Mandybigg

There are just too many of you to thank individually! Thank you all for your input. I've been reading this board since before we took our spring break DCL cruise on the Fantasy (Star Wars Day at Sea). I'm surprised that not a single person has defended DCL (although I did post in the Princess board). There are some rabid defenders out there! I cancelled our DCL reservation. I didn't mind paying the price tag for our first cruise. We specifically chose Star Wars Day at Sea so my oldest could do Jedi Training and meet all the SW characters. My youngest got to have a BBB makeover and meet Anna and Elsa without standing in a long line. She also got to hug Cinderella everyday. It was worth the $ to not have to go to WDW. We aren't Disney park people, but wanted to give our kids the experience. Cruising was the way to go. I booked the Alaska cruise when we were on board to get the 10% off knowing I could cancel. As time went on, I just could not justify the cost. DH and I went to Alaska 9 years ago. We spent 3 days in the Denali backcountry, ice climbed, fished, rafted, etc... Ultimately, we just don't need Disney to see Alaska. I don't mind them in the Caribbean. We had a wonderful time on our cruise, but the focus was on the characters and the Disney experience. I want Alaska to be about Alaska.

We are booked on the Disney Wonder in 2019. We will be sailing with your kids (5 and 7 at the time of sailing). I am seriously considering cancelling and rebooking us on either the Golden or Royal Southbound. We can sail on Princess and do an entire week of pre-cruise activities for the cost of the DCL sailing (and that takes into the 1 way flights and the fact that I did onboard booking). We will not pre-cruise with Princess even though I know that this their forte, so we aren't weighing that factor in particular. We are very outdoorsy and plan to camp in Denali for a few days and stay in rustic cabins in Seward and Glacier View. I love the idea of "roughing it" and then getting on the ship : )

My question is this: Opinions on DCL versus Princess with kids for the Alaska itinerary?

If we go Princess, which ship: Golden or Royal? I saw another thread where Coral seemed to be the Alaska winner, but it doesn't work since we are doing a full week of pre-cruise land.

For me and my husband, the Princess sailing beats DCL hands down since it hits Hubbard and Glacier. The one way also gives us an opportunity to land tour. I also like the partnership with the NPS. We love National Parks and my kids have racked up at least 15 parks each and quite a few junior ranger badges. They would get Denali and Kenai on land AND be able to nab Glacier Bay on the ship. How cool is that?

Here are my reservations:

- Will there be enough to entertain my 5 and 7 year old? How is the revamped kids' club space for that age group? Will there be other kids their age on the sailing? We want them to have someone to play with in the kids' club, but I also don't want them to be the only ones in the dining room.

- My youngest is a terrible eater. We try and try, but she eats pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders. At least she eats steamed veggies and scrambled eggs. I was not crazy about the adult food on DCL, but she had plenty of "kid" choices. Will she be able to eat in the main dining room?

- We have a balcony stateroom on DCL and planning the same for Princess. Is this going to be too tight for 4? I found the DCL stateroom to be surprisingly roomy for a family of 4, but they are specifically built for families. The split bathroom was nice, but not necessary.

Sorry for the long post. It's one of our "big" vacations, so I want to do it right. TIA!