Infinity - Alaska. May 15 - on board

[NETSEG]

Not sure anyone has posted about the delay in boarding Infinity last Friday in SF. Seems a mix up on unloading baggage from the previous cruise and the deep cleaning resulted in delay in boarding and sailing. Passengers were told by text, check-in would start at 1, boarding at 3. The line for check-in extended outside the terminal and on to the Embarcadero. Received another text that the inside of the terminal was at capacity so wait outside. We sat on the planters outside the terminal until about 4, got in more lines at security, then check-in and then a separate line for photos. We were told cabins would not be ready until 6. We were on-board for about 10 minutes when we were told to go to the muster station the drills, even though there were several hundred people still in the terminal checking in. When we got there, the room was packed and we had to stand another 30 minutes for the drill. The 4 p.m. sailing time became 7 p.m.

 

The rooms had mirrors covered with a film from the cleaning and few of the amenities as they had been removed during the cleaning. You can serve yourself at the buffet but staff are everywhere with spray bottles wiping anything passengers tough - railings, slot machines, chairs. The shopping area entrances are blocked with staff holding hand sanitizer so before you walk in.

 

Captain and Cruise Director have not commented on the delays and no apology. I think they are hoping we will all forget.

 

Otherwise, food is good, we are enjoying the cruise!

[curtdesilets]

That's no way to start a cruise. Hope it improves! Actually, I'm sure it will.

 

I heard SF is not a great port for cruise ship embarkation/disembarkation. We've only been there mid0cruiseron some California Coastal cruises.

 

We actually had a similar experience in San Diego for a HAL Mexican Riviera Cruise. Patience is rewarded, but sometimes, you eventually are at your wit's end.

 

Hope you can relax soon.

[purduemom1]

Wow, sounds like a lot of confusion goin' on! We considered booking this cruise because it was round trip from San Francisco and would have meant no flights for us. We did Alaska on Celebrity 5 years ago so thought we'd try it again. We finally decided not to book even though I understand that this is Celebrity's last year for round trip from San Francisco.

 

I hope it only gets better and that you have a wonderful experience. Hopefully it was still daylight when you sailed under the Golden Gate.

[janandjon]

Not sure anyone has posted about the delay in boarding Infinity last Friday in SF. Seems a mix up on unloading baggage from the previous cruise and the deep cleaning resulted in delay in boarding and sailing. Passengers were told by text, check-in would start at 1, boarding at 3. The line for check-in extended outside the terminal and on to the Embarcadero. Received another text that the inside of the terminal was at capacity so wait outside. We sat on the planters outside the terminal until about 4, got in more lines at security, then check-in and then a separate line for photos. We were told cabins would not be ready until 6. We were on-board for about 10 minutes when we were told to go to the muster station the drills, even though there were several hundred people still in the terminal checking in. When we got there, the room was packed and we had to stand another 30 minutes for the drill. The 4 p.m. sailing time became 7 p.m.

 

The rooms had mirrors covered with a film from the cleaning and few of the amenities as they had been removed during the cleaning. You can serve yourself at the buffet but staff are everywhere with spray bottles wiping anything passengers tough - railings, slot machines, chairs. The shopping area entrances are blocked with staff holding hand sanitizer so before you walk in.

 

Captain and Cruise Director have not commented on the delays and no apology. I think they are hoping we will all forget.

 

Otherwise, food is good, we are enjoying the cruise!

 

 

 

Thanks for your experiences on boarding the Infinity.

We are on the 26th repro cruise--Hope they have their act together on the 2nd time around!

We had a simular experience on Princess in San Juan PR--Glad I had some snacks with me as it was a 3 hour wait--I shared some peanutbutter crackers with a lady who was diabetic and needed the boost.

