Back from our cruise! And questions about Alaska

[Geomom]

Did you find deck 2 to be rocky? We have some motion sickness issues. We were looking at oceanview on a higher deck, but deck 2 is almost $1500 less.

Not at all. There is a little engine vibration in the aft of deck 2, but no rocking. Low and midship has the least rocking motion. If you just have a party of 3, I'd go for a category 9B which is midship on deck 2. (Most of the 9B rooms only sleep 3 with just the sofa bed (no bunk), we're a party of 4, so went with a 9C as close to midship as we could get.). I think port is quieter than starboard as the kitchens are above a bunch of deck 2 starboard rooms. We've stayed in 2116 and 2108 on the Wonder/Magic and loved that location,very little motion, etc. The laundry is opposite 2096, so it might be a little warm/noisy near that room.

 

[happycamper47]

I looked at NCL and found their port times were incredibly short, at least for their big ships. That put me off doing NCL for Alaska.

We're booked on NCL Encore for a family cruise 2024 (16 of us) and the only short port is Ketchikan at 5 hrs and personally I don't think there is much there anyway. Juneau is 8 1/2 hours and Skagway is 11 hours. I'd rather be back on DCL(already 3 AK cruises), but trying to take the family out of Vancouver is too much of a challenge.

 

[auntlynne]

As to Princess, that is what we did for AK after one DCL. It was recommended by a mom of 7, which included 7 yo’s. Her kids were veteran DCL cruisers but were happy with Princess.

We find Princess to be comparable to Disney as far as party atmosphere, but I miss the evening shows (and movies). While I enjoy their Movies Under the Stars (yes, outside in AK - just like Funnel Vision is), the options are not Disney (we saw 007 Skyfall in one cruise).

(As a non-couple traveler, I appreciate having the option to share a room but not having to share a bed or have someone sleep in a couch, thanks to the more common cruise ship splittable bed).

I did enjoy the layout of NCL Encore for viewing the AK scenery, but I am hesitant to recommend it to those who like Disney. It is definitely skewed more to adults. The theater shows offer nothing for kids, the comedians are not capped at PG (and seemed to play into the disgruntled man territory, not upbeat). The food is a nice break from the same Disney menus many of us have seen for years. And their Free at Sea program allows for 2 excellent! nights of adult specialty dining. Lots of reports of a downturn in their product lately I’ve the last year. Possibly in response to carrying debt from the shutdown.

 

[lilmc]

I read a thread on here about whether or not the drinking water is safe on board and someone said their daughter was told it's not. One night we were in the WD Theater and my husband went somewhere and came back with two cups of water. The next night, he went back to the same place and a different bartender told him the water isn't safe for drinking. I'm fairly certain he won't remember where it was, but there's definitely someone telling people that.

Wait, what? I know off topic a bit and I didn’t see the other thread, but that’s a ridiculous statement IMO on a cruise ship. Pre-COVID Norovirus and other GI illnesses were major concerns in close quarters on a cruise ship and I’m sure are back on priority of preventing. There is no way they would have non potable water accessible anywhere.

 

[lilsonicfan]

So we have been on Princess and HAL and NCL for Alaska and enjoyed them all; however, if you really enjoyed Disney and want to do the Oceaneer's club, it's hard to argue with that. I will say that when we cruised DCL last year, my then 11yo, almost 12yo, wanted nothing to do with Oceaneers even though his brothers were there, but he's sort of the "too cool for school" kind of kid.

Anyway I have posted about my thoughts on HAL here before, our decision was largely based on cost. B/c we are from Vancouver, it's hard to justify paying 2-3x more on DCL as we can always cruise Alaska again on another line. In fact this year we're headed back, on RCI lol. HAL was great, the covered pool made the slightly rainy weather a non-issue for sea days. Kids enjoyed kids club though the hours were more limited. The junior park ranger program was excellent, similar to what they do on Princess for Glacier Bay day (my fave day!) - no sled dogs on board though.

For dog sledding, we went to the Tutshi summer dog sled camp on the day we were in Skagway. We rented a car and drove up to Yukon and hit Tutshi on our way up. It was so much fun and the various litters of puppies even inspired us to look for a rescue pup when we got home. Just be aware, the dogs aren't on snow/ice in these summer camps, that's only available in the really expensive tours on glaciers. Our tour had the guide driving a UTV for most of the time, assisting the dogs, though she did have them pull us for some stretches. It was really a fascinating tour and they seem to really love their dogs there. And driving up ourselves meant we saw a lot of other sites as well. But we had a long day in Skagway, 7am to 8pm - it would be harder to do a full day of driving if you had to be back by 4-5pm.

So, in addition to looking at other cruises you may want to look at the itineraries too and how long each cruise is in port. Also, not every line sails out of Vancouver, which, personally, I find to be prettier (but I may be biased).

Oh yeah the "water is not safe to drink" thing - seems an insane thing for them to tell you!! Plan Disney's answer to this question directly contradicts what the CMs told people. One more answer here on filtration method, reverse osmosis.

