disney cruise to alaska reviews

10 things to know about sailing on a Disney Alaska cruise

I don't like to pick favorites, but we just got back from what may have been our most enjoyable vacation to date: a three-generation family cruise to Alaska on Disney Cruise Line . The trip had it all: nature, excitement, relaxation, scenery, entertainment, food, fun, swimming, hiking and so much more.

If you're considering sailing on a Disney cruise to Alaska, realize it's a big adventure. It's a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip in terms of length, distance and financial commitment. But our group of travelers ranging from 7 to 74 years old all loved it.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

With our cruising crew now off the ship and back home in the lower 48, here are 10 things to know before you set sail on a Disney Alaska cruise.

The cheapest time to book is the day cruises go on sale

Let's talk about the price upfront. An Alaska cruise is one of the more expensive Disney Cruise sailings, and it's pricier than similar itineraries on other cruise lines. Once the cruises go on sale, the prices often only go up.

Because of this, one of the best ways to save on a Disney cruise is to book your Alaska sailing the first day it goes on sale. You can get additional discounts from booking through an agent offering an onboard cruise credit. Plan far enough in advance, and you can save 10% by putting $250 down on your next cruise when you're already sailing on a Disney ship. We used all of these money-saving tricks — and the Alaska vacation was still very expensive.

For example, the cheapest Alaska sailing in 2024 is about $5,000 for a family of four in a windowless inside cabin and over $8,000 in a room with a private balcony. Those prices are for shoulder-season May and September sailings; the peak June through August sailings, such as the early June one we were on, cost more.

Disney Premier Visa Card : Earn a $400 statement credit after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening + unlock Disney-specific perks

'Glacier day' is a marathon, not a sprint

The "glacier day" on the ship can be confusing if you haven't done it before and don't know what to expect.

Essentially, the ship will sail as close as it safely can (both for the ship and wildlife) to one of a few glaciers. For example, it's common on sailings to head to the Stikine Icefields, though weather and conditions do play into exactly where you may go on a given voyage.

No matter where you head, you will not be getting off the ship to set foot on a glacier on the glacier viewing day; it's a view-from-a-ship experience. However, you can book an excursion that leaves from the cruise ship to get a closer view of the glacier on a smaller boat for an additional fee ($199 for kids and $299 for adults).

On our sailing, the captain explained that it was a marathon day and to pace yourself watching the "show" of the scenery on deck ... and he was right.

As the day went on and we got closer, the scenery got better and better. If we had gotten our fill of looking around the deck that morning, we'd have missed some of the best views that came that afternoon.

Just before dinner, we sailed close to a waterfall. The whole day was an incredibly special experience because the view changed from hour to hour. You need to keep checking back outside, so you don't miss anything.

Related: These are the best Alaska cruises

Book some excursions — but price them carefully

Don't sail all the way to Alaska and just walk around the shops near the pier in cities like Juneau and Skagway, especially if this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

On the other hand, you don't need to book the $800 helicopter excursions to the glaciers to have a good time (though those flights look amazing). You can find plenty of full- and half-day tours in the $100 to $300 range that are excellent. But no matter how you choose to spend your days, get out and experience something you can only do in Alaska in at least one or two ports.

We loved the excursion in Juneau that included an hour at the Mendenhall Glacier (though 30 more minutes would have been ideal), whale watching and a surprisingly good outdoor salmon bake. It was expensive at $279 for adults and $199 for kids, but it was a highlight of the trip, and I wholeheartedly recommend it if those activities sound fun to you.

In Skagway, we booked an excursion that included learning about dog sledding, interacting with sled dog puppies, gold panning and a ride on the White Pass railroad . Unfortunately, the train portion of our excursion was canceled due to mechanical issues, but normally the tour is the same price as the Juneau excursion. Without the train, it came to $169 for adults and $119 for kids — and you can book it that way from the start.

While I can't speak to the train portion (I hear it's worth doing), the dog sled demo and gold panning were quite enjoyable. And this was a perfect example of how in Alaska, nothing is set in stone. It is common for operators to make adjustments to excursions based on weather, safety concerns and other factors. Helicopter and small plane tours are especially likely to be canceled or adjusted. My advice is to be flexible and not stake the trip's success on any one excursion.

For the long, multi-faceted excursions that get you a good distance away from the ship, booking through Disney makes sense, even if it is a little more expensive, as the ship won't leave without you if your tour gets delayed. In one port, we did see a group on a ship come back right at the designated sailaway time, which I'm sure would have been extremely stressful if they'd been traveling independently.

With other, shorter excursions, it can make a lot of sense (and save a lot of dollars) to book on your own directly with a tour operator.

For example, by booking directly, we paid much less for the silly but fun Disney-branded lumberjack show right next to the ship in Ketchikan. Booking direct also lets you take advantage of discounts, such as lower rates for veterans or active military. The show takes place a few steps from the dock, so there's no risk of not returning to the ship on time.

Oh, and whatever you do, make a point to get the sweet fry bread in Skagway from the Klondike Doughboy. It's a 10-minute walk from the ship and worth every step and penny.

Related: 15 Alaska cruise mistakes you don't want to make

You can warm up with free hot chocolate

Disney tries to think of everything, so complimentary hot chocolate is always waiting for you on deck during glacier day and at the pier as you return from port. It's a small touch, but one that was a fun treat when we got a bit chilly.

If you're looking for an adult version that will warm you to the bones, keep an eye out for bar carts out on deck during glacier viewing. You get a cool Alaska-themed reusable cup with the price of your drink.

Choose the late dinner

Days are long in Alaska, both in terms of the time in port and the sun itself.

For example, in Skagway, we were in port from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. With Disney, you need to choose the early or late dinner seating, and while eating late may sound like a bad idea with kids, it's the best choice on an Alaska cruise. If you choose the early dinner, you're being seated at 5:45 p.m. every night. Not only is the sun going to be up for at least four more hours, but you'll have to cut your port time short to make it to dinner on time.

Your show time is opposite your dinner time, so if you have late dinner, you see the show early. On a typical seven-night Alaska cruise, the ship puts on only three Broadway-caliber shows, which are usually scheduled on sea days or on days you leave ports earlier. It's not as big a trade-off to miss a few minor shows as missing out on port time to get to dinner at 5:45 every night.

On a night when you're wiped out and don't want to do a late dinner, you can always order free room service or visit the quick-service option up on deck for a burger, pizza, chicken fingers and other casual quick bites. Hands down, late seating is the better option in Alaska.

Pro tip: Don't miss lobster night on the ship, where you can order as many lobster tails as your heart desires.

Related: Is Disney Cruise Concierge Level worth it ?

Characters aren't in their Alaska outfits every day

If you're going to spend the bucks to sail on a Disney cruise, you need at least one photo with Mickey, Minnie or their friends in their Alaska-exclusive outfits.

Typically, the first (and arguably best) time you'll see them in these outfits is on glacier day. You'll see the times and locations in your Disney Navigator app once on board, and you can bet there will be lines — some of the longest you may encounter on the cruise.

I recommend getting at least one photo with the characters out on the top pool deck on glacier day as it's the most sure-fire time to do so, and it's the best only-in-Alaska backdrop.

If you're planning your day around the photo sessions, don't choose the morning option if you care about background because you'll likely not be right up to the glacier, snow and ice yet.

Wait until later in the day for photos, so you'll be closer to the glacier. During our sailing, Mickey was on the glacier side of the ship multiple times that day, but it wasn't visible in the background until just after lunchtime.

Glacier day isn't the only time Mickey and his friends wear these adorable outfits. On our cruise, they also wore them the day we were in Skagway. In fact, as we sailed away from port, we ran into Mickey out on Deck 4 — with no line — waving goodbye to land with the rest of us.

Pro tip: Have one person get to the spot where the characters will be on deck about 30 minutes before the stated time to secure your spot in line. Sometimes the line can get too long to take more guests even before the official photo start time.

Related: Is the Disney Visa worth it?

It's easy to overpack

I get it — packing for an Alaska cruise is tough.

You're packing for glaciers, chilly outdoor adventures and potential rain but also for a cruise, swimming and a dress-up night or two. In the summer, even in Alaska, it can be warm. But of course, on a glacier, it can be cold.

During our early June sailing, we swam in the heated pools, dunked in the hot tubs and careened down the waterslides multiple times on both sea days and port days.

While the time of year and the forecast for your sailing should influence what goes in your bag, try and resist the urge to overpack. Bring too much stuff, and your cabin will feel crowded with your belongings, you'll be less nimble and flexible in the airport and you won't have as many options for ground transportation. Plus, you'll spend more time packing and unpacking.

For a cruise to Alaska, you'll need layers, including accessories like a vest, hat and gloves you can take on or off. What you often don't need much of, at least during the summer months, is a variety of winter gear. It's possible you may not need a super heavy winter coat at all, but you will need rain gear and possibly a fleece vest or jacket, so you can probably opt for layers over individual bulky pieces, especially in June, July and August.

Our coldest day was the morning of the glacier day when it was windy and overcast out on deck. The weather went from the high 40s that day to the high 70s and sunny at other times, but we didn't need much bulky winter gear.

Here's a guide to packing for an Alaska cruise to get you started. The thing we used the most: magnetic hooks to hold and organize all those layers inside the stateroom, so get some of those, for sure.

Related: When is the best time to sail to Alaska

The 'Frozen' deck show isn't a must-do But the stage show is a must-see

Most of the elements of our Disney Cruise to Alaska were exceptional, but the much-anticipated "Frozen night" with deck show wasn't one of those things. It was fine; the littlest kids enjoyed it, and if it's convenient for you to pop up and see, then do it. But don't plan your evening around it or stress if you are tired and need to miss it, especially if you don't have young kids.

Elsa and her friends led a 15-minute sing-a-long and show with a minute or so of "snow," but it rated two out of five snowflakes in my book.

An earlier Frozen-themed indoor party, where there was an interactive activity to decorate the maypole, was almost more interesting, in my opinion. Look forward to Frozen night and attend some of the events and activities, but don't expect anything to knock your socks off.

That said, the "Frozen" Broadway-caliber stage show in the Walt Disney Theater is exceptional and not to be missed — but also somewhat confusingly not offered on Frozen night.

So to recap: You can skip Frozen Night and the deck show, but make a point to attend the Frozen show in the Walt Disney Theater.

Plan an extra day in Vancouver

Disney cruises to Alaska leave from Vancouver, as opposed to Seattle, where some other lines embark passengers for their Alaska sailings.

I highly recommend arriving in Vancouver at least the day before the cruise departs to ensure you don't miss it (that happened to some folks on our sailing) but also to enjoy the city. Plan an extra full day to enjoy Vancouver if you can. It's as fun and interesting as some of the Alaskan ports.

An easy excursion to do, even if you have just a few hours in Vancouver, is the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Free shuttles leave from multiple downtown spots to the park, including from near the port itself, and it's a fabulous way to spend a few hours on land, or rather, in the trees.

The highlights are the suspension bridge itself and some other walkouts that take you all around the large park with great views of the trees, river, ponds and more. Sometimes there's live music, cozy fires to warm up by and free talks from staffers to learn about the totem polls, wildlife and other aspects of the park.

You don't need a verandah room

We started with the price, and we'll close with it.

Rooms with verandahs (aka balconies) always cost more on cruises than inside cabins and rooms with ocean views through a window. But on an Alaska Disney cruise, verandah rooms don't just cost a few hundred dollars more — they cost a whole lot more, usually to the tune of thousands of additional dollars for the stateroom over the cost of an ocean-view cabin.

Looking at prices for four on the early June 2024 seven-day sailing similar to the one we took this year, it costs an additional $4,000 to go from an ocean-view to a verandah.

If you have the money to spend, go for it and enjoy it. But if you don't, or if booking that room type means having to skip excursions or not being able to afford other trips, then relax and book the ocean view. It's also fabulous.

My parents had a verandah room, and they loved having that balcony. This was my dad's first cruise at 74 years old, so the trip really might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. My dad said having a verandah made the trip at least 25% more enjoyable overall, which is a large amount of happiness, and they spent time out there each day. (It also made their room about 35-40% more expensive.)

Right next door to them, my girls and I had an ocean-view room. We had just as excellent of a cruise as they did.

It was fun to look out the window and see where we were, but honestly, I'd happily sail in an interior room if it meant we got to do the cruise all over again.

All my favorite moments of the trip happened outside the room, and I don't think that would have changed if we had a balcony. I enjoy having a balcony on warm Caribbean and Mexico sailings more than in Alaska, where it can be windy and chilly outside as the ship is moving.

Additionally, on truly exceptional viewing days, you probably don't want to be confined to the specific angle you can get from your cabin. Better to embrace the 360-degree view from out on the top deck.

That said, if you have mobility limitations or other logistical issues that will keep you in the room more often (aka a frequently napping little one), then the equation may shift because you do want to see and enjoy where you are. If you need to do that from your room, book the verandah if possible.

Related: Which type of cruise cabin is right for you?

Bottom line

It's highly unlikely you'll regret taking a Disney Alaska cruise.

Alaska is special, cruising is special, and a Disney cruise to Alaska is incredibly special. You can feel the shared appreciation for the journey with the other passengers. It's a camaraderie of sorts as you spot and point out wildlife on deck, talk about what you did in port at the bar in the evenings, and even agonize over what to pack in the unofficial Facebook groups leading up to the sailing.

Sailing with Disney specifically costs more than many other options, but getting to experience Alaska while interacting with favorite characters, seeing amazing Disney shows in the evening and relaxing while Disney Cruise Line took care of everything made what was already a great trip one of our favorites of all time.

If I were to add an 11th thing you should know about sailing on an Alaska Disney cruise, it's that you're going to be really sad when it's over.

I saw plenty of real tears the final night and on the morning of debarkation. At the risk of sounding like a cheesy commercial, the only real solution for this will likely be to start planning either a return trip to Alaska or another Disney Cruise ... or both. If you feel that happening to you a few days into the trip, be ready to put that $250 deposit down on a future sailing to get the 10% discount before you get off the ship and it's too late.

That's exactly what we did, so at the end of seven magical days, it wasn't "goodbye" — it was "see ya real soon."

Related reading:

• How to save money on a Disney Cruise
• Best Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks
• Review of Disney Magic, the original ship in the Disney fleet
• Best Alaska cruise tips to help you make the most of your time aboard and ashore

Save money, experience more.

Disney Cruise Alaska 2024 & 2025 Guide: ESSENTIAL Tips For Your Cruise

The Alaska Disney Cruise is a once in a lifetime experience. The below cruise review and tips are based on our recent seven day Disney Cruise Line Alaska itinerary that sails from Vancouver to Alaska. This guide will continue to be updated to provide advice for the 2024 and 2025 Disney Cruise Alaska seasons.

Onboard our cruise we had family ranging in age from 20 to 80+. On the last night of our trip I got everyone together and we talked through all the Disney Cruise tips we should pass on. This guide is based on those insights.

With the below tips I hope to prepare you for your future Disney Alaska cruise and give you everything you need to know to plan. We'll cover what month to book your cruise, an overview of the Disney Wonder ship, onboard activities, premium dining, what to pack for your cruise, Alaska Disney Cruise Line excursions, and more.

Get exclusive access to prices on hotel & tickets just for Mickey Visit subscribers. Don't miss our travel hacks newsletter!

In this planning guide:

When to Take a Disney Cruise to Alaska

The Disney Cruise Line Alaskan sailings on the Disney Wonder occur throughout the summer “warm” months. The first 2024 Alaska sailing begins on May 13, 2024 and the last sailing ends on September 23, 2024 (the Disney Cruise Line 2024 dates were announced here ). We don't yet the 2025 Disney Alaska Cruise dates. The sailing stretch throughout the summer months in Alaska.

These are the key factors to consider for picking your Alaskan Disney Cruise dates:

• When are kids in school? The May and September sailings will be less expensive and may even not be fully booked because kids will still be in school. Some of the same school discounting effects can be felt for the very beginning of June and very end of September as well. If you are not confined to summer school schedules, you may want to consider a sailing at the beginning or end of the Alaskan cruising season.
• Weather? The later in the season you plan your cruise the higher the potential for rain during your trip. You can see on this Juneau, Alaska monthly climate averages that the average rainfall by month is double in September what it is in May. Even with that said, during our August trip we only had one real day of rain during our trip when we were in Ketchikan, Alaska. This port is actually one of the rainiest cities in the U.S. and receives nearly 235 days of percipitation per year . A weather note – most think of Alaska as cold. Throughout the summer months the temperatures do not get too low and during our sailing were about 60 degrees. Pretty comfortable when in pants. Some days we saw lots of sun and others we had light rain and wind. More in our packing list section.

You can view the currently available dates for Summer 2024 on the Disney Cruise Line website (Summer 2024 dates just released). After viewing the dates be sure to come back and request a FREE quote from our travel partner for your cruise . For a limited time Mickey Visit readers get up to a $400 onboard credit.

As you'll see in the listings of available sailings, there are a range of length options for your trip…

Best Disney Cruise to Alaska – Which Length to Pick

Disney Cruise Line offers multiple Alaska itineraries that range from five to nine nights. Our recent Disney Cruise to Alaska was a seven night itinerary. The seven night Disney Alaska cruise is offered the most of any of the lengths of sailings.

The seven night cruise includes stops at Dawes Glacier; Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; and Ketchikan, Alaska.

Here's some more context on each of the destinations listed for the various lengths of cruise:

• Juneau, Alaska is the state's capital and the largest town that the ship stops in during the Alaskan cruise. The town has some noteworthy food options (see below for excursions) and was the closest that we got to any glacier.
• Skagway, Alaska was the access point for the last gold rush. This old gold rush town is the jumping off point for excursions into the Yukon. Excursion options include a historic railway line with stunning vista views, helicopter tours, and tours of the old town.
• Ketchikan, Alaska is the rainiest place in the world and features an old town built on stilts above a creek, salmon runs, Native American totem polls, and a lumberjack show. This port is the closest to Vancouver in Alaska and all Disney Alaskan Cruises stop here.
• Dawes Glacier, Alaska is not a port but is a location that the boat pulls into for one day of all Alaska sailings. The boat enters the cove near the glacier and then rotates slow so that all sides of the boat get an angle of the glacier. There is an option for an excursion here to go out on a smaller boat that goes closer to the glacier. Though Dawes was scheduled as part of our itinerary, we actually didn't stop here. Scroll down and read what happened in our Disney Cruise to Alaska tips section.
• Sitka, Alaska was not a port that we visited during our seven night Disney Cruise sailing to Alaska but we heard the highlights revolve around the Russian history of the city (this was the capital of the territory when Alaska belonged to Russia) and the outdoor excursions which are similar to the excursions offered in the other ports.

Choosing Your Alaska Stateroom – Do you need a Verandah room for your Alaskan cruise?

While we do outline each of the various stateroom options for all of the Disney Cruise Line ships in our general guide to the Disney Wonder , there is special reason to consider your room option carefully for the Disney Cruise to Alaska.

For many cruises you could take the same approach that we take for hotels near Disneyland – why pay for the room if you are going to be out of the room the entire trip exploring and having fun? You may want to reconsider this for an Alaskan cruise as the itineraries are longer and the outdoor spaces are colder due to the Alaskan weather. With our group's age range for this trip (from 20 years old to 80+ years old), there was almost always someone in the room who wasn't keen to be out exploring. We were very happy to have a Verandah room during our Alaskan Disney Cruise and enjoyed waking up to views and having the option to check out the view without having to get warmer clothes on and go up on deck.

There is plenty to do throughout the ship and plenty of spaces for lounging outside of your room but the Verandah was truly a highlight for our days at sea. Even for the days when we were coming into port, it was delightful to watch our approach from the comfort of our own balcony.

The room shown in the photos here is a Deluxe Verandah room. There is a queen bed and the couch the converts into twin sleeper.

How much does a 2024 Alaskan Disney Cruise Cost?

The prices for the cruise vary dramatically by room type and date of sailing. We asked our travel partner to pull some sample pricing for cruises so that we could include them here for your reference.

For the seven night sailing that leaves May 22, 2023 for two people an interior room costs  $3,574.94 and an exterior deluxe verandah 5C category room with an unobstructed view and regular balcony size costs $8,012.94 .

Compare this to the seven night sailing that leaves on July 17, 2023 in the heart of the summer. For two people an interior room costs  $4,708.94 while an exterior Deluxe Verandah 5C category room with an unobstructed view and regular balcony size $11,148.94 .

The seven-night sailing that leaves on May 13, 2024 for two people in an interior room starts at $3,490 and an exterior verandah room starts at $6,347 . The exact prices are not available yet as booking details are not yet open.

Compare this to the seven night sailing that leaves on July 8, 2024, in the heart of the summer. For two people an interior room costs $4,635 while an exterior Deluxe Verandah 5c category room with an unobstructed view and regular balcony size is $11,495.2. As you can see, the more popular summer months when kids are out of school are more expensive.

Again, as you are considering your Disney Cruise to Alaska, be sure to request a FREE Disney Cruise line vacation quote from our travel partner . When you book with our partner you'll receive up to a $400 onboard credit .

Onboard Disney Cruise Line Programming

There are a variety of onboard Disney Cruise Line offerings to fill your days at sea and evenings. From lavish entertainment (see Disney Cruise Line entertainment section below) to educational programs to fitness offerings, there really are tons of ways to stay busy during the days at sea. Your Disney Cruise Line Personal Navigator app has information on all times for all activities onboard the ship. Make sure everyone in your party has downloaded the app before your departure.

Though we were onboard a unique Alaskan Disney Cruise (our trip was part of the Disney Vacation Club Member Cruise ) we did still experience quite a bit of the normal programming that is offered by the Disney Cruise Line on a standard Alaskan cruise.

One of the highlights on the onboard programming was the educational nature presentations . All of the adults in our group attended all three of the talks given by the naturalist that was onboard. His three presentations were on the fjords and waterways, whales and water ways, and Alaskan bears and salmon. Each of the presentations was educational and added to our excursion experience by providing context on our trip on land. The programming was well put together and could be interesting to all ages. If you have a nature curious preteen and up, I would recommend bringing them along to the presentation. Other topics sometimes presented by the naturalist include information on the Klondike Gold Rush and Vancouver Life.

Some of the other offerings on the Alaska Disney Cruise on the Disney Wonder include:

• The Art of the Theme Tour is a tour of the ship that focuses on the details and history built into the ship. You'll find fun features in the carpet and hear stories on design details. I also always like to take the opportunity to connect with another Cast Member.
• There is trivia with varying themes offered throughout the trip. Some themes include movie quotes trivia, Disney theme park trivia, sports trivia, and PIXAR trivia.
• In the Buena Vista Theater (the smaller of the two theaters onboard the ship) there are a variety of the latest movies from Disney playing . During our 2022 sailing we saw Togo (story about an Alaskan sled dog), Thor: Love and Thunder, and Encanto. The list is always updated with the latest Disney movies that were released but there is usually a film that ties into the Alaskan cruise theme like Togo or Brother Bear that is always offered.
• There is evening live music and entertainment available in the lounges. These offerings vary by cruise but we saw a lounge singer during our sailing. The songs are ones that you'll know and performances have specific themes.
• For an additional charge, you can join an alcohol tasting class or mixology class . These experiences do fill up so you should book them when they open for booking. See dates the varying dates that excursions and activities open to guests below.
• Throughout your stay you'll get to experience super fun folded towels and napkins. Each night when you return to your stateroom you'll find a folded towel animal on the bed waiting for you. There is a class where you can learn how to fold your own napkin and towel animal .
• For the musically excited, a night time karaoke and silent disco are offered.
• Throughout the trip you'll have lots of opportunity to join in playing BINGO . Be sure to check when there is presale of BINGO cards so that you don't end up waiting in the queue when you arrive to play.
• There is a very popular Match Your Mate game show where you and your significant other are challenged to see how well you know each other with trivia questions. This is a fan favorite!
• There are activities for every interest onboard the Disney Cruise to Alaska – you'll also find a cooking class demonstration and animation class .

The dates that guests can book onboard experiences (tastings, spa, nursery, Royal Court Tea), Alaskan excursions, and adult dining at Palo (details below) vary by sailing history with Disney Cruise Line . Once you have paid for your cruise in full, first time Disney Cruise Line guests can book 75 days before sail date, Silver Castaway Club members can book 90 days before sail date, Gold Castaway Club Members can book 105 days before, and Concierge Guests and Platinum Castaway Club Members can book 120 days before your sail date.

Alaska Disney Cruise Character Meet and Greets

Throughout our Disney Cruise there were characters everywhere. The Disney meet and greet limitations for the Disney Cruise Line had been recently lifted and we experienced a completely normal character meet and greet experience onboard our cruise. Many times throughout our trip I would be walking from one activity to the next and bump into a character just wandering. Multiple times I saw Thor wandering the hallways looking for someone to engage with.

All character meeting times are listed in the app. Our favorite character meet and greets were with the Disney fab five in their Alaskan outfits. For anyone excited about rare Disney meet and greets, these photos are super exciting. The best opportunity to take these photos comes on the Dawes Glacier day. On this day the characters will be up on the top deck outdoors so you can get an iconic Alaskan view in the background. I recommend arriving about fifteen minutes before the scheduled photo time to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse up here. We started with Mickey Mouse and then jumped over to the line for Minnie Mouse. There were other times we saw opportunities to wait in line for characters (on the formal night the fab five is out in tuxedos) but were happy just to have these outdoor photos.

Don't be afraid of a short line for a memorable photo with your favorite character.

Fitness Offerings Onboard the Disney Wonder

The fitness center and spa offers a number of scheduled workout classes. During our sailing there were complimentary offerings that included a mile walk around the ship and a morning yoga class . I opted to try one of the premium experiences and purchased the personal training experience . You could opt for a two pack or four pack of classes. There was a discount if you went with the four pack. I decided just do purchase the two pack as I wanted to workout some on my own during the trip as well. The cruise really flies by. I was glad that I only purchased the two day experience.

The gym is at the very front of the Disney Wonder and has a wide array of fitness machines. I typically like to start my workout with a run. I did this everyday except for one when the boat was moving a little too much for the treadmill and I opted for the stationary bicycle instead. The fitness center also has a nice locker room. I actually ended up showering in the locker everyday of our trip after our workout instead of using the shower in our stateroom.

In Skagway I went for a run off the ship. When facing the town from the port I ran to the left and found a foot bridge. Over the bridge there was a dirt trail with work out stations (pull up bars, sit up bench, etc) all along it. This was a great way to get off the ship and get a workout in outside before our excursion for the day. I ran about 3.5 miles here.

Disney Cruise Line Sense Spa and Salon Offerings

The Disney Wonder has a full spa offering onboard with a suite of services. The spa rooms have massive windows with sweeping views from the top of the ship.

Some of the offerings at the spa include a Rainforest aromatherapy room, steam room, and sauna. There are also comfortable locker rooms for changing before and after the treatment. As I mentioned above, I used the locker rooms throughout our cruise after the weight room even when not getting a treatment.

The spa is available for guests 18 and older and reservations can be made online or after 1 pm in person at the spa on the first day of your cruise. An 18% gratuity will be applied to all spa and fitness services.

If you are interested in a manicure or a pedicure, consider booking your time slot for the first day of your trip for stunning views of Vancouver as you sail away. There is also a rainforest room which features a steam room and relaxation area. You can pay for a day pass or pass for your entire trip.

Disney Wonder Cruise Kids Activities

There are kids clubs and activities for kids of all ages. There are five different areas on the ship designed to service kids from toddlers to teens.

There are five different lounge options: the “it’s a Small World” nursery, Disney’s Oceaneer Club, Oceaneer Lab, Edge, and Vibe. You can view all the various kid activities in the Disney Cruise Line app.

All of the kids clubs except the “it's a Small World” nursery are included with the price of the cruise. The nursery is an additional fee and requires reservations.

On embarkation you and your child can tour the kids clubs together to calm any nerves. This is also when you'll register your child for the club. You can also pre-register your child before the cruise here .

Keep in mind that kids are not fed by the kids clubs so even though your child will likely want to stay in the club all day you will have to grab them for meals. This is also something to keep in mind when booking any Palo reservation that may conflict with your child's eating timing.

Disney Wonder Entertainment Available On Alaskan Cruise

During the cruise to Alaska there are a number of Broadway-caliber shows that are performed in the Walt Disney Theatre. The shows vary by sailing length. On nights when one of the Disney shows are not taking place in the theater, there will be some sort of variety show act performed.

The shows on the Disney Wonder are:

• “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular” is a full retelling of the Frozen story with huge musical acts that runs just over an hour. The production value is incredible, the musicians are very impressive, and Olaf was hilarious.
• “The Golden Mickeys” is a musical medley show that features songs from Disney films of past and present. A story is also woven in between the musical acts that a stage manager is suddenly pushed into the spotlight when she has to host the show at the last minute. By the end of the show, the host realizes that anything is possible.
• “Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic” is a musical medley show that pulls in classic Disney musical numbers when a young girl who is losing her belief in magic is visited in her dreams by characters from Disney classics and is helped along the way by Peter Pan and Tinker Bell.

Shows are typically performed twice nightly so that they are opposite your dinner seating. If you have a late dinner you'll watch the earlier show and if you have an early dinner seating you'll watch the later show.

There are also two deck shows that occur during the cruise:

• The “Mickey's Sail-A-Wave” party is a send off deck party with all of your favorite Disney characters that occurs right as the ship is pulling out of Vancouver. This show takes place in the mid-afternoon.
• The “Freeze the Night Away” deck party is a Frozen themed deck party with your favorite songs and characters from Frozen. Snow comes down at the end of this show. The night of our deck party is truly was freezing and we were bundled up enjoying the entertainment on deck. This show takes place after both dinner seatings have been completed.

Choosing Your Disney Cruise Line Alaskan Excursions

There are a wide array of excursions for Disney Cruises to Alaska. Guests can opt for the most extravagant helicopter ride to dog sledding or just enjoy a leisurely walk around town. CAUTION – You will likely have sticker shock. Some excursions are hundreds of dollars per person. Remember that you are in Alaska for a once in a lifetime Disney Cruise. Be sure to budget for these excursions as you plan for your trip.

Disney Cruise Line sells excursions directly. For research sake I compared prices between the offering from Disney Cruise Line and booking some experiences on our own. The pricing was often the same or only slightly more when purchasing from Disney when I could find it. For many of the more upscale experiences, there was no clear way to find the offering directly online to comparison shop as the experience was curated specifically for the cruise line. There are always vendors just off the ship selling other excursion offerings but be warned that if you take a third party excursion and do not get back to the ship before the official departure time the ship will leave you behind. This warning and a very real story of passengers being left behind in Juneau, Alaska after their seaplane couldn't fly back from the glacier due to lack of visibility scared us enough not to consider outside excursions.

When you purchase an excursion from Disney you'll check in for the excursion in D-Lounge and then be escorted to the correct transportation by a Cast Member.

Here were our trip reports for each Alaskan port we experienced:

Skagway – The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway was about a three hour train loop up the trail to the Yukon gold rush. The experience was well put together though after about 2 hrs we wished that we were back at the base. You'll follow the same route up and then back down. The train picks up directly at the ship.

We heard others who opted for a long hike, to rent a car and drive up into the Yukon (Skagway is the only port that we visited that is actually connected to the rest of the country by road), and taking an old town shuttle tour around the town itself. I would have loved to go on a long hike but due to others in our group with less mobility we opted to spend time together on the railway experience. This was a great way to see the sights and spend time together.

After our railway tour we still had a chance to walk around the town. We stopped at a Christmas shop and enjoyed chatting with the owners who turned out to spend winter in San Diego, California. We also enjoyed fried dough from the Klondike Doughboy . This is a must stop for your day in Skagway that you'll find on one of the side streets. Finally, we watched a National Parks historical film on the “last gold rush” that lead to the original establishment of Skagway as the gateway for gold seekers to sail to before a treacherous journey over the mountain to the site where gold was discovered. I enjoyed the context that the film provided. The film can be found in the National Parks building at the end of the street closest to the cruise ship slips.

This is a screenshot of the video I captured of the whales coming right up near our boat. The photo doesn't do the experience justice.

Juneau – At Juneau we participated in a whale watching and trip to the Mendenhall glacier . We were picked up by bus from the ship and then taken to a boat for the whale watching tour. We had whales get very close up to the ship and flip their tale. Just like the Pacific Life commercials ! This was an excellent experience getting into nature.

After our long morning on the boat we got back on the bus and headed to the Mendenhall Glacier. All along the ride we had very fun narration from our bus driver who shared a look into what it is like living in Alaska. She was witty and provided a look into the actual life rather than just giving facts and figures. A real highlight! At the Mendenhall Glacier we walked out to the waterfall. They claim this walk is an hour roundtrip but it only took us 45 minutes and that includes at least 10 minutes talking photos at the waterfall. Our bus then dropped us off in the heart of Juneau and we walked through some of the shops and found lunch.

We opted to enjoy the fish tacos at Deckhand Dave's . We debated going to Tracy's Crab Shack but decided we didn't want another large sit down meal for lunch. We were very happy with our pick to enjoy the tacos. After lunch we also found GREAT fudge from the Alaskan Fudge Company . Both great options!

Ketchikan – As I shared above, Ketchikan is one of the rainiest cities in the United States so it was raining during our day here. It rained on and off throughout the day and the sky was gray all day. The ship docks right in town. In the morning we walked through the various shops in town and I took a longer walk up the river beyond Creek Street. The amount of salmon floating peacefully in the river was astounding. There were hundreds just hanging out in the shallows. In the afternoon we enjoyed the Lumberjack Show . This is an activity you could easily purchase tickets directly from the venue if you wanted to.

There isn't much of a savings for the headache of booking through an outside payment system but the option is there. The show was lots of fun. In the format of a US vs Canada competition, professional lumberjacks completed impressive stunts with their saws. The show also pulls in audience participation. We saw kids of the friends also on the trip get pulled in and have a great time participating. This experience is tons of fun for the entire family.

Fun Disneyland Fact – Did you know that in the summers of 1987 and 1988 there was a “State Fair” event that included a Log Rolling and Lumberjack Show? The show was found along the Rivers of America area.

When you get back on the ship there's always a Cast Member with hot chocolate and cookies ready to greet you.

For 2 of the 3 days in port we opted to return to the ship for lunch rather than sitting down at any of the restaurant in town. We enjoyed eating at Triton's restaurant on the ship and appreciated the sit down service. After lunch we easily returned back into town for more exploring and some of our group opted to stay on the ship.

WiFi During Your Disney Cruise Line Alaska Trip

I can't say this more overtly. The WiFi onboard the ship worked well for messaging and looking things but do not rely on it for downloads. Save any digital material that you want to have available. If you need a book downloaded for your Kindle or podcast downloaded for the gym, do everything you can to download these before leaving for your trip.

While there is WiFi onboard the Disney Wonder, it is expensive and runs out quickly. Even when you are on the WiFi there were certain apps that did not work at all.

In our experience iMessages came through over the WiFi even when we didn't have our WiFi package turned on. For messaging between people in your party onboard, there is a messaging option within the Disney Cruise Line app. This worked fine.

In each port I was able to get on my normal Verizon phone plan with no difficulties. I even used it as a hotspot from my computer to send email. Be sure to check on your phone plan for use in Canada for your days coming into Vancouver.

Disney Cruise Line App Review

At first the Disney Cruise Line app was difficult to use. The interface is not intuitive to begin with but once you figure out how to locate activities it works well.

When you first get onboard, go through the activities listed and select the various onboard activities that sound interesting to you. To get the activities, click on the “Explore” section and click the day you want to view. There is also an option to filter by activity type – filtering by movie for instance. This schedule that you create will then cause the app to send you push notifications. The “Add Plans” button in the app doesn't work as expected and just suggests paid activities to you. Make sure to click the “Explore” section for details on everything happening onboard.

Disney Wonder Pools

The pools and water slide are open throughout the cruise to Alaska. We opted to quickly ride the waterslide the first day that we were onboard to check that box as we knew that our departure day from Vancouver would be the warmest day to enjoy the pools on the cruise. I recommend getting on the slide that first day to enjoy it while it is still sunnier outside. There were plenty of people enjoying the waterslide throughout the voyage but we were glad to have ridden it the first day.

Entering the pool area could be jarring at times. I would walk out on to the deck and be greeted with icy winds in the morning but also the upbeat tunes of “La Bamba”.

I actually used the pool almost everyday of the trip. In the early evening before our show I would try and get up to the adult pool area and hot tub. This area was a little more peaceful than the others and it was nice to meet other guests in the hot tub to swap stories on their experience.

How Food Works Onboard Disney Cruise to Alaska

For Dinner:

Onboard the Disney Wonder there are three different restaurants that you will rotate through for dinners during your voyage. Each night you'll go to your assigned restaurant and your same waiter and assistant waiter will be there ready for you. Throughout your trip you'll get to know the wait staff and they'll get to know your preferences. In our group one member took her water without ice and by the second night she was already receiving her water with no ice without asking.

The menus shift each night of the cruise and are somewhat reflective of the theme of the restaurant.

