Millennium to Alaska Photo Review-6/19-7/3/2015

We just returned from a B2B cruise to Alaska on the Celebrity Millennium. I have incorporated some pictures throughout the narrative. A full set of pictures can be viewed in my Alaska 2015 link below my signature line.

I have the "Celebrity Today" sheets but can't scan them. However, I am happy to look at them and provide specific information normally found on the sheets.

About us: This was our 16th cruise to Alaska. I know a lot of people might think once to Alaska is enough; not us. We are not loyal to any particular cruise line; we book our cruises based on itinerary. Our Alaska sailing history includes the following cruise lines: Princess (2), Royal Caribbean (6) and Celebrity (8).

Flights: I booked our Alaska Airlines flights the first day bookings opened up because our reservations were made using air miles. We were able to get good flight times leaving from Sacramento at 6 AM and arriving in Vancouver at 10:09 AM.

Vancouver Airport: Upon arrival in Vancouver we departed our plane and followed the clearly marked wall signage to Immigration. At Immigration we followed the verbal instruction by one of the representatives and we took our place in line for processing. Although the lines looked very long, the whole process was quick and painless. Once our passports were stamped we made our way down to the baggage claim area to retrieve our luggage. One nice thing about the Vancouver Airport is the availability of “free” luggage carts to use while retrieving your luggage. We estimated we waited in the immigration line about 20 minutes and 10 minutes at baggage claim.

Hotel: We used hotel points and stayed at the Marriott Pinnacle for two days prior to our cruise on the Millennium. We have stayed at the Marriott before and have always enjoyed our visit. While checking in, the bellman told us the FIFA judges were staying at the hotel and that was the reason for all the crowds. Although the hotel was very busy, we never experienced a lapse in service or friendliness from the hotel staff. We had a nice corner room that provided a city as well as a water view.

Since we had gotten up VERY early for our flight we decided that we would grab a bite to eat at the hotel. When our server arrived DH asked if the hotel bar had Labatt Blue beer (something that he enjoys but is nearly impossible to get where we live). Our server told us that the hotel did not have any Labatt but did tell us where we might find some. After lunch DH and I went in search of Labatt. Up a few streets and down a block we found a liquor store that carried Labatt; DH was SO excited!

Vancouver: We have been to Vancouver a few times before so we decided to take care of some souvenir shopping the first day and walk around Stanley Park the second day. During our walk through the park we came upon some totem poles and spent some time viewing them. The weather was great both days and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Millennium Embarkation: Around 10:15 AM we took a cab from the Marriott Pinnacle to Canada Place; cost was about $8 plus tip. At the terminal, porters were immediately available to take our bags. Once bags were taken, we went inside the terminal for processing. We had an Aqua Class cabin and are Elite which should have given us priority embarkation but that did not happen. To us, it didn’t really matter as the lines were not long and processing went very quickly. After we got our cabin cards we were asked to take a seat in one of the chairs provided in the waiting area. Within 10 minutes boarding was underway and we were directed towards photo ops and the entrance to the ship.

The Millennium:As previously stated we have been on the Millennium before and enjoy sailing with her. Overall we found the ship to be in very good shape. Yes, there are a few areas that show wear and tear (varnish and paint) but that is normal for ocean-going vessels.

Cabin 9102:We chose Aqua Class cabin 9102 for this particular cruise. Originally, we had an inside cabin reserved. However, a few months after we made our reservation we found a good deal and upgraded our inside to an AQ cabin. The cabin itself was very nice. However, there was quite a bit of noise from the deck above and from the Atrium while the nightly music played for about an hour. The bathroom did have a sour smell that appeared from time-to-time. The balcony was nice with a large overhang providing shelter from sun and rain. The overhang did interfere with picture taking at times but we adapted. The balcony was good size with two chairs and a large round table.

Newton, our cabin steward, was cheerful, efficient and engaging during our entire two-week stay aboard the ship.

Ketchikan: Since we had been to Ketchikan a few times before we decided to do something different; we took the Allen Marine Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer cruise. Although the scenery was nice, it seemed to mirror what we had already seen from the ship and not worth the cost of the excursion. However, if you are someone who never goes up on deck or uses your balcony, they you would probably enjoy this excursion. I have included a few pictures below of some of the scenery.

Icy Strait:We booked our whale watching tour with Glacier Wind Charters (owned and operated by Shawn and Teresa McConnell) a year in advance because we wanted to ensure we were able to get reservations with the company. This was our 4th time with Glacier Wind and we highly recommend them.

