I don’t like to pick favorites, but we just got back from what may have been our most enjoyable vacation to date: a three-generation family cruise to Alaska on Disney Cruise Line. The trip had it all: nature, excitement, relaxation, scenery, entertainment, food, fun, swimming, hiking and so much more.
If you’re considering sailing on a Disney cruise to Alaska, realize it’s a big adventure. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip in terms of length, distance and financial commitment. But our group of travelers ranging from 7 to 74 years old all loved it.
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With our cruising crew now off the ship and back home in the lower 48, here are 10 things to know before you set sail on a Disney Alaska cruise.
The cheapest time to book is the day cruises go on sale
Let’s talk about the price upfront. An Alaska cruise is one of the more expensive Disney Cruise sailings, and it’s pricier than similar itineraries on other cruise lines. Once the cruises go on sale, the prices often only go up.
Because of this, one of the best ways to save on a Disney cruise is to book your Alaska sailing the first day it goes on sale. You can get additional discounts from booking through an agent offering an onboard cruise credit. Plan far enough in advance, and you can save 10% by putting $250 down on your next cruise when you’re already sailing on a Disney ship. We used all of these money-saving tricks — and the Alaska vacation was still very expensive.
For example, the cheapest Alaska sailing in 2024 is about $5,000 for a family of four in a windowless inside cabin and over $8,000 in a room with a private balcony. Those prices are for shoulder-season May and September sailings; the peak June through August sailings, such as the early June one we were on, cost more.
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‘Glacier day’ is a marathon, not a sprint
The “glacier day” on the ship can be confusing if you haven’t done it before and don’t know what to expect.
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Essentially, the ship will sail as close as it safely can (both for the ship and wildlife) to one of a few glaciers. For example, it’s common on sailings to head to the Stikine Icefields, though weather and conditions do play into exactly where you may go on a given voyage.
No matter where you head, you will not be getting off the ship to set foot on a glacier on the glacier viewing day; it’s a view-from-a-ship experience. However, you can book an excursion that leaves from the cruise ship to get a closer view of the glacier on a smaller boat for an additional fee ($199 for kids and $299 for adults).
On our sailing, the captain explained that it was a marathon day and to pace yourself watching the “show” of the scenery on deck … and he was right.
As the day went on and we got closer, the scenery got better and better. If we had gotten our fill of looking around the deck that morning, we’d have missed some of the best views that came that afternoon.
Just before dinner, we sailed close to a waterfall. The whole day was an incredibly special experience because the view changed from hour to hour. You need to keep checking back outside, so you don’t miss anything.
Related: These are the best Alaska cruises
Book some excursions — but price them carefully
Don’t sail all the way to Alaska and just walk around the shops near the pier in cities like Juneau and Skagway, especially if this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
On the other hand, you don’t need to book the $800 helicopter excursions to the glaciers to have a good time (though those flights look amazing). You can find plenty of full- and half-day tours in the $100 to $300 range that are excellent. But no matter how you choose to spend your days, get out and experience something you can only do in Alaska in at least one or two ports.
We loved the excursion in Juneau that included an hour at the Mendenhall Glacier (though 30 more minutes would have been ideal), whale watching and a surprisingly good outdoor salmon bake. It was expensive at $279 for adults and $199 for kids, but it was a highlight of the trip, and I wholeheartedly recommend it if those activities sound fun to you.
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In Skagway, we booked an excursion that included learning about dog sledding, interacting with sled dog puppies, gold panning and a ride on the White Pass railroad. Unfortunately, the train portion of our excursion was canceled due to mechanical issues, but normally the tour is the same price as the Juneau excursion. Without the train, it came to $169 for adults and $119 for kids — and you can book it that way from the start.
While I can’t speak to the train portion (I hear it’s worth doing), the dog sled demo and gold panning were quite enjoyable. And this was a perfect example of how in Alaska, nothing is set in stone. It is common for operators to make adjustments to excursions based on weather, safety concerns and other factors. Helicopter and small plane tours are especially likely to be canceled or adjusted. My advice is to be flexible and not stake the trip’s success on any one excursion.
For the long, multi-faceted excursions that get you a good distance away from the ship, booking through Disney makes sense, even if it is a little more expensive, as the ship won’t leave without you if your tour gets delayed. In one port, we did see a group on a ship come back right at the designated sailaway time, which I’m sure would have been extremely stressful if they’d been traveling independently.
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With other, shorter excursions, it can make a lot of sense (and save a lot of dollars) to book on your own directly with a tour operator.
For example, by booking directly, we paid much less for the silly but fun Disney-branded lumberjack show right next to the ship in Ketchikan. Booking direct also lets you take advantage of discounts, such as lower rates for veterans or active military. The show takes place a few steps from the dock, so there’s no risk of not returning to the ship on time.