Our waiters encouraged us to order anything on the menu that looked interesting. Each night I started with one of the soups of the day and some other appetizer before my main course. We sometimes also ordered an additional main course if we all wanted to try it.

Some of the food highlights that stuck with us – the Beef Wellington, the Banoffee pie (a chocolate, banana, whipped cream dessert), and the carmel ice cream that we enjoyed one evening (we ordered that ice cream every night afterwards too!). Another lesson. Always ask for the food that you want even if it isn't on the menu. My grandmother wanted a blue cheese wedge salad because the other salads on the menu were not something she was interested in. Amazingly our server had a wedge salad based on her specifications at the table 5 minutes later. My aunt was craving asparagus and they also delivered. Overall we were very impressed with the kitchen's ability to accommodate requests.

These were some of our drawings during the fun Animator's Palate show.

The three main restaurants are: Triton's, Tiana's Place, and Animator's Palate. Be sure not to miss the second night at Animator's Palate as there is a very cute show where everyone in the group draws a character and then that character comes to life on screens around the restaurant.

There are two dinner seatings – an early seating at 5:45 pm and a later seating at 8:15 pm. We had the later dinner seating which meant that we would be eating much later than we were used to at home. This also led us to snack much more going into the evening because we weren't going to eat until so much later. You have the opportunity to switch seating times in the app if you have a preference.

Palo For Upscale Dinner and Brunch:

There is an upscale adults only restaurant onboard called Palo that is an additional charge. We opted to enjoy both brunch and dinner here. The restaurant does book up so be sure to book your Palo experience when it becomes available for your Disney Cruise. Though I have a full review coming soon, I will share that we far preferred the variety that came with brunch at the restaurant.

For Breakfast and Lunch:

Throughout the day there are a variety of food options constantly available. The Cabanas restaurant is open with a buffet for breakfast and lunch. For a sit down breakfast or lunch, the central sit down restaurant, Triton's, is also available. We started the cruise having our breakfast at Cabanas and then shifted over to eating breakfast at Triton's after we realized that our evening waiter was often there and we could have the same great table service as we did at dinner. The quality of breakfast food was also better at Triton's. I had very similar omelette orders at both locations and the Triton's omelette was far superior.

There are also quick service restaurants on the upper deck that serve sandwiches, hamburgers, chicken tenders (super good!), pizza, Asian style bowls, and of course soft serve. There is never a bad time to order soft serve on the cruise! Make sure you get in the habit of grabbing one otherwise the cruise will slip by. It is never too cold for Disney Cruise Line soft serve ice cream!

Additional Charge Food

There are a couple of food locations that are an additional charge. There are concession stands outside the theaters selling popcorn, soda, and candy. There are also a number of lounges with additional cost alcoholic beverages. On the top deck there is also a bar / coffee place that is for adults only. This Cove Bar feels a lot like a comfortable Starbucks.

The regular dinner restaurants also have extra charge alcohol as an option.

On Your First Day Onboard:

When you first board the Disney Wonder in Vancouver each restaurant will be open for you to enjoy lunch. On our first day we had lunch at Tiana's Place and enjoyed the sit down service. We could also have opted for the quick service options or buffet at Cabanas.

In addition to the above there is included 24/7 room service onboard. Let's just say, you really aren't going to go hungry. It is much more important to think about what you aren't going to eat than to worry about what you are.

There is also a water and soda station on the Deck 9 pool deck. We brought reusable water bottles and popped up here to refill them throughout the trip. There are a couple of water bottle fill stations on the upper deck by the pool and in the gym.

Disney Cruise Line Vancouver, Canada Boarding Process

To board the Disney Wonder in Canada we went through a number of different checks including US customs.

For your arrival, you'll want to pack a carry on bag with anything you need throughout your first afternoon. You'll keep this bag with you and your other baggage will be sent to your room.

If anyone in your group has trouble walking long distances you may want to get a wheelchair for the walk through the check in process. There is lots of winding back and forth through the Disney Cruise Line security, customs, passport control, and then boarding the ship.

After you check in, you'll be directed to the ship where your room key will be waiting for you outside your door.

Disney Cruise Line Vancouver to Alaska COVID Testing

For our COVID test we used OnPoint testing . This was a virtual service where a proctor would watch you take your own approved at home COVID test and then sign off on the result.

For only $14.99 per person we were able to easily test from our own home. Three of us tested during the same 10 minute Zoom call. This was much simpler, less expensive, and easier than attempting to test when we got to Vancouver or using the official Disney Cruise Line vendor.

What to See in Vancouver Before Your Disney Cruise

I definitely recommend arriving to Vancouver at least one day before your Disney Cruise. Our flight arrived around 3 pm into Vancouver which gave us some time to enjoy the city before leaving to check in with Disney for our cruise the next morning. You'll also want to arrive the night before so that you aren't anxious about any flight delay that might cause you to miss the departure. The city feels far larger than it's official population (650,000 people) with innovative architecture and stunning views that blend the ocean, mountains, and city to one. In Vancouver, the spirit of adventure only grows as you lean into your anticipation for your Disney Cruise to Alaska – “the final frontier”.

Here were our highlights of Vancouver, Canada before the cruise:

First, we enjoyed Granville Island. This market place of food and artisans is absolutely a tourist trap but is one for good reason. On our clear skies day the market was crowded with locals and tourists enjoying the sun, food and entertainment. The market has the same feeling of active marketplace as Pike's Place Market in Seattle and Redding Terminal Market in Philadelphia but seems to have more food stalls. During the summer months when you'll be here before your Disney Alaska Cruise, expect a very warm afternoon.

At the market we had great fish and chips from Celine's Fish and Chips, pad thai, and a german sausage plate. The fish and chips were the absolute highlight and we returned for another order.

To get to Granville Island you'll want to use Uber or Lyft from Downtown Vancouver (read my guide to Uber and Lyft at Walt Disney World for discount codes if you've never used the rideshare services before). If you are all mobile, be careful not to call your rideshare directly to Granville Island as your car will end up in a massive lineup while trying to drop you off and the price for the ride will be more expensive. Instead, put in “Blue Hat Bistro” for your drop off location. Return here after your time at the market to avoid headache as well.

After Granville Island we walked around in Gastown which is right near the cruise terminal that our ship was leaving from the following day. We enjoyed seeing the cobblestone streets here and then walked out along the seawall near the cruise terminal. We ogled the massive cruise ships thinking about the Disney Wonder that we would board the following day. It was a lot of fun to walk along the sea wall from here. We watched as sea plane after sea plane followed the same landing pattern swooping in from the clear blue sky that was just turning to dusk.

The next morning I went out for a run along the seawall and through Downtown Vancouver. The views along the seawall were stunning. I made a quick stop for a last minute electronics need at an Apple Store and then it was time to get onboard the Disney Wonder for our cruise.

Packing for Disney Alaskan Cruise

You can also see our Disney Cruise Line Packing List for a full perspective on what you need to bring with you.

A couple packing list notes:

• There is a formal night onboard the ship but you do not have to participate if you don't want to. During our sailing about 40% of the passengers we saw were dressed up, but plenty did not.
• There are slippers and a robe in your stateroom for your use throughout the trip.
• For those using a cane, walking sticks were a nice option that my grandmother utilized instead of a cane during this trip.
• We did not plan on doing any laundry during our Alaska cruise but we ended up using the laundry machine after our rainy day in Ketchikan to dry out our clothes. The machines can be operated by tapping your room key and charging the laundry to your room.
• Make sure to bring your binoculars and consider getting a camera extension for your iPhone to increase your zoom strength.
• Each guest 21 years and older may bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened champagne or wine or 6 beers on to the ship at the beginning of the voyage and at each port. The beverages must be carried onboard in your carry-on luggage.

General Disney Cruise to Alaska Tips

• The stars in the carpet design in the main hallways all point towards the front of the ship.
• Watch the morning show with the cruise director. We really enjoyed the witty humor from our cruise director, Stephen. We bought in and had a lot of fun watching the show.
• Be ready for anything! During our sailing there was a tugboat strike in Vancouver that was completely outside of Disney's control. The strike led us to leave Vancouver eight hours late which meant that we had to skip Dawes Glacier to make up for lost travel time. This was obviously disappointing (Disney added a state room credit for all guests even though the situation was beyond their control), but we still had a great day weather wise and all the characters were still out with the same celebration.
• There are free charms and a free charm bracelet that are available for guests everyday at a specific time. My aunt and grandmother enjoyed picking up a charm each day. By the end of the trip they had a complete bracelet. The charms are meant to get you in to the store looking at jewelry but they are still a cute keepsake.
• You can tip the Cast Members that work on the cruise at the beginning or end of your sailing. There's a good tip calculator here to think about amounts.
• As with anything Disney, mention if you are celebrating a special occasion while onboard. There are always magic makers looking to help!
• Get outside! The views throughout your cruise are just incredible. Bring enough layers so you are always comfortable stepping out to your own verandah or the general decks so you can take in the majesty of the inside passage.

Take a look at a nice promo video from Disney here that captures many of these views:

We were hosted on this cruise to Alaska by Disney Vacation Club so that we could provide coverage of the Disney Vacation Club Member Cruise and witness some of the highlights from Disney Plus day. All opinions expressed here are our own.

Ready to Plan Your Disney Cruise?

Be sure to join our FREE Mickey Visit newsletter for the latest on Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World. We have over 105K subscribers on our newsletter. Join us! Be sure to request a no-obligation FREE quote from our travel partner. For a limited time you'll get up to a $400 onboard credit when you book via our Mickey Visit page.

Here are some of our other guides helpful planning guides

• Disney Wish – Tour of Disney's Newest MEGASHIP
• How Much Does a Disney Cruise Cost? 2024 Pricing Explained
• Guide to Disney Cruises – What You Need to Know
• Top Tips For Your First Time Disney Cruise
• Review of the Disney Vacation Club Member Cruise – Worth It?
• Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews – Best Hotels On Property

Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.

About Gavin Doyle

Gavin Doyle is a best-selling author and founder of Mickey Visit. He is an expert on helping families save money and experience more at Disney, Universal, and beyond. He has been featured in Forbes, ABC7, Travel+Leisure, the OC Register, Orange County Register, LA Times, Yahoo! News, and more.

Read more about Gavin.

Planning a Disney Vacation? Get Exclusive Discounts + Free Bonuses

In addition to exclusive discounts for Mickey Visit subscribers, get our free planning printable and guide to make your life SO much easier.

2 comments add your comment

All the tips in the above article are super helpful. Thank you

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for the feedback. Have a great cruise!

Previous Post: PHOTOS! Princess and the Frog STORE Now Open in Disneyland

Next Post: BREAKING! Disneyland Merriest Nites Party Will NOT Return to Disneyland in 2022

We are committed to providing an accessible user experience for all website visitors.

The contrast between foreground and background text will increase.

Remove the accessibilty icon while viewing the site.

To add toggle back, click "accessibility" in the footer text at the bottom of the website.

VIP Experience 1-Day Ticket (Universal Studios Hollywood)

Spaces are limited. Advance purchase recommended. See ticket for more details.

Everything You Need to Know About a Disney Cruise to Alaska

Ahoy, fellow froggy adventurers and Disney enthusiasts! Are you ready to embark on the ultimate voyage to the Last Frontier? We're talking about none other than the Disney Alaskan Cruise, where breathtaking glaciers, majestic wildlife and Disney magic come together for an unfrogettable journey. In this blog, we're ready to get toadally lost as we cover the epic Alaska-specific offerings on these cruises as well as our tips and tricks for any guests going on the Alaska Disney cruise. Before you set sail, we can't help but "break the ice" to share that Undercover Tourist now offers exclusive Disney Cruise Line savings with no booking fees ... and that's snow joke! :)

• Unique Offerings
• Port Adventures
• Kids-Only Experiences
• Adults-Only Experiences
• How to Pack

Overview of the Alaska Disney Cruise

We have had an amazing time on all of the Disney cruises we have been on, but our frog favorite by far is the Alaska Disney Cruise. Disney's Alaska cruises provide the perfect mix of adventure and Disney magic. As with all Disney cruises, guests receive world-class service with special Disney touches which are then combined with amazing ports of call and stunning views throughout Alaska.

The Alaska Disney cruises are currently on the Disney Wonder cruise ship. For more details about the Wonder cruise ship amenities including the various stateroom options, dining options and more, be sure to hop over to our full Disney Wonder guide .

Itineraries Available

Disney currently offers 5-night, 7-night, 8-night and 9-night Alaskan cruises from Vancouver. This means that all Alaska cruises start and end in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Most of the Alaska Disney cruises are 7 nights, and this was the length of our specific cruise. With the majority of the 7-night cruise itineraries, you will have two days at sea and a day each at the Dawes Glacier, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. This itinerary provides a great mix of time on both the cruise ship and time exploring Alaska.

Our 7-night cruise was marvelous, but we're really looking forward to trying the 8 or 9-night cruises next! We think they'll be an amazing experience too. Plus, the longer cruises have extra stops in Icy Strait Point and Sitka.

Be sure to check the current cruise bookings for the most up-to-date itineraries available.

With any Disney cruise , we always recommend staying within driving distance of the port of departure the day before your cruise is scheduled to leave. With the Alaska cruises departing from Canada, this is especially important to make sure that you arrive in Vancouver and minimize the chance of missing your cruise. While this adds an extra night to your trip, there are plenty of hotel options within walking distance of the Vancouver cruise terminal. An additional benefit of arriving early is that the port is in downtown Vancouver. You may have some time to explore the city before getting on the cruise ship.

Unique Disney Alaska On-Ship Offerings

Character Meet & Greets

The Alaska Disney cruise has characters in unique outfits that are adorable and can only be found on these cruises. Our photos with Mickey and Minnie on the day that the ship went up to the glacier are some of our favorite Disney character photos. Goofy, Donald and Daisy also had unique glacier day outfits. In addition to the glacier day outfits, the characters can be found in fun outfits throughout the duration of the cruise. We spotted Goofy in a lumberjack outfit for our day in Ketchikan because he was helping with the local lumberjack show. The cruise may also have special appearances from rare Alaska-related Disney characters such as Koda from the Disney movie "Brother Bear."

Park Ranger Informational Talks

Throughout the cruise, there are seminars that share information about the history, nature and wildlife in Alaska. The talks are given by a specialist who has a wealth of knowledge about the region. Several of the seminars on our cruise were given by a former park ranger. We attended two of the talks and we loved the presentation and the information we learned about Alaska.

Themed Door Decorations

One froggerific detail found on a Disney cruise is guest room door decorations. The stateroom doors are magnetic, so guests will bring everything from simple door magnets to elaborate decorations to put up for the duration of the cruise. While door decorations are common on all Disney cruises, on the Alaska cruise, many of the decorations are themed around Alaska. Here is an example of the door decorations we made at home and brought with us for our Alaska Disney stateroom doors.

Frozen Night and the Freeze the Night Away Show

While the Caribbean Disney cruises might have Pirates Night, the Alaska Disney cruises have a "Frozen" night, themed after the "Frozen" Disney movies! This night includes a "Frozen"-themed menu at dinner as well as a special "Frozen" show which takes place outside on the top deck of the cruise ship. The Freeze the Night Away show includes singing and dancing from several of your favorite "Frozen" characters. This show is very cute, and Flora and I both agree that it is geared towards the tadpoles on the ship.

Regional Dining Menus

Disney has three rotational dining locations that you get to experience throughout your cruise. While they each have amazing Disney theming, we were excited to see that the menus included regionally-inspired dishes. The dishes change throughout the cruise, and the offerings are a perfect way for Disney to incorporate regional cuisine and the unique aspects of Alaska into the cruise experience.

Glacier Day Extras with Hot Cocoa

The day that the cruise ship sailed up to the glacier was one of our favorite Alaska cruise experiences. While taking in the scenery, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Disney served hot cocoa and cookies for guests to enjoy. These were the perfect way to warm up and have a treat while enjoying the views from the top deck. For an additional cost, you could add alcohol to your hot cocoa or enjoy a hot mulled wine.

Alaska Disney Merchandise

If you’re looking to find a unique souvenir, the Disney Alaska cruise has you covered. Not only is there the standard Disney cruise merchandise, but there is a variety of Disney Alaska-specific merchandise. Some of our favorite items included the stuffed Mickey and Minnie in their Alaska outfits, Disney Alaska Cruise pins, Alaska holiday ornaments, as well as Disney cruise-themed hats and gloves. As with all Disney cruises, the shops are only open when the ship is at sea, so be sure to plan and get your souvenirs when the ship is not in a port.

On the first night of our cruise, the shops were very busy with people wanting to get specific items. However, we learned from our experience that there was no need to worry. Our ship had plenty of merchandise and it was restocked every day, so it was easy to get any merchandise that was on our wish list. With that being said, there's always the chance that something could sell out, so if there is an item that you really want, it is always a good idea to get it earlier in your cruise.

Port Adventures (Excursions)

Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of Alaska port adventures that you can book directly through Disney. Booking your Disney port adventures depends on your Castaway Club membership level. Castaway Club is a free club that all guests magically become a member of after they take their first Disney cruise. Your Castaway level is determined by how many cruises you have taken. First-time guests can book their port adventures 75 days prior, Silver Club members 90 days prior, Gold 105 days prior and Platinum 120 days prior. Regardless of your Castaway membership level, Concierge Club members may book their port adventures 120 days prior to their sail date. If doing specific Disney excursions is very important to you, this can be a big perk of staying in a Concierge room.

There are hundreds of port adventures listed for Alaska by Disney Cruise Line. This means there is something for everyone. The specific port adventures offered will depend on the specific port that you are stopping at (and potentially by time of year). The minimum age requirement for the port adventure will also vary by activities, with many of them listed for "All ages" or for guests "ages 10 and up." The Alaska cruise port adventures include but are not limited to salmon bakes, nature walks, rail adventures, ziplining, helicopter rides, glacier hikes, lumberjack shows and much more. The cost of the port adventure is typically listed per guest and varies depending on the excursion.

On our trip, we had three ports of call and booked one excursion for each stop. Our first port of call was Skagway. The train tour is a popular port adventure here and it gave us the opportunity to see a lot of the Alaskan and Yukon natural beauty before ending with some time to enjoy Skagway. Skagway is a short walk from the cruise ship dock. We highly recommend leaving some time to explore the cute shops and we also enjoyed drinks at the Skagway Brewing Company and Red Onion Saloon.

Our second stop was in Juneau. Here we took a beautiful helicopter ride up to a glacier. Once we got to the glacier, we got to experience a dog sled ride before taking the helicopter back down to Juneau. Our last port of call was Ketchikan. Here we ventured on an ATV tour before coming back to Ketchikan to walk and enjoy the shops and beauty of the town.

The most unique Disney port adventure is the Glacier Explorer for the day at the Dawes Glacier. This is the only port adventure offered for the Dawes glacier day and it has to be booked through Disney as there isn't a third-party offering. This adventure sails guests up close to the glacier where you'll get amazing views of nature and the cruise ship as it meets back up with it afterwards.

The biggest consideration when booking an excursion is that you will likely miss Mickey and friends on the top deck of the cruise ship with the mountains and glaciers in the background. You will also miss any other cruise activities that take place during this time (such as hot cocoa and cookies on the top deck). The truth is that both options are really frogtastic, so you should choose what is best for you and your travel party.

Are Disney Alaskan Cruises Kid-Friendly?

As with any Disney cruise, the Alaska Disney cruise is a great option for families with kids who are looking for a unique Disney vacation . The ship has many amenities designed specifically for kids. The most popular kids' areas of any Disney cruise ship are the kids' clubs. The kids' clubs are specific parts of the ship (three separate clubs in total) dedicated to kids of a specific age ranging from 3 years old up to 17 years old. Adults are only allowed in these areas during scheduled open houses or when picking up or dropping off their tadpoles.

The Disney Oceaneer Club & Lab offers plenty of kid-friendly activities including character meets. Additional character meets include everything from classic Mickey and Friends characters to Disney Princesses. Characters also make special appearances during some of the meals and live-action shows. Movies and other kid-friendly activities are also available throughout the cruise. Leap over to our detailed Disney Wonder guide for all the ins and outs of the kids' clubs aboard.

While the Alaska cruise has plenty of kid-friendly activities, during our cruise we noticed more pre-teen/teenager kiddos and fewer tadpoles than the other Disney cruises we have taken in the Caribbean and Mexico. That isn't to say that there weren't plenty of little ones still enjoying the ship, but we did notice more teenage guests.

Are Disney Alaskan Cruises Fun for Adults?

Absolutely! We went on our Alaska Disney cruise with another froggy couple and the four of us had one of the best trips of our lives! The Disney Alaska cruise has the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and, of course, Disney magic. The cruise ship has plenty of bar and lounge options for adults to sit back and relax. There is the spa and the adults-only area available on the upper deck. Lastly, there are Broadway-style shows and entertainment throughout the cruise for all guests to enjoy. One of the Alaska-specific activities geared toward adults is the park ranger talks. While all guests can join, the majority of the guests in attendance were adults.

The cruise offers a variety of excursions, from those that are family-friendly to some that may be best suited for adults. (And you can always book an excursion with a third party, but we love booking directly through Disney for security and peace of mind.) Since we mentioned our port adventures above, we should also note that every port of call we went to had a local saloon, brewery or coffee shop, and most offered both amazing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The ports also offer a variety of local shops to explore. This cruise is truly a magical vacation for any adult.

How to Pack for an Alaskan Disney Cruise

The weather in Alaska can vary greatly over the summer. Not only will you see big differences in the temperature month-to-month, but precipitation and temperatures can vary greatly on your cruise as you sail between your various ports of call. We recommend continuing to check the weather as it gets closer to your cruise date in order to have an idea of what the forecasted temperatures are. Our number one packing tip is to pack layers for your outfits. Being able to add an extra sweatshirt or take off a jacket if you’re warm is essential for an Alaskan cruise.

A rain jacket is another essential for your Alaska Disney trip. While we got very lucky with the weather for our Alaska cruise, some of the ports will often get rain. Having a rain jacket available is helpful to ensure that you can have a great time even if there is rain in the forecast.

Binoculars are a great item to pack for when the cruise ship is going through the Inside Passage and up to the glacier. Having a pair of binoculars makes it easier to get a close look at the wildlife such as eagles, whales and seals. If you have a balcony room, it is especially nice to have binoculars available to take a closer look if you spot any wildlife.

Even though Alaska can have cooler weather, we still recommend packing a bathing suit. The pools and water slide will likely be open. There are also whirlpools located on the pool deck that are perfect to relax in. Lastly, there is the spa and rainforest room which you may want a bathing suit for.

Disney Cruise to Alaska — Our Top Tips

Motion Sickness

When it comes to motion sickness , we know that every person is different. Also, how much the ship moves depends on the weather for your specific cruise. However, the Alaska Disney cruise spends a large portion of the cruise sailing through the Inside Passage. The Inside Passage is known for calmer waters and you may be sailing between islands, fjords and through other waterways which are very different from the open ocean. Because of this, we personally found the motion on this cruise to be minimal.

Get a Room with a Balcony & Spend Time Outside

Having a stateroom with a verandah (balcony) was magical for the Alaska Disney Cruise. Why? Because you’re able to see amazing wildlife from the comfort of your room. One morning we were having coffee on the balcony and a pod of whales swam past our ship. Guests are also able to bring alcohol onto the ship or you can order beverages to be delivered to your room (alcohol is an additional cost).

The current Disney policy is "Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened wine or champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or 6 beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call." We had a bottle of wine and we spent an afternoon relaxing on our balcony, drinking the wine and taking in the Alaskan scenery. While we loved having a balcony and highly recommend it, these rooms are more expensive than the inside staterooms.

If you are looking to save money on your stateroom or if you prefer an inside stateroom, we still recommend spending as much time as you can outside. We often would have breakfast at Cabanas which offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Even though it was a little cooler to sit outside for breakfast during the morning, one morning we were eating Mickey waffles as bald eagles were flying overhead. It was an amazing experience and something we likely would have missed if we were sitting inside.

While it isn’t guaranteed that you will see certain wildlife, the views alone are worth soaking in as much as possible while on the Alaska Disney cruise. There are so many activities provided on the Disney cruise, many of which take place inside, that it is easy to forget the beauty that is outside. Be sure to take advantage of the beauty you sail past and spend time outside on your cruise.

Don't Miss the Characters

The character meet and greets on any Disney cruise are a ton of fun, but Alaska has the characters in outfits that are unique to these Disney cruises. Even if you have someone in your crew who doesn't normally prioritize character meetups, their outfits are so cute that we highly recommend at least meeting one character on your cruise.

Book Your Port Adventures Early

The excursions for the Alaska ports of call are very popular. Personally, we found many of the Alaska port adventures to book up quicker than the excursions for the Disney cruises in the Caribbean and Mexico. We recommend booking any Disney excursions that you are interested in as soon as your booking window opens. If the activity you want is full, you can always join the waitlist when you board the ship, or you can look for a third-party tour company that may offer something similar.

Explore Every Port of Call

Each port of call included with the Alaska Disney cruise is unique in its own magical way. Since your cruise will already include days at sea, we recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to explore Alaska during the ports of call. All the ports of call are either a short walk from the ship or a complimentary bus provides a ride to downtown (this was the case for us in Juneau). The ports of call have amazing activities, food, drinks and shops which we highly recommend exploring.

Check the Weather and Pack Layers

Be sure to check the weather right before you leave for your cruise and while on your cruise. The Alaskan weather can vary greatly both in temperature and precipitation. Even over the course of a day, we found the temperature could vary greatly with it being chilly in the morning and then hot by midday. For us, it was essential to wear layers, so that we could easily add a fleece or jacket when it was cooler out and then take it off when it got hot. Even if rain is not in your forecast, we would recommend packing a rain jacket. We also brought light waterproof pants with us for our glacier excursion and to have in case of rain. Making sure that we had a variety of options to layer throughout the trip was the trickiest part of packing.

Alaska Disney cruises are a froggerific experience! We had high expectations prior to our cruise, but the magic provided by Disney combined with the beauty and adventure of Alaska resulted in the trip far exceeding all our expectations. We had a trip of a lifetime and we can't wait for you to experience this amazing adventure. If you're headed on a Disney Cruise to Alaska, let us know in the comments!

Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Disney Cruise Line

Related: The Adventurous Details of the New Disney Treasure Cruise Ship

Keep hopping!

Tags: Disney cruise , Disney Cruise Line , Disney Wonder , Cruise , Alaska Cruise

Looking for Disney Cruise for family of 9 end of June 2024

You can find available cruises here ! You can filter by destination (Alaska), Sailing Dates (June), Length and Cruise Line (Disney Cruise Line) to find sailings that work for you.

Leave a comment

About Undercover Tourist

Undercover Tourist is the leading supplier of online discount tickets to Orlando , Florida-area attractions, including Walt Disney World ® Resort , Universal Orlando Resort™ , SeaWorld® Orlando , LEGOLAND® Florida Resort and more.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Most commented posts.

• The Ultimate Guide on When to Use Express Pass at Universal Orlando   5692
• The Very Best Times to Visit Disney World in 2024 and 2025   3838
• The Very Best Times to Visit Universal Orlando in 2024 and 2025   8325
• What's Coming to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando in 2024 and Beyond   846
• Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions About Using Genie Plus at Disney World   266
• Beaches and Sandals Resorts
• Cities & Family Travel
• Disability Travel
• Disney Crafts, Recipes & Fun Stuff
• Family / Kids Advice
• Family Ski Trips
• Hotels, Resorts & Lodging
• Live Events
• News & Announcements
• Restaurants & Dining
• Theme Park Rides, Shows & More
• Theme Park Tips & Planning
• When to Visit

Archived Posts

Our step-by-step guides will save you up to 4 hours a day.

• Los Angeles
• Southern California
• Magic Kingdom® Park
• Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
• Disney's Hollywood Studios®
• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal Islands of Adventure
• SeaWorld® Orlando
• Disneyland® Park
• Disney California Adventure® Park
• Universal Studios Hollywood TM

Create An Account

In order to save your favorite items, you'll need to create an account. Already have one? Sign in .

10 Do’s and Don’ts for your Disney Alaska Cruise

It’s almost time for Disney Cruise Line’s yearly Alaska sailings!  In fact, it’s almost time for Disney to release their 2020 Alaska sailings, and I’m guessing several of you are thinking about booking.  I’ve done Disney cruises all over the world, and Alaska will always be one of my favorites.  It’s amazing.  It is, however, a very different experience than a typical Caribbean cruise.  Here are some tips that will help you prepare!

2. Don’t Count on an Upgrade in Port – You’ve heard me say before that there are often great upgrades at steep discounts available in port. In Alaska, they are fewer and farther between. It’s all about that view.  Everyone wants one, and they are gone by boarding day.  I’m not saying it’s impossible, so get to the port early and try!  What I am saying, is book a room you will be happy with.  If you aren’t going to be happy in an inside room, don’t book it, hoping for an upgrade.  Book what you will be happy with.  If there are upgrades available – woohoo!  Bonus!

6. Do Be Prepared to Enter Canada – An interesting law that you may need to be aware of is a Canadian law that will not allow anyone with a felony to cross their border, no matter how long ago it occurred. Under Canadian law, a DUI is a felony. If you do not clear some legal hurdles beforehand , you can and will be denied entry.  Also, for anyone wondering what kind of proof of citizenship is needed for an Alaskan cruise, Disney spells it all out right here for you.  Easiest answer – get a passport.

8. Don’t be Frightened off by Expensive Flights to Vancouver – There are more options to get to Vancouver than you think! Some of you may live close enough to drive, but most will probably fly. My family tends to avoid using airline miles for overseas flights because it takes so gosh darn many of them.  The good news about Canada, is that with many airlines, it takes the same amount of miles to fly there as it does to fly domestically within the US.  You can also consider flying into Seattle.  It’s possible to rent a car and drive to Vancouver from there, but the train is a fun option as well.  Look at all your options before making your decision!

Bonus – Don’t Worry About Missing Glacier Bay.  Disney gets a bad rap for not visiting Glacier Bay on its itineraries.  I’ve been there, and Glacier Bay is stunning, amazing.  The good news is – so is Endicott Arm.  Or Tracey Arm, or whatever arm Disney will sail through.  You can’t see all the glaciers in Alaska on any single itinerary, but you’ll see plenty with Disney.  And you will be amazed by the beauty.  I’m already excited for you!

Do any other Alaska cruisers have tips?  Or questions?

Tammy Whiting  is the owner of  Storybook Destinations . Did you know Storybook Destinations offers a  complimentary subscription to TouringPlans  with qualified Disney and Universal bookings? Click  here  for a no-obligation quote on your next vacation!

You May Also Like...

Disney Cruise Line has temporarily changed the final payment policy for cruises through March 31, 2021. Final payments will now be…

Disney Cruise Line has added several cruises to their previously announced schedule for the Disney Dream. The dates for the new…

Alaska cruise season is coming up, people!  I myself somehow have two Alaska cruises booked this summer.  I’ve been a few…

Our friend Scott Sanders at the Disney Cruise Line Blog is reporting exciting information about some possible changes to communication systems…

• The Patriots Are Going to Walt Disney World
• Five Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Do’s and Don’ts

Tammy Whiting

Tammy has been a lover of all things Disney for most of her life. There’s nowhere on this Earth she’d rather be than on a Disney cruise with her family. She’s a Space Force wife and proud mom of two wonderful children and one beautiful daughter-in-law . She fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2008 and became a travel agent specializing in Disney vacations. She now owns her own travel agency - Storybook Destinations. You can reach Tammy at [email protected].

9 thoughts on “ 10 Do’s and Don’ts for your Disney Alaska Cruise ”

Disney’s website mentions pools on the ship for the Alaska sailings. Given how you describe the weather here, it doesn’t seem like I should plan on any swimming. What is Disney talking about?

Actually, I think you should absolutely pack swimsuits! The pools are heated to a great temperature, and there are always hot tubs. We definitely swim in Alaska. 🙂

Good to know!!

Any water slides?

Just the Twist & Spout for kids. That one would probably be too cold for me (too much of your body is out of the water), but kids may!

My kids are anti-cold splashing too 🙂

I second all of these suggestions! Truly the most amazingly beautiful scenery we’ve ever seen. I booked most of our excursions directly, which saved a lot of $$$. Most of the time, the Disney Excursion group actually joined us on the very same outing.

It is beautiful, isn’t it? And you are right! Disney often uses the same tour operators that you can book directly with!

Would you recommend the seven day with Icy Strait Points or without?

My philosophy on ports is – the more the better. If you ever decide you don’t want to get off, you can always make that your own “sea day”. But I’d recommend getting off everywhere for at least an hour or two! 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

Cruising Alaska with Disney Cruise Line: A First-Timer’s Guide

Avital Andrews

Avital Andrews, SmarterTravel's editor-at-large, is a travel and lifestyle journalist who is also a contributing editor for AAA's Via magazine. Her stories have been among the 10 most emailed or viewed on the Los Angeles Times, Outside, Sierra, and SmarterTravel websites, and have also appeared in USA Today, HuffPost, Apple News, Business Insider, and many other nationwide outlets. Her travel book , sold at bookstores and on Amazon, is in its fourth edition, and her journalism gets national media attention, including from The New York Times , The Atlantic , Time , NPR, and MTV. She's currently working on her first children's book. Follow her on Twitter @avitalb .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: My laptop—the lightweight and stylish HP Spectre x360—since I'm almost always on deadline.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: A round-the-world cruise that makes stops to experience Aurora Borealis, the Olympics opening ceremony, Borneo, Madagascar, the Jerusalem Festival of Light, the Bolivian salt flats, Kenya's Giraffe Manor, the Galapagos, the Maldives, Bora Bora, the Seychelles, and every Disney park. (That itinerary definitely exists, right?)

Travel Motto: I'll steal Saint Augustine's: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Window, always. For the views and also the naps.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

If you’re like many travelers, you’ve long dreamed of taking a cruise to Alaska—and for good reason. An Alaskan ocean voyage provides an enviable almost-Arctic itinerary, opportunities for adventure at every port, and a constant supply of magnificently icy views, the likes of which probably won’t exist in 50, or even 20, years. You get all this via the comfort of an ocean liner that’s stocked with restaurants, theaters, hotel-like guest rooms, and much more.

I, too, had yearned to cruise to Alaska, so when the opportunity to hop aboard the Disney Wonder presented itself, I enlisted my husband and daughter as my travel mates. We flew to Vancouver to embark on a trip that would end up supplying us with exhilarating experiences, unforgettable nature encounters, heaping helpings of Disney fun, and, ultimately, lifetime memories.

If you’re not sure whether a Disney Alaska cruise is right for you, here’s a good idea of what you can expect based on my experiences and observations as a fellow first-timer.

Why Choose a Disney Cruise?

There are a few factors to keep in mind if Disney Cruise Line (DCL) is among the companies you’re considering for your journey to the Last Frontier.

Foremost among them: If any of the travelers in your group is a Disney fan, a Disney cruise will very much play into that enthusiasm. This may be too obvious to mention, but almost everything on a Disney cruise is Disney-themed, right down to the ketchup that’s squirted onto kids’ plates—in the shape of Mickey’s head. The characters and their stories pervade the ship, as well as some of the shore excursions.

The level of service, too, is thoroughly Disney. Everyone who works on the ship is there to make their guests’ experience magical, and it’s obvious that the hiring process is geared toward picking cheerful people who love to make other people—children, especially—happy.

“We have a fabulous, diverse team on board,” says Martin Kemp, Disney Wonder ’s hotel director. “Basically, we get to go around the globe and hire the best talent out there. And when our team members first come onboard, we go through a very, very extensive training program to introduce them to our Disney brand, our culture, and our heritage.”

In addition to providing the exemplary hospitality that the company has become known for, other Disney-specific elements that you can expect during a Disney cruise to Alaska include exclusive shore excursions that are enhanced with Disney touches, like Goofy showing up at the lumberjack show in Ketchikan, or Donald Duck panning for gold alongside your kids in Skagway. Disney hand-picked the top Alaskan tour operators, then worked directly with them to create experiences that are reserved solely for Disney Cruise Line guests.

Onboard, Disney characters wear Alaskan gear—resulting in photos that are Instagram gold—while naturalists lecture about glacier science, and nightly menus spotlight regional cuisine: buttered king crab legs one night, roasted salmon steak the next, alongside Alaska-inspired cocktails that carry the theme even further. Also exclusive to Disney’s Alaskan itineraries: a “Frozen” deck celebration featuring Anna and Elsa, plus a joyous Pixar party in the atrium.

“We truly do believe that Disney Cruise Line is a great way for families to see Alaska,” says Melanie Curtsinger, a company spokesperson. “From our themed dining spaces to the live entertainment, extensive children’s spaces, and exceptional detailed service, there truly is something for everyone in the family on these sailings.”

Disney Alaska Cruise Itinerary

Disney’s Alaska cruises depart from Vancouver for five-, seven- and nine-night summer cruises, with stops, depending on your specific itinerary, for Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Sitka, Victoria, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, and Endicott Arm.

