Shopping for Alaska cruise, considering Infinity

[Rockwife]

We've only sailed Celebrity once (on the Century) and enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. I don't know anything about the Infinity, though.

 

We've been sailing smaller ships these last few years and would prefer a larger ship w/more amenities this next time. Never done an Alaska cruise.

 

I'm looking for general impressions of the ship, and whether people consider a balcony "must have" in Alaska.

 

Are there alternative dining options on the Infinity? We don't like traditional dining (same time every day with the same table).

 

Thanks!

[CruisinNewb]

We've only sailed Celebrity once (on the Century) and enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. I don't know anything about the Infinity, though.

 

We've been sailing smaller ships these last few years and would prefer a larger ship w/more amenities this next time. Never done an Alaska cruise.

 

I'm looking for general impressions of the ship, and whether people consider a balcony "must have" in Alaska.

 

Are there alternative dining options on the Infinity? We don't like traditional dining (same time every day with the same table).

 

Thanks!

 

We were on Infinity in August of this year ona R/T to Alaska from Seattle.

We really enjoyed both the ship and the itinerary. Infinity isn't a brand new ship, there are areas that are worn, but everything was clean, fresh and more then serviceable. I also believe it has received a refurbishment since. The ship was large enough that it was easy to find a private and out of the way spot for privavcy but small enough to navigate easily.

 

We enjoyed the food overall. The breakfast buffet was great, tons of selection great stuff especially liked the waffles. The main dining room had several good selections for dinner, especially liked the cold soups.

 

Service was great overall. staff was friendly and helpful.

 

Alaska is a one of a kind place that everyone should experience.

 

If you go into the review section here and check the Infinity during June July and August you will find many reviews (including mine) with tons of info.

 

Ron

[benbess]

Infinity is a very nice ship. She is one of the innovative Millenium-class, or M-Cass ships that Celebrity had built around the turn of the millenium. The ships are mainly powered by gas turbines in a "Mermaid pod" system. This system has been problem prone in the past, but at this point (we hope) most of the kinks have been worked out. The benefits of the gas turbine/mermaid system are twofold--much less smoke and much less vibration than found on something like Century. There is an excellent specialty restaurant onboard called the SS United States. It is named after the famous transatlantic liner of that name, and even has some relics from that ship. Since you've been on Celebrity before, you probaby know that the food in the MDR is probably at least as good and maybe even a little better than in other comparable cruise lines like HAL and Princess.

 

I'm booked on Infinity myself for Alaska this summer for the first time. From discussions here it appears the weather is quite variable. In other words, you might get a balcony and then find you use it very little because it's quite cold and rainy. Or, the weather might be sunny and nice, and then you might regret not having a balcony. So, it's a gamble. I splurged all the way for a Family Veranda cabin. These are quite amazing in terms of what you get for the money. An average cabin on the M. Class ships is c.170 square feet., and the average veranda is only 40 sf. The FV is 270, and has a veranda of 240. If you can nab a corner FV the veranda is 300 sf. I checked yesterday and I think one of the corner FVs is available still for a late May Alaska cruise. Normally they only book these to families of 5, but I guess because of the recession they've released of few of these for anyone who wants them.

 

Infinity is a beautiful ship, imho, an many people who really know cruise ships, like Dr. Koob who posts here, think of her as one of their favorites. Except for some engine work, I don't think she's had a major refurbishment since she was launched in 2001. In other words, she's showing some wear and tear, but she's still a beauty from what the reviewers say.

 

In terms of size, even though Infinity can fit through the Panama canal (just barely), she's still huge--91,000 tons. That's bigger than the original Queen Mary.

 

From what I know, I think Infinity is probably a great choice for Alaska.

 

 

Let us know what you end up booking!

 

Happy cruising,

Ben

 

PS Infinity also has beautiful public spaces and an interesting collection of art on board.

[Rockwife]

I had read about the pod problems, but I'm glad to hear those have been addressed.

 

A little wear and tear is understandable, and those don't bother me as much as crowding problems we encountered on our last sailing (NCL Majesty). When she was stretched they added cabins, but no public spaces and the theater was impossibly crowded at times.

