Bon Voyage to Alaska on the Wonder – May 29 - DCL First-timers – Corks are meant to fly! COMPLETED

[Laura1123]

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Today was Tracy Arm day, although it ended up being Endicott Arm day (which was lovely). We all slept well and readied ourselves for our character breakfast at 8am in Animators Palate.

I knew from other reports to keep my expectations low for this. Our experience was similar to others. Food was not the hottest, you feel a bit rushed, etc., but it was still fun to do and worth the $0 price tag.





Next was a quick meet and greet with Tinkerbell (only DS6 would amuse me with being in the pic). DS6 ran off to the kids club after this while I went to the beginning of the naturalist talk on Ice Fields and Glaciers by Doug Jones. He was very interesting and my parents went to all of his talks during the week and really enjoyed them.



I escaped a bit early to hit another Disney Trivia with DH and DS9. At several of these trivia’s DS9 was very helpful. He has watched the Disney movie and TV shows countless times and does a pretty good job remembering character names, etc.

From a stroll on deck 4 during the morning.

We had Princess Meet and Greet tickets for 11:45am and I got there a bit early to get in line and ended up being first. My boys don’t talk much to the princesses, so this way we got through really quick since no one was ahead of us.





Back upstairs for lunch at Cabanas. It was raining so I don’t think they did the BBQ. I did see pea soup be offered in bread bowls out on deck though.

The kids were informed that most of the afternoon would be spent looking at nature as we approached the glacier. They could hang with the adults, or go to the kids club. They both chose the club, so we snagged a table in the Cove adult area and played some Qwirkle while watching the scenery go by. We took picture breaks as well and bundled up a bit to stay warm. We were only cold because of the rain. Once the rain stopped, it was quite comfortable (with our jackets on).



As we got closer to the glacier we grabbed the kids from the club and brought them upstairs for some ice cream so they would be with us for pictures. Since it was raining, they hadn’t opened the basketball courts for the kids club yet.

Thankfully the rain stopped as we approached the glacier. Once there everyone on ship was on deck and fighting for a spot to take pictures. We waited a few minutes, but if you just wait about 30 or so until after arrival, the ship will be turned allowing the full length of the boat to have good visibility of the glacier and there will be easy access for picture taking.





After family pictures we checked the kids into the sports courts kids club and continued to walk around and enjoy the scenery while also checking in with Donald.



More to come...

 

[Laura1123]

Wednesday continued...

It was time to warm-up so we headed in for some card playing in the lounge prior to The Wheel gameshow starting. DS6 and I both participated and our half of the room won all the puzzles. It was lots of fun and I love how family oriented it is with people of all ages playing and enjoying themselves.

When DS6 was our team leader he announced to the host he had to take a bathroom break right before he was to solve the puzzle. Laughter erupted and I stopped DS6 and told him to solve the puzzle before rushing off to the bathroom. This was talked about the rest of the session as apparently this had never happened to the host before. Lots of jokes were made and it made the experience very memorable.



A bit more sightseeing on Deck 4 before we hit Triton’s for dinner. This was my least favorite of the three restaurants, although ended up having my favorite entrée of the week later in the cruise. Compared to Animator’s Palate and Tiana’s Place, Triton’s just didn’t have the entertainment factor that the other two had. It is a beautiful restaurant though. Forgot to take menu pictures again, but we do have food pictures.

Fried Pierogi

Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp

Gaston's Escargot Gratinee- This was so good that DH had to have seconds- since Freizer offered.

French Onion Soup

Cream of Potato Soup

Cucumber Salad

Entrees are next...

 

[Laura1123]

Wednesday continued...

Roasted Rack of Lamb

Crispy Roasted Duck Breast

Oven Baked Alaskan Salmon Royale

Chateaubriand-Roasted Filet Steak



Baked Apple- I think



Another magic trick for the kids tonight and then dinner was done. DH and I skipped the magic act in the WD Theater and decided to watch the scenery, enjoy a beverage and play another round of trivia. We are still not winners after this session as well, but fun was had by all as DS9 joined us about half-way through.





