10 Ways an Alaska Cruise with Disney Cruise Line is Different

There is nothing like taking a trip on a Disney Cruise. Offering a good balance of relaxing and exploring new places, alongside amazing shows, restaurants, activities, a Disney Cruise has it all. Though we’ve taken cold weather cruises before, generally most of our Disney Cruises have been to different areas of the Caribbean. So when we took our first cruise to Alaska with Disney, there were definitely some things that surprised us! From the Disney Cruise Excursions, to the Menu changes, to the activities and even talks about the local Alaskan Wildlife, there were so many things that were different. Whether you’re a seasoned Disney Cruiser or this is your first cruise, an Alaska Cruise with Disney Cruise Line is different. Here are all the things we learned on our Disney Alaska Cruise.

If you’re going back and forth between a regular Disney Cruise, and a Disney Cruise to Alaska, let us share a bunch of things that you’ll want to know before you go. Because an Alaskan Cruise with Disney Cruise Line is something special. From the hot cocoa on Glacier Day to amazing excursions available at each port an inner passage Alaska cruise gets you experiences you can’t get anywhere else. And while you may be seeing better or cheaper Alaska cruises from other cruise lines, we’re here to share what you can expect when you sail with DCL. Disney cruises to Alaska sail from May to September, on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship.  Typically, a Disney Alaska Cruise Itinerary is usually 7-nights, with the occasional 5-night cruise and one 9-night per cruise season. 

Fewer Activities During Port Days

We love the activities onboard a Disney Cruise. But, that’s not really why you take a cruise to Alaska, is it? It may be for you. And that’s ok! But for many people, a Disney Cruise to Alaska is more about Alaska, than it is about the cruise. For one, it can be difficult to get there if you don’t live on the west coast. Aside from that though, it’s also considerably more expensive. Our Disney Cruise to Alaska was actually more expensive than our 11-night Disney Cruise to Northern Europe. So what I’m saying is, they’re not cheap. 

Since many people do tend to spend more of their time in the ports, that means there’s usually less activities on the ship during port days.  That’s not to say that we were bored by any means. There are still things like movies playing in the Buena Vista theater, as well as on Funnel Vision. There’s still plenty of food options. There’s the spa, lounges and bars, and all of the things you’re used to.

But the planned activities, like trivia, animation classes and character meet and greets, are reserved for times when more people are on the boat. We noticed a pretty consistent trend that on port days, most activities were in full swing starting around 4pm. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with when cast members need to be back to the ship, or if it’s something else entirely. But if you arrived back to the ship before 4, there wasn’t a lot going on. 

Different Demographic and Type of  Travelers

This was on interesting one for me! The type of cruiser we saw on our cruise to Alaska was quite different than what we generally tend to see. At first, I thought maybe it was just our particular cruise. But when I mentioned it on Instagram, quite a few people said the same thing about their Alaskan cruises. If you’ve been on several Disney Cruises, there is a certain type of passenger you often tend to see onboard.  They are there for the cruise and the itinerary is just icing on the cake. They are there for the activities, the characters, all the Disney things. Most cruisers don’t tend to stay in port too long, and it’s easy to find loads of Platinum Castaway Club members, maybe even some who have done the same itinerary multiple times. 

In Alaska, it was quite the opposite. Many of the cruisers are more like travelers, than cruisers, if that makes sense. They are more about the destination than the ship. And in general, we saw many more first time cruisers. Or even just more cruisers with a silver Castaway Club status. 

Packing for Cold Weather

Packing for a Disney Cruise to Alaska takes some serious planning. Especially if you don’t have the option to fly directly to your hotel. “Packing light” always sounds nice, but for an Alaskan Cruise, unless you plan to do laundry a few times during your cruise, you’re likely going to have to bring at least a medium sized suitcase. 

While it’s no surprise that packing for a cold weather cruise is different than a Caribbean Cruise, we found ourselves up against luggage weight limits, and had to be strategic about packing bulky items. And since we weren’t keen on bringing more than one suitcase per person utilized all our Disney Packing Tips and Tricks to pack for the cold weather. We’d recommend buying packing cubes, so you can get your pants, and sweaters as small as possible.

We had to buy waterproof boots, packable puffer jackets, under layers and waterproof hiking pants for this trip. So be sure to plan that extra expense. And then of course, hats, gloves, scarves, and all the other things you need for a Disney Cruise, like dressy clothes, bathing suits, and loungewear also had to fit in the suitcase. Check out our Disney Alaska Cruise Packing List for all the things we had to bring on our cruise. 

Less Formal Wear on Alaskan Cruises 

Disney Cruise Lines has several days throughout most cruise trips that warrant dressing up. From semi-formal to formal, we’ve seen people head to dinner in everything from sundresses to evening gowns. But on a Disney Alaska Cruise that is entirely different. We always love seeing what people wear to dinner and live entertainment. Some guests really go all out! But in Alaska, not so much. Even for formal night, guests were much less “formal”.  We figured this was probably because of a number of reasons.

To start, packing for an Alaskan Cruise is kind of tough to begin with. Lots of layers, potentially multiple pairs of shoes and bulky sweaters, socks, coats and more. Adding in an evening gown could be quite the feat. Secondly, it’s a more adventurous and active type of vacation, and many people tackle hikes, boating, and days in the snow. As a result they probably don’t feel like jumping into a fancy dress at the end of the day. Of course, if you want to dress up, you are more than welcome to! We did see some people go all out. Just know that it’s more common for people not to on Disney Cruises to Alaska. 

