CNDKangaroo

Just got home from our June 18th - 25th cruise to Alaska on the Eclipse. I have been to Alaska twice before, once with Norwegian and once with Holland America and this time was my first cruise with Celebrity. I travelled with my partner and two of my kids, ages 11 and 14. Notes: We were all so impressed and delighted with the incredible crew and level of service and care that we were treated to throughout the cruise. Dining: We had early seating for dinner and our waiter and assistant waiter were absolutely amazing. We attended two specialty dining experiences, one was at Sushi 5 where we devoured the delicious sushi offerings! The other was the Taj X Indian cuisine experience where my partner and I delighted in a delicious dinner which led us to try new dishes that we were not familiar with but enjoyed immensely. The Taj X dinner was huge, so much food and we were very, very full so I would suggest a light lunch if this experience is of interest! We loved most of the food on the ship. We did not eat in the buffet at all (well, I think my children had a few ice-cream cones and plates of fruit for snacks) so I can't comment on the buffet. The main dining menu offered a good variety of dishes and I was never disappointed. I really enjoyed the steak and beef dishes. My partner did comment a few times that he found some of the meals a bit under seasoned but I didn't find that for my dishes, he usually opted for the fish. The desserts were not overly sweet in our opinion which we appreciated. We all found the soups offered to be delicious! We did find that we were not great fans of the Mast Grill burgers. Rooms: We had hoped for adjoining balconies or oceanview but our TA was unable to find any available cabins so we ended up with 2 inside beside each other which worked out okay. My partner and I each shared a room with one child which worked out well and gave us enough space to be comfortable. I do prefer a balcony and I'm not sure I'd go for an inside again as I did find it a bit claustrophobic. The children and partner had no issues with the room and found the complete darkness at night helpful for a good nights sleep. Our room was cleaned each morning and evening, nothing too special but was well done. We were located mid-ship on the third floor and found the location offered a very smooth sailing experience. It also was convenient to the main dining room, theatre and the Café/coffee on deck 5. Music was often played in the atrium on deck 3 and it was loud but we didn't hear anything once our door was closed. The room was located under the casino which I worried might be loud but I didn't hear anything. Kids Club/Teen Club: Both programs were well received by my two. My 14 year old is more introverted and he asked to attend the teen club each night (WOW! - I did not expect that!). The 11 year old loved the kids club. Neither were very busy but there were enough in each age group to make a few new connections. Note: On our sea day the seas were a bit rough and with the kids club being on deck 15 at the very front induced a feeling of seasickness in the 11 year old. For those that are prone to sea sickness, on rough days the kids club is not the place to be! Swimming: The weather wasn't super warm but warm enough for the children to enjoy swimming in the outdoor pool. The water was warmish and they were happy to have the opportunity. The adults only solarium offered family time from 4-6pm but we opted to use the outdoor pools as it appeared that the indoor option was quite busy on a few of the days (and the space felt a bit clammy and humid which I'm not a fan of). Activities: There were a variety of different activities to partake in, the usual trivia, games like Jenga, dancing, golf putting, bocce ball, basketball - I think we did most of them at least once. We loved the outdoor grass area. I wasn't super excited about it before the cruise but during the cruise I found we were drawn to the space and we ended up spending a lot of time up there, it never seemed to get very busy. Wildlife: We saw loads of whales both orcas and humpbacks which was great fun! Not just off in the distance but rather breaching and surfacing close to the ship which was amazing! We also saw dolphins or porpoises I'm not sure which and some sea lions and seals. At the Mendenhall glacier we spotted a porcupine which was such a treat! Ports: Icy Strait Point - I think an excursion would have been a good idea but we just went for a short walk (did see a bald eagle and the nest) and took a look at the cannery. We spent some time on the beach and took the free gondola ride. Juneau - We bought tour tickets for the bus to the Mendenhall Glacier from the kiosks on the dock - $45 per person round trip, rides leaving every 30 minutes on the hour and half-hour. We enjoyed spending time walking the Steep Creek trail (which would offer a great viewing of the salmon spawning but it was too early in the season for us) and the Nugget Falls trail. The 11 year old took part in the Jr. Ranger experience and received the park badge which he was excited about. Ketchikan - We bought tickets for the Lumberjack show. I think we bought them at 3pm for the 3:15 show which was almost sold out. We opted to purchase them on site rather than through the ship as the tickets were less expensive. We enjoyed the experience with the kids. It was a bit of fun and was something different to enjoy. The location is close to the cruise docks (walkable) and is about an hour long. After the show we headed to Creek Street and had a look around, taking pictures. We had visited the ports before so we opted not to do ship excursions this time. I did miss not going to Skagway this time as it is a favourite port of ours. Hubbard Glacier: This was our first time at this glacier and it did not disappoint! Wow! What an incredible experience. Nothing prepared me for the immense size of the glacier! We couldn't get too close as there was significant ice flow but it was still a magnificent sight! The helicopter pad was opened up for viewing, it got very busy upon arrival. We opted to wake up early and grabbed prime seats in the sky lounge (we were there at about 6:30am and most of the prime seats were taken by 7:30am). After the initial crowd of people on the helicopter pad we noticed everyone left so we headed down for our own private viewing of the glacier with only a few crew for company! Entertainment: We really enjoyed the evening shows, especially Topper and the magician/comedian. We looked forward to the shows each evening and found them to be a fun and entertaining experience. Embarkation in Vancouver - We had the early 10:30 - 11am time spot for check in. The line up for the bag drop off was very, very long. After a brief wait we headed up with our bags and there were minimal lines, we were on the ship by 11:30am, dropped our bags in our room and headed up for a bite to eat at the Mast Grill, we would not eat there again. The 11 year old went for a swim and we enjoyed the quietness of the ship! Disembarkation in Vancouver - Seamless. We opted to walk off with our bags and were told we could leave whenever we wanted once the ship was cleared and no later than 9:30am. It was a bit crowded so after a bite to eat for breakfast from the Cafe Al Bacio we disembarked, no lines at all. We would sail with Celebrity again. We found the ship to be well maintained, although she does need a bit of a refurb soon but nothing that detracted from our experience.