 

I also loved the art on the Century and appreciate ships that push the envelope a bit. Yep, Celebrity has excellent cuisine from our one experience!

 

Thanks, again. This helps. Happy New Year!

[Karynanne]

The public areas on Infinity are very spacious. I don't think you'll experience any sense of "crowding".

 

We have found Infinity to be a very lovely ship. We sailed on her this past June and really enjoyed ourselves.

[nannie70]

We sailed the Infinity last June 20th to Alaska and had a great time. We had sailed on that ship to Hawaii also. We didn't find the need for a balcony since we spent our time touring, swimming, eating and no need to sit on a balcomy. It was more comfortable inside the ship and went outside on deck to see what we needed to see. Even swam inside and it was really wonderful. Loved it and would recommend it highly.

[benbess]

I had read about the pod problems, but I'm glad to hear those have been addressed.

 

A little wear and tear is understandable, and those don't bother me as much as crowding problems we encountered on our last sailing (NCL Majesty). When she was stretched they added cabins, but no public spaces and the theater was impossibly crowded at times.

 

I also loved the art on the Century and appreciate ships that push the envelope a bit. Yep, Celebrity has excellent cuisine from our one experience!

 

Thanks, again. This helps. Happy New Year!

 

Yes, there are a lot of helpful posters here. I got a lot of good info before my cruise in 2006.

 

In terms of space, one of the things that Celebrity prides itself on is that its ships don't usually feel too overcrowded with people even when they are full. They are designed to have more square feet of space per passenger than some competing cruise lines. Here's from Celebrity's web page:

 

" Luxurious staterooms and suites with the highest guest-to-space ratio in the industry

Surrounded by elegance and comfort, Celebrity guests find more than they hoped for when entering their stateroom or suite. Appointed with luxurious amenities and expansive room to take pleasure in, Celebrity accommodations leave nothing to be desired."

 

That's a bit of advertising fluff, obviously, but I think there really is at least a grain of truth to it. The M-class ships are very nicely designed, and really do have a large fan following among cruisers.

[Seahorse44]

We have sailed Infinity twice, first 21 days to Hawaii and back when they used to do the one-way cruises, and once thru the Canal and on to Vancouver via Alaska, last Spring's repositioning cruise plus first Alaska of the year.. It is a great ship, friendly crew, we never felt crowded at all. One of our favorite class of ship actually.

 

I would say get a balcony if you can, (but we always get one now since the first splurge a few years ago, so that's a personal preference now) even if it is cold out you can see all sorts of scenery out there if you bundle up some. You can duck into the cabin and warm up, anyway.

 

But whatever cabin you pick I think you will have a great cruise. Enjoy

[DrKoob]

 

Infinity is a beautiful ship, imho, an many people who really know cruise ships, like Dr. Koob who posts here, think of her as one of their favorites. Except for some engine work, I don't think she's had a major refurbishment since she was launched in 2001. In other words, she's showing some wear and tear, but she's still a beauty from what the reviewers say..

 

Thanks for the shoutout Ben. I have to agree with everything you said. We have sailed the Infinity six times since 2004 and would sail her again in a minute. She is our favorite ship bar none.

 

I can add a couple of things I am certain of. First, I wouldn't do Alaska (or pretty much any cruise) without a verandah. In fact we have been lucky enough to have an aft cabin with a huge verandah every time except once. As you sail away from Hubbard Glacier, there is nothing like it.

 

Three pieces of reading for you. The first is my report on our last two Alaska cruises on Infinity. You can find the one for last August here: http://web.mac.com/jimbellomo/Alaska_2008/Sailing_Infinity.html

 

The second piece is my review of our Alaska voyage on Infinity the year before. You can find that here: http://web.mac.com/jimbellomo/InfinityMates2007/Home.html

 

Lastly, for another point of view, check out my good buddies review of our 2007 Alaska trip. He is the king of shore excursions so he will have some great recommendations for you. You can find him at http://www.thepreismans.com/. Click on the Alaska link.

 

Enjoy yourself!

