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Five Offbeat Tips for Cruising with Disney

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With its legions of dedicated fans, pretty much everything about the Disney Cruise Line has been documented and discussed. But I’m adding five tips off the well-known path while cruising with Disney.

  1. Before digging into all the great food, just don’t eat the food in front.
  2. Don’t match everyone else’s Disney looks, be original and wear Disney Crazy Shirts.
  3. Watch out for the shampoo. It burns your eyes.
  4. Make your stateroom easier to find by decorating it, but door decorating requires strong magnets.
  5. Did you get everything packed? Now pack even more bags inside your bags.

DCL Tip: Pack Your Bags

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Excited about your upcoming vacation with the Disney Cruise Line? What will you pack? What will the weather be like? Will it be hot, will it be cold? Will you encounter 50-degree temperature swings? With so much to consider While packing your bags, here’s my packing tip – pack a few more bags in your bags. Yes, pack additional bags in your bags, specifically a primary pack, a secondary pack, and several “handy packs.”

Primary Pack

Your primary pack should be a medium-sized backpack. Not small but not meant to haul all either. This pack will hold items for a day especially when your luggage isn’t available like during embarkation and debarkation. For long shore excursions, your primary pack needs to hold jackets, food, drinks, cameras, and anything else while away from your ship. I went with the Borealis day pack from The North Face through Zappos.

The North Face makes some great quality gear, and you’ll pay for that. However, during the summer months, watch clearances at Zappos. They’ll be clearing inventory to make way for new back to school gear. So if you don’t mind last year’s model, you can easily get lower prices. Even better prices are had by being bold with colors. There’ve been even steeper discounts on the more exuberant-colored packs. That’s how I ended up with my Borealis pack in tofino blue plaid.

The Borealis has a capacity of 29 liters and offers up two expandable side pockets for bottled drinks. What’s also useful is the external bungee cord that can quickly cinch down jackets.

Secondary Pack

Once on-board, you won’t need everything in your primary pack and can unburden yourself. But yet, you’ll need some carrying capacity, and that’s why you need a smaller, lighter secondary pack. My suggestion is a single strapped backpack aka a monopack. This monopack is from Eddie Bauer, but unfortunately, it’s now sold out. If you’re lucky, you may be able to find one in a brick and mortar store like REI.

Small and light yet tough, this Eddie Bauer mono can hold light jackets, a DSLR, a camcorder, and comes with an external bottle holder. Sure, you can always run back to your stateroom to grab a jacket for a family member, but it’s just easier to have that jacket available. And while on the Disney Wonder, you’ll never know when you’ll need your camera for a shot with Mickey or Goofy or to capture that fleeting moment of Alaskan wildlife.

“Handy Packs”

My last bag tip is to bring along several zip lock bags, the quart and gallon sized ones. They’ll come in handy. If you have an excursion that’ll make you miss a meal, grab some food from Goofy’s Galley or Pinocchio’s Pizzeria and bring it along in your sealed zip lock bags. That’s what we did while fishing with with Captain Jerry. Slices of pizza, sandwiches, and paninis while on the Pacific Ocean is a simple but amazing meal. Don’t let your litter spoil the natural beauty of Alaska by re-using your zip locks for trash. There are many more uses for the zip locks…as long as you have them.

No matter what you’ll definitely have an enjoyable, memorable stay on your Disney cruise. But having an extra bag (or three) will make things just a bit easier.

DCL Tip: Strong Magnets

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If you’ve looked at Disney discussion boards like Disboards.com to prepare for a Disney cruise, you might have seen forum posts about decorating the magnetic stateroom doors. While I can vouch that it is possible, my tip is to use strong magnets, really strong magnets.

The stateroom doors on the Disney Wonder are thick and barely magnetic. Large surface area magnets like a flat sheet work well, but smaller “button” magnets are easily dislodged. When your door slams, the average magnet will fall off, littering the hallway. Strong Like Bull magnets would definitely stick, but at their value, I wouldn’t leave these unattended.

Bring along extra magnets if possible and also tape to attach them to your door decorations. Even though we tested our decorations on a refrigerator, they didn’t stick to the Disney doors without extra magnets added on.

Here’s our door that was remade several times after our decorations fell off.

Magnetic Disney stateroom doors
Magnetic Disney stateroom doors

Oh, don’t forget Disney’s policy that you can’t use any type of adhesives (like tape) on the door themselves.

