Northern Aurora

Since I haven't experienced such a situation I don't know how I would handle it -- but I suspect I would want to be off that ship and on the road driving home ASAP. Your husband needs to go down to Guest Relations (I am assuming you are not in the Retreat) and demand the earliest luggage tag. And best of wishes for a speedy recovery. This won't make our OP feel any better but there is actually a frequent X cruiser (Zenith) who several years ago broke both her ankle and wrist leaving her M-class stateroom bathroom. The ankle and wrist were on the same side of her body. And they had to fly home across the world -- not just a two hour flight.

Yes -- that is an extremely unusual situation. Don't assume it is the norm. Princess is not my preferred cruise line, but the cruise line we frequently use (we are on a cruise ship 80 to 90 days a year) has extra time built into their schedule. So if they had a delay due to an evacuation (ie, leaving the port late due to waiting for an ambulance to arrive to evacuate a passenger) they can cruise at a faster speed to make up the time. The ship can also cruise at a faster speed to deal with weather delays. And I should have included in my prior post that we have had no issues with cell coverage while docked in Alaska ports. No strange roaming fees.

I have the impression that our OP is taking their first cruise, and doesn't realize that ships frequently arrive early. Also the distance between Alaska ports makes it easy to arrive on earlier versus later than scheduled.

While many passengers will arrive later on the Alaska RR chartered transfer, our experience has been that the luggage handlers will be available all day. I think you will be able to drop off your luggage before your plans to go to Exit Glacier.

Thank you for the info.

I am not interested in booking it -- I am curious as to what group it is!

I have been following that "blank spot" in the Summit deployment schedule, and just checked again this morning. We have the Summit September 19, 2025 Panama Canal crossing booked and were hoping to board in Vancouver for a Pacific Coastal prior to the transit. And I agree with @scrapcreator -- so few Pacific Coastal cruises and now another potential cruise is gone. Anyone have any insights as to what group has chartered?

In April we were B2B in Japan on the Millennium -- and Cafe al Bacio did indeed have two types of mini-sandwiches. I remember years ago when the old Cova Cafes and then the Cafe al Bacios had a selection of mini-sandwiches mid-day before rotating out to sweets in the evening hours. We spent 40 nights on the Edge last fall, and while one of the MDRs was used for the Elite and higher Captain's Club breakfast one of the other ones was used for a sit down breakfast. Regarding dinners, last fall we only dined once at Eden -- hopefully they were having an off night as the meal and service were not great. If the weather is nice the Rooftop Grill is great. And while we prefer Sushi on 5 we did enjoy Raw on 5 several times. But the lunches at Le Grand Bistro were absolutely excellent -- love that lobster bisque and its puff pastry cage.

Much can change between now and early 2025. But the Skagway Brewing Company doesn't open until about 11 AM with their bar opening earlier. I wonder if the Westmark Skagway hotel offers breakfast? It has a been so many years since we stayed there I have no idea regarding the current situation, particularly after the pandemic, which played havoc with the hospitality industry in Alaska.

I didn't pay attention since as a Zenith member of the Captain's Club we always have the premium package. But I was simply happy to find it as I love it.

I am sorry -- but I do not understand this post. What crew appreciation is included in what package?

We boarded the Millennium on March 28th for a B2B. Someone on a future cruise (who is actually on the ship as I type this) asked me to check if this was possible. I was told by two different staff members that it was possible, but didn't do so myself.

I love the San Pellegrino Naturals and purchase it at home. We were B2B on the Millennium boarding on March 28th for the first time I found it on a Celebrity ship. It was listed on the Ocean View beverage menu and was also available in the Retreat Lounge. Flavors included lemon, orange and grapefruit.

@PghCouple: I just quickly checked the Cruise Lines Agencies of Alaska which has the port schedules for cruise ships in Alaska. In Juneau the Luminosa will be docked at the S. Franklin pier which is right downtown. In Skagway you will be at the Broadway Dock; this is not the dock which is impacted by the rock slide. In Ketchikan you are scheduled to dock at Berth #3 which again is right downtown. The day in Tracy Arm Fjord is scenic cruising. Your husband should have minimal issues with using his scooter to get off the ship. You just need to find easily accessible activities. In Juneau the Alaska State Museum is relatively close to S. Franklin or you could go out to Mendenhall Glacier where some of the paths are paved (if my memory is correct). In Ketchikan the Tongass Historical Museum is close as is the South East Alaska Discovery Center. The Lumberjack Show is also close; we have never attended some some find it to be a hoot. I am also curious how accessible the lower level of the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour is. A frequent poster to the Alaska forum has taken this tour, and if you post a new thread asking the question about accessibility he likely will see it. In Skagway the Broadway dock location allows easy access to the White Pass and Yukon Railroad if he can step up. The town itself is essentially becoming a museum as the National Park Service is acquiring more and more of the historic structures. That stop in Victoria is in the itinerary to satisfy the PVSA requirements. I am assuming that you will be at Ogden Dock which is about a twenty minute walk from downtown. About two weeks ago we returned from a five week trip to Japan (24 nights on the Celebrity Millennium in addition to land travel). We always break up long overseas flights, and on the return overnighted in Seattle at an airport hotel before flying home to Fairbanks, Alaska. We ended up talking to this guy seated right beside us in the hotel restaurant. It turned out that he was an engineer officer who was preparing to board the Luminosa to start his contract for the Alaska season.

Which Alaska ports are on your itinerary? At times, due to congestion in the harbor, ships will tender but at the bulk of Alaska ports the ships dock.