Alaska: Thoughts from a Veteran Cruiser, Part 1

Because of our upcoming Alaska cruise (details here), I’ve had Alaska on my mind lately so when a friend offered to share a little bit about her DCL Alaska experience from last summer, I jumped at the chance!  This will be part 1 of a series about sailing on Disney Cruise Line to Alaska from someone who’s done it before.  I’m hoping it provides some valuable planning tips for those of you planning a trip of your own!  Today’s post will be an introduction to the author and provide some insight about why she chose to sail to Alaska with her family.

The following is a guest post from Leta (in green, below), a Disney superfan and authorized Disney travel agent:

Photo:  Taken on the viewing deck at Pan Pacific Vancouver hotel, located just above the port where the Disney Wonder departs for her Alaskan Voyage. 

I have a large family!  And those pictured here are only a few of us.  However, in 2016 my parents and I started talking about how to shift our thinking from giving material things for holidays, birthdays and other celebrations in favor of gifting experiences.   Maybe this will sound familiar.

What do you want for Mother’s Day? Father’s Day?  Your birthday? Graduation? Christmas?   Nearly every greeting with family and friends during a time of celebration, begins with this question. Of course, the answers will vary, but the common thread that binds us all together is that our responses are something material and tangible. The latest electronics. The most coveted toys. A sparkling piece of jewelry. That backyard smoker or grill.  A gift card!

Close your eyes and try to recall what you received last time this celebration rolled around. Coming up empty? What did you give your kids? Significant other? Parents? Friends? Still thinking? Yeah, me too!
Now ask yourself this. What is the last experience you had with family and friends that is most memorable? Where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing?
For me, I always recall vacations with my loved ones. My mind flashes with memories and my heart swells with nostalgic feelings. The sound of laughter echoes in my ears. My heart races as I recall the exhilaration of experiencing something new. My eyes tingle when I think of how fast time passes and with each new day we all grow older — my parents’ age, my teenage son gets one day closer to college, my husband inches closer to retirement, and even I get older. Gasp!
In June, 2017, a group of 13 family and friends (ranging in age from 15 to 76) cashed in on the trip of a lifetime when we traveled together to explore Alaska — The Last Frontier, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada onboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship. We booked the trip during the holiday season a year and a half prior to our departure with the mutual agreement that this trip would be our gift to each other. The gift of time together to explore and experience something completely new that none of us had ever experienced before. A long-time “bucket list” item for my 71-year-old father, and his 75-year-old sister.

For 18 months, we deposited funds in our vacation accounts, shared countdown updates via text and phone calls “hey, only 120 days to go!” Snapped photos of clothing and items neatly piled and waiting to be packed in suitcases for our big trip!

We exchanged an Alaskan tour guidebook, which many of us read (the teenagers even flipped through it). We built itineraries and selected our number-one shore excursion for all of us to enjoy together — a scenic train ride along the Klondike Trail from the gold rush in Skagway in the late 1800s. The breathtaking images of mountains, waterfalls, tunnels, and the historic charm of Skagway, Alaska are forever etched in our minds. I stood on the platform outside the railcar, inhaling the fresh air as the steam train chugged up the mountain. The best view, though? From my vantage point, I could see the other 12 people in my party peering out the windows, pointing, leaning, talking, and sharing the sights and sounds around us. That moment alone was worth every dollar.

To this day, we still swap stories from our magical trip together. Sounds cliché, but it’s true. Relationships were repaired. New bonds were formed. The hunger to explore more and travel to other parts of the world stirred a fire in our bellies.
This gifting season, consider giving the gift of experience to those you wish to spend your cherished time with. No need to be extravagant. An experience can be anything — it’s your choice!  A spa day? A behind-the-scenes brewery tour? A character experience? A theme park? A resort destination? Let your heart and mind wander as you dream, and ask yourself this — if you could share an experience anywhere in the world with those you love, where would it be?

I suggest Alaska!  The 2019 Alaskan cruise itineraries are available for booking now, but hurry, they do fill up fast.    In future posts, I will share more about our onboard experiences and port adventures.  Stay tuned!

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Leta Gail Doerr is a Personal Vacation Advisor with Magical Vacation Planner, an authorized Disney Travel Agency.  Email  Leta Gail via  l.gaildoerr@magicalvacationplanner.com, and Facebook.com/LetaGailMVP  for  expert, free travel planning assistance for all of your vacation needs. Leta Gail specializes in Disney Cruise Line®, Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland ®, Aulani- ® A Disney Resort in Ko-Olina, Hawaii, Adventures by Disney ®, Universal Studios®Orlando, and Royal Caribbean International®.