Alaska-The Adventure Begins

If I had a dime for every time someone told me “You have to go to Alaska, you’ll love it!” I could pay off my Port Adventures right now, needless to say those will be going on the stateroom account.

I have heightened expectations for this cruise based on all the positive feedback from cruisers and cast members alike. Frankly, I’ve never had any interest in going to Alaska. I live in Michigan and experience plenty of cold, ice and everything that goes with it. To me, vacation is somewhere warm and tropical where all the drinks come with umbrellas. I think the only thing that will have an umbrella in Alaska will be me, as I was strongly advised to bring plenty of “rain gear”.

All the information I’ve read points to excursions being key to experiencing Alaska. We are on the first cruise to Alaska out of Seattle, so we’re a bit early to see wildlife (bears, etc.) but there are plenty of other things to see, so we decided to go for it.

We have an excursion booked for each port and I’m determined to be bundled up and on the decks to see Tracy Arm floating in the distance.

During the “Welcome Aboard: Let the Magic Begin” show, Christiaan, the Cruise Director, encouraged everyone to “think like onions” and dress in layers that can be added and removed as the weather changes, which it frequently does in Alaska. I’m hoping the stack of ponchos I packed will last us and I’m wishing I would have listened to my instincts and purchased rain coats before we left. However, I like the idea that a poncho is light and can be thrown away when you don’t need it anymore as opposed to carrying around a heavy, wet coat all day.

It seems many cast members from the Port of Long Beach were relocated to Seattle, we did see a lot of familiar faces. Navigating to the terminal was a new experience, luckily we had relatives who were driving us that were familiar with the area. While the roads were clearly marked and the directions in the DCL document booklet were accurate it’s a strange feeling to have to do so many winds and turns and horseshoes to arrive at the passenger unloading area. The staff in the terminal lots were very friendly and helpful and there were baggage porters on hand (as always) to assist with luggage.

    *Practical Planner Tip: Ask for additional baggage tags from the porter desk and keep them in your future travel documents. This way if you have more than 2 bags per person you can fill out the tags before you arrive at the port to make the luggage process quick and painless. Note-you must mark your luggage with the tags provided by DCL, homemade tags will not be honored.

The terminal was clean and much more colorful than the Port of Long Beach and set up very much the same.  Head up the escalators in the terminal and you’ll find the wall of check-in desks, set up the same way as the other terminals with the standard check-in, Platinum/Concierge level check-in, and also the supervisor desk (where you can request upgrades and receive pricing). Although the set-up was familiar it was evident that the cast members were still acclimating to their new surroundings and trying to get settled in. Overall the process wasn’t horrible but I’m sure future cruises will have a more efficient experience as they get settled in.

Youth Club registration was behind the wall of partitions that serve as the backdrop for the check in desk. A large sign indicated where the desk was and there was also a Shutters photographer with backdrop for photo opportunities with various Disney characters that appeared intermittently.

We arrived at the port around 10:30am and were checked in and waiting by 11:00am. The boarding process began around 11:30 The crowds were light at this time and my parents, who were traveling with us, were able to upgrade to an inside stateroom for a fraction of the cost they would have spent booking a verandah room from the start.

Dining rotation changes and Palo reservations began in WaveBands at 12:30 and we were told there would only be one brunch, which was the following day (Tuesday, our first day at sea). We came to find out that we were mis-informed and there was a brunch on Wednesday, which is the morning we’d be sailing into Tracy Arm. We were a bit disappointed as we’ve heard the view from Palo is remarkable for Tracy Arm but the ship is scheduled to arrive at Tracy Arm around 1:00pm so we’re planning to catch the view from one of the decks.

The Cruise at a Glance doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Five-nights of cruise casual attire, a formal night (Tuesday-day at sea) and a semi-formal (Saturday-Ketchikan port day). There is a Pirate Party, although their won’t be fireworks so Pirate attire is optional on Friday (Juneau-port day).

The entertainment is a mix of the Disney shows and various variety acts. Wayne Hoffman (illusionist and magician) and Sideshow Bert (physical comedy) are on the agenda for the first 2 days. Michael Harrison and Chad Chesmark will be joining us later in the cruise.

The Personal Navigator has a mix of the usual activities: movies, presentations, trivia, etc. and the kids clubs are bustling with activities for the kids all day long. There are members of the Tongass National Forest hosting a “Junior Rangers” program in the Oceaneer’s Lab. There is a booklet filled with activities as well as various educational opportunities and hands on investigating throughout the cruise and kids can earn their status as a Junior Ranger and win a pen, pin or patch to state their status. My 10-year old step-son is incredibly curious and is looking forward to all Alaska has to offer, this itinerary was actually his choice, however the programs regarding Alaska in the kids clubs are “boring” according to his reports. While we’ve encouraged him to try to participate and believe he has, they have yet to capture his interest in the program.

We received a set of custom stationery from Captain Fabian, created especially for the first sailing from Seattle. They have the Space Needle, Minnie Mouse and the word “Seattle” on them and are really cute.

 I always think it’s nice when you receive a gift in your stateroom and appreciate the thought that Disney puts into things like these special voyages. Hopefully this cruise will be everything I’ve heard and more!