On Board Century 7 night Alaska

[AndyB]

Trying not to max out my internet plan, but here are some notes from the first day (and a bit about pre-cruise in Vancouver). Feel free to ask questions - I'll try to check in once a day . . .

 

Friday – Charlotte to Vancouver

Lovely airport, immigration took little time and bags were on the carousel when we got there. All three made the connection. Took a cab to the Fairmont Waterfront and checked in to our city view room. After some down time we walked through Gastown and had a bite at the Steamworks Brewery and then a drink at a French place down the street, can’t remember the name. By this time we were feeling pretty tired after 8 hours of flying and a 3-hour time difference. We made it an early night.

Saturday – Vancouver

Grabbed a quick coffee and yogurt at Starbucks in the Waterfront mall area just below the hotel. The HOHO bus route begins at Canada Place, just across the street, so we got tickets and hopped on. Ticket sales girl recommended we do the Stanley loop early to avoid the cruise crowds, so we just stayed on the bus until we got to the Stanley Park stop. Then transferred to the Stanley loop bus for the hour-long drive around Stanley Park. This bus stops a couple of times for photo ops and restroom breaks, once at the Totems and once at the Grouse Mountain overlook. Enjoyable tour. At Granville Island we had lunch at Bridges restaurant on the water, snapped a ton of pictures, and recharged a bit. My fish and chips was delicious and DH had a seafood chowder and plate of mussels that were also great. Tourist trap – undoubtedly; but the food was good and the views fantastic.

Still not quite over our day of flying, we stayed on the bus for the rest of the tour, rested a bit at the hotel, and then split up for our own amusements. DS and I headed to the hotel pool, DH found a pub to watch the race. Later DS and I walked around Canada Place – on one side there is a line of exhibits on Canadian history. We spent more time watching the cruise ships leave and float planes taking off and landing.

Very glad we had this day in Vancouver to recuperate from our travels and enjoy the city. I would highly recommend taking this extra time before boarding – nothing worse than starting off vacation rushing and stressed. Also note – it’s pleasantly cool even on a summer day (especially on the breezy bus) – but wear a hat and/or sunscreen – we got a bit burned (also not a good way to start vacation).

Sunday – Embarkation

With embarkation starting at 11 a.m. at Canada Place (right across the street), we were able to ease into the morning, taking our time getting coffee and breakfast, writing out a few postcards and packing up. Check-in could not have been easier. We wheeled our bags across the street, down the ramp to the parking deck, checked our bags with Celebrity and were among the first in line at US immigration. We left the hotel at about 10:40 and by 11 we were in the waiting room to board the ship. Boarding soon commenced and was handled efficiently by the Celebrity staff, who called us row by row and didn’t allow a stampede of people trying to get on the ship.

Once on board we headed up to deck 11, through the buffet and out to the Sunset Bar, claimed a table in the shade, and enjoyed a Bon Voyage drink and some lunch. With one of us there with our carry-on bags the others could walk about, snap pictures and re-familiarize ourselves with Century. After a while we were anxious to get into our cabin, and luckily once we were allowed in our bags followed very soon after. I was able to get us unpacked before muster drill, and get DS registered for the Fun Factory (this would be the first time we let him check himself in and out). Muster drill is now conducted at assembly stations rather that at the life boats, and it went about as expected – everyone sitting in the cinema looking at their cell phones, paying no attention to the announcements.

Cabin - we have an inside cabin on deck 9, plenty of storage space, decent sized shower, bed is pretty comfortable.

Sail-away party – we bypassed the pool-side party and headed back to the Sunset Bar and watched Vancouver fade into the distance – very relaxing, which is what I’m looking for on this trip.

Dinner – we have second seating in the MDR, and I had asked to be moved to early, but no luck so far. So we took advantage of the 20% discount in Murano while DS had fun with the kids doing a scavenger hunt. I stopped in at the comedian’s show (Louis Johnson) after dropping DS off at the kid’s club – he was pretty funny, had the crowd laughing out loud with jokes about the cruise passengers. We stopped in the Martini Bar for a cocktail – I was surprised how quiet it was, hardly anyone there. Murano was as good as we remembered it – lobster bisque and goat cheese soufflé for starters, veal tenderloin and lamp chops for mains, followed by a tasty selection of cheeses. We’ll probably have one more dinner there, as well as the Hubbard Glacier lunch which we booked earlier today.

That was about it for us for the first day.

[lovecruzin]

I look forward to reading about your experience. We were on Century 3 weeks ago, we had a great time and Hubbard glacier was amazing. I wish we were back onboard. Enjoy :)

[DiamondSuiteCruiser]

Thanks for sharing and looking forward to more.

 

Someone on another thread said that they are again serving Escargot in the main dinning room. Have you seen it on the menu by any chance? DH loves escargot.

 

How is the ship? Several reports that it is looking pretty tired and run down.

 

We will have to look into the HOHO bus. Since we too come in on Friday before.

