TraderSam

7 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Well, I can’t even sign either my husband or I in.

Anyone else having the same problem?

Sign in problems have been discussed here on CC recently. Try changing your passwords. That resolved it for us. 👍🏻

Oh and our PUPs have not posted yet. 

38 minutes ago, weregoingcruising said:

Where was this unlisted and who was it sent to?

I was quoting @Adowsett post #12. 

Is it too much to hope they are replacing the shower curtains with doors in staterooms? 

🚿💦

23 minutes ago, Mark_K said:

We were on a Royal Caribbean cruise, many years ago now, where they were both confiscating Clothes Steamers upon boarding and selling them in the gift shop. Nice racket they had going.

I read that as if they were selling the confiscated steamers in the gift shop! 😂 

Our most recent trip was a month long, visiting  Singapore, NZ and Oz. Only 10 days of that were on the cruise and I considered taking a garment steamer for the land portion of our trip, knowing it would be confiscated whilst on the cruise. In the end, I didn't but wonder whether those bringing banned items are of the same mindset. 

Thank you @cavaaller for taking the time to do this review and also @Pack Leader for your input. 

We are boarding in a couple of weeks and this will be our first time on an M-class ship so we are relieved to hear it has been spruced up a little. Not so good news on the food though. 😕

1 minute ago, Oceangoer2 said:

You may have made an impression with someone who forwarded your cabin #...or...they just liked your face.....😉

Well, that thought has made my day. Thank you 😊

We have been invited all 3 times, including the first time we sailed with Celebrity. We have always been in verandah cabins

(not Concierge nor Aqua) and are not yet Elite.  So, no idea what the criteria is to receive an invitation. 🤷‍♀️

We enjoyed the sail into Victoria, Vancouver Island and the sailaway from Vancouver itself. I believe we missed the sailaway from Amsterdam as we had met some lovely folks at the Sunset Bar and we were all enjoying a cocktail...or three 🍹😁 so we enjoyed the view from the stern instead of the bow. 

6 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

Thanks for all the information- I fear they will not revolutionize Infinity - I rather excpect them to get rid of the Millenium Class step by step- after all Edge Class Ships are out and about. I am glad the four Millenium Class ships are still around though. Can´t wait to board at March 4th.

Please do a review of Infinity after your cruise. We board the 15th April and would be keen to hear your thoughts. 👍🏻

3 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

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

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. 

Plus you have just reminded me that I have a few more to add to finish this report. 🤭🤫

12 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

The e class ships do not have traditional early/late dining times despite all appearances to the contrary.  All of the dining on Apex is open seating. Pay no attention to any instruction which says that you have a 6 o’clock dining time. That is an artifact of the outdated celebrity booking system and it is not valid for e class ships.

I read your reply with great interest. Whilst I appreciate that the OP is asking about the Apex, I'm on the Edge next and here is a screen shot of the info in my cruise planner. 

I will be delighted if it is as you describe as I've spent the last few months hoping I could change from 8.30/late dining time. 

I do wish Celebrity would give out correct information. 🙄

Ferry to Vancouver Island. 

We walked off the ship with our own luggage and said our final farewells to the friends we'd made on both the ship and the train. 🛳️🚂

On booking this trip, I'd suggested that we should just add on a little jaunt over to Victoria and hubby agreed. We'll, we'd come this far...😉 

In the Cruise Terminal, we got in line for the BC Connector, the coach which would take us directly to Tsawwassen and over to Vancouver Island on the ferry. We have done this journey before and feel the ferry crossing is like a scenic cruise in itself.

 Not long after we had left the dock, hubby went to the outside decks and there was a humpback whale swimming close to the ferry.🐳 All the way to Alaska and here was one swimming alongside us. 😂

After a very pleasant crossing, the coach took us onward to the centre of Victoria. We were familiar with the area and so walked to our hotel to check in and drop our luggage. It had been an early start off the ship so we were keen to eat. We walked around the Parliament buildings

and then along the waterfront, past the Fairmont Empress.

