Djaye

We have done the land portion both ways. First time (10 years ago)through the cruise line so that there were no worries on our part. Then this summer, we did the land DIY and had a great experience. I think I'd fly into Anchorage. Rent a car there and do whatever exploring you want to do - Denali, many sights along Tournagain Arm, etc., then return car and take other transportation to Seward. The one way car rentals are killer. We opted for the train down and spent a couple of days in Seward visiting Exit Glacier and doing a full day in the Kenai Fjords before sailing.

We took the hotel shuttle to our hotel in Anchorage and picked up our car at the downtown Enterprise location the next morning. It was cheaper than renting at the airport. If you have a warehouse membership, you can book through their travel dept and get a discount.

To be fair to OP, CBP staff are stationed at YVR just like at all major Canadian airports. While it's an incorrect assumption that TSA are also here, it's a very common one - just search these very boards to see how many other folks have asked whether they can use TSA Pre at YVR... and at least one responder above was helped by the post.

Thank you! And, thanks for your further explanation. I am putting this one to rest!! :)

There are Global Entry kiosks at YVR (and some other Canadian airports):

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/locations

There was a line with a Trusted Travelers sign at YVR, but it was roped off and not open to anyone when we were there.

We enjoyed breakfast and lunch more at the buffet. It offered a lot of variety and was quicker for getting off the ship in the morning. The front of the Ocean View Grille (buffet), as you enter, is very crowded, as is the seating in that area. You will find much more room in the back. Some of the food stations are repeated in the back, as well. The poached egg station was almost overlooked the first few mornings, but got discovered as the week progressed. It is toward the back, starboard. We tried b'fast twice in the MDR, but not particularly impressed. Just our opinion.

Ice cream is free at the buffet, and Gelato is a charge on Deck 5.

Returning to the US FROM Canada I definitely did have pre-check. The US Custom & border patrol was in the Canadian airport. So OP, you were likely just unlucky. It was printed on my boarding pass from Canada to Philadelphia. (I have GE, my husband does not, We both had Pre-check printed on our boarding passes)

That IS interesting! We had pre-check printed on our boarding passes and it got us nothing in YVR. From the other replies, I thought I was just being stupid. Just passing along our experience......

I don't know how to compare the food to Caribbean sailings. We've only gone to AK on Celebrity. But, the food was good every night. There is enough variety to please everyone, IMHO. I agree with you on clothes for the dining room. My thoughts exactly. Jeans are fine for land, but have no place in the dining room. However, I have to say, I did not pay a lot of attention to the other diners. We were with friends and just enjoying our time together. Have fun on your trip. It is great!! And, no, it's not a sleep in type trip. Too much to get out there and see!

Hmm, since YVR is in Canada, and therefore not under the supervision of the TSA, it never would have occurred to me that Pre-Check would be valid there.....

I am obviously not the seasoned traveler you are. We did not purchase TSA precheck - just got it assigned randomly. I only mentioned the YVR airport experience in case someone else did not think of it.

We just returned on Celebrity. A bit of everything on formal nights, but not many suits/ties or gowns. Sports coat w/open collar was more than sufficient for the men, and pants with a dressy top was good for women. There were a few more dressed, and some less.

We had a very good experience with Chilkoot last week. Our driver, James, was very informative and entertaining. Enjoyed our stop seeing the huskies & lunch. We were on the first car behind engine on the way down, so don't count on the last car (my preference).

As for clothes - you should be prepared for anything. Weather was unusually warm while we were there. Even into the 80's a couple of days. Our glacier day was warm - only needed light jacket, but we have been there when it was bone chilling. Windbreakers were worn mornings and evenings of our warmer days, and peeled off later. I took cotton pants and jeans. Could have easily worn capris or even shorts a couple of days. You can't go by anyone else's experience on weather. And the long range forecast before you leave, may not be of any use, as it changes so much. Raincoat with hood is always a good idea. As everyone else says - layers - take them off, put them on. We carried a back pack for long days off ship to carry our layers, or have a place to put them.

Evening attire was all over the board. I took one pair of black pants - wore nice, casual tops most nights and took a couple of dressy tops for evening chic nights and dressed them up with some jewelry.

Food was very good in the MDR. We had select dining so we could dine at different times, but found that the good tables go to main seating times, and select diners get what is left over. After three bad tables (in the back by service areas), we asked to be placed at a better table.

Helipad is best for glacier viewing, but very crowded. We went to deck 11 where the jogging trail is so we could move side to side, as the ship was turned, and it worked out well. The roof top terrace is another area where you could move from side to side easily.

