Review of Infinity July 23-30 (long)--sorry so late

[Missmiz]

Hi! I have been lurking on the boards for several months and really appreciate all the great tips and advice we received from the board. I wanted to post my impressions and review of our very first cruise, our week on the Infinity July 23-30.

 

We liked our Concierge Class cabin, #9080. It felt larger than it was due to an efficiently designed closet, bathroom and seating area. We heard some noise from the deck above, which overhung our deck substantially. We enjoyed most of the Concierge Class amenities, including the welcome champagne, fruit bowl—bananas, apples and grapes, replenished daily, the special pillows, duvets and pillow-top mattresses, and the double-thick Frette bathrobes. Was Concierge class worth the extra price? Overall I would say yes.

 

In general, the public areas of the ship seemed clean and in good shape. We had some ‘pod problems” the first night, but the travel gods smiled on the ship and we were back up and running within about 6 hours.

 

A few random tips and observations

--This was our first cruise, so we were floored by the sheer immensity of the ship.

--Early arrival (around 11:00) at Canada Place for embarkation was a good idea. We got through embarkation easily in less than an hour total and beat most of the crowds on the ship for an afternoon of exploring the ship and picture taking.

---Since bottled water cost about $3 each for a pint size bottle, we asked our cabin steward to keep 2 pitchers of ice water filled for us.

--We made reservations for the SS United States, the specialty restaurant, and the Spa and personal trainer when we first arrived on the ship early Sunday afternoon.

--Getting off the ship and out of the terminal after the cruise was over was a zoo. Basically, you have 4000 or more people from three ships all trying to find their luggage, then taxis, many with deadlines to make. It was a frustrating combination. We waited in the taxi queue for 90 minutes or so to go less than six blocks to the Marriott. We should have stayed in the Pan Pacific hotel (in the Canada Place complex) Sunday night after the cruise was over.

--After the cruise was over, many people were completely stressed out about catching flights out and it looked like lots of folks were cutting it very close or going to miss flights. We’re glad we stayed over Sunday night in Vancouver and flew back home Monday.

 

Food Tips

--Hand sanitizer machines were stationed near all eating places and the staff asked people to sanitize their hands before entering.

---We loved the AquaSpa Café, next to the T-pool, which featured healthy, fresh food. Not too many people ate there, the atmosphere was thus quiet and relaxing, and tables for the spa café had lovely floor to ceiling windows.

---The staff in the dining room will help you find something you like for dinner and dessert. A couple of nights, I didn’t see any desserts that looked appealing, so asked for and received a fruit plate. This is a good place to put in a big note of appreciation for the high level of service in the dining room. Our waiter, assistant waiter and sommelier were all first-rate and efficient.

--In general, we were pretty pleased with the quality of food in the dining room at night. It was old fashioned continental food, but generally tasty and hot, if rich. Perhaps our positive perception of dining at night was influenced by how much we liked and enjoyed visiting with our table mates, a chef and engineer from Canada.

--- We ate in the dining room for lunch one day and really enjoyed the slightly more formal setting and quiet atmosphere. Because the staff seats you at tables with other passengers, it was a good opportunity to meet new people on the cruise.

---We had the Concierge Class in-cabin breakfast service every day. Our order was perfect every day. We loved the smoothies and the granola yogurt parfait.

--The buffet on deck 10 seemed noisy and crowded any time we tried it. The food quality was ok, but no better than the average hotel food buffet in the average American city. We also were worried about nonovirus, and the prospect of using serving utensils after crowds of people was not appealing at all.

--. We ate at the SS United States Restaurant our final night on the cruise and were under whelmed with the food. It wasn’t bad by a long shot but couldn’t hold a candle to our dinner at West in Vancouver (but we are foodies so pretty persnickety on this front.) So was it worth the extra cost? Yes, for the highly efficient and very professional service, and the elegant and quiet atmosphere. We had the goat cheese soufflé and Caesar salad to start and salmon and sea bass for our main courses. Highlights for us were the cheese course and a Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert.

 

Tips regarding activities on the ship:

--We signed up for the week-long pass for the Persian Gardens, near the spa and exercise area on 10. This was a quiet place with 3 different hot/steam rooms and 2 scented specialty showers…very relaxing!! We had the place to ourselves or close to it whenever we were in there. It costs $99 per person for the week but was well worth it.

…I had the algae wrap and full body massage at the Spa. it was worth every penny. But beware…the massage therapist WILL try to sell you “Elemis” spa products and it will be hard to resist.