[renebfl]

Friends were on the cruise before you. They were stuck on the ship with no explanation except they were told the custom agents did not show up. When they asked customs, they were told the agents were there as scheduled. Lies from Celebrity. Also, their phones were blocked and were unable to text or call family waiting to pick them up. After 2 hours, they could finally call out. I have experienced Celebrity myself when things go wrong. There is never an explanation. I came on Celebrity forum to find out what went on for them. There was no sign of illness on their 20 day cruise from Florida

[Solution]

I was on the Panama Canal cruise from April 28 to May 15. We had a 2-hour delay not due to any of the reasons mentioned here. In fact, one of my cruise critic friends was wheel-chair to the terminal at 8 a.m. - without any luggage in sight.

 

The main reason was the high tide during the disembarkation period. The opening for unloading the luggage is too high for the forklift to reach and retrieve the luggage onboard. They had to wait for lower tide, and some special set up.... for two hours. Passengers eager to leave were everywhere, further making more work for the cleaning staff.

 

Because the forklift cannot retrieve any luggage, so they decided to stop all passengers from leaving the ship.

 

I was scheduled to leave at 8:20 a.m., but did not leave the luggage area until almost 11:00 a.m.

 

The custom area is nice. Looks just like that in an airport, rather than two small tables. We went through custom first and then get the luggage. This process is nice, cuz we don't have to lug our luggage and fight with the porters to go thru custom. The port just need to resolve the tidal situation.

[jhsrsj925]

It always amazes me when people make statements without having facts. I was on the April 28th cruise. Regarding "renebfl's" comments, Celebrity said nothing about custom agents. They did say it was a problem in the terminal with unloading the luggage. Cell phones were not blocked. I along with dozens of other people were using our phones. Celebrity did frequently give updates about the delay even though those updates were simply to confirm the delay was continuing. The delay was frustrating but certainly didn't ruin a wonderful 17 day cruise, not a 20 day cruise.

[Shippy]

Aside from the fact that the Noro virus is AGAIN on this ship......

There are many other issues.

Almost does seem like like this is a Celebrity cruise.

Hope things do pick up.

Have spoken to guest services and will see if anything changes before I will post the many issues......

But the food is good !

[GottaKnowWhen]

...their phones were blocked and were unable to text or call family waiting to pick them up. After 2 hours, they could finally call out...

 

 

Really? Celebrity blocked their phones? They need to call the FBI, interfering in communication is a Federal offense. It seems strange that X would commit a major felony to avoid some possible embassement. Sounds like a story to me.

[Bankshot]

It seems that Infinity made the news in SF before arrival. When we picked up our rental car we were asked if we had just disembarked from the ship with 137 cases of Noro. We were asked the same question when we checked into our hotel. The ship's management had told us the virus was under control and only "a few" passengers had it. We also were promised a refund for the port charges for the missed port. Later we and our friends were given three different excuses why these funds were not reimbursed. The entire experience made us wonder if this was maybe a training cruise for an inexperienced officer staff.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I was on the May 15 cruise to Alaska. Fortunately, we ignored the texts to arrive late and arrived at a time when we could still get into the terminal, so we were able to get a seat for the wait.

 

I fail to see how it is Celebrity's fault that the tides and the unloading process at the SF terminal kept the luggage from being unloaded. Or that the SF terminal does not have the capacity to accommodate all the passengers of the ship.

 

Apparently, there were some cases of noro on the ship because we went from being able to serve ourselves in the buffet to being served. Aside from the difficulty in getting salt and pepper, this was not a problem. Also, I believe that the noro is spread by the utensils handled by all passengers as many do not wash their hands. Later in the cruise, we were back to regular service.

 

The crew was constantly sanitizing everything. I found them all to be pleasant and smiling when we boarded and for the rest of the cruise, even though they had a long and frustrating day.

 

Thought the food was excellent, much better than my last Celebrity cruise.

 

We had a wonderful time!

 

[NETSEG]

I agree with Happy Cruiser. After I posted the issue on embarkation, things settled down. The ship was spotless thanks to the hard work of the crew. My travel companions and I felt the food in the dining room was the best we have had in a while. Weather in Alaska was perfect. It was a really enjoyable cruise.

[floridatravelersforlife]

Aside from the fact that the Noro virus is AGAIN on this ship......

There are many other issues.

Almost does seem like like this is a Celebrity cruise.

Hope things do pick up.

