? Disney vs Oceania for family cruise to Alaska ... same price

[Friend100]

I found a particular date/itinerary in 2013 7-days Alaska cruise with prices being almost identical between Disney Wonder and Oceania Regetta. DCL goes round-trip from Vancouver to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Oceania goes from Seattle to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm, Sitka, Prince Rupert and ends at Vancouver.

 

I know the experience between these 2 ships/lines are very different. I believe Disney will still be a better fit for families, but I am just a bit surprised to see Oceania's price to be quite "reasonable", as compared to Disney's Alaska. And in factor, for the 1st/2nd passenger price, Oceania's price is quite comparable to HAL's smaller ships as well.

 

Whether you have done both lines or not before, what's your thoughts?

[okiecruiser71]

Having cruised HAL to Alaska my advice -- go with HAL. Nobody does Alaska better IMO. Disney is new to the market and you would be on one of their older ships.

 

I can't speak as to what the Oceania experience would be like but I imagine it's quite good.

 

The thing with HAL and Alaska is they've been there longer than most of the other lines and have a lot of little touches that make it a great experience.

[NancyIL]

The Oceania itinerary is lacking, just as DCL's is lacking. It still goes to Tracy Arm rather than Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier, and goes to only 2 port towns in Alaska: Sitka (great port) and Ketchikan. I'm not sure why Oceania goes to Prince Rupert, because it doesn't need to stop in another Canadian port. In this case, DCL has the better itinerary!

 

 

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/findcruise/alaska/reg130604/default.aspx

[cyclenut]

Having cruised HAL to Alaska my advice -- go with HAL. Nobody does Alaska better IMO. Disney is new to the market and you would be on one of their older ships.

 

I can't speak as to what the Oceania experience would be like but I imagine it's quite good.

 

The thing with HAL and Alaska is they've been there longer than most of the other lines and have a lot of little touches that make it a great experience.

 

I can't speak to HAL but I do want to address your comment that the DCL itinerary is lacking and the implication that the Disney ship is somehow less impressive because it is "older".

 

The 2012 itinerary is different than 2011 and they are going back to the 2011 itinerary in 2013. For those who prefer to sail without a passport, leaving from Seattle is far more convenient as you are required to have a passport if you are flying into Vancouver. The 2011 itinerary also stops, however briefly, in Victoria B.C., which I absolutely love. There are things to like about both itineraries.

 

As for which glacier you visit, the answer there is, it depends. On our trip down Tracy Arm, ships were told they could not enter to see Hubbard because of weather, but Tracy Arm was fine. Sometimes it is the other way around. Chances are good they are all open, but not all the time. I would NOT choose my itinerary based on which glacier you are going to visit.

 

As for time in ports, you'll have plenty of time to do virtually anything you want in port with the 2012 or 2013 DCL itinerary with the exception of Victoria (which is very short).

 

The ship itself is amazing. We sailed her in August of last year and she is absolutely wonderful ship. Some prefer the Wonder over the Dream due to its smaller ship charm. The Wonder is the newer of the two smaller ships. Disney does not let the carpet get threadbare nor is there a sign of rust anywhere. This ship looked very new.

 

As for DCL being new to Alaska, I'll grant you that, but I fail to see how that makes much of a difference. Some of the things they did while we were there seemed like the moves of a seasoned line in Alaska.

 

Here are some pictures we took back in August.

 

 

 

 

[stsomewhere]

We sailed DCl to Alaska in Aug.

 

We saw some amazing scenery. We had a wonderful time in Vancouver a few days before we sailed.

 

We choose Disney because we knew that our kids (13 and 10) would not be interested in watching scenery go by.

 

They had a great time hanging out with new friends and we got to enjoy the view without hearing them complain.

[Friend100]

Here are the itinerary maps for the 2 ships, as well as Celebrity Century and HAL Zuiderdam, all for 2013 Alaska.

 

So I do agree Zuiderdam's itinerary looks like a better one with both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. In fact, for the date I am looking at (end of June/early July), the lowest inside prices for Zuiderdam, Regetta and Disney Wonder are almost the same. For balcony, Zuiderdam's price is the best, followed by Oceania. Disney is the most expensive.

 

So I understand Alaska cruise is all about ports and scenary and the ships being a secondary factor. So, for those of you who've done Alaska (regardless of line), as well as for those who have experienced a premium line like Azamara or Oceania, and that you are cruising with family, and assume the prices are about the same, will you ...