Mine was a seven-night cruise, and we spent a full pre-cruise day in Vancouver , where we rented bicycles from Club16  and took the spectacular waterfront ride around Stanley Park. (Other excellent in-Vancouver-for-the-day options include the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain.) We stayed overnight at the Fairmont Vancouver Waterfront Hotel , where Canadian hospitality is on full display, and where they personalize your shampoo bottles with your last name. The hotel is conveniently across the street from the Port of Vancouver, where we boarded the Disney Wonder. (Tip: Before boarding the ship in Vancouver, try an exotic flavor, like osmanthus flower, in a black cone at Bella Gelateria .)

After a day at sea, our first port of call was Skagway, where we took a stunning helicopter ride to a glacier (more on that below), hiked to land’s end, explored the Western-style State Street full of shops and saloons, and watched the visitor center’s film about the short-lived and ill-fated Klondike gold rush.

Next up was Juneau for some satisfying whale watching and browsing the shopping strip. There’s also the Mount Roberts Tramway , an aerial gondola that transports visitors to the top of the 3,800-foot peak for a wide-spanning, eagle-studded view over Gastineau Channel. Everyone kept saying how lucky we were to be here during such gorgeous weather.

In Ketchikan, we took a morning trolley tour to see the town’s iconic totem poles at Saxman Village. The afternoon was reserved for the raucous Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show (more on that below). In the early evening, as a light rain started to fall, we meandered the above-water walkways past Ketchikan’s former brothels—as colorful as the local characters—that now house curated art galleries, one-of-a-kind souvenir shops, and down-to-earth places to eat and drink.

At each port, there’s souvenir shop after souvenir shop, giving you no excuse to come home empty-handed. To save money, we returned to the Wonder for lunch, but there was plenty of opportunity to sample the local restaurants, many of which seem to be mom-and-pop outfits.

We also spent three full days at sea, including one in the Endicott Arm fjord during which the captain pulled the ship in as close as possible to see the 600-foot-tall Dawes Glacier, then did very slow 360-degree turns so that every passenger could take in its full splendor. Meanwhile, smaller icebergs floated past, crackling their presence. It was poignant to be in the presence of such threatened beauty—people all around us were telling their children to remember this scene, since they might not ever be able to see it look this way again. During the glacier viewing, Disney characters, donning galoshes and parkas, were on deck for hugs and photos.

After our last night onboard, we were shuttled back to Vancouver for an early-morning disembarkation. (Tip: Pack your bags the night before to have staffers lug them off the ship for you.) During our bus transfer back to the airport, Disney trivia played on the screens overhead, though our fellow passengers mostly slept through the ride, happily exhausted from such an activity-packed journey.

The Shore Excursions

Called “Port Adventures” in DCL lingo, there’s a menu of more than 200 family-friendly things to do whenever the Wonder docks in Alaska. Make sure to reserve ahead of time for these memorable shore excursions—you can easily find independent vendors to haggle with once you’re at the destination, but you’re taking a chance with the quality of your experience. You’re much better off booking in advance through Disney, whose contracted operators are total pros.

Disney’s most popular shore excursions in Ketchikan include the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour  (a Disney exclusive that gives an inside look at the life of Alaskan crab harvesters) and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show , a down-home demonstration of manly men showing off their impressive timber-sport skills, like chainsawing and log rolling. There’s plenty of enthusiastic audience participation, and Goofy makes an appearance. Wear red-and-black plaid if you’ve got it.

In Skagway, there’s the Klondike Gold Dredge and White Pass Railway  excursion, during which you take a gorgeous train ride and pan for gold; and Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp , which includes a narrated motor coach tour of Skagway, panning for gold (you’ll find some, guaranteed), a scavenger hunt, a puppet show that’s both hilarious and educational, a Donald Duck cameo, and a salmon bake.

In Juneau, the Dog Sled Summer Camp  lets you feel what it’s like to be pulled through the Alaskan wilderness at the speed of sprinting huskies, while the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest  on Stephen’s Passage guarantees humpback and bald eagle sightings aboard a comfortable catamaran stocked with a full bar; an expert naturalist explains everything you see.

By far the most memorable event of our Disney Alaska cruise—and that’s saying a lot—was the Glacier Discovery by Helicopter  excursion, operated by Temsco Helicopters in Skagway. After a quick safety briefing, we boarded an Airbus helicopter manned by a very capable and personable pilot who was also an expert at calming any nerves, mine included. We flew over crystal-blue lakes, above vast expanses of gleamingly white ice fields, and incredibly close to steep, lush mountainsides. When we landed, it was on the 650-foot-deep Meade Glacier, but it may as well have been another planet. Confident, reassuring guides were there to explain what we were seeing—and to stop us from walking into danger—as we took in the surreal scenery before flying back to the Disney Wonder . The word “awesome” is egregiously overused, but this was awesome.

If you’re worried that your children won’t be able to make it all the way through that excursion you’re eyeing, or you’d just prefer some grownup time ashore, don’t feel bad about dropping your little ones off at the ship’s kids’ spaces before you disembark for some adventure. Most youngsters are ecstatic to have more time in these colorful rooms, where the storytelling is epic, the games and crafts are age-appropriate, and the movies are all Disney. Attentive camp-counselor types from around the world do an excellent job of supervising. (Read on for more about the kids’ spaces.)

Life Onboard Disney Wonder

The Disney vessel that shuttles passengers to and from Alaska is the impressive Wonder, which first set sail in 1999 and is one of DCL’s fleet of four (a fifth will be added in 2021; a sixth in 2023). The 83,000-ton ship has 10 floors, 875 guest rooms, 950 employees, and room for up to 2,713 passengers, a third of which are typically children.

Every day, there’s a program so packed with entertaining activity options that it’s easy to fall prey to some initial FOMO, but once you get into the swing of life onboard a Disney cruise (which doesn’t take long), the fun really begins.

Putting together the ship’s complex entertainment and dining schedule, says Natalie Bailey, Disney Wonder ’s cruise director, “is a Tetris puzzle, truly a group effort of everyone coming together to try to create variety for our guests throughout the day, and the entire cruise. Our biggest thing when it comes to planning is truly ensuring that we do have something for everyone.”

To that end, there are live shows, deck parties, character greetings, first-run movies in the theaters, trivia games, karaoke, crafts, bingo, chef demos, and plenty more. The handy Disney Cruise Line Navigator app , which you should download before your trip, tells you what’s going on at any given time. In addition to providing the day’s full lineup, it lets you “heart” the activities you don’t want to miss, text your fellow travelers for free, book shore excursions, make spa and specialty dining reservations, link your reservation number, and check in online.

Disney is, first and foremost, an entertainment company, so yes, you will be thoroughly entertained the whole way to Alaska and back. Twice nightly in the extravagant 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre, a cast of Broadway-caliber performers display their prodigious talents, with a new live production to enjoy each night, including the Alaska-appropriate “Frozen, a Musical Spectacular,” “Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic” (a production that helped launch Jennifer Hudson’s career), and the life-affirming “Golden Mickeys.” You don’t need to reserve a ticket or pay anything extra to see these shows—just show up; seats are first come, first served. (Tip: Even if the theater appears packed when you enter from the back, there are often seats available way up front.)

If you time your sailing to coincide with the release date of a new Disney movie, you’ll get to see it premiered onboard, to much fanfare—we were at sea the day Toy Story 4 came out and got to see it for free, with Green Army Men photo opps in front of the theater and a bag of popcorn as an in-room amenity.

As mentioned above, children have a whole realm of entertainment catered to them: the fifth-floor Oceaneer Youth Club. Whenever I came there to pick up my daughter, she asked to stay longer, a testament to the amount of fun she was having and the level of comfort she felt with the kind staffers.

These elaborate kids’ spaces were created to immerse youngsters in Disney stories—kids can hang out in the Wandering Oaken trading post from Frozen, Andy’s playroom from Toy Story , or the Marvel-themed Super Hero Academy, where kids train alongside their favorite superheroes. There are many enriching activities for kids to choose from, like crafting, scavenger hunts, dance parties, performing in a talent show, story times, character greetings, and so on; you can use the Navigator app to find out what’s going on in the kids’ spaces. (Tip: Once you’ve made your cruise reservation, you can have a Disney character call your child to get them excited for the trip.)

As for the guest rooms, they’re comfortable and cleverly designed, with enough space for a full family to live, sleep, bathe, and store luggage in. While we dined, our room attendant transformed the couch into a kid’s bunk, adding a guard rail for safety. He also left memorable Disney amenities on our bed, along with Ghirardelli chocolates and towels folded into amusing figures.

The themed restaurants aboard the Wonder  are extraordinarily thought-through and exist for much more than just feeding you. Take Tiana’s Place, based on The Princess and the Frog, a movie in which the title character dreams of opening a restaurant in New Orleans. Yes, the menu at Tiana’s Place includes gumbo and beignets, but the stage also features a talented quartet jazzing up favorite Disney tunes, while Tiana herself visits each table to take photos with young fans; the grand finale is a joyful parade that stars all the servers.

Over at Animator’s Palate, a screen-enhanced shrine to Disney’s drawn history, your server instructs you to draw a character on your placemat. Soon thereafter, your drawing, alongside those of your fellow diners, gets animated into a magical on-screen mashup. The food is good, too.

There’s also Triton’s, a traditional cruise restaurant, and Cabanas, a huge buffet on the ninth floor with great ocean views. Several walk-up-and-go snack counters hand out pizza, gyros, ice cream, and more. All food and beverage is included in the cost of your cruise (except alcohol; you can bring a small amount onboard), so you can order whatever you want without fretting about the tab.

The only restaurant with an upcharge is Palo, the adults-only Italian eatery atop the ship. The cuisine there is a step up, and the service is top-notch, too. If you’re interested in dining at Palo, make a reservation as far ahead of time as possible.

As you cycle through Tiana’s Place, Animator’s Palate, and Triton’s each night at your set dining time (5:45 p.m. or 8:00 p.m., your choice), your dedicated team of servers follow you from restaurant to restaurant. They’re genuinely kind and accommodating, and clearly hired in part for their ability to make kids smile, laugh—and eat. They joke around, bring you whatever you want, do magic tricks and origami, and give generous hugs and high fives.

If you’d rather skip the dining room, though, or if you get hungry in the middle of the night, room service is included in the cost of your Disney Alaska cruise, and you can order as much as you want without being charged extra.

Other features worth mentioning on the Wonder include the spacious spa and top-floor fitness center, where you can run on a treadmill while watching glaciers and icebergs glide by. No matter the weather, people are always using the swimming pool and outdoor hot tubs, while Disney movies play on the huge outdoor screen above. And the “nightlife district” is a collection of three handsome bars, including a classic British pub.

Wi-Fi on the Wonder is prohibitively pricey ($89 gets you 1,000 megabytes), so it’s wise to use your cruise as an excuse to unplug from email and social media.

Whatever you’re planning to do onboard, book as much of it that’s bookable well in advance, before departing for your vacation, to make sure that you get the spots you want. This includes nursery times, spa appointments, character meet-and-greets, shore excursions, and specialty dining reservations. Then once you get onboard, you can simply relax and enjoy.

What to Pack for a Disney Alaska Cruise

Once you’re ready to get your stuff together for your Disney cruise to Alaska, check out DCL’s full list of what to pack —and what not to.

There are some pretty specific things that you’ll want to bring along for this type of cruise, including binoculars (which are available for purchase at the Port of Vancouver), rain gear, boots, layers, and waterproof jackets. Bring fancy attire for the ship’s formal and semi-formal nights, and if you plan to dine at Palo, keep in mind that the dress code there encourages dress pants or slacks and a collared shirt for men, and a dress, skirt, or pants and a blouse for women.

It’s fun to wear red-and-black plaid in Ketchikan, especially if you’re planning to see the lumberjack show there, and it’s also fun to bring Disney-themed door decorations—check Pinterest and Etsy for ideas. Don’t forget Disney autograph books for your little ones to get signed, princess dresses for the young princesses in your life, Disneybounding gear for you (if you’re into that), and at least two bathing suits so that you can wear the dry one while the wet one dries.

It’s also smart to fold an extra duffel bag into your suitcase—what with the merchandise available onboard and the many souvenir shops on shore, you’ll be coming home from Alaska with way more than you packed.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide
• What to Expect on Your First Disney Cruise
• 10 Best Disney Hotels Around the World

Follow Avital Andrews on Twitter  @avitalb  or on  Facebook .

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Top Fares From

Don't see a fare you like? View all flight deals from your city.

Today's top travel deals.

Brought to you by ShermansTravel

Porto to Lisbon: 7-Nt, Small-Group Portugal...

Indus Travels

Luxe, 12-Night Spain, France, Monaco &...

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Ohio: Daily Car Rentals from Cincinnati

Trending on SmarterTravel

• Get the Newsletter
• Blogger Resources

Disney Alaska Cruise Ultimate Guide for a 7-Night Trip

Ready to take a once-in-a-lifetime Disney Cruise to Alaska? Beautiful scenery, rich Gold Rush history, and amazing wildlife are all part of what you’ll get on a cruise to Alaska with Disney. But how can you make the most of it? As the most offered Disney Alaska Cruise sailing, the 7-Night Itinerary on the Disney Wonder brings you to Alaska’s Inner Passage, and along the Alaskan Coastline. If you’re looking for Alaska cruise tips, here is everything we did on our Disney Alaska Cruise that may help you in planning yours.

• 1 Taking A Disney Cruise to Alaska
• 2 How to Get to Vancouver for a Disney Cruise to Alaska
• 3 Alaska Cruise from Vancouver British Columbia Canada | Day 1
• 4 Disney Alaska Cruise Day At Sea | Day 2
• 5 Alaskan Glacier Viewing Day Disney Cruise At Sea | Day 3
• 6 Skagway Alaska Cruise Port | Day 4
• 7 Juneau Alaska Cruise Port | Day 5
• 8 Ketchikan Alaska Cruise Port | Day 6
• 9 Disney Alaska Cruise Day at Sea | Day 7
• 10 Vancouver British Columbia Canada | Day 8
• 11 Disney Alaska Cruise Shore Excursions
• 12 Disney Alaska Cruise Tips
• 13 Disney Alaska Cruise Deals

Taking A Disney Cruise to Alaska

Whether this is your first Disney Cruise or just one you’ve wanted to do for a long time, know that a Disney Cruise to Alaska is a BIG DEAL! Exploring the last frontier via Disney Cruise Ship is unparalleled, and there are a lot of things to consider if this is your next family vacation. From Planning a Disney Cruise to Alaska to knowing What to Pack for a Disney Alaska Cruise , you may find yourself getting a bit overwhelmed. But, never fear! We’re sharing all our experiences in the posts on this blog to help you get the most out of your Disney Alaska Cruise.

Where does a Disney Cruise to Alaska Depart From?

Disney Cruise Line offers 5-night, 7-night, 8-night, and 9-night Alaskan cruises from Vancouver. As such all Disney Alaska cruises start and end in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.

Where does a Disney Alaska Cruise Go?

A Disney Alaska Cruise on the Disney Wonder sets sail from Vancouver,  Canada, and brings you all the way to Skagway along Alaska’s southeastern coast. Making a few stops at ports along the Alaska coastline along the way, we wanted to chart our journey here so you could see all the moving parts included in an Alaska Cruise. This post deep dives into our 7-Night Alaska Cruise from Vancouver, Canada . Covering an Alaskan Cruise Itinerary for a Disney Alaska Cruise that stops at Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan .

Do any Disney Alaska Cruises leave from Seattle?

Disney Cruise Line does not depart from Seattle, as they depart from Vancouver, Canada. However, there are other Cruises to Alaska that depart from Seattle. Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean all offer roundtrip Alaska cruises that sail from Seattle, Washington.

Taking the Disney Wonder to Alaska

Disney Cruise Line’s current Alaska-designated ship is the Disney Wonder; one of our favorite ships. If you’ve never sailed on this boat, be sure to check out our posts for everything you need to know about the Disney Wonder to help you feel at home onboard.

• Disney Wonder Cruise Restaurants
• Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Guide

How to Get to Vancouver for a Disney Cruise to Alaska

Much like trips to Disney Aulani in Hawaii, if you don’t live on the West Coast, half the battle is getting there. As such we went back and forth on the pros and cons of Flying into Vancouver for a Disney Cruise, or Taking the Train to Vancouver for a Disney Cruise. Of course, after seeing prices from our local airport to Vancouver International Airport ( YVR) and hearing some horror stories about how long it takes to get through Customs when you fly in, we decided the train would be best. So, we booked airline tickets from our home airport to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ( SEA), which kept us in-country and out of long customs lines. We then headed to the Embassy Suites Hotel , which is located right next door to the King Street Station. This is where we grabbed the Amtrak Cascades Train  and headed for Vancouver.

Alaska Airlines

By far the Best Airline for Alaska Travel, Alaska Airlines is a good flight experience all around. Still offering free non-alcoholic beverages and in-flight snacks, Alaska Airlines is worth the look. Plus, baggage costs were cheaper than most airlines and the whole process was easy. While Alaska Airlines doesn’t offer an Alaska Cruise with Airfare package, there are many ways to make your travel easier with a travel agent. 

Amtrak Cascade Train from Seattle to Vancouver

A bonus of taking the Amtrak Cascades Train from Seattle to Vancouver is that the Customs officer simply checks each passport while guests are on the train. No lines. About a 4-hour ride from Seattle to Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station, the train offers nice seating, ample overhead baggage storage, a baggage car, and a small cafe offering packaged snacks and coffee. The views from the train are worth the trip and great if you’re looking for a leisurely start to your vacation.

Vancouver Hotels for a Disney Cruise to Alaska

By far the BEST hotel in Vancouver for your Disney Cruise to Alaska, the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver is located on top of the Cruise Terminal. While there are plenty of other hotels nearby, staying at the Pan Pacific means that you can literally ask the bellman to take your luggage the morning of your departure, and they will make sure it gets on the ship for you! Just be sure to have your Disney Wonder luggage tags attached.

We also like the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver for your Disney Alaska Cruise, because being this close to the cruise port means you can actually watch the boat come in the morning of your embarkation day.

The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel is also near Canada Place and another easy walk to the Crusie terminal. While we didn’t stay here, it would be a great alternative if you were looking for somewhere close that you could walk to, and tote your own luggage back and forth, without the need for an Uber to port.

Alaska Cruise from Vancouver British Columbia Canada | Day 1

Arriving in Vancouver for your Disney Cruise to Alaska means that you’ll be headed to Canada Place ; home to the Vancouver Sails and the Cruise Port Terminal. This building includes a massive convention center but is also home to the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver, a Starbucks, the Canadian Historical Trail, the Flying over Canada Attraction, and several eateries to fill the time. Extremely walkable, you can get a taste of Vancouver just by being in this area. All guests should be Onboard by 4 pm for Embarkation Day . So be sure to check out your details from the Disney Cruise Line Check-in Process for your Port Arrival Time.

Disney Cruise Line App

As soon as you board the ship you can access the Disney Cruise Line App. Simply TURN ON Airplane Mode and Connect to the Disney Cruise Line Wi-Fi. Then open your Disney Cruise Line App. Once onboard and in the app you can see onboard activities, the time for the sail away party, the drinks of the day, and make any last-minute purchases for excursions or classes onboard. Activities are posted for each day and show the day, time, and location of each. Plus, you can heart the activities you like so you can keep track of your favorite things and when they’re happening.

Lunch on the Ship

If your port arrival time happens around lunchtime, then be sure to check out Cabanas or whichever Rotational Dining Restaurant on the Disney Wonder is serving up lunch on your embarkation day. In the past, we’ve eaten lunch at both Triton’s and Tianas onboard the Disney Wonder. Both offer a sit-down dining experience and can give you a chance to relax and make your plans for the evening. If choosing to head to Cabanas, know that this quick-service restaurant gets pretty crowded. Lined with food stations this restaurant offers a variety of seafood, salads, sandwiches, and more. Additional seating can be found on deck as well, so if the weather is nice, it’s most likely your best bet to manage the crowds.

Disney Cruise Sail Away Party

No Disney Cruise would be complete without a Sail Away Party, and sailing away to Alaska is something to celebrate! As your debarkation time nears head to the upper decks to get a good view of the stage, and FunnelVision. This is where the magic happens. Grab a drink or ice cream and settle into your spot for the Sail Away Party show. Filled with catchy songs and Disney friends, this is a great way to get the cruise party started. And since the entertainment team is part of this show, it’s the first time you get to “meet” them too! Take note of faces and names, as this team leads all the activities onboard the ship and will become your fast friends over the next 7 days.

Kid’s Club Open Houses

Day one on a Disney Cruise often means the opportunity to explore the ship and get to know the Kid’s Club spaces. We talk about the Kid’s Clubs on the Disney Wonder in our Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Guide , but if you’re looking to get the kids settled be sure to check out the open houses and get them ready. Times and details can be found in the Disney Cruise Line App, often referred to as the Disney Navigator, once you’re onboard.

50MB FREE Internet 

Let us just say, Disney Cruise Wi-Fi is generally horrible; yes, even when you pay $90 extra for it. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention it in this Disney Alaska Cruise Guide. That said, be sure to give yourself a head start by signing up for the Free 50MB you have available to you on the FIRST DAY ONLY. This is able to be used throughout your cruise, but many can’t make it last that long. Here are some tried and true tips.

• Disable ALL notifications on your phone. Otherwise, as soon as you claim the credit, it will get used, in less than a minute, due to notifications.
• Turn OFF Background Refresh. Typically accessible from Settings- General. Otherwise, every app you have will use your wi-fi for updates, without you knowing it.
• Sign in to the Disney Cruise App, and click on Connect to the Internet.
• Once logged in “Claim” your Free 50 MB.
• LOG OUT! By far the most important thing to know. If you don’t log out once you’re done using the internet it will stay “ON” the entire time and you’ll burn through it in minutes.
• Note, if you’re hoping to make the most of the free MB offered to you, we recommend being mindful of the websites you’re visiting. Videos, Ads and more can bleed you dry in MB fairly quickly.

Disney Alaska Cruise Day At Sea | Day 2

Disney Cruises offer opportunities to see wildlife at sea, the Northern Lights, and shore excursions you won’t experience elsewhere. And every Disney Cruise offers ample opportunities for all ages to have fun at sea. From pool time, movies in the theaters, and classes for adults to family-friendly crafts and activities, there is plenty to do onboard for your Disney Cruise Day at Sea. On a Disney Alaska Cruise, however, you’re offered even more opportunities to learn about Alaska, in addition to all the other fun stuff of course.

Alaska Wildlife Cruise Viewing

Depending on the time of year you visit, there is a variety of Alaskan wildlife you can see on a Disney Cruise to Alaska. Seals, Whales, Eagles, and even bears can be seen from the boat throughout your cruise. While an Alaska small ship cruise can get you closer to some of the wildlife at sea, those extra excursions do cost extra, so be sure to check your options ahead of time if you’re hoping to add those excursions to your cruise.

Alaskan Naturalist Talks Onboard

We had several opportunities throughout the cruise to learn about the landscape, ocean, and wildlife of Alaska due to specially offered Alaskan Naturalist talks. Featuring local naturalists, these mini-presentations gave us an inside look at the types of birds, whales, and sealife we may see throughout the trip. While you may not want to spend your afternoon in the Walt Disney Theater watching a PowerPoint and hearing stories, it gave us exactly what we needed to help identify the wildlife we were seeing during the cruise.

Disney Trivia

Ahhh, we can never get enough Disney Trivia. Luckily, every Disney Cruise has ample opportunities to put your knowledge to the test or pick up some fun facts along the way. “What Disney Movie has the tagline; A Great Love Story ?- Bambi!” And if Disney Trivia isn’t your thing there are other topics too! 90s Music Trivia, Television Trivia, and even Traditional British Pub Quiz questions pop up as activities you can do onboard.

Disney Character Meet and Greets

Another popular At Sea Day activity is getting to meet the Disney Characters. Mickey and Friends and the Disney Princesses are usually available sometime throughout the Days at Sea for photos. And it’s a great way to grab pictures on your less busy days.

Bingo on a Disney Cruise

Nothing is more fun than Bingo on a Disney Cruise. With a high-energy feel, this activity can win you money and is family-friendly too. The cast members do a great job of keeping up the high vibes, and you may even win some Disney Cruise Line Freebies just for participating.

Alaskan Glacier Viewing Day Disney Cruise At Sea | Day 3

By far one of the most important parts of your whole Disney Alaska Cruise is seeing the Glacier tucked away in Alaska’s Inner Passage. While the glacier you see may vary ( Dawes Glacier, Stewart Glacier, Sitkine Ice Cap, etc.) be ready to stand on deck with all the other guests and marvel at nature as you weave slowly through the fjords. Glacier Viewing Day often includes slow sailing that happens until about 12 noon. But of course, your Cruise Director and Captain will keep you posted on when the glacier may be in view. As this is the most beautiful day for Alaskan scenery many guests just head to the top decks and claim their spots. Often hours ahead of time. That said, here are a few things to know about the Alaskan Glacier Viewing on Disney Cruise. Check out out Glacier Day Video for a sneak peek.

Disney Alaska Cruise Glacier Day Tips

• Dress Warmly. If you’re standing on Deck you will have fjord winds to deal with, which can be bracing. Be sure to have sunglasses, gloves, a hat, a scarf, and a coat; preferably with windbreaker capabilities.
• Have your Camera and Binoculars.  Smaller glaciers, seals, whales, and beautiful mountains are all part of what you may see on your Inner Passage journey, so be ready for it.
• Naturalist Narration of the Scenery. As you get closer to the glacier you can expect an onboard narrated talk by a local Naturalist, shared over the loudspeakers. To hear the commentary, you may need to get closer to the speaker locations, as the winds dull much of the sound.
• Hot Cocoa is Served. On the Disney Wonder, you can grab mugs of Hot Cocoa in the basketball court area on the top deck. This area has a section that is covered and offers relief from the wind. And even with decent weather in the 60s, it will still be “cold” enough in the fjords to warrant the cocoa creaminess as a treat while you watch out for the glacier.

Mixology Class | $40

One of the many things for Adults on a Disney Cruise is a plethora of classes and tastings. From chocolate liqueur tastings to food and wine pairings to Anyone Can Cook classes, there are plenty of things to be had. On this last trip, we tried out the Mixology Class. Note: Specialty Classes need to be Reserved Ahead of Time as spots fill up fast. So when you’re Planning your Disney Cruise , be sure to add whatever strikes your fancy to your reservations list.

The Mixology Class on our Disney Cruise was quite amazing. Not only did we get a little history of The Cadillac Lounge, where we were hosted, but also a slew of alcoholic drinks to try. Our host shared details about each drink and then showed us how adding something different could make it a whole new drink, with a different name. Very laid back, we probably had about 5 mini drinks by the time the class was over. Completely worth the $40 price tag.

Skagway Alaska Cruise Port | Day 4

Port Times : Guests Ashore at 7:15 am Guests Onboard at 8:00 pm

Our first port on this Disney Alaska Cruise was Skagway. Know that sometimes the cruise itinerary is in reverse, so depending on your itinerary this may be your last stop. By far our favorite Alaskan port, Skagway is home to the astounding history of the Gold Rush. While this little town may look a bit sleepy, there is so much history here that it’s completely worth the deep dive. And you really get the rich storytelling when you book the excursion we did. Of course, there are also several things to do in Skagway on your own if you’re skipping the Port Excursions . From walking trails, to museums, and history placards littered among the streets, there is plenty to do here if you’re up for browsing. Check out our tour of Skagway video. Here are some of our favorites.

White Pass Railroad and Skagway Street Car City Highlights | Disney Excursion $179

The Alaska Excursion we were most excited about was the White Pass Railroad and Skagway Street Car City Highlights Excursion . Running  4 hours and 30 min, at a rate of $179 per person, we felt this cost to be absolutely worth it. Mind you, if you’re bringing small children, consider the toll that 4.5 hours of talking  grown-ups and natural landscapes may do. For adults, this can be heaven, but for kids- well we saw quite a few asleep by the time we got on the train.  Included in this Disney Excursion are the Skagway Alaska Street Car Tour, the Klondike Highway Drive and Talk, and the White Pass Railroad Train Ride . Again, depending on your cruise, these activities may be done in reverse.

Skagway Alaska Street Car Tour

As part of this excursion, guests are ushered from the boat and settled into a renovated street car bus that “tours” the 23 blocks of Skagway’s historic town. On a somewhat quick trip, our guide gave us an overview of the history of certain storefronts, the “garden town” history, and even current information regarding the schools, jobs, and lifestyles you find in Skagway, Alaska. Once finished we disembarked for a bathroom break and headed to the second motorcoach, for a drive up the Klondike Highway.

Klondike Highway Drive and Talk

This stretch of our tour featured an amazing storyteller and previous National Park Ranger, Doug from the Skagway City and Summit Tour team. Sharing stories of Skagway’s claim to fame as the Gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush , there were many stories to tell. From panning for gold to the trails through the White Mountains that would lead fortune seekers to the Canadian border beyond, we learned A LOT on this tour. From the history of Skookum Jim to the trails carved out by George Carmack, the history in this part of the country is hopeful and devastating. Without this excursion, we would not have learned about the lands or the people’s struggles in so much detail, and are truly grateful to have had the experience.

White Pass Railroad Train Ride

Of course, the main reason people take this excursion is the chance to ride the train, that weaves high atop the mountain cliffs of the Yukon. A mainstay in the Skagway area this train offers views of Alaska like no other. Some of the most beautiful countries can be seen from the train. With waterfalls, forests, creeks, lakes, and mountainsides galore, guests are even allowed to withdraw to the open-air platforms at each end of the train to see the views better.

Dog Sledding and Glacier Flightseeing | $629

Available through Disney Cruise Line or for a cheaper price through Temsco which is the same company that does Disney’s Dog Sledding and Glacier Flightseeing Port Excursion. If you book directly you can get this a little cheaper. Guests board a helicopter and are taken to the mountaintops to meet musher dogs, learn about the sleds and take their turn at mushing on their own. A favorite among just about everyone, meeting the dogs, and learning how to mush are experiences you may only get the chance to do in Alaska. This excursion lasts 2 hours 30 min and is the unforgettable experience you’re sure to be writing home about.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park Visitor Center

A must-see in Skagway is the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park Visitor Center. This visitor center includes a 3-d map of the Gold Rush trail and details about its most important people. You can also grab your National Park Passport Stamp here too!

• Things to Do in Skagway
• Skagway Walking Trail Map

Gold Rush Cemetery

About 2 miles out of town, the Gold Rush Cemetery is near Lower Reid Falls, and this is an easy walk for anyone wanting to see the history and nature of the area. As one of the Free Things to Do in Skagway , this cemetery features the likes of Soapy Smith and Martin Itjen. You can also grab the SMART shuttle to a spot about a 1/2 mile from the cemetery if you’re not walking or renting bikes.

The Red Onion Saloon

A classic saloon, the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway is a major stop for many tourists. Serving up pizza, burgers, salads, beer, and more, this restaurant is first come first serve…and you can expect a line. Our recommendation is don’t go as soon as you arrive. If you wait until later in the day, the crowds will be less heavy. And if you’ve ever wondered what an old-school brothel looks like, there is also a museum at this restaurant upstairs you can access for an extra charge.

Klondike Doughboy

Wondering if you really need a large piece of dough covered in sugar? Why question it? Of course, you do! A local specialty, Klondike Doughboy of Skagway is a MUST-DO stop in this small town. This little shop includes not only amazing fried dough patties, fried fresh and covered in sugar but also cute souvenirs in their store. A great one-stop shop for your maple syrup. Alaska magnets and ulu knife needs. On a side note, this dough treat is about as big as a dinner plate and costs $7. It is definitely a two-person dessert if you’re not averse to sharing.

Juneau Alaska Cruise Port | Day 5

Port Times: Guests Ashore 6:45 am Guests Onboard at 4:45 pm

As the capital city of Alaska, Juneau is very much a working city with suburbs, forests, activities, and more. And as a Cruise Port city, you can plan on having the amenities pretty close at hand, no matter what excursions you pick. Our Disney Cruise came in at the AJ dock in Juneau, which is typical for the Disney Wonder and is the farthest berth from town, about a 1-mile walk. If you’re taking any morning excursions, they will, however, drop you back in town so that everything is accessible for the rest of your day at Port. Be sure to stop off at the Juneau Visitors Center for a port map, and to ask questions. And there is also a free shuttle to the port when needed. Check out our tour of Juneau Video.

• Juneau Alaska Cruise Port Map
• Juneau Visitors Guide

Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails | Disney Excursion $249

If you’re hoping to see whales on your Disney Alaska Cruise, then you’d best book a tour. Through Disney Cruise, we booked the Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails tour which spanned 5 hours and 15 minutes.  At a cost of $249 per person, this is one of the more involved tours featuring both a rainforest walk in the Tongass National Forest and time on the whale-watching boat, waiting for sightings.

Offered by Gastineua Guiding in Juneau, Alaska we couldn’t be happier with Disney’s selection of tour companies here. For the rainforest portion, they brought us through the forest, and along an Alaskan beach, with beautiful views. And the Whale sightseeing also included seals and scenery of the Mendenhall Glacier. The guides for both parts of our excursion were knowledgeable, friendly, and truly passionate about their work. Sharing details about the plants, trees, and history on the trails, as well as fun facts about the whales. Just like most of the excursions on our Alaska trip, we just wouldn’t have gotten this level of detail or knowledge had we attempted these things on our own. It was such a great experience.

Nugget Falls and the Mendenhall Glacier

Only 12 miles from the cruise port, if Mendenhall Glacier isn’t included in a tour you’ve booked, it’s easiest and cheapest to just take a taxi there. You can get up close and personal with Nugget Falls, the Mendenhall Glacier, and the trails and beaches they occupy. We did get a glimpse of the Mendenhall Glacier from our Whales excursion, but not as close as if we would’ve just gone separately. Check out the Nugget Falls and Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and the 1.5-mile loop you can walk while you’re there.

Merchant’s Wharf

Known as the “Blue Building” you’ll find local shops, Frost +Fur, Pel Meni’s, Hearthside Books, seafood restaurants, and Glacier Coffee Co. here. If you’re looking for a place to go that has local specialties, and souvenirs, then this is where you can start.

Frost + Fur Novelty Shop

Found at Merchants Wharf, Frost + Fur is a specialty gift shop, featuring handmade screen-printed items, gifts, artwork, and local goods. Truly, one of the BEST shops in Juneau, this place was right up our alley. Offering a beautiful collection of specially curated souvenirs featuring things you’d want from Alaska. Shirts, Alaska tea, Camping Books, Artwork, Stickers, Travel journals, and more, we could have bought the entire store. Thankfully, since we do have luggage limits to consider, you can also find and support them online. Be sure to stop and see them in their shop at Merchants Wharf or shop Frost and Fur online.

Glacier Coffee Co. 

Happily located next to Frost + Fur was Glacier Coffee Co. serving up some of the Best Coffee in Juneau we had! And since we get kinda picky with our coffee, that’s saying something. Run by the locals, this coffee shop can whip up whatever you’d like, as they had loads of syrups, sauces, espressos, matcha, teas, and chai. Check out Glacier Coffee Co . and be sure to add them to your list for your Juneau Cruise Port stop.

Pel’Meni

Serving Russian Pierogi, Pel Menis is a local favorite and located in Merchant’s Wharf as well, just along the Marine Way edge of the building. Open for lunch and dinner, the offerings on the menu are 2 items only. Potato pelmeni, or beef pelmeni. These doughy, potato-y balls are a bit like dumplings, gnocchi, or pierogi and come topped with curry spices, hot sauce, and chives. Sometimes sour cream is offered, but we didn’t get that option when we visited. This dish is also served with a half piece of soft marbled rye bread. This meal was good for a chilly day in Alaska and was priced right at about $6 or $7 each. Plus, if you’re dealing with picky eaters, you can just get this lunch without the toppings for a cozy buttery pelmeni dish that even kids would love.

Freezing the Night Away Disney Cruise Deck Party

Much like Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise, on an Alaska Cruise, you get to Freeze the Night Away with friends from Frozen. This evening deck party happens between the first and second dinner seatings and includes the entertainment team, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf. Plan on sing-along songs, dances, and a reason to grab more hot cocoa from the drink station on Deck 9.

Ketchikan Alaska Cruise Port | Day 6

Port Times: Guests Ashore 11:15 am Guests Onboard 7:45 pm

Unlike Juneau, where some of the port is a little walking distance, the Disney Cruise Port at Ketchikan is right in the middle of town. With everything literally visible from the boat, and extremely walkable. Alaska Cruise Shore Excursions are easy to get to and experience here. Ketchikan features quite a few points of interest including the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, Creek Street, and the Totem Park. For our day in Ketchikan, we booked another rainforest walk, which duplicated much of the info we learned in Juneau. But as the tour also included the Raptor Center and the Totem Park, we were okay with that. As we were in Ketchikan on a Saturday, we were surprised to see that so many shops closed by 4 pm. This is definitely something to consider if you have later excursions and were hoping to visit attractions in town afterward. So be sure to check the hours of anywhere you plan to visit. Check out out Tour of Ketchikan Video.

