Celebirty Century Alaska

[Advise]

Hello Fellow Cruisers

 

I am wondering if anyone who has been on the Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Century can give me a bit of advise.

 

I have booked the cruise for late August this year and have booked a balcony cabin.

However, although I requested a balcony on the right of the ship, I have been given a balcony on the left.

 

My idea was that if I had a balcony on the right, it would give me good views and photo opportunities on approach to the Hubbard Glacier from my balcony as, from what I have read in a review, the top deck on the ship does get very crowded on that day. My wife is quite happy with a cabin on the left and says that we can always take pictures after the ship has made its u-turn to head back to Vancouver.

 

Also, as we have booked the cruise as part of a holiday to the Canadian Rockies, we have only been given 23kg luggage allowance. This means limited clothes and I was wondering how formal the formal night dressing is on the cruise. I want to try and avoid taking too much formal wear and hopefully leave a bit of room for shopping and souvenirs.

 

Any advise and tips would be very much appreciated please, as this is supposed to be a holiday of a lifetime and I want to try and prepare as best as possible for it.

 

Thank you.

Jim

[more from les]

As Century approaches the Hubbard, you will see the Malaspina Glacier and if you are lucky, Mt. St. Elias from your left side balcony. Then, if the past is any guide, at the closest point to the Hubbard, the Captain will do a 360 degree turn [our last one was 720!] so passengers in balconies on both sides and the aft ones all have a great view. On our last cruise as we approached the Hubbard, I spent time on the deck on six - crossing from port to starboard for photo ops - very few people were on that deck because the majority were on the helipad, or on the forward deck of 12 and 14. As we sailed away I moved to the aft of deck 7 behind the Crystal Room and was the only person there.

In terms of formal night --- some men wore tuxes, most were in darkish suits with ties, many ladies were in outfits featuring dark pants and colourful tops..... [my wife wears the same outfit for both nights and just changes the pendants or scarf for variation....]...

Les

[MicCanberra]

I agree with the above post, the ship rotates around and gives both sides the good views. The formal nights are like any other, some dress up more than others and most take part.:D

[Northern Aurora]

We have been to Hubbard twice, and I really don't think that it is important that your stateroom be on either the starboard or port side of the ship. On the first cruise in which we visited Hubbard we were on the port side, and on the second our cabin was on the starboard. We were satisfied with both balconies.

 

Hubbard lies at the top of Disenchantment Bay. The Century will enter the fairly narrow bay slowly, and slowly move toward Hubbard. Hubbard will be positioned essentially in front of the Century's bow. Depending on the ice conditions in the bay, the approach can be very slow. If there is a great amount of ice in the bay you may hear ice crunching under the ship. Once they reach the closest position which the pilot and captain feel is safe, they will attempt a 360 degree rotation of the ship.

 

For me Hubbard is a very zen experience; as the ship slowly moves forward I feel as if we are going back in time. I always am looking on the shoreline for bears, but somehow I feel I could be seeing dinosaurs instead. But be sure to look for seals hauled out on the ice pack.

 

While visiting Hubbard's face the outside decks can be very crowded. But Century also has a wonderful forward lounge with fantastic views. I've been on Century twice (and actually have four more cruises booked on her) but I can't remember the name of that lounge, and I'm feeling too lazy to look up the information. It is the one located above the bridge, and is referred to as the Sky Lounge on some other ships. Consider getting to that lounge very early, because others will also realize that this is the perfect inside location for the approach.

 

Alaskans tend to dress informally, and folks cruising to Alaska also dress more informally. On formal nights in the MDR men will be expected to wear some sort of jacket (you will see very few tuxes). Women tend to wear something sparkly, such as a sparkly top with dark slacks or dark skirt.

 

I hope you enjoy your visit to our state. We feel it is very special to live here.

[Advise]

As Century approaches the Hubbard, you will see the Malaspina Glacier and if you are lucky, Mt. St. Elias from your left side balcony. Then, if the past is any guide, at the closest point to the Hubbard, the Captain will do a 360 degree turn [our last one was 720!] so passengers in balconies on both sides and the aft ones all have a great view. On our last cruise as we approached the Hubbard, I spent time on the deck on six - crossing from port to starboard for photo ops - very few people were on that deck because the majority were on the helipad, or on the forward deck of 12 and 14. As we sailed away I moved to the aft of deck 7 behind the Crystal Room and was the only person there.

