In Alaska now then sailing Millennium Southbound

On a celebrity cruisetour then boarding millennium later in the week!

Love Alaska so far!

Any questions about the land or sea part I can help with??

I'm doing Millie northbound next May and then a 6 night cruise tour. Can you please give me a run down on how well run you think the tour? Accommodations? Are they helpful in providing options for excursions for free time? Any info would be great! :)

I'm doing Millie northbound next May and then a 6 night cruise tour. Can you please give me a run down on how well run you think the tour? Accommodations? Are they helpful in providing options for excursions for free time? Any info would be great! :)

Hopefully, it hasn't changed much from when we did this a few years back...but there really wasn't a lot of "free time" for extra excursions--though they did offer them...like White Water Rafting at 5:00 am! We thought our tour was very well run...and the hotels excellent...

lovetotraverltx: Hope you're enjoying that land tour...We'll see you onboard in a couple of days!

On a celebrity cruisetour then boarding millennium later in the week!

 

Love Alaska so far!

 

Any questions about the land or sea part I can help with??

We are doing this in two weeks. When do you have a chance to upgrade the Denali tour from the included tour to the more extensive tour?

We are flyimg to Anchorage two days early (19th) to get used to Alaska time. Being from the coast of NC there will be a big adjustment for us.

I'm doing Millie northbound next May and then a 6 night cruise tour. Can you please give me a run down on how well run you think the tour? Accommodations? Are they helpful in providing options for excursions for free time? Any info would be great! :)

We are doing the same cruise tour in June of 2016 on Millie. Would love to hear about your experiences. Are you spending any extra time in Vancouver?

Dennis

We are doing the same cruise tour in June of 2016 on Millie. Would love to hear about your experiences. Are you spending any extra time in Vancouver?

 

Dennis

We are flying into Vancouver 2 days prior to the cruise. After the cruise we are on the 7A Grand Heartland Adventure Tour. 1 night in Seward, 1 Anchorage, 1 Talkeetna, 2 nights in Denali, 1 Fairbanks. Dh has never been to Alaska - I've land traveled it once before and am excited to go back.

I'm with Jane on the same cruise next year, so I'm equally as curious as she is! :)

We are flying into Vancouver 2 days prior to the cruise. After the cruise we are on the 7A Grand Heartland Adventure Tour. 1 night in Seward, 1 Anchorage, 1 Talkeetna, 2 nights in Denali, 1 Fairbanks. Dh has never been to Alaska - I've land traveled it once before and am excited to go back.

 

Sorry Jane I used the wrong quote. We are on the Southbound (7B) cruise tour next June which is reverse yours. We have never been to Alaska. Took me a long time to talk my wife into it since we lived in Minnesota for 25 years.

Dennis

We are doing this next summer. I would love to hear about the cruise tour. It seems to be really hard to find much information about the tours. Thanks.

Linda

We'll be on the Millie August 28, 2015 sailing northbound to Seward. Can you tell me how many formal nights and maybe when they are? Thanks

We'll be on the Millie August 28, 2015 sailing northbound to Seward. Can you tell me how many formal nights and maybe when they are? Thanks

The first one is the Inside Passage, on the second day of the cruise and the other one is on the Skagway day.

Even though they generally prefer to schedule formal nights on sea days, they won't have it on the Hubbard Glacier day because they don't want to schedule a formal night on the last night of the cruise when people need to pack.

Sorry! Been very busy all day and tired at night! Looking forward to cruise tomorrow.

All in all the tour is wonderful. While here, it is very well run. You have the same tour director and bus driver with you at all times! Didn't really care for the Denali hotel but we were fore warned so didn't expect much. Also, not a great Marriott for the first gathering night but the lodge in talkeetna was great and we are currently at alyeska in girdwood which is to die for. Those coming this year make reservations to eat on top of mountain in Seven Glaciers. It was sold out without resies! Worth it!

You have from 3:00 pm until about 8:00 pm, they'll stay later if necessary, on that first night to have a private meeting with your tour director. Then you'll get your final schedule, special luggage tags, and a list of excursions. If you have special things already in mind tell him/her right then and there. That's when you upgrade to TWT as well. Also, so worth it!