Icy Strait is a tender port. Because the arrival time on this particular day is a popular one, tender tickets were necessary. Because we are Elite, we were given priority tendering and we were able to board the first tender. We met Teresa at the arranged meeting place and, she gave us a brief introduction to Hoonah during our ride to the boat harbor. At the boat harbor, we went down the boat ramp to meet Captain Shawn and board our vessel, “The Kohola.”

“The Kohola” is a great whale watching vessel; comfortable seating and plenty of viewing spaces for all on board. Shawn is a friendly and engaging captain who interacts with his passengers --- by the end of the excursion you feel like you have spent time with an old friend.

The weather was very nice and we were able to see the following: eagles, humpback whales, Dall’s Porpoise and sea lions. The porpoise were very playful near the vessel and one of the whales unexpectedly surfaced close to the vessel providing a little excitement.

I'm jumping up and down with excitement to read this review and see your photos as I am sailing in May '16 - Vancouver to Seward on Millennium - we then have a 6 night cruise tour that will end up in Fairbanks. I've never been on Milly but have been on Connie twice and LOVED the M class.

We will turn Elite while on this cruise so will not benefit from any status but we are in Aqua (1138 on the aft) - I have heard horror stories of long and disorganized embarkations out of Vancouver but guess I'll just go in with a "yahoo - I'm excited to cruise" attitude and go with the flow. :)

We've only ever ate in Blu for dinner (wasn't that good) once while in a suite - and a few breakfasts (we loved) - so I'll be watching to see how you feel the menu, food and service was. We booked Aqua aft because it was cheaper than a Concierge aft cabin.

Share any and all details!

Exciting to read your review. We will be on Millie in 5 weeks for our first Alaska cruise. Can't wait.

Juneau: We booked our whale watching excursion with Harv & Marv a year in advance because we wanted the same company for both Juneau stops during our B2B cruise. As always, we found Harv & Marv to be very prompt with correspondence and very accommodating to our requests.

After our departure from the Millennium we followed the instructions given to us from Harv & Marv and made our way over to their excursion representative. We checked in and as soon as our group was ready, transportation was summoned and we boarded the bus. Our bus driver was a long time Juneau resident and provided stories and answered questions in route to the boat harbor. Because we were a little early, the driver made a quick stop near Mendenhall for a quick photo op. Once back on board the bus, we headed on over to meet our captain. We were excited to see that we would be going out with Cpt. Liz ---- we had Cpt. Liz last year and we very much enjoyed our experience with her.

After our group assembled with Cpt. Liz we were given an opportunity to use the rest room and then made our way down to the six-passenger “Haarvendam.” Once on board, we were given a safety talk and then we were underway.

After a short time on the water we received word that whales were bubble net feeding in this one particular area. We made our way over to the site when all of a sudden things began to happen one after the other: bubble net feeding, pods of whales moving about, spouts, tails, breaching. DH and I had cameras and it was a chore to keep up with all the action --- it was definitely a once in a lifetime moment for us.

Skagway: Before we left home we decided that we would make Skagway our "down-time" day for both legs of our B2B. After breakfast, we gathered up all our family gifts and made our way over to the Skagway post office so we could mail them rather use valuable room in our suitcases. After mailing the packages we wandered around town a bit.

Hint: Prior to going to Alaska, I looked up the post office information for each of the ports that we would be visiting so I knew when and where we could mail our gifts home. I already had pre-addressed Priority Mail labels made out to save time. I also used Priority Mail flat rate boxes (available at the post office) with the self-adhesive flap so I didn't have to buy tape (free tape is not available at the post office; you have to purchase it if needed)

Hubbard: Today, we visited Hubbard Glacier. The weather was on the cool side but bearable. The captain was able to very close to the glacier --- the legal limit according to the naturalist.

Calving was minimal at first then increased during the time we were there. And, of course, there was one big calving event just as the Millennium turned its back on Hubbard.

Seward: Seward is the disembarkation port for northbound Millennium passengers. However, for us, it was the start of the 2nd leg of our B2B cruise.

After we disembarked the ship we made our way over to the Kenai Fjords tour office to check in for our 11:30 AM excursion. We were a little bummed as it was raining and we wondered how the weather would affect our excursion. We tried to remain positive but the “liquid sunshine” lingered throughout most of the day and made the journey a little rocky at times and picture taking a challenge.

