8/8/16 Alaska is a WONDERful first cruise! (Completed!)

[wdwfan]

Thank you for writing your trip report. It was awesome!! I can't wait until we go next August!!

 

[Geomom]

Thank you for writing your trip report. It was awesome!! I can't wait until we go next August!!

Thanks! You will have a fantastic time! Definitely a trip of a lifetime!

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Thank you so much for sharing your delightful report. I learned so much and loved the photos. We are looking (far) ahead to our first cruise, which will be the DCL Alaska cruise with kids close in age to yours (14, 14, 17), so your report was fantastic. I'm sorry to hear about the sea sickness! My DH got very seasick on a Disney Caribbean cruise over 20 years ago so that is his one small reservation about our future trip, but I have heard Alaska is the best bet for avoiding seasickness. Your experience will help us be better prepared (eg, treat it in advance or early!).

I enjoyed hearing about your excursions & got some new ideas. Nice that you took extra time to explore Vancouver. We are excited to do that, as I have a son who aches to see Canada. (Since his first visit to Epcot's Canada pavilion! )

I am happy you liked it so much you plan to cruise somewhere with DCL again! That's always a great endorsement.

 

[Geomom]

Thank you so much for sharing your delightful report. I learned so much and loved the photos. We are looking (far) ahead to our first cruise, which will be the DCL Alaska cruise with kids close in age to yours (14, 14, 17), so your report was fantastic. I'm sorry to hear about the sea sickness! My DH got very seasick on a Disney Caribbean cruise over 20 years ago so that is his one small reservation about our future trip, but I have heard Alaska is the best bet for avoiding seasickness. Your experience will help us be better prepared (eg, treat it in advance or early!).

I enjoyed hearing about your excursions & got some new ideas. Nice that you took extra time to explore Vancouver. We are excited to do that, as I have a son who aches to see Canada. (Since his first visit to Epcot's Canada pavilion! )

I am happy you liked it so much you plan to cruise somewhere with DCL again! That's always a great endorsement.

You're welcome! I was hoping this report would help others (as well as being an easy way to share our trip with friends--without making them look at all 2600 pictures that we took!)

DD16 never actually got sick, just felt queasy and dizzy at times. So, I'd say your DH should take something days 1, 2, 3 and 7. Days 4, 5, 6 (port days) were completely in the inside passage and the seas were like glass like everyone says, as well as 1/2 way through day 3--the morning had us facing open ocean. The meclizine (Bonine) I got from the bins outside of health services worked well for DD16 without making her drowsy. Yes, you can look at the map and see what the ship's course will be, if you see no land on one side coming up, that would be a good time to take something!

We were glad of the extra time in Vancouver, good to be there a few days early to start to adjust to the new time zone as well! We really enjoyed everything we did. Oh, I get the Canada fascination--DD16 HAD to find a red/black plaid shirt/coat to buy! We found the lumberjack show was also good for the Alaska/Canada theme. We had seen the one that used to be at Epcot Canada--and this was similar, but on a massive scale--much more impressive. (and DD16 was VERY happy to be on the Canada side with their red plaid, lol.) I found that Ketchikan excursion to be a good mix with the Saxman native village first and then the lumberjack show--they have nothing to do with each other, but it was a good mix of things to do, so you'd have both education and entertainment in the same day.

It is indeed quite an endorsement as DH and I have never had a desire to go on a cruise, especially DH--so for us to want to do another one...that's how much we enjoyed DCL!

 

[Laura1123]

Wonderful trip report. Thanks so much for sharing (especially about the sea sickness). We travel next May and I expect to have problems. Can't wait for the trip and to share with others as well.

 

[Geomom]

Wonderful trip report. Thanks so much for sharing (especially about the sea sickness). We travel next May and I expect to have problems. Can't wait for the trip and to share with others as well.

Thanks! Re: sea sickness--all the stuff I'd read before we left talked about how the seas are like glass for the Alaskan cruises--and yes, some days they were, but not for the whole trip--those days at sea had a lot more movement than I expected! I'm also glad I'd read about the samples of seasickness medicine that are in a bin outside of health services, as they came in handy for DD16. If we cruise again, I'll bring some Bonine for her (and possibly for me for the first night.)

 

[ratt1345]

I want to echo the other posters, great trip report!!! It remind me of the one DW and I took in 2012 or something like that!!! I forget. Fortunately, we had sun most of the time we were in Alaska. Only one of our 4 days we spent in Vancouver was sunny. We had a great time with or without the sun. Thanks for all the pics!!!

 

[heapies926]

Thanks so much for the Alaskan cruise report! It's helping me plan mine in May. I can't wait!

 

[DavysMama]

Thanks so much for sharing this! JUST booked our cruise for next July and I can't get enough of these reports!

