Celebrity Alaskan cruises

[Mynki]

A few random questions for members who've done these trips please...

We're seriously considering Alaska with friends next year. We plan on staying in Alaska either pre or post cruise. As a result we will have to sail onboard Millennium for ease of travel as it's the only ship that has one way itineraries and we don't want to have to include additional internal flights. So....

Are there any benefits to sailing either north or southbound?

Would you be looking to book any particular side of the ship depending on if you were sailing north or southbound?

Are there any advantages to sailing in july as opposed to june other than better weather? 

 

What's the easiest way to travel from Seward to Anchorage? 

Are there any 'must see' excursions on this itinerary? 

Does anyone have any other tips?

Thanks in advance.

Edited to add : I plan on taking a fair amount of hiking and fishing gear so space in my suitcase will be limited. How 'formal' are the chic nights? 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Mynki

[kathynorth]

The following is just my opinion. We've cruised Alaska northbound Millenium and also a roundtrip Seattle on a Holland America ship. The Millenium cruises the inside passage, which is beautiful. I would think starboard traveling north or port traveling south would provide better land views. However, much of the time you see land on both sides, so there's lots to see no matter the side of the ship your cabin is located.

 

North or southbound: This depends on how many physical excursions you plan to take when you do the land portion of your cruise. We traveled northbound, so the cruise came first. Each port stop during the cruise seemed more unique and beautiful as the cruise progressed. During the land portion we kept adding excursions because we had lots of day light due to sunset being so late. We didn't want to miss anything, but were absolutely exhausted by the end of our trip. 

 

Our first cruise was during the last week of July and the 2nd during the 1st week of July. We had great weather on both our trips.

 

Seward to Anchorage: take the train or rent a car. 

 

Must see excursions: Lots of options, so this depends on how physical you want to be. There are lots of recommendations on the Alaska ports pages. Our favorites: Ketchikan- crab fisherman boat, juneau- heli to the glacier fields, skagway- white pass rail, icy strait point- private whale watch to Pt. Adolphus, Seward- Kenai Fiords boat trip to see glaciers, Anchorage- check to see the locals fishing behind the ulu store, Denali- bus trip through the park, gold mining tour (several options available), etc. 

 

Tip: spend as many days as you can on this trip. There's lots to do and Alaska is a big place, so takes time to get everywhere. Best place for souvenirs is Ketchikan, downtown Anchorage and shops outside Denali. 

 

Formal/chic nights were very informal on both our cruises. Plan to dress in layers since weather can change hr to hr. 

 

 

[Bearvet]

We did the southbound cruise (Millenium) late June/early July in 2018.  We did the land portion first (DIY) and were happy to get on the ship afterward to be pampered and not have to change hotels for 7 nights!  We also spent an overnight in Vancouver and 2 nights in Seattle after the cruise.  This worked really well for us.

 

We are not cruisers and this trip was so much better than we expected!  We were very pleased with the service, food, port times and entertainment.  We chose an oceanview cabin to save money that we could spend on expensive excursions.  There would have only been 1 day we would have used a balcony, so we just went up on deck.  Loved having the beverage package (I had classic and upgraded my husband to premium) - we never had to think about a bill, just gave our card.  We also chose not to do any specialty restaurants (added expense) and were overall pleased with the MDR each night.

 

We spent 1 overnight in Seward (2 full days) before the cruise, which worked well.  We did the Kenai Fjords 6 hour tour with Major Marine, hiked to Exit Glacier, did a helicopter ride to glacier with dog sledding (expensive, but worth it!) and visited the Alaska SeaLife Center (paid extra to do the puffin encounter).

 

The captain was able to get within 4/10 mile of Hubbard Glacier which was incredible! Everyone says you have to go to Glacier Bay, so I was concerned.  But the sheer size and calving of Hubbard was spectacular.