In terms of formal night --- some men wore tuxes, most were in darkish suits with ties, many ladies were in outfits featuring dark pants and colourful tops..... [my wife wears the same outfit for both nights and just changes the pendants or scarf for variation....]...

Les

Hi Les

 

Thank you so much for such a lovely detailed reply.

 

I was so worried that I might miss a nice photo opportunity by being on the wrong side of the ship - your additional tips are a great help too - thank you.

 

I will try to explore the ship during the first couple of days to get my bearings.

 

Also thank you for the formal dress night mention - I will take a suit and will use the same suit on both nights with a different shirt and tie. I have asked my wife to see if has a light formal outfit as a pose to something very heavy.

 

Did you take a very high spec camera? Were you lucky enough to see and ice sheets breaking off on the day?

 

Jim

[Advise]

I agree with the above post, the ship rotates around and gives both sides the good views. The formal nights are like any other, some dress up more than others and most take part.:D

Hi Mic

 

Thank you

 

Jim

[Advise]

We have been to Hubbard twice, and I really don't think that it is important that your stateroom be on either the starboard or port side of the ship. On the first cruise in which we visited Hubbard we were on the port side, and on the second our cabin was on the starboard. We were satisfied with both balconies.

 

Hubbard lies at the top of Disenchantment Bay. The Century will enter the fairly narrow bay slowly, and slowly move toward Hubbard. Hubbard will be positioned essentially in front of the Century's bow. Depending on the ice conditions in the bay, the approach can be very slow. If there is a great amount of ice in the bay you may hear ice crunching under the ship. Once they reach the closest position which the pilot and captain feel is safe, they will attempt a 360 degree rotation of the ship.

 

For me Hubbard is a very zen experience; as the ship slowly moves forward I feel as if we are going back in time. I always am looking on the shoreline for bears, but somehow I feel I could be seeing dinosaurs instead. But be sure to look for seals hauled out on the ice pack.

 

While visiting Hubbard's face the outside decks can be very crowded. But Century also has a wonderful forward lounge with fantastic views. I've been on Century twice (and actually have four more cruises booked on her) but I can't remember the name of that lounge, and I'm feeling too lazy to look up the information. It is the one located above the bridge, and is referred to as the Sky Lounge on some other ships. Consider getting to that lounge very early, because others will also realize that this is the perfect inside location for the approach.

 

Alaskans tend to dress informally, and folks cruising to Alaska also dress more informally. On formal nights in the MDR men will be expected to wear some sort of jacket (you will see very few tuxes). Women tend to wear something sparkly, such as a sparkly top with dark slacks or dark skirt.

 

I hope you enjoy your visit to our state. We feel it is very special to live here.

Hello Northern Aurora

 

What a wonderful description of the arrival at Hubbard - thank you so much.

 

I didn't know about the seals - so I very much appreciate the tip - I will definitely look out for them.

 

After reading your post, I had to get the brochure and check the deck plans - I think the lounge you are referring to could be the Hemisphere Lounge. I will try and find my way to it during the initial exploration of the ship.

 

Also, thank you for the tips on formal night dressing.

 

What a lovely surprise to hear from someone who actually lives in such a wonderful part of our precious world - you are indeed very lucky and you come across as such a lovely person too, via your text.

 

I was born in Africa and have lived in England for the past 40 years. I look forward to meeting interesting people from various parts of the world during the cruise.

 

Regards

Jim

[elena7seas]

 

As you are sailing into Yakutat Bay, then into Disenchantment Bay, the captain takes the ship down the centre, and there is plenty to see from the port (left) side of the ship. Then when he is as close as he can get to the Hubbard Glacier, he will rotate the ship 360 degrees, very slowly, so everyone gets a good view, no matter where they are situated.

 

People move all around the ship and take photos from every vantage point, and there are lots of great viewpoints. I think we entered into Yakutat Bay around 10:00 AM, and left about 12:30 PM, so we had lots of time for photos.

 

We were on the Century in Alaska two weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure everyone got all the chances they wanted to take photos from whatever vantage point they wanted. We were told that we got as close to the glacier as ships were allowed, so it was a good day.

 

We found the dress code to be interpreted fairly casually, probably the most casually of any Celebrity cruise I have been on. There were a number of people who made no effort whatever on formal night, but I would guess that 75% of all men wore a jacket, although there were a lot of sports jackets. There were also a number of men in dress shirts and ties, but no jackets. Usually I don't care too much what people are wearing, but I have to admit that the foursome at the table directly in my line of vision who were wearing down vests and fishing-type multi-pocket vests on formal night did give me pause for thought.

