Humpbacks and Fresh Salmon: Our Perfect Juneau Day

By Community Member · Disney Dream (Disney Cruise Line)

We came for the whales but stayed for the salmon—and a day in Juneau that exceeded every expectation we had for Alaska.

I'll be honest: I was skeptical about the Alaska cruise. My husband booked the Disney Dream for our first family vacation with our two kids without consulting me first, and while I love Disney parks, I wasn't sure how a week at sea in Alaska would compete with our usual Orlando trips. But standing on the deck of the Dream as we pulled into Juneau on day four, I realized I was about to eat those words—preferably with a side of the freshest salmon I'd ever tasted. We'd woken up early, which wasn't hard to do given the excitement radiating from our seven-year-old daughter, Emma, who had spent half the cruise glued to the cabin porthole watching for whales. The Alaska itinerary meant we had a full port day in Juneau, and I'd splurged on a whale-watching excursion that departed at 8:30 AM. Getting the kids ready felt like herding cats in Mickey ears, but by 7:15 AM, we were making our way down to the atrium for the all-aboard at the Disney Dream's main lobby. There's something special about the energy of the ship when everyone's heading out for the day—families rushing, kids dragging stuffed animals, crew members calling out reminders about departure times. Our excursion coordinator, a…