 

For excursions we did:

Juneau - rented a car (4 of us) drove to Mendenhall Glacier, Eagle Beach (stopped for picnic items first) and Shrine of St. Therese.  Returned the car and had a "snack" of crab legs at Tracey's Crab Shack.  Loved being on our own schedule!

Skagway - We took the tour with Dyea Dave to Emerald Lake, then took the White Pass & Yukon Train from Frasier back to Skagway.  Scenery was amazing and Dyea Dave knew all of the places (and perfect timing) to stop.  Then we went to the NPS center and viewed the film and learned the history of the gold rush.

Icy Straight Point - Booked whale watch tour with Glacier Winds - Shawn and Theresa were fantastic hosts and we saw whales breaching!  Explored Hoonah, then Theresa drove us back to the ship.  We had a crabby bloody mary before boarding!

Ketchikan - Floatplane with Carlin Air to Anan Creek Bear Observatory - this was the highlight for our group!  We were there July 4 (season starts July 5) and had the place almost to ourselves.  Although it was early in the season, the salmon were running and the bears and eagles were fishing!! Very expensive, but sooo worth it!

Inside Passage - Day at sea - great way to relax, enjoy beautiful scenery and pack up.

 

Since we were the only ship in Seward, embarkation was super easy. Also, disembarking in Vancouver was easy - we happened to be the only ship in port that day and chose to walk off - it took no time at all.

 

It was a wonderful trip and I'm sure you will enjoy it very much! Happy planning!

[dkjretired]

We did Alaska on the Solstice and can only answer one of your questions. I would definitely look into booking an aft cabin with a Veranda. Often wildlife can be seen and may be on the wrong side if port or starboard and consequently may move if you go  back that way.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by dkjretired

[Northern Aurora]

Even though we live in Alaska we still do Alaskan itineraries periodically as it gives us an excuse to visit another part of our extremely large state.  In fact -- we are doing an Alaska cruise later this summer.

 

First, I recommend going to the Alaska Cruise Critic forum.  At the top of the Alaska index page you will find the last several years of trip reports (organized by year).  Read every one of them.  This won't take that much time as you don't care about the food or what the poster thought about their cabin steward.  But these reports have valuable information about what folks did for excursions (either booked through their cruise line or independently) and many have photos.  This will immediately help you decide on what you want to see or do.  And the photos will answer that continually asked question -- what type of coat do you need to pack.

 

Also on the Alaska Cruise Critic forum look for a thread hosted by "mapleleaves" titled something along the line of 2019 planning resources.  She has listed a number of websites.

 

I don't know when you are planning the trip, but a cruise which includes the summer solstice would give the most daylight.

 

We have done both north and south bound itineraries, and I don't have a preference.

 

When I type this it sounds somewhat sarcastic, but I don't intend any sarcasm at all.  But an excursion or attraction is a "must see" only if you want to see it.  Again, those photos in the trip reports will guide you as to what you want to see or visit.

 

And finally, while we fly virtually everywhere in this state Seward does not have commercial air service.  Travel between Seward and Anchorage is done by rail (Alaska Railroad has a daily scheduled train to their rail depot in downtown Anchorage and the cruise lines generally have a cruise contracted train which goes to the Anchorage airport) or by road (one-way car rental with a hefty one-way drop-off fee, or motor coach which can be done through the cruise lines or with one of the private companies).

[TMLAalum]

If you are game enough to plan a DIY pre-cruise Alaska itinerary then do it!! I suggest Hatcher Pass Lodge, which is just outside an abandoned gold mine, staying outside of Denali and booking a tour inside the park (or in the park at the North Face/Denali Lodge)  and time in Seward, where you can book a Kenai Fjords tour on your own.

 

For me pricing would determined whether I do a NB or SB cruise. Definitely spend time in Vancouver on either end.

[fleckle]

7 hours ago, Mynki said:

A few random questions for members who've done these trips please...

We're seriously considering Alaska with friends next year. We plan on staying in Alaska either pre or post cruise. As a result we will have to sail onboard Millennium for ease of travel as it's the only ship that has one way itineraries and we don't want to have to include additional internal flights. So....