 

(1) stay with Disney, going to a good itinerary, but have the assurance that kids won't be bored for the most part, or

(2) will you try a premium line on a small ship (Regetta is 36,000 GRT with only 684 passengers), going to a less preferred itinerary, and running the risk the kids might be bored ... actually I think in my case, my DD should be ok, but not so sure about DS :), or

(3) Play safe and go with HAL expertise and pick the best itinerary-wise. We've done HAL (not Alaska) in the past and know what to expect.

 

 

 

Disney Wonder

 

Oceania

 

Celebrity Century

 

 

Zuiderdam

[okiecruiser71]

I can't speak to HAL but I do want to address your comment that the DCL itinerary is lacking and the implication that the Disney ship is somehow less impressive because it is "older".

 

The 2012 itinerary is different than 2011 and they are going back to the 2011 itinerary in 2013. For those who prefer to sail without a passport, leaving from Seattle is far more convenient as you are required to have a passport if you are flying into Vancouver. The 2011 itinerary also stops, however briefly, in Victoria B.C., which I absolutely love. There are things to like about both itineraries.

 

As for which glacier you visit, the answer there is, it depends. On our trip down Tracy Arm, ships were told they could not enter to see Hubbard because of weather, but Tracy Arm was fine. Sometimes it is the other way around. Chances are good they are all open, but not all the time. I would NOT choose my itinerary based on which glacier you are going to visit.

 

As for time in ports, you'll have plenty of time to do virtually anything you want in port with the 2012 or 2013 DCL itinerary with the exception of Victoria (which is very short).

 

The ship itself is amazing. We sailed her in August of last year and she is absolutely wonderful ship. Some prefer the Wonder over the Dream due to its smaller ship charm. The Wonder is the newer of the two smaller ships. Disney does not let the carpet get threadbare nor is there a sign of rust anywhere. This ship looked very new.

 

As for DCL being new to Alaska, I'll grant you that, but I fail to see how that makes much of a difference. Some of the things they did while we were there seemed like the moves of a seasoned line in Alaska.

 

Here are some pictures we took back in August.

 

 

 

 

 

I was not trying to slam Disney. I'm headed out on the Fantasy next month and really looking forward to it.

 

In the lead up to our Disney cruise I have read some complaints about the Magic and Wonder. A number of posters said they wished they had gone on Dream because there were more public spaces and those spaces seemed more "open". Several in fact said they felt like the older ships reflected an era of design that has now passed. That's not me saying it, it's past cruisers and while I realize that is highly subjective, I did have to note that when we were doing our research.

 

This does not make Disney a bad choice for Alaska. If given a choice, I would pick HAL because they have many more ships in Alaska during the season which allows for a wide variety of choices of itinerary. They also have more voyages that go through Glacier Bay National Park than any other line (the govt. restricts these permits) and that park is NOT TO BE MISSED if you're going to Alaska. Blows Tracy Arm away.

 

There's also the little touches. For example in Glacier Bay, a National Park Ranger comes on board to give a talk about the park. For me, that's something I really enjoyed. They play documentaries in the staterooms about the region on the closed circuit TV, again, really cool since you're learning about things in the region you are cruising. Heck, there's even soup and blankets handed out on deck by crew members when you're cruising in the park itself.

 

I'm guessing Disney doesn't do much of that, and they shouldn't, it's not their thing.

 

Again, that doesn't make them a bad line for Alaska, it's just a different experience. But for value in this particular instance HAL is better in my opinion and I think most people in the industry would probably agree.

 

Happy cruising.

[NancyIL]

Here are the itinerary maps for the 2 ships, as well as Celebrity Century and HAL Zuiderdam, all for 2013 Alaska.

 

So I do agree Zuiderdam's itinerary looks like a better one with both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. In fact, for the date I am looking at (end of June/early July), the lowest inside prices for Zuiderdam, Regetta and Disney Wonder are almost the same. For balcony, Zuiderdam's price is the best, followed by Oceania. Disney is the most expensive.

 

So I understand Alaska cruise is all about ports and scenary and the ships being a secondary factor. So, for those of you who've done Alaska (regardless of line), as well as for those who have experienced a premium line like Azamara or Oceania, and that you are cruising with family, and assume the prices are about the same, will you ...

