OUBaylor1

On 9/20/2021 at 7:05 PM, CYNSport said:

We flew out of SEA/TAC this past Friday (not cruise related).  We arrived at the airport at 6:00 a.m. and they were already re-routing cars headed to departures to the arrivals area to drop off passengers. It was very crowded. Bear in mind that some gates require an additional short train ride(D, N, S and A). We found TSA to be reasonably quick and efficient, however. Have a great trip.

Thanks for responding and for the information!

13 hours ago, SbbquilterUT said:

We walked off at 7:30, in the Uber at 7:45 and at the airport by 8:30.  This was on Friday morning and there were not any real lines at the check-in for Delta.  

Wow, that was quick!  We are flying Delta also.  Thanks for responding!

21 hours ago, DogLover said:

We were on the July 30 sailing which arrived back in Seattle to Pier 91 on August 6 (not pier 66.) Hubby and I had a 3:15 Delta flight to Phoenix ... we took the Celebrity excursion to Chihuly/Space Needle with an airport drop-off. Tour arrived at SeaTac around 11:45 and the airport was nutzo! With TSA Precheck (have Global Entry,) it still took 35 minutes to get thru security. Even the Delta SkyClub was crowded.

 

Son and DIL had a 12:50 departure on AA (connection with final destination to FL.) I booked them a transfer with Seattle Express ... $20 per person with shuttles leaving every 15 minutes from Pier to SeaTac. They were very pleased with this transfer and recommend.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for responding and for the information.  We have Global Entry also and are surprised by how slow the security process is.  Because we are taking advantage of the port valet service, we were planning to take an uber but have heard about delays due to shortages.  Will look into the Seattle Express.

1 hour ago, lovecruzin said:

If I recall correctly, 11:30 was the earliest time for Valet out of SEA.

Thanks for the info!

31 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

I was on the Ovation last week and my flight left 11:54AM. We used Royal's valet service so we didn't have to mess around with our luggage .We were early for the flight by about 2 1/2 hours, but it was the first AA flight to Charlotte, NC, We actually left the ship around 8:30, and took the Royal shuttle to SeaTec. TSA wasn't too busy, and it only took about 20 minutes to go through. The plane hadn't arrived  yet, but did leave on time. This was on Friday. Please don't book a flight before 11:am, or you'll be stressed if you are going to  make it.

Thanks for responding!  We plan to participate in the Port Valet service also.  Used it once on our Edge cruise from Port Ft Lauderdale and really liked the convenience of not hauling our luggage from port to airport.  Sounds like we should NOT consider changing from the 1:30 flight to the 11:15 flight.

1 minute ago, phoenix_dream said:

We erred on the side of caution and booked a 2:30 flight.  We could have made the 10:30 flight fairly easily, using the Celebrity bus transfer (we usually Uber or taxi it, but as there are shortages this year we didn't want to deal with that potential issue).  We did find that the TSA process was unusually slow, even though we had pre-check.  

I also heard about the difficulty of getting and Uber or taxi due to shortages.  We currently have a 1:30 flight but would like to change to the 11:15 flight out of SEATAC.  Did you book your Celebrity bus transfer prior to the cruise?  I am not seeing Celebrity transfers as an option on their website for our 1 October Alaska cruise.  We also have pre-check.  Thanks for mentioning that this process was slower than usual.  We plan on using Port Valet to expedite our trip from the port to SEATAC.

9 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

My wife booked a 9:15  am flight as she needs to  get home to go to a wedding. There is a good chance we don't make it but we have carry on luggage only. If we get off by 7:39 and can find acab right away we should be at the airport by 8-8:15. I know, stupid decision. Shoukd be interesting. If we dont make it we will try to get on the 11:15 flight to sfo. 

Let me know if you encounter any problems making your flight.

For those of you who have cruised on Celebrity's Millennium on an Alaska cruise this summer, what was your departure flight time from SEATAC for a US domestic flight?  And, do you wish you would have had an earlier or later flight.  Thanks!

Enjoyed your video of the Royal Suite.  Thanks!

3 hours ago, schittenden said:

Here’s a photo from Wednesday. My soon took it out the window of the plane. 

Wow! Just showed this picture to my husband who is from Renton, WA and could not believe this photo!  In his 69 years, he has never seen Mt Rainier like this!

19 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

This was an excursion not the Chef's Table.  The excursion is offered in select ports and it starts with visits to the local market and restaurant and culminates on te ship with a meal featuring loacl cusisne.  very different than the chef's table.

I apologize about my previous post.  Yikes!!!  We did NOT do the CHEF'S TABLE.  We did the CHEF'S MARKET TOUR.  So sorry for any confusion I may have caused.  Even though very expensive, we thoroughly enjoyed the THE CHEF'S MARKET TOUR.  This is the only Celebrity excursion we enjoyed and would do again.

As a past resident of Alaska, I can attest to unpredictable weather.  I remember our first snow in September on Labor Day!  Agree with Northern Aurora on "waterproof" not "water resistance" jacket AND pants AND shoes.  For September and October sailings, I recommend layers with waterproof outer layers including shoes, warm hat, and gloves.

9 hours ago, LuvCruising88 said:

Oops- missed a few questions. 

 

Panmalv- we had a table of 8 and we were distanced appropriately.   I didn't notice the smaller groups, but I think you would be OK if you mention concerns over spacing to the maitre d.  I was surprised that the one time we went to mdr for breakfast,  they asked if we wanted to share a table. We declined.

 

OUBaylor- yes, it was a Celebrity excursion, and it was sold out before the sailing, so if interested,  book ahead.  It was around $200 per person.   Pricey, but I felt well worth it.

