MississippiMom

Do any of you happen to know if Celebrity offers any religious services during their Alaskan 7-day cruises?  

Sorel is the brand that was recommended to me by a Northern mom, when our youngest headed to a northern college with lots of snow.  I have never put them on my feet, so I can't comment on comfort, but I know that brand has LOTS of boot options.

On 4/9/2024 at 1:30 PM, Wlcreations said:

Hi, I'm looking to book an Alaska cruise with my mom who is a senior. She really likes the Broadway-like shows onboard. Years ago, NCL offered shows every night but seemed to have much less now and some cruise lines started hosting TV games like "make a deal/wheel of fortune" to replace the singing/dancing productions we enjoy much more. Does anyone know which cruise lines still offer the Broadway-like shows every night on their Alaska cruises?

The many opinions on this Alaska board can get overwhelming.  I read and read and read, then had to step away (due to a family member's health issues), which was great for me, because I had time to think about what WE needed and not what everyone on the board needed out of a cruise to Alaska.

My elderly parents LOVE musicals, so I get it.  For my father, who refuses to wear his hearing aid, the musicals are loud enough to enjoy the show.  They also need the safety features of a handicap cabin and we have learned that those are not all created equal on ships.  RCCL's was LOVELY, midship, with plenty of space for the one scooter.  CCL's available option was too forward on the ship and really too small.  Neither needed a scooter, when we traveled NCL, so I have no comments about their handicapped cabins. 

I would encourage you to spend some time on the various cruise line websites, as well as look at some YouTube reviews (pick shorter ones, because some can drag on), and see what different types of entertainment are available.  For example, my elderly parents LOVED the ice show on RCCL and would have gone every day, if it had been offered.  (My brother picked the ship.)

Best of luck.  There is so much to consider.

I’m so excited to have come across this thread.  Our daughters really wanted Le Petit Chef in New Orleans, but that seemed like a silly option in a city known for so many great restaurants.  But on a Celebrity Cruise, with some OBC from the travel agent . . . perfect time to try LPC.

On 2/21/2023 at 8:40 AM, Rothko1 said:

 

Well, Melbourne to WPB can sometimes get crowded too these days, although I do think it is a much better drive than WPB going south.  Boca is a nightmare most days, as is near downtown FLL, and of course, going into Miami on 95.  They have the new Express toll lanes, and I usually always take them if I am heading into Miami.

Your post definitely makes me think you can help me with my question.

I am helping a friend plan her travel to a Vero Beach wedding.  Flight prices are almost identical to MCO or to WPB.  I’ve driven from MCO to Melbourne as well as MCO to Port Canaveral, but I have never attempted the northern route from the West Palm Beach airport.  Which airport drive to Vero Beach might you recommend?
 

14 hours ago, justcrusn said:

In our experience, you don’t usually have to ask for “cheaper” brands, but you must be very careful to request the higher priced brands. For instance ask for a margarita.

Unless you specify what to make it with, you get the house brand.

Or a vodka martini, they make it with absolut for instance not bad, but if you want grey goose you have to be specific with the server (and hope it was made).

The premium package was a bit of a pain at say the pool bar, to get what you paid for.

At the martini bar or world class bar or any venue with unique drinks, they usually were higher priced by default.

Makes perfect sense to me.

On 3/23/2024 at 7:46 AM, paulh84 said:

Celebrity is definitely trying hard to be the jack of all trades. They need to choose a direction and stick with it.  But every time they make a change the "loyalists", as they call themselves, don't agree with, they cause hysteria then Celebrity reverts. This is where the disconnect comes in between their marketing and what the actual product is on board. 

 

Their target market can be 40-55 year olds all day long. Where they fail is realizing that 40 year old me is a very different customer than my parents were at 40. But as long as they continue to pander the 65, 70, 80+ crowd they will have a tough time bringing in a new crop of repeat younger new customers. 

 

We're fine with it largely because we know what to expect but I'm curious how many of the recent new Celebrity customers actually come back.

As a never-sailed-Celebrity cruiser, I am finding this entire thread very educational.

You bring up a great point.  We are considering our first Celebrity cruise in 2025; we will be in our late 50s.  We certainly don’t have the energy level of our young adult children, but we also aren’t looking for an early bedtime every night.  We are VERY different than our parents at our age.  Is it a different world or just a different income level?  For us, it’s a bit of both.