 

(1) stay with Disney, going to a good itinerary, but have the assurance that kids won't be bored for the most part, or

(2) will you try a premium line on a small ship (Regetta is 36,000 GRT with only 684 passengers), going to a less preferred itinerary, and running the risk the kids might be bored ... actually I think in my case, my DD should be ok, but not so sure about DS :), or

(3) Play safe and go with HAL expertise and pick the best itinerary-wise. We've done HAL (not Alaska) in the past and know what to expect.

 

 

 

Disney Wonder

 

Oceania

 

Celebrity Century

 

 

Zuiderdam

 

Unless I am mistaken, Oceania really isn't geared to families with kids. That would be my last choice, and it also has the weakest itinerary.

 

Even though people often dismiss HAL as a cruise line for "old people" - HAL has quite a good kids program, as you have probably already experienced. Going to both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm is a plus, and HAL does a great job in Alaska. Warning: HAL goes to Tracy Arm the same day they go to Juneau, so if there's a lot of ice in the fjord, the ship won't have time to get to the glaciers at the end before it has to turn around and head to Juneau. The fjord is still very lovely, and Glacier Bay is well worth choosing HAL.

 

I like that Celebrity Century goes to Hubbard Glacier and sails from Vancouver. Icy Strait Point is a relatively new port (town of Hoonah), and there isn't much to do in the town itself. If you choose the Century, I would do a whale watch in ISP.

 

As I said above, DCL's itinerary isn't great, but I think it's better than the particular Oceania Regatta itinerary.

 

I would rate the itineraries in this order:

 

1. HAL Zuiderdam

2. Celebrity Century

3. Disney Wonder

4. Oceania Regatta

[cyclenut]

I was not trying to slam Disney. I'm headed out on the Fantasy next month and really looking forward to it.

 

In the lead up to our Disney cruise I have read some complaints about the Magic and Wonder. A number of posters said they wished they had gone on Dream because there were more public spaces and those spaces seemed more "open". Several in fact said they felt like the older ships reflected an era of design that has now passed. That's not me saying it, it's past cruisers and while I realize that is highly subjective, I did have to note that when we were doing our research.

 

This does not make Disney a bad choice for Alaska. If given a choice, I would pick HAL because they have many more ships in Alaska during the season which allows for a wide variety of choices of itinerary. They also have more voyages that go through Glacier Bay National Park than any other line (the govt. restricts these permits) and that park is NOT TO BE MISSED if you're going to Alaska. Blows Tracy Arm away.

 

There's also the little touches. For example in Glacier Bay, a National Park Ranger comes on board to give a talk about the park. For me, that's something I really enjoyed. They play documentaries in the staterooms about the region on the closed circuit TV, again, really cool since you're learning about things in the region you are cruising. Heck, there's even soup and blankets handed out on deck by crew members when you're cruising in the park itself.

 

I'm guessing Disney doesn't do much of that, and they shouldn't, it's not their thing.

 

Again, that doesn't make them a bad line for Alaska, it's just a different experience. But for value in this particular instance HAL is better in my opinion and I think most people in the industry would probably agree.

 

Happy cruising.

 

I'm really not trying to dispute your view, but to give an additional perspective to the OP to help them make a decision. My family and I actually really loved the nostalgic feel of the Wonder. Our first ship experience was aboard the Queem Mary in Long Beach as a Hotel. The Disney Wonder had many styling queues that reminded us of this. Very cool stuff.

 

As for the narration, Disney does do that. They have a narrator come on board for Tracy Arm and talk about glaciers, the region, the things we are looking at, etc. It is broadcast on the outside decks and through the closed circuit in the staterooms.

 

If you want to do Glacier Bay then you can book it as a shore excursion out of Juneau. The cruise line doesn't have to be the one to take you there. (http://www.alaskatours.com/juneau/day_cruises.htm) In fact, you could do Tracy Arm that way too.

 

I guess my point is this. I've heard several times that the Disney Alaska itinerary is somehow inferior for this reason or that reason. I don't see it. The opportunities are there on DCL just like they are on the other lines.

 

Does that mean I think everyone should pick DCL? No. I think there are many things to consider, such as price, availability, cabin accomodations, etc.. I just don't think the blanket statements that DCL is not as good at Alaska as other lines because the ship is older ... or they are new to Alaska ... or that their itinerary is "not as good" ... are true.

[NancyIL]

 

If you want to do Glacier Bay then you can book it as a shore excursion out of Juneau. The cruise line doesn't have to be the one to take you there. (http://www.alaskatours.com/juneau/day_cruises.htm) In fact, you could do Tracy Arm that way too.

