moneeman

4 hours ago, George C said:

My only problem with luminae is it is closed for lunch on port days but open on embarkation and breakfast hours could be expanded.

On our recent cruise, Luminae WAS open for lunch on one of our port days.  It was the day we were in Icy Strait Point, so perhaps they opened because there aren't many options on land.  Interestingly, we had the best dessert of the entire cruise at that lunch, and at our request they set aside four more for us and our travel companions for dinner.

It was sunny and warm (for Alaska) one day on our recent cruise.  We had come back to the boat from port early and I ventured up to the Retreat sundeck.  I was amazed at how HOT it was up there when the temperature was only 70.  I can't imagine what it would/will be in warmer climates!!!  Perhaps I sat in the wrong places, but I don't think anyone could sit where I did in hot weather.  I hope I'm wrong.

While this may not be "officially" available, my wife was able to order a Blu entree a couple of times (but was turned down the night they had halibut).  Also ordered off the MDR a time or two and by the end of the cruise they were handing us multiple menus.  We used the Celebrity app beforehand, which shows the menus for all restaurants, so we were typically prepared to order when we walked into Luminae.  I'm still salivating over the morning pastry selection.  One morning I had a granola parfait, fruit, a pastry, eggs with bacon AND a waffle.  I didn't plan to eat that much, but just kept ordering.  The Luminae staff was the best part of our cruise (apart from the beauty of Alaska).

8 minutes ago, quack2 said:

I was recently on the Millenium southbound, visiting Hubbard Glacier on Saturday, June 15, 2019.

 

Based on the timestamp on my photos, I started taking long distance shots around 1:30 p.m.  We were close to the glacier from about  2:00 to 3:45 and done by 4:00.  Based on my experience, I would want to be free from about 2-4 p.m.  Y

 

Now . . . I have no idea how variable the arrival times can be due to weather or other factors. So, YMMV.

 

I looks like the official time at Hubbard Glacier is from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  That doesn't change for the Millenium's Saturday visits (southbound) through the summer.

Big thanks!  That is exactly what I needed to know.  I appreciate the reply.

We are in an Orlando hotel right now, flying out EAAARRRLLLYYY tomorrow for a few days in Homer before cruising late next week on Millenium.  We booked last October for good cabin selection.  Here’s hoping the suitcases weigh the same tomorrow as they did today at home!

9 hours ago, Wine-O said:

We are currently on Millennium and departed Seward on the 12th.  Muster Drill was at 7:30pm.  You had to be "all aboard" by then.  We were underway on time at 8:00pm.

 

We were on the B2B, so not sure when the cutoff time was for checking in.  🍷

Wine-O, if you don't mind, I have a question specific to the sailing you are on right now.  I posted this on the Alaska board, but no responses yet.  What time period last Saturday was the ship at Hubbard Glacier?  I'm booking a spa appointment for my wife , and do not want her to miss the prime glacier viewing.  Again back to the Celebrity app, it is showing Hubbard as 2:00 - 6:00, but I was thinking it was a few hours earlier.  Thanks for your help.

Thanks for all the replies.  To be clear, I did not intend to get away with anything.  I figured there must be a second one for those getting on later, but wasn't sure how we would know.  After reading the responses, it appears the Celebrity app is likely wrong.  We will ask before going back out.

I’m hoping a previous cruiser on the Millenium can help me out.  I’m booking a spa appointment for my wife, and need to know what timeframe the Millenium is at Hubbard when on a Southbound cruise.  I don’t want to book during the prime viewing time.  I looked on the Celebrity app, but it is not showing there.  Any help is appreciated.

So I searched for this information, and amazingly it only gave me three irrelevant posts.  We will be boarding Millenium in Seward on July 26.  We talked about boarding the ship, eating lunch, then venturing back out to see the aquarium since departure isn’t until 8:00.  I presume that wouldn’t typically be a problem, but I just looked at the Celebrity app and it shows the muster drill at 4:15.  What happens if we are not on ship at that time?  I know this is supposed to be a required activity.  Must we cut activities short to be back by that time?  

We will be on Millenium sailing July 26.  It's been a while since we cruised, but we remember a photographer with a nice setup for family pictures on our last cruise, though he was only doing it a couple of nights.  Does the ship photographer on Celebrity (Millenium) set up only on certain nights?  If so, are those nights standard?'

Also, are the Chic evening dress nights typically the same (i.e., nights 2 and 6, or perhaps nights when there is no port)?  If so, does anyone know when Millenium chic nights might be?

Thank you.