Have spoken to guest services and will see if anything changes before I will post the many issues......

But the food is good !

 

I would replace the word "Again" with "Ongoing" Infinity has had illness since the last Antarctic cruise out of BA in February. We were on the repositioning cruise from Valpariso to FLL. The b2b2b2 pax confirmed this And our cruise was sick too. And so on.

[gimletgal]

Aside from the fact that the Noro virus is AGAIN on this ship......

There are many other issues.

Almost does seem like like this is a Celebrity cruise.

Hope things do pick up.

Have spoken to guest services and will see if anything changes before I will post the many issues......

But the food is good !

 

I was on this cruise as well. What are the "many other issues" you are referring to? Would be interested to hear about them.

 

I would replace the word "Again" with "Ongoing" Infinity has had illness since the last Antarctic cruise out of BA in February. We were on the repositioning cruise from Valpariso to FLL. The b2b2b2 pax confirmed this And our cruise was sick too. And so on.

 

The Infinity was in fine shape and constantly being cleaned. Every precaution that could be taken, was. If sick passengers continue to board at embarkation or if those already on board ignore handwashing and coughing protocols, then of course passengers will become ill.

 

I must say this was one of the better Celebrity experiences I have had in the past several years. Can say nothing but good things about the crew and how they handled everything!

 

I would also be interested to hear how things are going on the cruise following ours - the one that began on 5/26/15.

[Shippy]

There were many.

Most annoying were the movies. We never netflix or go to shows so we enjoy watching the movies on cruises. You would assume they would show ones that were light & happy to keep you in a good mood.

The majority were R rated although when you looked each day at what was being show on their channel 26...there were no ratings.

Some were nasty R ratings. At 2 in the afternoon...would you like your daughter to learn about 'whiskey dick' & what she could do about it ?

There was one in the theater at 1 in the afternoon....almost everyone walked out it was so disgusting & because of the complaints...it has been pulled from further showings. It had things like the grandmother offering a 'very soft' boy for the man to sleep with, the midget throwing a piece of glass into the dog because it would not stop barking, etc.

Then again you could go back to your room in the afternoon to watch the people feeding the babies the poisoned cool aid in Jonestown where everyone was withering as they died.

What was Celebrity thinking ???? We have been on many cruises on all cruiselines & I never thought that anyone should be dismissed but whoever is in charge of the media should be.

Other types of things....we are elite and were not provided with bathrobes and had an FV catagory. After requesting one, I was handed one that was in a ball & wrinkled. I was not sure if it came out of a hamper or garbage. I was grayish and very tattered. I took it down to guest services & asked the lady there if she would wear it. She said no & was shocked they would hang something like that in the closet. I told her they didn't, it came 'special. She was shocked & said she need to keep it for her supervisor....it was never replaced.

The 2nd day I had to go and get glasses as none were provided.

After 3 days, my husband finally got tired of waiting for the cabin steward to bring in the coffee table that was put out on the deck for some reason. Although very heavy, he brought it in himself.

There was NO light in the bathroom when we checked in. They fixed it that night but left all the dusk that fell out of the fixture on the sink & floor.

The 5th day I realized we had no laundry bag & had to get one to send out things.

ETC.,ETC.....Definitely not up to the standards of what I perceive a Celebrity cruise to be.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.....

Great dining room staff & the food was outstanding.

Had coffee & pastry delivered to the room at 7 am each morning of this 11 day cruise & it was right on time every morning.....although did not get a napkin once :O(

[kay0522]

Totally agree with problems on this cruise. I have never written a negative comment until this cruise. We also were Elite passengers on a beautiful aft cabin. We never received any concierge services. Tote bag never was delivered after several requests. No pillow menu, no breakfast menus, fruit after 5 days, robes after 5 days, etc. We never did meet or learn our cabin steward's name. We only saw him 2 or 3 times in 11 days. His assistant was very attentive though. We asked to have the refrigerator bar removed, this never happened. We asked to have the champagne replaced with wine, any kind is fine - this happened on the 9th day of the cruise. We found medications from a previous passenger in our cabin. So much for the excellent cleaning after the virus. Our balcony was dirty and table needed a wiping. We did this ourselves.