Oh, and whatever you do, make a point to get the sweet fry bread in Skagway from the Klondike Doughboy. It’s a 10-minute walk from the ship and worth every step and penny.
Related: 15 Alaska cruise mistakes you don’t want to make
You can warm up with free hot chocolate
Disney tries to think of everything, so complimentary hot chocolate is always waiting for you on deck during glacier day and at the pier as you return from port. It’s a small touch, but one that was a fun treat when we got a bit chilly.
If you’re looking for an adult version that will warm you to the bones, keep an eye out for bar carts out on deck during glacier viewing. You get a cool Alaska-themed reusable cup with the price of your drink.
Choose the late dinner
Days are long in Alaska, both in terms of the time in port and the sun itself.
For example, in Skagway, we were in port from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. With Disney, you need to choose the early or late dinner seating, and while eating late may sound like a bad idea with kids, it’s the best choice on an Alaska cruise. If you choose the early dinner, you’re being seated at 5:45 p.m. every night. Not only is the sun going to be up for at least four more hours, but you’ll have to cut your port time short to make it to dinner on time.
Your show time is opposite your dinner time, so if you have late dinner, you see the show early. On a typical seven-night Alaska cruise, the ship puts on only three Broadway-caliber shows, which are usually scheduled on sea days or on days you leave ports earlier. It’s not as big a trade-off to miss a few minor shows as missing out on port time to get to dinner at 5:45 every night.
On a night when you’re wiped out and don’t want to do a late dinner, you can always order free room service or visit the quick-service option up on deck for a burger, pizza, chicken fingers and other casual quick bites. Hands down, late seating is the better option in Alaska.
Pro tip: Don’t miss lobster night on the ship, where you can order as many lobster tails as your heart desires.
Related: Is Disney Cruise Concierge Level worth it?
Characters aren’t in their Alaska outfits every day
If you’re going to spend the bucks to sail on a Disney cruise, you need at least one photo with Mickey, Minnie or their friends in their Alaska-exclusive outfits.
Typically, the first (and arguably best) time you’ll see them in these outfits is on glacier day. You’ll see the times and locations in your Disney Navigator app once on board, and you can bet there will be lines — some of the longest you may encounter on the cruise.
I recommend getting at least one photo with the characters out on the top pool deck on glacier day as it’s the most sure-fire time to do so, and it’s the best only-in-Alaska backdrop.
If you’re planning your day around the photo sessions, don’t choose the morning option if you care about background because you’ll likely not be right up to the glacier, snow and ice yet.
Wait until later in the day for photos, so you’ll be closer to the glacier. During our sailing, Mickey was on the glacier side of the ship multiple times that day, but it wasn’t visible in the background until just after lunchtime.
Glacier day isn’t the only time Mickey and his friends wear these adorable outfits. On our cruise, they also wore them the day we were in Skagway. In fact, as we sailed away from port, we ran into Mickey out on Deck 4 — with no line — waving goodbye to land with the rest of us.
Pro tip: Have one person get to the spot where the characters will be on deck about 30 minutes before the stated time to secure your spot in line. Sometimes the line can get too long to take more guests even before the official photo start time.
Related: Is the Disney Visa worth it?
It’s easy to overpack
I get it — packing for an Alaska cruise is tough.
You’re packing for glaciers, chilly outdoor adventures and potential rain but also for a cruise, swimming and a dress-up night or two. In the summer, even in Alaska, it can be warm. But of course, on a glacier, it can be cold.
During our early June sailing, we swam in the heated pools, dunked in the hot tubs and careened down the waterslides multiple times on both sea days and port days.
While the time of year and the forecast for your sailing should influence what goes in your bag, try and resist the urge to overpack. Bring too much stuff, and your cabin will feel crowded with your belongings, you’ll be less nimble and flexible in the airport and you won’t have as many options for ground transportation. Plus, you’ll spend more time packing and unpacking.
For a cruise to Alaska, you’ll need layers, including accessories like a vest, hat and gloves you can take on or off. What you often don’t need much of, at least during the summer months, is a variety of winter gear. It’s possible you may not need a super heavy winter coat at all, but you will need rain gear and possibly a fleece vest or jacket, so you can probably opt for layers over individual bulky pieces, especially in June, July and August.
Our coldest day was the morning of the glacier day when it was windy and overcast out on deck. The weather went from the high 40s that day to the high 70s and sunny at other times, but we didn’t need much bulky winter gear.
Here’s a guide to packing for an Alaska cruise to get you started. The thing we used the most: magnetic hooks to hold and organize all those layers inside the stateroom, so get some of those, for sure.
Related: When is the best time to sail to Alaska
The ‘Frozen’ deck show isn’t a must-do But the stage show is a must-see
Most of the elements of our Disney Cruise to Alaska were exceptional, but the much-anticipated “Frozen night” with deck show wasn’t one of those things. It was fine; the littlest kids enjoyed it, and if it’s convenient for you to pop up and see, then do it. But don’t plan your evening around it or stress if you are tired and need to miss it, especially if you don’t have young kids.