[benbess]

Thanks Dr. Koob. Great pix, cruise reviews, and links.

 

I'm a little confused about the different routes for Alaska cruises. You mentioned one you preferred, and on that you liked--but just not quite as well. Below is the route we're booked on. Is this your preferred route, or just the one that you like?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Day 1 Seattle, Washington Depart 4:00 PM Day 2 Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising Day 3 Ketchikan, Alaska Docked Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 3:00 PM Day 4 Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) Cruising Arrive 2:00 PM Depart 6:00 PM Day 5 Juneau, Alaska Docked Arrive 9:00 AM Depart 7:00 PM Day 6 At Sea Day 7 Victoria, British Columbia Docked Arrive 2:00 PM Depart 10:00 PM Day 8 Seattle, Washington Arrive 6:00 AM

 

 

 

 

PS We have a FV booked, but it's not a corner one. It seems like the corner ones would be preferred because the balcony is even a little larger. But are there some reasons the middle FV cabins are better?

[DrKoob]

Ben,

 

If you go to http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112423436073933822902.00044e22932d490f9f1fa&ll=51.330612,-127.710571&spn=2.176132,5.592041&t=h&z=8

you will see what I mean about the different routes.

 

What you will find at the link is a Google map that I have done the route you will take from Seattle and the route you would take if you were sailing from Vancouver. Even though the itinerary is no different, the route is a HUGE difference. We won't ever do the Seattle route again. The other one is just too beautiful to pass up. That said, you will still have a great time and you won't know what you are missing except for what you have read.

 

As to your cabin, the large FV cabins on the aft of the ship are the only FVs on the aft. In between the other cabins are just CCs. Hopefully you have one of those. They are awesome.

 

Jim

[benbess]

Ben,

 

If you go to http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112423436073933822902.00044e22932d490f9f1fa&ll=51.330612,-127.710571&spn=2.176132,5.592041&t=h&z=8

you will see what I mean about the different routes.

 

What you will find at the link is a Google map that I have done the route you will take from Seattle and the route you would take if you were sailing from Vancouver. Even though the itinerary is no different, the route is a HUGE difference. We won't ever do the Seattle route again. The other one is just too beautiful to pass up. That said, you will still have a great time and you won't know what you are missing except for what you have read.

 

As to your cabin, the large FV cabins on the aft of the ship are the only FVs on the aft. In between the other cabins are just CCs. Hopefully you have one of those. They are awesome.

 

Jim

 

Great map. I get it now. The ship that goes out of Vancouver on dates we might make is the Mercury. I'm sure the Mercury is great, but Infinity is a known quantity for us--and the balconies aft aren't as large on Mercury. Maybe next time!

 

Thanks again.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Ben,

 

If you go to http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112423436073933822902.00044e22932d490f9f1fa&ll=51.330612,-127.710571&spn=2.176132,5.592041&t=h&z=8

you will see what I mean about the different routes.

 

What you will find at the link is a Google map that I have done the route you will take from Seattle and the route you would take if you were sailing from Vancouver. Even though the itinerary is no different, the route is a HUGE difference. We won't ever do the Seattle route again. The other one is just too beautiful to pass up. That said, you will still have a great time and you won't know what you are missing except for what you have read.

 

Interesting map. I agree that the route from Vancouver looks much more interesting. Only problem is that you are traveling that route at night (both coming and going) and therefore can't enjoy the scenery. Unless the ships leave from Vancouver early in the day, which I don't think they do. Can you comment more on this? Thanks.

[DrKoob]

Interesting map. I agree that the route from Vancouver looks much more interesting. Only problem is that you are traveling that route at night (both coming and going) and therefore can't enjoy the scenery. Unless the ships leave from Vancouver early in the day, which I don't think they do. Can you comment more on this? Thanks.

 

Sorry, but they just don't get that far, that fast. Check out my pics of inside the Canadian Inside passage on my aforementioned website. It was gorgeous that day as we cruised on our "sea day" which was really an Inside Passage day. In contrast, our sea day out of Seattle was truly a sea day. We were out at sea and couldn't see a thing.