Rainforest Sanctuary and Totem Park | Disney Excursion $149

As part of the Rainforest Sanctuary and Totem Park excursion through Disney guests can experience the Tongass National Rainforest on a light hike, the Raptor Center, and the Totem Park.  This tour is offered by Kawanti Adventures in Ketchikan, Alaska . Spanning about 3 hours this was a fairly decent deal for $149 if you wanted to get an inside look at the forests and learn about the birds and totems. However, there were definitely elements of this tour we would have changed if we had the option or had gone on our own. Included in this tour excursion are the Tongass National Rainforest Walk, The Raptor Sanctuary, and the Totem Park. 

Tongass National Rainforest Walk

For this rainforest walk, we took a bus to the Tongass National Rainforest and easily walked on trails throughout while our guide pointed out interesting plants, like Devil’s Club, a local remedy, the Skunk plant, and more. Very knowledgeable, our guide Emily was great! This portion of the trip lasted maybe an hour and took up the most time of all three activities overall.

Raptor Sanctuary Alaska 

Once we cleared the Rainforest, we walked over a bridge toward the Alaskan Raptor Sanctuary. This was one of our main reasons for booking this excursion and we wish we would have more time here. Once inside the small open-air porch space, we got to meet three birds that had been rescued. The caretaker shared their individual stories and we got to learn about the Raptor Center’s efforts.

Totem Park Alaska

After the Raptor Center Visit, we walked next door to the Totem Park located at the Herring Bay Lumber Company Sawmill. Claiming fame as the first Tsimshian totem pole park, this was somewhere we would have liked more time to explore. With placards telling the Native American history of each pole, the museum pieces inside the Sawmill, and the gift shop, there was much to do here. Overall we only had about 20 minutes for this last leg of our tour. Definitely, not enough time to check out the mill, all the totems, story plaques, or the general store. We saw several guests grab beverages, and snacks so a little food counter was also available and it would have been nice to spend more time here.

Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show Ketchikan

By far one of the most popular activities to do in Ketchikan, the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is an excursion you can book with Disney or one you can just grab tickets to on your own. The building where this show takes place is literally about 1 block from the cruise port. This show includes log cutting, climbing, wheelbarrow races, axe throwing, and more to fill the time. A favorite among cruisers, we heard many families back onboard sharing how fun this was. Offering two types of tickets, the Disney Lumberjack Show is a little more expensive, showing on weekends at 4 pm. And it features Disney fun and character appearances. But the regular show is daily at 10 am and 1:30 pm if that works better for your port day. Check out ticket prices and dates on the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show website.

Totem Bright Historical State Park

While we didn’t get to see Totem Bright Historical State Park as part of our excursion, this park was on our list and would be the perfect day trip for your Ketchikan Port day. With budget-friendly tickets at $5 each through the season and free off-season, you can explore at your leisure. Filled with totems and stories, this park also features a Clan House and a history you won’t find elsewhere. Just a 12-minute drive from the port, this place is easy to get to, and the bus to and from town makes the trip hourly.

Creek Street Ketchikan Alaska Shopping

Creek Street in Ketchikan was a nice surprise for a stroll and browsing. Featuring several restaurants and shops, this area is very historical and offered a lot of neat details and history about the area. A great place to grab a souvenir, this was a nice one-stop shop for us to get a feeling of Ketchikan. You can even watch the Salmon run here.

Fabulous Fiber Arts Yarn Shop

One of our favorite finds on our Ketchikan day was a charming yarn shop. Featuring amazing yard finds for crafters, the Fabulous Fiber Arts Shop offers hand-dyed yarns, skeins, cashmere, and more for any yarn crafting needs. A staple among locals, this local business offers a knitting group, patterns, and kits to help get you started. Simply some of the best, and most beautiful yarns we’ve seen. Definitely worth a stop if you’re a hobby crafter.

Alaska Crepe Co. 

A local favorite for breakfast, lunch, and dinner you can get a variety of crepes here. Serving up crepes both savory and sweet, plan between $10-17 dollars each, depending on what you order. While we didn’t get the chance to go here, it was definitely on our list and one we’d frequent without question as TripAdvisor Reviews are typically fantastic. Check out the Menu ahead of time at Alaska Crepe Co.

Just Dandy Apothecary and Cafe

In our search for coffee, when everywhere else was closed, we happily stumbled upon the  Just Dandy Apothecary and Cafe. Serving up not only specialty coffees, like mochas, London fog teas, and pistachio matcha lattes but also wraps, bowls, and salads, this would have been a great place for lunch. Offering a public restroom, indoor seating, and an open library, this restaurant also had some cute souvenirs. We would definitely visit here again.

Old Ache Novelty Shop

A beautifully curated shop, the local gift shop features home decor items, candles, and more if you’re looking for something more upscale than the typical Alaskan souvenir. This shop is part of the Niblick’s General Store family, which is a mainstay in Ketchikan. Located at 326 Main Street this shop is next door to the Just Dandy Apothecary and Cafe and right up the street from 55 North Bakery and Coffee .

Sockeye Sams Shop

This souvenir shop has almost everything you could ever want in the way of Alaskan souvenirs. Tees, Sweatshirts, Magnets, Ornaments, Local Coffee, Maple Syrup, Devils Club Products, Glassware, you name it. Filled to the brim with Alaskan gift items, there are ample things to see. And of course, as with every port town, there are an ample amount of jewelry counters present too.

Meng and Ging’s Kitchen

There are a variety of Places to Eat in Ketchikan , depending on what you’re in the mood for but in lieu of seafood we decided to find something more to our taste. As such we stumbled upon Meng and Ging’s Kitchen, located within walking distance of the port right on Water Street. Decent food, they serve some of the best Mongolian Beef dishes you’ll try. While vegetarian options were limited, they were able to make egg fried rice which was a nice treat and offer a variety of egg rolls too. If Filipino and Asian food are favorites of yours be sure to stop by Meng and Ging’s Kitchen.

Disney Alaska Cruise Day at Sea | Day 7

Back on the boat after an activity-filled vacation we settled into all things Disney Cruise; watching movies, playing trivia, trying our hand at a pub quiz, and listening to the piano were all on the docket. We also felt like we needed a break, so booking a Brunch at Palo for our last day at sea was something we had been looking forward to the whole trip. That said, we also wanted to take it easy and just relax, so were looking for ways to do that mostly on the last day.

Brunch at Palo | $45 per person

If you want to add something special to your trip, guests over 18 can book brunch or dinner at Palo. As the signature dining experience on Disney Cruise Ships, Palo offers an elegant atmosphere, expansive views of the ocean, and the best food onboard. That said, dining here does cost extra and is Not included in your Disney Cruise . However, this elegant dining experience is completely worth the $45 price tag. With a multi-course offering and the chance to order more of anything ( plus one drink free), the value here is better than even the most basic restaurants we’ve visited at Walt Disney World.

And if you climb to the Castaway Club Ranks of Platinum or Pearl, you get a dining experience at Palo on the house. Brunch here included breakfast foods like eggs and waffles, as well as chicken parmesan, calzones, and pizza. Everything you’d expect to find at an upscale Italian restaurant. Highly Recommended.

Disney Cruise Towel Folding Class

One of our favorite classes to take onboard any Disney Cruise is Towel Folding. Mainly because the housekeeping team presents cute towel friends each evening, and we always wonder “how.” If you’re wondering how twisted towels can turn into cute animals that welcome you back to your cruise stateroom each evening, then be sure to check the Disney Navigator for classes throughout your cruise. It’s a fun skill to learn, and perfect for kids and adults alike.

Anyone Can Cook Class on a Disney Cruise

Another favorite Disney Class for your Day at Sea on a Disney Cruise is the Anyone Can Cook Series. Mostly offered on longer cruises, you may see both an adult-only and a family class offered. For the grown-ups, there’s usually a glass of wine involved. And with dishes to make like Lobster Ravioli and Apple Strudel, you’ll be excited to watch the professional chef onboard explain all the tips and tricks to making the perfect dish. You not only get to taste the creations shared but also get a recipe to take home. Absolutely a must-do class if it’s offered on your cruise.

Vancouver British Columbia Canada | Day 8

8 a.m. Debarkation Day

Disney Cruises return to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada when your cruise is complete. With an early arrival time on debarkation day, is always the saddest day, it pays to have a plan for your last day in Vancouver. Of course, you may be flying out of town right away. But if you’re spending one more day in Vancouver there are plenty of things to do there! We headed towards a few tourist attractions and tried to make the most of our visit to Vancouver. Here are a few things you may want to consider if you’re staying in Vancouver a day before or after your Disney Cruise to Alaska. And in addition to these ideas, you can check out our post on Things to Do in Vancouver Before or After  a Disney Cruise for even more ideas.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Accessible by FREE shuttle from Canada Place every 15 minutes, you can grab a short ride over to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Featuring a Forest Walk that takes you over a series of suspension bridges, a deck walk that sits high above the small creek below, plus Kid’s Activities, and trails throughout, this one is not for the faint of heart. If a fear of heights is something you struggle with, choose something else to do! This area has both an indoor restaurant and a casual counter restaurant. The famous, Otter balls mini donuts, coffee, tea, and ice cream.

Plus, a Gift Shop with everything from maple syrup to the latest North Face merch. A perfect day out if you want an easy activity in Vancouver before heading home. Plan about 3 hours for this experience if you’re up for it. There is a Free Shuttle from Canada Place to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which makes this an easy family excursion you can do on your own. Grab tickets to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park ahead of time or at the gate.

Tea at the Fairmont Hotel

With themes that change every few months, Tea at the Fairmont Hotel is well worth discovering. Serving up a High Tea, complete with a tower of savory and sweet things to eat. Each guest can choose a pot of tea, and settle in. Since we’ve been lamenting the pause of Tea at the Garden View Tea Room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, we thought this one of the best ways to get our fix. And we were not disappointed! The food was fantastic, and they do accommodate vegetarian and vegan needs as well. Check out the current menu and theme for Tea at the Fairmont Vancouver.

Granville Island Vancouver Canada

One of the main attractions in Vancouver is Granville Island. Accessible by road or AquaBus, this place is filled with shops and restaurants to browse during your visit. You can head to the Public Market for a winding array of places to eat, grab a coffee, and buy treats.

Serving up handmade pot pies, pies, quiche, tarts, and croissants. The A La Mode Pie Cafe is a Must-Do on Granville Island. Mind you the line for this restaurant will be long, but it’s worth it. If you’re a fan of flaky pastry in all forms, then be sure to stop by.

A hidden gem, we found this place just by chance as we were leaving. Offering lovely paper products, you can grab specialty books, journals, planners, wrapping paper, unique pens, gift books, and gorgeous postcards here. Definitely worth a stop.

Nooroongji A Multilingual Curation Bookstore

Mindfully curated, this bookshop features books and guides for children and adults. Full collections of Harry Potter and Studio Ghibli merch sit happily next to Italo Calvino, Kafka, and Agatha Christie. The most amazing bookstore to browse if you’re looking for a unique book gift or a special edition of a classic.

The Preservatory

If you’re looking for specialty preserves in unique flavors, then be sure to stop by The Preservatory. Also located in the Public Market, this counter offers tastings and special flavors. You can find Spiced Cranberry and Iced Apple Wine, Blueberries and Bourbon, and Fig and Walnut, so there are plenty of options. Perfect as a gift item, or just something to savor as part of your Canada trip. Shop The Preservatory.

Bon Macaron Patisserie

If you love delicate French Macarons then head to Bon Macaron Patisserie. This is a great place to get mini or regular-sized macarons, for your stroll or to take home. Shop Bon Macaron Patisserie .

Pacifico Pizzeria and Ristorante

If you’re looking for great pizza in Vancouver, then the Pacifico Pizzeria and Ristorante is what you’re looking for. Featuring a variety of pizza pies, in loads of combination flavors, this pizza place offers inside seating, pick-up, and delivery. Since we were staying nearby at The Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver, it was a quick 3-minute walk to pick up our pizza after a hectic day. This restaurant also offered pasta, salads, chicken parm, and more. An excellent place for lunch or dinner.

Breka Bakery and Cafe Vancouver

As we’re usually on the lookout for croissants and coffee, we just had to stop at Breka Bakery and Cafe during our stay in Vancouver. This place is perfect if you’re looking for Breakfast in Vancouver before your Disney Cruise to Alaska. Home to authentic French pastries, and desserts, you’ll feel like you’re visiting Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in EPCOT. Heck, maybe even France! The pastries here are just that good. You can also grab breakfast and lunch sandwiches here too. With seating both inside and out, there are a couple of locations in Vancouver. So, if you’re nearby, be sure to stop in and grab something special.

Starbucks Reserve Bar Vancouver

If you’re committed to visiting all the Starbucks Reserve Locations around the World, you’ll be happy to know that Vancouver is home to a Starbucks Reserve Bar . Built on a smaller scale, this coffee shop still offers fantastic coffee, specialty blends and sandwiches, and pastries too. Located at Granville St and Pender, you can even mobile order here. Be sure to add this one to your Starbucks Bucket List.

Disney Alaska Cruise Shore Excursions

You may notice that on this cruise we mixed Disney Alaska Shore Excursions and Self-led excursions based on our likes. That said, you may be wondering a few things about How to Book Disney Port Excursions . Things like, What are the best Alaska Shore Excursions to Book and How Much do Alaska Excursions cost are good questions to ask. Know that even if you don’t purchase excursions you can still get off the boat, wander the towns, and visit the restaurants and shops regardless. So, if you’re wondering how to Save Money on a Disney Alaska Cruise, skipping excursions may be your best bet.

Are Disney Port Adventures Included in Your Disney Cruise Cost?

No. One of the few things Not Included in your Disney Cruise are port excursions. And depending on which you choose, they can add up to a pretty penny.

When Can I Book Disney Alaska Shore Excursions for my Disney Alaska Cruise?

Reservation times for excursion booking are based on your Castaway Club Status, per the below. It’s advisable to have a plan as sometimes the most popular excursions have limited space and sell out.

• First-Time Guests: 75 days prior to sail date
• Silver Castaway Club Members: 90 days prior to sail date
• Gold Castaway Club Members: 105 days prior to sail date
• Concierge Guests and Platinum Castaway Club Members: 120 days prior to sail date

How Much Do Disney Alaska Cruise Shore Excursions Cost?

Disney Port Adventures in Alaska run the gamut when it comes to cost. Disney Alaska Port Excursions range from $47 per person for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show to about $5200 for the Misty Fjords by Private Seaplane Tour. That said, we included the costs of the excursions here so you can see what extra we paid on top of our Disney Cruise costs. Check out the Disney Port Adventures List with offered excursions and prices. While your Castaway Club ranking will determine WHEN you can book these excursions, it pays to know ahead of time what options you may have available when your reservation window opens up. That said, after seeing these towns, and their proximity to the port we could have made this trip much cheaper with a few select excursions and more time in town.

Is Booking An Alaska Cruise Excursion Direct Cheaper than Disney?

Yes, almost always. The Helicopter Tour in Skagway in particular we booked through the same company Disney uses. This meant we walked to the helicopter on the nearby helipad, like everyone else. Then just booked a time, and paid directly with the company. This saved us a significant amount. In fact, we’ve included some of the tour company names in this post so that if you’re trying to save money, you can check prices to book directly instead of through Disney.

Are Disney Excursions Necessary on a Disney Alaska Cruise?

That depends. Again, for us, after seeing the ports and experiencing the towns, we probably could have tackled the exploring on our own. Even if it meant hiring some of the tour companies directly. We can definitely say we would have never learned the Gold Rush History, Whale science, Glacier details, Rainforest or Totem Pole information without the excursions. And for us, that is one of our favorite parts about traveling; the stories, the history, and meeting the people. That said if you were to tackle this trip on your own we’d highly recommend booking at least a small guided tour in each town so you get that history. Without it, you’re just experiencing pretty places without context.

Disney Alaska Cruise Tips

An Alaska cruise and land tour comes with the chance to explore new places and experience new things. As such, if you’re embarking on Alaskan Cruise Excursions, hunting for Alaska Cruise Itineraries, or figuring out how to Save Money on a Disney Alaska Cruise , we’ve rounded up the best Alaska Cruise Tips so you can go prepared.

How Much Do You Need in Tips on a Disney Alaska Cruise for Excursions?

Something to Know Before You Go are the best practices around Tips and Tipping on a Disney Cruise. From the train baggage handlers to the hotels to the tour guides at the post, there are plenty of people to tip along the way. And that’s not including the random cab driver or Uber ride. That said, it’s a good idea to gather up some cash, in small denominations, so that you have what you need throughout your vacation for ALL THE PEOPLE giving you this vacation experience.

Train Tips | Baggage Handlers

Plan to have small amounts of cash on hand for anyone who helps you with your luggage while traveling by train. While Amtrak’s Red Cap Baggage Assistance Service is Free , tipping for a job well done is always appreciated. A few dollars per bag is adequate, if you choose to tip.

Airport Tips | Porters

If you’re utilizing porters at the airport for your baggage plan on $2 for the first bag and $1 for each additional bag. Also, consider that if you’re traveling with oversized luggage convention is typically $2 per bag.

Hotel Tips | Maids, Bellman

At the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver, it is expected that you tip your bellman between $3-$5 per piece of luggage for them to offer your baggage service. And as with any hotel stays you’d also want to tip your maid between $2-$5 per day of stay. Also note, that in Vancouver it is FINE to tip them in American dollars. There is of course an ATM on the first floor of Canada Place if you want to grab Canadian currency, but you will have to go to the concierge desk to make the change needed.

Disney Cruise Excursion Tour Guide Tips

The biggest costs you didn’t see coming are the Tips You Need for Disney Port Excursions. Most notably, because the guides on Disney Port Excursions are so fantastic, that you will want to pay them for a job well done. Keep in mind as well, that you may have to consider multiple people to tip on each excursion.

How Many People Do You Tip on a Disney Cruise Excursion?

For example on our White Pass Railroad and Skagway Street Car City Highlight Tour, we had several people to tip.

• The bus driver of the Street Car
• The shuttle driver for the Klondike Highway
• Our train car attendant on the White Pass Railroad
• Our train conductor on the White Pass Railroad

On our Whales and Rainforest Trails Tour, we also had several people to tip.

• Our guide on the bus
• Our hiking guide
• The captain of the boat

As you can see, you may need more on-hand cash than you realize. While it won’t be necessary to tip everyone, and some people providing insufficient service may not deserve your tip, it’s good to go prepared.

Disney Alaska Cruise Deals

If dreaming about a Disney Cruise to Alaska has been on your Disney Wish list for a while then know that finding Alaska cruise packages within your budget may not be impossible! Alaska Cruise Prices for 4 guests on a Disney Cruise to Alaska range from $5000- $11,000 depending on the length of trip and time of year you visit. While Disney Alaska Cruise Prices don’t include Alaska shore excursions, there are ways you can save money on your trip. Check out the Alaska Cruise Specials and ways to get them in our How to Save Money on a Disney Cruise to Alaska post.

Disney Alaska Cruise 7-Night Itinerary

So, there you have it! Our mini-journal of everything we did, saw and ate on our Disney Alaska Cruise. For us, this trip had been several years in the making. Between the planning and the saving money, it took some time, but we were happy with everything we chose to do and had the chance to experience. No matter how you fill your Disney Cruise to Alaska days know that there are gorgeous views from the boat, hot cocoa at the drinks station, walkable towns near the ports, and all the amazing activities onboard to make this your best cruise yet. We hope this post has been helpful. If you have any questions, just ask! To watch our Disney Alaskan Cruise adventures on YouTube, check out our playlist here !

Rochelle Mariah

Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.

• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ What Makes the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge Special?
• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ Summer House on the Lake Disney Springs Restaurant Review
• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ Star Wars Season of the Force Disneyland Special Event
• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ Garden Grill Breakfast Review with Chip and Dale

Related Posts

Disney Cruise Line Shuttle to Port Canaveral

Getting to Port Canaveral can be a little tricky if you’re not a Florida resident. Or if you’re a traveler driving.  Even then, driving your car can present certain challenges.  Disney Cruise Line offers transfers via the Disney Cruise Line shuttle bus, and we are […]

The Best Very Merrytime Disney Cruise Guide to Festivities

Christmas is our absolute favorite time of year. So adding in a little Disney always makes sense! And on a cruise? Even more magical. We’ve been lucky enough to sail on the Very Merrytime sailings on a Disney Cruise. So here is a full guide […]

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Serious Stuff

Affiliate Links are sometimes used in many of our posts. As an Amazon Associate, and affiliate publisher for several companies we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases and will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking the links. Check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosures page for more information. Unless otherwise noted, all photos, designs and graphics are original to Polka Dots & Pixie Dust.

This site is not affiliated in any way with the Walt Disney Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries. This site and the information contained therein represent the opinion of the webmaster. For official information on Walt Disney World, Click Here

• Built using Kale Pro by LyraThemes .

Disney Alaska Cruise Reviews

1 - 10 of 24 Disney Alaska Cruise Reviews

Sail Date: May 2022

Review for a Alaska Cruise on Disney Wonder

My husband and I joined his family for a June 2018 cruise in southeastern Alaska on the Disney Wonder for a week of fun, with grandparents (65 years), brothers and wives (34-38 years), and kids (1-5 years). While the kids definitely got the most out of it, we all had an enjoyable time aboard. The Disney Wonder staff catered wonderfully to our niece and nephews - almost to a fault, since there ... Read More

Sail Date: June 2018

Cabin Type: Deluxe Inside Stateroom

My daughter talked us into it. We did enjoy it very much. All the staff were kind, some were getting cranky by day 5 and many of their smiles and responses were forced (can't much blame them, as they do work hard). The entertainment director, Pierre, made us feel awkward. In the beginning he was so kind and took down our room number three times and said to count on him for anything we ... Read More

Sail Date: August 2017

Cabin Type: Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

Traveled with children

We were given this cruise as a "gift" to celebrate a milestone birthday from a relative that belongs to the Disney Vacation Club (DVC). The cruise was a great getaway for adults - from our pairing at the dining tables to just being able to have "alone time." Want to relax? Find the padded windows on deck 3 outside of Azure to read a book or nap while watching the Canadian/Alaskan nature go by. ... Read More

Sail Date: May 2017

Cabin Type: Standard Inside Stateroom

This was our first cruise and we started at the top! Disney does everything top notch. The ship was just the right size that didn’t feel overwhelmingly big or too crowded. We were on the first Alaskan sail of the season: the weather was cold so no fighting for lounge chairs in the decks. The cabin for our family of four adults was compact but surprisingly roomy. There was room for four big ... Read More

Review for a Pacific Coastal Cruise on Disney Wonder

My family and I was able to finally experience a Disney Cruise for a fraction of the price! We saved a total of $6,000 for two balcony rooms! We are a family of four adults and decided having two rooms would be best. We are Disney fanatics and all but my mother has worked for the Disney company at some point in time. With that being said; this was by far one of the best cruises we have ever ... Read More

Sail Date: May 2016

Cabin Type: Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

Review for a Caribbean - Eastern Cruise on Disney Fantasy

My friend (another single mother) talked me into booking this Disney cruise as she had been on two previous Disney cruises. I will say that the customer service on the ship was outstanding! We had a late flight into Orlando and arrived at the port about 3:00 and it took maybe 15 minutes for check in and we were on the ship! No lines, no waiting! Our first cabin was 6080, a verandah that sleeps ... Read More

Sail Date: April 2016

We chose this cruise as we are avid Disney fans and had already been on the Disney Magic. I wanted a larger newer ship and we picked the Fantasy. Overall Disney knows how to raise the bar at all levels and really makes others play catchup. This was my 12th cruise total (Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Disney) and would rank it as the 2nd best trip. Disney brings the same level of quality from ... Read More

Sail Date: March 2016

Review for a Bahamas Cruise on Disney Magic

Our family of 13 (including 5 grandsons aged 8 months thru 6 years) just returned from a fabulous trip on the Disney Magic. The itinerary was not great, but the overall experience was amazing. Castaway Cay was fun. The water a bit cold in February. We stayed on the ship when we docked in Nassau. There were programs and activities on board for all of the children. The 2 year old was too ... Read More

Sail Date: February 2016

Cabin Type: Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah

Food was very good. Entertainment was very good. Service was excellent. Biggest disappointment was Castaway Cay as water and air temp too low for us to swim. Teen activities had things scheduled to start at 1 am so DD14 always asking if midnight return to cabin time could be extended. Biggest stress was trying to use email and texting on iPhone because of selling a house. It didn't work ... Read More

Find a cruise

© 1995— 2024 , The Independent Traveler, Inc.

7 Mistakes We Made on Our DCL Alaska Cruise

We just returned from our Disney Cruise Line Alaska sailing and had an incredible experience…for the most part. Not everything went quite according to plan or expectation, and we felt it might be worth touching upon some of the mistakes we made on our Alaska cruise.

This may seem like a ‘downer’ way to start coverage of our ultimate Disney Cruise Line bucket list itinerary, but we think it makes sense to begin here. Alaska cruise season just started, and we’ve already heard from several people via social media and the comments section here who are planning on doing the DCL Alaska itinerary this year. From a planning resource perspective, covering our gaffes first so others can learn from our missteps seems appropriate.

With that said, we had an incredible time on the cruise, and want to underscore that before boarding the complaint train. Also, for those who have asked, we do plan on doing a trip report for this cruise. However, our Norway Fjords Disney Cruise Line Report ended up being nearly 20,000 words with potentially useful information buried in odd spots, and I’m trying to avoid a repeat of that.

I’m well aware that not everyone is interested in reading our rambling anecdotes for those buried nuggets of useful info, so my goal is to write several stand-alone blog posts to supplement the DCL Alaska cruise report, which should also help keep it more concise and to the point. Hopefully.

Anyway, here are the 7 biggest blunders we made on our Alaska Disney Cruise Line adventure…

7. Too Small of a Budget

This might seem like an obvious one, as ostensibly, a larger budget is always a good thing. Many travelers think throwing more money at a trip is the easiest way to improve it, which is sometimes true. Generally speaking, we take the possibly contrarian stance that a tighter budget allows forces us to explore places, experience their true character, and see less-touristy things in the process.

That’s largely not the case in the ports on Disney Cruise Line’s Alaska itinerary. While these are charming and beautiful places with some incredible things to do, many of the highlights do not come cheaply. This was compounded by our experience that the walkable “downtown” areas of each port are incredibly touristy, and lacking in compelling cultural offerings. We did two pricey Port Adventures, but in hindsight, I wished we would’ve pulled the trigger on two more really expensive ones.

6. Not Getting a Verandah

In the past, I’ve been very adamant about verandahs being an unnecessary expense for us since we spend so much time outside the room. When it came to Alaska, I received plenty of pushback from commenters here and friends who had taken the cruise, many of whom highly recommended booking a verandah. We didn’t have a verandah on our Norwegian Fjords cruise and felt like we didn’t miss anything, so I ignored this advice.

We realized this was a mistake from pretty much the first night. With 2 days at sea plus 1 day going through an iceberg-filled fjord, we would’ve gotten plenty of use out of the verandah. Even on port days, it would’ve been great for whale watching. Instead, we ended up spending a lot of time up on the outdoor public decks. Much of that time it was windy, raining, or cold, and I would’ve rather been back in the room sitting down with a cup of coffee (this is the first of many remarks in this post that make me sound old). We stayed outside even in nasty weather because we felt a sense of obligation to be outside of the room since we spent so much money on the cruise.

5. Not Enough Nice Attire

We used to be stylish. We really did. Our fashion sensibilities have “evolved” from trim oxfords and slacks for me and colorful dresses for Sarah to a surplus of athleisure wear. The percentage of spandex in my clothing has increased by an alarming rate, and my level of excitement over “discovering” elastic-waist khaki shorts last year is probably cause for concern.

Along these lines, there were a few too many casual evenings aboard this cruise and innumerable occasions when we didn’t want any photos of us because of this. Now, I’m not suggesting that we should’ve donned runway couture or turned every evening into formal night, but some classier outfits would’ve been a good idea in hindsight. Plus, what better occasion to bust out my formidable collection of dope dad sweaters?! (I may not be stylish, but my Fair Isle game is pretty strong, if I do say so myself. )

4. Too Much Hiking

Over the course of our 3 days in port, we did 4 hikes. We love to hike so this was one of the reasons we wanted to go to Alaska in the first place, and we enjoyed each of these hikes. They were all unique from one another and very memorable hikes, but there were still a couple of big downsides.

First, these hikes came at the expense of other Port Adventures that we had to forgo (read: that we were too cheap to pay for ) that I think would’ve been truly awesome–and better than hiking. Second, so much hiking left us exhausted. I think I stayed up past 10 p.m. only a few times over the course of the entire cruise. (In my defense, I was up by 6 a.m. every morning, but still.)

3. Not Renting a Wildlife Lens or Binoculars

I’ve gone hiking in the mountains of California, Montana, and Canada in wildlife-dense areas and have seen and photographed a ton of animals in the past. Because of that, it seemed like an unnecessary expense and extra weight to pack a wildlife lens. I figured I couldn’t do better than past bear and mountain goat photos I’ve captured and I figured the odds were stacked against good whale photos.

What I didn’t expect was so many seals on icebergs and bald eagles. Seriously, it’s like bald eagles are the pigeons of Alaska. They were everywhere . On the way to one Port Adventure, we saw two fields with–literally–hundreds of bald eagles just chilling on the ground. (It was a surreal sight and it almost looked like they were building an army to rise up against the humans.)

2. Insufficient Time in Vancouver

Far and away, Vancouver was the best port city of the cruise, but we only had 2 full days there. It’s rugged yet cosmopolitan, and has a surplus of excellent food, great culture, exceptional public spaces, and picturesque natural scenery. It’s also compact and walkable, with efficient public transportation to the extent that it isn’t walkable.

Even after our brief time in Vancouver, it jumps to the top of my list of the best Pacific Northwest cities, above Seattle, Portland, and Victoria. Two days was not nearly enough, and I’ve already made an Airfarewatchdog alert for cheap flights to do another long weekend in Vancouver.

1. Not Enough Ice Cream

Truly a perpetual mistake, as no matter how much ice cream you have, it is never enough. However, on this cruise, I did an especially pathetic job, only having three soft serve cones over the course of the entire cruise. How do I go on calling myself an ice cream aficionado after such a sad showing?!

It seemed like whenever I passed Eye Scream Treats, it was closed. Morning or night, it didn’t matter. I think it was just poor timing on my part, but perhaps, unbeknownst to me, there’s a soft serve shortage that is wreaking havoc upon the Pacific Northwest.

Okay, so that last one is a bit of a stretch, but I wanted to get this list to 7 and I couldn’t think of much else. We arguably went too early in the season, but no matter when you cruise to Alaska, there are compromises. On balance, I’m pretty happy with what we experienced versus what we missed (and also visiting during the relative ‘off-season’), so it’s tough to call that a mistake. In any case, I think for the next post, we’ll shift to highlights of our Alaska cruise, as that seems like the most natural counterpart to this, even if it does act as a “spoiler” to the trip report. Look for that post over the weekend!

Planning to set sail aboard one of the Disney Cruise Line ships? Read our comprehensive Disney Cruise Line Guide to prepare for your trip, plan entertainment and other activities, and learn what to expect from your Disney cruise!

If you want personalized recommendations for Disney Cruise Line itineraries, ships, and more, click here to get a cruise quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner . They can find you all of the current discounts, and help you plan the details of your cruise!

Your Thoughts

What’s your take on our mistakes? If you’ve cruised to or visited Alaska, what mistakes do you feel you made? Any questions for those taking or considering an Alaska cruise? Any future topics you’d like us to tackle? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

Planning for 2021, interested in missed excursions, that you wished u had done?

Love your advice 🙂 This makes me think we should postpone our Alaska trip to 2020 when we have a much bigger budget to blow. We have a trip booked for this August and few others so we told ourselves we will only do one or two expensive excursions in Alaska. I’m rethinking that…

I love your passion for ice cream. I actually blog about ice cream travel, which gives me an incredible excuse to find and eat good ice cream regularly!

Great advice that I wish I had, had before we did the Disney Alaska cruise last August. COuld not agree more about the excursions. Like you, I am frugal, but I regret beyond words not doing some of the glacier excursions. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and we are planning on returning in 2020 (lol), just waiting for those dates to come out. And what you said about the ice cream I also agree with – one of my favorite pictures is one where one on my sons is eating ice cream with a glacier int he background. Fully intend to get all three of my guys in on that picture in 2020 – perfect Christmas card shot!

Good points, all! “Not enough ice cream” will probably be a life regret.

Tom, I loved your post on the Alaska cruise. We did one in August a few years back.

Our biggest mistakes, spending too much time in Anchorage at the beginning. We found things to do but were generally bored. (1 day would have been enough) Like you we did not have enough time in Vancouver at the end and want to go back.

The other disappointment was the drive to and from Denali. Denali itself was worth the trip but the pine trees were so tall on either side of the road to/from Denali that there was almost no view for most of the trip. We wondered if the train would have been better.

However, the drive from Anchorage to Seward was beautiful and we were able to do a great hike to a glacier on the way.

Like you we didn’t book even a window and we didn’t miss it. We were out on the deck lots and it was amazing to us how little people were out there. Yes it got cold but we got amazing views. We also did not take many excursions. We did do a whale watching trip but did not have lots of luck. We saw plenty of seals but the whales always seemed to be in the distance but that is luck or no luck. We couldn’t bring ourselves to spend that much on the excursions. I agree some towns were just nothing but tourist shops but we rented a car at one spot for the day and took the bus to another great glacier hike and bear watching at another.

We did bring some “fancy clothes” for one or two nights and that was fun.

Tom, thanks for making us feel better about splurging on a balcony for our DCL Alaska cruise next May! We’ve also booked independent whale watching and float plane excursions, and I hope to book a heli to a glacier but it is very expensive. But I don’t know when we’ll be back to Alaska so I want to go for it. Did you feel like going in May was a mistake? I’m hoping less crowded ports make up for cooler weather and less salmon/bear action. Were there any hikes you felt were definitely worth doing? We’ve got two littles so I wasn’t going to get more ambitious than the little trail to the waterfall near Mendenhall, but I’m curious about the trails in Skagway and Ketchikan too. I told my spouse what you said about attire but he’s not convinced, he favors comfort over all and would do the whole cruise in surf shorts if he could. I’ve got a year to work on that I guess…

My husband and I are taking the cruise in late August. We haven’t booked any excursions yet. Which ones would you suggest? My husband is mobility challenged so hiking is not happening. This is kind of a bucket list thing for my husband and I and we want to get the most bang for our buck even if we bend the budget a bit.

I’d also appreciate hearing about some easier hikes. My husband is a stroke survivor and can’t manage too long or too steep a trek, much as he used to love such things.

Want to know so badly which port adventures you wish you’d splurged on? We’ve booked our first Disney Alaska cruise for next May (it will be our 3rd Disney cruise). Want to make sure we do the best adventures we can! I LOVE your blog! It is so helpful, honest, and the BEST! And hi to Sarah! I think she and I would be friends if we knew each other haha!:)

Great post! I’m curious which port excursions you wish you had sprung for instead of the hikes?

I have been on 3 Disney Cruises and my mom on two. It was a first cruise for both of us. We are going with my twin sister in Sept. for a Twinnie’s 50th birthday trip. It’s her first cruise, ever.

We all want to do Alaska cruise next (assuming Christy enjoys the 3 night one) and so I’m super interested in anything you have to say on the subject. Our fiances refused to do the Caribbean because they think they’d be bored on a Disney ship. But they are thinking Alaska might be ok. So your posts would help us plan so that all the peeps can have a good time!

Your posts are always so well written and balanced. On other sites, you get perfect or I hated it- but not much in between. And too many I didn’t get enough ice cubes in my drink, so the trip was ruined for me posts! That’s no help for me at all!! You have been spot on for everything so far. And your pics are great! I would like to see more Sarah written posts, though I know you always represent her thoughts. As a fellow girly girl ( even if old enough to be her mama), I would enjoy her take!

It makes me sad to think of you kids in Alaska without binoculars. But…Alaska gets under your skin and I’m confident you’ll be there again someday. It’s a very special place.

Makes me sad to think of you kids in Alaska without binoculars. But…you’ll be back some day. It’s so special, nobody ever goes there only once.

I don’t know what we were thinking with that; I guess that my 200mm lens would be sufficient? And it was at times, but we still should’ve taken binoculars, too.

To your other point, we’ll absolutely be back. One of my life goals is to visit every National Park, and I’ve yet to cross any of the Alaska ones off my list. Hopefully a month and an RV can make that happen someday!

I rented a 150-600 lens for our cruise in 2017. Despite being huge and forcing me to leave behind a couple of other lenses, it was totally worth it. I came away with many eagle, seal, otter, whale. and bear photos (plus a few puffins) that I would have missed. For what it’s worth, I’ve since acquired a 100-400mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter that I plan to use for this purpose in the future. It maxes out at 560mm, but the increased sharpness and smaller size should offset having the extra 40mm that came with the 150-600.