 

If we compare previous Celebrity food with this cruise, I would say this was sub standard. We did enjoy Q Sine and SS United States, however. We also had great service in Bistro Five.

 

We thought the Infinity's entertainment was very good. We certainly enjoyed the shows and stopping by and watching the martini bar servers. I totally agree with the movie selection leaving much to me desired. My DH and I both walked out on one.

 

We also missed the captain's club activities as we never received any letter or notification of the events. This included the evening cocktail hour, the officers party and the Meet and Mingle for Cruise Critic.

 

We have a cruise planned for next year with Celebrity. I certainly hope the cruise line is back to the level of excellence we have previously experienced.

Edited May 31, 2015 by kay0522
Missed one comment.

[floridatravelersforlife]

Totally agree with problems on this cruise. I have never written a negative comment until this cruise. We also were Elite passengers on a beautiful aft cabin. We never received any concierge services. Tote bag never was delivered after several requests. No pillow menu, no breakfast menus, fruit after 5 days, robes after 5 days, etc. We never did meet or learn our cabin steward's name. We only saw him 2 or 3 times in 11 days. His assistant was very attentive though. We asked to have the refrigerator bar removed, this never happened. We asked to have the champagne replaced with wine, any kind is fine - this happened on the 9th day of the cruise. We found medications from a previous passenger in our cabin. So much for the excellent cleaning after the virus. Our balcony was dirty and table needed a wiping. We did this ourselves.

 

If we compare previous Celebrity food with this cruise, I would say this was sub standard. We did enjoy Q Sine and SS United States, however. We also had great service in Bistro Five.

 

We thought the Infinity's entertainment was very good. We certainly enjoyed the shows and stopping by and watching the martini bar servers. I totally agree with the movie selection leaving much to me desired. My DH and I both walked out on one.

 

We also missed the captain's club activities as we never received any letter or notification of the events. This included the evening cocktail hour, the officers party and the Meet and Mingle for Cruise Critic.

 

We have a cruise planned for next year with Celebrity. I certainly hope the cruise line is back to the level of excellence we have previously experienced.

 

Lots of analogous issues on our Infinity cruise earlier this year. Lack of attention to detail. I could go on and on, but I wont. Read our CC ship review.

[Shippy]

Totally agree with problems on this cruise. I have never written a negative comment until this cruise. We also were Elite passengers on a beautiful aft cabin. We never received any concierge services. Tote bag never was delivered after several requests. No pillow menu, no breakfast menus, fruit after 5 days, robes after 5 days, etc. We never did meet or learn our cabin steward's name. We only saw him 2 or 3 times in 11 days. His assistant was very attentive though. We asked to have the refrigerator bar removed, this never happened. We asked to have the champagne replaced with wine, any kind is fine - this happened on the 9th day of the cruise. We found medications from a previous passenger in our cabin. So much for the excellent cleaning after the virus. Our balcony was dirty and table needed a wiping. We did this ourselves.

 

If we compare previous Celebrity food with this cruise, I would say this was sub standard. We did enjoy Q Sine and SS United States, however. We also had great service in Bistro Five.

 

We thought the Infinity's entertainment was very good. We certainly enjoyed the shows and stopping by and watching the martini bar servers. I totally agree with the movie selection leaving much to me desired. My DH and I both walked out on one.

 

We also missed the captain's club activities as we never received any letter or notification of the events. This included the evening cocktail hour, the officers party and the Meet and Mingle for Cruise Critic.

 

We have a cruise planned for next year with Celebrity. I certainly hope the cruise line is back to the level of excellence we have previously experienced.

 

After all this WAS supposed to be a Celebrity experience.

Were you on the 9th deck? If so, we might have had the same cabin steward.

A really nice guy but you had to ask him for everything. He never spoke a word to us but incessantly giggled when you spoke to him.

We had the feeling that he was not really a cabin steward but out of necessity, substituting from another job. We felt he was just as uncomfortable trying to communicate with us as we were with him.