Are there any benefits to sailing either north or southbound?

     It depends on whether you would rather have your land tour before or after the cruise. 

Actually, you can do both -- a Canadian Rockies land tour before or after Vancouver, plus a tour of the Alaska interior before or after Seward. 

  At Hubbard Glacier, the ship was able to get in closer to the glacier on the southbound cruise, which visits the glacier in the afternoon, than in the morning on the northbound cruise when there was fog. 

But there is really no way of knowing in advance what the weather will be like the day you are there.

   

Would you be looking to book any particular side of the ship depending on if you were sailing north or southbound?

    You will have almost non-stop scenery on both sides of the ship from the time you wake up until you go to sleep at night.  That is why we consider it essential to have a balcony for an Alaska cruise.

 

We are out on that balcony first thing when we wake up in the morning and last thing at night, looking out at the moon and stars and the moon glow on the water before going to sleep. 

You will have some magnificent sunrises and sunsets.  We order room service breakfast to enjoy leisurely in our bathrobes out on the balcony, even if we only get coffee, as we watch the arrival to the next port and the docking procedure in the morning.  That is our daily wake-up ritual.

Then we can get a full breakfast later, after we are dressed.

 

Do pick up some deck blankets to keep in your cabin so you will have them for bundling up on your balcony if it should be chilly.  But you may find the temperature in Alaska to be amazingly warm.

 

 No way to tell which side of the ship the wildlife will be on.

Friends or family members who travel together sometimes book cabins on opposite sides of the ship so they can call the other party over when they spot wildlife on their side.  It is easiest to do that if your cabins are on the same deck, close to one of the corridors that cut across from side to side.

Are there any advantages to sailing in july as opposed to june other than better weather? 

   It won't necessarily be better.  We have had some of the best weather for Alaska cruises in May, when the ships are less crowded because there are very few children.  

In early June, schools are still in session in some parts of the country.

 

What's the easiest way to travel from Seward to Anchorage? 

    Probably by train.  The ship usually offers an early morning train, but if you have not visited the Kenai Fjords, I would highly recommend booking a Kenai Fjords tour in Seward for your disembarkation day.  They get you back early enough to catch the 6 pm train to Anchorage. 

    The advantage of getting a rental car is that you can stop for sightseeing when and where you want along the way, but a one-way rental from Seward to Anchorage is very expensive.

    There are also bus transfers that cost less than the train, and some of them make a few stops along the way.

Are there any 'must see' excursions on this itinerary? 

   That is so hard to answer for someone you don't know.  It depends on your interests and your budget.

If you have not already done so, do look through the Alaska forum. 

Here is a link to it:

       Alaska Cruises Q&A: Find Tips & Recommendations

 

Another good source is Tripadvisor

     Alaska Forum, - TripAdvisor

Does anyone have any other tips?

        The usual advice to pack so you can dress in layers, and bring some type of head covering and gloves  and rain gear (even though you may not need them).

Thanks in advance.

Edited to add : I plan on taking a fair amount of hiking and fishing gear so space in my suitcase will be limited. How 'formal' are the chic nights? 

    Alaska cruises have probably the least "formal" chic nights of all.

 

 

Have a wonderful trip!

 

 

[cangelmd]

We did a 13 day Alaska trip on Princess (sorry Celebrity, long story). There is so much to see that it is very hard to list anything as must sees, and you will see so much.

Brief itinerary - flew into Anchorage a day and half early, so we had one entire day and about half of the second day on our own. We rented a car and just drove down the Turnagain Arm. We did a little hiking at the Alyeska Resort (absolutely beautiful place if you want to stay south of Anchorage), saw the glacier at the Hale Boggs center (sorry I can't remember the name of the glacier) and the day we joined the Princess land tour there was a craft fair/farmer's market/food vendors in Anchorage that we spent about 2 hours walking around and had lunch.