 

You don't need heavy clothing in Alaska...just think layers. Scarves can really keep you warm by protecting your neck, so bring one or two of them.

 

I brought one suitcase weighing 40 lb., and had plenty of clothes.

 

Here are some photos taken from the top deck, forward. They are not very good pictures, I'm afraid, because I accidently took one of my husband's old cameras which doesn't take very sharp photos any more.

 

We had a fairly good-sized calving while we were at Hubbard, which you can see the beginning of, in photo 2. I accidentally hit the zoom instead of the record button, and got a closeup of the calving instead of a video (photo 3), but it was still very cool to see. As you can see, it was quite overcast, but not raining. I wore flip-flops on the deck and my feet were not cold. But then again, I am Canadian ;).

 

 

 

 

[MicCanberra]

 

As you are sailing into Yakutat Bay, then into Disenchantment Bay, the captain takes the ship down the centre, and there is plenty to see from the port (left) side of the ship. Then when he is as close as he can get to the Hubbard Glacier, he will rotate the ship 360 degrees, very slowly, so everyone gets a good view, no matter where they are situated.

 

People move all around the ship and take photos from every vantage point, and there are lots of great viewpoints. I think we entered into Yakutat Bay around 10:00 AM, and left about 12:30 PM, so we had lots of time for photos.

 

We were on the Century in Alaska two weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure everyone got all the chances they wanted to take photos from whatever vantage point they wanted. We were told that we got as close to the glacier as ships were allowed, so it was a good day.

 

We found the dress code to be interpreted fairly casually, probably the most casually of any Celebrity cruise I have been on. There were a number of people who made no effort whatever on formal night, but I would guess that 75% of all men wore a jacket, although there were a lot of sports jackets. There were also a number of men in dress shirts and ties, but no jackets. Usually I don't care too much what people are wearing, but I have to admit that the foursome at the table directly in my line of vision who were wearing down vests and fishing-type multi-pocket vests on formal night did give me pause for thought.

 

You don't need heavy clothing in Alaska...just think layers. Scarves can really keep you warm by protecting your neck, so bring one or two of them.

 

I brought one suitcase weighing 40 lb., and had plenty of clothes.

 

Here are some photos taken from the top deck, forward. They are not very good pictures, I'm afraid, because I accidently took one of my husband's old cameras which doesn't take very sharp photos any more.

 

We had a fairly good-sized calving while we were at Hubbard, which you can see the beginning of, in photo 2. I accidentally hit the zoom instead of the record button, and got a closeup of the calving instead of a video (photo 3), but it was still very cool to see. As you can see, it was quite overcast, but not raining. I wore flip-flops on the deck and my feet were not cold. But then again, I am Canadian .

 

 

 

 

Cool pictures, (pardon the pun).:D

[more from les]

I have a slide show set to music made from photos with lots of calving taken from Summit a few years back.

I cannot provide a link here but if you are interested, send your e-mail address to me at dickason at shaw dot ca [if you get the longhand] and I will send you an invitation to visit my gallery and see the slide show.

Les

[MicCanberra]

I have a slide show set to music made from photos with lots of calving taken from Summit a few years back.

I cannot provide a link here but if you are interested, send your e-mail address to me at dickason at shaw dot ca [if you get the longhand] and I will send you an invitation to visit my gallery and see the slide show.

Les

 

Cool, Thanks for the offer, it certainly brings back memories of when I was in Alaska and saw lots of calving.:D

[dwp1127]

We just got off the Century this morning from Alaska. We had a suite on the Port (left) side of the ship and had absolutely no issues with Hubbard Glacier. We stayed the entire time on our balcony even though they opened up the bow for everyone go to out (it was very crowded). I don't feel like we missed anything. The Captain did a really nice slow 360 so all parts of the ship could get good viewing/photo ops.

 

As for formal nights (2 of them) we saw a variety of people. I personally brought a suit and wore that both nights. Some men wore just slacks and a dress shirt, some wore sweater vests, etc.

 

Hello Fellow Cruisers

 

I am wondering if anyone who has been on the Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Century can give me a bit of advise.

 

I have booked the cruise for late August this year and have booked a balcony cabin.