 

[richkaryn]

Thanks! Re: sea sickness--all the stuff I'd read before we left talked about how the seas are like glass for the Alaskan cruises--and yes, some days they were, but not for the whole trip--those days at sea had a lot more movement than I expected! I'm also glad I'd read about the samples of seasickness medicine that are in a bin outside of health services, as they came in handy for DD16. If we cruise again, I'll bring some Bonine for her (and possibly for me for the first night.)

I never get seasick. We were on the May 30-June 6th Alaskan. Our formal night I was fine all day/evening. Got to dinner (2nd seating) and was fine. About the time I got my entree' cut and had eaten a few bites, I was feeling a little dizzy. The ship was rocking back and forth quite a bit. No sign of stomach troubles, but I was getting really dizzy and decided to go on back to room. I started to stand up and all of a sudden lost it all over my plate. No warning it was coming....sat back down, tried to collect myself and tried to stand up again....Round 2...sat back down again....tried a 3rd time....before I got out of chair round 3 was all down my formal dress and in the bread basket....once it started it was like I couldn't stop. Finally subsided enough to get up and return to room. Showered myself off, bagged my dress for dry cleaning(*didnt' come out) and threw away my cute little formal purse, applied MotionEaze and seabands that I'd brought in case our son felt queasy, laid down, and was fine by morning. I was terribly embarrassed and apologized profusely to our tablemates the next night, who were nothing but understanding. I too had read about how smooth Alaskan cruise waters were and least likely cruise to get seasick. I was fine when we went to Bahamas, and never expected to get sick on the Alaskan cruise.

 

[35000ft above!]

Hi!
Thanks so much for a great trip report! Am doing this later this year and all your handy hints, tips and reviews are greatly appreciated!
Just cant wait to go now!
Thanks again!

 

[Geomom]

Hi!
Thanks so much for a great trip report! Am doing this later this year and all your handy hints, tips and reviews are greatly appreciated!
Just cant wait to go now!
Thanks again!

Thanks! Enjoy your cruise!

 

[TestingH2O]

So glad to see this bumped up. It made me send my excursion vendors a few questions. Less than a month and I'm so excited!

Did you end up booking a cruise with your placeholder?

 

[Geomom]

So glad to see this bumped up. It made me send my excursion vendors a few questions. Less than a month and I'm so excited!

Did you end up booking a cruise with your placeholder?

Yes, we did! We're doing the Northern European cruise on 8/9/18--basically the last European cruise we could book before the placeholder expires. It's partly a graduation trip for DD17...although she would have preferred the Norway cruise--but timing doesn't work out...plus, I preferred the Northern European...and we're paying. DD17 IS looking forward to this cruise, she has already looked at the DCL excursions and picked out ones in Tallinn (marzipan) and Helsinki (reindeer).

Enjoy your Alaskan cruise! I'm glad my trip report is helping people!

 

[Michelle064]

I really ejoyed your trip report. We are going to Alaska in August 2018. Can't wait!

Glad you enjoyed your stateroom. We are going to be in 2020 just a couple of staterooms away. On our Eastern Caribbean cruise, we had a verandah but I just couldn't justify the cost this time around so we went with the large porthole room.

 

[Geomom]

I really ejoyed your trip report. We are going to Alaska in August 2018. Can't wait!

Glad you enjoyed your stateroom. We are going to be in 2020 just a couple of staterooms away. On our Eastern Caribbean cruise, we had a verandah but I just couldn't justify the cost this time around so we went with the large porthole room.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed my trip report!

Enjoy your cruise! Alaska is a fantastic cruise! If we ever end up on the Dream or Fantasy, maybe we'll get a verandah as it doesn't cost that much more than an oceanview...but on the Magic and Wonder, it's at least $3000 more for a 7 nt cruise, just not worth it...that amount can pay for airfare or excursions or something! We loved being on deck 2, easy to catch an elevator up to deck 9, quick run up the stairs to decks 3/4.

 

[JodecoCruiser]

• It was really great reading all about your Alaskan cruise on the Wonder. We will be going next August and I so appreciate all the information you provided. The pictures of scenery were beautiful. Thanks for all the information.

 

[Geomom]

• It was really great reading all about your Alaskan cruise on the Wonder. We will be going next August and I so appreciate all the information you provided. The pictures of scenery were beautiful. Thanks for all the information.

Thanks for reading! Have a Wonder-ful Alaskan cruise!

 

[unwritten01]

A little late to the party but thanks for posting this - I really enjoyed it! Even learned some cool geology facts

 

[Geomom]

A little late to the party but thanks for posting this - I really enjoyed it! Even learned some cool geology facts

Thanks for reading it! It was a great cruise!