Disney in Alaska in 2011

[Keith1010]

skip123, I am not familiar with the policies of Disney so you'd have to look them up but if they are like most cruise lines couldn't you book a cabin and then if you see something better when other cruise lines have their information cancel it, assuming no cancellation fee.

 

Most cruise lines will be focused on 2010 sails of Alaska cruises.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Keith,

 

Oh sure, I understand and agree with that; I just thought there must be something that set them apart, whether it be service, amenities, entertainment, etc. (And again, that's subjective.) I just want to know what I'm getting for that extra thousand or two on Disney that I didn't get on Celebrity or HAL, and wouldn't get on any of the other lines sailing Alaska. Other than the fact that the ship's horn plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" at embarkation! :D

 

We're 50+, with two grown kids, and all of us love all things Disney. I would just hate to sail with them and then think, "really...this is it?"

 

Jennifer

 

Jennifer given your situation I would pass on Disney and go with another cruise line.

 

Now, if your kids were younger the analogy I would give about Disney about their differenc is just think what is the difference between The Magic Kingdom and say Great America. They both provide entertainment for the family but for the younger ones and for their parent's the Magic Kingdom is quite special. Is the Magic Kingdom more than Great America, well I haven't checked lately but I assume so.

 

Now more expensive isn't necessarily good for all and again for your family another cruise line would likely be better for everyone.

 

Keith

[Coral]

 

Honestly, the DCL Wonder is not ideal for Alaska. It has only outdoor pools and not nearly the scope of nice inside and outside viewing areas offered on other ships. It was, after all, designed for the Caribbean. The ships are beautiful, but lack many amenities of newer, larger ships. The kids program is great, but to be frank, there are so many kids onboard my daughter felt overwhelmed in the kids program because it was just soooo crowded.

 

.

 

I have never sailed Disney so you have an advantage that I do not have. I did read that they are retrofitting the ship with a new viewing area that will be great in Alaska.

 

I think the main advantage that Disney has over the other lines is what will appeal for families. I have read on a million boards "I have a family of 5, my kids are young, how do I handle the room situation" and many of these families don't feel comfortable putting their kids in a seperate room.

 

And for those families whose kids are young and they are not sure if Alaska will be enough to keep them entertained - I think the Disney choice is a good one - if the scenery of Alaska won't get the kids, then the ship will.

 

I agree with older kids, there are better lines.

 

I am always amazed at the huge number of new cruisers who have no desire to cruise the Caribbean and their only choice for their only cruise is Alaska. If you consider the number of new cruisers on Alaska ships - it is huge. For that reason - there are probably a huge number of Disney fans who say "I want to cruise Alaska, I am familiar with the Disney product" - this is what I am going for.

 

I am also guessing that there is a huge amount of Disney cruise fans who think the weather is way too hot in the Caribbean and maybe live in the Western part of the country who wants a change and their kids are not ready for another line - again, Disney.

 

And from my friends who have sailed Disney - many of them do say service is excellent.

 

While Disney may be the first ship that many people take - like many former Disney families, when the kids grow up, the family will then migrate to another cruise line - thus having Disney in Alaska ultimately helps the rest of the lines IMO.

 

I see this as a positive move for all involved. It won't be a ship that I will be sailing "though I would love to experience it once with out a million kids onboard" - I welcome another line in Alaska.

[Keith1010]

It is a positive move for a variety of reasons. Keep in mind that for those with young children it will provide a nice opportunity for the children (the children's enjoyment at relatively younger ages will come from the ship and not necessarily Alaska) and it will provide the parent's with a nice opportunity as well.

 

The key to me is diversity.

 

Having different types of ships that appeal to different people is great. I am glad that Disney is giving this a try.

 

Keith

[karatemom2]

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great DCL is finally going to Alaska. But people have to remember you are paying a premium for the Disney experience. It's not that they necessarily provide a superior cruising experience, but they do provide that Disney touch you can't get on any other line. For families, especially with young children, a DCL cruise can be a very special experience and DCL has an absolutely rabid following among devotees. I know, because I used to participate on the DIS Board and the people who love to cruise with DCL are very committed.

 

I'm sure the Alaska cruises will fill up quickly because DCL fans have been waiting and hoping they would go to Alaska for years. I am guessing there will be an absolute frenzy the morning these new itineraries open for sale and as in the past when they opened new sailings, the prices will go up quickly as the tiers fill up. I speak from first hand experience in trying to book one of the repositioning cruises from Florida to California. Within the first day prices went up thousands of dollars.

