akke29

Sailing next week on the southbound Millennium Seward to Vancouver in a SkySuite. This is our first cruise and trying to figure out the beverage package decision. We're not big drinkers, enjoying the occasional wine with dinner. If I were just traveling with my friends, I'd absolutely get one of the packages. This trip is with my Parents, which means it will be more tame. Most beverage consumption will revolve around coffee, tea and water. That said, I've elected to not buy a beverage package and just order and pay for extras should we want something extra. The more I read CC, the more I think maybe we need a package. Without having access to cost, it's hard to determine if it will be worth it. Any thoughts?

Great read! We're leaving on this same cruise in a SkySuite on June 26th! First time cruisers and first time visitors to Alaska! We're pumped.

We are just off the May 10 Alaska cruise and had a great Luminae experience. As mentioned, the food service can be slow, although that was only an issue on the last day when I was itchy to disembark. The food itself was good to great, and they were extremely flexible and eager to please. It felt like a special experience every day since everyone remembered us and our preferences very quickly (for example, within a minute of walking in, we were always quickly told our Evian water was on the way, and replenished often).

 

I was also disappointed there was no embarkation lunch... My favorite lunch options were the burger (wonderful fries) and any of the soups (especially butternut squash).

 

My favorite breakfast options were the whole wheat wrap with a side of the salsa that comes with the huevos rancheros. That salsa was the only time I saw jalapeños on the ship, and I really needed some spice for my palate! :) My husband LOVED the chocolate croissant and had an indecent amount.

 

When picking which night we would have a specialty dinner, we usually asked Kendall (AMAZING hostess...loved her so much) in the morning if we could see the dinner menu and made our decision then. We never had a problem securing our reservations for Olympic (went twice) and Qsine (once).

 

Hope this helps! They seem to be ironing out some initial issues well, and they are very, very eager for feedback on board.

Great stuff! Thanks for the update. Maybe I'll wait until the get onboard to book at Olympic.

We'll be in a SkySuite on the Millennium this June for the southbound glacier cruise. Looking forward to eating in Luminae, but also want to take advantage of a meal in a specialty restaurant. We're trying to figure out which night might be the best one for a meal at Olympic? Any thoughts?

Taking advantage of the "ship", wouldn't be my suggestion. Taking advantage of "Alaska" is far more superior in my opinion.

Of course! We'll maximize our time in Alaska, but we don't want to get to the cruise at the last minute! We're so excited!

Driving is the only way to go as you can stop when and where you want. Trains do not stop to give you a good photo op. They just zoom past them and if you are not looking at the right time or you do not have your camera ready - tough. That said, there must be something to going places by train even though I can not figure out what it is as many people use the trains in AK.

 

DON

Exactly the kind of experience I was looking for. Thanks for the confirmation. I don't want to spend TOO much time getting down there as I want to take advantage of the ship as much as I can.

Thank you for replying. I was hoping someone else would comment as well on your balcony size as I was just trying to remember what it had looked like when we had stood for a minute on the CS balcony (we had asked our butler to see it after solstization when the balcony was added).

 

I really hope your room is fine, you enjoy Luminae and other suite perks!

 

Have a great vacation!

Thanks! I'm sure however is turns out, we'll enjoy our vacation. This is our first cruise and really have no idea what to expect, but am very excited! My Parents still don't know about it. I'll let the cat out of the bag shortly.

If you are interested in the workings of the ship and don't have the paid tour, be on the lookout for lectures by some of the officers. We've heard talks about the engine system, water system, sanitation systems, etc. Very informative and the officers will answer your questions.

Excellent! Thanks for the heads-up.

First time cruiser here and so happy to hear they often offer such tours! Part of what's drawing me to a cruise is the logistics, technology, engineering and mechanics of the whole thing! I'm regularly hooked to any documentary that involves transport, especially air and sea. Being in the business of moving people by air, I'm looking forward to the "how this all works" factor, as much as the destination itself!

Is this something that would be offered once onboard the ship?

I don't think the balcony is much smaller than others. I think it is just overshadowed and overlooked by the celebrity suite next door.

Thanks! I'm hoping that splurging a bit for a suite will be worth it. How can it not? :D

After booking suite guarantee we were awarded Sky Suite 6102. I've read warnings that this cabin's balcony is "smaller." Any idea how much smaller it is? Is it like we'll have no balcony, which I'd be pretty unhappy about. We're 3 adults staying in this cabin, which is part of the reason I booked a suite. How often, if at all, does Celebrity reassign cabins when book under the "guarantee?"

First time cruisers here! Getting so excited for our Seward-Vancouver cruise on the Celebrity Millennium! I'm surprising my Parents with this cruise to celebrate a few things one of which is their 48th wedding anniversary later in the summer. All the pieces are falling into place and looking forward to visiting our beautiful 49th State, a place we've always wanted to visit.

Thanks for the advice. We arrive after midnight, so the 645am train was a non starter as were the morning busses. The car, including parking at the hotel is about $200, not much more than the train or bus for 3 people. I'll read through the sticky as well.

We will be arriving late at night in Anchorage, renting a car and staying downtown. The next day our plan was to leisurely make our way to Seward to board our cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. I've priced out all the options and this seems to be the best one for us, that gives us great flexibility. Any thoughts on this plan? What do most people do when sailing from Seward?

Any experiences at the Pan Pacific taking advantage of their POST cruise package? My plan was to arrive from the cruise, get into the hotel, spend the day/evening sightseeing around the city using a hop on hop off bus, then leaving the next afternoon after having the wonderful breakfast in the hotel that comes with the package.