Wonder or Magic to Alaska?

[geminimagk]

Hello! Our family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids ages 15, 12, 10) is planning on an Alaskan cruise for July 2026. I see that both the Magic and the Wonder sail there, with similar itineraries. The Magic has Icy Strait Point while the Wonder stops in Juneau. The Magic sails Thurs-Thurs which is slightly more preferable than Wonder's Mon-Mon, but Mon-Mon is not a dealbreaker. The price difference ($1500) is negligible. Please help! I don't know which to choose. We have only sailed on the Fantasy and Treasure so far. Thanks for your help!

 

[RedHead0186]

Magic and Wonder are sister ships, and both are smaller than the Fantasy and Treasure.

The Wonder has been doing Alaska sailings for a while, the Magic is a new addition.

Honestly, I'd pick the itinerary that you want, and don't worry as much about the ship!

 

[Disnsyncey]

The whale watching in my experience has been better in ISP than Juneau, but there are WAY More things to do in Juneau.......

ISP DOES have the Fisherman's Daughter though, which was my favorite meal two DIFFERENT cruises......

 

[geminimagk]

Magic and Wonder are sister ships, and both are smaller than the Fantasy and Treasure.

The Wonder has been doing Alaska sailings for a while, the Magic is a new addition.

Honestly, I'd pick the itinerary that you want, and don't worry as much about the ship!

Thank you! Any input on which is more preferable between Juneau or Icy Strait Point?

 

[jcarwash]

Thank you! Any input on which is more preferable between Juneau or Icy Strait Point?

We were on the 9-night last year, which included both Juneau and Icy Strait Point.

We preferred Juneau. We picked a great forest hike excursion that ended at the Mendenhall Glacier. The tour guide did a fantastic job and also made some extra stops near town. Then once back at the ship, it was a short walk to downtown, which was very busy but fun to walk around.

Icy Strait Point is interesting. It's a manufactured port that is very accommodating, but small. Nearly all of the activities aren't cheap and we did none of them. We walked outside of the port to the little town of Hoonah. There's a few things to see there, but by little, I mean like tiny. It was more about seeing what a rural fishing town looks like. I know some people on our cruise saw some whales right off the point but of course we missed it. I'm glad we saw all this, but I'm not sure I'd need to visit again.

 

[geminimagk]

We were on the 9-night last year, which included both Juneau and Icy Strait Point.

We preferred Juneau. We picked a great forest hike excursion that ended at the Mendenhall Glacier. The tour guide did a fantastic job and also made some extra stops near town. Then once back at the ship, it was a short walk to downtown, which was very busy but fun to walk around.

Icy Strait Point is interesting. It's a manufactured port that is very accommodating, but small. Nearly all of the activities aren't cheap and we did none of them. We walked outside of the port to the little town of Hoonah. There's a few things to see there, but by little, I mean like tiny. It was more about seeing what a rural fishing town looks like. I know some people on our cruise saw some whales right off the point but of course we missed it. I'm glad we saw all this, but I'm not sure I'd need to visit again.

Thank you, this is very helpful!!

 

[Oneanne]

We sailed on the Wonder for a 7-day cruise summer of 2023 and stopped at both Icy Straight Point and Juneau. As the previous poster has mentioned ISP is just a terminus for cruise ships with misc things to do. We did our whale watching there and saw maybe a dozen or so humpbacks that were very active - it was fabulous.

In Juneau we also went out to Mendenhall but had free time to walk and wander on our own. I really didn't enjoy Juneau itself as it seemed tired and worn out. The Wonder was one of the earliest ships to have arrived that morning and by the afternoon there were five or six ships in port and the town was flooded with cruisers, which I think added to the meh feeling of the town. We ended up going back to the boat early to relax and chill.

If I had to choose one over the other I would choose ISP, but they both have things to offer.

 

[jimmymc]

I'd prefer stopping in Juneau over Icy Strait Point. Both places have great whale watching, but Juneau has the Mendenhall Glacier and a lot more shops and restaurants.

The ships are basically the same layout, and they'll have similar activities for Alaska. The Wonder has Tiana's Place and the Magic has Rapunzel's Royal Table, if anyone in the party feels strongly about either of those movies.

 

[Dug720]

I'd pick Juneau all day every day over Icy. The one time I had a cruise that stopped in Icy it was the worst port ever - so obviously manufactured for cruises. I'd rather stick with the true cities than a manufactured port.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Juneau has Tracy's King Crab Shack -- our favorite stop in all of Alaska. Yes, it's pricey. Yes, it's worth it.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Juneau has Tracy's King Crab Shack -- our favorite stop in all of Alaska. Yes, it's pricey. Yes, it's worth it.

View attachment 955781

YES, Tracey's is SO GOOD.....BUT.....you can't ever discount the Fisherman's Daughter in ISP! Seriously the BEST meal I had each time I went to Alaska But if you are on a ship that does both, those are my picks!

 

[Disnsyncey]

I'd pick Juneau all day every day over Icy. The one time I had a cruise that stopped in Icy it was the worst port ever - so obviously manufactured for cruises. I'd rather stick with the true cities than a manufactured port.

That's kind of the point. The tribe on that island offered a partnership with the cruise ships to open ISP. It supports them and gets you a little farther away from the "big" cities. They have amazing whale watching and other nature activities, and I always have enjoyed the cultural presentations (as well as the gift shops that are lined up in that big hallway?) and as I keep raving, doing some whale watching, seeing the cultural presentation and getting into Hoonah to see the totem carvers and cheaper souvenirs as well as the best salmon tacos I have ever had at the Fisherman's Daughter is a pretty great day for me.

 

[bcwife76]

We've done three Alaska cruises on the Wonder and have been to both ISP and Juneau. For us, in ISP the only excursion that appealed to us was Whale watching and it was phenomenal. But nothing else interested us. In Juneau we've never had trouble finding multiple things we wanted to do.
I will say I give the edge to the Wonder over the Magic based on that and the fact that in Ketchikan the Magic will dock in Ward Cove, out of town and you will need the shuttle to get into town. On the Wonder the ship docks right down front in the heart of downtown and everything is so walkable there, it's such a pretty little town.

 

[GsR80]

I feel like the Wonder is the quintessential ship to do an Alaskan cruise on, it was a big factor in booking my upcoming trip.

 

[Flossbolna]

in Ketchikan the Magic will dock in Ward Cove

That’s a very good point! For me this alone would be a reason to go with the Wonder.

 

[Budzooka]

Juneau has Tracy's King Crab Shack -- our favorite stop in all of Alaska. Yes, it's pricey. Yes, it's worth it.

View attachment 955781

Agreed! This place was incredible!

 

[JM_97]

I feel like the Wonder is the quintessential ship to do an Alaskan cruise on, it was a big factor in booking my upcoming trip.

Yeah but you can also be one of the few who can say you've been on the Magic in Alaska.

 

[richtravel]

That’s a very good point! For me this alone would be a reason to go with the Wonder.

Looks like Magic does some trips that dock in Ketchikan and some in Ketchikan (ward cove)!