The Wonder to Alaska - June 14 - 21, 2011 (from start to finish - 7/17/2011)

Thank you for a wonderful report! I love the pictures too!

Q1. The laundry room was located where on D6?

Q2. Do you happen to remember how much the pin/pin sets were? I guess I am gonna have to budget for that since you make a good point about DCL not leaving fr vancouver in 2012.

I read that on the first cruise you had to get wristbands ~ am guessing you didn't have to do that on your cruise?

Can't wait to read more!
 
Thank you for a wonderful report! I love the pictures too!

Q1. The laundry room was located where on D6?

Q2. Do you happen to remember how much the pin/pin sets were? I guess I am gonna have to budget for that since you make a good point about DCL not leaving fr vancouver in 2012.

I read that on the first cruise you had to get wristbands ~ am guessing you didn't have to do that on your cruise?

Can't wait to read more!

The laundry room on Deck 6 is on starboard side the aft side of midship - I forget the cabin number that it's across from.

the pins were $8.50 each - one for each port.
 
Love your trip report!!! It has made me really want to go on the Alaska cruise that I thought I wouldn't want to do since I am so not a cold weather girl. :beach:
 
Sunday, June 19th - Father's Day

When we made our last cruise on Disney, it was in the Baltic and that was port day after port day and early rising after early rising. So for this trip, I told the guys that while we had two early days back-to-back, they would be happy to know that the third port day in a row was a later arrival and that meant no one had to get up. And since we didn't have an excursion planned for Ketchikan, that was even nicer because that gave them the day to do whatever they wanted!

We were scheduled to be in Ketchikan at noon with a 7:30 p.m. all aboard. Our friends had one doing a float plane and the other hanging with us to do some shopping. We agreed to meet for lunch and then go out for the afternoon.

I woke up early with thoughts of hitting the laundry room as I figured it would be especially busy today with half day "at sea" coming off two port days and just one more sea day before leaving. When I went, the machines were all full - washers and dryers -although not all were working. Another DISer met me in the laundry room and we trekked up to see what Deck 7 looked like and it was more of the same, so we knew the Deck 6ers had some machines that were nearly done, so we decided to take our chances with them and wait. Our families were still sleeping anyway. While waiting for laundry we found out what a small world it is because my DH's folks are from the same town they live in - and after our trip, we went to visit DH's family and found out the next door neighbor works with the DISer's DH! How 'bout that? If not for the laundry room, we'd have never known.

Let me say a few words about the laundry room and laundry room etiquette. Best practice is to put your clothes in, start the machine, and CHECK THE TIME so you can be back early for moving your clothes from washer to dryer. When you put your clothes in the dryer, start it and CHECK THE TIME so you'll know when to be back to check them. Chances are you'll have to start them up for more time (don't try to add time to the machine while it's going because chances are you won't get your full 45 minutes but they'll take your full $2). People don't care if you have to start it up again if you're there when it finishes - but if you've left it and it's been stopped for a bit and then you still add more time, well, that's just not good. And don't be surprised if your clothes have been taken out for you if you aren't there within 10 minutes of the machine finishing (whether your clothes are dry or not). They will be folded for you but if yours is the only dryer that has stopped and the others all have lots of time left, well don't complain about it - manage your time better! Also, if you see someone start to swipe the dryer when they mean the washer, by all means STOP THEM to save them $2. And if they look confused, help them out. And talk to each other - I have met the most interesting people in the laundry room while waiting for a machine or waiting for my laundry to finish up. Also, keep track of how much you spend - how many times you've swiped your card - and the next day, check your onboard account and make sure you haven't gotten extra "swipes" charged to your account - Guest Services can take those extra charges right off for you. If you see a machine isn't working properly, PICK UP THE PHONE ON THE WALL AND PRESS ZERO. If you see the machines are Off Line, PICK UP THE PHONE ON THE WALL AND PRESS ZERO. Let someone on the ship know that the laundry room needs attention!

Ok, now back to Sunday :) After I got the laundry into the dryer, I went to have breakfast in Tritons. Just as I got to the door, I saw one of our friends going in to eat by himself, so I joined him. Just as DH was still sleeping, his DW was still asleep. I like to eat in the dining room for breakfast for a nice change from the buffet on Deck 9. I kept an eye on the time so I could be back before the laundry needed changing.