 We headed up Government Street and put our names on the waiting list for a table at the Irish Times. We'd eaten here previously and enjoyed the corned beef and cabbage.😋 Alas, it was no longer on the menu so we had to settle for fish & chips.

The food wasn't as good as we had experienced in the past and the young staff had a bit of an attitude too but it filled a hole and then we were ready for a walk to digest. 

The sun was setting by this point and we enjoyed the scenery before heading back to the hotel. 

Next up... 

Whale watching. 

4 minutes ago, StopTheWorld said:

Loving your review 😍 We’re thinking about Alaska for 2025 now! 

How kind. 😍Thank you so much. 

All I can say is, stop thinking and get it booked. 😉Then you can spend the time planning and looking forward to your trip.

Life is short. Enjoy it while you can. ❤️

Inside Passage 

And so to our last day of Inside Passage Cruising.
It's true what they say, the route from Vancouver is more beautiful than the route from Seattle.

We had another visit to Cafe Al Bacio and today, the lemon tarts had meringue on top. Extra yummy!  Are you tired of seeing photos of lemon tarts yet? Don't worry, sadly this is my last.... Until next time. 😉

In the afternoon we watched some folks make their chosen piece at the Hot Glass Class and admired the passing scenery one last time.

We dropped by Future Cruises and submitted our request forms. There's nothing better than getting another cruise booked to cure any last day blues. 😉

We attended our final Captain's Club event which was a Mixology class and we were shown how to make a Manhattan, a Spiced Pimms and finally, a Mai Tai. We enjoyed drinking all three! 😂

Overall, we had attended 4 Captain's Club events this cruise and enjoyed them all, albeit we noticed that attendees didn't really mingle with each other. 

After dinner in the MDR, we headed to the theatre for the production show Broadway Cabaret, which was very enjoyable. 

The Sky Lounge was heaving for the 10pm ABBA singalong which only lasted the standard 45 minutes. This could have gone on until midnight and everyone would still have been there, singing their hearts out and dancing. It was an absolutely  fabulous night, made even better by all our friends from the Rocky Mountaineer gathering for a last hurrah!  What a way to end the cruise. 😍

Next up... 

Our trip is not over yet! 

Ketchikan

Our last visit to Ketchikan hadn't gone to plan as hubby had managed to put his back out getting up from a sun lounger! He was barely walking and in severe pain so we manged a short jaunt while his painkillers were working but didn't get as far as Creek Street.
Needless to say, this was on the to-do list for this stop. The weather this time was also much better.

So we set off to find the infamous houses.

The application form is worth reading. 😁

Creek Street was interesting and not too busy and we wandered into some of the little shops. 

We followed up the Married Man's Trail and walked to the City Park and Totem Heritage Centre.

Back down and around the waterfront area and around town. We had a look in some of the larger stores around there. The lumberjack show was in full flow but we've done this sort of thing before. 

And so feeling that we'd seen all we wanted to see, we headed back to our usual haunt and... 

It was Evening Chic night so we scrubbed up and headed off to the MDR. Later, we caught the 9pm show Amade and then up to the Sky Lounge for the 80's party with our friends from our time on the Rocky Mountaineer. 

This was a new experience for us, having made so many friends even before we set foot on the ship and it was lovely to keep bumping into folks and making arrangements to meet up later. Many a good night was had, dancing drinks and laughs. 

Juneau day continued...

Back onboard, we dropped into Cafe Al Bacio. Having had enough alcohol in the Red Dog Saloon, I opted to have some White Ginger Pear tea and a bowl of coconut gelato.

Since we had walked our 10000 steps and much more, we were glad of a rest and recharge.

The menu on the MDR wasn't really taking our fancy and it was a beautiful evening so we took the decision to grab ourselves a table at the outside rear of the OVC with a view of the wake.

We nibbled on nachos, slices of pizza and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine. It was very peaceful and relaxed and the views before us were wonderful. It made a nice change from the MDR. 

