The Bendetti Family Goes to Alaska!
My family of four (two adults/two teenagers) vacationed on 7 night - Disney Alaskan Cruise Vacation. Thanks to what I will call fabulous “Travel Tips from Trina”, the trip went off without a hitch! Kacie and Trina walked me through the ENTIRE process of booking the cruise.They also helped us book the most amazing excursions. (My family opted to use Shore Excursions rather than booking through the Disney Cruise Excursions. This was our preference due to cost savings and flexibility with excursion options.)
We began our trip by flying into Vancouver, Canada and spending several days touring before our debarkation from Vancouver to the ports of call in Alaska. Trina tipped us off to a FASTER shuttle service from the airport to the awesome hotel she booked for us. (What a help that was since the normal taxi line was super long and we were super tired!)
Based on Trina’s recommendation, we opted to purchase the Hop On/Hop Off multi day bus passes. The passes included unlimited rides and the option to visit either the Suspension Bridge or Grouse Mountain, as well as a guided electric powered boat tour of the harbor. We chose to visit Grouse Mountain.
We saw the most amazing Lumberjack show and viewed two actual Grizzly Bears living in the wild on site.
We then took the evening scheduled electric boat ride. It was a neat way to hear about the history of Vancouver and enjoy being out on the water.
The cruise was perfect for our teenage son and daughter because the Disney Wonder is not too large to make navigated around the ship difficult. They enjoyed making new friends, playing games and hanging out in their teen area.
We started the trip off by sailing towards Dawes Glacier. We viewed icebergs in the water with seals lounging on them.
Port of Skagway – We booked an excursion through Shoretrips called the “Musher’s Camp and Puppy Experience”. It was a fun way to learn about the Alaskan Husky dogs. Our tour included a mushing experience and an overview about the Iditarod races where the dogs compete. We also had the opportunity to play with the newest husky puppies and visit a great gift shop.
Juneau – We chose to spend some extra money and book a private “Pilot’s Choice” Glacier tour through TEMSCO. (Booking this particular excursion results in a better chance of seeing the glaciers since weather sometimes shuts down tour to the Mendenhall Glacier.)
All I can say is WOW! We flew in a helicopter to two different ice fields. What stood out the most was the beauty of the ice and how quiet the ice field was upon landing.
Ketchikan – We booked an excursion through Shoretrips called the “Hover Craft Eco Tour”. We were able to ride on the Hover Craft and view herds of seals lounging on some rocks. We also got up close and personal views of the most amazing Bald Eagles! Our captain brought frozen fish. He threw a fish in the water and we watched as the majestic birds flew down next to our boat to retrieve them.
The dining, spa and fitness centers on the ship were first Class and the customer service was impeccable. We chose to have the Second Seating for dinners so that we could be sure to enjoy the ports of calls and not feel rushed to return to the ship. One day we dined at a restaurant called Palo for brunch. (There was a small extra fee, but it was so worth it for the decadent meal we enjoyed!)
It’s difficult to sum up our entire amazing experience Disney Alaskan Vacation. We made so many wonderful memories and saw so many beautiful sites. We are so grateful to Kacie and Trina at Blue Pineapple Travel for their superb expertise in planning a trip of a lifetime!
