Ahoy Angela!
Alaska bound? Yippee! You’ll be sailing on the
Disney Wonder, which just so happens to be my favorite ship. Of course, I may feel that way because of the breathtaking scenery and wonderful wildlife. Glaciers and seals and whales, oh my! Hands down, this voyage was our family’s number one cruise destination so far...leaving room to add a new one to this list of course!
I’ve found that there’s truly not a bad view on either side of the ship when it comes to the
Alaska sailings. Let me just say that you do NOT have to have a stateroom with a verandah to enjoy the magnificent views surrounding the ship. Most Guests assemble on the upper decks to take in the sights. However, there is something to be said for having a private viewing space just outside your stateroom.
On our cruise, Captain Mickey navigated Endicott Arm to take us to
Dawes Glacier, and initially, the port side of the ship was the most advantageous side as far as seeing wildlife and the glacier. But in true Disney style, they made sure that the starboard side got a turn as they pivoted the ship around. So we first chose to go to Decks 9 and 10 to get a different perspective from our stateroom and then found that our starboard verandah’s vantage point was absolutely perfect later on.
Our 7-night Alaskan cruise visited the ports of
Skagway,
Ketchikan, and
Juneau. Of the three ports, the one with the best view of the port in my opinion was Ketchikan, and the port side of the side faced the town when we docked. But you will probably be spending more time touring the towns than looking at them from the ship!
Here’s a planDisney tip: attend one of the Alaska Naturalist Presentations. Knowledgeable local naturalists will give an educational seminar on the scenery and wildlife likely to be viewed that day. Then, when arriving in Endicott Arm, the naturalist points it all out in real time over the intercom system. During our cruise, we saw porpoises, dolphins, harbor seals, sea lions, bald eagles, and whales, and that was all from the ship and didn’t even require an excursion! For better viewing, my advice is to add binoculars to your
packing list. Fingers crossed that you will get to experience a glacier falling into the water (called "calving"). It's truly jaw-dropping to witness!
And to think that this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you might encounter on an Alaskan itinerary! Please cruise back by planDisney if you have any additional questions...especially about
Port Adventures, one of my favorite subjects. Wishing you a WONDERful adventure in Alaska!
Happy Sailing!
Sherry