The 9pm show in the theatre was a vocalist, Paulette Ivory. "Prepared to be blown away! " the blurb said. She had a great voice for sure, if she'd only sung more and talked less.😂 It felt like we got her life story and how she'd met King Charles etc. If she just sung the songs instead of talking her way through them. She also did Shirley Bassey impersonations. Anyway, I wouldn't say she was our favourite act but we stuck it out before heading up to the Sky Lounge to meet our friends. Rounded off the evening with a bit of dancing and a nightcap. A fabulous day all round. 

Next up...
Ketchikan. 

@Ciaranaman

Bernadette, you should definitely add it to your to-do. List next time you are in Juneau. 👍🏻😁 As long as you have a sense of fun and are not easily offended. 

Juneau

Our plan for Juneau was to simply wander and explore the town as we had visited the Mendehall Glacier previously and had a whale watching excursion planned for later on in our trip. 🐳

We headed along the waterfront walkway known as The Juneau Seawalk at Overstreet Park.

There were several interesting and symbolic artworks along the way, including totems and a Lingít canoe, "Yaadachóon".

The most impressive statue though, was Tahku, the life-scale bronze humpback whale. It was absolutely beautiful. 👌🏻

We waited patiently for the water fountains in the infinity pool to come on, which made the breaching whale seem even more realistic. We were in no rush to be anywhere so waited for us to be the only folks around.

If only the sun had appeared. Oh well, maybe next time. 

We wandered on through the town, looking at the buildings, popping into various stores.

We considered doing the tramway but it was very misty at the top so figured the view would have been obscured. 

Instead, we ended up at the Red Dog Saloon.

No queue! 

So we pushed our way through those swing doors, stepped into the sawdust and bagged ourselves two stools at the bar.

Duck Farts and beers were ordered and we enjoyed them so much, a second round of shots was called for.

It was bit like the Aspen coffee from Cafe Al Bacio only without the coffee and a bigger kick. 😜

After some banter with the barman, the live music started up. A guy on the keyboard who proceeded to sing some rather dubious songs. My husband still sings one of them now and again. 🤣

The lovely couple we'd had dinner with the other night arrived and so another round of Duck Farts was ordered. Quack, quack, knock it back! 😂 🦆💨 

We had fun in this tourist trap and would visit again. 

 But it was definitely time to head back to the ship before we had any more🤪 so we happily waddled out through the sawdust via the gift shop and made our way back on board. 

🛳️🦆🦆🦆🦆

Which reminds me, I bought a Duck Fart Christmas tree decoration. I wonder where it is. 🤔

Next up... 

Ketchikan

Hubbard Glacier

Our sail in towards the Hubbard Glacier was of course cold but very enjoyable. 

The sun came out and went back in again so I tried my best to take my photos when the  reflections were good.

I was amazed to find us sailing into waters which appeared to have a lot of ice debris floating but I figured the Captain knew what he was doing. 😂 🧊

Having said that, it felt as though we were some distance away from the Glacier itself, compared to our previous Alaska cruise which visited Dawes Glacier. Several factors come into play, I understand that but at Dawes, we could hear and see calving quite clearly.

As we sailed away, we watched a HAL ship take our place. 

Anyway, Glacier viewing over, photos  taken, expert narration enjoyed, it was time to warm up with a visit to Cafe Al Bacio. 

@vickykay

Apologies for the late reply but my coffee is most likely an Aspen. I've tried many of the speciality coffees from CAB but this is my favorite, especially when accompanied by lemon or chocolate tarts.😋

Later, we attended another Captain's Club event and enjoyed an Apple Martini or two. 🍸

If my memory serves me correctly, we teamed up for dinner with a couple we'd met on the Rocky Mountaineer and had a fab evening together. Entertainment was the 9pm Rock City which we enjoyed. (I thought one of the male vocalists was absolutely wonderful. An Australian guy named Johnny. Think he will go far in his career.)

We also went to the Liars Club with CD Rich Cleeson, Bob Brizendine and Brad Tassell, which was a  funny show as always. Beginning to wonder whether they change the words as some felt familiar. 😂  Had to miss the Silent Disco as it clashed with Liars Club. 😟

Next up....