Love your blog, So which hikes do you recommend? And which excursion should are you sad you missed?

So. Spending more money you can’t afford is a good thing?

We never said we couldn’t afford the cruise. Being frugal is very different than being broke.

” The percentage of spandex in my clothing has increased by an alarming rate, and my level of excitement over “discovering” elastic-waist khaki shorts last year is probably cause for concern.”

I quite literally laughed-out-loud. Tom, you crack me up. Also I love this idea for a post – it’s not a downer – it just shows missed opportunities, and I think anyone can relate to that when it comes to vacations.

(I got the response in my email but because the comments are wonky I can’t find the actual comment to respond to.) RE: Booking with the ship as “travel insurance” Yes, it is true that if you book with the ship, they will never leave you behind. But I’ve been on over 30 cruises and I only booked with the ship in truly unique circumstances, and I have never had a problem. You do your due diligence on cruise critic and find out the operators to trust. These private operators depend on good reviews, and a bad trip advisor/yelp/cruise critic review is going to sink them. I’ve chatted with many cruise directors (on DCL, RCCL, Celebrity, and Princess), and they say that the ones that are most likely to miss the ship aren’t people on legitimate private excursions, but folks who go off exploring on their own (be it hiking or a beach or hitting up a bar or getting a car for hire who doesn’t care about the all aboard time) and lose track of time, miss a train connection, or get lost. I realize there is comfort in booking with the cruise line, but I would have missed out on some truly amazing life experiences had I done that. But to each their own.

You have provided some very good comments. We usually always book excursions outside of a cruise line. It will be much cheaper and those companies aren’t going to let you miss your ship. Their entire company can be ruined if something like that were to happen. I have sailed on about 15 cruises over the years and have always found it safe and affordable to book excursions with private companies outside of the cruise line.

I do however have one exception about booking with the cruise line and that is when purchasing air fare. You have the option to essentially “insure” your trip by purchasing air fare through the cruise line. I use to not do this until once I was burned and found made a point to always book my flight with the cruise. For starters, the airlines are very unpredictable. I travel a good bit and found that about 1/4 of the time I travel commercial something negative happens. Either a flight is canceled, luggage is lost, flights delayed causing me to miss a connection. If you are booking your air travel with the Cruise there is some protection. A few years ago I had a situation where NCL (Norwegian Cruise line) actually cancelled a cruise six months prior to the cruise date. While NCL was very accommodating with finding a new cruise or reimbursing my cost, I found that working with the airlines were not so friendly. I ended up losing a significant amount of money changing and cancelling air plans that I wouldn’t have encountered had I booked those flights through NCL.

Tom, if you guys ever get to Portland, I’ll buy you a microbrew or craft cocktail from one of our many fabulous locations. I think you’d love the view from the Portland City Grill during Happy Hour.

I’ve been to Portland before, but have no plans to go back anytime soon (unfortunately). Your city is lovely–thanks for the offer! 🙂

You show a commendable devotion to ice cream, so I have to ask if you know about Scooper Bowl New York, the all-you-can-eat annual ice cream festival in Bryant Park. It seems relevant to your interests… 🙂

“…all-you-can-eat annual ice cream festival…”

WHAT?! No, I did not know about this, but now I have a new bucket list item!

It’s going on right now! START THE CAR!!!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise Trip Report

In this post, we (finally) recap our time aboard the Disney Wonder. An Alaskan cruise aboard the Disney Wonder is a bucket list item for many people, Disney fans or not. We lucked into a good rate that allowed us to check off this box a little earlier than we’d expected. It was a fantastic trip, and I’m excited to share with you how it went. So, without further ado (this post is only about 5 months late already), let’s talk about our Alaskan cruise aboard the Disney Wonder!

About This Post + Related Posts

This post recaps our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. It starts way back at the beginning, with why we booked this cruise, before covering everything from booking the cruise, to picking activities and excursions, to our time onboard, to debarkation. As such, it’s a pretty long post.

Even at that, this specific post doesn’t cover everything . Throughout, we link to related posts about this trip. Originally, I’d hoped to have it all as a single post, but it proved to be too unwieldy. As a result, most of the linked posts are “quick guides,” meant to give you an idea of the basics of some topic—dining, kids’ clubs, character greetings, for example—in about 500 words . So if you see a “quick guide” linked, feel free to click over to it for a quick read and then come back to this post. If you don’t want to wait until they pop up in this post, here’s a full list of the quick guides:

Quick Guide to Quick Service Food on the Disney Wonder

Quick Guide to Rotational Dining on the Disney Wonder

Quick Guide to Meeting Characters on the Disney Wonder

Quick Guide to Kids’ Clubs on the Disney Wonder

We also have a look at the ship in a deck-by-deck fashion that covers how to navigate on the Disney Wonder and where everything is located.

But this is where most of our talk about our experience ended up. If you’re looking to hear how our trip went, you’re in the right place. If you’re looking to see who we’d recommend this cruise for, you’re in the right place. So let’s get on with it.

Why We Booked This Cruise

If you’re new to Disney Cruise Line, we’ve got a separate post on How to Pick Your Disney Cruise . That post talks through the different ships and itinerary options, for example.

Emily and I have been on a few Disney cruises before, but all on the same itinerary—the 3-night Bahamas cruise on the Disney Dream. And all without Zoe. A couple years back we were excited to finally get back to cruising when the Disney Wish was announced. We were booked on one of the first Wish cruises when the ship got delayed . Our Wish cruise was cancelled, and everyone booked on the cancelled cruises was offered a 50% discount on a future cruise departing by December 31, 2023.

I think it’s fair to say this was the biggest mea culpa I’ve from Disney that I’ve ever seen. The discount was applicable across all stateroom categories and cruise itineraries. We could have simply used the discount for a rescheduled Wish cruise, but we wanted to get a little more value out of the discount if we could, and the Disney Wonder Alaska cruise had been on our bucket list for a while.

Alaska cruises on the Disney Wonder are not cheap. The 7-night itineraries for 2024, for a family of 3, start at $4,196. But everyone says a verandah room is a must-do for an Alaska cruise (our thoughts on this shortly), so already you’re looking at closer to $10,000. Getting 50% off this cruise would be serious value.

Moreover, that savings is really nice for an Alaska cruise because you’re probably going to have huge expenses on excursions . Excursions were NOT covered by the 50% discount, but it’s nice to have some serious savings in the bank already before you start booking excursions.

The personal kicker for us was that we were able to find an itinerary shortly after Zoe turned 3 years old. Three is the minimum age for using the kids’ clubs—the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab at that age. Altogether it wound up being a nice balance of factors that came together to make this a good pick.

Our Alaska Disney Cruise Itinerary

As of this post, all the Disney Cruises that go to Alaska depart from and end at Vancouver, Canada. There are a few different itineraries, from 5 to 9 nights in length, visiting some combination of: Ketchikan, Glacier Viewing (Stikine Icecap), Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Skagway, and Victoria (Canada).

We settled on the following itinerary:

Day 1 — Embark from Vancouver

Day 2 — Day at Sea

Day 3 — Glacier Viewing (Stikine Icecap)

Day 4 — Icy Strait Point

Day 5 — Juneau

Day 6 — Ketchikan

Day 7 — Day at Sea

Day 8 — Debark in Vancouver

As a bit of an aside, our itinerary actually changed after booking. Day 3 was originally a viewing of the Dawes Glacier before being changed to the broader “Stikine Icecap.” The ship wound up going to the South Sawyer Glacier. Best I can tell, this change was to give Disney more flexibility in exactly which glaciers they view, and it didn’t at all impact our experience.

As for picking your itinerary…I don’t want to get too into the weeds here because things like your personal schedule and pricing are going to be bigger factors than the specific itinerary. Basically, you want a balance of days at sea, ports that you’ll enjoy just walking around in, if you choose, and ports that offer excursions you want to do. If you have to see the Mendenhall Glacier, probably don’t pick an itinerary that skips Juneau, for example.

For us, we felt like two days at sea was a good number, and we expected to just enjoy walking around Ketchikan. This left us the three middle days for excursions.

Booking Our Disney Alaska Cruise

We book our cruises through our travel advisor, Lauren Quirk at Travel With Character LLC . I’ve written elsewhere about why I book Disney trips with a travel advisor , but it’s worth adding specifically for cruises that it’s nice to have help booking excursions and onboard activities.

With Lauren’s help we were able to settle on a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah with a rack rate of $12,152.66. With our 50% discount, the total came to $6,076.33.

Was our verandah room on the Disney Alaska Cruise worth it?

We’ll discuss our room in more detail when recapping the cruise itself, but I’ll offer some thoughts on the “worth it” question first.

The downside to the discount we received is it makes the “is it worth it…” question a lot more complicated. Disney Cruise Line prices are higher than industry average, and I’m not enough of a cruise expert to opine here. I’ve taken four Disney Cruises. I’ll take more. It’s clear I think at least that Disney’s lowest prices are worth it.

With that context in mind, I’d say our Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah on this itinerary was definitely worth the $6,076.33 we paid. But I’d also say it was definitely not worth the $12,152.66 rack rate.

We made use of our verandah. It provided for a few photo opportunities and “wow” moments. Plus Zoe was still napping at the time, so it was nice to be able to sit out there during nap time. Otherwise, we prefer to be in the rest of the ship. Zoe loved the kids’ clubs, we like the bars and walking the ship. I’d even just find cozy spots around the ship, sometimes with a view, to read. There’s just so much going on outside the room and off the ship that I couldn’t justify the $5000+ premium verandah rooms cost.

I have to say as a personal caveat that I’m simply not a “sit and be awe of good views” kind of person. I think you’ll easily find people who say “sitting on our balcony watching the Alaskan scenery go by was worth every penny.” But I much prefer to be out among the other people on the ship taking in the view.

View of the South Sawyer Glacier from our balcony

Booking Our Disney Alaska Cruise Excursions

With the cruise booked, the next step is booking your onboard activities and excursions. This is different from and usually earlier than check-in, which we’ll discuss later.

Disney Cruise Activity Booking Windows

Disney Cruise Line activities, including “specialty adult dining, Port Adventures, [and] spa services” open for booking 75 to 123 days before your cruise, depending on what level “Castaway Club” you are. Castaway Club is the Disney Cruise loyalty program. If this is your first Disney Cruise, you aren’t a Castaway Club member yet, and activities will open 75 days before your cruise.

Once you’ve sailed a single cruise, you become a Silver Member, and as you hit the required marks you can progress to Gold, Platinum, and Pearl.

Now, I want to point out that if you think you’re going to take multiple Disney Cruises in a lifetime , you should at least be open to some strategic thinking for your first one. Specifically, you might want to take a short cruise (usually Bahamas) before a longer one, like the Alaska cruise. (Even more specifically, you want to take it more than 90 days before the longer cruise.)

This serves two purposes. First, you’ll get to find out if cruising / Disney cruising is for you. Take a 3-night Caribbean trip over a weekend to see if this is something you’re into.

Second, once you take one cruise you’ll be Castaway Club Silver and at least a step ahead of the general public when it comes to booking activities . This may or may not be huge, but if you’re planning a one-in-a-lifetime Alaskan Cruise, every bit helps.

And again, I prefaced above—I’m not saying that just because you’re considering an Alaskan Cruise you should rush out and do some other Disney Cruise first. But if multiple cruises are clearly in the cards for you, it’ll make sense to pay attention to which order you take them in. (And, of course, it might make sense to do Alaska before some other cruise if that other one has higher demand, must-do activities for you.)

Disney Alaska Cruise Onboard Activities

Onboard activities can be some of the toughest things to mentally sort through when it comes to Disney cruises. There isn’t a well-organized, comprehensive listing of these. The DCL website has a listing here , and that’s where you should start.

Unfortunately, you’ll see that if you click into, for example, “Beverage Tastings” you’ll be taken to a list of different tastings, but no schedules / pricing etc.

To the best of my knowledge—and it’s something I hope changes or that you experience differently—you can’t even see the full schedule for bookable onboard activities until your booking window opens and you are paid in full.

Since some of the activities are quite popular, your booking day can be a pretty chaotic race to find and book things you’re interested in. For example, Royal Court Tea—a character / tea experience—sells out really quickly. Consulting with Google or the various forums might help you narrow down what day of the cruise it will be so that you can book it quickly when your time opens. (Again, is this all too much? I agree. Book with a travel advisor. )

You’ll also want to pay attention the the cancellation deadlines for any activities you were hoping for but didn’t get. You might see cancellations at any time, but particularly as that deadline nears, you’re more likely to see people change plans.

Spa treatments, adult dining (Palo on the Disney Wonder), and nursery services are also things you’ll be planning to book at this time.

Finally, there are onboard activities that are not bookable ahead of time. These are things like trivia or arts and crafts that don’t really fill up and that you’ll just see in the schedule on the app when you get onboard.

A Quick Aside About the Disney Cruise Line App (And Internet)

The Disney Cruise Line app basically has two modes—pre-cruise and during cruise. Before your cruise, the app basically functions the same as the Disney Cruise Line website, including options for managing your bookings.

Once onboard and connected to the onboard wifi, the app becomes the hub for any information you’ll need. You’ll find complete listings of all the days’ activities as soon as you’re onboard, along with hours for all the stores / theaters / restaurants, and so on. There’s also a messaging service available within the app while you’re onboard.

The app’s messaging service is complimentary. If you’d like to have internet access, though, you’ll need to pay for an internet package. Unfortunately, our trip was expected to be among the last ones before the Wonder upgraded to the newer internet hardware / software, so my internet experience isn’t worth writing about. (Suffice to say you shouldn’t expect to have internet outside of the ports unless you pay for it.)

Picking Our Alaska Excursions

Excursion options are available for browsing on the Disney Cruise Line website. Disney calls excursions “Port Adventures.” Some flexibility is going to be required, though, because specific availability will vary by cruise. If you’re concerned, this is yet another reason to consider working with an expert travel advisor on your cruise.

The biggest restriction for us picking our Port Adventures was Zoe’s age. At only 3, the options we could do together as a family were limited. We could have done separate excursions, but that’s just not really how we travel.

Browsing the Port Adventures can be tedious. I’m sure it’s something a travel advisor could help with, but honestly I think the variety is great enough that you should at least dedicate an evening to browsing everything to see what’s available. I recommend you start by filtering by “Ports of Call.” Make a list of ones you’re interested in each day and then start honing it into a schedule.

After reviewing the options, at the top of our list was whale watching. We attempted to see whales in Iceland , but the odds were not in our favor that trip. Juneau, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan all had whale watching options.

Second on our list was glacier viewing. Personally, I don’t think any of the three of us is too excited to see glaciers, but it’s also just sort of an “Alaska Cruise Must Do” item. Specifically, many of the Alaska itineraries (including ours) have a day dedicated specifically to glacier viewing. On this day, the cruise ship gets moderately close to a glacier, while there is a paid “Port” Adventure option to get on smaller boats and get closer.

Third was some sort of puppy / sled dog interaction. Zoe loves dogs, and sled dog interactions are often considered another “Must Do” item on an Alaska itinerary. Without going down a rabbit hole, I encourage you to do as much research as you feel necessary before booking any animal interactions anywhere in the world (that’s 100% not to say anything about this specific activity, it’s just a general travel suggestion).

We wound up settling on the following Port Adventures (prices per adult / Zoe):

Day 3 — Glacier Viewing — $299 / $199

Day 4 — Icy Strait Point — Whale and Marine Mammals Cruise (IS01) — $209 / $139

Day 5 — Juneau — Sled Dog Discovery and Musher's Camp (JU05) — $219 / $199

We opted not to do any excursions in Ketchikan. We felt the town offered enough to keep us busy, and since it was the end of the cruise we thought we’d appreciate not having the pressure of another activity. Overall this was the right decision, and Ketchikan day was probably my favorite day.

Alternatively to the Sled Dog Discovery and Musher's Camp, I considered one of the excursions that included a helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier and dog sledding on the glacier. Ultimately I decided this wasn’t the right time for Zoe’s first helicopter ride.

Our total excursions costs came to $1991. That was $727 for each adult and $537 for Zoe. I think it’s probably a mistake to nitpick these costs (but yea, that’s a big ‘nit’). The fact is that if we were backpacking through Alaska, we’d probably have better experiences at a lower price. But so what? We aren’t backpacking. We’re on a Disney Cruise. You sort of have to look at the trip as a whole and the costs as a whole.

You might decide that none of the excursions are worth the price, and I think you could still have a fantastic cruise experience. But given that there’s already a huge cost to getting to Alaska, and seeing as I don’t plan on roughing it there anytime soon, I’m open to paying a little more to experience these things. That is—as the saying goes—how they get ya.

Booking Third Party Excursions

Okay, fine. After that $$$ rant, it’s worth mentioning that on almost all cruises there is an alternative option—booking third party excursions. Excursions booked through your cruise line are almost always run by third parties anyways, the cruise line is just marketing them.

The risk in doing this is mostly that the third party has no relationship with your cruise line. That means any scheduling / customer service / pick-up, drop-off issues you have are going to be between you and the excursion company only.

Is this practically a huge problem? Probably not. After all, many of these companies are professionals who work with cruise passengers on a daily basis.

That said, this is definitely a case where we recommend—you guessed it!—working with a professional travel advisor. They know reputable tour providers from non-reputable ones, and if something goes wrong you’ll at least have someone you know and trust to help you sort it out.

Disney Cruise Online Check-In

As with booking activities, your online check-in day will vary based on Castaway Club status. The General Public Online Check-In date is 30 days before your cruise embarks. We’re Castaway Club Silver, so we were able to check in 33 days in advance.

Online Check-In is a whole process—submitting travel documents and photos, registering for the kids’ clubs, setting up your onboard account—but the most important part in our mind is your Port Arrival Time. This is the time that you are expected to be at port to get on the boat. In general, earlier is better because it means more time on the ship.

Getting to Vancouver

The easiest way to get to Vancouver for most people is to fly there. The airport, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), is well-serviced and well-connected to the city. We even got through customs and immigration incredibly quickly.

We flew American Airlines there, opting for Main Cabin Extra . Emily has reviewed Air Canada’s A321 business class and Air Canada’s 787 business class before, too.

Flying from Chicago, I sat in an “A” window seat, which I mention because we had awesome views of some mountains flying in (I think the far one is Rainier?):

Pre-Cruise Time In Vancouver

It’s generally not recommended that you fly into a port the same day your cruise leaves. This goes double for an international port, where unexpected flight issues are going to be a lot more difficult to quickly resolve. (Air Canada probably doesn’t just have another plane sitting at your airport in case yours gets delayed or breaks.)

Plus, Vancouver is a great city to spend a few days. We spent four nights in Vancouver before our cruise and found that to be a great amount of time to take in the city . On a return trip, we’d probably only stay two nights, though we think three or four is better for a first visit.

Day 1 - Embarkation

( Note: There’s a lot of new stuff to learn on Day 1. I’m not going to go in-depth on every topic as part of recapping this day. I spread the links to the quick guides throughout this post. So if you read something in Day 1 and think “wow he went right past that major thing quickly”, I hopefully cover it in more depth later or link to a quick guide sometime later.)

We were coming from the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, just a 10-minute walk from the cruise terminal. It was pretty great how conveniently placed the Vancouver cruise terminal was. At the end of our trip, our debarkation day also went quite smoothly, but let’s not jump to the end yet.

We’d booked a Port Arrival time of 11AM and arrived at the terminal at 10:30AM. There were few people around for boarding at this hour. We followed the signage plus the directions of the terminal staff and were through security / passport control / etc. in about 20 minutes with one hiccup—we still had our luggage.

Standard protocol is to tag your luggage (they mail you the tags ahead of time) and drop it off with cruise staff somewhere in this process before boarding. It then gets put on the ship and left outside your room, allowing you to navigate the ship luggage-free for the first few hours while staterooms are inaccessible and still being prepared (the cruise has only a few hours turnaround, remember).

Ironically, I think the reason we wound up with all our luggage stuck with us is that we’re pretty efficient travelers. We didn’t have a ton of bags (and nothing bigger than a carry on), so it isn’t as if someone at the port would think to say something. We also got through all the steps pretty quickly, obviously too quickly to pay attention to what was going on. I imagine if we’d had some bigger bags and struggled to get through security, someone would have at least nodded in the right direction.

Boarding was delayed, which I would have minded less except that we looked relatively clownish trying to navigate our bags while we sat around waiting. Boarding started at about 11:40AM, and our group was called around 12:15PM.

Staterooms aren’t ready at that time, but we knew exactly where we were heading—Cabanas for lunch.

Read More About Cabanas in Our Quick Guide to Disney Wonder Quick Service

Aside from lunch, I had a quick errand to run once aboard. I didn’t mention this above, but we’d booked a backup whale watching excursion for the Ketchikan day. I intended to cancel it after I reviewed my plans, but I was surprised to find the “3 day” cancellation period was 3 days before the cruise departure, not 3 days before the excursion. There were only a few people ahead of me at the Port Adventures desk. The Cast Member there was able to cancel my booking after a short consult with a superior.

After lunch, we headed to the pool. The main pool on the Disney Wonder is Goofy’s Family Pool. It’s located in the middle of Deck 9. You’ll see the giant “Funnel Vision” movie screen above it. The pool is closed and converted to a stage for a few events, like the “Sail-A-Wave” party.

The pools on the Disney Wonder do not allow swim diapers. Besides the Goofy Pool there is the family-friendly AquaLab pool on Deck 9, aft (the back of the ship). There’s also the adults-only Quiet Cove Pool on Deck 9 forward.

The pools are heated, though once you’re far enough north you’re probably only going to be able to stay in them so long. Even Zoe, a pool fanatic, hit a limit within about 30 minutes on chilly days.

Around 1:30PM, staterooms were ready. There may have been some announcement, but the easier way to tell was just that you blink and all of a sudden the decks are abandoned like some sort of apocalypse film because everyone is running to their rooms.

Our Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

As previously noted, we had a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. As part of booking, you can pick a room, and we picked a room on Deck 6, midship. ( Here’s our deck-by-deck breakdown of the Disney Wonder. )

Since we were sailing just after Zoe’s birthday, our travel advisor, Lauren, surprised us with a room decoration package. (Thanks Lauren!)

You can basically break the room into five parts. There are:

two bathroom rooms (sink + toilet, sink + shower)

a space with a queen bed

a curtain-separated space with a couch that converts to a twin bed, a TV, and a desk

and a verandah.

There’s also a bunk bed that can come down from the ceiling above the twin bed, but we didn’t use that.

I don’t have a ton of commentary about the room. Overall it was fine, and I can’t recall feeling significantly better or worse about the rooms we’d previously stayed in on the Disney Dream. The biggest issue for us was simply that Zoe had the twin bed, which meant we could only access the verandah during naps by walking past the sleeping toddler. (Also, there was a bed rail provided, per a request we made at some point.)

I didn’t spend too much time browsing the TV lineup, but it wasn’t too deep. There were all-day cartoons available. Otherwise, with up to two theaters plus Funnel Vision playing movies at any time, you’re unlikely to need the TV for entertainment.

There was a short period in the middle of the trip where our toilet didn’t flush. Then after a few minutes it flushed for all the times we’d pressed the button in a panic. I don’t know much about cruise ships, but I vaguely recall this issue on the Disney Dream once, too.

As mentioned above, I’d heard a lot that a verandah is a “must have” for the Alaska cruise, and I just didn’t feel that way. The idea is basically that, specifically for the first day at sea and the Glacier Viewing day, the views around the ship are absolutely stunning. I don’t much care for a view, but I made sure to take a moment to soak these in. Having a verandah means more private, unobstructed views.

Maybe we had a less crowded ship, or maybe we’re just more inclined to walk around the ship at our leisure. But I felt that I had plenty good views from the decks of the ship, and I generally preferred being outside of the room to being in it.

Emily is a little more measured and says she’s at least glad we did it once, but she probably wouldn’t pay for the verandah a second time. For most people, an Alaska cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and to that end the verandah could go a long way to making a “perfect” time. But the flip side is that if the verandah prices keep you from cruising, or push you toward a different cruise line, I think you’re probably putting way too much stock in that amenity. It was a “nice to have,” not a “must have.”

After some time in the room, we headed to check out the kids’ clubs. The first day starts with Open House hours in the clubs. This means you won’t be leaving your little ones alone in the clubs at this time. Instead, it’s a chance for you to all get acquainted with the clubs. If you don’t have kids, you’re also welcome in the kids clubs during Open House. Zoe was instantly smitten with the clubs.

At 4PM is the mandatory assembly drill. This is a tedious, but important safety drill. It’s required for everyone on board. But it’s followed at 4:30PM by something much more fun…

The big thing on embarkation day is Mickey’s Sail-A-Wave Deck Party ! This is a 10-15 minute show on Deck 9 featuring your favorite characters and aiming to get you hyped for the cruise. It’s a “can’t miss” insofar as you’ll have plenty of time to take in the ship later, so might as well see this one-time performance while you can.

With our 5:45PM dinner seating coming up, I had just enough time to squeeze in a run. I ran on the treadmills of the ship 6 of the 7 days and generally found the fitness center to be pleasant. When the ship is moving it can be a bit trippy because the treadmills aren’t oriented perfectly forward.

Deck 4 also has a “running track.” It’s something like 0.3 miles and always prone to people who don’t know how to handle a shared run/walk space like that. Your GPS will also be worse than useless when the ship is moving. (FWIW, I’ve run the deck of the Disney Dream before and it ruined all my ‘Personal Bests’ in my running apps.) It’s also an outside space subject to the elements. A 0.3 mile loop means lots of turns, which means lots of opportunities to slip. Personally, I’d maybe run on Deck 4 in the morning when crowds are nonexistent, but I actually just stuck to the treadmills all trip.

We were able to squeeze in two character greetings—Mickey and Goofy—before dinner. Coming into the cruise we didn’t realize how much Zoe would love meeting the characters. They’d had some interested at Disney World and Disneyland before, but on the cruise meeting characters really became the thing we needed to do. I’ll cover these a bit more later.

Dinner on night one was a lot. We were scheduled for Triton’s, one of the three included table service restaurants. Zoe hadn’t napped all day. Plus we’d had all the excitement of experiencing the ship. And now it was time to meet our dining staff and find a way to stay seated for a relatively long dinner. Let’s just say we got through it. A Mickey Bar (complimentary) helped.

Besides your scheduled dinner rotation (more on this later), there’s the option for adults only to dine at Palo. Palo requires an advance reservation and costs extra. Palo also has a brunch option, if you don’t want to mess with your dinner schedule. Personally I’d maybe do both in the future since on a 7-night cruise you’re dining in each rotational restaurant at least twice.

Our customary practice for travel nights, particularly on Disney trips, is to alternate who goes out and who stays with Zoe and does bedtime. As the cruise went on, we started letting Zoe stay up later and later, but one this first day—a long day with no nap—we had no interest in trying a late night.

I spent the evening at Crown & Fin, the pub-themed bar onboard. I mostly stuck to Alaskan Brewing Company beers. While I just sat around the read, there was plenty going on around the ship until about midnight, including: character greetings, multiple trivia activities, movies in Buena Vista Theatre and on Funnel Vision, “Disney on Broadway” music, dueling pianos, jazz, and activities in the kids clubs.

Day 2 - Day at Sea

Day 2 is a full day at sea and one of the more scenic days of the cruise. But our first stop of the day was the Laundry Room. There are three laundry rooms on the Disney Wonder, on Decks 2, 6, and 7 midship. Each has around 5 washing machine and 5 dryers. It cost $3 to wash, $3 to dry, and $1 for detergent. There was a kiosk in the laundry room that allowed you to charge these items back to your stateroom.

We did laundry twice (mostly because of my running clothes and Emily and Zoe’s swimsuits). Notifications are supposed to come through the app when your washer/dryer finishes. We had some luck with this but it wasn’t perfect. The kiosks in the laundry rooms also tell you how many available machines there are in the other laundry rooms. Finally, there is laundry service available onboard ($$$), but we were fine using the machines.

We switched up our breakfast plans and tried Triton’s today. Triton’s serves table service breakfast and lunch daily. It’s a smaller menu than the substantial Cabanas buffet, but with a few items you won’t find at Cabanas (in case you can’t tell, I didn’t take a picture of the menu, sorry). As expected, this just wasn’t for us. We much preferred the quick and plentiful options at Cabanas to get our day started.

After breakfast I swung by Cove Cafe to pick us up some cold brew. Cove Cafe is the specialty coffee shop onboard. Drip coffee is free (but available in spots other than cove, like Cabanas and the beverage station outside Cabanas), but anything else—specialty lattes ($5.75), cold brew ($4)—costs extra. There are also complimentary pastries.

Cove is technically right inside the adults only section of the ship. While I think you’d probably be asked not to let kids lounge there, I frequently saw people stopping in to make a quick purchase with kids in tow.

While I was getting the coffee, Emily and Zoe were in line for Minnie. She was greeting in her standard cruise outfit (Captain Minnie) today.

Next, we headed to French Quarter Lounge for “Family Crafts.” This was a mask-making activity that Zoe had a lot of fun with. French Quarter Lounge also operates a combo bar/cafe. I found it had much better cafe vibes so would usually get coffee and beignets when I visited.

Zoe picked to go to the pool quickly before lunch. family-friendly Frozen was playing on Funnel Vision.

For lunch, I cobbled together options from some of the smaller quick service restaurants onboard. Besides Cabanas, there are three smaller quick service options, all on Deck 9.

Read Our Quick Guide to Quick Service on the Disney Wonder

After lunch we stopped at one of Zoe’s favorite spots on the ship—Eye Scream, the soft serve station. This is another complimentary offering. Chocolate and vanilla were available daily, plus there was a daily changing flavor.

By midday, the scenery was starting to look gorgeous. We split the time in the room while Zoe napped, and then Zoe went to the Oceaneer Club while we walked around the ship and took in the sights (and some beers). Here are a few photos:

Dinner tonight was at Animator’s Palate. And—surprise, surprise—it’s with the same staff we had the previous night! That’s how rotational dining works!

Read Our Quick Guide to Rotational Dining on the Disney Wonder

Night 2 also included the debut of the feature entertainment on the ship. Night 2’s show was the Golden Mickeys. The other two feature shows were “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular,” and “Disney Dreams—An Enchanted Classic.”

We wound up skipping all of these. They’re heralded as fantastic shows, so you might consider them “must-do.” They didn’t fit well into Zoe’s schedule, and neither of us felt like doing them without Zoe.

As I mentioned above, we alternated nights out. I won’t detail every night (in part because I don’t have notes about all of them), but they’d usually include a stop at a bar, strolling around the ship, and activities like trivia, listening to musical performances, or watching a movie in one of the theaters (we both watched Haunted Mansion, for example).

Day 3 - Glacier Explorer Day

Day 3 is an interesting day. It’s technically not a “day at sea”, but the ship doesn’t actually dock at a port, and there’s only one excursion—Glacier Explorer. If you’re not doing Glacier Explorer, you’ll be aboard the ship all day. It’s an incredibly scenic day and, conditions permitting, the ship gets close enough to a glacier for some good views.

Besides the excursion, this day had one other huge highlight—the debut of Mickey and Minnie in their Alaska outfits! Mickey’s greeting was set for 9AM on Deck 10 (outside), and Minnie at 9:30AM. We were in line for Mickey 20-30 minutes early, and the line for Minnie, on the opposite side of Deck 10, was closed by 9:10AM.

Mickey and Minnie greeted four times this day. The first three times were outside and these were the only times the entire trip they greeted outside. They did wear the Alaska outfits inside for some greetings later on. We met Alaska Minnie on her last day, Day 6, Ketchikan Day.

Read More In Our Quick Guide to Meeting Characters on the Disney Wonder

We’d gotten notice via the Disney Cruise Line app that our Glacier Explorer excursion was set for 2:30PM (times can shift a little bit just based on ship speed / conditions). This meant we needed to have an early lunch so Zoe could get a full nap in. With Cabanas closed until 11:45AM, I had to once again cobble together options from the other quick service spots. Don’t worry, we still got ice cream to enjoy while we walked around the ship.

The time from noon until about 5PM this day is really the peak scenic time of the cruise. Some photos:

On Deck 10, you’ll find plenty of crowds enjoying the sights. There’s complimentary hot chocolate and coffee, and you can alcohol for a price. Blankets are provided in case you get cold.

Just after 2PM we started turning the corner, with the South Sawyer Glacier coming into view. Here’s the last photo I took from the deck at 2:08PM.

And then from our verandah on the port (left) side of the ship at 2:15PM.

Glacier Explorer Excursion

For our itinerary, there were two times for the Glacier Explorer excursion, an early time and a late time. If you have the earlier time, you’ll transfer from the Wonder to a smaller boat that goes ahead of the Wonder to visit the glacier. Then once the Wonder catches up you get back on the Wonder. At that point, the people with the later time get on the smaller boats. The Wonder heads back while they do their glacier viewing, and the excursion boats catch up with the Wonder at the end of their time.

At 2:30PM, we gathered at the Walt Disney Theater to start our excursion. After some brief introduction, we were on the boat at 2:52PM.

Seeing the glacier from closer up was cool, but my favorite part by far was the perspective we got on the Disney Wonder. The scenery was great, and it was just really cool to see the ship like that.

We were in the area of the South Sawyer Glacier for about 30 minutes. Then we left and went to the North Sawyer Glacier. The Wonder didn’t itself visit the North Sawyer Glacier, though to be fair the South Sawyer Glacier is more fun to look at.

The excursion boat was comfortable. A guide provided some information about the glaciers for much of the tours. There were free donut holes and hot chocolate. I paid $7 for a beer, and Zoe got a free can of water. You could also use a cup of glacier ice for your beverage. They accepted card and cash, but you cannot charge back to your room (the tour is run by a third party, remember).

Back aboard the Wonder at about 5:20PM, we opted for a quick service dinner. Zoe had done really well on the excursion and really deserved some time in the Oceaneer Club rather than having to go straight from the excursion to a 90 minute meal.

Read more about the Oceaneer Club and the Other Disney Wonder Kids’ Clubs

We happened upon Belle while eating some ice cream inside on Deck 5. She stopped to take pictures with a few people (not us, because of the toddler holding the ice cream). We saw a few roaming characters during our time on the ship. Usually they were heading somewhere (like to their scheduled greeting, or to visit the kids’ clubs), but if they had a moment they’d stop and chat and take pictures.

Day 4 - Icy Strait Point

Finally, a real port! Day 4 was at Icy Strait Point. For starters, Icy Strait Point is a privately managed port. It is not a town. There is a town, Hoonah, that is accessible by bus or walking path from Icy Strait Point, but we didn’t make it there. (Note: Hoonah is different from the Hoonah Cannery, which is a part of Icy Strait Point.)

As much research as I did about Icy Strait Point ahead of time, I was still a little confused about it. I’ll do my best to explain how things are set up here, but suffice to say once you get there, it’s a very manageable area.

Icy Strait Point has essentially four parts. We were docked at Ocean Landing. A short walk across a bridge from the ship took us to one of the two hubs of the port. There was a big building with a cafe and some excursion meeting points. Since we’d booked an excursion, we were able to get our “all access” wristbands here, too. These ostensibly included a few things, but the only value we got from them was access to the paid “Skyglider” gondola.

A few minutes walk from Ocean Landing is the Hoonah Cannery . This is a cannery museum, a few restaurants, and lots of stores.

From Ocean Landing, you can take a free “Transporter” (GREEN) gondola to Wilderness Landing . To be clear there are two gondolas at Icy Strait Point. The free “Transporter” gondola takes you between Ocean Landing and Wilderness Landing. Ships can dock at either of these two spots, so it makes sense that there’s free transport between them. The other gondola is a paid “Skyglider” gondola between Wilderness Landing and Sky Peak

There’s also a 10 minute walking path between Ocean Landing and Wilderness Landing. Wilderness Landing is the hub for some excursions. There’s also a store and a few small food / beverage options, though none were open when we were around.

As I mentioned above, Wilderness Landing is also where you can catch the paid “Skyglider” gondola to Sky Peak . If you book basically any excursion for this day, it will include access to this gondola.

This is also the only way to get to Sky Peak—there’s no walking path between Wilderness Landing and Sky Peak. Without an excursion booked, it costs $50 for an adult and is definitely not worth that. We opted to head straight to Sky Peak and then work our way down to Hoonah Cannery.

Sky Peak has a few view points and is the departure point for a few excursions. It’s also home to the zipline, a popular excursion at Icy Strait Point. If you’re not booked on something up there, there’s also a mile-ish trail. However, when we were visiting there were issues with bears.

This necessitated only traveling in groups, with a guide. There also seems to have been a specific bear incident while we were waiting, because delays mounted. I grew impatient and left after about 45 minutes of waiting, but Emily and Zoe stuck with it. Emily said she liked the trail and everyone else seemed to enjoy it, too.

I took the Skyglider back to Wilderness Landing and then the walking path to Ocean Landing. After a little bit of time we reunited and explored the Hoonah Cannery area together.