However, although I requested a balcony on the right of the ship, I have been given a balcony on the left.

 

My idea was that if I had a balcony on the right, it would give me good views and photo opportunities on approach to the Hubbard Glacier from my balcony as, from what I have read in a review, the top deck on the ship does get very crowded on that day. My wife is quite happy with a cabin on the left and says that we can always take pictures after the ship has made its u-turn to head back to Vancouver.

 

Also, as we have booked the cruise as part of a holiday to the Canadian Rockies, we have only been given 23kg luggage allowance. This means limited clothes and I was wondering how formal the formal night dressing is on the cruise. I want to try and avoid taking too much formal wear and hopefully leave a bit of room for shopping and souvenirs.

 

Any advise and tips would be very much appreciated please, as this is supposed to be a holiday of a lifetime and I want to try and prepare as best as possible for it.

 

Thank you.

Jim

[MicCanberra]

The great thing about the rotation is that you can see it from your balcony and get all sorts of angles as it spins. Then you can go up top and get some height aspects from the top or the front of the ship.:D

[Advise]

We just got off the Century this morning from Alaska. We had a suite on the Port (left) side of the ship and had absolutely no issues with Hubbard Glacier. We stayed the entire time on our balcony even though they opened up the bow for everyone go to out (it was very crowded). I don't feel like we missed anything. The Captain did a really nice slow 360 so all parts of the ship could get good viewing/photo ops.

 

As for formal nights (2 of them) we saw a variety of people. I personally brought a suit and wore that both nights. Some men wore just slacks and a dress shirt, some wore sweater vests, etc.

Hi DWP

 

Thank you for such an informative reply/post - I found it very helpful.

 

I guess, I can relax a little now knowing that I won't be missing out on photo opportunities.

 

As for the formal nights - I decided that I will take one suit - with different shirt/tie for each night.

 

Thanks again

Jim

[Advise]

The great thing about the rotation is that you can see it from your balcony and get all sorts of angles as it spins. Then you can go up top and get some height aspects from the top or the front of the ship.:D

Hi MicCanberra

 

Nice tip - I guess that running around for best photo captures will be my exercise for that day - lol.

[MicCanberra]

Hi MicCanberra

 

Nice tip - I guess that running around for best photo captures will be my exercise for that day - lol.

Yes, good idea to work off all the food and drink gains.:D

[Bneebear]

I have been reading the posts re Century and Alaska and they are very informative - thanks everyone. We, too, are from England and were wondering about the formal evenings so it is nice to know there is no need for my husband to bring anything more than a suit and tie. It is easier for women to "dress up" for these things.

 

Thanks again

Brenda:)

[Iamthesea]

Thank you to everyone for all the great information. We will be on the Century in a little over a month.

 

Although I know that I should dress in layers and wear warm, closed toes shoes when in port, what did you ladies wear on your feet during the evening hours? I usually wear sandals and dressy open toed shoes on all other cruises. Will this be appropriate for colder climate cruises? Never been on one. :D

[phoenix_dream]

Sandals and your usual dressy shoes are fine for Alaska cruises. Yes, if you walk outside at night it can be cold, but most people just stay inside where it is the same as on any other cruise.

 

On our first visit to Hubbard Glacier we were in an inside cabin and we had no issue finding spots to view the glacier, which to our great luck was calving like crazy that day. So do not despair - pick the room you prefer overall and don't worry about it. You will likely want to go up on deck anyway as balcony views are too limiting.

 

When you cruise Alaska it is usually cool or cold so you can re-wear clothes you might not normally care to in warmer climates - thank goodness for black or navy blue!. (although be advised - we have encountered 80 degrees in Ketchikan). We brought sweatshirts, and tied them around our waist to board the airplane to save luggage space (although also be advised - the Alaskan ports have great shopping, and have lots of nice choices for sweatshirts, t-shirts, and jackets). Bring lightweight rain gear and hope you don't need it (but likely you will). Winter coats are not needed by anyone except the very sensitive, but gloves and a warm hat are not a bad idea. I don't recall if it is mentioned yet, but if you don't want to dress up for formal nights you can go to the specialty restaurant or eat in the alternative dining area, or even order room service if so inclined.

[billet]

Some of the best photo opportunities beside the glacier are on the Tuesday morning of the cruise when you wake up to see Baranof Island on the port side. I prefer the port side of the ship, it gets the day off to a great start.