Multiple people were sea sick and kept the crew busy with clean up service. I give high kudos to the crew for their sensitivity in handling the sick passengers --- never once did I see them get upset over clean up --- they were fast, efficient and sympathetic to those that were ailing. Sea sickness is something I have seen on multiple occasions during our trips over the years. Please, remember to take precautions BEFORE you board if you are sensitive to motion --- you will stand a better chance of enjoying the excursion if you do.

Lunch (Chicken Caesar Wrap, potato chips, and granola bar) was included in the price of the excursion. There was a bowl of apples available for the taking and a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie was served towards the end of the excursion. There was also a snack/beverage area where you could purchase items. The lunch provided was fine and everyone around us seemed to enjoy their meal.

Although the weather was not ideal, we did manage to see a lot of wildlife: Orcas, humpback whales, rafting otters, puffins and sea lions. There were also reports of breaching and bubble net feeding but those two things were a little far off for us to see especially with the rain impairing our range of visibility. We spent a little time at the glacier --- it was pretty quiet that day.

Hubbard Glacier: Weather was a little on the damp side and there was an announcement made stating that the helipad might not be open for glacier viewing due to the area being slippery. As we got closer to the glacier, another announcement came on and said that the helipad would be open but asked that cruisers use extreme caution when walking. We did not go down to the helipad as it is too cold for me.

Once again, we had a smooth transit to the glacier and we got to the legal limit for viewing. We saw more calving than the week prior; we were happy campers.

Juneau: For the northbound portion of this cruise we went with Harv & Marv for our whale watching excursion and had a superior experience. For the southbound portion, we pre-booked Harv & Marv. again and we also had Captain Liz and the “Haarvendam” for a second time in a row.

The weather was good and we kept our fingers crossed that we would have a repeat of the prior week’s spectacular whale watching experience. Silly us, we know that no two whale watching experiences are the same --- but we can hope can’t we!

Well, our whale watching excursion was much tamer this time around. We did see pods of humpback whales, tails, blows, harbor seals, and beautiful scenery. DH and I put down our cameras at one point and decided to stop taking pictures and just sit back and enjoy the experience.

Skagway: This was our dedicated “down day” and we made the best of it by just relaxing.

Icy Strait: The week prior, Icy Strait was a tender port that needed tickets to tender ashore. Since our arrival was very early in the morning, Celebrity felt that tender tickets were not needed as they found people prefer to sleep in a bit before going ashore. We had booked our whale watching excursion a year in advance with F.I.S.H.E.S.; this would have been our 5th time with the company.

After we caught the first tender we made our way over to meet up with Majorie (Floyd’s wife) and the other members of our tour. Marjorie gave us a brief intro on Hoonah while driving us to the boat harbor. Once at the boat harbor we made our way down the gangway to meet up with Floyd, the captain for the “Silver Spoon.”

The “Silver Spoon” is a great whale watching vessel; comfortable seating and plenty of viewing spaces for all on board. This year, Floyd added two benches in the front of the vessel allowing more viewing options from the previous years.

Floyd is an experienced captain that has been operating in the area for many years. He amazes me when he sees something from afar without binoculars. Floyd uses his hydrophone so we can listen to the whales communicating from below; amazing sounds.

On this whale watching excursion we saw the following: harbor seals, black-tailed deer, bears on the shoreline, humpback whales, and a baby otter with its mama. The highlight of our tour was the humpback whale that came towards us, went under the vessel and bumped our underside. It was an amazing moment!

Ketchikan: In 2014 we reserved Island Wing’s Anan Creek Bear Watching excursion and had a great time. As soon as we returned home from our cruise we immediately booked the same tour again for 2015.

The day of our tour the weather was clear and sunny. The views from the float plan as we traveled to Anan Creek were beautiful. Upon arrival at Anan Creek Michelle (pilot and owner of Island Wings) dropped us off at the shore line and left us in the capable hands of our armed guide, Tim. We were familiar with Tim as he had accompanied us on our last trip. Once everyone was ready, we formed a tight-knit group and walked up the path to the observation deck. While in route, Tim constantly reminded us to stay close and make noise when prompted to do so.

The walk itself took about 20 minutes. Upon arrival at the deck, we quickly noticed bears moving about --- some very close to the observation deck --- we were excited! There were a total of 3-4 armed guides at the deck throughout our stay and they were very conscious of the nearby bear activity and often times told people to move back as the bears approached the viewing area.

Last year there was plenty of salmon in the streams for the bears and we saw bears catching the fish. This year, due to the dryer climate conditions, salmon was not as plentiful. Although there was a supply of salmon, the bears were too lazy to actively pursue the fish. We didn’t mind as we were taking delight in just watching their behavior, their agility and their attempts to get a fish. It was estimated that we saw about 8 bears the day we were visiting.

