Live from the Solstice 5/1, first Alaskan trip of the season

[fuinseog]

Making use of our time in the US cellular area! I probably won't pay for internet on the ship, so I will update when I can use my hotspot. I know there are a lot of people out there anxious for their Alaska sailing, so hopefully this will help tide you over. I will try to answer any questions folks have, time and wifi permitting.

 

A little about us: We are early 30's, traveling with my parents (60's) and our two year old. My husband and I have previously traveled to Alaska on the Golden Princess, and this is our first sailing on Celebrity.

 

Pre-cruise: Flew into SeaTac a day early and drove to Vancouver. There was heavy traffic in Seattle, even at 2:30 in the afternoon. It took 3-3.5 hours to drive to our hotel in Vancouver. The border crossing only took about 10 minutes, very quick and easy. We stayed at the Auberge Hotel in Vancouver, which is two blocks from the cruise terminal. It would be easily walkable if you can handle your luggage, as there are pedestrian crossings in the middle of the road that lead directly to the terminal from the side of the hotel. We got a deal on Travelzoo for an executive port view room, which has a bedroom and separate living room. The views to the port were incredible from the floor to ceiling windows. We actually watched the Grand Princess pull into port, which really got us excited for our cruise. We would definitely stay here again for the discount.

 

Embarkation/Day 1: This was the worst embarkation that I have experienced in 10 cruises, though I cannot fault Celebrity for it or really even the Vancouver Port Authority. With three ships in port, all leaving at the same time, everyone was sent to a large room in the conference center upon arrival. I would suggest giving your luggage to a porter (dressed in work suits with large reflective ‘X’s on them) prior to going into the conference center room, as there was a line for luggage drop off that you could bypass if porters had already taken your bags. We were given numbers, and then our numbers were called. It took 20-30 minutes for our number to be called, then we had to wait in line for immigration. Our check-in with Celebrity came next, and here we really appreciated our Concierge class room. We were able to by pass the general line to a line for concierge.

 

The whole process took just under two hours. I would recommend not being hungry when you get to the port unless you get there super early, and also bringing some water. Water was available in cooler dispensers in the convention center and Celebrity had employees passing out cups in line, but it was very warm in the Celebrity waiting area. The welcome champagne and mimosas were definitely appreciated. The rooms were ready around 1:45pm. Luggage arrived after the muster drill at 4:30pm.

 

Ship: The ship is absolutely lovely and my favorite ship to have sailed on thus far. It is well decorated and often does not even feel like we are on a ship. Even though it is large, it is well laid out and easy to navigate, though I did spend a lot of time looking at the ship's layout while I dreamed about our vacation :). Currently, we have spent the most time at Cafe al Bacio. We have been making good use of our premium beverage packages there and at the Martini Bar. Haven't made it to the Molecular Bar yet, but that is on the agenda for tonight.

 

Room: 9298, Concierge balcony. We had our welcome bottle of sparkling wine and canapés upon arrival. Our steward missed servicing our room the first night (we turned in at 7:30 to allow our kid to sleep) and had not been to the room as of 10am the following morning, so I phoned her and asked her to make up our room. This was especially important for us, as we had soiled diapers that even when wrapped and bagged, were causing our room to smell. Her service picked up after that. It appears that rooms are serviced very late morning or around noon, which is much later than I have experienced in the past.

 

Oh, and turn-down chocolates are present. In fact, at our Cruise Critic gathering, the Hotel Director was introduced as the woman bringing the chocolates back to our pillows.

 

Day 2 at sea: The captain announced after the muster drill that the Canadian Maritime Authority had authorized us to go through the Canadian Inside Passage out of Vancouver, making us the largest vessel to ever be authorized to do so. I don’t know if this will be repeated on subsequent cruises, but this turned the anticipated boring sea day on day 2 into a scenic morning. The sun rose around 5:30, and the captain had told us the day before that we would be close to land at first light. We made use of our balcony and binoculars for most of the morning. Some saw orcas, and we saw bald eagles feeding in the shallows. At times, we were incredibly close to land and there were dead spaces and shallows yards from the vessel. Brent Nixon came on the PA to point out some wildlife. We did attend most of Mr. Nixon’s talk on Alaskan history, and even our 2 year old was enthralled with him until a diaper issue pulled us away. He is very passionate about Alaska and has a wealth of knowledge to share. I would recommend checking out his talks; each topic will be listed in the daily.