Goodness, there are some people who think their way is the only way!  (and others with sensible posts)  I hope you can filter out the opinions but take in the facts.  There are great things to do in the ports for little or no money, and some uniquely beautiful things to experience for a lot of money.  There is also a beautiful ship you can enjoy with no crowds.  It's your holiday.  Make an informed choice and do what you want, even if it is sitting in a hot tub.  Have a great cruise!

While the view is good on both sides, in Alaska we highly prefer to face the mainland where (some days) you can see huge snow-covered mountains from your bed.  Going South, that would be the port side.  Enjoy your cruise.

Enjoyed your review! Thanks.  Your pictures of Hubbard are some of the best I have seen.  We are doing Millenium SB in a few weeks, so I especially enjoyed reading about what we will be experiencing.  Nicely done.  Thanks again.

No personal experience, but I have read many good reviews on the whale watching.  Full breaches should not be expected (though possible), but you should see numerous (likely many) blows followed by a humpback and a beautiful tail.  If you are lucky, there may be some bubble net feeding, the waving of a fin, and possibly a breach.  You will be quite close to some massive creatures.

The bear excursion reviews are more mixed, and results vary greatly depending on time of year.  If the salmon are running, then the viewings will be MUCH better.  The tour is basically a bus ride in a reportedly older bus that eventually stops at a trail.  You then hike about a half mile down to 3 decks over the river.  I have seen a couple of reviews where one or two bears were spotted during the drive, and the bus stopped for a while.  In both of those reviews, no bears were seen at the river.  My guess is the operators have a pretty good idea whether there are bears at the river before they leave, but if not at the river, they are hoping to see one along the road.  I'm sure people that go when the salmon are running enjoy the tour more.  Just expect to be a ways away from the bears while on the viewing area (which can be a good thing!).

• Ship:  Millennium
• Length of Cruise: 7
• Cruise Sail Date: July 26, 2019
• Date email offer received: 6 weeks out
• Captain’s Club Tier [“PREVIEW” = first Celebrity Cruise]: Preview (second Celebrity cruise, actually)
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: Sky Suite
• Bid?  Yes/No: No

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: place winning category, if accepted (all category offers, can be mentioned in comments)
• Bid Offer:
• Notification Date:
• Accepted / Rejected

General Comments (offer details, etc.) 

Celebrity Suite $300pp   Royal Suite $500pp   Penthouse $900pp.  Tempted, but we highly value our port side room, and did not want to end up on starboard.  My wife loves watching the mountains pass from the balcony.

On 6/19/2019 at 9:39 PM, wrk2cruise said:

 I was surprised to find out on our May sailing when someone in the Retreat lounge was talking about drinks on the sundeck not being complimentary like in the lounge.  

 

I thought the Premium Alcohol Package was now standard for suite guests.  Since the area is restricted to suite guests only, how can they charge for drinks?

Check Princess Cruise Line.  They definitely do cruise tours using their own lodges inland, and I believe they are one of the only cruise lines to have access rights to GBNP.  If those are your two top issues, Princess may be just what you want.

You have many options.  Just go to the UPS or FedEx website and look up locations in Vancouver.  But you are right, it WILL be expensive.  Have a great trip.

4 hours ago, cruisingnewtoit said:

I'm worried we will not be able to get a flight if we wait to book 45 days out and the costs will be high. I have to find out how the travel insurance will work with if we book the air fare 4 months out and then adding on the cruise fare.

Have you already purchased travel insurance?  If not, research the many options.  I got a much stronger policy than Celebrity offered through AIG, for a bit less money.  They just want to know the total covered.  You can get good estimates of your cost, and be liberal on the cruise cost, and there is some flexibility (depending on policy) on when you have to pay.  They also allow you to change the policy if your trip changes in cost.  Regarding the flights, if you aren't set on one particular cruise, there are always numerous options from a particular port with 2 or 3 days leeway.  You can possibly plan an interior trip or a Vancouver/Victoria side trip if the cruise date has to change.  Just some ideas to consider.

You have a cabin you like, so hold onto it for now.  It is a long time before final payment is due.  As time for final payment approaches, start pricing different options as a "new" customer.  Select "Choose your own" cabin, and you will get a sense of how many rooms are available and where in the category you want.  If you see several decent possibilities, then release the cabin just before final payment and wait for the price drops.  Assuming the ship is not essentially sold out, you will see a very significant drop in prices, but understand that those prices may (or may not) drop more in the coming weeks.  Others can tell you more than me, as my experience is minimal.  I can tell you that we booked our upcoming (July) Alaska cruise last October, in a Concierge level room.  Aqua was just a little bit more.  Prices fell for our room to about half of what we paid.  I kept watching, and a few days ago they dropped the price of the sky suite to only $300 more (total for two) than we had paid for the Concierge room.  So even though I could have paid much less for the Concierge room if I had waited to book, I was still able to upgrade to a suite experience for the price I paid for the Concierge room (plus $300, but we got extra OBC that essentially offset that).

