Solstice Sawyer Glacier Cruise Sailing Route

[Cruise Arizona]

Are the sea days listed below always open sea days out in the Pacific, or does this cruise ever take the route between Vancouver Island and Mainland Canada?

 

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Solstice

07-Night Alaska Sawyer Glacier, Seattle R/T

Day

Date

Port

Arv

Dep

Fri

6/19/2015

Seattle, Washington - Embarkation - Times are subject to change

5:00 PM

Sat

6/20/2015

At Sea

Sun

6/21/2015

Ketchikan, Alaska - Docked

7:00 AM

4:00 PM

Mon

6/22/2015

Cruising Tracy Arm Fjord

6:00 AM

10:00 AM

Mon

6/22/2015

Juneau, Alaska - Docked

1:30 PM

10:00 PM

Tue

6/23/2015

Skagway, Alaska - Docked

7:00 AM

6:00 PM

Tue

6/23/2015

Cruise Inside Passage

Wed

6/24/2015

At Sea

Thu

6/25/2015

Victoria, British Columbia - Docked

6:00 PM

11:59 PM

Fri

6/26/2015

Seattle, Washington - Disembarkation - Times are subject to change

7:00 AM

Edited August 17, 2014 by Cruise Arizona

[elena7seas]

We were on the Solstice for the 8-night itinerary in May. The "Inside Passage" was on the itinerary twice, both on the way north and the way south.

 

I even called Celebrity before we booked, and I was told, with no uncertainly, that Solstice was going up between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. That is what we in British Columbia call "the Inside Passage".

 

The ship went up the west side of Vancouver Island both times.

 

I wasn't aware, but there is an Alaskan "Inside Passage", and that apparently is what they were referring to on the northern part of the journey.

 

I don't know what they were referring to on the sail away from Vancouver, as we went around the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and on out to sea. We were definitely not in the Inside Passage.

 

Someone on the cruise told me that he spoke to the Captain about the "inside passage" conundrum, and he was told that the Solstice is too large to go up the BC Inside Passage.

[greydog]

We did Solstice from Seattle in May. It went out to sea to start, finish. A section near Skagway after departure was also referred to as 'inside passage' cruising. Apparently only ships leaving from Vancouver (and not mega-ships) go E of Vancouver Island - we've done it twice on Millenium and its a scenic treat.

[Cruise Arizona]

Yes we did it on the Mercury in 2006, was my favorite part, but as long as I know its not coming I won't plan for it. ;)

[varoo]

We also took a Solstice Alaska cruise and spent 2 of the days just sailing out in the ocean, missing all the great lower Inside Passage scenery.

 

But we knew in advance what we would be getting and only booked it because we were able to pick it up on a price drop that was too good to resist.

 

To those who have never taken an Alaska cruise before, it probably would not matter if they were not even aware of how much they were missing.

On the plus side, the Solstice is a beautiful ship and we really enjoy Brent Nixon.

If you take it, at least try to pick one of the cruises that docks in Juneau instead of tendering.

 

The Millennium's inside passage itinerary is far superior, especially on the northbound route if you are lucky enough to have a captain who takes you up the scenic Grenville Channel.

That is almost like getting an extra excursion included at no additional charge.

 

 

The term "Inside Passage" applies to all of the interior coastal waterway passage areas in both Alaska and Canadian waters.

So technically every Alaska cruise does sail at least some part of the Inside Passage and can be advertised as such, even though the reality is that some cruises sail much more of the Inside Passage than others.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2014 by varoo

[Cruise Junky]

If they don't fit, then fine...but I doubt that. At least change your maps so people know what they're buying. It's very deceptive to show one route and then take another especialy when one is quite scenic and one quite rough.

[c-legs]

We were on the Solstice for the 8-night itinerary in May. The "Inside Passage" was on the itinerary twice, both on the way north and the way south.

 

I even called Celebrity before we booked, and I was told, with no uncertainly, that Solstice was going up between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. That is what we in British Columbia call "the Inside Passage".

 

The ship went up the west side of Vancouver Island both times.

 

I wasn't aware, but there is an Alaskan "Inside Passage", and that apparently is what they were referring to on the northern part of the journey.

 

I don't know what they were referring to on the sail away from Vancouver, as we went around the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and on out to sea. We were definitely not in the Inside Passage.

 

Someone on the cruise told me that he spoke to the Captain about the "inside passage" conundrum, and he was told that the Solstice is too large to go up the BC Inside Passage.

 

Well well well....! In my opinion, and my opinion only, ''the ship is too large'' is an uncredible ''reason'' to avoid the BC Inside passage,specifically Johnstone Strait.:(

If an ''S'' class is ''too large '' for Johnstone Strait, then it would ''too large'' for Tracy Arm Fjords, upper Lynn Canal leading up to Skagway, two of the 3 fjords ( Milford, Desolation & ??? ) in the Tasman Sea, Strait of Messina between the ''boot'' of Italy and Sicily,...and countless other areas I am not familiar with. Her beam , at 121'' is not monstruously ''larger'' than the ~~ 116-118' of all the Princess ships we enjoy seeing here ( except Coral&Island) and which have sailed up&down Johnstone strait for years...and I do not recall any of them having trouble because they were simply ''too large'' to navigate up there.:rolleyes:

At 1033' in lenght, an ''S'' class is a mere 68' longer than the next longest ships which navigate up and down the same strait ( ''M'' class, Island & Coral P, Disney Wonder , etc.etc...); does that make the ''S'' class '' too large'' ?

Again, in my opinion, the statement heard on 8th May sailing as to ''the ship is too large'' defies credibility....and hardly justifies sailing a longer route ( nautically) with the ensueing increase in fuel burn.

Of course.....had they sailed the logical way to Ketchikan on 8th May...two pilots for the 14+/- hr run to Pine Island cost quite a bit more than one needed for 6 +/- hours to Ogden point pilot station....but of course, Celebrity wouldn't go to that extent to save $$$...now, would they......would they ??:eek:

on the next ''repo'', she is leaving Juneau 18th Sept ,18;30hrs....and charted to sail straight out of Chatham Strait right into the open Pacific all the way to....Victoria where she is due only at 07;00hr 21st Sept.

All of 58 1/2 hre....way more than needed. One can scratch one's head wondering why on earth, specially with more than enough time at hand,she would not take the shorter, calmer and way more attractive ( for their guests, you know..the ones who pay the bills...:rolleyes:) route south from Chatham strait, Dixon entrance, leeward Hecate strait, Queen Charlotte sound, Johnstone strait== BC Inside Passage all the way down to Juan de Fuca strait to Ogden point/Victoria ??? As they describe 19th Sept as 'cruising the ( Alaska) Inside Passage'', this is a greivous misrepresentation as, by daybreak on 19th, she'll already be south of Dixon entrance and practically & already in open Pacific waters. Is this their idea of ''cruising the inside passage'' ??:mad:

 

Again, those are my opinions only....But it begs all the question marks....

Off my soap box now....:D

Cheers

[c-legs]

If they don't fit, then fine...but I doubt that. At least change your maps so people know what they're buying. It's very deceptive to show one route and then take another especialy when one is quite scenic and one quite rough.

Couldn't agree more !!;)

Also, like you, I have strong doubts about the ''they don't fit'' excuse.

Cheers