 

We did see a pod of humpback whales late afternoon, moderately close to the ship, after we left the Canadian Inside Passage. As a tip, we found that watching seagulls, especially when out at sea, would give you a good idea of where the fish are, and where the whales might be. My husband even caught a picture of a fluke off of our balcony, so we were quite excited.

 

Something strange. Formal night WAS NOT night 2. It was night 3 for some reason, which made us feel a little silly when we dressed up on night 2, having not paid enough attention to the daily! I did see multiple people in jeans in the dining room on smart casual nights.

 

 


Day 3/Ketchikan: We have been to Ketchikan before, and we would have loved to do the Neets Bay bear tour again, but it was not something that we wanted to try with our two year old. We did the Duck Tour, and she slept during the whole thing :). It was a nice tour of Ketchikan with a little time out on the water. Our narrator, Lee, was very entertaining and knowledgable, being a local himself. He did say that Ketchikan is expecting 950,000 cruise guests this season, their most ever. Of note, Celebrity did not require a ticket for our two year old for the tour (2 AND UNDER are considered infants, they told us), but it was noted that she was on the tour. She was a $0 line item on our shore excursion receipt. We were told by Celebrity that she would need to sit on our laps, but the Duck Tour folks told us that they were authorized for 50 heartbeats including the narrator’s, so their count included a seat for our toddler.

 

We will be leaving Ketchikan shortly, and we are looking forward to Tracy Arm and Juneau tomorrow.

[Lois R]

Thanks for the post and I hope you and your family have a great week.:)

Sorry your check in took so long....the rest of the season the ship is

going in and out of Seattle so maybe it will be quicker (I sail on Friday):D

 

Keep the ship in good shape for me:D.....thanks!

[mteacher6]

Can't wait for more!:D

[jgoergen]

Say hi to my daughter Emily - she works in Future Cruise Sales!!! She is a Sweetie[emoji173]️

[shotzyok]

Thanks for the post, we sail this Friday! Enjoying hearing all the details. [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[lovey1103]

Say hi to my daughter Emily - she works in Future Cruise Sales!!! She is a Sweetie[emoji173]️

As an FYI, I met her last week on our Hawaii cruise. What a gem that kid is.

Smart and so helpful:p

[jgoergen]

[emoji4]

[LuckiePuris]

Say hi to my daughter Emily - she works in Future Cruise Sales!!! She is a Sweetie[emoji173]️

 

We were on Solstice this March / April, and we saw Emily to book a future cruise. She was fantastic to deal with, even recommended we go down to view the location of the two cabins we were debating over, and was very friendly :)

 

We are TA's back here in Australia and it was fantastic talking with her about her cruising history.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The Port of Vancouver absolutely cannot handle 3 cruiseships at one time. I stood in a very slow-moving line for over 2 hours with no food and no water. And that was before we even reached immigration. I'll never sail from Vancouver again! It was hell. I was worn out when I got on the ship.

 

[kenevenpar]

Thank you for the detailed update! Sounds like a great start, once getting on board.

[ClaudiaB]

Great report so far, and I'm looking forward to more installments!

 

I have to concur about Brent Nixon. He absolutely MADE our last Alaska cruise on Infinity. I was kind of like him, wanting people to get out of the casino and the buffet and the inside parts of the ship and see Alaska, experience it, love it.

Have a wonderful cruise, with your parents and that little one!

[jt1120]

Don't eat everything, we're on Solstice next month! You are right, she is a beauty! Who is the Captain's Club Host(ess) for your cruise?

[maggie.1008]

I think it is Rose. I would like to know if she will still be on in July.

[fuinseog]

Quick update, since I have a sleeping child in the room with me.

 

We had beautiful weather today in Tracy Arm and Juneau. Completely clear skies. Brent Nixon said during our time in Tracy Arm that our captain has a lot of ice cruising experience, so he was able to get us much farther than other captains. Due to the warm April they have had here, plus some luck with the tides, we made it to viewing distance of Sawyer Glacier! Much farther than they made it last year, we were told. Humpback whales, mountain goats and even a black bear were spotted as well. I do have video of the sail into Tracy Arm, but that will have to be posted after we get home.

 

We docked in Juneau at the farthest dock from town even though we are only one of two ships today. I got the impression it was due to the size of the Solstice, as we have been told multiple times it is the largest vessel to sail this route. They claim it is a 20 minute walk to downtown Juneau from our dock, and there is a sidewalk the whole way. There is a $4/rt shuttle that drops you off right at Mount Roberts Tram. They accept American cash only.

 

For those of you wondering, the bartender at the Molecular Bar confirmed the last day for the bar is May 22nd.