By then, my guys were up and about, so I finished up the laundry and then we went out to watch us coming into Ketchikan. We met our friends for lunch at Parrot Cay - I tell you what - I really do like having lunch in there - the convenience of a buffet plus the table service for seating and drinks. I think I've discovered my favorite way to have buffet lunch!
 

First of all, let me say I am loving your trip report!! Thanks so much for all the details. One quick question: you mentioned not being able to take a bag on the helicopter onto the glacier. As in NO bags at all? Just wondering as I keep my camera in a bag and need to have that of course (we are doing the dog sledding.)
 
First of all, let me say I am loving your trip report!! Thanks so much for all the details. One quick question: you mentioned not being able to take a bag on the helicopter onto the glacier. As in NO bags at all? Just wondering as I keep my camera in a bag and need to have that of course (we are doing the dog sledding.)

I think if you have a small camera case, you can take it if you have it inside your pocket / jacket. There's just not room for daybags, etc. If you're thinking about doing one of the excursions, you might email Temsco and ask them about camera cases.
 
Here are our pictures from Ketchikan.


Sorry about the delay in posting - busy week!

So I last left off with us about to head into Ketchikan - me, DH, and our friend S. The boys stayed on board. We headed off the ship after 1 p.m. Some of the excursions were still heading out so we were intermingled with them in getting off the ship. Once we were off, we followed the path and asked one of the ship officers where the shuttle into town was, so he pointed us to where it was waiting.

In Ketchikan, you can walk into town, about 10 minutes from where we were in the 4th berth, but there are also a couple of guys who run two different shuttle services. One takes you just to the Inside Passage store which is part of the Tongass Trading Company and puts you pretty much in the middle - about a 5 minute walk to Creek Street, about 3 minutes to where they do the Lumberjack show. He just goes back and forth from the berth he's at to the store, going about every 15 minutes or as passengers require. It's free but there's a tip jar.

The other one has two routes - one that goes to the places outside the immediate town area such as to the Totem Poles and other such, and one that goes around town but takes you a little further down and also up to a block from Creek Street. He goes around about every 20 minutes and he stops at at least one of the other berths. He's also free and works for tips. This is the one we used going into town and he was helpful with what we wanted to see once we got over to Creek Street.

Creek Street is a couple of blocks of shops along the creek - they are more eclectic than you might find closer to the ships (where you find all the traditional cruise port jewelry stores). They had a variety of art shops, a book shop, souvenirs, Alaskan art and stuff, a salmon shop (Salmon Etc. - it's where we bought our Ulu knives - one for us, one for our neighbor).

Let me mention about that if I haven't already - if you buy an Ulu knife while on your Alaskan cruise, it's best to have it shipped home! You can ship it yourself from Skagway because the post office is right there - just get a priority mail flat rate box and mail everything home to yourself (you're in Skagway on a Friday), or if you're in Ketchikan, ask about shipping before you buy it because you will not be allowed to bring it on the ship and keep it with you - they collect it when you reboard and you won't get it back until you are disembarking in Vancouver - along with 1,000 other guests in the same situation - and then you have to pack it into your suitcase for getting it home from there. We asked about shipping at the Salmon Etc. store and the lady who worked there happens to work at the post office during the day and at the Salmon shop after hours and on the weekends - so we knew she would get our items shipped home properly packed. And sure enough, they were here when we made it home (we took a few extra days on the way back). We got two of the large Ulu knives that come with a bowl and block - I love ours and my neighbor was excited to get hers!

Anyway, when we got to Creek Street, S needed to find a restroom, so we saw one marked on the map - turns out, it wasn't on Creek Street but up the funicular at the Cape Fox Lodge - but we'd walked to the end and the lady at Ms. Dolly's said we could use theirs for a $5 entrance fee or go around the corner to the New York Cafe and use theirs. They had a sign that said "for customers only" so I bought a cookie which I later gave to one of the CMs onboard along with some of the treats we got in our FE gifts.

We did take the funicular up - it's $2 to ride all day - and the lodge is beautiful . They also have some totem poles out front. It looks like a very neat place to stay if you're ever staying in the area. And we used the restroom as long as we were up there (note: don't drink a lot before going into Ketchikan). In fact, we saw a couple of signs posted that said "tourists, please write to our local council about the lack of public washrooms."

After we'd been over at Creek Street for about two hours, I was ready to head back. S had found a piece of jewelry she wanted to get and was deciding whether to get it then or go back later - so we told her go then and we'd wait - it was such a beautiful day and a nice place to just relax. When she came back, she told us that the clerk at the shop was from our hometown! And we know she didn't just say that becasue when S told her where she works, the girl said "oh yeah, I remember going there on a field trip and seeing the hand in the jar" (we get school groups on tours where we work from time to time and there is a hand in a jar!).