 

[CisforCookie991]

Wait, what? I know off topic a bit and I didn’t see the other thread, but that’s a ridiculous statement IMO on a cruise ship. Pre-COVID Norovirus and other GI illnesses were major concerns in close quarters on a cruise ship and I’m sure are back on priority of preventing. There is no way they would have non potable water accessible anywhere.

Yeah it was definitely wacky. Also, I drank that water and I'm still here with no intestinal bugs.

 

[Budzooka]

Did you find deck 2 to be rocky? We have some motion sickness issues. We were looking at oceanview on a higher deck, but deck 2 is almost $1500 less.

Have sailed on Deck 2 on the Magic a couple of times and love it. Wasn’t rocky at all, easy to get to all the stuff on deck 3, and close to the washing machines. Will definitely do again.

 

[RedHead0186]

Yeah it was definitely wacky. Also, I drank that water and I'm still here with no intestinal bugs.

I've definitely drank water on the ships (not from a vending machine) and never had any issues!

 

[psimon]

- I read a thread on here about whether or not the drinking water is safe on board and someone said their daughter was told it's not. One night we were in the WD Theater and my husband went somewhere and came back with two cups of water. The next night, he went back to the same place and a different bartender told him the water isn't safe for drinking. I'm fairly certain he won't remember where it was, but there's definitely someone telling people that.

We have never had issues with the water. 7 of us have been on 10+ cruises and no complaints. And.... If the water is "no good" that means no foods, no drinks, no ice, no coffee, etc. Everything uses the water.

So I then have to ask... What is supposedly bad about the water?

 

[CisforCookie991]

We have never had issues with the water. 7 of us have been on 10+ cruises and no complaints. And.... If the water is "no good" that means no foods, no drinks, no ice, no coffee, etc. Everything uses the water.

So I then have to ask... What is supposedly bad about the water?

Other than personal preference, no clue. There was one day when the water from the machine in Cabanas looked a little cloudy, sort of like seltzer, but the taste was fine.

 

[dcassetta]

Wait, what? I know off topic a bit and I didn’t see the other thread, but that’s a ridiculous statement IMO on a cruise ship. Pre-COVID Norovirus and other GI illnesses were major concerns in close quarters on a cruise ship and I’m sure are back on priority of preventing. There is no way they would have non potable water accessible anywhere.

I agree. I wonder if the bartenders were getting bonuses for selling bottled water packages.

 

[darnheather]

Pre-covid I never had a problem with the coffee, but this past cruise I ended up at Cove Cafe the second day and never went back.

 

[psimon]

Pre-covid I never had a problem with the coffee, but this past cruise I ended up at Cove Cafe the second day and never went back.

We have never liked the coffee on DCL, regardless of ship. Always went to Cove Cafe. So much better. Never had issues with just ice or any of the fountain drinks.

 

[CisforCookie991]

Ok dumb question about Cove. Their printed menu is sort of limited and I didn’t know if it’s ok to order off menu. The first time I got the coconut caramel latte and the second time I got cold brew because I saw it on the Vista menu. I didn’t want to be the jerk asking for off menu items. But can they do anything that would be on a basic coffee shop menu?

 

[dcassetta]

Ok dumb question about Cove. Their printed menu is sort of limited and I didn’t know if it’s ok to order off menu. The first time I got the coconut caramel latte and the second time I got cold brew because I saw it on the Vista menu. I didn’t want to be the jerk asking for off menu items. But can they do anything that would be on a basic coffee shop menu?

They can absolutely do espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes. And although the flavor choices might not be as extensive as you find at your local coffee shop, you can get flavors added to your lattes.

 

[CisforCookie991]

They can absolutely do espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes. And although the flavor choices might not be as extensive as you find at your local coffee shop, you can get flavors added to your lattes.

Thank you! Now I’ll be better prepared and maybe ask about a macchiato

 

[CamillaF]

We're back from our first Disney cruise on the Dream and it was... fantastic. I'm so thankful for all the great advice I got from this board. As soon as we got on, it was clear that this was going to be a very different experience than our previous (pre-kid) cruises. During dinner, we started talking about whether we should start planning for the next one. So many things went differently from how I originally planned, because I'm a planner.

- We wanted to do a nice late PAT. Well I happened to be up late finishing a book the night check-in happened and got 11:15 BG 4. I figured it would be easier to change it to later so I kept it. Turned out perfectly. The kids were up early the morning of embarkation and they were bouncing off the walls excited, so sitting around in the hotel an extra couple of hours would've been a nightmare. We had breakfast, got in an Uber, and went to the port. It was super easy. We ate in a near-empty Cabanas, then the kids got right on line for the Aquaduck. They rode it a couple of times and that was good enough for them, which is fantastic because they never got to ride it again. Lines were insane the rest of the cruise.

