Dress Like an Onion! If You're a Kid, Dress Like a Cocktail Onion! Alaska 7/3-7/10 COMPLETE!

July 3 Part 2- The Interim Hour

So, we had a little over an hour until we needed to call bell services and head to the port. As I mentioned previously, my dad's birthday was on June 30. He's hard to shop for and he's made it clear that he would prefer to have experiences instead of more things when that makes sense. So, I began investigating different options and narrowed it down to Fly Over Canada and the Mount Roberts Tram in Juneau. After talking it over with my mom, we decided to do Fly Over Canada. We knew that if the weather was bad in Juneau, the tram wouldn't be as fun. My mom was a bit worried about timing for Fly Over Canada, but all the reviews said the whole thing took less than an hour, so we figured if we arrived right when they opened at 9:30 we'd be good. So, I ordered the tickets and gave them to him in Vancouver.



We left the hotel and headed to the end of the pier.



Good to know we had the right day.



I was finally able to get a photo of the Canada 150 sign without a crowd.







Phew. She's still here!

We walked up to the entrance of Fly Over Canada at 9:25. That's five minutes before they say they open the doors for the first show. Well, we were not happy when we saw a group going in at that time and the high school aged girl at the gate told us we couldn't fit and would have to wait 20+ minutes.

So here's my thing. We bought tickets with a time associated with them. The ticket clearly states that it is good for a show within that window. I'm fine with that. BUT! When you explicitly say that you open at 9:30 and a family that has prepurchased a ticket for the 9:30 slot arrives BEFORE 9:30, don't say that they can't go at 9:30 because you started selling day of tickets before the previously stated opening time!

Waiting would have put us at the port later and we really wanted to get there sooner rather than later. Yes, we are those people. Plus DD is much more fun in the terminal where she can see characters than she is in a hotel room.

We spoke to a manager and made clear that we weren't arguing about the tickets being for a window, but that the timing of the whole situation was frustrating. By this point there were at least 30 people in line. The manager was magically able to make the wait shrink to 7 minutes. I'm still not sure why that wasn't an option from the get go.

Anyway, we went in and the experience itself is really fun. We don't do the parks, but I'm told it is similar to Soarin'. DD LOVED everything about it. The adults all had a great time too. My dad was a bit worried about motion sickness but he didn't have any trouble. He said it was a fabulous birthday gift. It ended up being about $45 US for the 4 of us. A bit pricey for the length of time I guess, but in terms of tourist experiences it wasn't outrageous and I don't regret doing it at all.



There's a cute photo op with a bear on the way out.

So we headed back to the hotel. Dad checked with Enterprise to tell them that we would need a larger car when we returned. Then the grown ups got one more small cup of coffee from the lobby and DD finished her juice from breakfast.

Next up: Time to Board!

You were able to get some amazing photos as the Wonder arrived in Vancouver!

How frustrating re: arrival time for Fly Over. I'm glad they made the wait a bit smaller but come ON! You should have been let in. We actually did Fly Over Canada for the first time this past April, we all loved it. Don't know why we waited so long And no, we don't get a resident rate for it (which I think stinks but there you have it). We all love Soarin' at the parks (have done it now at DCA several times and did it this past January at Epcot) and Fly Over Canada is a little bit longer so that's nice, too.

Woohoo.....time to go downstairs to board!!!!

Love the photos of the Wonder coming in to port!

Love your report! Thanks for adding the links. I like checking out the websites since I'm still planning with only 2 weeks to go.

wdwfan said:

Love your report! Thanks for adding the links. I like checking out the websites since I'm still planning with only 2 weeks to go.

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I always try to write my reports so they include info I would want. Clearly I've found a kindred spirit.

Thanks for the links and the info about Fly Over Canada arrival time. My itinerary also includes Fly Over Canada on the morning we embark. Now I know to get there earlier than 9:30.

July 3 Part 3 - Embarkation

Have you heard of Wild Kratts? It's a great kids show on PBS about animals and their "creature powers." They are doing a 3 night special with BBC on Alaska. DD had so much fun watching tonight and remembering our trip. If the next two nights are as good as tonight, I highly recommend it for getting the kids excited.

By now it was a few minutes past 10:00. We'd watched the ship dock and seen all of Canada. Once we were back in the room, we called bell services. They arrived in 10-15 minutes. During that time we looked at the mini bar. DD kept reminding us not to take anything because it was all very expensive. Good that she listens to us occasionally. We did discover that the coffee and tea were complimentary and that there was cream in the fridge. Oh well. I guess we know for the next time we sail out of Vancouver.