After our viewing was over, we made our way back down the path to our extraction point where Michelle was waiting for us. About a third of the way down the path Tim noticed a bear coming across our path. Tim made some noise and we waited while the bear went about its business. I was right behind Tim and could see him put his hand on his spray; I felt relieved that he did not have to use it.

Vancouver: After two weeks in Alaska it was time to say goodbye --- at least for 2015. Celebrity's disembarkation process was orderly and quick. We decided to stay an additional day in Vancouver post cruise. I had booked the Fairmont Waterfront using points as soon as bookings were available. We left Canada Place with luggage in tow and checked into the Fairmont. We didn't expect our room to be ready yet as it was pretty early to be checking into the hotel but we thought we would give it a try. No luck. However, the representative at the desk took our luggage and tagged it then told us that she would put us on a waiting list and to check back in an hour or so. We did just that and we had a beautiful room as well as our luggage inside waiting for us.

The Fairmont Waterfront is a lovely hotel; we enjoyed our stay very much.

After we got our room, we went to the Concierge's desk and bought tickets for the Vancouver Trolly. We boarded the trolly at Canada Place and got off at Granville Island. We walked around for a couple of hours and then made our way back to the trolley pick-up point. We stayed on the trolley for the remainder of the tour.

For dinner, we went to Tim Horton's and picked up a sandwich. After dinner we went back to the room and watched the Millennium sail away and then decided it was time to turn in as we had a 1 AM wake-up call.

With about 6 hours of sleep under our belts we left the Fairmont and made our way to the Vancouver Airport. We arrived around 3 AM giving us plenty of time for processing and our 5:25 AM boarding time.

We had a great two weeks in Alaska and will definitely treasure all the memories we made.

If anyone has any specific questions I will try to answer them.

Thank you - this is great! Alaska's on my bucket list.

I'm jumping up and down with excitement to read this review and see your photos as I am sailing in May '16 - Vancouver to Seward on Millennium - we then have a 6 night cruise tour that will end up in Fairbanks. I've never been on Milly but have been on Connie twice and LOVED the M class.

 

We will turn Elite while on this cruise so will not benefit from any status but we are in Aqua (1138 on the aft) - I have heard horror stories of long and disorganized embarkations out of Vancouver but guess I'll just go in with a "yahoo - I'm excited to cruise" attitude and go with the flow. :)We've only ever ate in Blu for dinner (wasn't that good) once while in a suite - and a few breakfasts (we loved) - so I'll be watching to see how you feel the menu, food and service was. We booked Aqua aft because it was cheaper than a Concierge aft cabin.

 

Share any and all details!

 

We were in AQ 1140 last year. Overall, the room was very nice --- only concerns I had was the flag pole that was in my line of sight and the room got kinda warm on sunny days. Great location for Oceanview Cafe --- just down the stairs and you are there.

Blu was nice but food was a little rich for my taste. We only ate in Blu on the formal nights and I got the chicken when I did. The service in Blu was very good and our waiter was very accommodating when I asked for something. Tables are a little too close for me. Last year we had a couple next to us that was very uncomfortable with the seating arrangements as they would put the menus up to their face when they talked. Made it very awkward for us sitting next to them.

No problems with embarkation or disembarkation in Vancouver. However, I have heard that early in the cruising season problems sometimes do occur. If you are the only ship at Canada Place things should go much smoother --- fingers crossed.

Exciting to read your review. We will be on Millie in 5 weeks for our first Alaska cruise. Can't wait.

Have a great cruise!

Thank you - this is great! Alaska's on my bucket list.

You're welcome. Glad to hear Alaska is on your bucket list --- it's a great place to visit.

Amazing pictures and review! Looks like a fabulous trip!

If you acquire Fairmont points, you may want to try staying at the Fairmont Pacific Rim next year - it blew me away. It is 2 blocks away but I much prefer it to the Fairmont Waterfront. Waterfront location is a tad better....

Vancouver: After two weeks in Alaska it was time to say goodbye --- at least for 2015. Celebrity's disembarkation process was orderly and quick. We decided to stay an additional day in Vancouver post cruise. I had booked the Fairmont Waterfront using points as soon as bookings were available. We left Canada Place with luggage in tow and checked into the Fairmont. We didn't expect our room to be ready yet as it was pretty early to be checking into the hotel but we thought we would give it a try. No luck. However, the representative at the desk took our luggage and tagged it then told us that she would put us on a waiting list and to check back in an hour or so. We did just that and we had a beautiful room as well as our luggage inside waiting for us.