--The fitness/workout area, at the very front of the ship on deck 10, was very well equipped with weight machines, treadmills, elliptical and spinning machines (and I’m sure several other things). The trainers were both very professional. I had several personal trainer appointments and benefited from their advice immensely. However, what I did not appreciate was again receiving the hard sell, this time for Elemis nutritional supplements. However, once I said I was not interested, the subject was dropped.

 

Shore Excursions/Scenery--all our shore excursions were through Celebrity

 

We liked Sitka best because it was the least visited by cruise ships (about 250,000 cruise ship visitors per year as opposed to over 1 million cruise ship visitors to Juneau and Ketchikan) and thus least “touristy” of any of the stops. We went on the Tongass Forest Nature Hike booked through Celebrity and enjoyed it immensely. Sitka (and the other towns we visited) are only accessible from sea and air. The guides on our 3 mile hike were excellent We learned a lot about the distinctive features of the forest. The scenery was stunning. We walked in a temperate rainforest area past numerous old trees, including one at least 500 years old. Most of us are never exposed to trees that big and it certainly is something that will stay in my memory. We paused at an enchanted bay and although we did not see any eagles, we did find an eagle feather. On the way back to the ship, one of the tour guides took a moment to tell us how much he felt he’d really found the place he belonged in Sitka. I’ certainly believed him and hope to make it back to Sitka some day. Oh, by the way, it rained the entire hike. We brought rain jackets and were so glad we did!

 

Hubbard Glacier was truly awe-inspiring. We went up to the very top deck and watched as we approached the glacier. To see the ice flow from 20-30 miles away and watch it get bigger and bigger and bigger was almost a transcendent experience. We and one other guy were the only hearty souls for about 30 minutes. then the bell must have rung because everybody streamed onto the deck. We’re glad we brought jackets, scarves and gloves for Hubbard. it was quite comical seeing people in flip flops and shorts with blankets around their shoulders shivering on deck on Hubbard day.

 

For our Juneau excursion, we went on the Guide’s Choice Adventure Hike. This was probably the high point of the cruise week for us. Gary, our guide, lead about 10 of us on the Perseverance Trail (a former mining road) about 2 to 3 miles outside Juneau for a spectacular 7 mile hike. Although it rained almost the entire hike, we would not replace the experience for the world.

 

In Ketchikan, our excursion was the Wilderness Cruise & Rainforest Exploration. This excursion was a blast. After a 20 minute bus ride, we ended up at a harbor, where we boarded inflatable motorized boats for about a 20 minute ride to an island forest for about a 1 and a half mile hike. On the boat ride back, we saw seals basking in the sun and eagles.

 

We did not do any shopping in Sitka, Ketchikan or Juneau.

 

I’m not sure if we will go on another major-line cruise. While we had a good time, the cruise was all about the ship, not the destination. In fact, our favorite times during the week were when we were off the ship on our excursions. One major disappointment of the trip was the abysmal lack of training and lectures on Alaska —only one a day at best by a “naturalist” who was a joke. On the other hand, we received really good service on the ship and in general had a fun and relaxing week.

 

If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to post reviews/info on the things we did in Vancouver before the cruise. We spent a few nights there before the cruise started.

[Cinnabel]

Thanks Missmiz for your interesting review. We were also on Infinity during your week and I agree with your reflection on the things we also did. The Aqua Spa Cafe is wonderfully undiscovered by the masses and we found it great as our room was that end of Deck 8. We used it for light fruity snacks, the odd breakfast supplement (fruit smoothies in a bottle), and the occasional lunch. Also great when out of the T-pool which we loved.

 

Would love to hear your impressions of Vancouver as we also spent 2 days there prior to our cruise and spent our time on foot walking the downtown area and on bikes. We were most impressed with it. What were your impressions???

[quahog8]

Missmiz,

 

Thanks for writing your review! I was on the sailing immediately after yours, and had very similar experiences, even reaching similar conclusions.

 

Like you, I found the Persian Gardens week-long pass well worth it, and usually had the place to myself. Like you, I hiked on all my excursions. Like you, I stationed myself fore throughout the Glacier visit, and was captivated for the 2 hours we were there. And, like you, I favored the Aqua Spa lunches over the madhouse buffet.

 

Now that I've been home over a week, sharing stories with friends, I've reluctantly come to the same conclusion you did: the cruise was far more about the ship than about Alaska (and the terrible "naturalist" did nothing to help the cause). That's my greatest disappointment with the week, and most likely the reason I would not choose to cruise again. I will, however, return to Alaska!

 

Nice to see a kindred spirit ... welcome back.

quahog8

[soooo excited!]

