Wonder Booking...Prioritizing Budget

[BippidiBoppidi]

Hello friends!

We have decided to book an Alaskan cruise for our 5 year wedding anniversary (2020). We know we want to book ASAP but...we have never done a cruise before (Disney or otherwise). So I wanted to get some input on how to budget and where to expect to spend the most money.

Is it worth it to get a nice room? We are leaning towards verandah since it’s Alaska and we know we will be wanting to enjoy the views. But is it worth the extra cost?

How much should we expect to budget for excursions outside of our cruise booking?

Would you recommend spending more money on the room or getting just an ocean view room and focus our spending elsewhere?

We want this to be a big trip...probably one of our most memorable trips we will take (at least for a while) as we hardly get any alone time together and I will be a SAHM soon so we won’t have the money to spend on stuff like this

Any any tips on choosing a room? Side of the ship or location?

 

[Geomom]

I know plenty of people say you 'need' a verandah on an Alaskan cruise--I feel otherwise. We were perfectly happy in our oceanview room on deck 2 (2116, just outside the aft elevators). The $3000 extra to get a verandah for our family of 4 was instead spent on excursions and airfare. Whenever we wanted to be outside for the view, we'd go up to deck 4. Now if the difference between an oceanview and a verandah was around $500, I might do it, especially if DH and I were travelling sans kids. As far as side of ship--it doesn't really matter...it is roundtrip, so you'll see the views either coming or going and they'll turn the ship around a couple times at the glacier so both sides get the view. And as far as the rooms themselves--except for concierge rooms, they are pretty much all equal in size/quality...so it doesn't matter what deck your room is on.

For port adventures--it depends on what type of excursion you want--are you going to do a helicopter or floatplane ride to a glacier? That's going towards $500/person. Land based excursions would be more in the $100-$250/person range. You can do excursions cheaper on your own, but it's still not cheap. You can go to the DCL port adventures area and see what they're charging for various excursions--it'll help you estimate your costs.

View from our oceanview room at Dawes Glacier, August 2016:

 

[Aby]

There is often a huge difference in price between an ocean view and a verandah room on the Alaska cruises. If it’s a choice between a veranda room or being able to book a ton of other activities like excursions, tastings, Palo, I would definitely just book the ocean view.

There are plenty of places up on deck to enjoy the scenery and while a verandah is nice to have it’s not truly essential, especially if you’d have to give up other things to have it!

Aby

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What are the ages of your travel party? That influences the excursion cost a lot.

 

[tankin]

@BippidiBoppidi So this really sounds like a value question to me... and one that only you can really answer.

My wife loved our veranda on our Alaskan cruise... never went out there on our Car cruises... on the Alaskan cruise she spent 30 to 60 mins every night just reading. So, with an infinite budget, I'd say go for it but we all know that budgets aren't infinite.

If it were me, figure out your all in budget for the cruise. Look at this year's excursions to figure out about what you're going to spend there, add in a night a Palo, figure out about what your pre cruise hotel stay will cost you (you are flying in the day before... right?) and then back out if the veranda is in the budget

 

[BippidiBoppidi]

What are the ages of your travel party? That influences the excursion cost a lot.

Just my husband and I...we are both in our 30s

 

[_auroraborealis_]

heresy moment

You might also consider pricing other lines depending on your group. DCL is rather high priced for the Alaska itineraries, and don't have the rights to a few ports/areas that some of the other lines do, like Glacier Bay. I priced DCL for 2020, and went with another line because I can sail midship concierge for less than I could do the Wonder OV. A few hundred for a drink package and a few additional upgrades doesn't make a real dent in the price difference.

It also depends on what premium you place sailing DCL vs. spending the money on port adventures or similar, obviously, and that will vary for everyone.

/heresy

 

[lklgoodman]

We had an Ocean view for our Alaskan cruise and were happy with it. As others have said, you can always go elsewhere on the ship if you want to be outside. We also wanted to spend more on excursions than for a verandah cabin. We don't spend a lot of time in the cabin anyway, too much going on around the ship. We went with a large family group, several had verandas and said they wish they had used the money for excursions instead. Happy Anniversary, make sure when you book the cruise, you let Disney know it's an anniversary trip.

 

[aggiedog]

Worth it is so subjective. If it were just dh and I, going to Alaska specifically, I'd just another cruise line. DCL is nice, but, IMHO, overpriced for particular itineraries. You can do land and sea combinations on some lines, or do an adventure cruise with a focus on nature. If your heart is set on DCL (which is just fine,) I'd go for an oceanview if your budget is limited. I'd definitely prioritize some amazing port adventures over a verandah. You can always go outside in several areas of the ship but you can't reproduce a dog sled ride or a sea plane tour on your own.

Also, you can arrange many of the same types of excursions on your own instead of paying DCL prices, and save money that way too. TripAdvisor is your friend.

 

[Claireywalsh]

 

[Claireywalsh]

View attachment 406002

We loved our verandah room for Alaska in 2015. It was amazing just being able to step out and take in all the amazing views - it was also a bonus that our then 6 year old could enjoy as much as she wanted but also pop in and out to play or rest!! Especially glacier day - we literally were out there all day.
I don’t think it’s a necessity and you would have a great time regardless - your on a cruise!! But when the itinerary takes you somewhere so beautiful if you can afford it without scrimping on your other expenses I would go with the verandah.