 

The Fairmont Waterfront is a lovely hotel; we enjoyed our stay very much.

 

After we got our room, we went to the Concierge's desk and bought tickets for the Vancouver Trolly. We boarded the trolly at Canada Place and got off at Granville Island. We walked around for a couple of hours and then made our way back to the trolley pick-up point. We stayed on the trolley for the remainder of the tour.

 

For dinner, we went to Tim Horton's and picked up a sandwich. After dinner we went back to the room and watched the Millennium sail away and then decided it was time to turn in as we had a 1 AM wake-up call.

 

With about 6 hours of sleep under our belts we left the Fairmont and made our way to the Vancouver Airport. We arrived around 3 AM giving us plenty of time for processing and our 5:25 AM boarding time.

 

We had a great two weeks in Alaska and will definitely treasure all the memories we made.

 

If anyone has any specific questions I will try to answer them.

Thank you so much for posting such beautiful pictures and details of your daily activities. We are doing this cruise in 2 weeks from Seward. AQ cabin 1140 and Elite. We love the M class ships and are so excited to be doing Alaska. We have a land tour that includes Fairbanks and Denali. Glad to hear that FISHES is a great choice for whale watching.

Michele

Amazing pictures and review! Looks like a fabulous trip!

 

If you acquire Fairmont points, you may want to try staying at the Fairmont Pacific Rim next year - it blew me away. It is 2 blocks away but I much prefer it to the Fairmont Waterfront. Waterfront location is a tad better....

We did have a fabulous trip --- we were sorry to see it end. Thanks for the information on Pacific Rim. Our post-cruise stay at the Fairmont Waterfront was our first time with the Fairmont Family. Hopefully, it won't be our last.

Thank you so much for posting such beautiful pictures and details of your daily activities. We are doing this cruise in 2 weeks from Seward. AQ cabin 1140 and Elite. We love the M class ships and are so excited to be doing Alaska. We have a land tour that includes Fairbanks and Denali. Glad to hear that FISHES is a great choice for whale watching.

Michele

You're welcome. AQ Class, cabin 1140 and Elite --- sounds like you have all the right components for a great cruise. Have a great cruise.

We did have a fabulous trip --- we were sorry to see it end. Thanks for the information on Pacific Rim. Our post-cruise stay at the Fairmont Waterfront was our first time with the Fairmont Family. Hopefully, it won't be our last.

I had stayed at Fairmont Waterfront many years ago. Service fabulous but the hotel needed to be redone which I am sure it was done before the Olympics. All hotels need this periodically. Location just as good as Pan Pacific.

We later stayed at Fairmont in Quebec - great hotel, great location, We were stuck there during a snow storm so we spent quite a bit of time inside.

Somehow I had a free night at Fairmont and when I called them to use it in Vancouver, I wanted the Waterfront but they said I could only have Pacific Rim. I LOVED that hotel. Our hotel had a view of the Olympic cauldron which was so gorgeous at night! The location was also great and was about 2 blocks from Canada Place. It probably attracts more conference people as opposed to cruisers but the rooms were so technology advanced and lovely. Service, the best.

I agree, the Fairmont is a great chain to be able to stay at whenever one can!

Thanx for sharing, IT

Ira

Enjoyed reading your review and are thinking of booking Marv and Harv in Juneau. How far of a walk is it from the parking area to the dock? Did they pick you up right at the port?

Thanks,

Carol

Enjoyed reading your review and are thinking of booking Marv and Harv in Juneau. How far of a walk is it from the parking area to the dock? Did they pick you up right at the port?

 

Thanks,

Carol

Carol, glad you enjoyed the review. Below is a quote from Harv & Marv's website (Frequently Asked Questions):

"There are three big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks about 300 yards away from our boat. If you cannot walk 1/2 mile or up and down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different company."

Yes, a representative from H&M met us on the port dock. We checked in with the representative and one member of our party was given a paper bracelet that showed the name of our boat we were assigned to for our excursion. A mini-bus was called and we boarded the transportation to the place where the Harv & Marv boats are docked. Upon arrival we were met by our Captain, given an opportunity to use the restroom and then taken down to our boat.

We have no mobility issues and found no issues with the walk from the dock to the boat. You might want to take a look at the Harv & Marv website to see if any other concerns you might have are addressed.

Hope you get the opportunity to tour with Harv & Marv.