You know you feel special when a cruise line picks your hometown as a departure port.  We luckily got to tour the Disney Wonder prior to her first Vancouver – Alaska sailing.  The ship, like the Disney Fantasy was elegant, filled with mystique and the first class service Disney always provides.  Here are our top 10 favourite tips when heading to Alaska on the Disney Wonder.

1.  Lots of Alaska excursions are geared toward family travel – eagles, totem polls, log rolling.

2.   Crew members announce each family via microphone, making your little princesses, pirates (and Mom and Dad) feel special from the moment you step aboard.

3. Servers follow your family to each of the 3 dining rooms. This is a revolutionary concept in cruising, and ensures that your personal staff know your menu requirements.  Knowing that you liked the dark beer last night, they may suggest a fun alternative.  Being aware of kids allergies or gluten-free preferences adds an extra layer of safety to Disney’s already allergy-friendly alternatives

4. There are no casinos aboard the ship – instead an entire floor dedicated to children’s programming.  An excellent trade.

5. Before 9pm kids are allowed in the nightclubs so they can experience a taste of the adult spaces on the ship.  Awesome for teaching.

6. Palo is an adults-only restaurant and brunch is over the top. Reservations are required and we’d recommend you make one as soon as u get on the ship!

7. Unlike the other Disney cruise destinations, there are no fireworks on the Alaska itinerary in order to honour the environment.

8. The Spa sells a limited number of passes for the Rainforest Relaxation Room.  With water features, lounges and soft music our family will certainly nab a pass for our next cruise. Services in the spa include barber services for men and teeth whitening for women. You may become the 12^th Disney princess.

9. Personal training is available as well as boot camps and body sculpting in the gym. The experts in the spa also offer footprint analysis.

11. ‘Ionithermie’ is a special treatment that flushes toxins out of the body and you could lose up to 8 inches during the cruise.

12. The child activity areas are incredible and while on the Fantasy, my kids never wanted to leave.  Children are not only outfitted with a GPS so their location in the facilities can be determined immediately, but parents are constantly reachable via wave phone that is provided in the stateroom.

13. The Nursery is for kids from 12 weeks to 3 years and requires an extra fee ($6 per hour, per child).  The Oceaneers Club hosts 3-12 year olds.

14.  Get a requisite photo with Tinkerbell in the Grand Foyer.

So head to Vancouver, grab an ocean-view cabin (you don’t want to miss the stunning views) and let the Disney Wonder sweep you off your feet.  Your kids will be transfixed by Northwest culture, and you may lost up to 8 inches (if you can resist the glorious food).