PittsburghNative

I’m not sure if anyone will chime in but wanted to ask just in case. 

I cannot wait for this excursion and definitely want to record it. However, I’m nervous I will drop my phone or camera. Any suggestions on safety bands, straps, etc.?

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Unfortunately, similar to many other places, the temps in the Pacific NW/Alaska can vary significantly.

 

In Vancouver, our average temperatures in May are low 60's. but last May we experienced many days in the high 70's/low 80's. In Alaska, I would plan for temperatures between mid 40's and mid-60's, with mid 50's being closer to the average. Remember to factor in wind chill if on the open decks.

Thanks for the info!

What’s the temps like mid-May? I’ll be on my cruise from 5/9 - 5/19. I’m assuming mid-50s for a high?

1 hour ago, Budget Queen said:

Flights are NOT for everyone,   but  I would encourage those who desire this excursion to GO.  I've never been an advocate of compromising in Alaska.   Split up.  

Agree. As much as I hate it, my mom and I are splitting up in Skagway so I can do a heli/dogsledding tour and she will be doing a dogsledding tour in the forest. My bucket list item is to dogsled on a glacier, and I offered to pay for her to do it, but she refuses to get on a helicopter. We will be doing our own thing for just a couple hours and will be together once the tours are done.

51 minutes ago, Tourist1292 said:

Our cruise is one day after yours but we will be at Vancouver before you. After this winter in the mid west, May temperature there would not be an issue to us at all.

I can believe it! I know my family in Pittsburgh had a heck of a winter, and the mid west was even worse. I’m a baby now when it comes to cold weather since I live in South Florida. I still feel it will be very pleasant weather as long as the right clothes are packed 🙂

I’m going May 9th for the first time and the only issue I had was finding one tour operator not open. No biggie, I just selected another excursion. I got my hotel and cruise at a really great deal and I found airfare for $300 RT from Miami to Vancouver. The only thing I may not be prepared for is that it may be chillier than if I went in June. I say go for it!

12 hours ago, Beachiekeen said:

 

Hi would you mind sharing which cruise you are on?  We are looking at our next Alaskan cruise and I want to choose an itinerary that has a full day or at least the afternoon in Victoria, rather than an evening arrival.

I’m on the Celebrity Eclipse on May 9th. I know that’s her only 10-night sailing for the season and I “think” it’s the only time she stops in Victoria. If you start/end in Vancouver, you can always take a tour to Victoria.

As always, thank you for your detailed response martincath! I actually contacted Butchart Gardens and they said it will be Afternoon Tea they will be serving. Does that make a difference with time?

And yes, we will most likely use CVS as the tour operator.

I hope it’s ok to ask this here since this is a Canadian port. During my Alaska cruise, we will be in Victoria from 9:00am to 6:00pm. My mom and I are going to Butchart Gardens on a DIY tour and want to do High Tea at The Dining Room. I want to make reservations for High Tea but I have no idea what time to make it for. Departure times for this tour are from The Fairmont at every hour.

Can anyone give me a realistic time to leave the pier? I’m not sure where The Dining Room is in relation to the gardens. Also, how far is the The Fairmont from the pier?

Thank you to the both of you with the advice! I checked to see if we could go whale-watching in ISP, but it won’t be possible if we do ZipRider, which we both want to do.

The Juneau tour company that we are seriously considering allows us to whale-watch, hike in Tongass National Forest, and let’s us have great views of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. If the weather is good, we thought about checking out Mount Roberts Tramway. I also heard Red Dog Saloon is an interesting stop.

I completely agree with jamminlion that I hope we don’t burn ourselves out. When I did my Hawaii cruise, I needed a vacation after my vacation as our port days were very intensive.

16 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

I think your plans look good...not trying to plan too much in each port. I do question going to the Yukon from Juneau? Are you flying to the Yukon? Or did you mean Skagway?

You are correct! I misunderstood the package the tour company had listed on their website. So for Juneau, it's visiting Mendenhall Glacier and whale-watching.

I’m starting to finalize all the highlights we want to see in every port and would like your feedback of anything “not to miss,” like visiting historic buildings, watching cultural dances, etc.

Ketchikan

We will use public transportation to view Totem Bight and SE Alaska Discovery Center. Also, we will visit Creek Street.