There were a few restaurants, with the Crab House being the most popular. The donut stand, Lil’ Gen’s Donuts, also had a huge line. There’s also a ton of shopping, along with some museum displays on the history of the cannery.

We spent about four hours total on Icy Strait Point before returning to the ship for lunch (no good vegetarian options in the very crowded restaurants). I really would have liked to have made it to Hoonah, but it was too much of a hike and we had an afternoon excursion.

Zoe’s favorite part of Icy Strait Point was definitely the rock beach.

Whale and Marine Mammals Cruise

Our excursion this afternoon was the Whale and Marine Mammals Cruise. It cost $209 per adult and $139 for Zoe. Unlike some of the excursions that meet inside the Icy Strait Point buildings, ours departed right from the cruise dock, opposite the cruise ship (“Tour Dock C”). We arrived just before 1:45PM, and the 2PM tour departed on time.

At just over 3 years old, Zoe has for a while been able to get through a day without a nap. But this is something that ebbs and flows, or at least some napless days are better than others. This was not a good one.

The main goal of the viewing is usually to see whales, but you might catch some other animals on the way, like sea lions:

The actual animal viewing was 30-45 minutes away, and Zoe did not want to sit still or behave during that time. Eventually we resigned to trying to get a nap in during the excursion. This worked, but left me with a napping Zoe during the actual viewing part of the excursion:

That’s literally me saying “stop coming back here to check on us and just go watch the whales.” Of course I’d prefer that Zoe and I be outside watching the whales too. I think Zoe would have enjoyed it more than me, honestly. I at least had a view through the window, but Zoe slept the whole time.

Meanwhile, Emily had some great views. We spent over an hour in the area with the whales before heading back to the ship.

Back on the ship, we had time to squeeze in greetings with Donald and Pluto before dinner at Tiana’s.

Day 5 - Juneau

Finally, a real town! Day 5 was Juneau day. You can tell from the photo from our balcony that we were docked relatively far from the main part of the city. We were at “AJ Dock,” about a 15 minute walk from the main part of the town. We didn’t walk there, because we were starting the day with an excursion.

The highlight of Juneau for many people will be the Mendenhall Glacier. If you’re taking an Alaska Cruise that stops in Juneau, you’re going to want to consider the options for visiting Mendenhall Glacier. We opted to skip it, not for any particular reason. Instead, we went on the Sled Dog Discovery and Musher’s Camp.

Sled Dog Discovery and Musher’s Camp

Not at all regarding this specific excursion (bold, italics—I cannot emphasize that enough) , but I think in general people should do some background research and consider the ethics of any animal interaction they’re considering.

Obviously you might assume excursions that partner with major cruise lines have been vetted to some degree, but that says nothing about what you’re personally comfortable with. This isn’t a platform for any more of that discussion, so I’m just going to get on with describing our experience.

Our excursion met in Azure (one of the bars, often used as meeting points) at 8:15AM, and by 8:30AM we were boarding the shuttle to the camp, which took about 30 minutes.

The first part of the excursion involved the dogs pulling us around in this cart, along with the opportunity to meet some of the individual dogs. Some weren’t comfortable meeting strangers, so we were told not to engage with them.

Zoe absolutely adores dogs and, spending a lot of time walking around the city, has a basic understanding of how to properly meet new dogs.

After that was a Q&A with a musher. It was interesting to learn about the challenges of the races, conditions, financing, and training a team of dogs.

After that was the chance to meet some puppies. They were very small and very adorable. For many (us included), this was the “it” factor that prompted us to book the excursion. It sort of winds up being $199 for Zoe and $219 for each adult so Zoe can cuddle with a puppy for a few minutes, but learning about sled dog racing is also a pretty quintessential Alaska cruise experience.

There were also some older puppies nearby who were not quite trained. You could visit their fence but there weren’t one-on-one interactions with them. And yes, they nipped at little fingers that went through the fence.

There was complimentary cocoa, along with tea and coffee.

Exploring Juneau

In total we spent about 90 minutes at the camp. On the way back to the ship, the shuttle made a stop in the heart of Juneau, dropping us off at about 10:50AM. Walking around town a bit we popped into Concept Cafe, a fun spot with coffee, video games, and snacks from a variety of Asian countries.

There’s plenty of shopping to be done, both “touristy/cruise” shopping and things like a fun toy store and a used bookstore.

There are also plenty of small cafes and restaurants. We opted for a quick crepe from a stand at Gunakadeit Park. There were several small eateries here.

After lunch we popped into Red Dog Saloon. The “world famous” Red Dog Saloon is probably the most famous saloon in Juneau, and it’s a really fun spot. I’d call it a must-do so long as you don’t have an excursion that takes up your whole day.

Kids are welcome, and they have root beer on tap (which Zoe loved).

After yesterday, we had no intention of skipping the nap today, so we headed back to the ship. With Zoe walking, we made the “15-minute walk” in about 20 minutes.

After the nap we had time to meet Daisy and Minnie before dinner.

After dinner, since Zoe had napped late, we were able to stay up a bit as a family. There was a silent dance party in Azure, which Zoe absolutely loved. We were the last ones to leave.

I spent the night relaxing in the French Quarter Lounge with coffee and a beignet.

Day 6 - Ketchikan

Ketchikan is the last port on this itinerary. As noted above, we opted to keep this day clear just to enjoy the town at our leisure. I think the biggest “must do” here is the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show . On a return trip to Ketchikan, we’d definitely try and see this, but we felt okay missing it this time around.

Ketchikan ashore time wan’t until 11:15AM, which meant we had most of the morning to fill. We started with laundry and breakfast at Cabanas, before an 8:30AM family coloring time in D Lounge. It’s a small thing, but I’m appreciative of the fact that there were family activities as early as 8:30AM.

Afterward there were open house hours at the Oceaneer Club. Donald Duck made an appearance as part of a “pajama party.”

Zoe loved seeing Donald, and then on our way out we ran into Cinderella!

We walked around the ship a bit before being let ashore a little early around 11AM.

There are a few buses in Ketchikan, including a free shuttle that will take you to some of the major points of interest. This is where we caught the shuttle. Our first stop was the Totem Heritage Center (not to be confused with the more popular but farther Totem Bight State Historical Park).

We enjoyed the Totem Heritage Center. It wasn’t huge, but it was a good spot to spend about 30 minutes. We waited 8 minutes for the bus and it was only a 6-minute bus ride away. It’s the endpoint for the bus service, so on our way out we asked a waiting bus driver when he’d depart and found out we had time for a quick visit to the nearby playground (because, with a toddler, of course you fly from New York to Chicago to Vancouver and board a ship to Alaska to go to a playground).

We headed to lunch at 108 Taphouse and Burger Bar. They had Impossible Burgers and this was, by far, our favorite meal of the entire trip. It’s a really popular restaurant and not big, so I had to wait at the bar for a table while Emily and Zoe visited the nearby shops.

After lunch we went to Historic Creek Street. It’s a beautiful boardwalk with an interesting history . Nowadays its mostly just small shops, but it’s really cute and definitely a must-do.

From Creek Street it was a short walk to the Tongass Historical Museum. This was a pretty standard historical museum, but it was high quality, with lots of cool items and a fossil display.

As you’d expect, there’s plenty of shopping near the docks, too. We went back to the ship around 3PM so Zoe could nap and I could run.

This was overall a low-stress, uneventful day, but it was also a great way to start to wrap up our trip. I learned later that we lucked into this weather. Ketchikan is generally quite rainy. While rain would have put a damper on some of our walking, overall I think I’d still plan to do something similar on future visits (but with the lumberjack show, probably). It’s a pleasant city to walk around.

There was a nice photo op onboard:

Dinner was at Animator’s Palate (our second visit, having skipped the second of three scheduled meals there). The activity for the night was drawing a cartoon character. At the end of the night all the characters made appearances on the screens / walls around the restaurant. It was a fun bit.

In the quick guide about rotational dining, I mention that the long mealtimes can be a bit of a burden. Today, for example, I had to hop out a few minutes early to go get in line to meet Minnie. This was her last appearance in her Alaska outfit and we didn’t want to miss out.

days 7 and 8 - Day at Sea and Debarkation

I’m combining these last two days because (1) there isn’t a ton to say about our last day at sea and (2) the most important things that happen on day 7 related to debarkation on day 8.

Day 7 is the last full day aboard the ship, a day at sea. By this point, you’ve probably done just about everything on the ship that you wanted to do. It might be a good day to save something like a meal at Palo for so you have that to look forward to.

After breakfast at Cabanas, we took advantage of open house hours at Edge and Vibe, the kids’ clubs for older kids. Zoe had fun playing some of the arcade games, and I played some Mario Kart.

Besides just enjoying the ship, there are a few key errands you might want to run on this day.

First, I booked my placeholder reservation. This is the opportunity to save some money on a future Disney Cruise.

The Placeholder Reservation is only bookable onboard. It requires a $250 refundable deposit, and you’ll get 10% off the cruise you opt to apply the deposit to (subject to blockout dates , boo). I had some issues doing this in the app (I think unique to me, a problem with my card or something), but was able to get it taken care of with a simple visit to guest services. (As an aside, if you have any Guest Services issues, handle them early on Day 7 to avoid lines later in the day.)

Second, I swung by Shutters, the onboard photography shop. I hadn’t preordered photos because I don’t usually meet tons of characters. Turns out meeting characters was Zoe’s absolute favorite thing this trip, so I wound up spending $350 for the digital package of all our photos. Shutters is typically set to be open on debarkation morning, too, but there’s rarely any reason to wait until then to decide on your photo package (and there will be lines).

Third, I went to the main stores onboard, Mickey’s Mainsail and White Caps. I’d visited a few times during the course of the cruise, but now it was time to make any final purchases. These two stores some overlap, but basically I’d say White Caps is like the Grand Floridian gift shop and Mickey’s Mainsail is like the Pop Century gift shop. Either way, just go to both. Here’s a gallery of some merchandise:

There was a character dance party we were able to catch just before Zoe’s nap:

Now, some debarkation information. Most of the need-to-know about debarkation can be found in the app. However, there’s also a video looping on one of the TV channels that you’ll be reminded to watch several times.

On the last night of your cruise, you’ll get two things dropped off at your room—luggage tags and gratuity envelopes.

Let’s start with the gratuity envelopes. On Disney Cruise Line, you’re expected to tip your server, head server, assistant server, and stateroom host. And by “expected”, I mean that as a default , the tips will be billed to your stateroom. It’s a fixed per-person amount. For this cruise, for three of us, it came to $99.75 for our server, $78.75 for our assistant server, $26.25 for our head server, and $99.75 for our stateroom host. That’s a total of $304.50. This amounts to $14.50 per person, per night , as per Disney Cruise Line guidelines .

You can pre-pay these via the Disney Cruise Line website before your trip. Or they will be added to your stateroom bill. If you’d like to change the amount you can do so at the Guest Services desk.

Surely you’re wondering why you’re provided envelopes for gratuities that are charged to your room. Well, alongside the gratuity envelopes is a tearable sheet with strips of paper outlining the tip amounts. If you want to give these in the envelopes to the designated people, you can. If you want to provide extra cash in the envelopes, you can.

You’ll see your server team at breakfast on debarkation day, but you’ll probably either try and track down your host during the evening or just leave the envelope in the room.

Now, the luggage tags. The luggage tags are character-themed and correspond to when you’ll get off the ship. You put the luggage tags on your larger bags and leave them outside your room the last night of your cruise (I think the deadline was 10PM). The Cast Members will take the bags from the hallway and store them. You won’t see them again until you’re off the ship. After that, you’ve just got whatever items you’ve kept with you for the last evening and debarkation morning.

Debarkation morning itself is pretty simple—you’ll leave your room, eat breakfast, and get off the ship. Breakfast is table service in the same restaurant where you had your last dinner. You’ll be served by your usual team. Alternatively, I understand Cabanas is usually open, too. I also believe Cove Cafe is open.

Other than that, the only other activity available onboard is Shutters, the photography shop. Hopefully you already purchased your photo package, but if you didn’t, you can usually do so on debarkation morning (I say “usually” because why take the chance of something going wrong?). Nothing else is available debarkation morning—no pools, no shopping, no theaters, etc.

After breakfast, you’ll wait for your group to be called. I think they make ship-wide announcements, but we watched the screens in D Lounge (the spot we found best for waiting at that point). So, here’s what the screen showed when guests with Ariel or Chip & Dale could debark:

When your group is called, your store bags are taken off the ship. You’ll exit the ship and encounter a huge room filled with bags. Find the section corresponding to your luggage tags, then find your bags and exit.

Alternatively, you can just skip the luggage storage altogether. Don’t use the luggage tags and don’t leave any bags in the hallway, and you can just debark immediately after the ship has cleared customs. This was sometime before 8AM on our debarkation day.

We were called around 8:30AM and off the ship at 8:37AM. It took us a few minutes to find our bags (AirTags helped), and we were on our way out at 8:43AM.

As I’ve noted before, the Vancouver cruise terminal has a great location. There’s a Fairmont hotel right across the street. We were staying at the Fairmont at the airport, but that was only an 11-minute walk to the train station plus a 30-minute train ride.

And so our journey came to an end!

Alaskan Cruise on the Disney Wonder — Closing Thoughts

Overall, our Alaskan cruise on the Disney Wonder was exactly what I’d been led to expect—a stunning, fantastically fun, bucket-list-worthy, once-in-a-lifetime (maybe) type of cruise. Would I recommend it? Definitely!

Coming into the cruise, my biggest “concern” was properly balancing our time on and off the ship. Excursions come at a price, but they’re also sort of what the whole trip is about. At the same time, you’re paying a premium for a Disney cruise, and I didn’t want Zoe to miss out on the kids clubs or character greetings.

In the end I think we did a good job balancing things. By Day 7 we felt like we’d done everything we wanted on the ship, but we weren’t bored. The Wonder is one of Disney’s smallest ships, but it isn’t too small for this trip.

Zoe was certainly never bored—the pool, the activities, and the kids clubs were more than enough for a week. In fact, Zoe had such a good time the entire week that I’m actually quite nervous for our upcoming 3-night trip on the Disney Wish. Only three nights?! It almost feels cruel.

The lowlight of the experience was definitely the food and dining. Again, this is partly a product of our dietary choices (vegetarian), but also a product of the limited hours for the restaurants. I think its inexcusable that (1) Cabanas lunch didn’t start until 11:45AM most days and (2) Cabanas isn’t open for dinner. Yea, you’re supposed to do rotational dining, but—as detailed in our quick guide to rotational dining—that isn’t a perfect option, dietary choices aside. It’s just telling that our best meal the entire trip was a burger restaurant in Ketchikan.

But we’ll look back and remember the highlights. Our hearts melting when Zoe met those dogs and puppies. Successful whale watching. Stunning scenery. And So. Many. Characters.

Thanks for reading about our time aboard the Disney Wonder! We can’t wait to get on our next cruise and share that with you too!

Disney Alaska cruise review

• We had a welcome gift in our suite, but it had the wrong names on it. There was also a phone message, again for the wrong guests.
• The Bose audio system had no power. Rodrigo realized that the power cable must have been disconnected when they slid out the tray perhaps for cleaning.
• The clock in the master bedroom was set to the wrong time. I had to ask the stateroom attendant to set it.
• There was a drawer in the second bedroom that was tilted and couldn't close. Our stateroom attendant fixed this.
• One of the wave phones was not charging. Rodrigo opened the battery compartment to fix it.
• The couch was old and worn. That's understandable given the age of the ship, but we had high hopes for a concierge suite.
• There were bugs in the light fixture in the master bedroom. We never reported this issue.
• There was a random pair of underwear and socks that showed up on a chair in the master bedroom one night. Our guess is that when they cleaned the carpet they moved furniture and found it behind something and put in on the chair thinking it was ours, but it wasn't.
• The servers at dinner seemed less experienced. They didn't know what was in the specialty drinks and had to ask someone else. On the Fantasy, the servers remembered our preferences quickly and had it ready each night after that. On the Wonder, we had to ask for Tabasco sauce almost every night, and a small spoon for our child. We've heard that when the Dream and Fantasy were launched, a lot of the better employees were transferred to the newer ships.
• We only saw the head server a few times at our table. On the Fantasy, the head server made extra effort to get avocados for our child.
• For the first few days of sailing, it was cold and the crew looked unhappy. Crew members in the hallways didn't always look up or say hello. When I got in line at the buffet, the crew member handed me a tray without looking up or saying a word.

Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise – The Essential Guide 2024

Sharing is caring!

One sailing that is on many people’s bucket lists is a cruise to Alaska.

And if you want to sail on one of the best cruise lines which offer that itinerary you really should consider a Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise.

Here we look at the Alaskan cruises that are available on the Disney Wonder, get an idea of pricing and find out more about what Disney Cruises have to offer.

Disney Wonder Sailings from Vancouver

First, let’s see what itineraries are available.

All the Disney Wonder Alaska Cruises sail from the port of Vancouver, Canada.

There are a number of different cruises available including 5, 7, 8, and 9-night itineraries.

Most of the Disney Wonder Cruises are for 7 nights.

There are some variations on the Disney Wonder Alaska cruise itinerary but most are 7-night cruises sailing from Vancouver.

4-Night Pacific Coast Cruise From San Diego California to Vancouver Canada

• San Diego, California
• Victoria, Canada
• Vancouver, Canada

Sailing on 5/9/24

7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

• Glacier Viewing, Stikine Icecap
• Icy Strait Point

Sailing on 5/13/24, 5/27/24,

6/10/24, 6/24/24,

8/5/24, 8/19/24,

Sailing on 5/20/24,

6/3/24, 6/17/24,

7/1/24, 7/29/24,

8/12/24, 8/26/24,

9/9/24, and 9/16/24

9-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

Sailing on 7/15/24

Do You Need a Balcony Stateroom on a Disney Alaska Cruise?

The very simple answer to this is that a balcony stateroom is always very nice to have, particularly for an Alaskan cruise.

However, balcony staterooms are almost always more expensive than Inside and Outside staterooms – and never more is this true on any Alaskan cruise that you may choose.

Let’s look at this price difference.

These Disney Alaskan cruise costs are shown as correct if you were booking on November 27, 2022. Prices vary a lot so always check the Disney website for up-to-date pricing.

The prices below are for 2 guests including taxes and port fees.

The rates shown are for the lowest rates in that category.

As you can see the rates for a balcony stateroom are considerably higher than for an Inside or Oceanview stateroom.

For some dates, the cost of a balcony stateroom is more than double that of an Inside stateroom.

So should you book a balcony stateroom on a Disney Alaskan cruise?

Only you can decide whether the cost is within your budget.

Of course, it is nice to be able to sit on the balcony and watch the beautiful scenery go by, but you can do that in the public areas of the ship.

Is it as great an experience?

Probably not, but you are saving $3,000 to $4,000. You need to decide how important that is to you.

How to Find the Best Staterooms on Disney Wonder

When is the Best Time to Book a Disney Alaska Cruise?

There is no easy answer to this – as pricing patterns have changed since sailings restarted.

The usual advice prior to 2022 was that you should always book a Disney Cruise as close to the opening date as possible as the prices were likely to go up considerably over time.

However, this has become a little more complicated when you look at the prices for 2022 and how they have changed.

You can see  Disney Alaska Cruise 2022 Prices  here to see how they changed from the release date to right up to before sailing.

Some cruise prices for Alaska even went down from the opening day.

This is really not what you would expect, and was probably unique for 2022.

What you can see is that if you want to sail Concierge on a Disney Wonder Alaskan Cruise then the best idea would be to book as early as possible.

Concierge is likely to sell out quickly on many dates, and 2022 shows that prices can rise considerably.

What Are The Disney Alaskan Cruise Port Stops Like?

A Disney 7-night Alaska cruise has port stops in Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.

It also has a day exploring Dawes Glacier. Each of these experiences has something different to offer.

Disney Cruise Dawes Glacier

This isn’t a port stop in the conventional sense. However, it is an experience sailing around the Dawes Glacier.

This is an amazing experience and is often the highlight of a Disney Alaskan cruise.

To be able to get up close and see the amazing scenery is an experience not to be missed.

Dawes Glacier is part of the scenic Endicott Arm fjord which is located approximately 45 miles south of Juneau, Alaska.

You get very close to the glaciers. Nothing can prepare you for that amazing sight of the spectacular glaciers.

The Tracy Arm experience will last around 5 hours, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the experience from different viewpoints.

Remember to dress in layers and bring those binoculars with you!

Icy Strait Point, Alaska

The 7-night Disney Alaskan Cruises and the 9-night cruise sails to Icy Strait Point, Alaska.

It is a stunningly beautiful port with spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

A relatively new addition to Icy Strait Point is the gondola which gives spectacular views of the area. The Skyglider climbs 1,600 feet to Sky Peak.

It is well worth the journey for the view from the top.

Gondola Mountaintop and Transporter Port Adventure costs $50 for adults and $40 for children aged 3 to 9.

There are lots of tours which will give you the opportunity to see the abundant wildlife. There are a number of Whale Watching Tours available.

There is also a Discovering Birds excursion.

Other Port Adventures include Family Scavenger Hunt, Seafood Fest, Back Country Jeep Adventure, and the Spasski River Valley Wildlife and Bear Search.

Disney Cruise Alaska Skagway Port and Excursions

Skagway is probably my favorite port stop in Alaska.

This is another town where you dock very close to the center, so it is easy to just walk off the ship and explore.

Skagway is a small Gold Rush town. It is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

This is how you imagine stepping back in time would feel like.

Skagway is a tiny town. It has one main street which isn’t very long. The population is just 1,191 people.

It is well worth the short walk into town though if only to imagine what it must have been like to live in one of the Gold Rush towns.

There are some tourist stores, a couple of bars, and a museum which is worth checking out.

However, you will most likely want to combine your visit to Skagway with some Disney cruise excursions to make the most of your time there.

A highlight for many visitors is the White Pass Scenic Railway.

You really couldn’t dock any closer to the station – it is right next to the ship.

This is a very very popular Port Adventure and it does sell out.

The cost is $149 for adults and $74 for children aged 3 to 9 for the basic journey.

There are other Port Adventures that include the rail journey but add on other elements such as a hike, a bike trail, or a VIP experience.

This vintage train takes you on a spectacular journey on a track that was built in 1898.

This is another one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences which we highly recommend.

One of the most sought-after Disney Cruise Alaska excursions is a dog sledding adventure.

There are plenty of opportunities to book an Alaskan port adventure where you can enjoy this amazing experience.

There are many other options for excursions in Skagway

. One of the least pricey is Skagway’s Original Street Car City Tour which is $52 for adults and $35 for children.

On this excursion, you board an original 1927 sightseeing bus and are taken on a historical journey around the town.

It is a good way to see more of the breathtaking scenery surrounding the town and to get an overview of the history of the area.

Other excursions include Alpine Lake Canoe Adventure, Dog Sledding and Glacier Flightseeing, Evening Wildlife Expedition, Klondike Bicycle Tour, Ocean Raft Nature Adventure, Sunset Horseback Adventure and the Yukon Expedition.

Disney Cruise Alaska Juneau Port and Excursions

Junuea is the only US State Capital that is landlocked.

The only way to get there is by land or sea – there are no roads going in or out of the town.

Disney Wonder docks right in the center of town.

Just step off the ship and you can explore the shops and restaurants.

It is, of course, a town which caters to tourists, so you will find a lot of souvenir shops which start to look the same as each other very quickly.

The Goldbelt Tramway is a very popular attraction in Juneau and it is just a short walk from where the Wonder docks.

The aerial tramway takes guests 1,800 feet into the mountains for a spectacular view of the surrounding scenery.

You can do this on your own, but there is also an excursion available. The lines can be long and if the weather is bad (as it often is) you may not see much of a view.

We would say to wait until you arrive and see what the weather is like before deciding if it is worth standing in line.

There is a huge choice of activities in Juneau – it is difficult to choose just one.

Juneau is well known for the Mendenhall Glacier.

This breathtaking natural feature is the only glacier in Alaska that you can access by road.

There are many Disney Port Adventures that give guests the chance to visit Mendenhall Glacier.

These range from a trip to view the glacier from the ground to plenty of options from a boat or kayak.

The Mendenhall Lake Kayak Adventure gives you an opportunity to explore the glacier up close. It is $229 for adults and $119 for children

Alaska is of course known for its abundant wildlife.

You will likely see whales from your ship, but if you want to increase your odds of seeing one of these beautiful creatures there are plenty of Whale Watching Adventures to choose from.

The Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest is $179 for adults and $109 for children.

Guests will board a catamaran and sail on a whale-watching adventure.

Want to be even more adventurous? The Taku Lacier Adventure by Helicopter is one of those bucket list experiences that you will never forget. It is available for $459 for all ages.

Disney Alaska Cruise Ketchikan Port and Excursions

Another fascinating port on your Disney Cruise is the town of Ketchikan.

Disney Wonder docks right in the town so you can just step off the ship and explore.

As you would expect, the town is full of tourist shops.

It is worth taking a short time to browse around, but you will probably want to book a Port Adventure to explore much more than the town itself.

Ketchikan is most famous for its colorful totem poles which you can see around the town.

The Misty Fjords National Monument by Seaplane is a very popular excursion.

This 75-minute flight will have you flying over spectacular scenery and enjoying a view of the surrounding fjords, waterfalls, and lakes. The cost is $499 for adults and $409 for children aged 2 to 9. Under 2 are free.

Ketchikan is also famous for its lumberjack show, which is a short walk from the cruise ship. You can book the Exclusive Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show at $50 for adults and $28 for children. For an extra charge, you can even try your hand at axe throwing!

There are lots of Disney Alaska Cruise Port Adventures to get you out in the amazing Alaskan scenery. These include an Alaskan Bear Adventure, Zipline Adventures, Hunting for Halibut, Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure, Rainforest Family Adventure, and a Wilderness Exploration and Crab Fest.

Which Side of the Cruise Ship is Best on an Alaska Cruise?

Visiting Sitka on a Disney Alaska Cruise

The Wonder only has a port stop in Sitka on the 9-night itinerary which only sails once in 2023.

You can easily explore on your own but you will get the most out of your experience if you book a guided tour or Port Adventure.

There are several Disney Port Adventures available to the National Park which is also known as Totem Park. The basic tour is $64 for adults and $44 for children aged 3 to 9.

If you prefer something a little more adventurous then the Alaska Zodiac Adventure and Fin Island Lodge Port Adventures are available for $199 for adults and $139 for children.

Hubbard Glacier

You will only visit Hubbard Glacier on a Disney Alaska Cruise if you are sailing on the 9-night itinerary.

This is subject to actually being able to access the glacier as for part of the cruise season it is too icy to actually pass close to Hubbard Glacier.

It is a spectacularly beautiful place and most guests enjoy the views from the ship.

However, there is one Port Adventure available which is the Hubbard Glacier Explorer costing $299 for adults and $199 for children. This 2-hour tour on a water-jet-powered catamaran  takes you close up to the glacier so that you are likely to see

Want to Know More About the Disney Wonder?

We have spent many months on the Disney Wonder and have written lots of guides about this fabulous ship:

Disney Wonder Staterooms – What Do You Need to Know?

Disney Wonder Restaurant Guide

Disney Wonder Bars

Disney Cruise First-Timer Money Mistakes

Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

Wednesday 30th of November 2022

The photo posted of the Disney Magic in Vancouver - just an fyi that’s not Vancouver! Great article though :)

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content

Ear To There Travel

Trusted Disney Travel Agents for Every Disney Destination

Disney Cruise To Alaska

If you want to indulge in one of the most sought-after and frequently-repeated trips offered by Mickey & Co., the Disney cruise to Alaska is the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious choice. 

Let the Disney Wonder (both the wonder of Disney magic and the actual ship itself ) carry you to the land of gold prospectors, ancient glaciers, and gasp-worthy sea creatures.

Our expert Disney travel agents (we call them “Vacationeers”) will book your cruise with ease at absolutely no extra cost to you . Click on the button below to get the party started. 

Why Take A Disney Cruise to Alaska?

Many cruises go to Alaska, but what you get with a Disney Alaska cruise is a marvelously magical, unrivaled experience that’s in a class all its own.

The grandest comfort. 

The greatest fun.

The most environmentally-friendly pleasure cruise.

And by far the most for your money. 

With Ear To There Travel, you get even more because you’ll have a highly experienced, completely free travel agent helping you navigate the stressful seas of opportunity.

No hidden fees, no hidden agenda. We’re just here to help you create the vacation of your dreams.

What’s Included In A Disney Alaska Cruise

Mermaids make ready, princes get pumped – let’s get down to business and see the enchantment that awaits you.

Entertainment And Activities On The Disney Wonder

Do you want to build a snowman at sea? You do? Fantastic! Frozen is one of the shows you can see (and one of the things you can feel) on your Alaska cruise. 

• Spas and hair salons
• Live, original, extravagant, Broadway-quality, musical theatre performances 
• Dancing & Disney character deck parties
• Freshwater pools, waterslides, play areas for different ages
• Live music 
• Variety shows
• New & Classic Disney movies on deck and in high-class, state-of-the-art movie theaters
• Basketball court
• Running track  
• Ping pong 
• Shuffleboard 
• Fitness center, personal training, and classes with ocean views
• The best views of the world from the most beautiful rooms at sea
• Photo-ops and interactions with your favorite Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters throughout the ship

Unique Activities On The Disney Alaska Cruise

Specific onboard and port adventures that you can only find in Alaska – and many that you can only get through Disney Alaska cruise excursions. 

There aren’t any fireworks on the Alaska cruises, but, oh, there is sooooo much you can enjoy instead:

• Pixar Pals Party on deck
• Dog Sledding
• An Alpine zipline 
• Adventure ropes course 
• Flying in a seaplane  
• Afternoon tea
• Hummer expedition
• Salmon bake
• Lumberjack show
• Museums 
• Gardens 
• Trails 
• Trains 
• Trolleys 
• Canoes 
• Horseback riding
• Fisherman tour 
• Snorkeling 
• Gold panning
• Scavenger hunt  
• Bikes 

Delicious Disney Cruise Food 

One of the highlights of a Disney Cruise is the huge selection of unforgettable food in an atmosphere that you can only find with Disney. 

Every member of your party is sure to find just what they want when they want it, and that makes everyone’s trip more fun and relaxing. 

Whether it’s a meal for the whole family, a romantic evening for two, or quick snacks between exciting back-to-back activities, the possibilities for great food are ready when you want them with: 

• Upscale, gourmet fare 
• Quick-bite casual fare
• Poolside nibbles
• 24-hour room service (included in the cost of the cruise)
• Unlimited coffee, tea, and soda
• Unlimited soft-serve ice cream
• An adults-only cafe for fancier coffee and pastries

Best Disney Cruise Restaurants

For a few hours of grown-up getaway time, you’ll appreciate the sophisticated, highly sought-after options for the young at heart. Palo is an adults-only, Italian dining option and is one of the big draws for many on Disney cruises.   

Tiana’s Place 

With upbeat Jazz, the best of Louisiana-style specialty foods, and lively storytelling, Tiana’s Place is inspired by Disney’s The Princess and the Frog . Its beautiful, New Orleans-style architecture sets the perfect backdrop for your dining pleasure.    

Dedicated Variety For Every Age Group

Cruises created by Disney. Alaskan and ship-board activities approved by both the young and young at heart. 

Some of the highlights?

For kids: Oceaneers Club , complete with a Marvel Super Hero Academy. Aqualab pool . Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique . 

For tweens: Edge hangout. Goofy’s Pool . Royal afternoon tea .

For teens: Vi b e club. Chill spa. Waterslides.

For adults: Senses Spa . Cadill a c Lounge . Crown & Fin pub. Azure nightclub with live shows. Quiet Cove Pool. 

… And tons more that everyone can do together both on and off the ship!

With more to do than you can fit into one lifetime, let alone one trip, you might want some expert help understanding all the options and picking what’s best for you. Click the link below to engage our free, EarMarked by Disney (which means we’re official!) services.

Disney Alaska Cruise Prices

Essentially for the cost of a Broadway ticket, you can get an all-inclusive vacation with food, comfortable accommodations, activities, relaxation, the best service on the planet, and entertainment galore – complete with Broadway-caliber performers performing Broadway-level performances.

As for exact numbers, the cost is calculated according to the following factors:

• Length of the cruise (usually about a week)
• Number of people (including wheelchair accessible at all price points)
• Room type (10 varieties) 
• Destination (17 places)
• Additional Port Adventures (virtually unlimited possibilities)

The starting cost for a Disney cruise to Alaska is around $180 – $600, per person, per day.  

When you’re creating your budget, don’t forget airfare, souvenirs, internet, any extra adventures at the port, services on the ship, and gratuity at the end.

Disney Wonder Cruise Rooms

Innovative and relaxing, no expense was spared on the living quarters on the Disney Wonder. They were designed with the whole family in mind.  

You’ll find spacious accommodations, a dedicated sitting area, a private bathroom, privacy curtains, extra storage space, a refrigerator, a safe, wheelchair accessible rooms, usually a sleeper sofa plus a pull-down bunk, and more.

• Concierge Royal Suite with a verandah
• Concierge two-bedroom suites with a verandah
• Concierge one-bedroom suites with a verandah
• Deluxe Family Stateroom with a verandah 
• Deluxe Stateroom with a verandah 
• Deluxe Stateroom with a Navigator View verandah
• Deluxe 

Disney Alaska Cruise Packing Suggestions

Have both a carry-on day bag and luggage to check. Your luggage will be loaded into your stateroom for you, but since that is true for everyone on the ship, your luggage may not arrive promptly and you’ll want to have the important things on hand.

Day-Bag Suggestions:

• Sunglasses and prescription glasses
• Sunscreen and a hat
• Swimsuit and a cover-up
• Change of clothes
• Lightweight sweater or jacket

Larger Luggage Suggestions:

• Windproof and comfortable clothing
• Water-proof gear (but Disney will provide a poncho if you forget a raincoat)
• Pants or jeans
• Comfortable, sturdy shoes
• Dinner Attire 

Interested in what not to pack on a Disney Cruise? 

Disney’s got a list of what’s not allowed onboard their cruise ships.

A Note About Dress Codes

The main dining restaurants are all “cruise casual,” but some people do prefer to gussy it up a little. 

The adults-only restaurant Palo prefers to maintain the highest level of elegance, while also attending to the comfort of its patrons. While certainly not black-tie formal, there is a dress code for dining at Palo.

If you are on a cruise that lasts 7+ days, there will be themed nights (including a formal evening) so be prepared to dress up (both in gowns and costumes) should you wish to enjoy the frivolity. 

Ready To Book Your Alaska Cruise?  

Ear To There Travel makes it easy. So easy, in fact, that we’ve created an easy booking button just for you.

Simply click on the button and it will take you to our handy-dandy quote form. 

The quotes are completely free .

Our services to turn the quote into a booking are completely free .

Receiving our help ensuring your vacation proceeds according to the wishes of your heart… Yes! Also completely free !

The only thing you have to cover is the vacation itself. Save your hard decision-making abilities for whether to eat one dessert or two on your first night at sea and which Disney movie to watch while you’re rocked to sleep afterward. Our goal for you is to simply relax and enjoy your delightful Disney cruise.  

You want to take a Disney cruise – let us take the complicated stuff off your plate and make it as easy as catching a Jungle Cruise in one of the parks.

Ear To There Travel is EarMarked by Disney. What does that mean?

It means that our Vacationeers are some of the best Disney travel agents in the biz. 

Ear To There is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planning company. Disney destinations are our specialty, our focus, our passion. 

To become EarMarked, you must maintain a multi-year track record of booking a high volume of Disney vacations and demonstrating your Disney expertise. You must also maintain the highest of standards in providing service to the discerning Disney guest that has come to expect a detailed, well-structured, easy experience. 

4 Great Reasons To Work With A Disney Authorized Travel Agent

• You’ll save money. 
• You’ll save time.
• You’ll save energy, effort, and emotional distress.
• You’ll feel confident being in the know and having easier access to the vacation of your dreams.

Don’t settle for excellent . We can provide you with extraordinary.

Explore more

Get the latest disney deals delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to keep in touch via email and we'll send you the newest Disney deals as soon as they're available.

Disney Cruises to Alaska

Explore Alaska’s breathtaking landscape aboard a Disney cruise departing from Vancouver. Select from five- to nine-night itineraries for couples and families to discover the awe-inspiring northern region of the US. This guide presents essential information about Disney cruises to Alaska, including departure dates, pricing, ship options, and Alaskan ports of call. It also provides important details about Disney Cruise Line’s Vancouver terminal to ensure a seamless and stress-free experience.

Dates & Itineraries   |  Ships   |  Port   |  Airports   |  Hotels

Prefer to Speak with Someone? Vacationeers are Standing By!

Dates & Itineraries: Alaskan Disney Cruises

Below are the departure dates and itineraries for Disney Alaskan cruises from Vancouver in 2024 and 2025 . Disney’s 2026 Alaska sail dates are expected to be announced around March 2025.