Reviewed AAA Sportfishing Company

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fishing-ketchikanTo help plan for trips and vacations, I’ve been using TripAdvisor more and more. This service provides great user-contributed reviews and suggests local activities. After a great experience fishing with Captain Jerry of AAA Sportfishing Co in Ketchikan, Alaska, I had to provide a review.

Here’s my very first TripAdvisor review – “Changed my view of fishing!”

DCL Tip: Non-Tear Free Shampoo

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dcl-shampoo
Watch your eyes

After playing in the busy swimming pool onboard the Disney Wonder, parents may want to give their kids a good cleaning. So back in your stateroom, you’ll use extra everything – extra soap, extra shampoo, and extra conditioner. Then you’ll hear your kids scream out, “My eyes! My eyes!”

Ooops, sorry. The provided H20-branded shampoo is not tear free. Although Disney cruises cater to kids, the shampoo is for the whole family. So yeah, the Sea Marine Revitalizing shampoo stings if it hits your eyes. Just a tip to not overdo the shampoo and watch the eyes.

Coffee While Cruising (Part 3)

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Setting the stage for Part 3 of Coffee While Cruising is easy – chilly Alaskan weather, event-filled days, and the lax diet of vacation. Perfect conditions for an absolute coffee fest!

On the Disney Wonder

Did I mention that brewed coffee onboard the Disney Wonder is free and always available. Let’s repeat that, free and always available. Whoa.

Cove Cafe that connects to Cove Outlook
Cove Cafe & Outlook Cafe
But now, let me inject a moment of sobriety. The free coffee ain’t that good. As imagined, it’s an instant mix pumped out of an industrial-sized coffee urn. The coffee is hot and caffeinated, but the taste is blah. Luckily, the hot cocoa maker is right next to the coffee, so it’s easy to make your own “Sweet Wonder Mocha.” Luckily, there are other coffee options onboard, but there’s a premium involved. Every dining facility serves espresso-based drinks for an additional fee (but this fee is included with the cost of dining at Palo). Then there is the Cove Cafe.

This espresso bar is happening. From the outside, it appears deceptively simple. Step inside and let the luxury enfold you.

Inside Cove Cafe
Inside Cove Cafe

The baristas can make all kinds of drinks, but again, for a price. Be prepared to wait since some days are slammed with caffeine addicts. There’s plush outdoor seating or you can go upstairs to the posh Outlook Cafe. I opted for outside whale watching while drinking my mocha.

Enjoying a mocha on a cool day at sea
Enjoying a mocha on a cool day at sea

Skagway

So staying caffeinated at sea is easy to do, but what about in Alaska. Now that’s a different story. First port of Skagway, Alaska with a population of 800 locals. Four cruise ships in dock, each transporting at least 2000 passengers and 900 crew members. So roughly 12,000 visitors crushing into this “city.” Could the coffee keep up? If you’re a business entrepreneur like the Excelsior Coffee Cafe, you see a definite opportunity.

Found in Skagway, Alaska
Found in Skagway, Alaska

Located inside of a jewelry store (and what is with all the jewelry spots in Alaska?!?), this cafe serves Starbucks but is NOT a Starbucks. But really, when you see that green mermaid logo in the window, do you really care? The menu is, not surprisingly, more expensive, and due to the constant flow of visitors, they ran out of cup sleeves, but it’s all good when the coffee enters your bloodstream. Walking around the blocks of Skagway and checking out the shopping spots is just a little more fun holding a cup of coffee.

VH07V and Starbucks in Skagway, Alaska
VH07V and Starbucks in Skagway, Alaska

Juneau

Our cruise’s second port was the capital of Alaska, Juneau. Of course I’d find coffee places in the capital, right? Yup, but with our activities and limited transportation, squeezing in a coffee pit stop was too tough. But after visiting the sights of the Mendenhall Glacier, we had enough time to check out the area around the dock. That’s when we came across Tracy’s Crab Shack. Featured in a Top Chef Quick Fire Challenge, this place is really a shack, a very, very crowded shack that serves the hugest crab legs you’ll ever see.

But wait, we’re talking coffee, not crabs. Luckily for me, a few shacks down from Tracy’s is the Crepe Escape. Where there’s crepes, there’s coffee, and sure enough, their full menu offered coffee options.

Crepe Escape but here just for the coffee
Crepe Escape but here just for the coffee

Did I have a mocha? I forget already, but that is my “safe” drink. If you screw up a mocha, you don’t belong in the espresso game. A mocha with king crab, crab cakes, and crab bisque? Sure, why not?

