Northern Aurora

The name is the Celebrity Today.

Alaska is experiencing a severe labor shortage in general and the hospitality industry has been particularly hard hit due to the J1 VISA issue. Prior to last summer any one could stay at a Princess Lodge. We have stayed at their Denali property a number of times, at the McKinley View property when driving back to Fairbanks from Seward, and at the Copper River Princess. But during the 2022 season the situation changed and only folks who were on a Princess land tour could stay at their properties. And if my memory is correct Princess didn't open two of their five properties at all in 2022.

Interesting to read the post by "PRH." Celbrity uses the Denali Park Village in the Denali area. This large complex has a number of buildings and room types. One of the buildings is named the Denali Lodge. And I am curious if the "Wilderness Reserve" mentioned is the Wildlife Conservation Center. From the description of the Homer hotel I don't recognize the property. Was it possibly the Land's End Resort?

Some companies to research on TripAdvisor include Emerald Air, Smokey Bay Air and Alaska Bear Adventure.

I haven't checked to determine if there have been any significant itinerary changes for the routes of these ships. Even though we live in Alaska we do Alaska cruises, and have been on all three of these ships on Alaska itineraries. My preference if the north- or southbound Millennium routes; we do these as B2Bs. My second rank is the Eclipse RT out of Vancouver. RTs out of Seattle are my lowest ranked. But one factor to consider is the amount of time in the ports. We always have premium wi-fi. I have not noticed any signifiant differences in internet connection, but also haven't been working either.

First, educate yourselves about the aurora. The University of Alaska Geophysical Institute website is great start. Consider the Chena Hot Springs Resort which is about 60 miles outside of Fairbanks. Little light solution. And if folks don't see an aurora there are other interesting attractions.

While Suite passengers are waived the fee for room service, Zenith members of the Captain's Club are also waived RS fees. This has become a new Zenith perk.

I also enjoy the Alyeska tram on a lovely day. Views are incredible. While it doesn't do much for me personally (but remember that I live in Alaska) the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is also in close proximity. Reviews are mixed with some folks thoroughly enjoying the experience. A consideration.

We dine at Sushi on 5 several times each cruise. I am not aware of any minimum charge. And I remember that several years ago on one of the ships there was a group of folks who would drop by Sushi on 5 daily. Each would order a portion the edamame beans and a beverage. One of the waiters was joking that they might run out of edamame.

@katmigordon: I wouldn't go so far as to say that the Celebrity app is "way better" than those of other cruise lines, but checking for similar Eclipse cruise (similar being defined as the same number of nights and a similar itinerary) will give you a "guesstimate" of the shows. On the Eclipse the evening shows in the theater will be at 7 and 9 PM. There will be various other venues with entertainment such as acoustic duos and so forth around the ship.

There are also motor coach firms which offer transport. Some include a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Google both the Seward and Anchorage visitor's bureaus to find the names of the current vendors.

Check a similar Eclipse cruise (such as the same number of nights) and check the app for the shows. That will give you an idea of the production show nights. But since your cruise isn't until November you will need to check a few weeks before your particular sailing for more accurate information.

Definitely yes -- B2B guests and embarking Zenith members of the Captain's Club are invited to join the Concierge Class embarkation lunch. This has been standard practice for years. For those who are currently on a ship carefully look at your B2B turnaround letter.

Since hiking is of interest I wonder if our OP has considered the Mt. Roberts Tramway? Some lovely views and trails at the top, and much less costly than the ship sponsored tours.

Ketchikan also has the lumberjack show which is appealing to some. In Sitka have you considered the Fortress of the Bear; check their website to determine if that may be of interest. Sitka also has the Sitka Sound Science Center; check their website too.

I have been to ISP several times and my impression is that @Jeeden has not. Am I correct? In any event there is what is described as a "nature trail" but I would describe it as a path. The trails which the bear spotting tours use are old logging roads not in the ISP compound at all but are miles away. While folks probably should not say "never" the odds of seeing a bear in the ISP approach zero. And do not try to venture into the forrest around the compound as it is very dense and you are highly likely to become lost.