Juneau

Hoonah

There was an information booth at the end of the Cannery area where the gentleman was very welcoming and gave us a map. The walk took us maybe 25-30 minutes and the scenery was magnificent. 

We passed an old cemetery on the other side of the road which we had a look at on our return walk. We do love looking around an old graveyard and find them rather fascinating. 

The old pier which we'd have loved to walk along but it was roped off for safety reasons. 

Lots of totems dotted in and around too. 

As we got to the edge of town, an elderly gentleman struck up a conversation with us. He spoke of the bear across the water. We thought he was haverin' 😉but we spent a good wee while with the binoculars, scanning the shoreline on the opposite side, just in case. Then my husband let out a gasp at the brown bear he had just seen. We watched her for a while and then eventually her cub came out from the bushes and joined her.  The cub was much darker in colour and frolicked around with it's mother. We couldn't believe our luck! Now, they were far enough away that they were visible with the naked eye if you knew what to look for but much more fun to watch through binoculars. This sighting absolutely made our day. 😊

Do I have any good photos? Nope. Just some grainy phone camera shots which I'll not embarrass myself by posting. 😂

And so, it was time to wander back to the ship. There was a shuttle bus option but it was busy and we are always keen to keep our steps up to balance the over-indulgence onboard. 

We wanted to enjoy the views from another perspective anyway. 

The Cannery as we walked back from Hoonah. 

We did have a wander around and inside the shops.  Lots of handicrafts and souvenirs. 

We contemplated making our way back via the Nature Trail again but thought we'd try out the cable car as the queue was short. 

Several deer below us. 

As we made our way back onboard, we noticed the cable car which took you up for the zipline. Having heard the the screams of the riders as they whizzed down, we decided to pass.  😂

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset that evening. 

Next up...

Hubbard Glacier

Icy Strait Point 

This was a new port for us. We were not expecting much but it turned out to be wonderful and definitely a highlight of our cruise.
As we were not due to dock until 13.30,  started the day with breakfast at the outside area behind Oceanview Cafe. Hubby was up early and took himself off with his binoculars. I arrived shortly after to find him at a table overlooking the wake and admiring the view. 

We watched the pilot boat speeding along to make the drop off. 

Upon arrival at the docking area, there was quite a queue for the cable cars so we opted to take the leisurely woodland walk along to the Cannery complex . 

There were warning signs to make noise and to travel in groups so we tagged along close behind a larger group. It was a very pleasant half mile walk and we saw an enormous bald eagle nest in the trees. 

Some photos from around the Cannery area. 

Next, we walked around the shoreline to Hoonah. 

Inside Passage Cruising continued...

The day passed quickly, between admiring the passing scenery, eating, drinking cocktails, chatting to various folks we'd met aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, trivia, checking out the Hot Glass show area and more cocktails.

🍸😜

We attended the Captain's Club welcome event and had some nibbles and more cocktails.

Soon, it was time for our 7.15pm reservation in the MDR.
We were seated at a 2 top with chatty, close neighbours and near another couple we knew, so it was all good. I'm looking at the menu  now and can't say I remember what we ate (didn't want to take photos and interrupt the flow of conversation) but it must have been fine.

We went to the 9pm show, comedian Brad Tassell who was okay, kinda juvenile at times.🤷‍♀️ 

 Our plan was to hit the Silent Disco at 10pm 💃🕺but we were beat and opted to head to bed instead. Early for us! 

Next up... Icy Strait Point. 

On 7/28/2023 at 8:19 AM, Sunshine Bob said:

So,  did you get your bags back? Are you going to finish the trip or leave us all hanging here in cyberspace? 

Oh dear me! It's been a long time since I started this trip report and much has happened since then. I'm sorry if I left you all hanging. 🤭

I shall try to pick up and round things off before it's time for us to set sail again.🛳️

Our luggage took just over 2 weeks to be delivered and was pretty battered and dirty when it did arrive home. The contents however, were intact and just as we had packed them. No idea where it had been as there were clearly luggage problems at both Toronto and Edinburgh airports.

