Alaska Boarding and Muster Drill Questions

[Boscodog]

My husband and I are sailing on the Millennium in August Southbound from Seward. I have 2 questions:

 

1, What time can we board the ship? I called Celebrity and they said boarding is between 2:30pm and 6:00pm. However I have read trip reports of people boarding earlier and having lunch on the ship.

 

2. Muster Drill - I read on a trip report it was at 7:45pm and dinner shuts down at 7:30pm. I went online to make a specialty restaurant reservation (as it is our anniversary that day) and there was a 7:00pm option. How does the ship handle this? I called Celebrity and they had never had this question before. Anyone have experience with dining on the first night when the muster drill is during dinner hours?

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We arrived at the port around 11:00. Boarding started around 11:30. I can't remember what time the muster drill was but you will need to exit the restaurant to go to your muster station. I'm surprised that the earliest specialty restaurant reservation is 7:00. Maybe 6:30 is sold out on line.

Edited July 8, 2018 by CHEZMARYLOU

[DaKa2002]

A couple years ago we took the Millie southbound from Seward; we arrived about noon and immediately boarded. My log does not mention when the safety briefing was; however, it was well before our early dinner time in the MDR.

[ROYALBOY]

We were on a Celebrity cruise tour and did not arrive to the ship until 5PM. Don’t remember when the drill was but we were in the Tuscan Restaurant for the drill.

 

 

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[sunpsyche]

We sailed Northbound on Millie 5/10/18. Boarding check in began @11:00. All aboard was 3:45 with muster @4:15. Perhaps southbound has a different schedule.

[Bruin Steve]

My husband and I are sailing on the Millennium in August Southbound from Seward. I have 2 questions:

 

1, What time can we board the ship? I called Celebrity and they said boarding is between 2:30pm and 6:00pm. However I have read trip reports of people boarding earlier and having lunch on the ship.

 

2. Muster Drill - I read on a trip report it was at 7:45pm and dinner shuts down at 7:30pm. I went online to make a specialty restaurant reservation (as it is our anniversary that day) and there was a 7:00pm option. How does the ship handle this? I called Celebrity and they had never had this question before. Anyone have experience with dining on the first night when the muster drill is during dinner hours?

 

I just got off the Millie--Southbound--on Friday...So, you won't get any better info than I will give you here:

 

1. You can board the ship a whole lot earlier than the cruise line tells you....Most of the time, we find ourselves boarding between 11:00 am and noon...For Seward, the problem is one of how and when you get to Seward. We always find ourselves flying in to Anchorage and staying there (large choice of hotels and number of rooms...not many in Seward). This means you need to get from there to Seward. Rental cars one-way are expensive. There is a morning train, but you need to be at the station at 5:45 am--WAY too early for us--and it is pricey. So, the best options are the bus and van companies--ACT and Seward Bus Co. They will do bus or van rides for between $40 and $70 pp depending on whether it stops at the Wildlife Center or not. We've done both and both got us there at around 1:00 pm. This time we used ACT bus--direct to the ship (but there was a stop after ours at one other hotel, then at the airport). Less than $50 pp, dropped us off at 1:00. Got right on the ship and lunch at the buffet. We did miss the MDR Concierge lunch--which, yes, they did hold at 11:30-1:00...

 

2. Muster Drill WAS at 7:30. We had made dinner reservations at 6:30 before knowing the timing of the muster drill--and, yes, the system allowed it along with other impossible choices. When we got to the ship and discovered the muster time, I went to the Maitre d' at the MDR and changed the time to 6:00. I assume that if you just showed up for your 7:00 reservation, they'd probably let you in...and tell you you have to eat in a half an hour! They claim they need to do the muster drill then because with the ship sailing at 8:00 pm, too many people aren't yet onboard for a 4:30 drill. And, no, they do not coordinate this with the dining reservation folks or the website...The Northbound cruises have an earlier departure, so they do the earlier muster drill. And, two years ago, when we did the Southbound from Seward, they just held the muster drill at 4:30 and had a "make-up" drill for those who missed it.

[Boscodog]

I just got off the Millie--Southbound--on Friday...So, you won't get any better info than I will give you here:

 

1. You can board the ship a whole lot earlier than the cruise line tells you....Most of the time, we find ourselves boarding between 11:00 am and noon...For Seward, the problem is one of how and when you get to Seward. We always find ourselves flying in to Anchorage and staying there (large choice of hotels and number of rooms...not many in Seward). This means you need to get from there to Seward. Rental cars one-way are expensive. There is a morning train, but you need to be at the station at 5:45 am--WAY too early for us--and it is pricey. So, the best options are the bus and van companies--ACT and Seward Bus Co. They will do bus or van rides for between $40 and $70 pp depending on whether it stops at the Wildlife Center or not. We've done both and both got us there at around 1:00 pm. This time we used ACT bus--direct to the ship (but there was a stop after ours at one other hotel, then at the airport). Less than $50 pp, dropped us off at 1:00. Got right on the ship and lunch at the buffet. We did miss the MDR Concierge lunch--which, yes, they did hold at 11:30-1:00...

 

2. Muster Drill WAS at 7:30. We had made dinner reservations at 6:30 before knowing the timing of the muster drill--and, yes, the system allowed it along with other impossible choices. When we got to the ship and discovered the muster time, I went to the Maitre d' at the MDR and changed the time to 6:00. I assume that if you just showed up for your 7:00 reservation, they'd probably let you in...and tell you you have to eat in a half an hour! They claim they need to do the muster drill then because with the ship sailing at 8:00 pm, too many people aren't yet onboard for a 4:30 drill. And, no, they do not coordinate this with the dining reservation folks or the website...The Northbound cruises have an earlier departure, so they do the earlier muster drill. And, two years ago, when we did the Southbound from Seward, they just held the muster drill at 4:30 and had a "make-up" drill for those who missed it.

Thanks so much for the detail response. We are arriving in Seward the day before so we wanted to know the embarkation time so we could plan our day. Knowing we can get on earlier helps alot since Celebrity gave me the incorrect time. I had read your trip report and saw your mentioning the late muster time. We are not quite sure what time to make our specialty reservations as the options were 7:00 and 8:00 (and other earlier and later times), We do like going to the shows and don;t like eating too early. I like how they did the muster when you were on 2 years ago, maybe they will do it that way on our trip.

 

In any event, we are very excited about the trip. Thanks again.

[Northern Aurora]

I am rather late to this discussion as we were flying home yesterday after 21 nights on the Summit.

 

But in 2017 we did a B2B on the Millennium which was Seward to Vancouver and then the return to Vancouver. We live in Alaska (yes -- Alaskans do Alaska cruises periodically). We spent a few days in Seward and on embarkation day we checked out of the hotel at 11 am, drove over to the cruise terminal and delivered our luggage. We then drove over to a long-term parking lot (which was so close we could see our vehicle from the ship) and walked back to the terminal. Finished the check-in process and were in Michael's Club before noon and enjoyed lunch in Luminae.

 

I frequently find embarkation days rather busy. Have you considered celebrating your anniversary a day later? An anniversary dinner won't be enjoyable if you have to rush through it.