Luggage valet was available out of YVR until this AK season. The gal at customer relations said they were surprised when they arrived for the first cruise to find it had been cancelled. Our "early" flight was at 11:55. Since we walked off we were at the airport early. I would imagine the security line gets pretty long and time consuming as the morning goes on - especially if there is more than one ship in port. The Millie was the only one there the day we disembarked.

Hope this helps!

I have to politely disagree with the OP. We just got back from AK on the Millie and had a wonderful experience. It's not perfect, but all things considered, we had no complaints. The Millie is older and I was concerned about that, but we found her to be in very good condition. They were constantly working on her while we cruised, but it did not inconvenience us in any way.

If you have TSA precheck, it is of no value at the YVR airport - it is only good in the states. Pack/prepare accordingly. :)

Book as soon as you can. All the popular things were filled up when we got there. It was the only port where I had not made advance reservations. :(

I you are planning to use it for additional staff tips, it must be done by 9:00 a.m. on the last full day. I learned this the hard way - went down at 6:00 a.m. on day of debarkation, thinking I had until 8:00 to settle our account, and could not tip from our OBC. It was probably somewhere in the mountain of information we were given to read, but was not emphasized. So, we ended up doing some cash tips and leaving money on the table with Celebrity. Not too happy about that. Otherwise out trip was great.

We just returned from Alaska on a 7 night southbound cruise on the Millie. I am happy to report that she is in very good shape. We were in Concierge Class and were extremely with our accommodations. Food and service on the ship was very good. Entertainment was also very good. We only missed one show.

A nice discount was offered in the Tuscan Grille on the first night - $30 opposed to $45/pp. We were the only ones in there for early dinner at 6:00. Muster was at 7:45 and just getting over when the ship pulled out. Deck 10 aft is a great place to watch sail away, and one of our favorite places to hang out.

Qsine was not something that originally captured our attention, but one of the dining room managers talked it up to us one night and we negotiated a 20% discount for that one. It is very unique and we enjoyed it a lot. It's unlike any dining experience we have ever had.

A note about luggage valet: We were counting on this service, as we had an early flight out of YVR. I had spoken directly to Celebrity to make sure this service was offered in Vancouver, and I was assured it was. However, we found out after we got on the ship that it was cancelled as of the beginning of the AK season. This was a surprise to Celebrity, as well. It is handled by the airport or a third party. We elected to do a walk off the morning of debarkation. It was well organized and went quickly. We were in a cab by 7:45 and at our gate by 9:00.

A note about TSA precheck: It is of no value at the YVR airport. We had to wait in line with everyone else and do the normal stuff. Luckily, I had packed all our "baggie items" in our checked luggage since we carried off everything that morning.

I will not give a full review, as there have been others posted, but happy to answer any questions. We had a great time, wonderful weather and extremely pleased with our second Alaska Celebrity experience.

Celebrity Select is the Celebrity Cruises flexible dining option. With Celebrity Select Dining, guests can arrive to be seated for dinner in the main dining room at any time between 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm, or can make reservations to dine at any time that they choose within that timeframe. We strongly encourage reservations to ensure the best service and to avoid any potential wait times.

Thank you for the official clarification!

I am so glad you are finding it helpful!

 

Yes, there is a show every night at 7 and 9 PM, except on the night we left Seward. On our very first night, there was only a 9 PM show because of the 7:45 muster drill. We enjoyed eating dinner around 6 PM and having time to catch some live music and a martini before the 9 PM show.

Perfect! Thanks so much. Is the muster drill finished in time to enjoy the sail away from Seward?

Was there a show every night - and what time? Trying to figure out dining reservations. Your review has been wonderful and full of much appreciated information!

We are using Select Dining on our upcoming AK cruise on the Millie, which we have never done before. We will be in Concierge Class accommodations. Do we make our own reservations directly with whatever restaurant we want to dine in, or does the Concierge do that for us? Should we make all our reservations the first day on board, based on our planned activities for each day, or can we make them day by day?

Also, is dining handled differently the first night on board?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for sharing your experience on the Millie. Enjoying every post!

Sillymonkey 23: We are cruising on the Millie July 15. Looking forward to your erview Great pic!

We will be repeating a southbound cruise on the Millie in July. Have not sailed since the dress code was changed from formal to evening chic. I have read what Celebrity says is acceptable. Could you comment on what you actually saw in the dining room on evening chic nights? Currently planning for DH to be in sports coat/tie and me in black pants and very dressy tops. Thanks in advance.

Eagerly awaiting reports from the Millie......

We learned about the change at OE by reading Cruise Critic a couple of months ago. I called Dolphin immediately and they handled our change quickly and efficiently. We had booked the combo tour originally and were told it would be honored.

We are scheduled for a July 15th southbound sailing. Will look forward to your review. We sailed this same route on the Summit 10 years ago. Can't wait to do it again!!