18 hours ago, davencl said:

I would love to know how much it would cost to charter the entire Jade or Gem...   🙂  Yes I realize if I have to ask I can't afford it.  My wild quess is about $10,000,000 for 7 days.  Here's a nice brochure with usefull info for all the ships, chartered or not.  https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/826201_CMI_Brochure_Web2_4_26_2023.pdf

Charters are typically booked by a large corporation, using the cruise vacation as a reward incentive.  That’s how we sailed on Crystal Cruises over 20 years ago.

On 3/13/2024 at 12:15 PM, MistyRo76 said:

I didn't go through the whole thread, so you may have already made your decision. But I was in the same boat (no pun intended) as I looked into planning our first Alaska cruise. My initial research, like yours, was pointing more to Princess. We will have our 10-year-old daughter with us, and HAL did not seem like the best fit for traveling with children. We are typically Carnival cruisers for our Caribbean/Bahamas sailings, so that is very much my comfort zone. I initially wasn't even going to look into Carnival based on the recommendations for Alaska being so skewed toward Princess. I was also initially looking at one-way cruises (Anchorage to Vancouver, etc.) based on what I'd read here.  .  .  .

No final decision made, yet.  I definitely appreciate you sharing the details on how your selection was made to book with Carnival.  We are pretty confident that HAL and Princess are definitely not our thing.

12 hours ago, kandjrolls2 said:

I booked a RC cruise to Alaska after watching some YouTube videos and reading some reviews. I don't do karaoke or trivia, and I also don't gamble. However, I did want a ship that has something other than those things. I also wanted to make sure I picked a ship with an indoor viewing area. I am from MS also, and you know we don't really do cold. I know Alaska is all about the ports, but all of the ships spend time sailing. My family would not be interested in hearing from a naturalist. We want to do all the active things; heli rides with dogsledding, zip lining, and kayaking. We have all those things booked for our cruise. I've noticed that the boards recommended a one size fits all approach to Alaska, and no vacation is perfect for every taste. Holland American did not appeal to me at all. I would have done Princess but the dates I needed were not available for two connecting cabins ( a must, because I am not about to spend my anniversary sharing a cabin with kids. Even if they are mine.)

Hello to my fellow Mississippian!!!  It sounds like “you get me.”

Life got in the way, but we are now back to researching what might work best for us.  We would like to put down refundable deposits for an August/September 2025 cruise, before all of our family’s 2024 summertime activities get into full swing.  (For us Southerners, that could potentially be as early as the second week in April.)

By complete coincidence, I was looking at RC and NCL last night.  I know most cruisers on this board will cringe at that, but we would like to have a port stop in Sitka and/or Haines, which REALLY limits our cruise ship choices.  We had almost convinced ourselves to try HAL’s Eurodam, but that’s a whole lot of vacation money to spend on a cruise line that doesn’t sound like the right fit for us, so we are still thinking on that one.  Celebrity is a consideration, but their ridiculous pricing strategy with non-refundable deposits vs refundable deposits means we wait to see if that big box warehouse club offers a special deal on them one day.  Cunard feels very over-the-top for this casual family, but I do enjoy looking at their website.
 

Let the research continue . . . 

On 3/6/2024 at 12:10 PM, Ajg601 said:

My husband and I have narrowed down our choice for Alaskan cruises and I’m looking for input because there are pros and cons for each sailing and we just don’t know what would be best.

 

Slight background - we are in our upper 40s, this is our 20th anniversary trip. We have only cruised with Disney in the past and very much enjoyed those cruises. This will be our first time in Alaska and likely our only trip there (we live on the east coast and have too many other “bucket list” places to visit). While getting the Alaska experience is important, we also very much enjoy entertainment and food while on vacation. We aren’t really interested in being overloaded with lectures, I would say 65% Alaska (ports, scenic viewing, a couple educational lectures) and 35% Dining/Entertainment/Other would be desirable for us. We like dining but the food does not have to be “fancy” for us to enjoy it (I also cannot eat seafood). 

 . . . 