 

 

Did you bother to LOOK at that Glacier Bay excursion from Juneau? I don't think so, because it departs from the Juneau airport at 6:30 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m.! DCL is in Juneau from 6:30 until 2:00 in 2012, and from 7:45 until 4:30 in 2013. The people who go to Glacier Bay from Juneau are most likely NOT cruise ship passengers, but rather people who are staying in Juneau for several days.

[NancyIL]

Did you bother to LOOK at that Glacier Bay excursion from Juneau? I don't think so, because it departs from the Juneau airport at 6:30 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m.! DCL is in Juneau from 6:30 until 2:00 in 2012, and from 7:45 until 4:30 in 2013. The people who go to Glacier Bay from Juneau are most likely NOT cruise ship passengers, but rather people who are staying in Juneau for several days.

 

Sorry - the departure time is 6:00 a.m.

[helenb]

How old are your children? Perhaps I am mistaken, but I was under the impression that Oceania was not geared toward children under 18. (No kids' club, no children's menu, less tolerance from other passengers, etc.)

 

IIRC, children can travel on Oceania, but they are not catered to as they are on other lines. Disney, of course, completely caters to children. It's the two extremes! ;)

[theshowmestate]

Oceania vs. DCL, if you have kids, DCL all the way. I've always been under the impression that Oceania is a high end, very adult oriented cruise line. We did Alaska with DCL last July. Enjoyed it thoroughly!!!! There are many nay sayers and many opinions on which itinerary/cruise line is best for Alaska. We've never been. DCL showed us plenty. My daughters are 13 and 15 and still talk about that vacation. As for the glacier viewing day, we ended up going own a different fjord and saw the Dawes glacier. Wonderful views. Not so much ice in the water which allowed the ship to get closer. There was a naturalist on board that day as well as another if I'm not mistaken. The only drawback there is that you need to be indoors to hear the "broadcast", there are pretty strict regulations concerning noise levels outside. For us, DCL was a great choice for our cruise to AK.

[CruisingMouse]

Having cruised HAL to Alaska my advice -- go with HAL. Nobody does Alaska better IMO. Disney is new to the market and you would be on one of their older ships.

 

I can't speak as to what the Oceania experience would be like but I imagine it's quite good.

 

The thing with HAL and Alaska is they've been there longer than most of the other lines and have a lot of little touches that make it a great experience.

 

 

Just curious Okie, as I am also looking at doing Alaska what is it that HAL does so special for Alaska?

[Modern_Viking]

How many people will you have in each cabin? On the Regatta, all the insides are fairly small. On the HAL Zuiderdam, the category I's and the J's and K's on main deck are decent sized, but the other insides are small, and would be tiny for 3 or 4.

 

The rest is more of a choice of style.

 

Regatta was (and might still be) decorated in an English country home theme. HAL Zuiderdam is colorful, Disney is Disney.

 

Regatta doesn't have assigned tables/servers/dining times; there are multiple places for dinner, but you need to make extra reservations for some. HAL splits their dining room between the fixed time/table/server experience and the flexible time dining. Disney has only assigned time/table/server service, but you rotate. What is your personal preference? Regatta has a French-American chef to design menus, HAL has a European-American mix of styles, and Disney is more modern America.

 

Disney will likely have the most kids, cavernous kids areas, more family movies/shows. HAL Zuiderdam will have many kids, but fewer and it will be more up to the kids to socialize with others, hang out, and decide what is fun. Zuiderdam has only a tiny movie theater, although you can check out DVDs for your cabin. Regatta doesn't really do big theater shows or the like. Regatta passengers probably like to spend more time on shore and are more apt to entertain themselves while on-board the ship than other company's passengers.

 

Sailing to/from Vancouver offers a higher probability for calm weather and scenic cruising on your sea days than going to/coming from Seattle -- one reason DCL is switching back to Vancouver for 2013. Flying to/from Seattle is often cheaper and easier (for citizens of the USA) than flying to/from Vancouver.

 

The Disney Magic and Wonder were themed as ships, classic ocean liners in fact, with a Disney twist. So yes, they are an older style, but many people who like to cruise actually really like that. They also designed lots of small rooms so you have a variety of places to be and don't realize how many people are on the ship with you. HAL is much the same (without Mickey and the gang, of course). I haven't been on Oceania, but I would think they would be different. One poster mentioned Celebrity, and they certainly are different (their ships tend to be of the light/airy/shades of white on the inside, have big/open/cavernous rooms where you see lots of people and know you are in a crowd (and I think RCCL and Princes are somewhat similar). Different people have different preferences.

