival!

She also quoted me a Premier Double with sofa bed for $240. - I think... I believe these are corner rooms with amazing harbor views, but with 3 more hotel stays to book for this trip, I'm feeling frugal.

It looks like we're all going to be at the Pan Pacific the night before the cruise. We should all meet to watch the Wonder sail into harbor Saturday morning!

 

[MousseauMob]

Silly me, just got my confirmation and realized those were CAD amounts, so my rate is a bit better than than I thought in USD.

It looks like we're all going to be at the Pan Pacific the night before the cruise. We should all meet to watch the Wonder sail into harbor Saturday morning!

Sounds awesome to me, a nice cup of coffee and watching the Wonder sail in. Assuming I'm awake that early - I may want to check arrival time!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Sounds awesome to me, a nice cup of coffee and watching the Wonder sail in. Assuming I'm awake that early - I may want to check arrival time!

Actually, DCL shows ashore time at 8:00 AM coming in from California, so it might not be as early as you fear. Maybe 7:00 AM? But, I won't have to deal with time changes.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Silly me, just got my confirmation and realized those were CAD amounts, so my rate is a bit better than than I thought in USD.

Sounds awesome to me, a nice cup of coffee and watching the Wonder sail in. Assuming I'm awake that early - I may want to check arrival time!

Glad you pointed that out, my confirmation is the same, Canadian Dollars As of right now, it brings it down to about $187 before taxes. While that is more than I am used to paying for a hotel room, I guess I should be pretty pleased with this rate. I guess DVC has spoiled me, and I am not used to paying for a hotel any more.

 

[MousseauMob]

Actually, DCL shows ashore time at 8:00 AM coming in from California, so it might not be as early as you fear. Maybe 7:00 AM? But, I won't have to deal with time changes.

Oh, I can do that with a cup of coffee, leaving the kidlets in the room. I'd probably be in sweats and my hair might still be wet - but hey it would be so cool to watch her sail in! Okay, I know I know - I shouldn't call an 18 and 11 year old kidlets! How did they grow up so darn fast.

I guess DVC has spoiled me.

Considering what we pay to stay at a Disney property without DVC. I'm sure having DVC is very very nice in that lovely spoiled kind of way.

 

[pequele]

Hahaha you guys crack me up! I'm used to paying for hotel rooms in Boston prior to my son's doc appointments down there. Even with Children's hospital discount we still look at $200 for the Marriott at the wharf which is an awesome deal. So if I could find something in Vancouver around $200 I would be happy! Except for our first stay at WDW all our stays have been DVC (but I've priced them out too!) yeh we would not be staying at AKV if I was paying cash ahaha.

A meet up sounds great only issue I may have (despite a 4yo in tow) is the hour! Then again we will be on EST so we may be up since 3am! I think Ollie will be excited to see the Mickey boat come in though! Any idea where we could meet at the wee hours of the morning (HA yes 8am is wee hours when on vacay!).

 

[pequele]

PS I started my excursion spread sheet last night after my son's visit to the ER! Oh yeh, that was fun. We get to hurry up and watch this mass on his neck (that appeared 5 days after he had a bronchoscopy with biopsy) I just LOVE when things "pop out" on the side of my kiddo's neck and I'm told to watch it! Good times good times.

304 days til we leave though ahaha.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

A meet up sounds great only issue I may have (despite a 4yo in tow) is the hour! Then again we will be on EST so we may be up since 3am! I think Ollie will be excited to see the Mickey boat come in though! Any idea where we could meet at the wee hours of the morning (HA yes 8am is wee hours when on vacay!).

I read somewhere about access to a terrace that overlooks the harbor, but the pool does too. So we could always try to meet there.

 

[MousseauMob]

PS I started my excursion spread sheet last night after my son's visit to the ER! Oh yeh, that was fun. We get to hurry up and watch this mass on his neck (that appeared 5 days after he had a bronchoscopy with biopsy) I just LOVE when things "pop out" on the side of my kiddo's neck and I'm told to watch it! Good times good times.

Oh, I'm so sorry, poor little guy. Sending good thoughts that everything turns out okay.

I read somewhere about access to a terrace that overlooks the harbor, but the pool does too. So we could always try to meet there.

Sounds great!

 

[pequele]

I read somewhere about access to a terrace that overlooks the harbor, but the pool does too. So we could always try to meet there.

I think it all sounds pretty neat...watch the ship will arrive at 5am hahaha.

Oh, I'm so sorry, poor little guy. Sending good thoughts that everything turns out okay.

Thanks, he's doing fine, well as fine as you can with an alien growing out of your neck! They say at the ENT office (without seeing him) to watch and wait! Really? ARGH. Oh well, we will just ask his neuro on Thursday...man my kid sounds like a mess doesn't he? I promise he isn't when you look at him but the poor kid has really been through a lot in his few short years. But it throws a lot of people to see him from the outside as he doesn't "look" sick and has always been far from a failure to thrive kid. He is bigger than kids 2 yrs older than he is, more advanced cognitively than kids 2 yrs older than he is, but then he behaves like he's 4! It's just frustrating that he spends a lot of time in the doc office but when something weird happens, like this, they get so non-chalant (he has immune issues and a rare respiratory disease but let's just see what this lump does, well I mean let ME see what this thing does and then maybe they will see it!). Ok sorry, I'm just in a ranting mode right now. It's been a long day.


RweTHEREyet thanks for the info on tips, too! It is good to remember.

Ok I have printed out all the excursions I want to consider thus far...I want Sitka!!! Give me info Disney I need to read the excursion thread, too, as I really haven't thus far. I need to find out about ones and the timing of them. We will have early dinner time and I don't want to miss our dinner seating. Anyone aware of certain excursions that may make you late for early dinner?

 

[pequele]

Oh and the Bear Country excursion says seasonal (July-August) so we won't have any bear encounters? Does anyone know?