Our land trip did Talkeetna, Denali and Copper River (which is off the beaten path a bit). We took the train just from Talkeetna to Denali, and were bussed from Copper River to Whittier to catch the ship.

Stops on the cruise were Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau.

Our highlights mostly involved hiking and flying vehicles - tiny airplane around Denali during climbing season, floatplane to Misty Fjords and helicopter to the glacier to drive the dog sled in the snow.

 

We did cruise second for the relaxation factor. I second the recommendation to at least look at late May. Salmon season for some species of salmon opens June 1, which was one of our last land days because we did a float trip on Copper River and the opening of salmon season was a hot topic for the guides - so we did the last 6  or so days in May and the first week of June. The weather was near perfect. I remember a couple of overcast cloudy days, one little dash of rain and a short snowstorm at elevation going across the pass from the Anchorage area to Copper River (its a 115 mile dirt road trip into the wilderness, 2 houses/compounds on the road after the first 30 miles, and those 2 houses are 30 miles from each other).

One advantage to going early is that the elk and ?reindeer in Denali are down on the mountainsides very close to the road, they go up higher later in the summer to get away from parasitic flies. We still saw plenty of bears, moose and bighorn sheep, Dall sheep, etc. Fishing might be an issue if that is something you want to do, because the fishing season is just getting started.

 

Another advantage to going early that we weren't aware of until we got on the cruise - Princess at least (maybe Celebrity too, not sure) offers deep discounts, up to 2 for 1 on BtoB for Alaska residents - they essentially would cruise down to Vancouver, do a day of whirlwind shopping, then cruise back. Because it was still early, the trip was even less expensive, so we met probably a dozen Alaskan residents (including 2 ladies who raise sled dogs) and talked a lot about "normal" life in Alaska, it was fascinating.

 

So many places that we want to go, but I think we will definitely do at least one more Alaskan cruise, I would like to go to Kenai and see the bears fishing.

[FlyingAnchor]

I cruised Alaska last year on another line. I had a balcony which was great. There is so much to see including whales, almost constantly, that open decks and even the windows in the buffet are constantly already full of onlookers. Being able to retreat to my balcony really helped out. Keeping the TV on while the Naturalist narrated what we were passing/seeing kept me in the loop. I don't know if Celebrity has a Naturalist on board for these sailings? 

 

[Mynki]

Thanks all for the replies. I wouldn't consider cruising without a balcony, particularly on an itinerary which is all about the scenery. It sounds fantastic. I'm a very keen angler so will certainly make sure we're there over the salmon fishing season. 



 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Mynki

[ggo85]

Fully agree on balcony.  It was rather cold when near the glacier and we were happy to be able to go in & out of our balcony as we pleased.  Must admit that when we were next to the glacier (must confess it was some time ago and I can't recall whether it was Glacier Bay or Hubbard -- think the former), we were port side to.  All day.  Luckily, we were on the port side.  But that obviously may not be the case for every ship on every line on every cruise. 

 

We did four tours and enjoyed all.  Whale watching in Juneau -- saw several as close as we wanted to be.  Mendenhall glacier by helo.  Those tours are expensive and where you sit in the helo depends on weight and balance.  Some passengers get great views to/from and others not so much.  But everyone got to walk on the glacier and I'd absolutely do it again.  White Pass train in Skagway.  A bit touristy but the scenery is terrific and the narration interesting.  Totem poles in Ketchikan.  In the pouring rain (since it rains 2/3 of the time there). 

 

We saw no wildlife other than sea life from the ship.  You're just too far away from shore.  Best bet to see bears etc. is to go to Denali as a land tour.  Also agree that you should do what interests you most.  If you're doing a land portion, consider what things you can only do from the ship (and do them there) vs. what you can also do when you're on land. 

 

We have relatives who live in Anchorage and the one thing they say is that weather is totally unpredictable. Some summers are gorgeous -- warm (high 70s) and sunny.  Other years, temps are in the 50s and it's rainy/cloudy/drizzling pretty much the entire summer.  You never know so layers really are critical.