[Iamthesea]

Sandals and your usual dressy shoes are fine for Alaska cruises. Yes, if you walk outside at night it can be cold, but most people just stay inside where it is the same as on any other cruise.

 

Thank you! Yes, we normally stay inside at night except for the balcony or if there is a deck party. I doubt there will be the latter, but wouldn't it be great if Celebrity held a Salmon Bake up on deck one evening like they have the Hawaiian Luaus and Mexican Fiestas! :)

On our first visit to Hubbard Glacier we were in an inside cabin and we had no issue finding spots to view the glacier, which to our great luck was calving like crazy that day. So do not despair - pick the room you prefer overall and don't worry about it. You will likely want to go up on deck anyway as balcony views are too limiting.

 

When you cruise Alaska it is usually cool or cold so you can re-wear clothes you might not normally care to in warmer climates - thank goodness for black or navy blue!. (although be advised - we have encountered 80 degrees in Ketchikan). We brought sweatshirts, and tied them around our waist to board the airplane to save luggage space (although also be advised - the Alaskan ports have great shopping, and have lots of nice choices for sweatshirts, t-shirts, and jackets). Bring lightweight rain gear and hope you don't need it (but likely you will). Winter coats are not needed by anyone except the very sensitive, but gloves and a warm hat are not a bad idea. I don't recall if it is mentioned yet, but if you don't want to dress up for formal nights you can go to the specialty restaurant or eat in the alternative dining area, or even order room service if so inclined.

 

What a great point about re-using your clothes in a cold climate. I normally will not re-wear anything unless it is clean. When we were in cool and rainy Paris this past spring (before a 12 night cruise and post 2 nights in Rome where we also had some cool days), I ended up having to re-wear clothes because I had not brought many cold weather items. It didn't bother me a bit to wear things more than once.

[Nancyquilts]

Thank you to everyone for all the great information. We will be on the Century in a little over a month.

 

Although I know that I should dress in layers and wear warm, closed toes shoes when in port, what did you ladies wear on your feet during the evening hours? I usually wear sandals and dressy open toed shoes on all other cruises. Will this be appropriate for colder climate cruises? Never been on one. :D

The inside of the ship, including the MDR and other public spaces, seem to often be warmer than on Caribbean cruises, as they don't crank up the air conditioning as much. Your shoes should be fine.

[Jayneykul]

We went on this cruise last September. It was fantastic. The weather was so hot we spent the last few days sunbathing and got burnt! All the layers we had taken were totally un necessary as the only 1 time we needed to even wear a coat was on the ship at the Hubbard Glacier apart from that it was tropical! The only thing we didnt much like was some of the main meals in the MDR and what put us off was a tour round the kitchens and finding out that every single food item is stored from Miami and then replenished at the start of the next season in Miami. Apart from that it was faultless. Enjoy!

[happy cruzer]

We went on this cruise last September. It was fantastic. The weather was so hot we spent the last few days sunbathing and got burnt! All the layers we had taken were totally un necessary as the only 1 time we needed to even wear a coat was on the ship at the Hubbard Glacier apart from that it was tropical! The only thing we didnt much like was some of the main meals in the MDR and what put us off was a tour round the kitchens and finding out that every single food item is stored from Miami and then replenished at the start of the next season in Miami. Apart from that it was faultless. Enjoy!

 

I have been told that all items are sourced from the same suppliers no matter where the ship is but that only the items for one cruise at a time are loaded onboard. And at the end of each cruise all items are off loaded. So that they know exactly when each items was loaded, no carry overs at all.

 

carrying a whole seasons food including fruit and vegetables sounds not likely....

[Iamthesea]

We went on this cruise last September. It was fantastic. The weather was so hot we spent the last few days sunbathing and got burnt! All the layers we had taken were totally un necessary as the only 1 time we needed to even wear a coat was on the ship at the Hubbard Glacier apart from that it was tropical! The only thing we didnt much like was some of the main meals in the MDR and what put us off was a tour round the kitchens and finding out that every single food item is stored from Miami and then replenished at the start of the next season in Miami. Apart from that it was faultless. Enjoy!

 

I sure hope that we have warmish weather. :D

 

The food thing is hard to swallow. I feel sure that fresh veggies and fruits are replenished along with other items before each cruise. We love to galley tours and plan to take one on our upcoming cruise, so I will be sure and listen carefully to what they say about storage. ;)