 

My point is that for those who don't need the Disney experience, DCL definitely is not the best cruising value and there are other lines that offer a wonderful experience for families at a better price and with superior Alaska itineraries. I do think that having DCL in Alaska will bring a whole new group of cruising families who might not have ever cruised Alaska otherwise and that is good for the ports and the tourism industry.

[Keith1010]

I probably sound like a broken record but in the end each person will pick the cruise line that is best for them. If we all thought the same there would be one cruise line sailing Alaska. Again each person(s) situation is different along with other items including likes and dislikes. There will be some interested in cruising with Disney and other who won't. But isn't that the case for each cruse line and for that matter sometimes within a cruise line a particular ship? Or an itinerary?

 

Keith

[Jenbo57]

There's been some wonderful insight on this thread; I thank you all for that! I think we'll continue to do a Disneyland trip every year or so and skip a Disney cruise. After our June cruise to Alaska on HAL I swore "never again" will I return to Alaska via cruise ship, for a number of reasons. Utilizing their ferry system, although expensive, gives you a much more up close and personal Alaska experience, as do land trips. But as I said, we love all things Disney, and thought it'd be a great way to give DCL a try without having to leave our backyard!

[Putterdude]

The big thing for me, right now, is that I want to sail out of Vancouver and am wondering if some of the other lines will return there in 2011. I hope the other lines put their information out soon so as to be competitive with the disney information. We really want the opportunity to book early on our cruise so that we can have a large selection of cabin types!

 

As I recall the cruiselines have until March 31, 2010 to make there intentions known to the Metro Port of Vancouver in order to obtain berthing assignments for 2011. Obviously not all wait to the last minute to do this but you could be waiting that long.

Vancouver tourism officials are working very hard with the cruise lines to bring some of the sailings back but their success to some degree will be predicated on an improved US and Global economy. There is little doubt that the itineraries out of Vancouver provide superior scenery but Vancouver got caught in a "perfect storm situation", cost of flying into Vancouver, the inconvenience of getting from Seattle to Vancouver, the Alaska head tax, too much capacity on the itinerary, a rising Canadian dollar, and last but not least the US economy.

[karatemom2]

While Disney may be the first ship that many people take - like many former Disney families, when the kids grow up, the family will then migrate to another cruise line - thus having Disney in Alaska ultimately helps the rest of the lines IMO.

 

This is quite true. DCL is how many families get started cruising. It is how we got our start, and honestly we may have never considered taking a cruise had it not been for our first cruise with DCL. Even though we paid way more for that 7 day Mexican Riviera cruise than we just did for our 14 day Alaska cruise, I wouldn't change a thing. It was well worth it for the experience and for the opportunity to learn that cruising was something our family really enjoyed. It gave us the desire to try other lines and opened up a whole new world of vacation options for us.

[Cruisin2009]

I agree with most of what has been said here. We did the Mexican Riviera DCL cruise summer 2008, and it was an amazing experience. Our whole family had a blast, and the "Disney experience" was well worth the extra $$, in my opinion. Our kids ask us all of the time when we will be going back on the "Magic" ship. :) We are thrilled with Alaska in 2011 and will most definitely be booking. Our kids will be 5 and 8, and I think it will be a fantastic way for us all to cruise Alaska. I can't wait. We won't sail DCL forever... that's for sure. But we love it right now. I'm a little bummed that we won't be going to Glacier Bay, but I figure DH and I will go to Alaska again someday and will get there on another cruiseline eventually.

[Urban trekker]

Keep in mind - there is a limit on the number of ships that are allowed to cruise into Glacier Bay - I believe it is 2 per day and I am not sure whether any more ships are allowed to be added to the schedule even if there are openings.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[PennyAgain]

As I recall the cruiselines have until March 31, 2010 to make there intentions known to the Metro Port of Vancouver in order to obtain berthing assignments for 2011. Obviously not all wait to the last minute to do this but you could be waiting that long.

 

Vancouver tourism officials are working very hard with the cruise lines to bring some of the sailings back but their success to some degree will be predicated on an improved US and Global economy. There is little doubt that the itineraries out of Vancouver provide superior scenery but Vancouver got caught in a "perfect storm situation", cost of flying into Vancouver, the inconvenience of getting from Seattle to Vancouver, the Alaska head tax, too much capacity on the itinerary, a rising Canadian dollar, and last but not least the US economy.

 

Although it is not an issue for me, for many people the state of the Vancouver airport with the long lines on departure put a lot of people off making a 2nd trip via Vancouver.

 

And those that have a hard time transiting Vancouver, come home and tell anyone who will listen.

