Currently wandering to....Alaska! Disney Wonder 5/21/18 7-day Cruise (COMPLETE)!!

Day 6 (Friday, May 25th, 2018) Juneau:

I had read (on our amazing FB cruise board) that there was a chance to see the Aurora Borealis near our location at around 1:00 am. So, I set my FitBit to wake me around that time (sparing Kev and S the early wake up!) and crept out of the room. I hoped that, if they were out, I could go back and wake everyone to catch the viewing party. The halls were empty, and the ship felt like I had it all to myself. I took the elevator to Deck 10, exiting right outside of Palo. Upon opening the door I was hit in the face with wind and rain! The skies were socked in with dark, heavy clouds, and I knew that our dream of seeing the Northern Lights was not to be on this trip. I crept back in to the room and settled back in to bed. I slept deeply until 5:00 am, when the thrusters woke us all up. We laid around until Kev left for the gym at 6:00 am. I got ready, and went to breakfast in Cabanas with S around 7:00 am. Kev soon made it to our table, and ate quickly. Our plan was to disembark at 7:45 am, and make our way to Juneau Car Rental, which opened at 8:00 am. We had booked a mid size rental in February, via email, and wanted to pick it up as soon as possible to make our way to Mendenhall Glacier before the crowds arrived.

We disembarked easily, though Juneau was the only place that we had to show our passports after being cleared. We made a right and walked by the covered area that found many people waiting for their excursion departures. On the right we could see the Juneau Car Rental shack, which we were told would be staffed until around 11:00 am. We knocked on the door, gave our info, signed a form, and were given the keys to a 2002 PT Cruiser (with a ton of faux-chrome). It was clean and it great shape for its age (and having 120k miles!). We were on our way by 8:05, armed with a great map and tips from the JCR rep. We loved seeing Juneau as it woke up (downtown) and the shops opening up as we drove by. We pulled in to the (lovely) visitors center area by 8:30 am, and quickly made our way down to the shore to gaze at this beauty:

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We took a bunch of photos, and then made our way back up to start on Nugget Fall trail. What a gorgeous walk!! About 2.2 miles round trip, and it took us through lovely paths to the shore line. It allowed us to walk right up to Nugget Falls, and to see Mendenhall Glacier from a new angle. If I lived here, I would try to spend time here every day. Just lovely.

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Soon after we decided to walk back to the visitors center to explore the exhibits and watch the movie (we are NPS/NFS fans). Both were beautifully done, with great rangers around to answer questions and help out.

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At this point we wanted to go to Auke Bay and explore a bit. So much to see! We hiked around and soaked in the scenery. On the way back in to Juneau we decided to eat at a local place we had read good things about:

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I had researched and planned on hitting Tracy's King Crab Shack, but when we looked at the menu there wasn't a ton that S would want to eat. We all love fish and chips, and Yelp gave positive reviews of Alaska Fish and Chips. So, after a bit of maneuvering to find parking we found this spot in the back of an indoor shopping area on the waterfront. In a word, delicious! We sat out by the water and watched the planes take off and land on the water. The service was quick and the food AMAZING! We paid our bill (around $50.00 for three meals and drinks) and decided to take advantage of the two hour free parking in the downtown area to shop.

We first hit the Taku Harley Davidson store, as my parents are enthusiasts who own two bikes. The staff in the store were so kind, and we ended up with some fun shirts and a bag for my parents. We then walked to an Alaskan owned store (I cannot remember the name right now!) that had gorgeous knives and other local artisan items. We purchased some gifts for friends/family, and a pocket knife for S. After hitting a local bookstore for more reading material for S, we decided to make our way back to the car rental shack and turn in the car. As per the sign on the door, we locked it up and dropped the keys in the drop slot on the door. We had ice cream on Deck 9 and relaxed in our cabin watching the first Avengers movie until it was time to leave for dinner at Tiana's Place! We were super excited to return to this restaurant, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at dinner.

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Day 6 (continued):

And desserts...oh goodness. I loved this menu!

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We decided to get on line for the second showing of Solo (8:15 pm), and met the nicest couple while waiting. We passed the time chatting and in no time we were in and got great seats.

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I loved it...Kev thought it was okay and S hated it! We shopped for a bit after the movie and then made our way back to the cabin. We were all tired and were in dreamland soon after.

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Day 7 (Saturday, May 26th, 2018) Ketchikan:

This day? Almost did me in. No lie. Let me go back in time.... We debated excursions for weeks before finally booking them. We made lists, and we shared our ideas on what the trip and the excursions looked like for each of us. Then, we voted. The majority wanted to go ziplining in the Tongass National Forest. The minority? Spent the next months taking deep cleansing breaths and imagined myself having hot chocolate with my (proud) family after zipping over eight lines and crossing three rope bridges. The stairs at the end? Would be my victory steps.