 

The Zuiderdam and Disney Wonder are about the same size as one another. The Regatta is much smaller so you will more likely see the same people around all of the time (fell less like just one of the crowd) and it will also be easier to get around the ship (fewer levels of stairs, shorter distance from forward to aft, etc.). If you want a ship in the middle size range, you could consider the HAL Volendam which also sails to Alaska out of Vancouver (same itinerary as the Zuiderdam), but is a smaller ship and sails mid-week instead of on Saturdays.

 

In the end, sorry to say, you have to figure out what is best for you. I wish you good luck and you enjoy your trip, once you make a decision.

[cyclenut]

Did you bother to LOOK at that Glacier Bay excursion from Juneau? I don't think so, because it departs from the Juneau airport at 6:30 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m.! DCL is in Juneau from 6:30 until 2:00 in 2012, and from 7:45 until 4:30 in 2013. The people who go to Glacier Bay from Juneau are most likely NOT cruise ship passengers, but rather people who are staying in Juneau for several days.

 

I did look at it but I didn't notice those times. Good catch. The point being that there are options that need to be researched. Alaska cruising has MANY options available. Simply discounting one particular itinerary without looking at all of what you want out of the experience first just isn't a good idea.

[rubysue]

Having been on both Oceania and Disney, I would certainly recommend that you consider Disney (or HAL or Princess). I love both cruise lines but can say with assurance that adults without children can easily adapt and have a great time on Disney, while families would have a very difficult time (children in particular) on Oceania.

 

Oceania is targeted at the older cruise-goer, with gourmet food experiences, limited and low-key entertainment, port-intensive itineraries, and no special activities or areas for children and teens. You know what Disney is targeting.

 

Go over to the Oceania board and search for comments about children. You would get the same negative views looking at the small luxury lines like Seabourn; you will see that the many of the Oceania regulars live in fear that one of their small ships might be invaded by children or teens. That attitude would translate, in my opinion, to an uncomfortable experience. We have gotten criticism from some folks on our O cruises about actually enjoying Disney, but we find we can enjoy both very much (it is all in your attitude and approach to circumstances).

[Mary Ellen]

Having sailed on DCL and HAL both to Alaska, I'd say that if one is interested in Alaska, that HAL is the far, far better choice. We found DCL to be Disney - with Alaska thrown in. On HAL it is all about Alaska, with a naturalist on board the entire cruise. Commentary isn't just limited to Tracy Arm. We've done 5 of our 6 Alaskan cruises on HAL and have never been disappointed on them.

 

Tracy Arm, while very lovely and worthwhile, the odds aren't good at all that passengers will see tidewater glaciers calving or even the face of the glaciers. I'm sorry, but in our experience, the DCL itinerary sucks.

[chipmaster]

I looked long and hard at Disney for our last Alaska. In the end you need to balance the price and also the scenic cruising.

 

In the end I went with Princess sailing that did Tracy Arm, to this day still regret that I didn't spring a hundred or so more and juggle the schedule to catch a different HAL/Princess sailing that did Glacier Bay. I've done Disney, Carnival and Princess. IMHO there is a time to put the ship and the mouse as a priority. When it comes to Alaska put the scenic sailing first. If you go during the summer there will be lots of kids on all sailing and a hopping kids club. yes some things on the mouse ship are better and you pay a huge premium for it, but you give up Glacier Bay. IMHO that is a bad tradeoff for the reason you sail Alaska is for the Glaciers and Tracy Arm can't compare to Glacier Bay, College Fjord or Hubbard, pretty but not close to the iconic views you see in brochures!

 

Don't shop just blindly on price, and forget the scenic cruising!

 

I found a particular date/itinerary in 2013 7-days Alaska cruise with prices being almost identical between Disney Wonder and Oceania Regetta. DCL goes round-trip from Vancouver to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Oceania goes from Seattle to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm, Sitka, Prince Rupert and ends at Vancouver.

 

I know the experience between these 2 ships/lines are very different. I believe Disney will still be a better fit for families, but I am just a bit surprised to see Oceania's price to be quite "reasonable", as compared to Disney's Alaska. And in factor, for the 1st/2nd passenger price, Oceania's price is quite comparable to HAL's smaller ships as well.

