Ahoy there, Randi! Welcome aboard planDisney! Thanks for sailing my way with your question about Alaskan cruise Port Adventures!
Now I'll be honest, we were so excited to go on a Disney Cruise Line vacation to Alaska this year, but unfortunately had to reschedule - no worries, though, life happens! So while I can't speak from experience about which ones we enjoyed most, I CAN tell you which ones we were hoping to do! We spent hours and hours and hours and...ok, more like days deciding on which ones to book!
I grew up taking the train to Walt Disney World Resort from the Mid-Atlantic, so any time there is a train involved, I'm making that a priority. So for me, any of the itineraries with the White Pass Rail Adventure were at the top of my list. As an avid paddleboarder, I also honed-in on the Alpine Lake Kayak - so the
Alpine Lake Kayak & White Pass Rail Adventure totally fit the bill in a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of way while in Skagway.
I also grew up watching a lot of ESPN 2 back when it was the channel that showed everything from martial arts competitions to timber sports, so we definitely planned to do one of the Port Adventures that included the Lumberjack Show. When we saw that the
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and Axe Throw Challenge was available, we almost booked that one, but then noticed the
Saxman Native Village and Exclusive Lumberjack Show was available. After missing out on the opportunity to learn more about First Nations history on our Canadian Coast itinerary in 2018, we were excited that we wouldn't have to choose one or the other!
And it wouldn't be an Alaska cruise if we didn't at least consider splurging a bit and doing something on or near a glacier. We had hoped to make the
Extended Helicopter Glacier Trek our once-in-a-lifetime Port Adventure, but it'll have to wait until our plans can take us on our Alaskan Adventure! I'll just have to keep practicing walking on ice here in the Midwest during the Winters until then. Haha!
Well if I wasn't scouring my calendar for dates to reschedule our Alaskan cruise before, Randi, I certainly am now! I hope my picks help you narrow down the list for you and your crew as you get ready to embark on your Alaskan Adventure! Thank you so much for your question, and if any others take hold, please drop me another line here at planDisney! Oh, and say "hi" to the
Disney Wonder for us - she's our favorite ship!
Until then, may your anchor be tight and your compass true!
Andrew