 

Thanks and enjoy your cruise!

[SoBe2010]

Thanks for the live review.

 

Btw: back from the Equinox last week, Escargots were available.

[lovecruzin]

Thanks for sharing and looking forward to more.

 

Someone on another thread said that they are again serving Escargot in the main dinning room. Have you seen it on the menu by any chance? DH loves escargot.

 

How is the ship? Several reports that it is looking pretty tired and run down.

 

We will have to look into the HOHO bus. Since we too come in on Friday before.

 

Thanks and enjoy your cruise!

 

Hi diamondsuitecruiser, we have spent 27 days on century this year and although she does show some wear, I wouldn't call it run down and tired. There are always people out and about maintaining, painting, cleaning. The reason we keep coming back is the amazing crew and officers in addition to the charm of the smaller ship, the materials used when they built her have stood the test of time. Have a great cruise!

[elisemburton]

Thank you! Looking forward to Alaska next year

 

 

~Elise

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[A Sixth?]

Thanks to the OP....

 

Is Milos back as the naturalist?

 

Snails status?

 

We love the Century and did your cruise last year.... loved it.

 

[cidymom]

My son and I were at Canada Place this past Sunday and saw the Century docked there and watched it sail away. We won't be on until next month. In your post, you mentioned that your son was at the Fun Factory. Does that mean the Fun Factory was open the very first day of boarding? If you're able to save and post the daily bulletins, that would be great. Have a great cruise and we're looking forward to your comments on the ship, ports and any tips you may have. Thanks in advance for your help.

[suzzek]

I will be following your review and want to tell you that I appreciate that you are taking time to post while on the ship! We will be planning an Alaskan cruise in 2015 and I am just now starting to take notes. Thanks for some great info so far!!

[elena7seas]

Thanks to the OP....

 

Is Milos back as the naturalist?

 

Snails status?

 

We love the Century and did your cruise last year.... loved it.

 

 

Hi A Sixth:

 

Milos was on the Century last week, with his wife, the Judge. He gave a lot of talks which were very well received. And he went and visited with the children in the Fun Factory early in the cruise, and told them all about the Alaskan wildlife that they might be seeing. My 6-year-old grand-daughter loved him.

[elena7seas]

Thanks to the OP....

 

Is Milos back as the naturalist?

 

Snails status?

 

We love the Century and did your cruise last year.... loved it.

 

 

Oh, and about the snails. I didn't notice any, but we were only in the MDR for four nights. There were mushrooms done in the style of escargot on the "always available" side of the menu every night. They were very good, although, not escargot by any means.

[A Sixth?]

Oh, and about the snails. I didn't notice any, but we were only in the MDR for four nights. There were mushrooms done in the style of escargot on the "always available" side of the menu every night. They were very good, although, not escargot by any means.

 

Milos is a treasure... his wife was not on our cruise but we would love to meet her some day....

 

So no escargot in the MDR :(

[lovecruzin]

Milos is a treasure... his wife was not on our cruise but we would love to meet her some day....

 

So no escargot in the MDR :(

 

I only went to one of Milos talks in June, he was talking about bears and how to distract them with little dogs, I left shaking my head...maybe his other talks were educational and he did a great job narrating at Hubbard Glacier but I much prefer Brent Nixon!

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing this.

 

Keith

[drarill]

Thanks for your report!! Looking forward to the rest!!:):)

[snowyboy]

We were on 16 June sailing it was a wonderful trip Hubbard was superb clear day blue skies Captain did 2 x 360deg turns and got in very very close.

Great ship not to large super food also.

[ChefPeg]

Thank you for the live review on the Century. Really looking forward to hear all about her. We are sailing the Coastal in September on her and I was a little anxious about her tired state. But it seems like she still got it going on.....another reviewer stated her crew is terrific too. Now I am feeling much better about sailing her these days.

[lovecruzin]

Thank you for the live review on the Century. Really looking forward to hear all about her. We are sailing the Coastal in September on her and I was a little anxious about her tired state. But it seems like she still got it going on.....another reviewer stated her crew is terrific too. Now I am feeling much better about sailing her these days.

 

The crew is among the best I've had the pleasure on sailing with. :o

IMO that is a reflection back to the top... We have cruised with captain George who is on now and Captain Nikolas who comes back in September. Both are highly visible and approachable.

[ChefPeg]

The crew is among the best I've had the pleasure on sailing with. :o

IMO that is a reflection back to the top... We have cruised with captain George who is on now and Captain Nikolas who comes back in September. Both are highly visible and approachable.

 

Hi!

 

Thank you for the info.....good to know both captains are visable and approachable.....I do agree....a happy crew does start at the top.

[AndyB]

Sorry to be absent so long after the first post. Working on long-winded narrative :), but for now . . .

 

Milos is back - he is fantastic

Escargot are on the every-day menu. DH has had them once already

Run-down? no Older? definitely - but as another mentioned, staff and crew make the difference.