When debating what to tip the bell hop, we realized we didn't know how the service worked. Did the staff at the Pan take the bags to the port and hand them off to porters? If so, they probably had to share their tips. So, we came up with two dollar amounts plus or minus $5 US. When the bell hop arrived, I asked him how the whole thing worked, and he said that they actually take the bags to an area under the hotel and DCL employees come pick them up. So, no middle man. That was very interesting to learn. He also explained that, for people staying at the Pan after their cruise, bell services would be by the passenger area to take bags until rooms were ready. Nice.

So, bags were gone and we headed to Exhibit Hall C. Now, I had read lots of negative things about boarding in Vancouver. Everything from the confusing layout to the crowding. We decided we'd rather wait at the terminal than in the hotel, so off we want for our scheduled PAT of 10:30-11:00.

Now, I knew I couldn't do anything about 3 ships being in port, but I had gone over the Port of Vancouver website to understand the steps. The website has an area just for cruise passengers.

1. Baggage drop off in the lowest level. There are signs for this in the Pan. We obviously skipped this step.
2. Go up one level to the Check-In area. This is Exhbition Hall C. You enter the hall from outside on the pier when you are almost at the stairs to Fly Over Canada. Part 1 is where DCL checks your paperwork, gives you your KTTW, and you can do kids registration. The Celebrity desks were also here. I didn't see the Norwegian desks, but I think they were there too. Part 2 is where you go down stairs or escalators and do the airport style screening. All the ships go through the same security lines which causes some challenges.
3. Customs. There are computer kiosks and people. Go wherever the agents send you.

When we walked in the Hall at 10:45, all the returning cruiser agents were busy so we went to the new cruiser line. This was our first time cruising since they started doing the kid check-in before arriving at port. The agent who gave us our KTTW card also gave DD her band. Our boarding group was #6. We then walked over to the kids area to get her band locked on since there were no other families there at the time. The agent had given her a large band, and they were able to take off the outer part and make it fit. She also got her red lock so she couldn't lose it.

Here is where things get interesting. First, as we were leaving, I veered towards the supervisor's desk just to see if any upgrades were being offered. (They weren't.) The DCL employee wasn't a fan of me deviating from the path out the door though.

Also a man dropped his roller bag and it flipped over onto my mom. She said ouch. He said "you shouldn't be walking there." Uh, what?!? I certainly didn't see a sign saying stay back 500 feet on his tailgate. Then I hear him stomp off to his traveling companion and say he'd had an altercation with "that old girl." Sorry friend, you are not exactly a spring chicken. Luckily they were sailing on the Sun. I sure hope they got exactly from the trip what they put into it.

Then it was time for security. They did have a binocular kiosk before the scanners. We debated it but decided to just share the one pair we had. At the scanners, they saw our wine. They asked which cruise line we were on and we said DCL. They sent us to the DCL table and we had to show our paperwork and pull the bottles out of our bags. Because other lines have such strict rules about bringing wine or in some cases any drink on board, DCL passengers have to go through an extra step of screening for their wine.

We then moved on to customs. DD and I got sent to the computers and my parents got sent to a person. They had to wait a minute to move forward, we walked right up to the machine. They finished a few minutes before us. I really question the assertion that these computer customs checks are more efficient.

Finally, we reached the actual waiting room. It was 11:30. So, the whole thing took 45 minutes. No problem.

The seating is to the left and the characters and boarding are to the right. We grabbed a few seats and I took DD to get in the short line to see Minnie. Minnie loved the pants.



From the character line, we could clearly see the doors to board the ship.


No one else had really gotten in line to see Mickey, so we got back in line.



We had wondered if she was outgrowing characters, but it immediately became clear she was still enamored.

I'd say boarding started just past 11:30 with family of the day. Group 6 was called at about 12:00. I did like that people didn't crowd the door in Vancouver. The walk was longer to get on here than it is in PC. We bypassed the boarding photo and our names were announced at 12:15.

The atrium on the Wonder was, um, nice. Let's just say we were a bit underwhelmed after being on the Dream class ships. Actually, we called it the lobby for the first few days. But it was nice! Really!

We headed right in to Triton's for lunch. We sat next to a nice family from South Carolina and actually were at the table right next to our assigned table! It was funny because they had originally been slated for late dining and were supposed to be at the table on the other side of us. Small world.

At lunch, we discussed changing our dining rotation. We had been assigned TP, TR, AP, TP, TR, AP, TP and we were very happy about being in Tiana's 3 times. We also liked our table location and that we had a private table. We ended up deciding to keep it.