Ketchikan

A private fishing tour with Captain Jerry for four hours will make you thirsty as well. Or maybe it was from reeling in 40 salmon? Maybe it was just the salt of the Pacific Ocean, but after some great fishing, I needed a pick me up. At 3:45pm, that shouldn’t be a problem right? Hold up there, visitor of Ketchikan. Things work differently here. The Yelp app helpfully listed many coffee spots. I headed to the closest one – open but no longer brewing for the day. Headed to another location. Closed. Did more shopping and came across another closed cafe. What’s with that?

The Disney Wonder was in port for several more hours and other cruise ships were also docked so people were aplenty. But why all the early closures? I guess that’s the way Ketchikan rolls?? Did more shopping and spied this garage-looking space with people in it. And they were drinking coffee! I hurried on over and yes, the Good Coffee Company was open, even after their posted closing time. The workers said they go with the flow so if there’s business, they stay open. I had another “safe” mocha but should’ve gotten a larger size since it was so good.

Good Coffee Company, only open coffee place I found in Ketchikan
Good Coffee Company, only open coffee place I found in Ketchikan

So coffee addicts, there you have it, my coffee tales in Fresno, Vancouver, and lastly, Alaska. After writing three installments, I’m tired. I think I need some coffee. 😉

Don’t forget about Part 1 and Part 2 of Coffee While Cruising.

DCL Tip: Disney Crazy Shirts

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Of course while on a Disney Cruise Line tour, you expect to see Disney garbed passengers. After a short while, you see the same shirts and designs again and again and again. How do you show off your Disney fandom but also be just a little bit different? Wear Disney themed shirts from Crazy Shirts.

Crazy Shirts Disney Collection

The shirts themselves are high quality as all Crazy Shirts are, but the designs are more distinctive than stuff you see everywhere else. I rocked my Perry shirts, both in black and white during the cruise and people noticed. I had one crew member ask about the shirt and tell me about her (platonic) platypus love. Okay then.

But really, seeing the artistic Disney designs by Crazy Shirts is refreshing and breaks the monotony you’ll see on the ship.

DCL Tip: Don’t Eat the Food in Front

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This tip probably applies beyond the Disney Cruise Lines, but it’s worth saying. When eating in a buffet setup like at the Beach Blanket Buffet onboard the Disney Wonder, don’t take or eat the food that’s on the front edge of the serving trays.

I personally witnessed one too many kids poking, prodding, taking, and putting back food that’s in front. Yes, that food frontline could be abused (though of no fault to the cruise line), so grab the food in back. And parents, please remind your kids that if you touch it, you take it (and don’t put it back). In this case, I think wasting food is a better alternative than the potential spread of germs on ship.

Now, if you happen to be dining at Palo where no kids are allowed, then you don’t have to worry as much. But I did see a diner drop a dessert on the ground and wondered what she’d do with it. Luckily I already had my desserts. 😉

palo-dessert

Coffee While Cruising (Part 2)

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The first installment of Coffee While Cruising covered the early FAT leg of my vacation. Like I mentioned before, from FAT we headed to YVR in Vancouver, Canada. Before the trip, I learned of a Starbucks Clover location on Robson Street. Oh, and I managed to get a Groupon for Starbucks Canada. Bonus!

Clover location on Robson St., Vancouver
Clover location on Robson St., Vancouver

What did I see when entering a Canadian Starbucks? A scene not much different from that in America, but Starbucks CA is promoting their True North Blend. True North is a blonde roast that’s “named by Canadians for Canadians.”

Introducing True North Blend
Introducing True North Blend

While I’m not sure if True North is merely a Canadian-version of the regular Starbucks blonde roast, I had to pick up a bag just because. I also got a Canadian Starbucks card featuring the iconic maple leaf.

Canada SBUX card
Canada SBUX card

Not a bad introduction to Starbucks Canada, eh?

Clover brewed and a bag of True North
Clover brewed and a bag of True North
Clover brewed!
Clover brewed!

And although we stayed in Vancouver for less than three days, I managed to go back to the Robson location for yet another Clover brew. 🙂

But Starbucks definitely isn’t the only coffee game in town. There are independent cafes and coffee bars on each city block, and I came across many Blenz locations. While hiking back from Stanley Park to the hotel, I had to take a pitstop for an iced mocha. Damn good stuff I must say.

