Question for anyone who has done the Disney Alaska Cruise

[CB2@disney]

I'm thinking of starting the saving process to do this cruise in late 2013 or 2014. When is the best time to do it? You know...when it cost less and the crowd will be smaller. Also, what excursion are worth the money? It will be me and my son 11-12yr (depending on when we go). Neither of us are big outdoor people but we want to see the ice and the whales. Of the things I've seen... the gold panning looks fun and the dog sled. Basicly, I"m asking... What do I need to know to have a great trip?

Thanks.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I've done it!

Early or late summer will give you the lowest crowds and best prices. We went early summer and loved it.

I'd definitely recommend dog mushing, whale watching and kayaking.

You want to be up on deck all day for Tracy Arm. You'll see lots of ice!

 

[ChuckElias]

I've done it!

Early or late summer will give you the lowest crowds and best prices. We went early summer and loved it.

My family cruised Alaska during Fourth of July week. Probably the highest prices, but that's when we could go. I have to be honest, we did not feel that the crowds were really that bad anywhere we went. The only excursion we took that was filled to capacity was our whale watch. Our other excursions (bike hike in Skagway, historic tour of Skagway, bird sanctuary and totem carving in Ketchikan) were either very small or average sized groups. So I don't think you have to worry too much about crowds, regardless of when you go.

I'd definitely recommend dog mushing, whale watching and kayaking.

I've never done the dog-mushing, but have heard great things about it. My wife and I did a kayak excursion when we went to Alaska for our 10th anniversary (14 years ago!!! ) and enjoyed it a lot. We had porpoises swim right in front of our kayak that day. It was very cool. Like any event that is centered on nature, you never know what you're going to get with a whale watch. You might see a lot of activity, you might see very little. Our Alaska whale watch was a bit disappointing (we saw 7 or 8 whales along with other sea life), and our Halifax whale watch was a waste of time and money. But on our first trip to Alaska, our whale watch was amazing. So just be aware that there's a wide variety of whale watch experiences.

You want to be up on deck all day for Tracy Arm.

Or on your veranda!! To paraphrase Ron Stoppable, mad love for the veranda!!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

My family cruised Alaska during Fourth of July week. Probably the highest prices, but that's when we could go. I have to be honest, we did not feel that the crowds were really that bad anywhere we went. The only excursion we took that was filled to capacity was our whale watch. Our other excursions (bike hike in Skagway, historic tour of Skagway, bird sanctuary and totem carving in Ketchikan) were either very small or average sized groups. So I don't think you have to worry too much about crowds, regardless of when you go.

Or on your veranda!! To paraphrase Ron Stoppable, mad love for the veranda!!

Chuck is right, I should clarify. The ship will most likely sail full no matter when you go, so crowds will be about the same. When I said crowds, I actually meant demand. Demand isn't as high at the beginning and end of the summer so you're more likely to get better prices. The ship may feel slightly less full then because not as many kids will be onboard when school is still in session. That difference is hard to notice though.

So true! A verandah is an excellent option for Tracy Arm!

 

[Fla_Purls]

I'm thinking of starting the saving process to do this cruise in late 2013 or 2014. When is the best time to do it? You know...when it cost less and the crowd will be smaller. Also, what excursion are worth the money? It will be me and my son 11-12yr (depending on when we go). Neither of us are big outdoor people but we want to see the ice and the whales. Of the things I've seen... the gold panning looks fun and the dog sled. Basicly, I"m asking... What do I need to know to have a great trip?

Thanks.

We sailed in early May - second sailing of the season. The price was decent and we got a ridiculously low price for an upgrade when we checked in, as the cruise wasn't even close to sold out. We had a fantastic time, however: at the time we sailed, the salmon had not yet started to spawn. This had a huge effect on what wildlife we did (and mostly didn't) see. For us, that was 0 whales, 0 bears. We did see a bunch of seals and many, many eagles. But the scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the excursions were fantastic!

 

[FitzherbertFreak]

I also have a Disney Cruise question. I'm a Florida resident consistent Walt Disney World resident... Anyhow, I was wondering about the Disney cruise. What did you love, hate, feel was unnecessary, etc. Please tell me what boat you went on too.

*I'll probably take a short 3-4 day cruise.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I also have a Disney Cruise question. I'm a Florida resident consistent Walt Disney World resident... Anyhow, I was wondering about the Disney cruise. What did you love, hate, feel was unnecessary, etc. Please tell me what boat you went on too.

*I'll probably take a short 3-4 day cruise.

Well that is a crazy broad question. We loved it all, hated getting off, felt it was unnecessary to have to get off and I've been on all four ships!

No seriously, Disney cruises are amazing, whethere they are in Alaska or short cruises out of Florida. They can be as relaxing or busy as you want them to be.

I'd definitely recommend the 4 night over the 3 night. The 3 nights are two short to do and see everything.

 

[FitzherbertFreak]

Well that is a crazy broad question. We loved it all, hated getting off, felt it was unnecessary to have to get off and I've been on all four ships!

No seriously, Disney cruises are amazing, whethere they are in Alaska or short cruises out of Florida. They can be as relaxing or busy as you want them to be.

I'd definitely recommend the 4 night over the 3 night. The 3 nights are two short to do and see everything.

Okay thanks!

 

[CB2@disney]

We went on the 3 day Bahama cruise... on the Disney Dream and loved every minute of it. IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! The only thing two things I would have done differently are these... On the first time cuise...I wouldn't do any of the excursion the reason being is that when we left the boat to do an excursion in Bahama (Atlantis) we missed so much on the boat. 2nd... take a longer cruise so that you can do the stuff on the boat and do 1 or 2 excursion as well. Now that I've cruised with Disney...I don't I cruise with anyone else.

 

[ChuckElias]

I was wondering about the Disney cruise. What did you love, hate, feel was unnecessary, etc. Please tell me what boat you went on too.

*I'll probably take a short 3-4 day cruise.

I've been on 3 of the 4 and will sail on the Fantasy in April, 2013. As Tammy said, your question is so open-ended, it's hard to answer. If you love Disney, just do the cruise. Take a 4-nighter on the Dream. You will not be disappointed. I can't think of anything that I "hate" about DCL. Even the shore excursions that I haven't enjoyed weren't hate-worthy. Even if you find a food item that you hate, you simply don't eat it and get something else.

There are so many things to love about a Disney cruise that i don't think I could even start a list that would do it justice. Just go. Try it, you'll be hooked.