Note : Disney Alaskan cruises are currently all aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship and begin in Vancouver, Canada.

5-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

Itinerary Includes

• Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada (Cruise Start/End)
• Glacier Viewing (Stikine Icecap), Alaska
• Ketchikan, Alaska
• Day at Sea (2 days)

2024 Sail Dates

• July 24 – 29, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,236 USD

2025 Sail Dates

• July 16 – 21, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,500 USD

7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver featuring Skagway

• Juneau, Alaska
• Skagway, Alaska
• May 20 – 27, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,503 USD
• June 3 – 10, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,301 USD
• June 17 – 24, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,483 USD
• July 1 – 8, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,651 USD
• July 29 – August 5, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,623 USD
• August 12 – 19, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,769 USD
• August 26 – September 2, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,363 USD
• September 9 – 16, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,027 USD
• September 16 – 23, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $2,929 USD
• May 12 – 19, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,578 USD
• May 19 – 26, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,592 USD
• May 26 – June 2, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,222 USD
• June 2 – 9, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,446 USD
• June 9 – 16, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,614 USD
• June 23 – 30, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,824 USD
• June 30 – July 7, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,922 USD
• July 21 – 28, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,810 USD
• July 28 – August 4, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,810 USD
• August 4 – 11, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,600 USD
• August 18 – 25, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,900 USD
• August 25 – September 1, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,550 USD
• September 1 – 8, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,424 USD
• September 8 – 15, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,130 USD

7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver featuring Icy Strait Point

• Icy Strait Point, Alaska
• May 13 – 20, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,490 USD
• May 27 – June 3, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,036 USD
• June 10 – 17, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,484 USD
• June 24 – July 1, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,568 USD
• July 8 – 15, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,680 USD
• August 5 – 12, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $4,400 USD
• August 19 – 26, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,784 USD
• September 2-9, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $3,252 USD
• June 16 – 23, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $4,646 USD
• August 11 – 18, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,932 USD

8-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

• Glacier Viewing (Stikine Ice Cap)
• Ketchikan, AK
• Skagway, AK
• None currently scheduled for this itinerary
• September 15 – 23, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $3,409 USD

9-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

• Sitka, Alaska

Victoria (British Columbia), Canada

• July 15 – 24, 2024 on Disney Wonder | From $5,765 USD
• July 7 – 16, 2025 on Disney Wonder | From $5,800 USD

Do You Have Questions About Disney Cruises to Alaska?

Are you considering a Disney Alaskan cruise and need help deciding between itineraries for 2024 or 2025? Look no further than The Vacationeer , one of the best Disney travel agencies with years of experience and exceptional customer service.

When you have a dedicated Vacationeer by your side, every detail of your Alaskan cruise will be expertly tailored to meet your needs. Their goal is to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience both on land and at sea while securing the lowest rates for your trip . Plus, The Vacationeer offers complimentary Disney onboard credit as a booking bonus, providing you with free spending money to pay for extras not included in the fare.

The Vacationeer isn’t limited to Alaskan itineraries alone. They can also help you explore exciting Disney cruises from New Orleans , San Diego , Galveston , and New York , in addition to the numerous Disney cruises departing from the Florida ports of Miami , Port Canaveral , and Fort Lauderdale .

Let The Vacationeer assist you in making your Disney cruise dreams a reality. Contact them today for an instant price quote and discover how affordable Disney Cruise Line can be. Their planning services are completely free!

Where Do Disney Cruises to Alaska Go?

In 2024 and 2025, Disney Cruise Line will offer sailings from Vancouver, Canada, to ports of call throughout Alaska. Passengers can choose from itineraries ranging from five to nine nights, with stops at various destinations, including Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway, Glacier Viewing at the Stikine Icecap, and Icy Strait Point .

Guests can enjoy fine dining, Broadway-style live shows, and other diverse entertainment aboard the Disney Wonder. Additionally, guests can enhance their cruise packages with excursions (Port Adventures) , allowing for a deeper immersion into the cultures and attractions of each destination.

A Disney cruise to Alaska is the ideal way to experience the magic of this remarkable region. There is no shortage of things to do on a Disney cruise to Alaska, whether you’re looking for breathtaking wilderness, local traditions, walks around lively cities, or exciting adventures.

The following is an overview of Disney’s Alaskan cruise ports of call and points of interest.

About the Juneau Disney Cruise Port

The city of Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is a popular port of call on Disney cruises to Alaska. Visitors can explore the city’s natural wonders, museums, and historic sites, including the Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska State Museum, and Red Dog Saloon.

Other options include:

• Shopping for Alaskan souvenirs.
• Taking a tram to an observation deck for a bird’s eye view of the city.
• Visiting the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery to see salmon eggs harvested and fertilized.

Many excursions (Port Adventures) are available at Disney’s Juneau port , including salmon bakes, zip-lining, dog sledding, glacier tours, and whale watching.

About the Ketchikan Disney Cruise Port

Ketchikan is a city in Alaska that is the fifth most populous and known as the “Salmon Capital of the World.” It is rich in Native Alaskan culture, with towering totem poles and shops offering hand-carved items for tourists.

Visitors can explore the world’s most extensive collection of original 19th-century totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center , enjoy shopping for unique items, stroll along Creek Street, and escape to the Misty Fjords National Monument. Optional excursions include a lumberjack show, a trolley tour, wilderness dining, and salmon fishing.

About the Sitka Disney Cruise Port

Disney cruises to Alaska offer a stop at Sitka , a multicultural port with a rich history as the former capital of Russian America. Visitors can enjoy outdoor adventures in the Tongass National Forest, spot wildlife, and learn about Tlingit and Russian cultures through local museums and performances. Popular activities and attractions include:

• Shopping for unique items.
• Watching traditional Russian and Ukrainian dances.
• Visiting the Fortress of the Bear.
• Exploring Sitka National Historical Park and St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

Your Disney Alaskan cruise package can also include sightseeing tours, salmon fishing, and sea kayaking excursions.

About the Skagway Disney Cruise Port

Skagway, located in the Alaskan Panhandle, is a charming town that served as the setting of Jack London’s book, The Call of the Wild . The town grew during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, and visitors can explore its history at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and Skagway Museum and Archives. Other must-see destinations include the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, Jewell Gardens, and the Chilkoot Trail. Horseback riding, sled dog adventures, hiking, rafting, and touring glaciers are among the many excursions available.

About the Other Disney Alaskan Destinations

Aside from the main port cities, Disney cruises to Alaska offer a number of less-frequented destinations and points of interest. They include the following.

Glacier Viewing at the Stikine Icecap

Disney cruises to Alaska offer a unique opportunity to visit the Stikine Icecap and witness the region’s natural beauty. Passengers can navigate through an icy fjord, observe wild animals and soaring cliffs, and gaze upon sapphire waters and glowing blue ice as they make their way to one of the majestic glaciers along the Stikine Icecap. The icefield is renowned for its granite spires and imposing peaks and is one of the three biggest icecaps in Alaska.

Icy Strait Point

Disney cruises to Alaska offer the opportunity to visit Icy Strait Point, a scenic destination known for whale watching. Visitors can explore the lively fishing community, former logging town, and Tlingit village of Hoonah and enjoy various activities such as kayaking, zip-lining, ATV expeditions, and watching tribal dance performances. The shops offer souvenirs, clothing, salmon products, art, and books. Additionally, visitors can savor an authentic culinary experience and challenge themselves in the Tree Top Adventure Park and Ropes Course.

Home to the world-famous Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada is a port that blends natural beauty with a bustling metropolis. Victoria is the capital city of the Province of British Columbia and is known as the “City of Gardens.” Beyond Butchart Gardens, explore Beacon Hill Park or visit the Butterfly Gardens. For an eye towards history, visit Craigdarroch Castle or the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Book With The Vacationeer To Get a Credit Toward Excursions in These Ports

How Many Disney Cruises to Alaska Are There?

Disney Cruise Line typically offers between 15 and 20 departures from Vancouver to Alaska ports between May and September each year . These cruises are organized into several different itineraries, all of which typically stick the the panhandle area of Alaska, including stops at popular ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan, Sikta, Skagway, and others.

Guests can enjoy exceptional service, entertainment, and cuisine onboard, as well as shopping, sightseeing, adventurous activities, and cultural excursions on land.

The Vacationeer can help you select the best Disney cruise that fits your budget and offer valuable trip-planning advice. Don’t hesitate to contact them with any questions you have about your next Disney cruise to Alaska and beyond!

How Long Are Disney’s Alaskan Cruises?

Disney Cruise Line offers a range of cruise options to explore the picturesque beauty of Alaska. The cruises depart from Vancouver, Canada, and usually last from 5-9 nights, with 7-night sailings being the most common .

With various stops at Alaskan port cities such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway, Glacier Viewing at the Stikine Icecap, and Icy Strait, Disney’s Alaskan itineraries are designed to cater to the preferences of both experienced and first-time Disney cruisers .

For those who are new to cruising, the shorter 5-night voyages would be a great choice since they offer a glimpse of Disney’s magical experiences without committing to an extended trip. However, experienced cruisers may prefer longer voyages to explore more Alaskan destinations and spend more time in its breathtaking wilderness.

How Much Do Disney Cruises to Alaska Cost?

Disney Cruise Line offers an unforgettable and affordable vacation experience for families who wish to explore the beauty of Alaska.

2024 starting prices for a Disney cruise to Alaska from Vancouver range from $2,733 to $5,765 for two people, depending on the itinerary and sail date chosen. 2025 starting prices range from $3,130 to $5,800. Prices will be higher for some stateroom types and for more than two passengers per stateroom. Prices and availability can change anytime, so it’s always a good idea to check with The Vacationeer for the latest.

One of Disney Cruise Line’s unique selling points is what’s included in a Disney cruise .

The price includes most dining, activities, entertainment, and services , including character meet-and-greets, Broadway-quality shows, movie screenings, water activities, and fireworks at sea. Children and teens can enjoy complimentary activities at Oceaneer Club, Edge, and Vibe. At the same time, adults can access a range of complimentary amenities, such as a pool for adults, a nightclub, and a fitness center.

In addition, the price of a Disney cruise includes port expenses, taxes, and fees, making it an excellent value for families. However, it’s important to note that airfare, gratuities , specialty restaurants , spas, excursions (Port Adventures), bottled beverages, and alcohol purchased on a Disney cruise aren’t covered.

Want To Calculate Your Exact Price? Contact  The Vacationeer

About the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship to Alaska

The Disney Wonder offers cruises from Vancouver to Alaska. The cruise ship, which has been operating since 1999, resembles Disney Magic but boasts Art Nouveau interiors instead of Art Deco. With a capacity to host 2,400 passengers, Disney Wonder features 11 public decks, 875 staterooms, and a crew of about 950. It spans 974 ft in length and has a gross tonnage of 83,000.

The Disney Wonder underway with a gorgeous sunset in the background | Image © Disney

Dining on Disney Wonder

Disney Cruise Line has a unique dining rotation system, where guests switch to a different restaurant each night while keeping the same table number and waitstaff throughout their voyage.

Among the main restaurants on the Disney Wonder are Triton’s, Tiana’s Place, and Animator’s Palate, which serve French cuisine, Southern cooking with live jazz, and contemporary cuisine with Disney characters, respectively. There are also a number of other dining options, including a buffet-style restaurant, a sandwich and salad shop, a pizza place, and an adult-oriented Italian-inspired restaurant with live music called Palo.

Activities on Disney Wonder

Guests of all ages will find a wealth of things to do on a Disney cruise to Alaska aboard the Disney Wonder. Popular attractions on the ship include Goofy’s Pool, AquaLab water playground, Frozen, A Musical Spectacular inside the 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre, and movies at the Buena Vista Theatre. Guests can also enjoy a fully-equipped fitness center, the luxurious Senses Spa and Salon , and many lounges and pubs, including the adults-only Crown & Fin Pub .

Meanwhile, children can enjoy various activities and clubs, including character meet and greets with beloved Disney favorites, the It’s a Small World Nursery, Oceaneer Club, Oceaneer Lab, Edge, and Vibe. With options tailored to all age groups, these activities provide younger guests with a fun and engaging experience.

One of the many onboard adventures for younger travelers at Disney Cruise Line’s Oceaneer Club | Image © Disney

Staterooms on Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder cruise ship offers a range of staterooms that cater to the different needs and preferences of its guests. These include the Inside, Outside, Verandah, and Concierge categories. We recommend referring to our comprehensive guide on the Best Staterooms on a Disney Cruise for a more detailed understanding of the various stateroom options. Alternatively, if you require further information about the rooms or voyages, we suggest consulting an experienced Disney travel agent.

In terms of overall cruising experience, Disney Wonder is one of the best ships in the Disney fleet , offering guests a unique and enjoyable experience. Regardless of the time of year or destination, a Disney cruise to Alaska on board the Disney Wonder is always a magical experience.

Get Answers Without Waiting on Hold

About Disney Cruise Line Vancouver Terminal

The Port of Vancouver is an established departure point for Disney Cruise Line’s Alaskan cruises. Situated at 999 Canada Place, the terminal can host up to four cruise ships simultaneously and is owned and operated by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. With over 900,000 passengers annually and around 300 ship calls per year, the Port of Vancouver Cruise Terminal is Canada’s busiest cruise port, welcoming visitors from late April to September.

For passengers embarking on a Disney cruise to Alaska, the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal is conveniently located just 12 miles away from Vancouver International Airport. Additionally, the terminal’s location grants travelers access to various amenities and attractions in Vancouver, such as shopping, cultural experiences, and fine dining.

There’s even an on-site flight simulator attraction, FlyOver Canada , which features a ride system reminiscent of the Soarin’   attraction at EPCOT and Disney California Adventure. (Separate admission is required.)

The Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal is easily accessible by various modes of transportation, including Uber, taxi, public transit, and walking for those staying in nearby hotels. Overall, Vancouver’s ideal location and superb facilities make it the perfect starting point for an unforgettable Disney cruise to Alaska.

What is Disney Cruise Line’s Address at the Port of Vancouver?

The address for Disney Cruise Line’s Port of Vancouver cruise terminal is:

Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal 999 Canada Place Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1, Canada

• (604) 665-9000 (for Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal)
• 800-951-3532 (for general Disney Cruise Line help)
• Get free, personalized assistance booking your Disney cruises by contacting The Vacationeer at 1-833-469-8747 .

Driving Directions to Disney’s Vancouver Cruise Terminal at Canada Place

The address for the cruise ship terminal at Canada Place in Vancouver is 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1, Canada. The directions are also available on this printable map if you prefer to see them visually.

• If you drive to Canada Place from the U.S./Canada border , you can take I-5 north and continue on BC-99 until you cross the Oak Street Bridge. Then, turn left on 49th Avenue, followed by a right on Granville Street. Proceed north across the Granville Street Bridge, take the Seymour Street exit, and continue north on Seymour Street to West Cordova Street. Turn left on West Cordova Street, followed by a right on Howe Street. You will now be facing Canada Place.
• If you drive to Canada Place from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) , you can exit the airport via Grant McConachie Way, cross the Arthur Laing Bridge in the right lane, take the Granville Street exit, and proceed north down Granville Street. Follow the same directions as above from the Granville Street Bridge.
• If you take public transportation , take the Canada Line (SkyTrain) from YVR-Airport Station Eastbound, get off at Waterfront Station (terminus station), exit the station, and walk westbound on Cordova Street. Then, turn right at Howe Street and follow the sidewalk to the Canada Place cruise terminal. TransLink can provide public transit schedules and route planning information.

Parking at Port of Vancouver (Canada Place) for Disney Alaskan Cruises

If you’re driving to Vancouver for your Disney cruise, you’ll need a parking space. Here’s what you need to know.

Official Port of Vancouver (Canada Place) Cruise Terminal Parking Garage

Indigo Park Canada operates a covered parking facility at the Canada Place Cruise Terminal in Downtown Vancouver, which caters to the needs of cruise line passengers, including Disney Cruise Line passengers. It provides 770 parking spaces and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The facility offers Disney Cruise Line guests the best parking experience in the area, both in terms of convenience and reliability.

Short-Term Parking: Free

There is short-term parking available at Canada Place Cruise Terminal for those dropping off or picking up cruise passengers. Parking in the Canada Place garage is free for vehicles parked for less than 15 minutes .Similar to airports, the terminal has separate areas for dropping off and picking up passengers.

Long-Term Cruise Parking: $234.89 CAD per week

The cost of long-term parking depends on the length of stay, the time of year, and availability. Parking at Canada Place costs $234.89 CAD for a week-long stay, or approximately $33.50 CAD per day (roughly $25 USD) . These rates are based on the latest available information and are subject to change.

For long-term parking, enter the vehicle ramp at the foot of Howe Street. As you enter the garage, take a ticket from the dispenser and proceed to either level P1 or P2 to find a spot. A Port of Vancouver traffic attendant will be on hand to direct you to the appropriate parking area.

The Canada Place cruise terminal parking garage accommodates vehicles up to 6’9″.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by visiting Indigo’s website . For more information, contact Indigo’s parking guest services at 604-669-7275.

Hotels with Parking and/or Shuttles to Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place Cruise Terminal

If you’re planning to drive to the port, many hotels in Vancouver offer cruise parking options. Spending the night before your departure at one of these nearby hotels also lets you unwind and discover Vancouver without worrying about rushing to the terminal.

Here are some great hotel options in Vancouver that provide cruise parking packages, in case you prefer not to park at the Canada Place garage:

• Pan Pacific Hotel (Distance to Cruise Port: 0.1 miles) : The Pan Pacific Hotel’s Cruise Package offers a one-night stay in luxurious rooms with king-size or two double pillow top beds. The package includes breakfast for two in Oceans 999 with a view of Coal Harbour and North Shore Mountains, complimentary luggage transfer to Canada Place Pier/cruise ship, direct elevator access to the cruise ship terminal, on-site cruise ship parking (bookable directly with Westpark at standard rates), and complimentary WiFi. The hotel is conveniently located on the Canada Place pier, allowing for easy access to Disney’s cruise ship terminal. The option of purchasing additional nights is available.
• Lowden Hotel (Distance to Cruise Port: 0.62 miles) : Staying at Loden Vancouver is the perfect way to kick off your Disney cruise to Alaska. This luxury boutique hotel is only .62 miles from the Canada Place cruise terminal and offers a free shuttle service to take you there. Although they don’t have long-term cruise parking, you can park just down the street at the Port Canada garage at Disney Cruise Line’s departure terminal. With elegant accommodations and excellent service, the Loden Vancouver is a great choice for a comfortable and stylish pre-cruise stay.
• Atrium Vancouver Inn (Distance to Cruise Port: 3.5 miles) : Book your pre-cruise stay at Atrium Vancouver Inn and take advantage of their Stay and Park Package . This package lets you park your car for up to seven days with a paid room night in the hotel’s underground parking and enjoy complimentary shuttle transportation to the Canada Place cruise terminal. Start your Alaska cruise stress-free with this convenient and affordable package.

The hotel’s rates, availability, and offers are subject to change, so be sure to contact them directly. Better yet, speak with a Disney travel expert at The Vacationeer and let them handle all the details.

Restaurants Near Port of Vancouver (Canada Place) Cruise Terminal

If you’re embarking on a Disney cruise from the Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place terminal and looking for nearby dining options, here are seven great restaurants within walking distance:

• Cactus Club Cafe Coal Harbour : Enjoy upscale casual dining with a West Coast flair and a stunning waterfront view at this popular restaurant.
• Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar : Savor fresh seafood and Southern-inspired dishes in a cozy, rustic setting at this local favorite.
• Chop Steakhouse & Bar : Enjoy perfectly cooked steaks and other mouth-watering dishes in an elegant and sophisticated setting.
• Miku Vancouver : Sample fresh and flavorful sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes at this stylish, modern restaurant with stunning waterfront views.
• Steamworks Brewpub : Indulge in delicious pub fare and locally crafted beer in a lively and inviting atmosphere at this popular brewery and restaurant.
• Top Of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant : Treat yourself to breathtaking panoramic views of the city and mountains while dining on gourmet cuisine that’s both classic and contemporary.
• Water St. Café : Experience contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients at this charming and intimate restaurant.

And if you’re in a hurry and looking for quick fast-food options, there’s a nearby McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s within walking distance of the terminal.

Airports for Disney Cruises From Vancouver to Alaska

For those embarking on a Disney Alaskan cruise from Vancouver, flying into the city is the preferred mode of transportation. Luckily, the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal, which serves as the embarkation point, is conveniently situated near Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Here are some crucial details to keep in mind when flying into Vancouver for a Disney cruise to Alaska.

Which Airport Should I Fly Into for a Disney Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver?

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the best airport to fly into if you’re planning a Disney cruise to Alaska departing from the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal .

First and foremost, YVR is incredibly convenient as it’s just 9.5 miles (or 15.3 kilometers) away from the terminal.

Additionally, the airport offers a wide range of transportation options, including Uber, taxis, shuttles, limos, public transit, and car rentals, making it easy to get to your destination quickly and efficiently.

YVR is also known for its world-class amenities, such as restaurants, lounges, and shops, providing passengers with everything they need to relax and refresh before or after their journey.

Vancouver International Airport’s convenient location, efficient transportation options, and excellent amenities make it the perfect choice for those embarking on a Disney cruise to Alaska from the Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal.

Can You Fly Into Seattle for a Disney Alaska Cruise?

Disney Cruises to Alaska sail out of Vancouver, so Vancouver’s airports are the obvious choice for flights. But travelers with a bit of extra time — and a little wanderlust — might instead opt to fly into Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA) a day or two in advance of their cruise. Domestic flights into Seattle can be cheaper than international flights to Vancouver, and allow for a great day of sightseeing in the Pacific Northwest ahead of the cruise.

Spend the afternoon exploring the iconic Pike Place Market or visiting the Space Needle , stay overnight, and get up early the next morning to catch Amtrak’s Cascades Route for a stunning scenic train ride up the west coast to Vancouver. The early morning train should get you to Vancouver in time to catch the ship, though a safer bet would be to arrive the day before you set sail.

How Do I Get from Vancouver Airport to Disney’s Canada Place Terminal?

There are several ways to get from Vancouver International Airport to Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal. These include the following:

Ridesharing Apps (Uber, Lyft)

One popular and convenient method is using ridesharing apps like Uber or Lyft. After landing at the airport, passengers can easily request a ride through the app. Ridesharing services are convenient and generally more affordable than taxis and shuttles. For these reasons, ridesharing is the preferred transportation for many guests heading to the Canada Place Cruise Terminal.

Taxi Service

For those who prefer a more traditional mode of transportation, taxis are readily available at the airport and provide the same level of convenience without needing your phone. The drawback is cabs can be more expensive than alternatives like Uber and Lyft.

Public Transit

Another convenient way to get from Vancouver International Airport to the cruise port is by taking the Canada Line Rapid Transit SkyTrain. The station is located between the international and domestic terminals. A covered walkway (with escalators and elevators) makes walking to the station easier, even with baggage.

Passengers should take the Canada Line , which has two routes; one runs from Vancouver Airport to the cruise port on the waterfront, and the other serves the City of Richmond. The journey takes 26 minutes and runs every 6 minutes at peak times, starting at YVR airport. There are 13 stations along this route.

Check the SkyTrain website for fare and schedule updates, but you can expect to pay approximately $8-$10 (Canadian) per person per trip.

Renting a Car

Although renting a car at Vancouver International Airport is possible, it’s not necessary since it’s only 9.5 miles (15.3 km) away, and there are plenty of transportation alternatives for getting to Disney’s Port of Vancouver cruise terminal. In addition, renting a car is likely to be more expensive.

Official Disney Ground Transportation (Shuttle Service)

Disney Cruise Line provides a convenient ground transportation shuttle service for guests traveling from Vancouver International Airport to the Canada Place Cruise Terminal. By opting for a Disney ground transportation package, you can enjoy a stress-free and seamless Disney experience from the moment you arrive until the time you depart.

Although other transportation options, such as Uber, may be less expensive, Disney’s transportation service takes care of everything for you, ensuring you have a hassle-free experience. For this reason, we believe that the additional cost of the Disney transportation package is worth it .

Upon arrival at Vancouver International Airport, guests will undergo a Canadian Border Services Agency Immigration inspection before heading to Baggage Claim. A Disney Cruise Line representative will be waiting for guests outside of customs. Transportation options may include a motor coach, minibus, or taxi, depending on arrival time and party size.

Ground transfers are available on embarkation and debarkation days only and can be purchased in advance for $25 per guest ($50 roundtrip) . If guests have booked a hotel stay before or after their cruise, transfers are available for an additional fee between the airport, hotel, and cruise port.

Guests should make reservations for ground transfers in advance. If you wish to add air travel, ground transportation, or a hotel stay, please contact Disney Cruise Line or work with a Disney travel planner like The Vacationeer .

What is the Uber Fare From Vancouver Airport to Disney’s Canada Place Cruise Terminal?

Uber fares from Vancouver International Airport to Disney’s Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal can vary depending on the vehicle you choose, and the distance traveled. The following is an estimate of fares between YVR and the Disney Cruise Line Terminal at Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal. Please remember that these figures are estimates and that the final fare may vary due to traffic, surge pricing, and other factors.

Estimated Cost of an Uber From YVR to Disney’s Canada Place Cruise Terminal:

• Uber X or Uber Green: $29.32
• Uber XL: $45.55

*estimates do not include tips.

According to our calculations, Uber X and Uber Green offer the best way to save money on Disney cruise transportation between the airport and the Disney’s Vancouver cruise port.

How Much are Taxis from the Airport to Canada Place?

Plenty of taxis are readily available at the airport to transport you to the Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place pier. However, they tend to be more expensive than comparable ridesharing services like Uber X and Uber Green. The evidence is as follows:

• The estimated taxi fare from YVR to Disney’s Canada Place Cruise Terminal is $45.35

How Much Does the Disney Shuttle Cost From the Airport to the Cruise Port?

Looking for a convenient and hassle-free way to travel between Vancouver International Airport and Disney’s Cruise Port at Canada Place? Consider taking the Disney shuttle service, which offers a seamless and enjoyable experience from start to finish.

Disney’s Vancouver ground transfers cost $25 one-way or $50 round trip, which is more expensive than a taxi or Uber, especially for families or groups of two or more. However, the peace of mind and convenience that comes with the Disney brand can be well worth the investment.

To learn more about Disney cruises to Alaska, including Disney Cruise Line’s ground transfers (shuttle service), contact The Vacationeer . They can provide helpful advice and guidance to make your trip extra magical.

Bundle Your Cruise, Hotel, and Ground Transit Into a Single, Carefree Package

Hotels Near the Airport and Canada Place

Fairmont Waterfront | Image © Disney / Fairmont

It is recommended that you arrive in Vancouver at least one day before your cruise departure to avoid missing it. Additionally, travelers may wish to extend their vacation by exploring the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia, before or after their cruise. In either case, there are several excellent hotels near Disney’s Canada Place Cruise Terminal and Vancouver International Airport, where you can stay for one or more nights.

Consider the following nearby hotels:

Official Disney Pre/Post Cruise Hotels:

There are three Disney affiliate hotels in Vancouver where you can combine your Disney cruise reservation with pre- or post-cruise accommodations.

• Fairmont Vancouver Airport : Relax and recharge at the fully soundproofed Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel, conveniently located within Vancouver International Airport. With stunning views, luxury amenities, and close proximity to the airport and Port of Vancouver (9 miles), this hotel is an excellent choice for a hassle-free pre- or post-cruise stay.
• Fairmont Waterfront : Enjoy a comfortable and luxurious stay at the prime harbor-front location of Fairmont Waterfront, an official Disney hotel within walking distance of popular attractions like Gastown and Stanley Park. With luggage-only transfers available and proximity to the Port of Vancouver cruise terminal, this hotel is perfect for Disney Cruise Line guests departing for Alaska.
• Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel : Stay at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, an official Disney hotel just two blocks from Disney’s cruise ship terminal and within easy reach (9 miles) of the airport. Enjoy spacious accommodations with upscale style, stunning views of Coal Harbour, and nearby attractions like Stanley Park and Gastown.

Contact The Vacationeer for more information about booking a room at a Disney Cruise Line partner hotel.

Other Nearby Hotels:

Besides Disney’s official partner hotel, there are many excellent lodging options within walking distance of Disney’s cruise terminal. Below are four hotels that are ideal for pre- or post-Disney cruises to Alaska:

• Pan Pacific Vancouver : This hotel’s prime location is quite literally right on top of Canada Place’s cruise terminals — you can take an elevator from the hotel down to the boarding area of the terminal! Add in elegant décor and stunning views, and it’s an ideal choice. Chic rooms have upscale amenities, and guests can enjoy an outdoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, and spa. The hotel offers both casual and fine dining options.
• Days Inn by Wyndham Vancouver Downtown : This hotel’s location, just a 5-minute walk from Canada Place, provides easy access to the cruise port, while the Waterfront SkyTrain station offers transportation to the airport. The hotel’s straightforward rooms include free WiFi, TVs, and coffeemakers, and children stay free with a paying adult. Suites are also available for larger groups.
• Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel : Just a 6-minute walk from Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal, this hotel features comfortable rooms with city views, an indoor pool, a whirlpool, a sauna, a gym, and a chic restaurant with a bar.
• Auberge Vancouver : An upscale hotel within a 5-minute (downhill) walk of the Canada Place cruise terminal. For a true splurge, opt for a Deluxe King Harbour View Suite, offering a trendy apartment-type setting with giant wall-to-wall windows overlooking the port. Get up early to watch the Disney Wonder arriving in port for your cruise!

Are You Ready to Book Your Disney Alaskan Cruise?

Booking a Disney cruise to Alaska has never been easier thanks to The Vacationeer , an Earmarked Diamond-Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner . Their vast experience planning trips to Disney destinations allows them to find the best Disney cruise itineraries for families or couples.

Your dedicated Vacationeer will handle every aspect of your trip from start to finish, so you won’t have to deal with multiple agents . Whether you’re looking for the cheapest month to cruise , a last-minute Disney cruise deal , tipping policies on Disney cruises , or discounts on your Disney cruise package, The Vacationeer can assist you with all your requests. They work diligently to find the perfect cruise that meets your vacation goals at the lowest possible price .

In addition, The Vacationeer offers valuable onboard cruise credit as a booking bonus, which can be used as free money on your Disney cruise for expenses not covered in the base cost. This alone makes working with The Vacationeer worthwhile!

Plan and book your Disney cruise with ease with the help of The Vacationeer . With their expertise, you can trust they will manage all the details and logistics for you . Request a free quote today, and they will respond promptly. Their services are completely free , so don’t hesitate to ask them anything you wish about Disney cruises to Alaska!

Related Posts:

the disney food blog

food IS a theme park

Read the Latest Posts

Looking for something?

Get the dfb newsletter.

STAY CONNECTED

Complete Guide: Disney’s Alaska Cruises for 2023, 2024 and Beyond

By Lisa Gilmore Leave a Comment

If sweating and tan lines aren’t your style, that’s totally okay — we’ve got you covered. If that is what your typical vacation looks like, and you just want to switch things up, this post is also for you!

Today, we’re gonna talk about another popular vacation option: an Alaskan cruise! But with Alaska’s extremely cold climate, it can be difficult to pinpoint the best time to visit while also coordinating schedules with the people in your travel party. We’re here to provide you all the information on Disney Cruises to Alaska for 2023 and 2024 so you can find that sweet spot of a sail date for you and your family .

The good news is the hard part is over. You’ve already made a few big and critical decisions. You’ve decided that you want to go on a Disney Cruise and that you want to cruise to Alaska. The rest is just navigating through the details, like do you want to bring the black shoes or the red shoes, and how many evening gowns you might bring. Ok, ok, those probably aren’t the questions you’re scratching your head over.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggies you’re probably creating a pro/con list for right now:

When to Take a Disney Cruise to Alaska

How long of a cruise to select, which stateroom to choose, how much will it cost, choosing your alaskan shore excursions.

Not to worry, we’re gonna help you want through those questions! And even better, we’ll help provide you with some additional information, just so you can be sure to have the best cruise vacation ever!

Onboard Disney Cruise Line Programming

Alaskan cruise character meet & greets, packing for your alaskan cruise.

Because Alaska is way up north and cold (shocker, right? 🤣), the cruisin’ months are limited. So you can only sail up to the great white north (is that what it’s called, well… we’re coining it, you heard it here first… oh wait, it’s actually called The Last Frontier, ok, we’ll go with that. Love you, Alaska!) between April and September.

Phew, one hurdle down. We don’t have to stress about 12 months of options. We only have to consider six months. Easy, breezy.

©Disney Cruise Line Sailing to Alaska

Do you need to prioritize when your kids are in school? The May and September sailings will be less expensive and may not even be fully booked because kids will still be in school. Some of the same school discounting effects can be felt for the very beginning of June and the very end of September as well. If you are not confined to summer school schedules, you may want to consider a sailing at the beginning or end of the Alaskan cruising season.

The weather is beautiful!

The other option to consider is the weather (wait, you mean Alaska isn’t just a snowy, frosty wonderland all year-round?).  The later in the season, you plan your cruise, the higher the potential for rain during your trip. You can see on this Juneau, Alaska, monthly climate average that the average rainfall by month is double in September, which is in May. Ketchikan, Alaska, is actually one of the rainiest cities in the U.S. and receives nearly 235 days of precipitation per year. A weather note – most think of Alaska as cold. Throughout the summer months, the temperatures do not get too low, averaging around 60 degrees. Pretty comfortable when in pants. You’ll experience a mix of sun, rain, and cooler temperatures.

You can typically find 3 cruise lengths to Alaska. Disney Cruise Line offers a 5-night, 7-night, and 9-night cruise. Not a big head-scratcher here. Just like Goldilocks, consider your family, and your needs and find the cruise length that “just right” for you.

For many cruises, you could take the same approach that you might take for choosing a Disney resort – why pay for the room if you will be out of the room the entire trip exploring and having fun? You may want to reconsider this for an Alaskan cruise as the itineraries are longer, and the outdoor spaces are colder due to the Alaskan weather.

Oceanview Verandah

As you might not experience an Alaskan cruise more than once in your lifetime, you might think about splurging to have a Verandah room during your Alaskan Disney Cruise and enjoy waking up to views and having the option to check out the view without having to get warmer clothes on and go up on deck.

The prices for the cruise vary dramatically by room type and date of sailing. 

• For the seven-night sailing that leaves May 22, 2023, for two people, an interior room costs $3,574.94, and an exterior deluxe verandah 5C category room with an unobstructed view and regular balcony size costs $8,012.94.
• Compare this to the seven-night sailing that leaves on July 17, 2023, in the heart of the summer. For two people, an interior room costs $4,708.94, while an exterior Deluxe Verandah 5C category room with an unobstructed view and regular balcony size costs $11,148.94.
• The seven-night sailing that leaves on May 13, 2024, for two people in an interior room starts at $3,490, and an exterior verandah room starts at $6,347.

Again, 2024 follows the same trend as 2023, that the mid-summer period is more expensive with kids out of school and potentially better weather. On the seven-night sailing starting on July 29, an inside room for two people starts at $4,623, and a verandah room starts at $8,851.

There are over of excursions for Disney Cruises to Alaska (over 200!). Guests can opt for the most extravagant helicopter ride to dog sledding or just enjoy a leisurely walk around town. CAUTION – You will likely have sticker shock. Some excursions are hundreds of dollars per person. Remember that this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime Disney Cruise. Be sure to budget for these excursions as you plan for your trip.

Disney Cruise Line sells excursions directly, so you can add them to your Disney Cruise reservation plans and have the simplicity of just paying Disney for everything. There are always vendors just off the ship selling other excursion offerings, but be warned that if you take a third-party excursion and do not get back to the ship before the official departure time, the ship will leave you behind.

Skagway as Seen from the Ship

Excursion options will vary based on your length of cruise and the time of the year.

• Juneau, Alaska , is the state’s capital and the largest town that the ship stops in during the Alaskan cruise. The town has some noteworthy food options.
• Skagway, Alaska , was the access point for the last gold rush. This old gold rush town is the jumping-off point for excursions into the Yukon. Excursion options include a historic railway line with stunning vista views, helicopter tours, and tours of the old town.
• Ketchikan, Alaska , is the rainiest place in the world and features an old town built on stilts above a creek, salmon runs, Native American totem polls, and a lumberjack show. This port is the closest to Vancouver in Alaska, and all Disney Alaskan Cruises stop here.
• Dawes Glacier, Alaska , is not a port but a location the boat pulls into for one day of all Alaska sailings. The boat enters the cove near the glacier and then rotates slowly so that all sides of the boat get an angle of the glacier. There is an option for an excursion here to go out on a smaller boat that goes closer to the glacier. 
• Sitka, Alaska highlights revolve around the Russian history of the city (this was the capital of the territory when Alaska belonged to Russia) and the outdoor excursions, which are similar to the excursions offered in the other ports.

There are a variety of onboard Disney Cruise Line offerings to fill your days at sea and evenings. From lavish entertainment to educational programs to fitness offerings, there are many ways to stay busy during the days at sea. Your Disney Cruise Line Personal Navigator app has information on all times for all activities onboard the ship. Make sure everyone in your party has downloaded the app before your departure.