@janecambridge: So what are you doing? Are you staying in Seward before or after a cruise? Despite the fact that we fly virtually everywhere in this state the one place you can not fly a commercial airplane to is Seward. There is no commercial air service between Anchorage and Seward. Your options are either Alaska Rail Road or road.

Our OP could also rent a car and drive to Anchorage, but they won't be happy with the one-way drop off charge.

Thanks to @garyl62 for my comments. I am not sure they provide much insight but I certainly have my opinions as my husband frequently tells me! In any event, regarding Talkeetna: Since the Princess McKinley View Lodge was built it seems to me that Talkeetna has become much more touristy. The PMVL is about a 45 minute drive away but it has had significant impact on the community. Some tourists describe it as the "quintessential" small Alaska community but I see it as the "quintessential" tourist trap. That being said it is a nice community for flight seeing over Denali. And consider a river trip. MaHay's Jet Boat Adventures overs several options, has been in business a number of years and is highly reputable; you can book directly with them. The single road into Denali National Park was closed in August 2021 at the Pretty Rocks area due to unstable ice rich land melting. I have always thought that folks who don't go into Denali as far as Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66) cheat themselves. Only recently (about ten days ago) did the National Park Service issue a press release stating that they have signed a contract with a company to start the bridging repair. The NPS hopes that the full length of the single road will be open in 2025. Given supply chain issues and the fact that the road past Pretty Rocks has not been maintained since August 2021 (the park maintenance camp is near the park entrance) that date may be optimistic. So one night in Denali may be all folk now need. Homer is one of my favorite places. It is a funky arty place but I am not sure I cold tolerate the dampness of their winters. There are flight seeing opportunities to Katmai National Park & Preserve where the famous Brooks Falls bears are located. Some companies don't actually land in Katmai but just outside the park boundaries to circumvent some regulations. Another option to research in Homer is the private fast ferry from Homer to Seldovia. And for those with more limited time there is the Pratt Museum. Just a few random thoughts.

Well -- With the exception of an upcoming B2B2B2B which is past final payment date (I never check cruise fares on cruises past final payment) I checked our upcoming cruises. We have a B2B2B in the fall of 2023 which is from Civitavecchia to Sydney. All segments significantly higher in price than what we booked. The B2B Asia pair in the spring of 2024 also significantly higher. The North America to Iceland B2B in August of 2024 is also significantly higher.

Several options. Celebrity will charter an early morning train from the Seward cruise terminal directly to the Anchorage Airport. This charter is booked directly through the cruise line. There will be evening train service purchased from the Alaska Railroad. This leaves the Seward ARR station and travels directly to the ARR downtown Anchorage rail station. If you "google" something along the lines of motor coach service between Seward and Anchorage you will find names of motor coach services. If you use the search function on this forum you should be able to locate several discussion threads on this subject.

After posting earlier today I realized I had just mentioned Temsco. But Coastal Helicopters our of Juneau also does tour, including a 3.5 hour tour which includes a sled dog experience (if my memory is correct). These helicopter tours can be booked directly with the vendors. The websites for both companies have good descriptions of their respective tours.

We also have seen it on Celebrity ships while in Australian waters. I just can't get over eating a national iconic symbol, but according to Australian citizens either they like it or can't stand it. I have also been told it is somewhat difficult to cook as it can be easy to overcook (or is it easy to undercook?) and then the texture changes.

Without looking at our cruise history my memory is that we have done five or six prior cruises in Australian/New Zealand and South Pacific waters. While I don't recall crocodile we certainly have had kangaroo not the menus. We board the Eclipse on March 10th for a B2B2B2B in Suites so certainly am enjoying this thread.

How did you book this cruise? If you booked through a travel agent then that person is who will answer your questions. If you booked either through a Celebrity vacation planner or through the Celebrity website then call the Celebrity booking phone number.