We finished eating at 1:25. Mom and I went up to Deck 6 and Dad took DD to scope out the clubs. The ropes opened at 1:35 and we divested ourselves of our carry on bags. I also took photos of the rooms. I'll make a separate post for those.

DD took a nap because I told her she had to. Our muster station was in AP which was nice.

Then it was up to the Sail Away party.



I really appreciated that there were Youth CM's monitoring the mosh pit (errr Kids Zone) right in front of the stage.





We actually started sailing before the show was really going. That is different than sailing out of PC.

I did really enjoy sailing under the Lion's Gate bridge.





Ok. This was really long. The only other thing I wanted to note was that the future cruise hours were pretty limited this cruise. You know, this is something you should check
On your first day.



Up next: The Rooms

Thank you for such a detailed description of boarding! I know we have already done it once before from Vancouver, but it's nice to have a refresher ;-)

I can't believe that guy drops his suitcase on your mom and say it's HER fault? I pity the wait staff that had to deal with that miserable old bugger all week on the Sun

That's interesting the sail away party was still going when you actually started sailing, we've always finished the party before the ship started moving. Wonder if you were a bit late leaving that day Never mind you got some great shots of the Lions Gate Bridge!

Thank you for including details about the check in process. I like knowing what to expect.

July 3 Part 4 - The Rooms

Our previous cruise on the Fantasy was our first not being in Concierge. We booked an inside for DD and me and a 7a across the hall for my parents. It worked out really well. So, when we made the impetuous decision to book Alaska, we decided to do the same configuration.

DD and I were in 6135 (11B)
Mom and dad were in 6134 (7A)

Now, when we originally booked, I thought it was one of the "regular" classic 7a cabins with the enclosed balcony.



I thought this set up would be nice for the cold weather in Alaska.

However, as we got closer, I realized that instead we had a "secret verandah" room with only a small obstruction. I was a tiny bit disappointed but I was well aware it wasn't anything to worry about.

Since we are talking about that room, let's start there.

6134



Standard room layout. There is also a small stool under the desk. The desk had lots of cabinets.



Big storage area. I think these used to be steamer trunks.



The verandah with a very small obstruction.

This room also has a split bath. The section with the toilet and sink has another wood cabinet that provides lots of storage space.

On to my room.

6135



Again, standard layout. We also had the little stool under the desk.



Notice that this room has a full double closet. That was a nice change. The Fantasy only had a closet and a half.



Plenty of hangers. Also notice that there is a light. The closets have an automatic light that comes on when you open the door. I loved that! If you leave the door open too long, it goes off automatically.



The safes are now drawers. This makes them much easier to see in. Also, if you happen to leave it open, it doesn't bang on the closet door in the middle of the night. Not that anyone would ever do that. Especially not two nights in a row.



Lots more storage cupboard than we had on the Fantasy. I did miss the storage ottoman though. You can also see that the lower cabinet is missing the shelf. Our stateroom host looked but wasn't able to find it. Either someone broke it or had it removed and it got lost in the shuffle. I would have liked to have it, but we were fine.



And the bathroom. Here is where I was disappointed. There was no storage. I thoughts the Fantasy was lacking in shelves. This was nuts. The shelf above the sink was it. A huge amount of wall space was taken up by that hair dryer from the dawn of time. On the Fantasy there were shelves. There was quite a bit of empty wall space above the toilet too where you could have had shelves, but nope. All in all, disappointing. We made it work though and kept some things I the cabinets in the room. I had also purchased DD a little hanging toiletry bag. I thought it would just be good for her to be able to reach her toothbrush, but we ended up likening having it for the bathroom. We hung it from the inside doorknob.

My favorite part of every cruise was finally here! (AKA I'm a weirdo so get over it.)

The luggage started arriving and I put everything away!

Yup. That's my favorite part. I love unpacking and knowing we are settled in for the trip. DD was napping when the bags started coming and I got to meet our stateroom host Shinde. We actually got all the bags before the muster drill so I was able to leave the room totally settled. I did wait to decorate the door until she woke up through because she really likes to help.

So, we were all ready to vacation. I've already shown the pictures of the Sail away party.

Next up: Our first evening with late dining

I love unpacking too!!! I unpack ASAP - it helps me feel settled and ready to relax and enjoy. After 5 cruises, I have a set plan / place for everything.

Whoa those pictures of the Wonder coming into dock!! I had goosebumps all over and I'm not sailing for over a year! Really need to get a hotel near the port for the night before boarding...

Thank you also for all the details on checking in! Was wondering particularly about customs.