While in Canada...
While in Canada…

Simple but refreshing
Simple but refreshing
One morning we bused to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and stayed there for hours walking on the bridge, on the Cliff Walks, and the through the Treetops Adventure. Lunch was at the neighboring Bridge House Restaurant. Who knew a simple iced coffee could taste so good?! I’m sure the whipped cream helped a little. 😉

That’s it for Part 2. My Coffee While Cruising series will conclude in Part 3 as I stay caffeinated in Alaska and onboard the Disney wonder.

Coffee While Cruising (Part 1)

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While going on vacation typically means new experiences, it doesn’t necessarily mean old habits are forgotten, such as getting a healthy intake of coffee.

The only real way to start time off is with good coffee and good kicks. That means a cup of Kati Kati Blend from Starbucks while wearing (gasp!) New Balance MO673.

Starting vacation with coffee and kicks
Starting vacation with coffee and kicks

From HNL to SFO and stuck there for a bit due to continued delays from the Asiana Airlines accident, I partook of a Peet’s Iced Coconut Latte. I didn’t take a pic of this sweet (and airport-overpriced) concoction though. From SFO, we flew to FAT to spend a few days in the scorching heat.

I have my usual coffee sources in Fresno but changed it up just a bit, visiting Barnes and Noble (remember bookstores?) and its cafe.

Starbucks in a bookstore (remember those?)
Starbucks in a bookstore (remember those?)

From FAT, the next vacation leg was to YVR in Vancouver. Did I mention FAT now has two Starbucks locations? There’s the one in the forest check-in area and the newer location is inside of the security gate, making it easier to stay caffeinated while waiting for your flight.

Another FAT Starbucks location
Another FAT Starbucks location

This location still seems new with newbie employees. While the workers were courteous, asking each other to how assemble a sweetened iced coffee was a little disconcerting for me. But if you’re still looking for that limited edition wooden Starbucks cards, I found a cache for you!

Cache of wooden SBUX cards
Cache of wooden SBUX cards

Hmmm, I have more coffee pictures from my trip than I originally thought, so I’m gonna break this up into a series of posts. Part 2 will cover coffee in Canada, but here’s a peek of my pictures without all the backstory.

A Successful Alaskan Scavenger Hunt

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Bravo to @abaggy for successfully completing his scavenger hunt while cruising Alaska! I posed nine challenges and two bonuses, and here are his results.

  1. Dessert. @abaggy excelled in this category! Love this one.
  2. A scenic view. This was a gimme on a cruise through Alaska. This pic is cool.
  3. Shipboard entertainment. Only diehards sit poolside to watch a movie in the cold.
  4. A towel sculpture. Sad this sculpture, but it’ll do.
  5. Two different ethnicities of food. Japanese sushi prepared by Filipino chefs and American cuisine. Check.
  6. A workout room. FAIL! But I can’t really blame him although I would have accepted the many flights of stairs as a workout room. 😉
  7. “Wildlife” (could be interpreted many ways). Sleeping seals are wildlife.
  8. Cold. Yep, he has a few pictures of glaciers and icebergs. Brrrr.
  9. Gluttony. I would have preferred a more interpretive rendition of gluttony like stacks of cleared plates after a meal, but his picture of an overflowing plate of food is gluttonous enough.

Bonus

  • Crepuscular rays. No to this bonus as @abaggy was too mesmerized by the scenery, ships’ activities, or eating.
  • Mankini. This was the most difficult item on his list. Techically, he didn’t find a mankini, but his substitutes are bonus worthy. Fur lined skivvies!

Tallying up his score, he gets 8 out of 9 for his hunt with one bonus point, so that’s a perfect 9 out of 9! Well done, you sir, are an accomplished traveller! Thanks for playing. 🙂

Alaskan Scavenger Hunt

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We posed the challenge once before, and it’s again time to set @abaggy off on a pictorial scavenger hunt. Can he find and snap pictures from the following list:

Alaskan Scavenger Hunt

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    Crepuscular rays

  1. Dessert
  2. A scenic view
  3. Shipboard entertainment
  4. A towel sculpture
  5. Two different ethnicities of food
  6. A workout room
  7. “Wildlife” (could be interpreted many ways)
  8. Cold
  9. Gluttony

Bonus

  1. Crepuscular rays (aka God’s rays). See example on right.
  2. Mankini (could be his own)

I’ll make it easier by giving him an open interpretation of the items on the list. Can he complete his mission?

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