skyung001

My post keeps disappearing. Hmmm I check for price drops regularly (weekly), then more often right before final payment is due, (daily). You can check on prices from your computer at the cruise critic website under find a cruise. I am not sure if the app has that feature. I am sure Hubbard will be awesome to see. We like cruising to Alaska in May, usually about the second week, but we are going with others and so had to choose June this time. Happy Planning

 

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Thank you! <3

As someone who took a 10 year hiatus from cruising and just got back into it last year, I can safely say, it's not worth all the worrying. I was itching to get back on a boat and see the world again! The Summit will be my first Celebrity Cruise in over 15 years, I believe (I'm not counting my cruise just before my hiatus....Grandeur Of The Seas, which is RCCL, owned by the same company).

 

The only line that went downhill as far as I can tell was Carnival, and while I had a bad experience on there (for a myriad of reasons), the overall experience with all the ports and just getting back to doing something that I love was worth it. I'm hoping that the Summit (another Celebrity ship, which will also be my next cruise) will be a different experience.

I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience with Carnival. Where did you w/ them?

As posted above the time of year definitely makes a difference in price, shoulder season does tend to be cheaper For Alaska that would be May and September. We did Alaska in 2015 and as mentioned May was our choice due to price being lower. We had great weather and smooth sailing for the most part. Alaska in general seems to be more costly than your average Caribbean holiday. We did Celebrity again in 2016 for a Southern Caribbean route.

 

We have decided to give HAL a try for Alaska in 2019 as they have the permits to cruise Glacier Bay and Celebrity does not. We did the Tracy Arm route out of Seattle. Tracy Arm was a beautiful area to see, it was kind of Zen-like and calming. A truly gorgeous thing to see. We chose June for our next sailing and of course it was several hundred more than May. We chose a mid-ship balcony and still paid less than $4000 for 2 of us. I also keep checking the sailing for any price drops so I can notify my TA. Good luck and Happy Planning

Fascinating re: Tracy Arm. I think the ship we chose goes to Hubbard.

How do you look for price drops? Do you check the site every day? Or is there a service that alerts you for a small fee?

Thank you everyone.

I can't do May/June or September because of the kid's school schedule. We have one week break during the 1st week of May, but I doubt Alaska cruises start quite that early.

I hear you about the balcony... Some say its' too cold for balcony, but some say it's a must. I decided to get an aft balcony because I get cold easily and wanted to be able to get back inside the cabin if I wanted to, rather than be freezing on the deck. (I don't think decks are covered and heated?) To give you an idea of how bad I am with cold, I thought Hawaii in Feb was pretty cold. (No beach for me at all) Or is it warmer/better on the decks?

Celebrity is a good line we have been with them 2 times. As others have stated if money is a concern rebook in a different cabin. We did consierge class (decided not really worth it and won't do it again) balcony and it was $3000 total for 2 of us. I think you can do better on your cabin price then perhaps the buyers remorse will lessen for you. As for upselling a polite no thanks works delightfully well. We didn't run into much of it anyway except for wasted paper ads in with the newsletter each night. Happy planning

 

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Where did you go and when? Thanks. Everyone is telling me Alaska just costs a kidney...

You can upgrade at any time. If you are past the 90 day mark and the upgrade is less than what you originally paid, you will not get money back. That is the only catch to tun 90 days or less.

 

I can't answer about the travel agent, we haven't used one. I'm sure someone else will be able to answer that portion.

Does this mean if it's been 90 days since I booked my trip, I can't get the difference in fare back? I have a refundable booking, so wouldn't it just make me cancel my existing trip and rebook?

Btw Yokkaichi station has a train to Nagoya.

As far as I know there is no private driver option like you do in Thailand. You need to hire a taxi for a full day which very expensive. And the driver you hire from Yokkaichi won't be able to show you around in Kyoto because he won't know the area unless he was born and raised there maybe. You need to hire a local Kyoto taxi to take you around Kyoto. Last time I had a 50 minute ride on taxi, it was about 10k yen, which is about $100US. The best way to get there is by going to Nagoya and transfer to a bullet train. If not, does your ship stop in Osaka? That one is even closer to Kyoto than Kobe.

Also how many hours do you have in Yakkaichi? And what do you want to see in Kyoto?

I wouldn't drive if I were you. Japanese drivers aren't like Americans. (Assuming you're from the US). See if you can get a shinkansen train to Kyoto and experience Japanese bullet trains? Or you can take a bus, I think. https://japanbusonline.com/en/CourseSearch/12400020001 But FYI - Japanese trains are very punctual, so using them is generally a good idea if you have to be back by certain time, etc. Did you ask Princess about excursion options?