The Food is Different

While you can always count on the ice cream, chicken fingers, and general variety of options at Cabanas, the main Rotational Dining Restaurants on a Disney Cruise to Alaska will sometimes offer different menus. These “regional specialties” are specific to Alaska and are only offered on Disney Alaskan cruises.  So even if you’ve sailed with Disney a lot of times, you might be pleasantly surprised to see some more unique offerings in honor of Alaska. Things like Baked Alaska for dessert, Alaskan Salmon and more all showed up on cruise. Tiana’s Place on the Disney Wonder has an Alaskan Menu that you can check out in the post. 

Know that we saw this on our Disney Cruise to Northern Europe as well. Mainly because, when cruises don’t take the usual route out of Florida or the east coast of the US, the food available is different. For example if you’ve primarily sailed from the East coast of the U.S, the famous chicken tenders were quite different than what was served  on our Disney Alaska Cruise.  And some of the desserts that we’ve had before looked and tasted slightly different as well. This is because they have to source the food from a different place than they would for the more “standard” cruises out of Florida.

Fewer Young Children on a Disney Cruise to Alaska

If you’re sure to find young families anywhere on vacation, it’s typically on a Disney Cruise. But if you’re sailing to Alaska, that’s not the case at all. And while seeing kids on a Disney Cruise should really never be a surprise on the more “travel focused” cruises there tend to be less young children in general.

Does this mean you shouldn’t take your young kids on an Alaskan Cruise? Not necessarily. We saw plenty of families with younger kids having a great time. But due to the type of trip it is, and the type of excursions many people like to do, there just aren’t as many small kids on these cruises. This was the same for our cruise in Northern Europe as well. Between the longer length of the cruise, and the active port excursions, taking children can be exhausting. As a result we more active older adults, and more grown up families on this trip. 

More Port Excursions and Port Activities

For some people, a cruise vacation is all about relaxing. Getting some sun, some time for reading, some pool time. But, Disney Cruises to Alaska are generally not really for relaxing. As a once in a lifetime opportunity many people traveling plan to make the most of their visit to Alaska. This means doing “all the things.” From hiking the rainforest, to dogsledding, to sailing to the glaciers, and touring all the towns, there is ALOT to do. 

Port Days are long, and there are so many activities to do that you often won’t fit it all in. By the time you get back to the ship, it’s time for dinner or showtime, and the rest of the evening is busy from there on out. Yes, you can definitely plan for more downtime, but with only 2 full sea days on a 7-night itinerary, it’s more of a busy cruise than somewhere like the Caribbean. 

Because of that, you’ll often find more cruisers heading back to the ship at the last minute. As a result the ship is mostly empty during port days. There were a couple of times we came back to the ship a little earlier than expected due to places being closed, or needing to change for our next activity, and the ship was completely empty. We even had some luck meeting a few characters with virtually no wait due to the timing of being on the ship. But it’s definitely a different experience than we were used to!

Less Crowded Upper Decks

If you’ve been on a Disney Cruise Before, you’re familiar with the FunnelVision deck. Filled to capacity all day long, people come here for movies, the pool, drink stations, and quick serve food counters. Finding a lounger is sometimes a toughy. On an Alaskan Cruise with DCL, upper decks are usually empty. This is likely due to the colder weather. But the pools are heated, so if you plan to use them, they are kept at a comfortable temperature. And though we had perfectly sunny weather during our trip, I’m sure it’s even less busy during rainier sailings.

For us, we only minimally ventured onto the cruise decks to colder weather, and were grateful to be indoors when we could. Which meant coffees and cozy chairs when we could find them. This also meant that on Sea Days, activities were packed, since everyone would rather be indoors than on the upper decks in the cold. 

Hot Cocoa Time on Glacier Day

While all Disney Cruises have special things onboard to help make all the days feel special, if you’re sailing on an Alaska Cruise with Disney you get “Glacier Day.” Officially at At-Sea day on your Disney Cruise, this day brings the ship into Alaska’s Inner Passage. Offering you views of the imposing landscape filled with mountains, hills, ravines, and waterfalls. All while waiting for the big reveal of the Alaskan Glacier you’ll see on your trip. Note that all Disney Alaska Cruises have a Glacier Day. Which glacier you’ll see is different depending on your sailing, and can sometimes change last minute. 

But no matter which glacier is revealed on your trip, you  can be sure that everyone will be standing on the top deck, with binoculars, and cameras to see it. Disney Cruise Line usually also employs a Naturalist to talk about the surrounding area landscape and wildlife, which is heard over the loud speakers all across the ship. In addition to all that, the cast members wheel out large percolators of the BEST HOT COCOA ever, and you can have your fill! Refilling your little cup as often as you like while spending some hours in the cold on the top deck, taking in the beauty of Alaska. It’s truly one of the most fun experiences on a Disney Cruise to Alaska, and very “once-in-a-lifetime.”

The Frozen Freezing the Night Away Party

It will come as no surprise that Frozen gets a chance to shine on a Cruise to Alaska with Disney. Because well, it’s cold.. and where else would Elsa and Olaf be anyway?!? If you’re used to sailing to the Caribbean, then you know the importance of Pirate Night. But on an Alaska Cruise with Disney, the Freezing the Night Away Party is usually the place to be. Filled with Frozen songs, a story, Kristoff, Anna, Elsa and Olaf, this party brings everyone out in their winter best to the top deck.

Only about 20 minutes, this party really is just about kicking off some extra fun. Before everyone heads back inside to the cozy ship. But, you can get dressed up, dance a bit, and grab your Drink of the Day, again, if needed. It’s a Must-See on a Disney Alaska Cruise and well worth the small amount of time in the cold. 

There you go! These are just a few of the things we noticed that were different for a Disney Cruise to Alaska. We loved every minute of this cruise and would definitely go again if the opportunity ever presented itself! Just know that some of the usual things you may be used to on a Disney Cruise can be a little different!