Missmiz: THANKS for all the helpful info - esp. from one first time cruiser to another ! Our first cruise is Alaska next summer. I've already been thinking about whether we should try and fly home the same day, but without having to make a mad dash for the airport - I figured noon was the earliest we could reasonably make a flight - by the time we could fly to Ottawa - we'd be driving home late - likely in the dark - dark country roads - not a fun drive when you're really tired - so I appreciated your advice - we'll likely stay over and catch an early a.m. flight.

 

VANCOUVER: we will be in Van. for 3 nights prior to the cruise - which gives us 2 full days to tour the city - my DH was there lots but it was many years ago. The restaurant 'West' was recommended to me by another poster. We have a hotel already - but any sightseeing recommendations or tips would be appreciated.

 

Glad you had a good cruise - and thanks for all of your helpful tips and info.

[Missmiz]

Hi, thanks for the replies. Nice to see some kindred spirits out there! Here is some info on the things we did in Vancouver, including the restaurants we visited. We stayed in Vancouver the four nights before our cruise.

 

First, we were coming from the east coast of the US, so it took basically all day Wednesday getting to Vancouver. We arrived in Vancouver at about 3:00. The airport was clean, quiet and modern. We had no problems going through customs, getting our luggage or hailing a taxi. We had planned on some afternoon activities the first day, but were tired, so just rested!

 

We stayed at the Marriott Pinnacle, located near Coal Harbour and Canada Place. Our package included the buffet breakfast, featuring lots of fruit, yogurt, and granola, as well as all the “good bad-for-you stuff” like omelets, bacon and waffles. We received A+ service at the hotel, never once encountering an unhelpful or unfriendly hotel employee. Note: the business center on the second floor of the hotel was significantly cheaper for internet service than the hotel business center on the first floor.

 

We had dinner Wednesday night at Simply Thai in Yaletown. Yaletown is located on the waters edge of downtown Vancouver, in a formerly run down warehouse district. Its rebirth started in the late 1980's, and the area has gradually transformed into a trendy urban mix of residential lofts, hotels, restaurants, offices and shops (including a Mini dealership and soon to open Aga store—sure signs of hip-ness). The weather was clear and mild, so we sat on the patio in front of the restaurant. Overall, the quality of the food and service was very high. Standout dishes included papaya salad, crisp, cool and spicy, cho muang dumplings with chicken (tinted a light purple-hard to describe but delicious!), and tofu stir fry. We enjoyed the 30 minute walk back to the hotel after dinner.

 

On Thursday, we walked out to Stanley Park via Coal Harbour, around the entire Seawall surrounding the Park, past English Bay, and back via the base of the Park, about an eight mile round trip. We were tired but happy and really enjoyed the walk. Coal Harbour is a relatively new development with contemporary condos, shops, restaurants and a Seawalk, which begins near Canada Place and stretches to Stanley Park. We enjoyed the pedestrian orientation and scale of the Coal Harbour area, with lots of restaurants, businesses (even a dentist’s office and furniture store) The Harbour itself is very attractive, with marinas filled with houseboats, sailboats, and a couple of yachts. The floatplane terminal is in the harbor, and it was quite pleasant to watch the planes land and take off on the harbor. In the Coal Harbour area, and several other places around the city, we enjoyed several contemporary large scale sculptures, part of the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale, an international art show that takes place every two years, and focuses on both sculpture and the urban landscape.

 

Stanley Park is a wonder, almost as large as Central Park in New York and surrounded on three sides by water. The Stanley Park Seawall was originally conceived as a precaution to erosion in the early 1920s, but took nearly six decades to complete. Once on the seawall, we found ourselves in a natural oasis within the City, with only trees and green on one side and the seawall and harbor on the other. The seawall path was divided into separate sections for the bikers and the walkers. Markers indicated each kilometer and mile to help us gauge our progress and spur us on. We passed a display of totem poles, then a lighthouse, then the Nine O'clock Gun. Going under the Lion's Gate Bridge, an enormous suspension bridge built in the late 30’s to take vehicles to the north shore, was a high point and the half way point in our walk. We were at sea level on the seawall, on our right the water and the underside of the bridge and on our left a steep rock cliff. (This was also special because on Sunday the ship passed under the Lion's Gate Bridge on the way out.)

 

To celebrate completing our walk, we had a nice lunch at Cardero's Restaurant in Coal Harbour. The food was fresh and seafood oriented. We had the wok squid and wok tofu and veggies.

 

After lunch, we walked through Gastown, a renovated historic district of warehouses near Canada place. Gastown was written up in all the guidebooks as a must see area with shopping and attractions. We were completely unimpressed. It seemed like a really crowded, touristy and run-down area. Maybe we hit it at a bad time, and we were tired due to our morning walk. One bright spot was the Marion Scott Gallery, where we found an Inuit sculpture.