Also if the ship docks in Kobe, it may be better to hit Kyoto from Kobe because it's closer. Once you get to Shin-Kobe station (make sure to tell them it's SHIN-Kobe -- "Shin" indicates it's a bullet train station -- you can reach Kyoto in about 30 minutes on Nozomi or Hikari Express Trains on Tokaido-Sanyo line for less than $35/each way. I think it takes about 10-15 mins to get to the Shin-Kobe station from the dock. All Japanese taxis are metered, and drivers are very good and honest, so you shouldn't worry about them taking you the long way or something. FYI - most Japanese taxi drivers can't speak English, so make sure you know what to say to get back to the dock. (To go to the Shin-Kobe station, all you have to say is "Shin-Kobe eki" (Eki = station). Shin-Kobe station staff speaks some English). There's a Kyoto tour for cruise ships docking in Kobe, but I know nothing about it personally because I've never used it. https://www.toursbylocals.com/KyotoShoreExcursionByJumboTaxi-PrivateTour But that tour's expensive unless you can get at least 4-5 people to do it w/ you.

Thailand is super nice. I've been there like 8 times now? It's a great country, great food and great people. Just beaware that tuktuk / taxis are super pricey, so you need to negotiate ahead of time. There are taxis you can hire via FB or other apps. I used a guy who was very good. (I've never cruised there btw. I just flew into Chiang Mai and Phuket, etc.) FYI - Nov is when Thailand goes into its high season for tourism.

Also I wouldn't use credit card or ATM in Thailand unless there's no service charge. You can exchange money (cash) easily by going to any money exchange places or banks. They're EVERYWHERE. And many of them in touristy areas are open 24/7.

Thank you, everyone!

Also this is a newbie question, but if there's a price drop on a suite (some people said that's how they upgraded), but if the price of the suite is below what you paid for your cabin, you can't upgrade? Or is it only if you've already gone past the final payment day?

Also - if an online agency offers me extra OBC (let's say $300) to book with them on top of the Celebrity perk(s), and if there's a price drop, does the agency reduce the amount of extra OBC? Or does the OBC stay the same? Thanks.

If you are satisfied with the price you pay then let your worries go. Celebrity is a great line. We have cruised with them before and have another one coming up in a few weeks with them. (If it’s awful I’ll come back and update this).

 

Yes, they will have tables set up selling drink and dining packages, like they all do, but I don’t ever recall feeling hounded by upsells on any cruise. I’ve certainly never felt like I got worse treatment for not spending extra on drinks/dining. Don’t forget that whole thing where a happy customer tells 1 person and an unhappy customer tells 10. Reviews are often disproportionately negative because many of the people who go out of their way to write one want to let everyone know how unhappy they were. I’m guilty of that myself, if I have a negative experience I’ll almost always write a review on yelp/amazon/trip advisor. And only occasionally write a review after a positive experience.

 

 

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Thanks for the reassurance. You’re probably right about negative reviews. I’m an odd duck because I either write a super glowing review or a super scathing one everywhere after my trip. If my experience was just average or just met my expectation, I tend not to write anything.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions about the ship :)

Out of curiosity, I booked an aft balcony cabin, which they call Sunset Veranda. Just how far is it from the closest elevator (mid-ship, I think)? Some say it wasn't bad, some act like it was a marathon each way. Thanks.

Just curious - were you "pressured" into this vacation/sailing? I mean, how did you come about deciding on taking this particular cruise?

 

Only reason I ask is that if this was decided on your own, it certainly sounds like you possibly didn't do much, if any due diligence before booking due to the concerns that you are raising. If an Alaskan cruise is something you really want to do, just do your research and make sure that you are comfortable with it while you can still cancel

 

And just as an FYI, cruises in Alaska are much more alike than different and JMHO, but you shouldn't choose a cruise based on the line or ship as much as on the itinerary/port times

I chose it because a few of my friends said they loved it. But I felt a bit freaked out when I saw negative reviews of the ship and the cruiseline I chose after some research.

We sailed Eclipse in February and had a great time. Amazing captain and staff, lovely ship and not much upsell (a simple “no thanks” was easy). Would sail again on her in a heartbeat.

That's great to hear. If you don't mind sharing, which cabin did you get? Thanks.

What you spend on the ship will be up to you.

 

Some people feel they must try every extra charge restaurant. Others are happy with the included meals.

Some buy every picture. Others buy none.

Art auctions some buy others stay away.

 

And so on thru all the choices on the ship.

Thanks.

My mother and I were on the Celebrity Infinity on a Alaska Cruise last August. Overall' date=' it was a great cruise until we got "under the weather". Beyond the usual "Check the Alaska and Celebrity" boards, here are a few items on my list:

[list']

[*]This was my first cruise in twelve and a half years. Previously was on Carnival, and they kept pushing the tanzanite. I felt no sales pressure beyond the inserts in the daily program.

[*]I'm not a drinker, so I took the premium non-alcoholic package. Got to try some drinks which I would have screamed "too expensive" in real life.

[*]Our room steward, Astral, was top notch. We ended up sending a letter to the CEO singing his praises.

[*]Please arrive one day early in Vancouver. Traffic can be a mess!

[*]Also, please be aware that you will be passing through US Customs and immigration both when boarding your ship and prior to breading your flight back to the United States.

