We are 50 somethings and have visited Alaska four times; twice on our own (flying to Fairbanks and traveling by car as far south as Seward), and once with Holland America (similar itinerary). This was our 5th cruise and our 4th with Celebrity. We were traveling with 6 other family members.
We flew in a day early and booked a 4-star hotel through Hotwire. Upon arrival at Seatac, we took a cab to downtown Seattle – it was very expensive…around $45.00 We found out later that we could have taken the light rail and arrived within 2 blocks of our hotel for less than $3.00 per person.
We flew in a day early and booked a 4-star hotel through Hotwire. Upon arrival at Seatac, we took a cab to downtown Seattle – it was very expensive…around $45.00 We found out later that we could have taken the light rail and arrived within 2 blocks of our hotel for less than $3.00 per person.
Day of Departure – At 5:30am, from the Westin Seattle, we watched our ship pull into the harbor to dock. Even though embarkation time was stated to be 1pm, we arrived at 11 am. As we expected, they were ready for us! Baggage drop-off and check-in were painless, no crowd or lines. Our room was ready around 1pm. Our balcony cabin on deck 7 was pretty standard; however our cabin steward, Santana, was outstanding! We had service as good as or better than prior bookings with Concierge class staterooms. Sailaway was beautiful with clear skies and Mt. Rainier in the background.
Day 1 – At sea. We decided to take the galley tour. We were divided into groups of about 15-20 people and taken down an escalator into the largest of the kitchens where they were preparing rack of lamb, bread, ice cream and more. One of the head chefs was our guide. We also attended the naturalist’s talks. He was excellent. His presentations on whales, eagles, and sea lions were a combination of power point slides, video and on stage props. His animated delivery and personal experiences really kept your attention.
Dining: When we made our reservations, the “reserved seating” was full. We were assigned “Celebrity Select Dining” and told to “show up any time between 6pm and 9:30pm to be seated in a designated area of the dining room.” I was disappointed that with this option we wouldn't have the same waiters every night. A couple of weeks before departure, I noticed that I could reserve my “select dining” time online. After comparing shore excursion return times with family members, I made our reservations – linking to all in our group. As it turned out, the “select dining” worked out great because a couple of the excursions did not return us to the ship until well after the early seating, which would have been our preference. While technically you cannot request a specific waiter, 6 of the 7 nights we had the same table and waiter. When we checked in with the hostess and asked for a specific table number, our request was granted. All in all, a good experience.
Day 2 – Ketchikan We docked in Ketchikan at 7am. We booked the 8 am Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour on our own before the cruise, saving about $10.00 per person. Walked off our ship and down a ramp to our tour boat – painless! Saw tons of eagles (they throw fish in the water for them), crabs and stellar sea lions. Returned in time to have fried halibut from a stand on the dock (awesome) and then walk around the town.
Day 3 – Inside passage, Twin Sawyer Glacier and Juneau The day was beautiful, the scenery fantastic, and we had nice close up view of the glacier - but no calving. I was disappointed. We docked in Juneau at 2pm quickly left the ship and headed to the Mt. Roberts tramway. Boarded the tram (no line – many were still on the ship) and headed to the top. Spent some time in the visitor’s center and then hiked a short trail – headed back down to our scheduled tour – Whales and Rainforest trails – wasn’t much of a hike but the whale watching was fun.
Day 4 – Skagway Explored the town on our own in the morning; Glacier Point Wilderness Safari in the afternoon. I was disappointed in this trip. Glacier Point is about an hour south of Skagway by boat. Once there,we were given rubber boots and jackets and then took a short hike through the woods to a lake. We boarded canoes (12 people per boat) and started paddling toward the glacier. After paddling for 5 minutes or less, our guide started the canoe’s outboard motor and we didn’t paddle again until the way back. Two of the canoes had engine trouble and we had to tow one to the glacier and another back to the shore. We didn’t get very close to the glacier. This was not the strenuous excursion we anticipated and while ok, it did not meet my expectations.
Day 5 – At Sea (Does it really take 46 hours to get from Skagway to Victoria? Could a few more knots (mph) have gotten us there a few hours earlier?)
Day 6 – At Sea, docked in Victoria at 7pm Booked the Historic City and Butchart Gardens tour through the ship because we hoped to maximize our time at the gardens. After a brief tour of the city, we arrived at the gardens at 8pm. The gardens were beautiful but we only had one hour of daylight and a total of 1 ½ hrs. in the garden. Later, someone on the crew told us the reason the ship only stops for 4 hours in Victoria is because they have to pay a high hourly fee for the ship to be in the port. Whether or not this is true, it’s unfortunate to have such a short stop right at the end of the cruise.
Day 7 – Disembarkation We had an early flight so we left the ship as soon as it was cleared. We carried our own luggage to save time, grabbed a cab at the terminal and once again paid the high fare to Seatac. We arrive at the gate for our 9 o’clock flight by 8:15am!
We had a great cruise – fantastic weather (no rain), fabulous wildlife viewing, magnificent scenery, and excellent service from the Celebrity crew.