I could "kiss you" for posting this.  🙃

Off/on, we have been looking at the mid-August through mid-September 2025 sailings, and the number of times we have changed what we want to prioritize is comical at this point.  Like you two, we live too far away to ever go a second time to Alaska, but we also want to enjoy that dining/entertainment/other you reference.  We have tossed around the combination of land & sea, as well as the longer 10 day cruise options, with no final decision made.   I keep thinking we have plenty of time to book for 2025, but our preferred balcony cabin locations definitely decrease as the weeks go by.

@Ajg601 - What made you rule out Holland America?  We are concerned it might be too quiet in the evenings and we might still be too young for HA.  But their ships look beautiful, and we like their itineraries. 

On 8/29/2023 at 5:10 PM, Saint Greg said:

For years the math didn’t work for me. This summer it did. Fall it didn’t and I’m on Princess. But I can share with you where it did this time.

 

last year on carnival my base ticket was $1500. Out of Seattle. Now that was a 4J with a window. Add in $350 for drinks, $100+ Wi-Fi, my own airfare was 800. That’s 2800.  This year the base price for me in an interior was around 2,000 with airfare around 1,000. That’s 3,000 just to get my butt on board. But on NCL I got my room, beverage upgrade, specialty dining, airfare, excursions, and Wi-Fi for 2,800. And oh since we end in Vancouver, I don’t have that baloney sandwich stop in Victoria. I get a real port day in Skagway.

 

 

Thanks for the quick breakdown.  That side-by-side number crunching is something that we need to definitely review.

I have never cruised Holland America before, but have been looking a lot on their website at possible 2025 options.  Yes, I registered, but I don't think that makes me an official "Mariner."  However, just yesterday, I got an email from HA advising of the $400 onboard credit and the Have it All offer for many sailings.  Am I now considered a "Mariner" or are they marketing to me as a Carnival VIFP (only gold, not platinum)?

On 7/18/2023 at 4:46 PM, cabland said:

This is really a duplicate post, but since we did several excursions with pics...so figured I would post a link here for ya'll:

June 10-17 Alaskan Cruise

Thanks for posting the link, and for the detailed review.  Much appreciated!

Old thread, but excited to find it. I am on the opposite quest as the original poster.  NO BATHTUBS for us.  We cannot step over that bathtub edge on a moving ship every day.  One, and possibly both of us, would most definitely bruise a leg and/or fall.

I had completely taken HAL off of our possible 2025 cruise wish list because of the dreaded bathtubs, but now it looks like I need to dig further into each specific ship floor plan.

10 hours ago, Iceinmywhitewine said:

Hello, Cruise Critic community! I and my best friend (mid-20s, female), would like to cruise to Alaska in 2025. We travel together very well. But, we seem to want rather different things out of a cruise line, and I'm wondering if there's a happy medium. She wants fun activities like theatre shows, fitness/yoga classes, ziplines, pools, waterslides, bars, just more of a resort feel. These exact elements aren't necessary, but hopefully that gives you an idea. I enjoy some of those activities for sure, but I don't really like megaships. When I vacation I'm interested in fine dining, educational activities like museums and trivia, interesting or off-the-beaten-path excursions, and a great spa. She enjoys some of those activities, but I know that she would be bored to tears on an education-focused line like Viking, or a small-ship line. I have no doubt she and I could have the perfect vacation if we can find a line that can balance our different interests. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, thoughts, or tips!

 

We also enjoy Disney Parks, so if you've done a Disney Cruise to Alaska and have thoughts, feel free to reply. 

 

Please forgive me if I did this wrong, I'm new to posting after lurking without an account for a bit.

We have not sailed Alaska, but are researching it for a 2025.  Pay LOTS of attention to number of passengers on a ship, if you prefer to not be on a megaship, because those will definitely pop up when you do your search.  I don't know enough about this cruiseline, but I encourage you to read about and watch online videos about Celebrity.  It might not have enough bells & whistles, but it sure looks like it might have a bit of a resort feel for your friend.

18 hours ago, Aquahound said:

I love on board entertainment and will always consider the ship as a high priority, second to the itinerary.  Hard for some to understand, apparently, but oh well.  🤷‍♂️

I appreciate you sharing this, especially when so many on the board are insistent that it must be about the itinerary, only.  

We are struggling tremendously with "the right fit" in Alaska for our family.  We are looking for the balance of itinerary, ship AND price point in 2025.  I am positive that doesn't exist, so now we have to decide where we are willing to compromise, and we are limited on when we can sail (must be between mid-August to mid-September).  