This morning was rough on the waters and windy. The rain was coming down hard, and as we pulled in to Ketchikan we wondered if we would be zipping at all.

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We slept in a bit (as we couldn't disembark until after 11:00 am), and then decided to having breakfast at Triton's. As we were making our way down the stairs we ran in to Spiderman! Kev has been a HUGE Spidey fan since he was kid, and the joy I saw on this face was priceless. Then my feelings turned to surprise as he turned, ran back up a flight of steps and high-stepped it follow Spiderman and get in his meet and greet line! We got through quickly and had a great time talking with Spidey and his handler.

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After our encounter with the web-slinger we made our way to Triton's...and promptly decided to go to Cabanas instead. I found that the menu just wasn't a great fit for us, and everyone had their favorite things (at Cabanas). So, we headed up to Deck 9 for our customary morning meal (we are definitely creatures of habit).

Soon after we our return to the cabin Ketchikan was visible from the verandah:

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We packed up and donned raincoats/ponchos and disembarked at 11:15 am. The moment we left the ship we were slapped in the face with cold, wind, and rain. But, we had a plan and we wanted to explore the town a bit before meeting our tour for transport to the Tongass National Forest!

The first place that we hit was the Tongass National Forest visitors center. What a lovely place! We explored, got our stamps, and renewed our America the Beautiful Parks Pass.

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Soon after we hit a gift shop for a hat (Kev picked a few up for friends back home) and a new snow globe for S. By this point we were ready to head to the Liquid Sunshine meter and find the van that would transport us to the ziplining site.
 
Day 7 (continued):

Our van was a bit late (we found shelter from the rain and wind under the awning outside a building near the port), but Luanne arrived soon after to take us on the scenic 20 minute ride to the Alaska Canopy Adventures site. We were taken in to an orientation meeting and walked through putting on the gear:

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And we made our way out to the practice zip. I was so anxious to get started (and get done) that I volunteered to go first. The feeling of zipping was fantastic..I found that the platforms and the swaying trees/bridges were harder than stepping off and flying across the ziplines. The wind and rain added to the adventure (S remarked that "now we know what birds feel like, in the trees while the wind is blowing") and the hours passed very quickly.

We got to the second to the last platform, and our guide announced a surprise. The steps that I thought I would be happily gliding down? They had installed a rappel unit this spring! Yep, I got to rappel down from a 175 foot platform. That was hard, surprisingly....stepping off into nothing. But, we made it and my kid was proud of me. What more could I ask for?

We spent some time buying the professional photos that they offered and drinking hot chocolate. Soon after we were shuttled back to the port and made our way to the (warm, dry) Wonder to settle in for some yummy pizza from Deck 9 and ice cream.

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Relaxing and watching Tangled was a nice way to pass the afternoon. I caught up on my journal, and S and Kev went to get more ice cream. Eventually we made our way to Triton's. This? Was a wonderful meal. We enjoyed chatting about our day, catching up with Desmond and Joseph on their adventures at each shore.

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After dinner we found some live music in the atrium and relaxed a bit before going to see Dreams. What a sweet show! Soon after it was bedtime...what an exhausting, exhilarating day!
 


Day 8 (Sunday May 27th, 2018) Day at Sea:

We woke early (no, we never did sleep in) and noted that our devices hadn't updated with the time change so we manually set them to match our room clock. The seas were pretty rough and stormy this morning as we went back in to open water from the Inside Passage.

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We started to pack (sigh) and gather things together in the cabin. At some point we went to Cabanas for breakfast and lingered a bit, realizing that tomorrow we would be rushing to disembark. The trip seemed like it had sped by, but we were amazed at all we had done and seen so far.

Soon after we watched our first Jack Jack's Diaper Dash (goodness...this was entertaining!):

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And then went to the Promenade Lounge for trivia and some fun! We loved this, and plan to go to trivia more often on future cruises.

Kev had gone back to the cabin for a nap, so we messaged him to meet us back at Cabanas for lunch. It was so crowded, but we managed to find a table near the windows. The ship was still rocking a bit, and everyone was smiling and sort of weaving around one another. The captain had announced that the seas should calm around 3:30 pm, which was pretty accurate.

After lunch we went to the John Charles music/comedy show. It was..fine. After that Kev decided to relax in the cabin while we went to trivia (again), then we walked around the ship and relaxed on Deck 4. We looked at the Navigator App and marked the Super Nova Duo performance before dinner. It was a lot of fun!

We enjoyed dinner (our last) at Animator's Palate. We said goodbye to our amazing team and gave them their tip envelopes (with notes of thanks enclosed). We had found our room steward and done the same. We were so fortunate to get to know all of them.

We also enjoyed the animation show! What a fun meal! After dinner we decided to take a last walk on Deck 4 and enjoy the evening.

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Saying goodbye to the ship, and to this adventure, was hard. But we were so grateful, and happy, to have made it! All the excursions went off without a hitch and our journey had been fantastic!
 