 

We capped off our day with a fantastic dinner at “West,” in the South Granville area, about a 10-minute cab ride from our hotel. West features fresh local BC ingredients and wine in an elegant setting. The place was packed the night we were there. My starter was a mosaic of marinated Portobello mushroom, peppers, artichokes cheese croquettes and candied eggplant; my husband had a risotto with baby chanterelles and arugula. His main course was Queen Charlotte halibut with fennel marmalade, eggplant puree and sauce vierge, mine an English pea and asparagus risotto. Our desserts were an intense dark chocolate cheese cake and fresh berries. We chose a BC Pinot Gris to go with the meal. Overall, this dinner lived up to our expectations and then some.

 

Friday, the first hightlight was the Vancouver Art Gallery. Vancouver Art Gallery is housed in an old courthouse downtown. The main exhibition was Raven Traveling: Two Centuries of Haida Art, a survey of Haida art from public and private collections throughout North America. The show presented nearly 300 important examples of Haida art. A related exhibition drew from works from the permanent collection with a connection to Haida art. We both especially liked a contemporary work by Vancouver artist Jeff Wall.

 

The other highlight of our day was our dinner at Vij’s in the South Granville area, an Indian/fusion restaurant. We had heard about Vij’s first via a write-up in the Sunday New York Times, then on the Chowhound website and Timeout. We got there early-around 5:45 since Vij's is such a popular place and does not take reservations. We were able to get a table immediately, but within minutes it was packed. We soon found out why—the food and atmosphere were fabulous! Vij’s has a very laid-back vibe and friendly service, include Vij (the owner), who circulated in the room visiting with guests. We had sautéed arugula with paneer cheese and roasted cashews and jackfruit (tastes like artichokes) to start and lamb tenderloin and celery root/bulgur wheat koftas in tomato, garam masala and cream curry. We shared an order of smooth but light kir (rice pudding).

 

On Saturday morning, we took another long walk along the English Bay and Third Beach area.For lunch (actually brunch), we chose Nu, a restaurant on False Creek looking across to Granville Island. We had a relaxed meal on the deck watching a boy misbehave on his parents’ boat, water taxis crossing over to Granville Island, and various other vessels on the water. We then look a water taxi across to Granville Island--a revitalized former industrial park. We loved the Public Market with loads of fresh veggie, meat and other food stalls, and unique and artisan shops, especially a shop called Paper Ya (unique/cool stationery items) and the bookstore associated with the Emily Carr Institute.

 

Perhaps the culinary highlight of our trip was our dinner Saturday night at Aurora Bistro, near Main and Broadway area of east Vancouver (note this is a very transitional area and some people might not feel comfortable here)--about a 10 minute cab ride from our hotel. Aurora Bistro is a small newer restaurant specializing in fresh locally-sourced foods prepared to a very high level. the level of service was friendly but professional. I started with a spinach and duck salad, and my husband had a special salmon dish. Our main dishes were halibut on a bed of lentils and an onion dish. Desserts were a plate of BC cheeses and cherry ice cream.

 

So what did we do in Vancouver? Mainly ate at a lot of great restaurants and spent a lot of time walking it off!

[Cinnabel]

We found the Stanley Park Seawall just fantastic also. Your adventures in Vancouver sound very similar to ours. I would make the suggestion if the long walk sounds daunting, don't forget the easy option of hiring pushbikes and pedalling. As you mentioned, the seawall path is divided into cycle & pedestrian lanes and we found the cycling so comfortable and easy. We hired bikes from stores on Denman Street, Coal Harbour and cycled around the seawall, past English Bay, along False Creek to the Cambie St Bridge, over the bridge to South Granville and Granville Island. Finally, we re-crossed at the Burrard Bridge and retraced our steps through Sunset Beach Park to English Bay and proceeded up Denman Street to return our bikes.

 

There are many lovely places to stop for refreshments, meals etc., and all have bike parking racks etc.

 

This was quite a lot of kilometres but was very easy going and we suffered no ill effects in the days after! Mind you, neither my DH or myself had been on a pushbike for at least 12 years.

 

We also second your opinion of Gastown. We much preferred Yaletown, Davie Village for its atmosphere and Granville Island.

 

Thanks for your terrific review.

[Missmiz]

Thanks, Cinnabel--I think Vancouver is one of those places that have gotten under my skin. I hope to go back some day. there was so much there we didn't get the chance to see...The University of BC Museum, Grouse Mountain, Vancouver Island. We could easily fill another 3 to 4 days there. Now I have the task of trying to get the wine merchants:) here to carry BC wines, which we really enjoyed.:)