 

I know that it is more expensive to fly into and/or out of Vancouver, but I'm not going to fly into or out of Seatlle and ride a bus for hours. My time is worth more to me than that.

 

Disney will have to work out the airport issues especially the long lines for families with small children and elder folks before people will flock to Disney to cruise out of Vancouver.

 

I enjoy visiting Disney properties myself and am about the age where I may be brought along on a family cruise on Disney when folks wish to be nice to me; but I won't be booking Disney cruises on my own. Just too expensive.

[Putterdude]

Disney will have to work out the airport issues especially the long lines for families with small children and elder folks before people will flock to Disney to cruise out of Vancouver.

 

quote]

 

If nothing changes between now and 2011 it will only be DCL in Vancouver on Tuesdays which should the matter pretty much a non-starter . However to reduce the issue entirely DCL will have to take on the American DHS and TSA as that is that is where the problem lies.

[PennyAgain]

I hope they will do so! There needs to be more US Direct or whatever it happens to be called generically. I will remember the Tuesday one ship deal and plan my travels accordingly.

[Coral]

I hope they will do so! There needs to be more US Direct or whatever it happens to be called generically. I will remember the Tuesday one ship deal and plan my travels accordingly.

 

One of the first years in which there was US Direct, I was on the Coral Princess with a Monday departure and "US Direct wasn't operating on Mondays" because of their being only one ship in port that day.

[Putterdude]

One of the first years in which there was US Direct, I was on the Coral Princess with a Monday departure and "US Direct wasn't operating on Mondays" because of their being only one ship in port that day.

 

Yes and I believe that was the case even last year.

[Putterdude]

I hope they will do so! There needs to be more US Direct or whatever it happens to be called generically. I will remember the Tuesday one ship deal and plan my travels accordingly.

 

This year it was pretty much Tuesdays and Thursdays when there were no ships in port but of course that can change from year to year. This spring with the H1N1 concern we had ships in that wern't on the sked ...sooo anything can happen.

[TheTexasKid]

50 states. I've seen 49 of them, the only one I haven't seen is Alaska, so when I saw Disney was going to Alaska in 2011, I saw my travel agent and booked a cruise on Disney Cruise Line. Actually, I booked their first cruise from Vancouver, B.C. to Alaska, as I also wanted to do my first B2B, so I booked--at the same time--the repo from L.A. to Vancouver.

[inkmahm]

Keith,

 

Oh sure, I understand and agree with that; I just thought there must be something that set them apart, whether it be service, amenities, entertainment, etc. (And again, that's subjective.) I just want to know what I'm getting for that extra thousand or two on Disney that I didn't get on Celebrity or HAL, and wouldn't get on any of the other lines sailing Alaska. Other than the fact that the ship's horn plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" at embarkation! :D

 

We're 50+, with two grown kids, and all of us love all things Disney. I would just hate to sail with them and then think, "really...this is it?"

 

Jennifer

I just got back from my third Disney cruise and I have 3 more scheduled, including one to Alaska in 2011. I've also done Alaska twice with Princess.

 

I would NOT go to Alaska with Disney if it were going to be my once in a lifetime trip to Alaska due to the itinerary. I like doing the land portion first, spending some time in Anchorage, then getting on a SB cruise. We're looking at the Disney Alaska cruise as an "inbetween" option for us because we love Disney.

 

You asked what sets it apart- I'd say definitely the entertainment. It is all Broadway quality every night. The shows are amazing, BUT I think you have to love Disney to want to see Disney shows about Disney characters several nights in a row.

 

The food has also improved greatly on Disney since the menu change this past June. There was only one night on this past 7 day trip where I ordered the plain chicken option from the menu because I didn't see any of the normal dishes that appealed to me. I'd say the Disney food is now better than the food on Princess.

 

Service with Disney is wonderful. The Disney people go out of their way to do a good job and try to keep you happy. Everyone on the ship! It may be their job requirement but they do such a good job at it that they really make you feel like the only thing that matters to them is that their guests are having a great time. Service on Princess in Alaska was spotty with some of the waiters actually being grouchy and rude. That would almost never happen on a Disney ship.

[inkmahm]

50 states. I've seen 49 of them, the only one I haven't seen is Alaska, so when I saw Disney was going to Alaska in 2011, I saw my travel agent and booked a cruise on Disney Cruise Line. Actually, I booked their first cruise from Vancouver, B.C. to Alaska, as I also wanted to do my first B2B, so I booked--at the same time--the repo from L.A. to Vancouver.