We took the shuttle back to the ship and had a rest for a bit. S's DH came back from his misty fjords floatplane adventure which he said was really good, and then we all went back into town, taking the other guy's shuttle because he was there. We wanted to go to the Del Sol store and the Christmas in Alaska store, and our friends still needed to get their salmon, so they went to the salmon shop while we went to Del Sol. We got done pretty quickly and then looked around a few other shops including one where they make totem poles to sell - we ended up getting one to add to our collection of things like that.

We poked around a few other shops including the Christmas shop which was interesting to me, and then went in the Inside Passage Tongass shop while our friend went back to get more salmon jerky - so of course I found a few more things to buy (long sleeved t-shirts that have Alaska on them). Then we took the shuttle back to the ship, getting back around 6:30.

Dinner had been delayed until 6 p.m. because we were in port until 7:30 and it was Captain's Gala night which meant lobster - and semi-formal dress. We were not interested in lobster so we knew we'd find plenty to eat at the buffet on Deck 9. Our friends were planning to eat at their late seating, so we made plans to meet up later. S and I were going to see Prom at 10:30 while the men were going to see chad Chesmark do his magic/comedy show in WaveBands, also at 10:30.

DH and I had dinner and Zachary joined us seeing as it was Father's Day. After dinner, I met the boys at the Walt Disney Theater to see the Platt Brothers comedy/action show - they had been on America's Got Talent the season before we started watching, but that got the boys interested in going to the show this night. It started at 9:15 which is later than usual - and this was the Platt Brothers' first night on the ship performing. They were entertaining and the boys really enjoyed it. I thought some of their sketches were too long but I think they'll work those kinks out - they were interesting and I met them the next day and talked with them for a few minutes - they are really nice guys and just seem to really enjoy what they do.

While I was at the show, DH decided to do one last load of laundry so we'd have mostly clean clothes for bringing home. Yet again why I gave him charging privileges.

After the show, I went to see Prom - me and practically every girl on board between the ages of 9 and 15. S was late because their dinner ran late, but it was a cute movie. It got over around midnight so we went back to our cabins, but the guys weren't back yet. I needed to check on something at Guest Services so I told the boys I would be back. As I was heading that way on Deck 3, I saw a few people with plates of desserts and realized we had missed the late night dessert buffet. Because we hadn't gone to the dining room for dinner, we didn't have anyone tell us about it and I totally missed it on the Navigator. In fact, I am just looking now and see it - under Late Night Snacks...

So here's a lesson - read all of your Navigator - even the parts that you think are the same each day because they aren't. Six cruises with DCL and I'm just discovering that they DO indeed list the Gala Dessert Buffet on the Navigator in the Operating Hours section - from 11:15 - 11:45 p.m. in Tritons.

Anyway, I followed the trail of food and saw they were done at Triton's but I kept walking in search of whatever late night food might be out - and discovered the guys in Diversions - they had moved out of WaveBands after the show (which they said they enjoyed) and into Diversions to hang out. I stayed for a bit and finally went to bed. I'm not sure what time DH came in, but S told me the next day she got worried and went to find out where her DH was and it was around 2 a.m. I had to laugh at that because every other time we've cruised, DH has been tucked in bed by 11 :)

Anyway, Ketchikan day was relaxing and enjoyable all the way around! We set our clocks forward an hour this night and have one more day at sea before it's over.
 
If you don't mind me asking how much were the Ulu's and what did they charge to ship it home for you? BTW LoVe your trip report...thanks
 
If you don't mind me asking how much were the Ulu's and what did they charge to ship it home for you? BTW LoVe your trip report...thanks

The knives plus shipping were about $63. Shipping was $10.95 by post office. Knives sets were $25 forvthe larger ones with the good handles. They were priced about the same all over.
 
Thanks anyways!

love your report leaving to Vancouver tomorrow!!!!

Have a great time! We loved this trip - it has been one of our favorite vacations. Vancouver is a beautiful city - and the difference in temperature between Florida and Vancouver - AMAZING!
 
Monday, June 20, 2011 - Day at Sea - last day on board

Alas, we have come to the point of our cruise that's so hard - Packing Day - last day onboard - end of the line coming up and still so much to do! One of the hardest things about this particular trip for us was that our last cruise was 12 nights and we had two sea days at the end. This time, it was only seven nights and I still had a lot of things I hadn't done - or at least i kept feeling that way this whole day.