For @Sunshine Bobwho asked, the issue started when our first flight, Air Canada Vancouver to Toronto was delayed by 2hrs 30mins (realistically, it was nearer 3hrs but hey, that's when compensation kicks in so let's call it 2hrs 59 minutes)
As we knew from the outset, that we would miss the connecting flight Toronto to Edinburgh, 3-4 check-in desk staff at Vancouver each attempted to find us alternative flights, but to no avail. 

We asked whether we should check our luggage all the way to Edinburgh, knowing that we were not going to make it and we were told yes, just in case the Edinburgh flight was also delayed (as it had been the previous day) and there was a slim chance we were able to board.  They said if we were too late, our luggage would be taken off and we would get it back in Toronto anyway.

So, we went with their advice and moved along, knowing it was all out of our hands. 

Upon our late arrival in Toronto, new boarding passes were at the gate waiting for us, for flights to Edinburgh via Dublin, Ireland but TWO days later. Not very happy with this, we stood in a long line at a customer services desk to see if there were any other alternatives.  They told us they could fly us home the following day, via Munich and we would be put up in a hotel in Toronto overnight. Okay, better one day late than two.

Next issue was that our luggage was nowhere to be found. This baggage hall had luggage stacked up everywhere as well as the bags circulating on carousels. 

After standing in another lengthy queue at baggage assistance, they said our luggage would have been taken off and put in a holding room but it would take them hours to find it and get it to us. Since it was almost 11pm, we were given a overnight amenities pack, with a t-shirt, toothpaste etc and we set off with our $20 meal vouchers which were only valid in the airport. 
Fast forward and following a very comfortable night in the Marriot and a quiet day on our ipads, my phone pings to say our Toronto Munich flight is delayed. 🙄

We arrive at the airport and enquire whether we could switch to the next Edinburgh flight but we are told that it is very oversold and we would be unlikely to make the standby list. She tells us not to give up our reserved seats on the Munich flight and if we miss the Edinburgh connection, Munich will sort us out. Everyone wants to bump us onto the next airport 😕

The Munich flight made up some lost time and so about an hour before landing, we spoke with a flight attendant regarding our now, very tight connection. We were seated in row 41 of a 42 row plane. We asked for some assistance in getting off, as had happened on our inbound flight, whereby they allowed some passengers off first as they had a tight connection and flight was late in arriving. Nope. Weren't interested in helping us. We politely explained how we came to be in the position( all Air Canada delays) but still, sorry, they couldn't let us off before folks up front. 
So, we sighed inwardly, took a deep breath and patiently waited our turn. 

This was when we had our first bit of luck...the gate for our Edinburgh departure was the next one along. 😂 Both planes were sitting side by side on the tarmac. ✈️✈️

 I watched to see if our luggage was taken across(Yes, I was hoping to see a gentleman in a hi-viz jacket wheeling our two suitcases across the tarmac but, hey I knew I'd more chance of winning the lottery.) 
So with German efficiency, passports were checked and our Lufthanasa flight left and landed on time.👍🏻
Of course, our luggage didnt appear on the carousel...and you know the rest. 

To top it all off, we'd prepaid £65 for  3weeks parking and we had a £45 surcharge for our extra day.😂

Apologies for long story. 

@Sunshine Bob

These photos were taken on our Eclipse Alaska cruise this summer. I thought that the whale tail was beautiful. 🐳

They did have some  ready made pieces for sale too and I'll post if I find a photo of them. They were rather large (if you were flying home) if I remember correctly. @cowpokes I know you are on Solstice but they may give you an insight into the sort of things you can make and the prices to expect. 

21 minutes ago, villauk said:

 

 the prices over here were too good to miss. 

 

Makes a nice change eh? 😉 

@@Chewbecca glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise despite a lack of variety in the live music. 

We jumped on a offer on a "Best of Greece" itinerary for April. An absolute bargain so couldn't say no. 😁

This will be our first time on an M class ship so keen to see how we like it but I'm disappointed to read Celebrity appear to have scaled back the refurbishment plans for the next dry dock.