Thank you for your tour post about your trip to the glacier!

I think perhaps my question was taken the wrong way. To clarify, I was asking if the outdoor pools are heated and if they are I was curious about the advantages to swimming indoors. The posts I had read were referring to warmer climates so I was genuinely curious about the pool differences, deeper, larger? Fact finding question only as we are headed off to Alaska soon and I was curious.

I'm curious to know if the outdoor pools are heated? I know my kids would have no problem swimming in a heated pool even in cooler, inclement weather. What would be the advantage of swimming in the adults only pool?

The first time I went with my children, 2 years old to teens, we only did the train in Skagway. We visited Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Skagway. Ketchikan we walked around, saw totem poles. In Juneau we visited some museums - kids really enjoyed it and took the public transit bus to Mendenhall Glacier, Icy Strait Point we played on the beach, Sitka we visited the library (my kids love libraries and asked to go!) and went on a nature walk and checked out some of the historical buildings. We loved the trip. When my partner and I went without the kids we each did one excursion - I chose the hike and rafting trip and my partner chose ziplining, both in Skagway. Both were great excursions. Both trips were amazing. This year, I'm going with a friend and I don't have excursions planned, I'll head to Mendenhall Glacier and check out the museums. All that said, we live on the west coast and I have a bald eagle nest in my backyard, we have loads of bears and we are right next to the ocean and see whales so I guess I don't have the same need to spend a lot of money seeing wildlife in Alaska. I might feel differently if I lived somewhere else.

We are curious about the ropes course in Icy Point. It is not offered as an excursion on our ship, Celebrity Eclipse, but we would like to try it with our two kids (who are very familiar with ropes courses as we have one close to home). Can we purchase the tickets when we get there? I tried emailing but never heard back and the website says to check with the cruise line.

We've done 4-5 people, 2 adults and 2 or 3 kids (when they were very small) on various cruise lines and we now opt to get two rooms and that is with 2 adults and 2 or more kids. We've liked the configuration of a balcony and inside across from one another. This cruise we are going with two insides next to each other as the balcony/inside situation wasn't available. Having the two bathrooms is important and also having extra space for clothes etc. otherwise it feels very cramped. For perspective, my friend and I are going and we each have an inside to ourselves, next to each other, I figure the extra money will be worth it as it will help maintain our relationship.

I've been to Alaska twice and am going twice this June. I sailed with Holland America and loved it, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Glacier Bay. I also sailed with NCl and really loved the itinerary at the time Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Glacier Bay and Icy Point. This year I'm sailing with Celebrity - Juneau, Ketchikan, Icy Point and Hubbard Glacier. I loved Sitka and Skagway (I realize I'm not doing either this time!).

Thank you all for your insight!

I've tried looking to see how many stateroom are available but it is only allowing me to try and book a guaranteed stateroom for a cruise in June. I am curious why there isn't an availability of staterooms that I could choose?

Ship: Eclipse Length of Cruise: 7 days Cruise Sail Date: June 18, 2023 Date email offer received: April 5th, 2023 Captain’s Club Tier: Preview Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA Current Cabin: Interior Bid? Yes/No: Yes If YES - Bidding Details: Cabin Category: Veranda Bid Offer: $250/pp (minimum bid was $200) Notification Date: Accepted / Rejected: General Comments (offer details, etc.)

Wondering what would happen in the kids clubs if there are only a few kids. Do they still run the program?