We had gotten up later than usual because we'd gone to bed so much later than usual, had breakfast, and then I shooed everyone out of the cabin so that Made could make up the room for us because I wanted to pack but I wasn't going to start until I could have some room in the cabin to do it. We got our room made up before lunch, so i was able to start packing which wasn't too bad - just takes time to do it. The nice part of having done laundry all week was that I didn't have a lot of dirty laundry to pack, but I did need to leave some space for what dirty laundry we would have. As I started packing, I was trying to guess how much the one suitcase weighed so I'd know to make them all about the same. I asked Made if there was a place we could weigh a bag and he said the only place he knew was if we used the scales in the spa - but about that time, our friends came by and they had a hand-scale that was designed to weigh luggage - it was really cool - and they let us use it for packing purposes. We're going to get one! When we weighed our luggage at the airport the next morning, it was about 3 lbs off - the airport scale had it 3 lbs heavier than what the hand scale had, so we know as long as the hand scale is under by 5 or so, we'll be ok.

Our friends were going to do the TV Catch Phrase trivia at 11:30, so I went to join them - it was a repeat from what Zach and i had done earlier in the week - I wish it had been a variation, but it was better attended than the earlier one had been. And even though the questions were the same, I still did about the same. I didn't play for points because I didn't think that would be fair, but even if I had, I wouldn't have won.

After trivia, I went back to pack some more and then DH and I got some lunch in the buffet, although I think I got a hamburger from Pluto's again rather than food from the line. I do know I ate with DH in the buffet seating area :) It all starts running together after a while. I had not had any ice cream the whole trip from the ice cream machine, so I got a soft serve and took it back to the room with us while I finished packing. I had told DH earlier in the day that I was not going to miss out on this day by packing all day. We agreed to meet our friends for the Captains Corner at 3 p.m., so I left abuot 2:45 to do some errands (including dropping off some of the abundance of candy and other assorted treats from the FE's with Alison, a DISer's daughter who works in the Lab). I made one more trek through the gift shop and ended up buying the DCL Alaska t-shirts for the boys, and then met DH and our friend at the Captain's Corner.

Captain's Corner is a really interesting thing - the Captain comes down and answers questions from the audience - it's informal but is hosted (this time by Clayton) and you can ask the captain anything. One child asked who was driving the boat - he said he shares this ship with three other captains so while he's with us answering questions, one of the others has taken over captaining duties. (And FWIW, here's who the other captains are: Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook, and Captain Mickey).

From Captain's Corner, I went back to deck 9 to make an ice cream float - funny how I can remember that, huh? - get a cup from the drink station, fill it about 1/3 with coke, and then go to the ice cream station and fill it with ice cream. Mmmmm....
 
Loved your reports Cindy! We leave July 30 for Seattle then depart on the 8/2 Alaska ourselves.

I can't believe it is a year since our Baltic cruise! Time flies more than ever it seems..

We have never tried the BBB buffet in place of dinner, but will keep it in mind. We do try to do Palo once per cruise for dinner, though. We are going to check out the Ulu knives, I had never heard of them before but John has. Probably will have to hit the laundry room once or twice, too since we have a couple of day prior to cruise in Seattle..

How was debarkation? Thanks again, and hugs.. :)
 
Loved your reports Cindy! We leave July 30 for Seattle then depart on the 8/2 Alaska ourselves.

I can't believe it is a year since our Baltic cruise! Time flies more than ever it seems..

We have never tried the BBB buffet in place of dinner, but will keep it in mind. We do try to do Palo once per cruise for dinner, though. We are going to check out the Ulu knives, I had never heard of them before but John has. Probably will have to hit the laundry room once or twice, too since we have a couple of day prior to cruise in Seattle..

How was debarkation? Thanks again, and hugs.. :)

Carol - you all will have a great time! We like our Ulu knife and bowl - it makes quick work of chopping plus it's a nice reminder of our vacation!

Debarkation was relatively painless and pretty organized. We had early departure since our flight was at 12:15 so we were in the first wave of people off the ship who put their bags out. They let those who carried their own bags off go around 7:30 a.m. It was after 8 a.m. before we got to go in the first color group - and they would not let you off if you didn't have the color(s) that were called - if you were in the terminal / baggage area and your color hadn't been called, they would send you back (or so they say). I'll write more specifically about debarkation in a bit.
 

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