Ah, another fan of un-packing Personally I cannot start relaxing and feeling like I'm on holiday until everything's unpacked and in its place

Not a fan of those hair dryers though... I hate using them, after 2 minutes they fill really unconfortable, and then you're stuck in one place. We had proper hairdryers in the Magic, I will miss them

elena_n2o said:

Not a fan of those hair dryers though... I hate using them, after 2 minutes they fill really unconfortable, and then you're stuck in one place. We had proper hairdryers in the Magic, I will miss them

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There was a real hair dryer in the cabinets. Not to worry! I just don't understand why they didn't remove the old ones during dry dock. Does anyone actually use them?

TestingH2O said:

There was a real hair dryer in the cabinets. Not to worry! I just don't understand why they didn't remove the old ones during dry dock. Does anyone actually use them?

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Oh, good!! Thank you for clarifying

I have loved your trip report thus far...but was so happy to see your photos of 6134! We have booked it for our May, 2018 Alaska cruise!

I think that unpacking will be my favorite part, too. Something about settling in and knowing your trip is "officially" underway. We have visited the Disney parks many times, but our first DCL cruise is coming up in November. Alaska on the Wonder will be our second!

Aw, we stayed in 6134 Wonder back in 2004. Loved that room, nice price for a veranda. Great aft location. I even look back fondly on the couple of times I bumped my head on the slanted part of the metal frame around the railing. I just kept forgetting it was there.

Really enjoying your trip report with all the great details and amazing pics. Am looking forward to the adventure!

happy wanderer said:

I have loved your trip report thus far...but was so happy to see your photos of 6134! We have booked it for our May, 2018 Alaska cruise!

I think that unpacking will be my favorite part, too. Something about settling in and knowing your trip is "officially" underway. We have visited the Disney parks many times, but our first DCL cruise is coming up in November. Alaska on the Wonder will be our second!

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Shhh.....best kept secret!! We were in 6134 this past May for Alaska. Perfect!

ironz said:

Shhh.....best kept secret!! We were in 6134 this past May for Alaska. Perfect!

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I read your report, but don't think that I realized you were in 6134! Did you love it? I have heard it is a bit of a "hidden gem" because of the price (due to the small obstruction on the veranda). We are so excited about Alaska!

July 3 Part 5 - Show, Dinner, and Ending the Day

After Sail Away, we headed back to the rooms for a bit. DD spent a bit of time with my parents and I ran down to Guest Services to add my Chase Rewards card to the account. I also asked about getting extra keys. On the Fantasy, they were able to print keys that would open both rooms. However, the Wonder has older locks that will not allow them to print keys like that. So, I got two more keys: one for each room. There wasn't really much of a line.

As I was leaving, my dad was freaking out that his suitcase wasn't there yet. By the time I got back from Guest Services, it was there and he was relieved.

We headed to the Be Our Guest show. It was fun and we got to know our Cruise Director Trent. The entertainers were John Charles and Johnathan Burns. We didn't like John Charles much at all. Johnathan Burns was great though. Unfortunately both were getting off in Juneau, so we didn't get to see an entire show with Johnathan.

After the show, we browsed the shops. Then, it was off to Tiana's! Wow. DCL did a great job with this restaurant. It's so fun and the band is really good. It was fun seeing Tiana and Louis walking around.



If you're interested in the band, the DCL blog recorded the music one night.

Our server was Rolly from the Philippines and has been with DCL since the first year of the Magic. Our assistant server was Miguel from Portugal. He was young and very fun. Our head server was Paulo and he was also from Portugal.

The first night in Tiana's is the signature menu, not Mardi Gras. I had crab dip, lobster salad, jumbo shrimp, and root beer creme. The crab dip was pretty good, lobster salad was so-so, jumbo shrimp was delicious, and the root beer creme was weird.

I forgot to post what I had for lunch in Triton's. I ordere the beef empanadas and a chicken Caesar salad with no chicken. The empanadas were amazing. The salad was fine. Just a normal Caesar salad.

We had planned to do Dine and Play, but by 9:45 or so the counselors still hadn't come so I walked her up. I guess they were waiting until after the end of the music, but it didn't end up being a convenience for us.

After we finished dessert, we walked through the ship for a bit and headed to bed. Tonight, we had a lobster waiting. DD loved the sunglasses on his eyes.



DD crashed quickly and I wasn't far behind. It had been a good day 1.

Up next: First Day at Sea

Each one of your posts includes a great reminder or tip -- I had not thought about extra keys. DH and I are staying in a cabin on deck 7 and DD and DS will be on deck 2. Extra keys sure will come in handy. Thanks!