Because of our upcoming Alaska cruise (details here), I’ve had Alaska on my mind lately so when a friend offered to share a little bit about her DCL Alaska experience from last summer, I jumped at the chance! This is the third and final post of a series (you can read part 1 here and part 2 here) about sailing on Disney Cruise Line to Alaska from someone who’s done it before. I’m hoping it provides some valuable planning tips for those of you planning a trip of your own!
The following is a guest post from Leta, a Disney superfan and authorized Disney travel agent:
Hello! And welcome back to our third and final post in the Exploring Alaska series. In the previous two blog posts we discussed the beautiful port city of Vancouver, as well as the onboard fun! Today, let’s discuss the highlights from our once-in-a-lifetime journey through Alaska’s Inside Passage.
The ports of call for our 7-Night Alaskan cruise from Vancouver were Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan, Alaska. We also cruised through Tracy Arm Fjord for a close-up look at Sawyer Glacier
Exploring Skagway
Hands-down the highlight of the 3 ports of call was the White Pass and Yukon Route train ride in Skagway, Alaska. Dubbed “The Scenic Railway of the World” this port adventure is worthy of the #1 must-experience for this port.
Onboard the vintage style train, there is plenty of window seating as you climb to the White Pass Summit. The open air views will provide an unforgettable journey filled with mountains, waterfalls, tunnels and historic sites, all fully narrated for your journey back in time to the Klondike Trail gold rush of 1898!
Other port adventures for Skagway include ziplines, horseback adventures, wilderness hikes, city tours and more. A complete list of Disney Cruise Line port adventures for Skagway is available here.
Exploring Juneau
The capital city, Juneau, is filled with port adventures for the wildlife and adventure enthusiast. Choose from helicopter rides to the magnificent Mendenhall Glacier, nature hikes along the more than 250 miles of hiking trails, and of course whale watching and other wildlife adventures with chances to see bears, eagles and other sea life. Juneau offers travelers the best that Mother Nature has to offer! A complete list of Disney Cruise Line port adventures for Juneau is available here.
One popular thing to do in Juneau is the Mount Roberts Tramway, which lifts you 1800 feet through the rainforest and provides incredible views. Tickets cannot be bought in advance online, you must purchase them once you arrive.
Our travel party mostly enjoyed Juneau on foot. We stopped in the Red Dog Saloon for some refreshments and to enjoy the charm of saw dust covered floors and the rustic feel of the mining era. The more adventurous adults indulged in the famous Duck Fart (a liquor drink layered with Crown Royal, Bailey’s and Kahlua).
While we missed real live bears, we did run into a few sketchy furry guys while wandering along the shopping district located just steps from the cruise ship port.
Catching up in Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska was my family’s second favorite stop. In a word? Historical! We explored both on our own and via a port adventure which included a stop at Saxman Totem Park, which offers an excellent opportunity to explore history dating back to the 1800s through the 25 authentic replicas of totem poles left in abandoned villages when Native Americans relocated to populated cities. Every step in our journey was filled with the charming ambiance from this historical port city. We cannot wait to return and explore even more that we missed during our short visit.
Glacier Viewing
Last, but definitely not least, the journey through Tracy Arm Fjord was filled with breathtaking and unforgettable views as we sailed through the fjord and up to Sawyer Glacier.
As I mentioned in previous posts, the Disney Cruise Line Alaskan voyage offers a myriad of educational opportunities about nature and wildlife in The Last Frontier. Sadly, the visits with the experts include the disheartening news that the glaciers are vanishing at an alarming rate. There is a naturalist onboard who gives presentations about what wildlife you might see. Be sure and keep a lookout for sea life from the ship!
Palo Brunch
My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary during the Tracy Arm Fjord sailing day. We began our morning with brunch in Palo. Of course we were treated like royalty and savored the delectable array of foods and had an excellent table offering incredible views as we entered the fjord. What a way to celebrate!
As we sailed through the fjord, the scenery was filled with waterfalls and passing ice chunks floating in the water. The blue color is nearly indescribable. You simply must witness this area with your own eyes. We saw sea life from our verandah, which had everyone excited! The cruise ship sails slowly, so there is plenty of time to breath in the crisp air, hug your loved ones and simply savor every second of this experience. In true Disney style, blankets and hot chocolate were available on the top decks to warm your insides and cozy up during this segment of the journey.
I have literally over 1,000 photos from our entire Alaskan adventure! There’s so much that I could share. I hope my recap of our adventure gives you an idea of how you and your travel party can experience the trip of a lifetime with an Alaskan voyage onboard Disney Cruise Line. Please contact me if you have additional questions or if I may help you plan your trip. Alaskan voyages for 2019 are available now for booking, and they do fill up quickly as The Last Frontier is increasingly a popular destination.
Thank you for following along!
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Leta Gail Doerr is a Personal Vacation Advisor with Magical Vacation Planner, an authorized Disney Travel Agency. Email Leta Gail via l.gaildoerr@magicalvacationplanner.com, and Facebook.com/LetaGailMVP for expert, free travel planning assistance for all of your vacation needs. Leta Gail specializes in Disney Cruise Line®, Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland ®, Aulani- ® A Disney Resort in Ko-Olina, Hawaii, Adventures by Disney ®, Universal Studios®Orlando, and Royal Caribbean International®.
Great report, go again. We can’t get enough of the Disney Alaska cruise, so going back for 3rd time on the 9 night in July. Looking forward to the two new experiences , Icy Point and Hubbard Glacier, especially our whale and mamel excusion thru Disney and course the extra time on the Wonder. We enjoy the National Park Ranger walking tours in Skagway, doing that again. Just stop by the headquarters for tickets or order on line. In Ketchikan we enjoy local attractions like the Totem Cultural Center (just a short ride on the free city shuttle bus) fire engine tour and Creek Street. Of course in Juneau the Menenhall Glacier and bear viewing platform just left of the parking lot is a must stop. We’re also looking forward to our trip on the tram that l you mentioned in your report, never have done that. We got our tickets through Disney excisions, no standing in line that way. There is so much to see and do repeat visits are as fun as the first. Counting down the days on our navagation app.