Another great day at sea. We would be at our first port, Skagway, tomorrow morning and we were all excited!

More to come...

 

[woody64]

Thanks again for all these reports and pictures. It's great seeing you and your DH enjoying the trip with your boys. We leave in August with our two boys (19 & 22) and we know our family trips may soon come to an end so we are enjoying traveling with them while we can.

 

[jhoannam]

Loving the report. We just got back from our first cruise (4 day Bahamas) and booked a placeholder I hopes of sailing to Alaska in May 2019. We too live in Oklahoma.

 

[tink1970]

Really enjoy your trip report! I was in Vancouver for a very brief, focused vacation and saw the Magic docked at Canada Place the day of disembarkation. I was quite jealous Glad it was a good trip!

 

[Laura1123]

Thanks again for all these reports and pictures. It's great seeing you and your DH enjoying the trip with your boys. We leave in August with our two boys (19 & 22) and we know our family trips may soon come to an end so we are enjoying traveling with them while we can.

So true. I already told DH I want to do this trip again in 8-10 years. The boys will be a bit older and will have a different perspective and there is so much more that we didn't get to experience yet! Have a wonderful trip!

Loving the report. We just got back from our first cruise (4 day Bahamas) and booked a placeholder I hopes of sailing to Alaska in May 2019. We too live in Oklahoma.

Hello fellow Okie!

Really enjoy your trip report! I was in Vancouver for a very brief, focused vacation and saw the Magic docked at Canada Place the day of disembarkation. I was quite jealous Glad it was a good trip!

Thanks!

 

[Laura1123]

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Today we were in Skagway for the day and the ship was already in port by the time we awoke.

Mom and Dad were off on the bus up/train down 4 hour excursion through Chilkoot Tours that left earlier than our excursion, so we did not see them at breakfast (they loved their excursion by the way and confirmed the boys would have been bored if we had decided to do the excursion with them).

We slept in a bit knowing that we did not have to meet our excursion company until 9:45am. Cabanas for breakfast again as we watched the helicopters take off and land right next to the ship.

The clouds were a bit low in the sky this morning, but thankfully cleared a bit by afternoon.



Two other ships were in port with us today, a Holland America one and the Norwegian Sun ship that had left Vancouver right behind us as well. In my opinion, the port did not seem crowded at all and there was lots of good signage in town that lead you back to the right boarding location.



Our excursion for the day was through Alaska Excursions and was called the Sled Dog Adventure and Musher’s Camp Skagway. We left at 10am and the tour was to last 3 ¼ hours. We booked this mainly because we wanted to make sure we had something interesting for the boys, and riding with sled dogs sounded fun as well. I had read a few trip reports where others had experienced this and had good reviews too.

A young gentleman by the name of Austin picked us up right at the Disney dock and there were others from our ship booked on this excursion as well. Turns out Austin is from Orlando and had just started his first summer working in Alaska, and was loving it. Austin surprisingly did not work for any theme parks back in Orlando but said seeing the Disney Wonder felt like a little piece of home for him. He was a very friendly guy and we enjoyed chatting with him.

We boarded the bus (think rental car mini-bus) and headed over to the Norwegian Sun to pick up a few others on our excursion. Once everyone was onboard and the waivers were signed, we were off for a 30 min ride through Skagway. Austin shared information all throughout the ride about the history of the town and what it is like for the folks living there, making it very enjoyable. There was beautiful scenery as well as we headed into the rainforest.





Upon arrival at the base camp we had the ability to use some restrooms before loading into our Mercedes Unimog for a trip up the mountain.



Reading other trip reports, I knew to sit near the back if possible, as the loading and unloading is all done from the back. I’m guessing the ride up the mountain was about 15 min and at times it felt a bit like a rollercoaster due to the steep inclines and bumpiness.

