Northern Aurora

We did cruises out of Vancouver in both April 2022 and September 2022. Both times we flew from Seattle to Vancouver. Easy peasy.

Just stating my recent experience -- on the Solstice in September Suite guests were allowed access to Blu.

I am sorry but I just have to ask -- do you know how to drive a vehicle? That very basic and common life skill makes life so much easier. And do you really think that someone could "flag down" either of the motor coach services you mention in your post #14? Have you ever actually been to Alaska?

Do you know the name of the excursion vendor? Mahay's Jet Boat Adventures offers a Devil's Canyon tour.

We like the Harbor 260 in Seward. The company which owns the Harbor 360 also owns Major Marine. Major Marine is our favorite Kenai Fjords excursion vendor. They periodically offer package deals (hotel and excursion combo discounts) and, at least pre-covid, offered cyber sales around Thanksgiving. It has been so long since we have been to Whittier I don't have any current recommendations.

When we left the Solstice in Australia in March 2020 we had a Zenith lunch with the hotel director and several other stripes. At that point it was clear that we were in the start of a pandemic and countries were starting to close. While we knew that the global suspension of cruising was going to be implemented no one knew how long. The hotel director, who is one of my favorite hotel directors, discussed his plans for the time while they would be sailing passenger free. For example, he had arranged for carpet to be delivered; some areas of the ship were to be re-carpeted. They were going to go through every stateroom and check for needed repairs. With no passengers onboard furniture was going to be shifted to sides of carpeted rooms and carpets thoroughly cleaned. Upholstered furniture was to be steam cleaned. His list was extensive. When I stepped on board in last June my first thought was that he had worked through his list. We were B2B in June on the Solstice. In September we were also B2B but had to switch staterooms. So we were in three different staterooms -- all Suites. While the color scheme is certainly dated the suites were in good shape. And remember that some folks absolutely hate the new color scheme which is being introduced. Luminae looks just like I remember from prior cruises. The Michael's Club has the traditional decor. The Sky Lounge looks great. Those who nit-pick can find something but we found the staff/crew to upbeat and happy.

The easiest option is to simply rent a car in Anchorage, drive to Seward (a little more than two hours by road) and then drive to Whittier.

We have been on the Solstice several times. We were actually on her in March 2020 on the first leg of what had been planned to be a B2B2B2B when the pandemic started. We flew out of Sydney on March 20th which was the date Australian Border Force closed the border. In any event, we spent two weeks on the Solstice in June 2022 and another 15 nights in September 2022. The ship looks the same. The color scheme is dated but the ship is clean.

Unfortunately there is not much left as it is. I should also add that my geologist husband spent a summer living on McCall Glacier (Brooks Range) and it is now essentially gone.

What time is your flight? Do you want to spend time on meandering bus route?

Interesting -- we were B2B on the Solstice in June with both legs in the same Suite. We were not asked to remove items from the stateroom counters.

As someone who actually lives in Alaska and had done both itineraries on both ships I also would go with the Millennium. We spent two weeks on the Millennium in September 2021 and were on the Eclipse in April 2022. The revolutionized Millie is spectacular. Just a quick comment re Glacier Bay -- those glaciers are in rapid retreat. The incredible melting is so visible in aerial photos taken between the 1940s and a few years ago. Would Glacier Bay even be designated a national park now? In contrast Hubbard is advancing.

We have done six full Panama Canal transits. As a child my husband spent several years in the PC Zone when his father, an US Air Force officer, was stationed at the old Albrook AFB. I realize that not everyone has great amount of annual leave, but the full transit is much more interesting than a partial. The scenery is much different along the route and on the Pacific side you realize the massive amount of blasting which had to be done to create the channel. Each time we have done a full transit Celebrity has had a "Beyond the Podium" speaker who presented a series of lectures about the PC. And the actual transit was narrated and broadcast in public areas. I surprised that no one has mentioned the excellent book on the PC -- "The Path Between the Seas" by the late David McCullough.

Although we live in Alaska we have a done a number of Alaska itineraries. Alaska itineraries are consistently less dressy than other itineraries. We did B2B Alaska cruises last June. My husband did pack a sports jacket. I wore nice black slacks and sparkly tops on the "evening chic" nights.

Silent disco is offered on all of the Celebrity fleet with the possible exceptions being the ships used in the Galapagos.

We used a taxi from the airport to the Auberge hotel in September (which is about a ten minute walk to Canada Place). As already noted it is a flat rate and, and while I don't remember the actual fare, is more like C$38 now.

Just as @-Lew- I've never come across an ATM in Europe which dispensed coins. But back to our OP's question -- When we have been on Celebrity ships sailing in European waters Euro has generally been on board, but the exchange rate will be horrendous. My husband was at Guest Relations for another issue and that particular ship had posted the exchange rate on a sign on the GR counter. You do not want to exchange on a ship.

After reading all of "GTJ's" responses I just have to ask -- has "GTJ" actually ever been to Wilmington?

Just a quick comment from someone who actually lives in Alaska -- your possibly of seeing moose in SE Alaska won't be vey low. Will you be in the Interior of Alaska? Then the possibility of a moose sighting will be high.

The Retreat/Michals's Club lounge will have copies of the daily menus in the lounge. Very easy to check the menus.

Our OP didn't mention the date of their cruise. How did you know? If I assume they are on a roll call am i correct?

Did you book directly with Celebrity or did you use a travel agent? If you used a travel agent then call them and explain the issue. If you used Celebrity then call them. Stateroom 6121 is a SS2. You will most likely be assigned another SS2. We are not to mention specific travel agent websites on Cruise Critic, but there are some websites which list all available staterooms for specific sailings.

Just a quick question to @5:00_Somewhere -- do you have a typo in that stateroom number? In any event, we have been in 6131 on the Millennium for a B2B. I dislike the smell of cigarette smoke and it wasn't an issue at all.

I also suggest icy Strait. We've had phenomenal sightings there.

We will definitely have to agree to disagree. Our first Celebrity cruise was in 20008. We are Zenith members of the loyalty program (since 2016) and didn't get there by booking standard staterooms. To reach over 4000 points we have done many more cruises than eight in Suites in that time frame. And I also don't understand why this thread became so centered on the Lumanie maitre'd. I just find it interesting when staff are criticized by specific name in such a public forum. Folks who don't share the opinion and had an excellent experience with that named person should share their own experience.