- With our late PAT arrival, we were also going to just carry all our bags on. We were packing up the last of the bags at the hotel and decided it was way too much stuff and we were going to check everything but what we needed. We ended up checking 4 bags. Rooms opened up at 1:30 and we went down a few minutes later. We could already see 3 of our bags at the end of the hall. They were delivered to our room a few minutes later. The CM asked if we had gotten all our bags and I described the 4th bag to her. She delivered it about 10-15 minutes later.

- We were a little concerned that the 11 year old would be too old for Oceaneers. Nope. He loved it. At the end of the first day, both kids said they wanted to do another Disney cruise before he was too old for Oceaneers. They later met another 11 year old who told them that Edge is boring and sucks. My 11 year old likes a lot of activities, and sounds like this kid did too.

- We booked the placeholders, and as soon as we got to our rental car, started looking for cruises for next year. The kids wanted to do a different ship, so we looked at Wonder, Magic, and Wish. Then we did yet another thing we said we wouldn't - sail Disney to Alaska. So now we're booked for summer 2024. With the placeholder, it was comparable to our Dream cruise.

- Captain Marvin's really does live up to the hype.

- The coffee really is... not good. The first day it seemed fine, but then it got progressively worse throughout the trip. On day 4, I finally went to Cove Cafe. Met a woman who thinks they intentionally make the coffee worse as the cruise goes on. I can believe that. Cove Cafe was great. I'm ready for my punch card the next time.

- We were really looking forward to Vanellope's and the race car sundae. CM told me they hadn't had those in about 5 cruises. We had regular ice cream instead. Portion size was great for the price, but quality was meh.

- I read a thread on here about whether or not the drinking water is safe on board and someone said their daughter was told it's not. One night we were in the WD Theater and my husband went somewhere and came back with two cups of water. The next night, he went back to the same place and a different bartender told him the water isn't safe for drinking. I'm fairly certain he won't remember where it was, but there's definitely someone telling people that.

- I was a little concerned about my options for connecting while in port, but it was shockingly easy to stay disconnected. On the port days, I had no motivation to even try. When we docked back in Miami, I finally opened my work email and found over 300. Decided, nope, still on vacation. Scanned through them for anything urgent, then turned off notifications. I'll deal with them on Monday.

Moving on to my Alaska questions (and there will be many more over the next year):
1. Can anyone recommend a provider for dog sledding in Ketchikan? Didn't look like DCL has one. We decided the 5 day is the best option for us so no other ports.
2. We like Hyatts and the Regency is less than a 10 minute walk to the port. Are you allowed to just walk in?
3. Any recommendations for lightweight waterproof jackets? The smaller they can squish, the better.

Thanks again for all the help!

1. Not sure
2. Someone else will know more but I don't see a reason why not. We dropped our bags off in the parking garage and then headed up and got in line to check in..... walking in would be easy it's just the bags I am unsure of.
3. Light weight waterproof jackets. Costco sales great ones in the PNW. They are inexpensive (I think $15 and the extra small fits my Big 9 year old) I took the jackets to Alaska and the Philippines.
4. Highly recommend waterproof sneakers. Worked great in Alaska and my whole family has decided that these are the only sneakers we need. The kids have already asked for another paid when they grow out.
5. The deck on the boat is COLD even in august. Bring a hat, gloves, and a warm jacket.
6. Do you like Irish cream in your coffee? If so you can buy a "wine" Irish cream. It's clearly marked as a "wine" on the bottle. They looked at it. I pointed out the wine label and they let it through with no issues. It was wonderful to have something warm in my hands while I looked at the glaciers.

Have a great time

 

[jimmymc]

1. Can anyone recommend a provider for dog sledding in Ketchikan? Didn't look like DCL has one. We decided the 5 day is the best option for us so no other ports.

Ketchikan doesn't have dog sledding. It's too far from glaciers and doesn't have its own camp

2. We like Hyatts and the Regency is less than a 10 minute walk to the port. Are you allowed to just walk in?

Yup! Plenty of hotels in walking distance, and many people will walk.

3. Any recommendations for lightweight waterproof jackets? The smaller they can squish, the better.

REI brand rain jackets: https://www.rei.com/b/rei-co-op/c/mens-rain-jackets?ir=category:mens-rain-jackets&r=c;b

I've actually never done a Disney Alaska cruise, but I have on other cruiselines if you have questions. I would really recommend against the 5 night, since Juneau and Skagway are way better ports than Ketchikan.

"I read a thread on here about whether or not the drinking water is safe on board and someone said their daughter was told it's not. One night we were in the WD Theater and my husband went somewhere and came back with two cups of water. The next night, he went back to the same place and a different bartender told him the water isn't safe for drinking. I'm fairly certain he won't remember where it was, but there's definitely someone telling people that."

All water that comes from sinks, bars, and the shower is safe to drink. Toilet water may not be, but I doubt that will be an issue.

 

[blabbermouth]

@BabyYoda