Oh, and for us, the ship experience also includes the formality or lack thereof.  My husband is VERY clear that he has zero interest in paying all of that money and then being expected to dress up.  Neither of us are eating dinner in the buffet area, so that means casual in the main dining room.

The amount of research has been time-consuming, but thoroughly enjoyable.  We have learned a lot about cruise lines we have never even considered before - Celebrity, Holland America, Cunard, Oceania.  We know more about balcony sizes and shower sizes than I thought was possible.  (We are bathtub HATERS, because, repeatedly, stepping over one to shower sounds like a fantastic way to get injured.) 

There is definitely LOTS to consider.

On 5/4/2023 at 7:33 PM, Haljo1935 said:

Happened to go through the 🎰 casino today (to avoid the elevator mob delay getting back on board in Ketchikan). The upgrades are obvious- it is definitely bigger with some fancy new machines. There is also a smaller section with doors that looks like it could be closed off for smoking.

While I understand that the cruise lines make money off of the casinos, it seems so odd to me that a casino needs to be bigger.  You can definitely tell it is NOT an area that I care to visit.  To each his own, though.

22 hours ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Hello again, has anybody taken in Sitka, the National historical park & raptor center? Have been to the raptor center before. Thanks.

Virginia

So glad you asked.  I have been reading about Sitka and it looks like a lovely port to stop at, but the sailings there are definitely limited.

Sorry to piggy-back, but I have never even looked at Celebrity cruise options until recently.  Do they ever offer refundable deposit specials?  There's an additional $759 for me to book our possible cruise with a refundable deposit, but I'll wait if Celebrity has certain times of the year where they offer actual refundable deposit sales.  I can't risk a non-refundable deposit ($500) booking for 2025, because that's way too far away.

Thanks!

22 hours ago, cynt said:

. . . 

 

Besides the older seniors, our group is an active bunch. So seating still on the ship and watching a glacier is not their forte.  They most definitely will enjoy roaming around the ship and taking in the surroundings. Maybe I exaggerated a little so instead of 15 minutes, maybe 45 minutes looking at the glacier. But riding a helicopter to the top of the glacier and trekking on it or dogsledding on the glacier they would enjoy.  Ziplining through the mountains they would enjoy. Taking the tram up to the top of the mountain and hiking they would enjoy. Hiking on the many trails throughout the ports they would enjoy.  Whale watching they would enjoy.  The nature boat rides, the many different sceneries and watching the whales do what they do they would enjoy. Eating salmon and being stuffed after eating crab they would enjoy. They are already talking about deep sea fishing and spotting eagles with their binoculars as we traverse through nature. 

 

We can't wait to cruise Alaska!!

So fun!!!  I like all of the excursion ideas.  Not necessarily all of them for me, since I have limitations due to previous back surgery, but a nice list for other family members, if they decide to travel with us.

I will make one of those "to each his own" comments.  Whale watching . . . been there (in Hawaii, not Alaska), done that, don't need to do it again. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but it's a "one & done" for me.  I'm sure there are others who would go every time they get a chance, though.

3 hours ago, cynt said:

July 2024 will be my 3rd Alaskan cruise. The first time I did all the research and cruised with my BFF aboard a Princess ship round trip from Seattle. The best of the best. It was fabulous. We did all the things, long time in each of the ports and viewed the Glacier up close.

 

2nd Alaskan cruise was with my husband and my dad. Northern bound, Vancouver to Seward. We got a heck of a price for a June 2019 sailing aboard the Celebrity Millennium. Absolutely would book this again in a heartbeat. Close view of the Glacier, ship was great and the food in the buffet was delicious to the point we didn't go back to the dining room. Lamb stew to die for. We had long periods in each port and I enjoyed this cruise more than my Princess cruise.

