As I stated on the first post of this report, this was a
wonderful, fantastic, magnificent, unforgettable, and, might I add,
amazing cruise. This was our 4th cruise and I can honestly speak for my family when I say this was our favorite so far.
As you can tell, I loved taking photos of everything we saw. Everywhere you turned was another awesome photo opportunity. If you go, make sure you have a zoom on your camera. It is better to see wildlife with.
We enjoy taking family vacations all over our great country and have enjoyed many of our countrys natural wonders and beauty. But, so far, Alaska takes the cake.
We especially enjoyed cruising with our friends and neighbors. It is always so much more fun with a larger group. I really dont think we could cruise any other way.
Vancouver:
This is a lovely city. It was clean and the people were so nice. Never did we feel unsafe while walking around. There are tons of things to do and see, and we only scratched the surface. Hopefully, someday we will go back to enjoy Canada more. If you like to eat, Vancouver is for you.
The Pan Pacific was beautiful and very welcoming. It was the perfect place to stay both pre and post cruise. The rooms were very comfortable and did not feel cramped as some hotel rooms can. The staff from registration (who actually informed us that the Wonder would be docked at Ballantyne and they would be happy to make travel arrangements for us); to Concierge who made dinner reservations for us; to the Bell Hop staff who always took care of our luggage and transportation with a smile and a sense of humor, were beyond compare.
The Ship:
I have only sailed on the classic ships, but I love the Wonder. She is still beautiful even after 15 years of service. Sure, she is showing her age with some cosmetic flaws, but who doesnt, right? I cant get enough of her horn, and unfortunately didnt hear it much in Alaska. I always like to compare her to other ships in port and she is so much more beautiful than those other floating hotels and she looks proud knowing it.
I loved the fact that the ship was not at capacity and never felt crowded, even on Tracy Arm day!
As usual, the entertainment was superb. The cast and crew were friendly and welcoming and did their jobs with aplomb. I loved playing trivia while on board, the entertainment staff made it a lot of fun to play.
We loved the character interactions and the many opportunities to see them. Their Alaskan costumes are so cute. I cant wait to see what they come up with for Norway!
Our servers werent the best we ever had, but they held their own and made our dining experience pleasant. We really enjoyed the crab offerings while on the ship and in port.
We really enjoyed seeing the honest excitement from the crew about seeing Alaska, some for the first time. It was evident every time there was a whale sighting and many crew members would run to the rails or windows to catch a glimpse and be just as awed as the rest of us.
Alaska:
Alaska was beautiful, and we only saw less than 10% of our 49th state. I cant wait to go back and see more! Being able to cruise around Baranof Island and through the Icy Strait was a bonus we didnt expect. Everybody in Alaska was very nice. We couldnt have asked for better weather.
It was so special to be able to go to Sitka on this cruise. Sitka was beautiful and quaint. Everybody was so welcoming and very happy to have us there and make an impression with Disney. I really hope that
DCL works it into their itinerary in the future. I will never forget watching eagles soar after being released back into the wilderness after having been rehabbed.
We were delighted to see so many otters and their pups and mesmerized by the Gray Whales in Sitka.
Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier are without compare and no words can describe their splendor.
We were in awe of the breathtaking scenery of Skagway while riding the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, and of the gorgeous blue and green lakes and snow covered ranges of the Yukon.
We were amazed by the serenity of Mendenhall Glacier and thrilled with seeing Orca whales in Juneau.
We were blessed with a beautiful and rare sunny day in Ketchikan; ideal for zip lining and crab fishing.
I never got tired of seeing a majestic Bald Eagle either sitting in a tree, buoy marker or soaring through the air.
Watching Humpback Whales from our stateroom balcony and along the outside decks was priceless.
We were so very grateful to all of the excellent independent tour agents we found to show us their wonderful state.
If you get a chance, or are on the fence about sailing to Alaska, I say go for it. I know it is not cheap, unfortunately everything in Alaska (and Vancouver for that matter) costs way more than your typical Caribbean or West coast cruise, but it was worth every penny.
I want to thank all the DISers who went before and shared their tricks, tips, trip reports and knowledge about their cruise. It helped me tremendously.
I guess that pretty much wraps up our Alaskan cruise. I hope you enjoyed remembering it with me. Again, if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them if I can.
Thank you for reading.