Sitka

We will use public transportation to visit the Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear, and Sitka National Park.

Skagway

I will be going on a Heli/Dogsledding tour and my mom will be visiting a Sled Dog and Musher’s Camp.

Icy Strait Point

We will be doing ZipRider.

Juneau

We will be doing a tour that includes the Mendenhall Glacier, whale-watching, and a trip to the Yukon.

Victoria

We will be visiting Butchart Gardens and also experience High Tea in The Dining Room.

This may get better responses on the Princess forum.

4 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

 

Not all the public spaces were updated. There's a good thread going on the Celebrity board. It would appear that areas like Bacio and the Martini Bar weren't updated. There appears to be a weird mix going on.

My mistake. Didn’t reread what I wrote. You’re correct that not “all” public spaces, just some.

11 hours ago, bUU said:

AirBnB is only problematic when something goes wrong. 

 

😉

Oh I’ve had a bad experience with AirBnB and had to leave and stay in a hotel. I have a good feeling the place I’m staying at will be great 😊 If not, I’ll have to let martincath know so he can tell me “I told you so!” Lol

On 2/7/2019 at 10:12 AM, ProfCruise said:

For me, on my first cruise to Alaska I was FREEZING on scenic outdoor viewing days (cruising Glacier Bay, etc).  I had a layer of warm fleece over a sweatshirt and a waterproof jacket, gloves, hat and was still FREEZING.  On my two subsequent Alaska cruises I brought a giant ankle length thick puffer coat with hood.  It looks ridiculous, but it kept me outside enjoying the magnificent beauty while most others (in all their layers) had gone in complaining of cold.  Dress WARM.  Like for the coldest of Pittsburgh winter days (I'm from Pittsburgh too!  South Side Flats).  That's my best advice. 

 

Have fun!  I hope you'll report back with your experience. 

I just thought of a good item to pack and wanted to share with the forum. Hand warmer packets.

Keep in mind the Millenium just received a massive refurbishment. The cabins are 100% completely different and the public spaces have all been updated. She even got a new paint job on the exterior.

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

After your sightseeing, if your airline has a Club Lounge at the airport, buying a day pass will give you entrance to much more comfortable seating than in the terminal with enough food and beverages that you might be able to have "dinner" within the Lounge without having to buy expensive airport food.

Unfortunately I don’t belong to an airline club. I’m going to take advantage of a post cruise tour and spend 5-7 hours sightseeing. 

1 hour ago, footballmom said:

 

May I ask what airline you are flying? I need to book my airfare from/to Pittsburgh. Thanks!

I live in Miami now, so I won’t be flying from PIT. I did score an AMAZING deal. $300 RT and all taxes included! I’m flying United to Vancouver, and flying home on WestJet. I am coming into Vancouver 2 days prior to the sailing.

Is it recommended to take your passport off the ship?

On 1/22/2019 at 2:34 PM, Herfnerd said:

We used http://www.juneauwhalewatch.com in Juneau for our whale watching excursion and Mendenhall Glacier Tour.  We thought it was excellent and much cheaper than some of the other whale watching excursions although we can't do an honest comparison having done only this tour.

After much research, we decided to go with this company. We are doing the 2 tours in 1 package which includes the whale watching, visiting Mendenhall Glacier, and driving to the Yukon. It will be an awesome day!

Thank you for the recommendation as I was about to book something else.

I almost chose the Millennium for May due to its one-way itinerary and she is currently undergoing a MASSIVE renovation. The only reason I changed my mind to the Eclipse is due to her awesome 10-night itinerary. If you like RC, I can almost guarantee you’ll like Celebrity as RC owns Celebrity. Also, Royal is more of a contemporary line whereas Celebrity is considered premium.

14 hours ago, wheezedr said:

Also be sure to pay in CAD and let your bank convert to USD.  That is true anywhere in the world.  You should always  decline having the vendor do the conversion as your best rate will be from your own bank.

I’m a little confused. Should I not use my credit card to pay for a tour that only accepts CAD?

Thanks for the replies! Oddly enough, I have looked at 3 post-cruise tours from three different vendors and none of them accept USD. I assume I can just pay CAD currency with a US credit card?