Sailing without Flip Flops!! Our Alaska Cruise - May 28th, 2012 UPDATED 7/5

[scrapbookingpro]

Time to finish up this story! Just a couple more things to tell you

We left off at 10:30PM on our last night on the Wonder. My mom nicely agreed to sit with Jonah for a bit even though it was getting late. DH and I NEVER miss the final Pub Night (though they didn't call it that on this cruise).

We love to see the cast members perform "If I Were Not Upon the Sea". It's a very entertaining skit and it's even better if you have spent a lot of time with the cruise staff over the week. We had, so I felt like I knew some of them and I was looking forward to seeing them one final time.

The skit was listed in the navigator as "Pub Skit" and it started at 11PM.
We had just stepped into the hallway from our stateroom when suddenly-

THE ENTIRE SHIP WENT COMPLETELY DARK.

We froze where we were in the pitch black darkness, waiting for some kind of light to come on. After about 30 seconds, which felt like 5 minutes, a cast member appeared with a flashlight.
"Are you guys OK?"
Yep. We're fine.
DH had a flashlight on his key chain. The cast member helped us find it.
We used the flashlight and went back inside our stateroom. Mom and DS were slightly freaked out, but they were fine. We gave them the flashlight.

Out in the hall the emergency lights finally went on. We left again and took the stairs down to Deck 3, destination WaveBands.

WaveBands was packed, since magician Chad Chesmark was in the middle of his final performance. The whole place was dark except for the emergency lights. It was SO strange walking around the ship in the dark like that!!!! I did not feel unsafe at all, I mean- we were in port at the time, so it's not like we could be stranded at sea without power. But it was still a very strange experience.

We found MK and RJ at a table in the back of WaveBands. They said that Chad Chesmark had been entertaining them through the chaos of the blackout. They said he was VERY funny.

Just then the lights suddenly came on. There was a collective sigh of relief from everyone in the crowded room. Whew!! Chad went on with his show.
He was extremely funny- I laughed a lot, plus he had some good magic tricks. I would see him again for sure.

Someone from our cruise posted the video!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPOnmfsd80w

When Chad finished, they started "If I Were Not Upon the Sea". If you have never seen this, do try- it's really fun. (not for kids, of course. It is "adult humor")

No sooner had they finished when the power went out AGAIN!!

Here I am with Robin. He is making a joke about being stranded in Victoria.
Fine by me!!!!!!

When we left WaveBands, the lights were still out (emergency lights only). We walked up the stairs to deck 9 for one last round of pizza.

Then we said our goodbyes to MK and RJ because we knew we would not see them in the morning. They were staying an extra day in Seattle and the rest of us were taking an early flight home in the morning.

Time for bed. It was late. Good night Disney Wonder!!!

 

[scrapbookingpro]

I don't remember when the lights came back, but we were asleep.

The next morning we had to get up very early. I half expected to look out and still see Victoria. That was wishful thinking of course. I opened the veranda to see we were back in Seattle.

Bummer.

We had an early flight, and I know there have been lots of threads about this, so if you have an early flight out of Seattle, read carefully

Our flight was leaving at 11:50AM. My mom and Ralph were dropping us off at the airport and then starting their drive home to California.

We had informed guest services about our early flight days ago. They make sure and let you know that you should do this. They gave us special luggage tags (Ariel) to show that we had to be in the first group off the ship. We were told to meet in the Walt Disney Theater at 7:45AM.

Goodbye room.....

DH ran up and grabbed us a quick breakfast from the buffet, and at 7:45 we had our stuff and ourselves seated in the theater.
They were very organized about it, and no one without Ariel tags was allowed to come in.

It felt like we sat there for a long time. At 8:15AM they announced that we were clear to leave the ship. They took our group off the same way we came on (down the ramps from deck 4). It took a very short time.

That was when DH realized he had accidentally packed one of the wave phones. We were trying to gather together all of our luggage and also find someone to give the wavephone to and make sure we weren't charged for it. They sent DH to lost and found while DS and I waited for a porter (there was a long line but it moved quickly) and mom and Ralph went ahead to get the car.

The process was not difficult, but it felt difficult at the time because we were trying to hurry and we had SO much luggage plus the stroller plus the wavephone thing and I felt very unorganized and stressed.

We finally got to the car- probably just before nine.
The drive to the airport is not far. We thought we had plenty of time, but really by the time we got through security and bag checks and everything we only had about 20 minutes before boarding started. We were starving too and wanted to grab some food but the lines were SO long for everything!!!! I was really missing the ship.

Bottom line: You can make an early flight but it is not easy. Be sure to not assume that you have tons of time. Move quickly and don't mess around

SO, another amazing cruise has come to an end! I wish everyone who is going soon a WONDERFUL and fun vacation!!

If you think of any other questions, just let me know!!

Thanks everyone for reading!!!