 

Cruisemom42 - our sailing had 1300 passengers, but I heard the ship was only sailing with 1000 this week

Thanks for responding to my question.  That particular excursion is not available on our 1 October sailing.  Darn!

LuvCruising88, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences from your recent Alaskan cruise!  For the boat excursion at Dawes, was this a Celebrity excursion?

Just read a thread by EMc&DrS who described their embarkation process for their Edge cruise.  They arrived 45 minutes early and waited in line.  A rep came outside and asked for people with 12 noon check in times.  They were immediately sent to the front of the line.  Sorry that this same process did not happen for GeorgiaPeach51.

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Can fermented shark be ordered? 😅

Did you see Gordon Ramsay"s Uncharterded?

I always book our cruises through USAA's cruise website which uses Travel Insured International, a Crum & Forster Company.  I have had to file a claim for three different cruises; once in 2017, once in 2018, and once in 2019.   The company reimburses in a timely manner.

1 hour ago, Denny01 said:

OK, another Retreat question. Dining at Lumanae. Do we let our Butler know what time we want? Do we walk in as we wish or is there set dining times? Are we assigned a table or are we seated at various places. Do you usually dine as a couple or can we be added to anothers’ table or others join us?

 

Den 

Congrats on booking your first Celebrity suite!  I think that the Retreat elevates your cruise experience.  I have never made a reservation at Luminae.  One of the great pros of Luminae is dining at a time that fits my schedule.  I will say that some times can be busier than others.  The host and wait staff are very accomodating as to dining with others.  And usually after dining once or twice, the wait staff usually remember your preferences.

Enjoying this thread!  My husband and I discovered Irish whiskey at an Irish pub in Gettysburg, PA.  Our first taste was a Bushmills 10 Year.  We enjoyed it so much, a week later my husband ordered a bottle of Bushmills 16 Year and splurged on a bottle of Bushmills 21 Year.  Really enjoyed the Bushmills 21 which was very smooth.  By the time we bought the second bottle of Bushmills 21, the price had increased by $100.00.  After purchasing a third bottle of Bushmills 21, we could no longer find it.  Probably a good thing!  Since that time we have tried many whiskeys, inluding Japanese whisky. Our current higher priced whiskey favorite is Jameson 18 Year.  Our cheap favorite is Quiet Man - Blend.  Have yet to find an Irish whiskey on Celebrity that we enjoy.  Never thought to ask for a Japanese whisky on board.

On 4/19/2021 at 2:45 PM, lovrccl said:

Well we have missed out on cruising for 2019 and need to make up for it. What was your favorite cruise? We are trying to decide where to go next. We have done most of the caribbean, Hawaii, Panama canal. Not really interested in Alaska. Let me know your thoughts. Thank you.

We would do Norway and New Zealand again and again!

On 4/16/2021 at 11:20 AM, OUBaylor1 said:

Until this thread, I did not know about the Chef's Table.  Even though we no longer take Celebrity's excursions, we made an exception for this tour.  While pricey, we enjoyed spending the day with the chef.  The day culminated in a dinner using foods and liquid refreshment that the chef had purchased that day.  Will definitely take this Celebrity tour again when offered.

Oops, did not mention in original post that I was talking about Celebrity's Chef Market Tour, not the Chef's Table.  Sorry for the confusion.

Until this thread, I did not know about the Chef's Table.  Even though we no longer take Celebrity's excursions, we made an exception for this tour.  While pricey, we enjoyed spending the day with the chef.  The day culminated in a dinner using foods and liquid refreshment that the chef had purchased that day.  Will definitely take this Celebrity tour again when offered.

1 hour ago, KWW88 said:

Would you recommend Celebrity Suite?  If so, why, even though I know you can't compare it to a Sky Suite, was the balcony adequate?  We have an S1 booked for a TA in April 2022, but a few CS are still available and we are seriously considering the upgrade.  Agree Retreat and Retreat Lounge are fantastic, love the outdoor seating areas in both are fantastic. 

The Celebrity Suite (CS) on the Edge was our first CS and we really liked it.  First, the bedroom is separate from the living area which gives you more space in which to move around.   Second, the bathroom is divided into two separate but connecting areas with each area having a sink.  So we each had our own bathroom space.  There is so much storage space that we did not use it all.  There are two closets, one in the bedroom and one right inside the cabin door.  So we did not have to cram everything into one closet.  Third, all of the Edge CSs are in the forward area of the ship which makes getting to Luminae, the Retreat Lounge and the Retreat Sundeck very convenient.  When we wanted liquid refreshment, we just popped up to the Retreat Lounge or the bar on the Retreat Sundeck.  

Cannot speak about Sky Suites because we stayed in a Celebrity Suite on the Edge.  Reservations are not needed in Luminae.  Because Edge class ships have more suites than M or S class ships, we did see guests waiting to be seated for evening dining during certain times.   While meal service is always excellent in Luminae, we found it to be exceptional on the Edge.  We were in a Celebrity Suite and did not have complimentary dining in Specialty Restaurants.  On embarkation day, we ate lunch in Luminae.  Before sailing on the Edge, we would spend sea days on our balcony, but the Retreat Sundeck is so nice and quiet that we spent sea days there instead.  Enjoyed the bar and meal service on the Retreat Sundeck.  The food menu is limited but adequate.  Did not find the Retreat Lounge stuffy.  The Martini Bar gets busy and crowded in the evenings.  Really enjoyed the Edge and have a future cruise on the Apex booked.  

13 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I said I would root for UCLA, not Cal   "Beat Cal" forever !!!

Rooting for UCLA too.  Great game!