 

We ate at Tuscan Grill for lunch today. $25/pp for lunch with a reduced menu - 2 options for each of the four courses. I was told this will also be offered the day we sail to Victoria. It was definitely worth the $25.

[illiniwahoo]

I sail the 29th, so sad about the molecular bar, but now prepared. Thanks for informing us! Have a great trip!

[KandMB]

we will be cruising Alaska on Infinity in August. How formal was formal night? we English do tend to dress for it but it is only one week. I'm unsure whether to pack my husbands DJ as well as his lounge suit.

[loupana]

I sail on June 26th, wish I had one more chance for Molecular bar. I at least hope the new bar is ready for my sailing and not under construction, it does have a month to get ready...

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi, also on this cruise and enjoying our time. Beautiful weather, I mean how can you complain? Stunning scenery along the way.

 

The reason Formal Night was moved back one night is because they showed the fight onboard! Yes, couldn't believe it but it was shown in the theatre, in the casino bar, and on TV. I think they knew people wouldn't really be participating so they postponed it one evening. We went to FN the next evening and found most passengers dressed on the casual side - we did not see one tux or gown, but that's not to say there weren't any. :) This Alaskan cruise seems very casual and people are dressing for warmth first.

 

The Captain is competent and knowledgable and it has been smooth sailing... we don't even know when we dock and when we pull out; there is no ship shudder or noise.

 

And yes, sadly, Vancouver embarkation was very hectic and we feel the bottleneck was the US Customs pre-clearance. There were at least twelve officers on duty so I can't really decide how it could have been improved. My only advice is to disregard the emails you will receive and just arrive earlier than later. We stayed at a hotel across the street and just walked through and dropped our luggage at around 10:45 am. I believe it was the people who arrived later in the day who experienced the more significant delays.

 

Off to breakfast!

[ken987]

Say hi to my daughter Emily - she works in Future Cruise Sales!!! She is a Sweetie[emoji173]️

 

OMG

 

I just got off the ship on Friday. Emily is the best. We spent an hour with her planning our Summit cruise in 2016. I can easily say the best planner in the fleet.

[ken987]

Hi, also on this cruise and enjoying our time. Beautiful weather, I mean how can you complain? Stunning scenery along the way.

 

The reason Formal Night was moved back one night is because they showed the fight onboard! Yes, couldn't believe it but it was shown in the theatre, in the casino bar, and on TV. I think they knew people wouldn't really be participating so they postponed it one evening. We went to FN the next evening and found most passengers dressed on the casual side - we did not see one tux or gown, but that's not to say there weren't any. :) This Alaskan cruise seems very casual and people are dressing for warmth first.

 

The Captain is competent and knowledgable and it has been smooth sailing... we don't even know when we dock and when we pull out; there is no ship shudder or noise.

 

And yes, sadly, Vancouver embarkation was very hectic and we feel the bottleneck was the US Customs pre-clearance. There were at least twelve officers on duty so I can't really decide how it could have been improved. My only advice is to disregard the emails you will receive and just arrive earlier than later. We stayed at a hotel across the street and just walked through and dropped our luggage at around 10:45 am. I believe it was the people who arrived later in the day who experienced the more significant delays.

 

Off to breakfast!

By the way...

There were really only 2 ships. The grand princess was empty and was in wet dock at Canada Place. No passengers were on it until yesterday. It's on a 5 day cruise now because of the wet dock.

[senior lady]

The Port of Vancouver absolutely cannot handle 3 cruiseships at one time. I stood in a very slow-moving line for over 2 hours with no food and no water. And that was before we even reached immigration. I'll never sail from Vancouver again! It was hell. I was worn out when I got on the ship.

 

 

Dont sail out of San Francisco either, cause it's even worse than Vancouver

[Its my first]

Thank you for all the information. We sail at the end of the month and I can hardly wait. If you get a chance, will you post photos of the Dailies, once you get home? I am anxious to see what there is to do on this cruise.

[Redd2gedd]

So looking forward to our cruise....first time to Alaska, first time on Celebrity!

[Lois R]

So looking forward to our cruise....first time to Alaska, first time on Celebrity!

 

Are you sailing on Solstice? If so, meet up at the Sunset Bar for

sailaway.....we have a nice group on the roll call.....come say hi:)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058686

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Dont sail out of San Francisco either, cause it's even worse than Vancouver

 

Well I'll soon be able to compare, as I am sailing out of San Francisco in ten days. I don't see how it could possibly be as bad as Vancouver as you do not have to clear customs.