 

[MomOTwins]

heresy moment

You might also consider pricing other lines depending on your group. DCL is rather high priced for the Alaska itineraries, and don't have the rights to a few ports/areas that some of the other lines do, like Glacier Bay. I priced DCL for 2020, and went with another line because I can sail midship concierge for less than I could do the Wonder OV. A few hundred for a drink package and a few additional upgrades doesn't make a real dent in the price difference.

It also depends on what premium you place sailing DCL vs. spending the money on port adventures or similar, obviously, and that will vary for everyone.

/heresy

I almost NEVER suggest another cruise line of DCL, but I agree with this, since you don't have kids. Other cruise lines have enclosed pool decks so you can enjoy the views and a swim while looking at glaciers, and verandahs at a MUCH lower cost. The outdoor adult-only areas on the Disney ships would not be fun on a cold, rainy day.

But that aside, I would vote verandah. We loved having a verandah on our Alaska cruise so we could see the glaciers in peace and quiet first thing in the morning in our jammies and bathrobes without having to get up, get ready for the day, and have all the distractions of the crowds on the decks.

 

[Aby]

As others mentioned other cruise lines may allow you to do more with a lower budget. However, hubby and I have been on 3 DCL Alaskan cruises and although we don’t have kids, we absolutely feel the Disney experience was worth the extra cost and loved the itineraries and experiences they provided.

All comes down to what you personally “value”. What’s “worth it” for one may not be for another. Many people would think I’m crazy for spending as much money as we do on vacations, but I totally feel it’s worth every penny!

Aby

 

[BippidiBoppidi]

T

As others mentioned other cruise lines may allow you to do more with a lower budget. However, hubby and I have been on 3 DCL Alaskan cruises and although we don’t have kids, we absolutely feel the Disney experience was worth the extra cost and loved the itineraries and experiences they provided.

All comes down to what you personally “value”. What’s “worth it” for one may not be for another. Many people would think I’m crazy for spending as much money as we do on vacations, but I totally feel it’s worth every penny!

Aby

Yes...this is where we are torn. We got engaged in Cinderella’s castle and did our baby moon/name reveal at Disney World. So Disney has been a big part of our love story, which is why we didn’t hesitate to start looking at DCL first. It will all boil down to budget! Sounds like we need to sit down and prioritize what we want out of the trip!

 

[cedricandsophie]

We love Disney Although we p, as adults, have done cruises on crystal, princess and silver sea. And we have done a Disney Cruise to Alaska. But a couple of suggestions.

First, I wouldn’t bother with a balcony on any cruise Line. Ocean view is fine, you will want to be on deck anyway. Just bring a lot of layers. That said, you can get a lot more cabin for much less on any ship other than Disney,

Second, for an adult couple your age I would definitely suggest a cruise line other than Disney, not necessarily because of the price (although it would be cheaper) but because of the itinerary. If you really want to see Alaska take a one way cruise from Vancouver or Seattle that ends in Alaska. Preferably a smaller ship that can go into glacier bay, and then you can get to Denali park and mt McKinley. My husband has done that and while I loved our Disney Cruise I am sorry to have missed glacier bay and Denali.

Third, I’d suggest you use a trusted travel agent to help you navigate the process. Ours is not online but s real person who is available to assist with anything, answer questions and provide some incentives, like credits, free excursions, upgrades, etc. And think about what you want to spend your money on. If you like drinking and good food, consider an all inclusive line like crystal or silver sea. They are also usually smaller ships with fabulous service

And princess has some great post cruise tours to Denali. But you can also drive yourself easily around upper Alaska.

 

[aggiedog]

Something else to consider, if you're ok with DCL prices - our family was looking seriously at Uncruise, which does small ship expedition trips to Alaska. All excursions, meals, drinks are included, and some of the itineraries overnight in Glacier Bay. It is not your typical cruise ship, but we had a family friend go and she hasn't stopped raving about it.

Just to add more options for you.

 

[BruinEd03]

No one can really tell you whether it is worth it or not because it really depends on the person. Some people are OK cruising inside stateroom (yes, even in Alaska), others will require an OV room and other a Verandah. It also depends on the person in terms of how much they like staying in the room versus being on deck 4 or deck 10. Also, it depends on whether you will get seasick or not and how you deal with it. Hard to say without you having been on a cruise before.

Instead of a normal verandah, you can also get one with a white wall or a navigator's verandah. You will really have to stand to take in the ocean, but you can sit and still see the hills/mountains. Not a whole lot cheaper, but at least a way to sort of "compromise." Also, excursions can range from $100-300 pp and $500 - $700 pp for some of the pricier ones (glacier walk, dog sledding on glacier, things which require a helicopter ride, etc.) I would recommend at least the glacier walk if you can afford it. The only caveat is that it is one of the most cancelled and volatile excursions due to the weather. You can also save some money by booking some excrusions outside of Disney. There is a thread with Alaska excursion reviews: https://www.disboards.com/threads/alaska-excursions-post-your-reviews-here.2723087/.