Soon we rounded a corner and could hear the dogs barking with excitement. As we unloaded, they asked us how many in our party and sent us to a specific cart. Since we were one of the first off, we were able to get the boys in front row seats. There are 6 seats in each cart, so we shared ours with another young couple.







Becky was our musher and this was her team of dogs. She ran down some rules and we got started pretty quickly. She told us some facts about the dogs and we were able to ask questions as well. Becky is in training for the Iditarod and was very knowledgeable and friendly.

The carts go along a course. It felt like a large figure 8 shape, but I might be wrong. Becky would tell us to hang on when a tight curve was coming or when she would speed up. While not a super long ride, it was long enough in my opinion.

We stopped halfway through for the dogs to rest a bit and get water if need be. We were not allowed to get out while the dogs rested, but Becky was nice enough to take pictures with our cameras for us during this time. She also provided encouragement to the dogs as she walked by them and you could see how much adoration they had for her.



Resting done, we completed the second half of the ride and then Becky introduced us to all the dogs and encouraged us to pet them.

More on next post...

 

[Laura1123]

Thursday continued...









Then it was time to hop back in the Unimog. We headed to an outlook area on the way down to take pics and then back to camp to hear a talk on mushing and the Iditarod, as well as handle the puppies.







They also had a small souvenir shop, photographs you could purchase, and a snack bar if need be. We then went back to our mini-bus for the ride back to town. I think all of us even shut our eyes for a few minutes as well.

More on next post...

 

[Laura1123]

Thursday continued...



Austin gave us the option of being dropped off in town or back at the ships. About half got off in town, but we went back to the ship to grab a late lunch in Cabanas.

We ran into Mom and Dad getting back off the ship as we were getting on. They too had come back for lunch and were on their way back into town to explore. We would catch up with them soon.



After lunch, we gave the boys the option to walk back into town or to go to the kids clubs. They both chose the clubs and I let the CM know when I dropped them off that DH and I were leaving ship for a bit. The CM took my cell number just in case they needed to reach us, but they never did.

DH and I walked toward town. By now the clouds had cleared and the sun was out. I was wearing just my jeans and t-shirt and was comfortable. We stopped in the National Park visitor’s center and read a bit more on the gold rush and watched the film (free). We stopped in a few shops, but the goal was to get to Skagway Brewing Company.





We ran into my parents here and luckily the two seats next to them at the bar were open. We all drank Chilkoot Trail IPA (which was good) and caught up on each other’s excursions for the day. The bartenders here were very friendly and answered questions we had about living in town, etc.

Drinking done, we headed back towards the ship perusing in a few shops. John purchased some fudge at the store next to Skagway Brewing Company, but I think that was the only purchase in Skagway besides the beer.

Back to the ship for Frozen night. Mom, DS9 and I watched the maypole ceremony in the atrium and enjoyed that. As we watched Pluto dropped by for a quick visit.





After the maypole ceremony it was soon time for dinner and this was the Frozen menu night.



I know not everyone is thrilled with this menu, but in my opinion there was plenty to choose from, even for us picky eaters. I also thought it was great to be back in AP for dinner here, as we got to enjoy Frozen scenery on the screens throughout the night.

Food pictures next...

 

[Laura1123]

Thursday continued...

Jarlsberg Tart- This was just ok, it needed the bacon that the other tart had the other night.

Elsa's Coronation Scallops

Portobello Mushroom Consomee

Sven's Carrot Soup- DH loved this!

Andersen's Baby Field Greens

Han's Juniper Wild Boar Filet

Veal "King Agda"

Anna's Honey-Mustard Marinated Sockeye Salmon

Dessert is next...

 

[Laura1123]

Thursday continued...





Elsa's Chocolate & Raspberry Tart

Oaken Warm Apple Pudding Cake

The meal ended with another magic trick by Freizer and then were off to go watch the Frozen party up on deck 9. We watched from deck 10 and got there early enough for great standing space.