You still won't really see Alaska if you are going with Disney because you'll only see a few of the ports and areas around them. As I just posted, I would NOT do a Disney cruise as my only trip to Alaska. You will just miss way too much by not including any time on land. Not going to Denali park would be a deal breaker for me if it was my only trip to Alaska. Same for missing Glacier Bay.

 

Also, keep reading here about Alaska and you'll discover the first cruise in May is WAY too early for Alaska. It may not matter quite as much if you are doing the cruise only and not the land portion, but not much is open in Alaska interior that early in May. There is a reason those early May cruises are so much cheaper than the rest.

[TheTexasKid]

You still won't really see Alaska if you are going with Disney because you'll only see a few of the ports and areas around them. As I just posted, I would NOT do a Disney cruise as my only trip to Alaska. You will just miss way too much by not including any time on land. Not going to Denali park would be a deal breaker for me if it was my only trip to Alaska. Same for missing Glacier Bay.

 

Also, keep reading here about Alaska and you'll discover the first cruise in May is WAY too early for Alaska. It may not matter quite as much if you are doing the cruise only and not the land portion, but not much is open in Alaska interior that early in May. There is a reason those early May cruises are so much cheaper than the rest.

 

Of course, what you say makes sense, but I'll still see more of Alaska with Disney Cruise Lines, then I've ever seen before in person. And Adventures by Disney does offer a week's guided tour of Alaska, which does take in Denali. And I thought about doing that in conjunction with the cruise, but when I found I could do the L.A. to Vancouver, B.C. I booked that instead, as I wanted to do my first B2B. And I can always do the Adventures by Disney at a later date. And the reason to go in May, even if not much is open in the interior, that'll be the first cruise that Disney Cruise Lines does to Alaska, and I like to be with the first group that goes someplace some tour company has not gone before. Whether it is with Disney or some other tour company.

[negc]

Of course, what you say makes sense, but I'll still see more of Alaska with Disney Cruise Lines, then I've ever seen before in person. And Adventures by Disney does offer a week's guided tour of Alaska, which does take in Denali. And I thought about doing that in conjunction with the cruise, but when I found I could do the L.A. to Vancouver, B.C. I booked that instead, as I wanted to do my first B2B. And I can always do the Adventures by Disney at a later date. And the reason to go in May, even if not much is open in the interior, that'll be the first cruise that Disney Cruise Lines does to Alaska, and I like to be with the first group that goes someplace some tour company has not gone before. Whether it is with Disney or some other tour company.

 

One problem that you should consider when choosing to be among the first who do Alaska on Disney or any other line which is there for the first time, is that there are frequently kinks and problems that need to be worked out and it often takes several cruises for them to get those problems resolved. If you can accept the fact that everything may be less than perfect as the ship's crew becomes familiar with the ship and with its new itinerary that may not be a problem for you. It can be challenging however, especially if you are paying a premium for your trip and would like everything to go smoothly. Only you know how flexible you are willing to be, if not everything goes as planned and only you can judge just how much more important it is to be first rather than to wait until they have their act together and the ports are operating at full bore.:)

[NancyIL]

I love Disney theme parks, and I just returned from my 2nd Disney Wonder cruise a week ago. I enjoyed it, but I don't plan to do many Disney cruises unless they have a great itinerary (Alaska isn't one of them) at a reasonable price. Even if it had a good itinerary, I wouldn't want to cruise to Alaska with that many kids.

[TheTexasKid]

One problem that you should consider when choosing to be among the first who do Alaska on Disney or any other line which is there for the first time, is that there are frequently kinks and problems that need to be worked out and it often takes several cruises for them to get those problems resolved. If you can accept the fact that everything may be less than perfect as the ship's crew becomes familiar with the ship and with its new itinerary that may not be a problem for you. It can be challenging however, especially if you are paying a premium for your trip and would like everything to go smoothly. Only you know how flexible you are willing to be, if not everything goes as planned and only you can judge just how much more important it is to be first rather than to wait until they have their act together and the ports are operating at full bore.:)

 

Actually, I like the kinks and problems. As for me, they indicate that what we are seeing is something new. And if there are kinks and problems, I've always found I can adapt.

[negc]

Actually, I like the kinks and problems. As for me, they indicate that what we are seeing is something new. And if there are kinks and problems, I've always found I can adapt.

 

Good for you.:) You are a rare person. Reading reviews of some inaugurals, one would think that many expect absolute perfection even when everything is new and untested and will countenance no mistakes or misadventures. I try to adopt a similar philosophy although I suppose that my understanding might diminish depending on the severity or nature of the problems that arise.;)