I wouldn't try to book anything on your own as the times do change due to traffic, etc.

The food has been awesome in Alaska especially in town of Talkeetna. We upgraded park tour to TWT and did cabin mites both in Denali.

Cruise details I can get tomorrow. Did I miss anything.?

We are doing this next summer. I would love to hear about the cruise tour. It seems to be really hard to find much information about the tours. Thanks.

 

Linda

You need to research on your own. Know in advance what extras you want. Also, research and pick out restaurants in advance as you're on your own for all meals. I can list our favorites upon return.

We flew in night before cruisetour started and rented car. Explored on our own the first day. That was easy and great!

And, we have 2 nights booked on our own in Vancouver at the pinnacle Marriott

Hopefully, it hasn't changed much from when we did this a few years back...but there really wasn't a lot of "free time" for extra excursions--though they did offer them...like White Water Rafting at 5:00 am! We thought our tour was very well run...and the hotels excellent...

 

lovetotraverltx: Hope you're enjoying that land tour...We'll see you onboard in a couple of days!

Thank you! We and gradelady's family are having a great time!

We were on the Northbound Millennium cruise-tour a couple years back. Our trip took place in late August. Part of the trip was disappointing but most was wonderful.

I had a bazillion points saved up from Holiday Inn so some of my points and $45 a night got us in the Holiday Inn in downtown Vancouver. Cab fare was about $35 from the airport to the hotel and about $10 from the hotel to the Canadian Center. This hotel is nicely located and directly on the HOHO route. If you can’t find a coffee shop in Vancouver then you’re just not looking.

The cruise portion ended up being only two days. Many here may recall the pod problems Millie experienced and it was our cruise that was stranded in Ketchikan. The pod self-destructed shortly after leaving port and the Coast Guard sent us back to Ketchikan. Those folks that were only on the cruise were evacuated, for the most part, back to Vancouver or Seattle. Those folks that were on a cruise-tour were kept on board and evacuated to Anchorage. It was how we, my wife and I, were treated and compensated that now have us taking our fourth cruise with Celebrity. Now for the land portion of the trip.

Celebrity put us up for two nights, total, in the Alayaska Hotel. These are some pretty nice digs. You’ll find very nice walking trails and the trip up the mountain in the cable car is not to be missed.

The company that Celebrity contracts with for the land portion provided a knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Also when you consider they had several hundred guests dropped on them a couple days early they proved to be pretty agile in taking care of our wants and desires.

After our first night in the Alayaska we were bussed down to Seward. It was in Seward that the weather gods took pity on us and we were to experience Chamber of Commerce weather until our last day in Fairbanks.

The boat tour of Resurrection Bay was wonderful with whales and seal. The train back to the hotel was spectacular. We had a domed car and an outside area where you could take pictures. Dinner was served on the first level and I would take our dinner, with wine, and the views to a cabin upgrade on any cruise I’ve ever taken.

Anchorage was actually overcrowded with tourists. The wait lines at the restaurants were terrible. The drive up to Denali was spectacular. We enjoyed the husky puppy farm and the two different tours we took of the park. The resort near Denali was nice and sat beside a beautiful river.

I liked Fairbanks. It’s not a big city but it’s got everything one might need. This was the stopping point of our tour. Our flight wasn’t until very late so we rented a car and visited the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska. In my mind this is a must see and better than the museum we visited in Anchorage. Then we drove out to China Hot Springs. This was a round trip of a little over 100 miles but well worth the trip.

The short answer is yes we are going to do this again. We want to finish the cruise for sure. The land portion I think we’ll try on our own.

we did a southbound cruise tour, 4 days on land then south on Millie. Found it to be a fabulous adventure, flew into Fairbanks, spent two nights, one not included with the tour. Then down to Denali for two nights, incredible. Next down to anchorage for a night. Finally the glass domed train down to Seward, that is an incredible experience. We were treated like Royalty on both the land and cruise end. We would do it again in a heartbeat.

We are back! Any questions??

We are doing this next summer. I would love to hear about the cruise tour. It seems to be really hard to find much information about the tours. Thanks.