I thought this show was cute and it was nice to be out on deck with the beautiful scenery of Skagway in the background as we set sail as well. It was interesting that music could be blared here as we set sail, when the previous day it had to be silent outside.

Back inside we went after the show. They were showing the new Pirates film in the WD Theater and movie theater tonight, which DH went to in the movie theater. DS6 went off to the clubs and I think DS9 and I walked around a bit then ended up back in the room to shower and relax. I let DS6 stay in the club till 9:30pm and then picked him as I was exhausted and we had an early start tomorrow morning.

More to come...

 

[Laura1123]

Thursday continued...

We happened to see Minnie on the way back from the club and DS6 was nice enough to take a picture with her.





It was then time for bed. DH came in around 10:30pm and said we were all snoring by then.

Next up- Juneau!

More to come...

 

[Laura1123]

Friday, June 2, 2017

For Juneau we rented a mini-van through Juneau Car Rental for the day with the plan to go to Mendenhall Glacier on our own and see where the wind took us from there. From other trip reports we knew it was recommended to get out early and try to get to the glacier before some of the tours, so as much as we wanted to sleep in, that is what we did. Early breakfast at Cabanas and we were walking off the boat about 8:05am.



Thankfully we were at the dock right next to Juneau Car Rental and DH walked over and picked up the car. The attendant was friendly and helped DH with an additional map and recommendations on where to fill the van up with gas prior to returning it. We loaded up and were on our way.

It was about a 30 min drive out to the glacier. Plenty of scenery to look at on the way since the road follows the edge of the water. On the way we spotted a field/marsh are with several bald eagles sitting in it which was neat.

We weren’t the first ones to make it out to the glacier, but we were definitely on the earlier side as few folks were out there, it was nice. After we parked, we used the kiosk in the parking lot to pay the $5 per adult fee (kids are free). The information told us to keep our tickets handy, but no one asked us for them while we were there.

We headed up to the visitors center first and looked through the displays and watched the free film before walking the Nugget Falls Trail.



It is about a mile each way out to the falls and back, but very flat and doable. Although we did not see any bears, we did see bear scat which kept us on high alert as a momma and her cubs had been seen in the area a few days prior.

It is beautiful out by the falls. It is amazing to see the amount of water coming down from the falls. The boys had a grand time throwing rocks and such back into the water while the adults took pictures and enjoyed the scenery





We walked back to the visitor center and used the facilities before heading out. The car rental attendant had mentioed to DH where we might want to drive to try to see some whales, so we agreed to head out that way to see what we could find. It had started to sprinkle at this point, so we wanted a break from the elements.

We ended up stopping at Auke National Forest Beach, which was a bit off the main road, but was lovely.





It drizzled off and on while we were there but we did see several porpoises swimming about. The boys threw several rocks into the water (the beach was all rocks of various sizes) and we chatted with a local woman walking her dog as well. A lovely time.

The rain picked up so we decided to head out towards Alaska Brewing Company. We visited the Tasting Room off Shaune Drive. We arrived and were surprised that there were no tables to sit and enjoy our beers, just a standing table. We did not let it stop our fun as my parents and I each ordered a hop flight of beers to test.







The Icy IPA proved to be the favorite (this was the same from the ship). We played a bit of Slapzi while enjoying our beverages (FYI- kids can be in here as long as they are with an adult. There are some signs posted at the front that we needed to get clarification on) and then purchased a few things from the gift shop. They had some nice growlers and pint glasses.

More to come...

 

[Laura1123]

Friday continued...

Next we headed back into town for a quick stop at Tracy’s King Crab Shack. (There is only one shared bathroom here for the whole restaurant, but plenty more out in the town square not too far from the restaurant entrance.)

We split some crab cakes and DH and Dad tried the bisque. We were doing this more of a snack as they had nothing for the kids here, so it was a quick stop. Both of the guys enjoyed the bisque and I thought the crab cakes were delicious! The sauce it was served with was different than a traditional remoulade sauce, but very good. They had a little heat to them as well. Service was quick and food was good. Would definitely recommend it to others!