 

Whether you have done both lines or not before, what's your thoughts?

[Friend100]

Thank you everyone for your valuable input. Cruisectitic is the best cruise consultant in the world!

 

I started this thread simply because I was intrigued by the relatively "reasonable" price for the Oceania Alaska cruises, especially when comparing to the price of other Oceania cruises in the summer (all Europe), as well as the price of DCL or HAL to Alaska around the same time of the year.

 

It has been my impression that Oceania and Azamara are lines a step above the mass market sector (DCL included) from a overall service-level and experience perspective. I understand these premium lines, and Oceania in particular, are not marketed to families and young children. But I am also trying to decide if my children could actually by one of the few exceptions who will enjoy such experience.

 

They will be 11 and 9 next summer. In all of our previous cruises (all to warm weather ports), they didn't really care much about the kids programs, including Disney. They prefer more "freestyle", unorganized, outdoor activities. They liked the Aquaduck and Mickey pools obviously, but they also enjoyed just relaxing and reading books and playing chess at the Crow's Nest. They also liked to stay with us most of the time, although that doesn't mean that they will be as they grow older. :o I think one common theme though was that most of our fun in our cruises were at the ports and beaches.

 

Disney Wonder's cabins (inside to verandah) are larger than Oceania Regetta's on average so it is a plus for us, but not a deal-breaker.

 

I agree with the comments that this particular Oceania itinerary referenced in my opening post (Seattle to Tracy Arm to Vancouver) is lacking, and actually quite weird :confused:. I just found another itinerary, a 10-days Vancouver to San Francisco in August same ship that looks like this:

 

 

I like the fact that this one departs from Vancouver, it goes to Hubbard Glacier, visits Victoria, Astoria, and ends at San Francisco (big plus for us!), and it is 10 days, and the per diem cost is roughly the same. So do I sound like I was trying to justify myself doing Oceania? :p I understand Oceania and Disney are on 2 extremes, but DW and I are the type that we want to try something new and different ... ships, cruiselines, destination, etc.

 

Speaking about HAL Alaska, I know next year Amsterdam will not be doing the 14-days anymore, but will be joining Zuiderdam and Volendam doing the 7-days round-trip from Vancouver, but with a slightly different itinerary and timing at the ports.

 

For Zuiderdam:

Day0 Vancouver 5pm

Day1 Cruising Inside Passage

Day2 Tracy Arm 10am to 10:30am

Day2 Juneau 1pm to 10:30pm

Day3 Skagway 7am to 9pm

Day4 Glacier Bay 7am to 4pm

Day5 Ketchikan 10am to 6pm

Day6 Cruising Inside Passage

Day7 Vancouver

 

One of the itineraries for Amsterdam:

Day0 Vancouver 5pm

Day1 At Sea

Day2 Glacier Bay 11:30am to 8:00pm

Day3 Skagway 7am to 9pm

Day4 Juneau 8am to 6pm

Day5 Ketchikan 12pm to 8pm

Day6 Cruising Inside Passage

Day7 Vancouver

 

note: Amsterdam has another itinerary which goes to Tracy Arm.

 

Then looking at the port time of Disney Wonder:

Day0 Vancouver

Day1 Inside Passage

Day2 Tracy Arm

Day3 Skagway 7:15am to 7:30pm

Day4 Juneau 7:45am to 4:30pm

Day5 Ketchikan 12:15pm to 7:30pm

Day6 Inside Passage

Day7 Vancouver

 

For any Alaska "beginner", I do think all of them are good choice. A DCL cruise to Alaska is simply a DCL cruise plus Alaska. They are the only choice if you want Disney and Alaska at the same time.

 

But if you were an Alaska expert, then HAL or Princess definitely have more options to choose from ... Seattle, Vancouver, round-trip, Northbound, Southbound, cruisetour, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord, Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm, etc.

 

edit: final thought ... the BEST of the BEST 7-day is probably this one :)...

 

[NancyIL]

edit: final thought ... the BEST of the BEST 7-day is probably this one :)...

 

 

I almost asked why Princess wasn't an option, but decided to not throw another cruise line in the mix! Yes, Princess's southbound cruises that go to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay are the best one-way itineraries, in my opinion. However, to do it justice, add on some time in Alaska at the beginning of the trip to go to Denali National Park, at a minimum. A week on land (with rental car; I wouldn't recommend a cruise tour for families) isn't too much. Good luck in your decision.