 

3rd cruise July 2024 is booked with Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas. Group cruise 5 Sr citizens, 7 adults, 2 teens and one tween. First time Alaska cruise for 13 of them. I would of loved to do a southern or northern route but due to logistics and airfare we elected to do round trip from Seattle. Moving 15 people around, including 7 Seniors can be challenging so I decided to error on the side of convenience. We landed on Quantum because of the age dynamic and we are diamond on Royal. We are most familiar with Royal ships so I know what to expect sailing on a Royal ship. I can answer Royal Caribbean questions in my sleep. There will be plenty to do aboard the ship to entertain everyone. I've decided to do Mendenhall Glacier to make sure they see a glacier up close since we know we will not see the Dawes Glacier. I still don't understand why they even go there. I would rather skip it altogether and spend that time in Juneau. So mentally I have adjusted my expectations. I'm still excited to show them Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Victoria. My husband keeps reminding me that they do not know what they are missing because it is their first Alaskan cruise. 

 

If it was just 4-6 of us, I would have definitely did another southern or northern route. I believe that is the best if you are looking to take advantage of the time in each port. I'm bummed about not seeing a big glacier up close but I'm OK with it because it's just a glacier at the end of the day and my group would maybe spend 15 minutes looking at it. LOL! I know we will have an excellent experience aboard the Quantum. 

@cynt , THANK YOU!

First of all, we have only cruised on Royal Caribbean once and it was because of the various ages.  The special needs folks were AMAZING helping us navigate all things related to my senior parents.  Do not hesitate to ask them for recommendations on the ship and at the ports.  And if you can convince those seniors to take walkers and/or rent scooters, they are such a huge help.

I am realizing that I need a more realistic idea of who is really going on this Alaskan cruise with us in 2025.   If it's just the two of us (late 50s), then I'm pretty certain we will select a northbound route on Princess, and if we determine that we have available funds, we will take the opportunity to visit Denali pre-cruise.  If several of our (in our age range) family members really decide to join us, then the airfare situation will make a Seattle roundtrip (Princess, HAL or Celebrity) the more likely scenario.  There is a slim possibility that we could try a Vancouver roundtrip, but not certain, since I don't know the passport situations for everyone.  But if it becomes a multi-generational trip, like our past two sailings, then the ship matters a whole lot more, because like you stated, "my group would maybe spend 15 minutes looking at it."  At that point, I think NCL, RCCL or Carnival become the front-runners.

@TraderSam - Your photos are incredible!  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your trip with us.

10 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

My last 4 AK cruises have been on RCI.  Frankly, it's because I live near Seattle and boarding in Seattle is easy for me.  Plus, the wife and I love the Quantum Class ships and always have a fantastic time on them. Got another one coming up in May.  🙂

 

Granted, this is because I've done other AK cruises in the past.  I've been to Glacier Bay twice on HAL.  In total, I've done 7 AK cruises, and my clear favorite was a southbound on Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver.  If not for having already experienced all this, and if AK was a one-time bucket list item, Seattle itineraries would not be my first choice.  

 

To correct something that was said above, all 4 of these cruises on RCI did have enrichment programs and lectures on numerous topics.  

 

The whole Princess/HAL Alaska thing is a little exaggerated in my opinion. Yeah, I said that.  😉

And I love that you said THAT.  I am interested in hearing about the Alaskan experiences on the other cruise lines, because they are clearly still filling up ships in Alaska.  Also, thank you for referencing that you enjoy a specific class of ship, because we really do enjoy the ships themselves.  We don’t need one of the HUGE ones, but by 2025 there might be grandchildren in the passenger mix for our family.  So very much to consider.

If we had unlimited vacation time and unlimited funds, I wouldn’t ask so many questions. My husband dreams of driving all the way to Alaska and seeing it that way, but that is NEVER going to happen.  He also wants to spend some time checking out Seattle and Vancouver, since he has been to both for business many years ago.  There just aren’t enough hours or funds for all of the “wishes.”

Time to read more about Celebrity Cruises in general.

On 10/25/2023 at 12:35 PM, fun_one said:

My husband and I are not traveling with anyone and would like to eat in one of the main dining rooms at a shared table most nights.  Without knowing when the shows are, I am confused how to make that kind of reservation.  When I get on the medallion app, the only times available are 8:00 pm for a "private" reservation.  Can I just go at an earlier time and say I want to share a table and be seated in a reasonable time frame?  I am used to having a set time each day to eat but am flexible since we are alone.

My sentiments, exactly.  How do we know "when" we would like to eat, when we have never sailed Princess nor have seen their evening schedules? 

It's been a VERY long time ago, but we loved the way it worked with NCL, especially with young children, because you never knew what time was going to be best to eat as a family.