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Day 9 (Monday May 28th, 2018): Return to Vancouver/Land to Sea Adventure/Journey Home

The morning had come...we were having breakfast then saying goodbye to the Wonder (until we meet again, of course). We went to breakfast at Cabanas (it was a ghost town) at around 7:00 am. We returned to the cabin to gather our things (we had opted for Express Walk Off) and disembark. The process was painless and quick, and we soon found ourselves going through security and finding the CDS counter in Canada Place. For a small fee (per bag) they transported our luggage to YVR and held it for us until the evening. We made our way from there out to the front of the Pan Pacific (we could see the Wonder..sniff) and found the spot where we would meet our Sea to Sky tour group. We had booked the eight hour tour to fill the day as we would take the red-eye home that night.

As we had some time to spare we decided to walk a bit and find the Gastown Steam Clock:

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And enjoyed the general area. Vancouver is amazing!

We went back to Canada Trail and chatted with a few other people waiting for the same tour. We boarded the tour van around 9:45 am and met our guide Emily. She was super nice and made the day fun with her sunny attitude and corny jokes! Our first stop was Horseshoe Bay, a cute area for shopping and sailing. We then ventured on to Lynn Canyon to ride the Sea to Sky gondola up to the top of the mountain! After hiking (and enjoying some drinks and poutine) we made our way back down and ventured on to Shannon Falls. I think we all could have spent more time here! Simply gorgeous. Soon after we made our last stop...the Britannia Copper Mine. At this point everyone was pretty tired (it was nearly 5 pm) and we sort of shuffled through the (well done) tour.


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During our return to Canada Place we crossed the Lion's Gate Bridge and watched the Wonder as she made her way back to Alaska!

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We asked to be dropped off at the Steamworks Brewery, and enjoyed a lovely dinner there before walking to the nearby SkyTrain station to buy passes and return to the airport. The ride was quiet and relaxing. We made our way to the CDS desk to reclaim our luggage, and checked in for our flight. After a long travel day (night?) with flights from hell (not an exaggeration) we landed at home just before 11:00 am the next day. After a couple of days of fogginess we shook off our travel hangover and started to plan...where would we head next with DCL?

I hope you enjoyed this report, and feel free to post any questions. I cannot express fully how lovely a time we had.

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Joining in. We are on the 20th August sailing, spending 3 days in Vancouver first. It's a first cruise ever for us.
Same cruise, coming in 3 days earlier but we've cruised before. You will love it.

(I feel like I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do in Vancouver...)
 


What a great trip report. Thanks for sharing.

Love your DIS name!
 
We all had a strong craving for Xiao Long Bao, and the rest of their menu looked great. We made the quick journey there (literally around the corner and a half a block down from the bike shop) and got a table right away. The staff were wonderful, and everyone there seemed to be having a great time. The kitchen area had a glass enclosure which enabled us to see the chefs at work on the noodles and dumplings..and we wanted everything!
Loved your TR! We are booked for Alaska in May 2019. We are planning at least 2 days in Vancouver before we sail and look forward to exploring Chinatown. I’m making note of the restaurant you ate at, sounds delicious. My son's favorite food is dumplings. He would eat them every day if I let him!
 
Thanks for sharing your report! We've hoping to do the same excursion in Skagway but I'm not going to tell my son what we're doing until I know it's a go because I don't want to disappoint him if the weather grounds us. Great to know about Global Entry at the Vancouver port too!
 
Loved your TR! We are booked for Alaska in May 2019. We are planning at least 2 days in Vancouver before we sail and look forward to exploring Chinatown. I’m making note of the restaurant you ate at, sounds delicious. My son's favorite food is dumplings. He would eat them every day if I let him!

Hey! Thank you! We ate at the Robson Street location, not in Chinatown. Enjoy!
 
Thanks for sharing your report! We've hoping to do the same excursion in Skagway but I'm not going to tell my son what we're doing until I know it's a go because I don't want to disappoint him if the weather grounds us. Great to know about Global Entry at the Vancouver port too!

Hope it goes beautifully for you!!
 
how did you possibly finish the report so fast???? I'm still a day away from the cruise!!!?!!?? great report though =)
 
Great report! I have the same concerns about the Skagway excursion. I may opt for flightseeing over Glacier Bay instead. DS and I are traveling with my parents and, without telling them my fear of getting stuck on a glacier, they're less than thrilled with the idea of getting on a helicopter. I might have more luck getting them on a plane.
 
Great report! I have the same concerns about the Skagway excursion. I may opt for flightseeing over Glacier Bay instead. DS and I are traveling with my parents and, without telling them my fear of getting stuck on a glacier, they're less than thrilled with the idea of getting on a helicopter. I might have more luck getting them on a plane.

To be honest, ziplining was harder for me than the helicopter! But, it is best to have an alternate plan in place. The Glacier Bay plane trip sounds awesome!
 

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