 

[whanna]

Thanks for a great TR! I loves your pics of Victoria, I'm so glad you wrote about Victoria because I haven't seen much about it. Some of the adults in our party are doing the pub tour, but I don't think I can miss the last dinner. Sometimes when we have been on past cruises they have done an extra performance of a show in the afternoon. Do you know if they did this on the Victoria day? Thanks again!

On our cruise(June 18), they performed the last shows early before we got to Victoria. I think the show times were 2pm and 4pm.
Whanna

 

[Chilly]

I loved the pub skit it was so funny. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mgmcpa]

Thanks for all the details and photos ... we've booked the same Skagway tour you went on, so thrilled to see all that!

 

[LittleGirlGrey]

Loved your post! I wouldn't ever do an Alaskan Cruise...because I'm from Alaska! But its fun to see what they offer and do on them! Thanks for letting us be a part of it! And I loved your doors! They are so awesome! My mother and I are doing the October Hawaii cruise and I am going to go all OUT with our door! yay!

On another note, the movie you asked about on TV that you always saw the last 30 min of....I'm pretty sure it was one of the Twilight movies. At least that looks like Bella and Edward. :-D

Thanks for the wonderful stories!

 

[scrapbookingpro]

Loved your post! I wouldn't ever do an Alaskan Cruise...because I'm from Alaska! But its fun to see what they offer and do on them! Thanks for letting us be a part of it! And I loved your doors! They are so awesome! My mother and I are doing the October Hawaii cruise and I am going to go all OUT with our door! yay!

On another note, the movie you asked about on TV that you always saw the last 30 min of....I'm pretty sure it was one of the Twilight movies. At least that looks like Bella and Edward. :-D

Thanks for the wonderful stories!

Thank you Hawaii would be my next choice for SURE!! I hope you have an awesome time

You are absolutely correct about the movie- It was Breaking Dawn and we literally watched the end of it every night. I'm surprised no one else figured that out!!

PS I LOVE your Snow White picture- Once is one of our absolute favorite shows

 

[mom2dzb]

I'm glad to have stumbled upon your trip report! I'm cruising in 20 days and still have some decisions to make. Your report has been very helpful. I have a few questions . . .

The lumberjack show . . . Do you think it would be safe to purchase tickets at the door?

Did you notice any pin trading being offered?

We've booked the Victoria carriage ride through Disney, but I've researched booking on my own. Did you see many carriages available for hire? I'm feeling the same way you did. I don't want to give up my last evening on the ship OR seeing Victoria. I'd like to put off that decision with the hopes that if I cancel my current reservation, I could still walk off the ship and get a carriage if I choose to.

 

[whanna]

There was limited pin trading, host and hostesses at the restaurants and store clerks etc... A trading Kiosk was open for one hour each night outside the stores, and there was a officers pin trading night I believe on Friday (but we did not get to go). Never saw any good pins except on other passengers, I do not think that the crew update their lanyards very often. It seemed that if there were any fun pins from the crew, they must have been traded the week before us.
Whanna

 

[scrapbookingpro]

I'm glad to have stumbled upon your trip report! I'm cruising in 20 days and still have some decisions to make. Your report has been very helpful. I have a few questions . . .

The lumberjack show . . . Do you think it would be safe to purchase tickets at the door?

Did you notice any pin trading being offered?

We've booked the Victoria carriage ride through Disney, but I've researched booking on my own. Did you see many carriages available for hire? I'm feeling the same way you did. I don't want to give up my last evening on the ship OR seeing Victoria. I'd like to put off that decision with the hopes that if I cancel my current reservation, I could still walk off the ship and get a carriage if I choose to.

Hi!!

Well, in my opinion it would be very easy to purchase tickets for the lumberjack show at the door. I don't know if they get busier later in the summer, but when we went there were plenty of seats still available

I'm afraid I didn't notice any pin trading, only because no one in our group was participating. (Sorry!)

As for Victoria, the horse and carriage was my original plan as well! I tried to email one of the companies there before we left and they never got back to me, so I figured we would play it by ear.
On our walk to The Empress we passed at least 3 empty carriages. They were trying to get us to take a ride. I would have loved to if we had the time. My guess is that you will have no trouble finding a last-minute ride

Have an awesome trip!!!!!

 

[CampbellzSoup]

What a great read this was my god I was entertained throughout this whole thread!

 

[Cotillard]

One of the best TRs I've read. Thank you for all of it

 

[76Disney]

I loved your trip report!! How did you make the awesome license plate magnets? They are great!

 

[scrapbookingpro]

I loved your trip report!! How did you make the awesome license plate magnets? They are great!

You'll have to forgive me because it's been a long time, but I got help with those from another talented Dismember. For the life of me I can't remember who...? But I will try to recall and let you know

 

[nycdisneygal]

So your trip is about 5 years before our planned one, but this trip report is so great and detailed! thanks!

 

[scrapperkimmydee]

I'll be on an Alaskan cruise in May. This was so great to read. Thank you!

 

[wdwfan]

Enjoyed reading your trip report. We sail to Alaska in August.