Walt Disney Theatre on the Wonder

Some of the standard Disney Cruise offerings you can expect are:

• Fitness centers
• Spa and Salon offerings
• Kids Clubs and activities
• Broadway-style live performance
• Cinema theatres
• Trivia and family game activities
• Beverage tasting and workshops
• Onboard WiFi, 
• Rotational Dining
• Specialty Dining

Animator’s Palate

Alaskan cruises offer educational nature presentations focused on the unique Alaskan environment. Check your Personal Navigator app for talks given by the naturalist onboard. These presentations can cover the fjords and waterways, whales and waterways, and Alaskan bears and salmon. Presentations are educational and provide context for your view and experience in this landscape.

All character meeting times are listed in the Personal Navigator app. Be on the lookout for the Disney fab five in their Alaskan outfits. The best opportunity to take these photos comes on the Dawes Glacier day. On this day, the characters will be up on the top deck outdoors so you can get an iconic Alaskan view in the background. Plan to arrive about fifteen minutes before the scheduled photo time to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse up here.

Mickey and Minnie in Alaska

The “Freeze the Night Away” deck party is a Frozen-themed deck party with your favorite songs and characters from Frozen. Snow comes down at the end of this show. The night of our deck party, it can be actually “freezing,” so dress appropriately! This show takes place after both dinner seatings have been completed.

Oh no, now you really DO have to decide if you’re going to pack the red shoes or the black shoes, and figure out your evening gown inventory! But don’t panic! There is a formal night onboard the ship, but you do not have to participate if you don’t want to.

What do you pack for a cruise?

There are laundry machines to minimize the about of bulky clothes you need to pack. And the dryers are particularly handy for drying clothes that got soaked in the rain or snow. The machines can be operated by tapping your room key and charging the laundry to your room. Make sure to bring your binoculars, and consider getting a camera extension for your iPhone to increase your zoom strength. And you’ll still want to bring a bathing suit and sunscreen, in case you plan to enjoy the pool or spa.

Disney Cruise Packing List

Each guest 21 years and older may bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened champagne or wine or 6 beers on to the ship at the beginning of the voyage and at each port. There are some things you’re not allowed to bring on a cruise , so make sure you’re following those rules.

Get Your Disney Cruise Must Haves — HERE!

What You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line

Learn all about disney cruise line and its various ships, explore disney’s mega cruise ship – the wish, a full list of what you can’t bring on a disney cruise, these are the best times to book your disney cruise, the best ways to save space in your tiny cruise cabin, 10 things you need on your next cruise (that you won’t think to pack), what it’s like to live on a cruise ship for 6 months, join the dfb newsletter to get all the latest disney news delivered right to your inbox click here to subscribe.

Is there a Disney Cruise to Alaska in your future? Let us know in the comments below!

TRENDING NOW

This Utah theme park is CLOSING its doors a few years after suing Taylor Swift.

A D23 event is coming to Latin America.

Here's everything we know about the 2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival so far!

A popular Disney World snack has DISAPPEARED from the Magic Kingdom menu. Here's what we...

Disney hasn't revealed much about the newest version of Test Track, but there are a...

We are Disney World pros and still make mistakes during rope drop. Learn from us...

Where do YOU want to work in Disney World? We've got some hints about the...

I used to work at one of Disney World's most popular restaurants, and I am...

ALERT! There's a NEW Annual Passholder discount coming SOON!

We've got an update on a NEW experience in Magic Kingdom.

Have you ever just wandered around your Disney World hotel and thought "Gosh, this weather...

There's a NEW Disney collection on Target's website right now!

Want to get an UPGRADE on that hotel room? Here are some top tips!

Disney World pools are good, but they could be better.

HURRY! Tons of Disney items are part of Target Circle Week, and you won't want...

We're breaking down each of the changes coming to Disney's DAS system.

Two NEW Disney popcorn buckets are coming to Pixar Fest -- see them here!

We bet you never knew these Disney World Cast Member secrets!

Calling all Disney Visa Cardmembers! You can get a FREE Disney Dining Plan right now!

We found a GREAT spot to escape the crowds in Disney World. Shhh!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER EBOOKS

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED

Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

Summer Vacation: Disney Alaska Cruise Review

Aug 1 by Anita 3 Comments

I’m so excited for these next few posts! I’ve been eager to do this Disney Alaska cruise review and share my favorite parts of my vacation, as well as helpful tips and secrets. Two years ago, my family and I went on our first Disney cruise to the Bahamas and enjoyed it so much we wanted to do a second one almost immediately. After some schedule-wrangling, we decided on a cruise to Alaska, because it’s been on my dad’s travel bucket list for almost his whole life.

I’m happy to report our entire family loved the cruise and we loved Alaska. Alaska is one of the most unique and popular cruise destinations in the world, and we found the Disney Alaska cruise was the perfect way for our large group with a wide range of ages, interests, and energy levels, to all have a good time. I could write a month’s worth of posts about our trip, but I’m going to break it down into these following topics over the next couple days that I hope you’ll find useful:

• General Overview of the Disney Wonder
• Disney Alaska Cruise Port Highlights

Top Things to Do Before Your Disney Cruise

• Dining on the Disney Wonder, Including Palo Brunch and Dinner
• Photography Tips for an Alaskan Cruise

The last time I covered a cruise extensively on my site was for my honeymoon cruise to the Mediterranean . I hope you enjoyed that series; for those of you who come to Dessert First just for the desserts, there will be a post dedicated to the food on the Disney Wonder, including plenty of sweets, and there will be a sweet recipe at the end of each post!

Note: This was a personal trip taken by me and family for vacation. This post is not sponsored by Disney Cruise Line – I just want to share my experience with you!

So let’s get started. Here are some of the most common questions I encountered when we were deciding on our cruise, along with some insights into the Disney Wonder.

Why Choose a Disney Alaska Cruise?

This was our first trip to Alaska so we wanted an itinerary that took us to plenty of ports, but would also allow us time to relax and enjoy the ship. I’ve done cruises on both ends of the spectrum, from a 12 day Mediterranean cruise where I was getting up at 6 am every morning in order to maximize my time in port, to 3 day cruises to Mexico that where I was mainly relaxing on the ship. This seven day Alaska itinerary, which gave us two full days at sea, three port days, and then a final day at sea, was the ideal happy medium. It allowed us time at the beginning to familiarize ourselves with the ship, do onboard events like princess meet and greet and other character appearances, and then gave us plenty of time to explore the different ports without feeling like we were missing out on the ship. As a crowning endnote, the final day at sea as we were sailing back to Vancouver was brilliantly warm, which gave us a chance to truly relax in traditional cruise style – in swimsuits on the deck! I felt like the length of this cruise was enough for us to experience everything we wanted without feeling rushed. Of course, who doesn’t want a pampering cruise to go on forever? But we were really pleased with our experience.

So why Disney in particular, you ask? It’s true that Alaska itineraries are fairly similar across many other cruise lines. Is the pixie dust floating throughout the Wonder that special? Well, my family gives a resounding “yes!” We went on Disney because we didn’t just want to see Alaska, we wanted to enjoy being on a Disney cruise ship. Some of things that made the Disney Wonder special to us were:

• Opportunities to meet Disney characters – the next best thing (or even better) than going to Disneyland. Two hour wait to meet Elsa and Anna at Disney World? On the ship if you reserve your ticket online ahead of time you just show up at your assigned time and you’ll wait maybe 5-10 minutes for your turn. Happy kids, happy parents.
• Disney-level entertainment. Besides character meet and greets, the evening live shows were all family friendly and high quality, there were wonderful live performers in public areas (I wanted to listen to this one singing duo forever), and other fun events like a Frozen-themed deck party.
• Larger than average staterooms with split bathroom – super convenient for families. Why don’t more cruise ships have these? It makes it so much more efficient to get ready.
• Lots of amenities for young children, including kids’ menus, kids’ clubs, kids’ pool, and most importantly a crew that is extremely friendly to kids. For parents, you know that’s huge – being in a environment that’s welcoming to children takes a ton of stress away. (And for the record, most of the children on the cruise were very well behaved. Must be all that pixie dust). I’d say that if you have older children/teenagers, other cruise lines can offer similar amenities and benefits. But for young children, I haven’t found a cruise ship as welcoming and comfy as Disney Cruise Line.
• Quality of service. Every crew member we encountered called Isabelle “princess” whether or not she was in her princess dress. Our servers were always cheerful and accommodating. When our cruise was ending our whole family joked that we didn’t want to go back to the real world where you aren’t greeted with a big smile by everybody around you. It’s that Disney magic – everyone on the crew seemed genuinely friendly and eager to help – that made the trip a true pleasure. A Disney cruise is priced as a premium experience, but we felt we definitely got a premium experience.

What’s the Disney Wonder Like?

The Wonder was in great condition. It’s one of the oldest ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet – the Magic is older but it was renovated a couple years back. The Wonder is scheduled for her own drydock and major renovation at the end of this year, so in a way I’m glad I got to see the Wonder in its original form before it’s “upgraded.”

With our first cruise experience being aboard the Disney Dream, we wondered how the older, smaller Disney Wonder would compare. We found it just as comfortable and charming as her younger sister. I’m a huge fan of the Art Nouveau style and Disney captures that classic turn-of-the-century luxury liner aesthetic along with a touch of Disney whimsy. It’s one of the reasons I was happy we went with Disney – their cruise ships really are some of the most beautiful in the industry. We’d spend hours just strolling around the ship examining all the theming and detailing.

The Wonder is 964 feet long and holds about 2700 passengers. This puts her on the smaller side of today’s mega cruise ships, and gives her a intimate feel. We figured out the lay of the ship within the first couple days, yet we were always finding new corners and things we missed. We never felt overwhelmed by the crowd – in fact I was surprised at the number of times I went up on deck to find it relatively open.

The grand atrium of the Disney Wonder with that gorgeous Chihuly chandelier. Sadly that piece is going away in the upcoming Wonder renovation!

Some of my favorite spaces were definitely the atrium, with its gorgeous Chihuly chandelier, the Promenade Lounge, and the restaurants. I’m a total sucker for restaurant design and I loved how differently the three restaurants were decorated. We also loved Palo, the adults-only Italian restaurant, which I’ll cover in one of my next posts.

Triton’s, one of the three restaurants on the Wonder. You can see the Ariel and King Triton mural in the back.

Are There Activities for Kids and Adults?

Yes! Even though everyone thinks of kids and Mickey Mouse when Disney is mentioned, I felt the Wonder provided plenty of things to do for everyone. Of course it helps if you like Disney; we saw plenty of grownups lining up to meet Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. But beyond that, there are first-run movies, classes and demos, ship’s tours, spa treatments, There are also adults-only areas; since we had Isabelle, we didn’t get quite as much time to explore the bars and lounges as we wanted, but if you’re traveling without kids, you’ll find plenty of child-free zones where you can relax. The adults-only pool area always looked remarkably empty and serene every time I walked through. It would be fantastic to sit in one of the hot tubs and watch the Alaska scenery go by.

Protip : Take the “Art of the Ship” tour to learn about the making of the ships and some behind the scenes tidbits. For example, I learned that when the ships were originally designed, all lifeboats were required to be painted regulation orange, the U.S Coast Guard-mandated color for emergency craft. However, Disney took exception to this as orange was not part of their desired color scheme of dark blue, red, and “Mickey Yellow”. Disney commissioned a study to show that Mickey Yellow was just as visible as the orange, and as a result they were allowed to paint their lifeboats Mickey Yellow instead. What can you say – the Mouse knows how to get his way! It’s stories like this that tell you how much thought went into the design of the Disney Wonder.

For the kids, the choices are pretty much limitless. If they go to the kids’ clubs, there’s all kinds of programming, from themed parties to storytelling time. There are also family-friendly activities outside the clubs, such as craft sessions, trivia competitions, sports, and dance parties. My family and I were quite impressed with both the variety and quality of the onboard activities. And if you just need a little peace and quiet, here’s another tip : one of my favorite spots is to lounge in one of the conveniently padded portholes on the main level and just let the ocean pass by.

What’s the Best Age for Kids to Go on a Disney Cruise?

There were three kids in our group, ages 5, 3, and 1. Isabelle was about 1 ½ on her first cruise and was three for this one. I’d say this was right at the point where she was really “got” what was going on. She absolutely loved roaming around the ship and running into Disney characters. She stood patiently in all the lines to get photos with Mickey and his friends. She was absolutely thrilled to meet Elsa, Anna, and other princesses.

Kids over three can go into the kids’ club, and Isabelle totally loved it. She kept asking us to let her go back, which was great as it gave Mike and I more time to relax and enjoy “us time” while she was being watched by the club staff. Also, as she was fully potty trained she was able to go into the pools, which might have been her favorite activity. (There is a splash zone for toddlers who are not potty trained, but it might be kind of cold in Alaskan weather).

Alaska Daisy Duck. The Disney characters appear on the ship numerous times in different outfits, including unique ones specific to the Alaska cruise only!

So I’d say that over three is probably the ideal age – they will be old enough for the kids’ clubs, plus they’re probably be able to understand and enjoy more of the activities. That’s not to say that kids younger than three can’t have a good time, you just might not be able to take as full advantage of all the ship’s activities. When we went on our Bahama cruise, one and a half year old Isabelle did really well. We just had to schedule things around her naps, and sometimes we had to leave some activities early. FYI, the ship also has a nursery where you can leave kids under the age of three, but there is an additional hourly rate charge. We preferred keeping baby Isabelle with us, especially as we were also sailing with my family, and my parents often offered to watch her if Mike and I wanted to do something like watch a movie in the theater or get a drink at the lounge.

My best advice would be to either consider if your child is old enough and has the personality to enjoy going to the kids’ clubs, or to travel with your family or a group of friends so people can trade off child-watching duties. Then everyone will get a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.

In my next post: a detailed look at the ports on the itinerary and my favorite excursions!

Check out my other posts in this series:

Disney Alaska Cruise Itinerary Guide

Oct 13 at 11:13 am

Looks like a great time! I’ll have to consider a Disney cruise in the future. Thanks for sharing your pictures and trip!

Oct 16 at 5:00 pm

Thanks so much Brian! We had a great time!

[…] Monday! I’m happy to share the second post in my Disney Alaska cruise review series. This post covers the itinerary of the seven day Disney Wonder cruise up to Alaska, and what […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

about pastrygirl

my latest cookbook

stay connected

Subscribe to new posts by email.

• sweet san francisco
• conversions

2bearbear Singapore Travel Blog: Travel | Stay | Food

The Top (few) Singapore Travel Blog: Guide to Things to do, Hotels, Attractions, Food & Travel Reviews from Around the World! (Since May 2011)

Disney Cruise Line Alaska Review: Food aboard the Disney Wonder!

I popped this question while Kate was enjoying her Pringles potato chips in bed…

Tom : “Bearbear, of the cruises we’ve taken, which cruise line had the best cuisine?”

Kate : “Well, Royal Caribbean Cruise was great because of the comparison to Star Cruise . But food from Norwegian Cruise Line was fantastic because of the entire vibe. It was a cruise to the Caribbean, we had the drinks package and the churrascaria was probably the best we’ve had. Also, they had a complimentary asian restaurant. But on Disney. It was a cruise to Alaska! There were loads of fresh seafood and Palo was probably the best brunch we’ve had on the high seas…”

Well, you’ve heard the lady and that’s the end of the post! Ah ha! Got ya! Scroll down to find out the various restaurants (and food we’ve had) aboard the Disney Wonder during our cruise to Alaska with Disney Cruise Line!

Food aboard the Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Line Alaska)

Triton complimentary dining disney wonder (disney cruise line alaska).

Triton is one of the three complimentary dining restaurants aboard the Disney Wonder during our Disney Cruise to Alaska. Disney rotates cruisers around all three restaurants each night, so that everyone gets an opportunity to experience all the food and atmosphere that Disney Cruise has to offer.

At Triton, the concept is like that of a grand ball room with a fine dining experience. This time, we chose the

Bread : Warm French Country Bread with Olive Spread (Spread changes each night) Appetizers : Jumbo Shrimps, Escargots, Fried Pierogi, Farmhouse Salad Mains : Pasta, Rack of Lamb, Duck Breast Desserts : Suffle, Creme Brulee

Animator’s Palate Complimentary Dining Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Alaska)

Animator’s Palate is another complimentary dining venue aboard the Disney Wonder during our Disney Cruise to Alaska. The interesting thing about dining at the Animator’s Palate is that the whole restaurant starts out with decorations in black and white. That includes the uniform of the staff, tables, chairs and decorations. However, as the dinner progresses, colours start to be added to the black/white pictures on the walls. By the end of dinner, fully vibrant pictures of Disney characters such as Captain Hook/Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast are presented. Check out the video at the end of this post to find out more…

The other highlight? The “Captain” pays a visit…We do think that the “Captain” of the ship is Mickey. Is it not? Hmm…

Appetizers : Serrano Ham, Black Truffle Pasta Soups : Creamy Butternut Squash, Green Pea Soup Mains : Grilled Tuna Steak, Lemon-Thyme Marinated Chicken Breast Desserts : Birthday Cake!

Parrot Cay Complimentary Dining Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Alaska)

Parrot Cay is the third complimentary dining venue aboard the Disney Wonder during out cruise to Alaska. The theme is casual with lots of colour and vibrancy shown on the decor and uniform of the staff.

Bread : Warm Banana Bread Appetizers : Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower, Jamaican marinated Chicken Tenderloin Mains : Potato Crusted Sea Bass Fillet, Mixed Grill Desserts : Date Pudding, Chocolate Cake

Frozen-Themed Dinner Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Alaska)

During the cruise, there was a Frozen-themed dinner . Though the meal did not taste particularly good but alot of heart has been placed into naming the food, printing the menu and presenting the dinner…

Appetizers : Assorted Meats and Cheese / Princess Scallops Mains : Wild Boar Filet, Marinated Strip Loin Desserts : White Chocolate Floro Dome, Apple Pudding Cake

Palo Brunch Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Alaska)

Palo is an adults only fine-dining option that is available for brunch and dinner. It costs $30 per person and comes with a complimentary glass of champagne or wine. The highlight for us was the unlimited spread of fresh succulent shrimps, alaskan crabs, tuna as well as huge scallops!

There are so many things we love about our dining experience at Palo. Besides the awesome selection of seafood, the made-to-order dishes also fared really well. We enjoyed the black truffle pasta, eggs, baked oysters and thin crust pizzas. Service was also amazing. However, it is really hard to make a reservation if you are not a frequent cruiser with Disney. Hence, if you’re not able to secure a seat, don’t worry. Make your reservations, first thing when you’re aboard the ship.

While you’re at it, remember to make reservations for dining with Disney characters. If you have daughters in your party, make sure to check out the Princess meals as well!

Check out this video of our Alaska Cruise with Disney Cruise Line here…

Remember to leave your comments for 2bearbear Singapore Travel Blog in our comments section below!

Related Posts

Remember to check out the best cruise packages at LastMinuteTravel.com – Last Minute Prices in Advance !

Disney Cruise Line Navigator App : All You Need To Know!

Disney Cruise Line Alaska Review: Facilities aboard the Disney Wonder!

Disney Cruise Line Alaska Review: Activities at Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan!

Hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the dining options aboard the Disney Wonder during our Alaska cruise with Disney Cruise Line Alaska! Next up, activities!

Related posts:

Recommended articles, penang hill review: views over penang from david brown’s hilltop garden restaurant and sky terrace.

Cebu/Bohol Trip: Day 1

Travel Hawaii in 13 days: Diamond Head and Waikiki Honolulu Hawaii Day 7

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Alaska Cruises

5-night alaskan cruise from vancouver.

Begin and end your cruise in beautiful Vancouver. Gaze upon natural wonders and sweeping vistas from the comfort of your Disney ship, as you gently glide through an icy fjord to view one of the stunning glaciers along the Stikine Icecap. Step into Alaska’s backcountry with a visit to Ketchikan, where you can stroll through authentic totem pole parks. Then spend an invigorating day at sea before returning to the largest city in British Columbia and the hustle of everyday life.

7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

Sail from cosmopolitan Vancouver—yours to explore before or after your cruise—along the scenic Inside Passage. Gaze upon natural wonders and sweeping vistas from the comfort of your Disney ship, as you gently glide through an icy fjord to view one of the stunning glaciers along the Stikine Icecap. Call upon the historic mining and fishing towns of Skagway or Icy Strait Point, before stopping at Juneau and Ketchikan. Also, enjoy 2 days at sea to take advantage of the many onboard amenities on your Disney cruise ship.

8-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

Discover enchanting ports of call—from the vibrant culture of British Columbia to the wild splendor of Alaska. Bookending your arctic expedition in Vancouver gives you the perfect combination of outdoor excursion and cosmopolitan recreation. Behold epic fjords and majestic glaciers, try your hand at gold panning or dog sledding and so much more on the Last Frontier. Then, enjoy upscale shopping and gastronomic delights in British Columbia’s largest city.

9-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver

Famous for its thriving culinary scene and countless recreational possibilities, Vancouver is a metropolis worth exploring before or after your seafaring adventure. This sizeable itinerary includes 2 incredible days at sea, views of colossal glaciers and stops at a handful of the last frontier’s most treasured towns, including Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Stikine Icecap and Icy Strait Point. Before returning to Vancouver, discover the old-world charm of Victoria, British Columbia’s scenic capital city. While at sea, enjoy all the magical amenities on board, including Broadway-style shows, themed deck parties and photo ops with beloved Disney Characters.

15 Alaska cruise mistakes you never want to make

F or many, an Alaska cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You don't want to screw it up because you might not get the chance for a do-over. Unfortunately, it's easier than you think to make Alaska cruise mistakes that can ruin a trip or prevent you from experiencing Alaska to the fullest.

While cruises to the Last Frontier are not polar-cruise-level adventures, they require more careful planning than for a Mexico or Caribbean sailing. You need to get all the details right, from booking the cruise and packing your bags to what to do and see during your cruise.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Here's a list of things you should never do on an Alaska cruise. Avoid these Alaska cruise mistakes, and you'll be on your way to a smooth sailing.

Alaska cruise planning mistakes to avoid

No matter how many times you've cruised before, you might be shocked at how much planning you need to do for an Alaska sailing. Get these things wrong, and you might miss out on your big Alaska cruise experience.

Assume all Alaska cruises are the same

This is an easy mistake to make on your first Alaska cruise. However, matching your ship and itinerary to your expectations and travel style is crucial for a successful trip.

Are you looking for a full day of glacier time? Try a midseason sailing that visits Glacier Bay National Park . Early and late-season cruises might be unable to access the glaciers on their itineraries due to ice floes.

Want to see whales? A round-trip Alaska cruise in June is ideal. Do you want to fish for salmon? You'll want to book at the peak of the salmon fishing season, from mid-June to mid-August. Ketchikan is the salmon capital of the world, and while most cruises stop there, a few don't, so make sure it's on the itinerary if you wish to fish.

Are you taking kids on your Alaska cruise? Big ships often have more for kids to do on board, which might be more important than where the ship goes. Expedition-style cruises may have less for youngsters but appeal to independent teens. These voyages offer a more intimate and close-up Alaska experience, with outings on kayaks and Zodiac boats that launch directly from the ship.

Wait to book excursions

You don't have to worry about booking tours in advance in some cruise destinations. Alaska cruises are not like that.

Alaska shore excursions fill up fast. It's worse in midsummer, but even on shoulder season sailings, you may not find space on the excursions you hoped to do if you wait until you're on the ship to book. The only solution is to sign up for tours as early as possible.

Does this mean you shouldn't take advantage of last-minute Alaska cruise deals if you find them? Of course not. Snap those babies up — just come prepared with a list of second and third choices of excursions, just in case.

Related: Tips for booking the best cruise shore excursion for your money

Overlook independent excursions

You don't have to stick with ship-sponsored shore excursions in every port in Alaska. On my last Alaska cruise, we booked kayaking independently for our stop in Ketchikan. It was one of the best experiences of the entire cruise. The company picked us up and dropped us off at the cruise ship. We were guaranteed an on-time return to the ship and paid far less than for the ship's kayaking excursions.

If you want to check out independent tours , you can find several Alaska excursion aggregators online or deal directly with independent businesses. Make sure you inquire about tour timing and leave a buffer so you won't miss your ship even if there's traffic or a delay.

Book same-day flights on embarkation day or early flights home

You don't want to find yourself stuck in an airport because of a flight delay when you should be boarding your cruise. To avoid this problem, book your flights to arrive the day before your cruise departs rather than the same day.

If you think it can't happen to you, listen to my most recent flight horror story. I was on not one but two flights on the same day, where minor mechanical problems caused deplaning and two-hour delays. I should have landed at my destination at 11:30 a.m. but didn't arrive until after 5 p.m. Had that been embarkation day, my ship would have sailed without me.

Similarly, it's always best to book departing flights home for the afternoon in case the ship is delayed returning to port or is not cleared by authorities on time. If you're flying in or out of Anchorage, know that all transportation options include several hours of travel from the ports of Seward and Whittier; you might consider overnighting in Anchorage either pre- or post-cruise to play it safe.

Skip the travel insurance

Airline issues aside, Alaska can be a wee bit hazardous. You will encounter slippery slopes and rocky roads — and that's just walking through Alaska port towns. You might be participating in more daring activities than normal, such as flying in helicopters, hiking across glaciers, kayaking icy waters or zip lining through forests. It's easy for something to go wrong.

On my last Alaska cruise, I heard about two passenger emergencies. A kid broke an arm on the ship and needed surgery, so a family of five disembarked in Ketchikan — not exactly a cheap end to their vacation, I'm guessing. Later in the sailing, a sick passenger was airlifted directly off the ship by the Canadian Coast Guard before we made it to Victoria.

If you live in the U.S., your health insurance is most likely valid in Alaska. You'll be covered for medical expenses but not the other expenses associated with any injury that interrupts your cruise. Travel insurance is the way to go unless you want to pay for flight changes and medical evacuation out of pocket.

Related: The best cruise travel insurance plans

Alaska cruise packing mistakes to avoid

Packing for an Alaska cruise can be tricky. The region's unpredictable weather means it can be rainy and 50 degrees one day, then sunny and 85 degrees the next. Mix in boat rides and glacier watching from the ship at 6 a.m., and you have a complicated packing job ahead of you. Don't make these Alaska cruise packing mistakes.

Forget your rain gear

Rule No. 1 on Alaska cruises: Pack rain gear. It might not rain one drop on your cruise, but chances are good that the weather will be wet at some point on your trip. When it does, you'll want the right gear to stay dry and not be drippy and miserable.

Waterproof shoes or boots are a must. For extra protection, spray them with a water-repellant sealer before you pack. You can stow lightweight raincoats or ponchos and pull-on rain pants in your backpack during excursions when you don't need them.

Skimp on layers

Layers are the only way to dress on an Alaska cruise. Start with thin, base-layer undergarments that won't bulk up your clothes and are comfortable even if the day turns out warmer than expected. The final layers of outerwear should be lightweight because you may need to stuff them in your backpack for half the day as the temperature rises.

I especially like puffy vests and jackets for Alaska. You can shed the jacket as temperatures allow, then lose the vest if it gets even warmer. Top everything with caps, knit hats, earmuffs and gloves. Those things might be excessive for a stroll through town but important in the wind on a whale watching boat.

Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Overpack on eveningwear

The dress code on most Alaska cruises is more relaxed than in other cruise destinations. Days are long and outdoorsy, leaving people less enthusiastic about rushing back to the ship to put on fancy clothes and dress shoes.

Trade out your hiking shoes for comfy flats or dress sneakers. Jazz up casual, neutral-colored slacks (even jeans) or skirts with jackets or scarves. You can leave the formalwear and high heels at home.

Cheap out on insect repellant

Mosquitoes in Alaska aren't always a nuisance, but they can be horrendous. Pack insect repellant and full-coverage clothing as though you were planning to visit a rainforest ... because you are.

If you don't plan on checking a bag, pick up bug spray in your departure city or first port of call.

Leave the binoculars and cameras at home

One question I get asked often is whether you can see whales and other wildlife from the ship. The answer is a resounding yes. Unfortunately, much of what you will see is from a distance.

You can solve that problem with a pair of lightweight binoculars. They're also useful for getting a close-up view of glaciers or spotting eagles in port. Consider bringing a pair for everyone in your group because you don't want to fight over one pair when a pod of whales comes into view.

As for cameras, I recommend that everyone in your travel group has a water-resistant camera or a waterproof smartphone case or pouch. I lean toward cameras rather than phones for two reasons. One, most cameras dropped into the depths of an Alaskan bay pose a less traumatic loss than most smartphones. My second reason is in the next section.

Related: Can you use your cellphone on a cruise?

Mistakes to avoid during your Alaska cruise

Once you're on board your ship, it's time to put all the stress of planning and packing behind you. You've made it, and you don't want to let anything get in the way of enjoying your cruise.

Stare at your phone too much

An Alaska cruise is the ideal time to hit pause on your digital life. Sure, you want to capture the amazing scenery, but you know what? Few of the pictures you take will accurately portray the scale of the beauty of Alaska.

The photos you'll enjoy most when you look back next year are the ones of your travel partners enjoying the trip. Take those, then spend your time soaking up the enchantment of this place. The news, the email correspondence and your Instagram followers can take a back seat until you're back home.

Assume the seas will be smooth

Don't be surprised if you feel seasick in Alaska's waters, even if no other cruise has made you feel that way. Cruising through the Inside Passage is generally calm, but the open waters of the Pacific Ocean can be choppy. Even the bays can churn up quickly during summer storms.

Ships also do a lot of maneuvering, including turning complete circles designed to give everyone on board access to the amazing views. Unfortunately, those tight turns can contribute to nausea for some people.

Prepare by packing motion sickness relief bands you place on pressure points on your wrists, prescription scopolamine transdermal patches, ginger candies, over-the-counter seasickness medications and herbal motion sickness patches. I've used these for years, with only one failure on a rather small ship.

You can also treat the woozies with seasickness tablets, which are often available free at the medical center or guest services, green apples from the buffet and ginger ale from your ship's friendly bartenders.

Related: How to avoid seasickness on your next cruise

Spend all your time indoors

You packed all those clothing layers — now's the time to use them. The coldest part of your Alaska cruise will likely be while the ship cruises through can't-miss scenery. Don't wimp out in an observation lounge. Bundle up and head outside to fully take in the view. Your balcony may give you an edge over the folks in interior rooms, but you won't get a 360-degree vista unless you're out on the top deck.

The best souvenir advice I've received is to buy a cozy throw or blanket at your first port stop. It won't cost a fortune and will serve a purpose for the rest of the cruise. Picture yourself cozy and warm in your fuzzy Alaska souvenir blanket, sipping hot chocolate while watching glaciers calving. Once home, you'll remember your epic vacation every time you snuggle up on the couch.

Sleep through your vacation

This is not a cruise you want to sleep through — and even if that's your plan, you may have difficulty accomplishing it. Long hours of daylight, excursions and glacier viewings that start early and even your own fear of missing out can have you out of bed early and staying up later than you might on any other cruise.

Sleep apps and eye masks may help with the daylight situation. I also find that Alaska cruises are ideal for ordering room service meals. It definitely saves time before morning excursions and can provide a bit of downtime in your cabin for lunch or dinner on occasion.

Fail to try something new

Your Alaska cruise offers many opportunities to try things you might never have the chance to do again. You could walk on glaciers, snorkel in a dry suit in the frigid Alaska waters or play with sled dog puppies. Or, how about riding in a sled pulled by sled dogs? We already mentioned salmon fishing, which is surprisingly fun, even if you'd never go fishing at home.

The array of things to try in Alaska can be as tame or as adventurous as you want — it's the joy of discovery that's key. I once kayaked in Ketchikan with a woman on her first solo cruise in Alaska. She'd never kayaked before. When our marine biologist guide pulled a sea cucumber from the crystal-clear waters to show us, she squealed with delight when he offered to let her hold it. That's the kind of joy you cruise to Alaska to experience.

Bottom line

You can avoid the most common Alaska cruise mistakes with a little extra planning.

The goal is to have the Alaska cruise experience you and your travel companions long for. Achieve that by choosing an itinerary that gets you to the things you want to see and do, shopping early for excursions (especially the ones you have your heart set on) and packing gear and clothes that will keep you comfy during your Alaska adventure.

Everything else is about stepping outside, breathing in the shockingly clean air and enjoying the cruise.

Planning an Alaska cruise? Start with these stories:

• Everything you need to know about booking a trip to Alaska with points and miles
• The 9 best Alaska cruises for every type of traveler in 2024
• 6 best Alaska cruises for families
• 20 must-have cruise items — including a roll of duct tape

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

• Help Center
• 1-866-921-7925

Start Searching

• Packages  
• Hotels  
• Cruises  
• Rental Cars  

* Indicates required fields

Rental Period:

pickUpDate - dropOffDate

Pick-Up: pickUpTime - Drop-Off: dropOffTime

Pick-Up Location:

pickUpAddress

pickUpAgencyName

pickUpAgencyAddress

Drop-Off Location:

Same as Pick-Up Location

dropOffAddress

dropOffAgencyName

dropOffAgencyAddress

Coupon Override

Please call.

For drivers under the age of 25, additional fees and/or restrictions may apply.

For information and assistance in completing your reservation, please call:

We're unable to find your location.

Alaska Cruise Tours:

A cruise tour is a voyage and land tour combination, with the land tour occurring before or after the voyage. Unless otherwise noted, optional services such as airfare, airport transfers, shore excursions, land tour excursions, etc. are not included and are available for an additional cost.

Caribe Royale Orlando

Limited-time promotion.

• Five Nights for the Price of Four
• $50 Food and Beverage Credit
• Book by 4/19/24

Orlando: Caribe Royale Orlando Limited-Time Package with Walt Disney World® Tickets

Caribe Royale Orlando is set on 60 acres and is centrally located 1.5 miles from the Walt Disney World® Resort and offers fully renovated one-bedroom suites and two-bedroom, two-bath Villa Suites with a full kitchen, living and dining room, laundry and balcony. From inspired custom-crafted menus to dining al fresco by the pool, Caribe Royale has eight on-site dining options ranging from Starbucks® to the award-winning Venetian Chop House. Ample opportunities for recreation abound. Whether it's a relaxing afternoon at one of three pools, keeping up with your fitness routine at the fitness center, a game on our sports courts, a rejuvenating spa treatment at the Island Spa, or a run on the 1.5-mile trail. For the little ones, a kiddie splash pool and playground are daily favorites. And, as a Disney Good Neighbor® hotel, enjoy complimentary scheduled transportation to all four major Walt Disney World® theme parks and Disney Springs®.

Vacation Package Details

Included extras.

Five nights for the price of four (will be reflected in price)

$50 Food and beverage credit (per room, per stay)♦

Waived daily resort fee

Complimentary hotel self-parking

Transportation to the four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks and Disney Springs®

Executive Member Benefit

Executive Members receive an annual 2% Reward, up to $1,000, on qualified Costco Travel purchases

Vacation Includes

5-Day Disney Theme Park Tickets with Park Hopper® Option

Accommodations at Caribe Royale Orlando

All applicable taxes

Theme Park Information

Walt Disney World® Resort

Accommodations

Costco Member Reviews

8101 World Center Dr, Orlando, FL, 32821, United States

Located 1.5 miles from the Walt Disney World® Resort, this all-suite resort is set on 60 acres and features a variety of dining options and leisure amenities including complimentary round-trip transportation to Walt Disney World® Theme Parks and Disney Springs®.

The Costco Star Rating assigned to each hotel is only intended as a guideline. The rating is based on information that has been compiled by Costco Travel buyers and might differ from other references.

Property offers the ultimate in elegance and sophistication, with highly personalized service and hospitality.

Property offers upscale design and decor, superior dining venues, manicured grounds, and a high level of service and hospitality.

Property offers above-average accommodations, service, comfort, facilities and grounds.

Property offers basic accommodations, decor, facilities and grounds.

You can navigate into the Hotel property pages, Costco warehouse locations and Region maps by clicking on the following icons on the map:

• Hotel Property

You can see the names of other important landmarks by pointing your mouse over the following icons on the map:

Available Dates & Prices

Other room categories and lengths of stay are available. Airfare is available at an additional cost. The vacation shown is based on availability. The price and inclusions will vary based on the selected travel dates.

Terms & Conditions

♦The credit is applicable toward purchases at all dining outlets or In-Suite dining. The credit will be applied to the guest's folio upon arrival. The credit is not valid toward the payment of the hotel room or hotel taxes. Any unused portion of the credit is nontransferable, nonrefundable and not redeemable for cash.

As to Disney's artwork, properties and logos: ©Disney.

See Full Terms & Conditions - Opens a dialog

Package ID: FLAMCOCARIBEROYALE20240415HB

Member reviews become available after at least 5 are received in order to provide you with an accurate picture of this travel product.

Activities Details

We are processing your payment.

Do not refresh your browser or exit this page.