Tough decision.  Best of luck!

On 4/25/2019 at 11:11 AM, AnnaNicole said:

 

 

Anybody have an opinion the dogsled tours?  Are they worthwhile?

When we did Alaska many years ago, the dogsledding excursion was our favorite BY FAR.  I'm sure it helped to have an incredibly beautiful day, but the 20 minutes or so we were actually on the dogsled was fantastic.  (Petting the dogs and puppies was fun as well).  They stopped the dogs in the middle of the run, and I can only describe it as absolute peace.  Gorgeous white snow in all directions with hardly a sound in the air.  Because of our love for that excursion, we are opting for the "ultimate" dogsled excursion this time, where the ride takes you between four and five miles.  

Glacier dogsledding is very expensive, but if you can swing the price I highly recommend it.

I don't know what cabin choices you are considering, but there are many, many choices of wonderful 7-night cruises for $700 - $1,500 price range, including a wide range of cabin options.  I wouldn't want to pay more for less nights, but perhaps that's just me.  I hope you find the perfect ship!

On 4/29/2019 at 9:37 PM, Anita Latte said:

 

This is why layers are the key. You don't need a WARM jacket...you need a waterproof jacket. You need to have optional warm layers to wear over whatever your base layer is. These are the layers...base, warmth, protection. Many possible combos depending on when you go and what the weather is, but this is the wardrobe approach. Your base layer may or may not be seen, depending on how cold it really is. A short or long sleeved shirt may be your base. If needed, for protection, you can just wear your rain coat. If your rain coat helps you be warm enough on it's own (because it isn't THAT cold), great...if not, add a fleece coat, or a vest, or a sweater, or merino wool over shirt, a favorite hoodie. Whatever. Unless you really don't own a raincoat, you shouldn't need a special jacket for Alaska.

Great advice, truly.  Except...you don't know my wife.  She gets cold brushing her teeth because her hands get wet.  Her base layer goes on top of her shirt, and is some type of warm jacket.  Then comes her ski jacket, which may be worn unzipped if the temps are in the 60's.  Finally, the raincoat which is two sizes too big in order to cover up the big jacket.  That will protect her down to mid-40's in the rain.  Oh, except for her hands.  She does like turtle fur.

When we did Alaska in 2002, glacier dogsledding was our favorite excursion, by far.  So it is definitely in our plans for this July.  We appear to have three options.  Juneau has two tours, one of which includes an extended 5-mile sled ride, probably 3 times the length of the normal one.  We like that idea, but we LOVED the absolutely astounding beauty on the Denver glacier in 2002 when we went out of Skagway.  I would be interested to hear comments on your experience at either place, and if anyone has gone to both places PLEASE give a comparison.  Thank you!

Since you are investing thousands of dollars in this vacation, I presume this is more a question of "is it worth it" rather than "I can't really afford another $250".  Unless you are flying first class, your sleep on the plane will be minimal and/or poor quality.  The train ride is full of great views, and you are going to want to feel good for that as well as getting on the ship.  How much will you and your family be able to enjoy all that with perhaps the equivalent of a couple of hours sleep the night before?  If your plane lands on time, you can probably get as much as four hours' sleep before heading to the train station.  That wouldn't leave much time for showers, etc., but a quick cleanup after several hours sleep can have you in MUCH better shape for your Alaska journey.  If your flight is for some reason significantly delayed, then it might not be worth the cost.  If it were me, I would look for some of the lower-price airport hotel options which are still decent quality, then I would call several and ask how frequently they had rooms available at 3:00 AM.  My goal would be to have a list of 3 - 5 possible hotels, and call the first on the list when I landed to hopefully lock in a room.  If they were full, I would go down the list until I found an available room.  Or, you can play it safe and make a reservation knowing a delayed flight will further limit your sleeping time.  My goal would be to get to the hotel by 3:00 and get to bed ASAP with an alarm set for perhaps 7:00.  That would leave time for everyone to have a few minutes in the bathroom, then grab a cab/Uber/Lyft to the train station feeling somewhat refreshed and fired up for the trip.

Whatever you decide, good luck and have a great time.