Zumba in the theatre (I did not partake :))

 

Back soon with more - Hubbard Glacier was fantastic! We got within half a mile under semi-clear skies - unbelievable! Also spotted a whale from the shore at ISP.

[cidymom]

Thanks for your update. I forgot to ask a very important question in my earlier post. What is the weather like? Do you need warm clothing and boots? I'm having a hard time deciding what to pack. I don't want to pack too much warm clothing if it's not necessary! This is a tough cruise to pack for. Thanks in advance for your help.

[AndyB]

It is definitely a hard cruise to pack for! It has not been terribly cold, but a fleece jacket is good to have, and we used our rain coats in Icy Strait Point. It's been mostly cloudy, so quite chilly out on desk, with rain off and on.

 

Oh, and the Fun Factory was open the evening of the first night, but that afternoon it was only open for a couple of hours of open house and to register the kids. They have a VIP package on offer for $100 which includes a bridge tour, a behind the scenes session with the production players, and all the pay-extra activities (like late nights and dinner parties).

[AndyB]

Should have mentioned - temperatures - highs in low 60s, lows in low 50s. But the wind does make it feel colder.

 

Here are some more notes, just my diary, but it may give you some sense of the ship and activities:

 

Monday – at sea

Up early, not many people in the Islands Café. A little chilly with the wind, and the shops had their fleece and raincoats on sale at the entrance to the Buffet from about 11 to 1. Good thing, as we had not brought enough warm weather gear. We spent late morning and afternoon just enjoying the ship.

2:00 – Milos Radakovich, Naturalist, gave his first talk – Wildlife of Alaska. As the introductory talk of the cruise, the first bit was bio on Milos, interesting enough in itself; then he touched on the wildlife we would see. Lots of humor interspersed with good information.

We finally got switched to early seating, dined with a nice couple from Vancouver. Formal night – saw the whole range of dress, but mostly semi-formal-ish. Suits, not tuxes, and many men without jackets. Our service was pretty slow – all the tables around us got more attention and were on their way. Will see about next time. Dinner was good, though, and escargot were on the everyday side of the menu, which made DH very happy. After dinner DS headed back to the Fun Factory.

Tuesday – Icy Strait Point

Plenty of onboard activities before we pulled up to ISP at around 3 pm. Milos did a second talk, Fire and Ice (Earth – born of fire, shaped by ice), we played team trivia as usual, worked hard to max out our beverage packages (definitely take advantage of the fresh squeezed juice!). DH got a massage. We had no excursion booked for ISP, and I would really have been fine staying on the ship, but DS wanted to look around so we picked up launch tickets (#27 – it would be a while before we got off the ship) and just hung out waiting. Around 5:30 they finally called open launch – they never got up to #27, and by about 6:15 we were ashore (still a good bit of waiting on the steps). We walked down to the zipline viewing area, took some photos on the beach, got some seafood chowder. It was chilly and raining slightly – more a nuisance than anything else. But we decided to head back to the ship. On the way back someone spotted a humpback whale near the beach. DS was determined to get a picture of it, so we hung around the pier for a little while longer until he finally captured the fluke. So we decided the trip ashore was worth it.

Back on board DS headed straight for the Fun Factory, where he’s made plenty of friends. DH and I had the Port wine tasting in Michael’s Club – I think this is a new addition to their wine tastings? Never noticed that one before. We’re also signed up for the Riedel tasting later in the week.

Wednesday – Hubbard Glacier

Milos had warned us that we weren’t likely to have great weather for our Hubbard Glacier viewing; it was likely to be foggy and overcast, and we likely wouldn’t be able to get very close. What a nice surprise when we pulled into the bay to cloudy (but not foggy) skies, and Captain George got us within a half mile of the glacier. Without a sunny sky it was not as dazzling as in the brochures, but with grey skies we were able to see that the blue is not just a reflection of blue sky. The ice is intrinsically blue. DS and I spent most of the morning on deck 12 getting as many pictures as we could. We were able to capture some calving (according to Milos, not as spectacular as it used to be – with warmer temperatures the ice sloughs off in smaller pieces; we don’t get the huge chunks sliding off). Also saw some harbor seals sunbathing on some floating ice.

Murano had a special Hubbard Glacier lunch, which we had signed up for the first day. So DH and I had lunch there, watching the scenery as we left the glacier. It was a 3-course lunch for $25 cover charge (the dinner cover charge is $45). DH had crab cake, lobster tail and chocolate soufflé; I had risotto, filet mignon and Ivory crème tart. All delicious.

[cidymom]

Thanks for the update. Can you tell me what the weather has been like? Any need for really warm clothes or boots in the ports? I'm having a hard time deciding what to pack - don't want to bring too many warm clothes if not necessary. Should I pack some summer clothes? Thanks in advance for your help.

[cidymom]

AndyB - sorry for the duplicate post on the weather. I didn't see my post last night and posted another one a little while later. Have a great time! Thanks.