 

Linda

Hi - heres my 'old' cruise tour review from Anchorage to Fairbanks, 5 nts post cruise. I thinks there's some helpful info still applicable.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=365414&highlight=foodsponge

Lovetotraveltx,

Welcome home.

Just need a few answers about the cruise tour since we will be on your same tour on July 5th.

How does the handling of luggage work? Any problems?

How much did you have to pay for the TWT and did you have a good time?

What did you think was the best part of your cruise tour?

Thanks

Lovetotraveltx,

 

Welcome home.

Just need a few answers about the cruise tour since we will be on your same tour on July 5th.

 

How does the handling of luggage work? Any problems?

How much did you have to pay for the TWT and did you have a good time?

What did you think was the best part of your cruise tour?

 

 

Thanks

I greatly overpacked. The first day when you meet with your land tour director you are given tags. If you have a bag or bags you don't need on land they will keep it and you don't have to get it each night. We did that. Some mornings the bags need to be out very early but you don't need to be tardy yet. So we kept back our biggest carry in and our driver gladly put it under the bus as we boarded. This way we had our toiletries and didn't have to be ready as early.

It was $73 each to upgrade to TWT. Absolutely worth every penny. We saw so much wildlife and went fast! Just buy and bring food for the 8-hour day!

Best part for us was the TWT, the town of talkeetna and the Alyeska was so awesome. Wished we could have stayed there all 5 nights lol. Had booked the seven glaciers restaurant there on top of the mountain. Also worth every penny!

Enjoy!

Best part for us was the TWT, the town of talkeetna and the Alyeska was so awesome. Wished we could have stayed there all 5 nights lol. Had booked the seven glaciers restaurant there on top of the mountain. Also worth every penny!

 

Enjoy!

Thank you very much for your valuable information. We plan the same cruise and I am wondering, what would be the best time slot for a dinner reservation at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant - if we take in consideration the arrival time from the cruise tour, checking-in time at the hotel and travel to the restaurant.

Peter

Thank you very much for your valuable information. We plan the same cruise and I am wondering, what would be the best time slot for a dinner reservation at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant - if we take in consideration the arrival time from the cruise tour, checking-in time at the hotel and travel to the restaurant.

 

Peter

Hi Peter,

You should arrive at Alyeska no later than 4:00 pm. They came on bus with keys. No need to check in or out of any of the land tour hotels. Your land director or hotel staff will hand you keys. If you have some kind of room request. Do that on the phone with celebrity before arrival.

You just take a tram up to the top of the mountain. You need to catch the tram 15 minutes before your reservation time. Ask for a window table when you make your dining reservations. You can make them online with the hotel as well.

I believe we had a 6:30 reservation and gave us plenty of time to get our bags delivered to our room, walk around and explore hotel and change for dinner.

Lovetotraveltx,

Thanks for the cruise tour info. Why did you not like Denali Park village?

How did you like the cruise and how is Millennium?

Hope you and your DH had a great 30th anniversary celebration.

All in all we had an awesome land and sea tour. You get a tour director on land that stays with you the entire time. Ours Leigh was great! Everything is taken care of. You never have to carry your own luggage.

The millennium was wonderful. Better than I could have imagined. Great room. Fantastic service. Everyone was very pleasant and helpful. Went out of their way to say hi, help,etc. Great Cruise director, Steve, Steward Michael and had a few favorite servers in select!

A few of us on our land tour frequent CC and luckily didn't expect much from Denali Park Village. There was nothing awful about it. Loved the river view, always helpful people. But, is a very plain, lodge in the middle of nowhere. Clean but small, small room with no amenities, ie, fridge. We had no bath towels in our room which luckily I noticed before our 5:30 am wake up call. Never happened to us in a hotel before.

7 miles from "town" with no transport provided. There is a shuttle you have to pay for/wait for... So just ate in restaurant at lodge which was like a cafeteria. Nice starbucks with refillable coffee. Did cabin nites first night, enjoyed that.

Not up to par at all with the other 3 hotels. Will mention they should change when I fill out my land comment card.