Need some help with a DCL Alaska Cruise

[tazdev3225]

I have cruised DCL but it was to the Caribbean and just my husband and myself back in 2014. I went on an Alaskan Cruise last year with Princess and again just my husband and me. We loved all there was to do on board.

I am taking my grandson on an Alaskan Cruise this summer with my husband. I am not happy with how Princess prices cruises for 3 people. Disney seems to be more upfront about that, I hope. With Princess the third person does not get ANY of the promos which includes the drink package for sodas, juices, etc.

My grandson will be turning 18 in April so I know the teen clubs are out for him. Are there a lot of activities for the at sea days especially? I just don't recall much about my previous DCL cruise as it was almost 10 years ago.

I welcome any advice as I need to book the cruise soon.

 

[tvguy]

I have cruised DCL but it was to the Caribbean and just my husband and myself back in 2014. I went on an Alaskan Cruise last year with Princess and again just my husband and me. We loved all there was to do on board.

I am taking my grandson on an Alaskan Cruise this summer with my husband. I am not happy with how Princess prices cruises for 3 people. Disney seems to be more upfront about that, I hope. With Princess the third person does not get ANY of the promos which includes the drink package for sodas, juices, etc.

My grandson will be turning 18 in April so I know the teen clubs are out for him. Are there a lot of activities for the at sea days especially? I just don't recall much about my previous DCL cruise as it was almost 10 years ago.

I welcome any advice as I need to book the cruise soon.

To be blunt, with the money you save on Princess, you can buy the drink packages and still be money ahead. We never had an issue on board any ship with our kids (Disney BEFORE free soda, HAL and NCL) because the buffet was always open and they just got lemonade, punch etc for free there.
In the biggest picture, I would look at HAL. We have done two HAL cruises to Alaska. They have been cruising Alaska long than any other cruise line and because of that have the best permits, docking locations and naturalists on board.

 

[Scooterboot]

Traditional teen clubs will be out for an 18 year old, but Disney has 18-20 Society which meets daily for games, ice cream, etc... specifically for that age group. My 20 year old son has really enjoyed the people he has had the opportunity to meet during our last few cruises thru the 18-20 Society.

 

[sadiecatie]

I have cruised DCL but it was to the Caribbean and just my husband and myself back in 2014. I went on an Alaskan Cruise last year with Princess and again just my husband and me. We loved all there was to do on board.

I am taking my grandson on an Alaskan Cruise this summer with my husband. I am not happy with how Princess prices cruises for 3 people. Disney seems to be more upfront about that, I hope. With Princess the third person does not get ANY of the promos which includes the drink package for sodas, juices, etc.

My grandson will be turning 18 in April so I know the teen clubs are out for him. Are there a lot of activities for the at sea days especially? I just don't recall much about my previous DCL cruise as it was almost 10 years ago.

I welcome any advice as I need to book the cruise soon.

I think if pricing is your primary concern, comparison shop - but you know what you're comfortable with, and presumably know that Disney tends to be more expensive than other lines for Alaska.

There were lots of things to do on sea-days on our sailing. They will have a naturist on board giving talks about relevant info for the region and the specific ports you'll be seeing. All the regular cruise stuff - trivia, craft sessions, character drawing sessions, movies, pool (yes, you might still use the pool in Alaska! They heat it, plus we had a few days that were actually warm enough to want to go in).

I don't know much about the 1820 Society (my kid is only 8, so firmly in the kids clubs age range), but do know it's a thing on the ships and that they will often have scheduled activities/get-togethers for the young people in that age range.

 

[jimmymc]

The main activities for the Disney cruise will be character meets, nature talks, and the standard movies, trivia, and game shows that Disney does during caribbean cruises. I think it will depend on what your grandson likes if he will be bored or not during sea days. I've heard the 18 to 20 society wasn't great, but it seems like other people have had good experiences. 18-20 has always been a bit of a gap in DCL's programming.

 

[soniam]

There really aren't packages/perks on DCL, no beverage packages, alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Soda/juice is included at the buffet, upper deck drink machines, and dining rooms though. I have heard mixed reviews of the 1820 society. Some say it's great; others have said they didn't meet much, if at all, on their cruise. The other issue with DCL Alaska cruises is the itineraries. They are limited, and they are all round trip. They all start/stop in Vancouver; whereas, other cruise lines offer itineraries that start at one end and end at another. This allows you to do land trips further into the interior and more easily.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The issue with the 1820 Society is it varies wildly based on who is on board the ship any given week. And it's very hard to predict the population of that age group on board, since DCL/Alaska cruises in general are a summer thing, and summer is also a handful with that age group.