We headed back to return the car and get on the ship. It was now after 2pm, so Cabanas was closed. Mom, the kids and I made a beeline for the quick service options on deck 9 while DH and dad went to return the car. The guys were delayed a bit as they returned to the car rental hut and there was no one there but a sign that said returning in 10 min. After 10 minutes and no one, they ended up dropping the keys in a drop box and headed back on ship. They too dined on deck 9. Many of us tried the Shawarma and liked it. The fries are really good there too. I wonder why they use the steak fries in the buffets and restaurants and use the thinner (better) ones on deck.

DH took the boys swimming as it had warmed up again. I tackled the laundry as we all needed a few things to help us get through the rest of the week with clean clothes. My parents had a few items to clean as well, so we combined and made two loads and headed up to the laundry on deck 6. This was a popular day to do laundry as we had to wait a bit to get some washers open. By the way, I loved walking all along deck 6 looking at everyone’s door decorations- so fun to see what others did.

The Pixar Pals dance party was happening in the atrium at the same time as laundry, so we caught a few minutes of that, as well as some OU softball on the TV.



Soon it was dinner time again and we were back in Tiana’s for Mardi Gras night. Tiana greeted us as we came in.



The kids’ menus are a saxophone on one side and super cute. Headphones are on again for the night for both kids.



Dinner is next...

 

[Laura1123]

Friday continued...



Herbed Brioche with Roasted Onion Dip- Divine!!!

Boudin Sausage Fritters- I was not a fan of these. I expected more of a hushpuppy with bits of sauasge and these were more sausage with some sort of grain mixed in.

Sauteed Gulf Shrimp and Grits

Iceberg Wedge- This was very good.

New Orleans Seafood Pepper Pot

Louis made his rounds to our half of the restaurant tonight and Tiana dropped by again as well. **Tiana is a true gem and a wonderful addition to the experience here!**





Entrees are next...

 

[Laura1123]

Friday continued...

Big Daddy's Roasted Prime-Rib of Beef

Roasted Creole Half Chicken- Mom loved this so much and I tried a small piece too. The chicken was flavorful and moist. Kudos to the chefs!

Freizer talked to DH about Indian food the day before in Cabanas and he said he would have the chef make him something special the next night. That he did. DH was in heaven and ate every bite!

Right before desserts the band went back on and the staff had a parade through the restaurant. All the CMs looked like they were having a ball with the different props. All of us guests were having fun and clapping to the music.

Geffery getting himself ready for the parade.



Love the lighted dessert menus.



Beignets- These were better than expected. I was not a fan of the chocolate sauce though.

Banana's Foster Sundae

Pecan Pie

White Chocolate Bread Pudding- This was bland in my opinion.

Continued in next post...

 

[Laura1123]

Friday continued...

The kids ran off to the clubs after dinner but Mom and I grabbed our books and stood in line to get a great seat for tonight’s show-Frozen! What a show!!!!!!! GO SEE IT if you are onboard!!!!! SO GOOD!!!



Mom and Dad's towel animal for the night.

While Mom and I were at the show, DH and Dad won the sports trivia in the Crown and Fin and won keychains. The FIRST trivia win for the cruise!

Bedtime right after the show as we were all exhausted. Next up- Ketchikan!

 

[adSimba]

They were nice enough to make DS9 a vanilla milkshake

did they charge you for it? I haven't heard of anyone getting a milkshake on the boat before....

Also, Loving your report! thanks for sharing it!!!!

 

[Laura1123]

did they charge you for it? I haven't heard of anyone getting a milkshake on the boat before....

adSimba- Yes, they did charge for it and i think it was only $3.50 or so. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it was early afternoon and not very busy at that point. DS9 loved the vanilla milkshake though. I figured it was his vacation too.