Elsa and her friends led a 15-minute sing-a-long and show with a minute or so of “snow,” but it rated two out of five snowflakes in my book.
An earlier Frozen-themed indoor party, where there was an interactive activity to decorate the maypole, was almost more interesting, in my opinion. Look forward to Frozen night and attend some of the events and activities, but don’t expect anything to knock your socks off.
That said, the “Frozen” Broadway-caliber stage show in the Walt Disney Theater is exceptional and not to be missed — but also somewhat confusingly not offered on Frozen night.
So to recap: You can skip Frozen Night and the deck show, but make a point to attend the Frozen show in the Walt Disney Theater.
Plan an extra day in Vancouver
Disney cruises to Alaska leave from Vancouver, as opposed to Seattle, where some other lines embark passengers for their Alaska sailings.
I highly recommend arriving in Vancouver at least the day before the cruise departs to ensure you don’t miss it (that happened to some folks on our sailing) but also to enjoy the city. Plan an extra full day to enjoy Vancouver if you can. It’s as fun and interesting as some of the Alaskan ports.
An easy excursion to do, even if you have just a few hours in Vancouver, is the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Free shuttles leave from multiple downtown spots to the park, including from near the port itself, and it’s a fabulous way to spend a few hours on land, or rather, in the trees.
The highlights are the suspension bridge itself and some other walkouts that take you all around the large park with great views of the trees, river, ponds and more. Sometimes there’s live music, cozy fires to warm up by and free talks from staffers to learn about the totem polls, wildlife and other aspects of the park.
You don’t need a verandah room
We started with the price, and we’ll close with it.
Rooms with verandahs (aka balconies) always cost more on cruises than inside cabins and rooms with ocean views through a window. But on an Alaska Disney cruise, verandah rooms don’t just cost a few hundred dollars more — they cost a whole lot more, usually to the tune of thousands of additional dollars for the stateroom over the cost of an ocean-view cabin.
Looking at prices for four on the early June 2024 seven-day sailing similar to the one we took this year, it costs an additional $4,000 to go from an ocean-view to a verandah.
If you have the money to spend, go for it and enjoy it. But if you don’t, or if booking that room type means having to skip excursions or not being able to afford other trips, then relax and book the ocean view. It’s also fabulous.
My parents had a verandah room, and they loved having that balcony. This was my dad’s first cruise at 74 years old, so the trip really might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. My dad said having a verandah made the trip at least 25% more enjoyable overall, which is a large amount of happiness, and they spent time out there each day. (It also made their room about 35-40% more expensive.)
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Right next door to them, my girls and I had an ocean-view room. We had just as excellent of a cruise as they did.
It was fun to look out the window and see where we were, but honestly, I’d happily sail in an interior room if it meant we got to do the cruise all over again.
All my favorite moments of the trip happened outside the room, and I don’t think that would have changed if we had a balcony. I enjoy having a balcony on warm Caribbean and Mexico sailings more than in Alaska, where it can be windy and chilly outside as the ship is moving.
Additionally, on truly exceptional viewing days, you probably don’t want to be confined to the specific angle you can get from your cabin. Better to embrace the 360-degree view from out on the top deck.
That said, if you have mobility limitations or other logistical issues that will keep you in the room more often (aka a frequently napping little one), then the equation may shift because you do want to see and enjoy where you are. If you need to do that from your room, book the verandah if possible.
Related: Which type of cruise cabin is right for you?
Bottom line
It’s highly unlikely you’ll regret taking a Disney Alaska cruise.
Alaska is special, cruising is special, and a Disney cruise to Alaska is incredibly special. You can feel the shared appreciation for the journey with the other passengers. It’s a camaraderie of sorts as you spot and point out wildlife on deck, talk about what you did in port at the bar in the evenings, and even agonize over what to pack in the unofficial Facebook groups leading up to the sailing.
Sailing with Disney specifically costs more than many other options, but getting to experience Alaska while interacting with favorite characters, seeing amazing Disney shows in the evening and relaxing while Disney Cruise Line took care of everything made what was already a great trip one of our favorites of all time.
If I were to add an 11th thing you should know about sailing on an Alaska Disney cruise, it’s that you’re going to be really sad when it’s over.
I saw plenty of real tears the final night and on the morning of debarkation. At the risk of sounding like a cheesy commercial, the only real solution for this will likely be to start planning either a return trip to Alaska or another Disney Cruise … or both. If you feel that happening to you a few days into the trip, be ready to put that $250 deposit down on a future sailing to get the 10% discount before you get off the ship and it’s too late.
That’s exactly what we did, so at the end of seven magical days, it wasn’t “goodbye” — it was “see ya real soon.”
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