[*]Make sure you pick up some Dayquil, Nyquil, and Vitamin C prior to boarding the ship. Alaska is known for it's changeable weather, so dress in layers. Temperatures can be in the 60s, and expect rain.

[*]My biggest complaint was on Day 3 in Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska. We had booked both a wildlife and whales excursion. We got back to the ship right near the 9:30 PM check-in time, but by then, the buffet was shutting down.

I was on Carnival too when I cruised over 15 years ago! I don't remember them pushing the tanzanite, but then I didn't read a single paper they left in my cabin. (I'm pretty bad about those inserts and stuff because I call them all "trash.")

I plan to arrive on Saturday for our Sunday embarkation. Also staying one extra day after the cruise b/c we have an international flight back to Asia actually. (for work assignments)

And thanks for the tip: Dayquil, Nyquil, etc. I'll definitely bring those along w/ some Advils.

Was the Ciy Strait Point excursion worth it?

And finally -- I think you left from Vancouver and had 2 days of inside passage (I think they have Eclipse to do the itinerary next year). If so, did you find the inside passage days worth it? We can also start from Seattle, but it only has 1 day of inside passage and 2 days at sea.

Alaska is beautiful and expensive and huge! A cruise is one way to see several parts of the state in a week.

 

I don't want to be negative Nelly, but you will want to consider the cost of shore excursions on your cruise. There are many things to do, but most are not at the port, and some are very expensive. We took a flightseeing experience out of Juneau over glaciers to Taku lodge, complete with salmon lunch and bears hanging around. It was fantastic and worth it, about 10 years ago $360 per person for us and our two children.

 

There are other, not as expensive, excursions, but in general you will have to pay to get out of town to see more of Alaska. These are not technically "upsells," but are certainly not included in your price.

Thanks. I don’t consider them an upsell since they’re sort of extra something to do. I’m budgeting about $500/port for 2 adults and 1 child. I think that should cover it but if I need to fork over more for an amazing excursion I didn’t know about I’m willing to fork over more.

I initially budgeted about 7k for the cruise and excursions. But I feel like I should bump it up closer to 8k based on the fare.

You can get a cabin for 3 for much less than $5,500 if you're concerned about money and feeling queasy. That will free up money for shore excursions and other onboard spending. I've never been treated badly on a cruise or served inedible food because I didn't buy the drink of the day or didn't make a reservation at a specialty restaurant.

 

An Alaskan cruise should be something to look forward to, not approach with dread. Celebrity is a good cruise line, you'll be fine.

 

Roz

I wanted an aft balcony and nobody really had it for less than at least 5k for refundable deposit rate for Aug of next year. Carnival had it cheaper but no refundable deposit and only $50 OBC.

Does the $5,500 cover flights? And for 1 or 2 rooms. That seems a bit excessive for 7 nights unless that is including your flights or for 2 rooms.

 

 

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Just the cruise. No insurance or flights or excursions. One cabin since our kid is going to be 8 when we sail

Great review and photos! Thanks for sharing since I'm going to be on Eclipse next August.

I haven't sailed Celebrity so I can't offer specifics on that line or your ship, but I feel confident in stating that you will always find people complaining about almost everything.;)

 

I suggest you spend some time reviewing Celebrity's web site and verify what is and isn't included in your fare. If you are satisfied that you can enjoy your cruise (and likely you can with the right attitude) with what you have booked then relax and have a great trip. You will probably be offered up-sells on board, but a polite firm 'no, thank you' works for most people. If the crew don't ask then they are less likely to make a sale, but they understand that many passengers will say no.

 

Most cruise line I've had (CCL, PCL, RC, NCL) food is good, but not great. The buffet is a buffet, but better than many land buffets. MDR is a banquet hall, with many pre-made meals rather than cooked to order. It is usually better than most banquet style meals I've had on land, but I've often had better restaurant meals. I've never gone hungry on a cruise, have had some dishes I didn't enjoy and some that were excellent. Keeping expectations in check helps. If a higher level meal is important at least once during your trip then you might want to budget for a specialty restaurant. You might have a better experience budgeting for something special in port though.

 

I've never had an issue drinking ship's tap water, but I'm not very picky and I am usually thirsty:D If you notice an off taste you can request lemon for your water or maybe bring on concentrated drink drops (like Mio) to flavor your water.

 

I hope you can enjoy your cruise. If you don't think you can then you should probably cancel sooner rather than later, but be sure to check your booking agreement for cancelation fees/penalties.

Thank you, pacruise804. So I guess some upsells are unavoidable, but as long as they aren't constantly and not terribly pushy, I can probably live with those. I really didn't notice any upsells when I cruised once over 15 years ago. I actually remember it being very pleasant in general. And food being pretty good (but then I was eating college dining hall food until then so... lol).

And thank you for sharing your recent experiences. I just got a bit nervous when people said you won't have good experience unless you're willing to buy / accept the upsells on board, or you'll be treated badly and food is inedible in their reviews. And I booked Celebrity specifically because I read it's nicer than other cruises, which I understood to mean better service and nicely prepared food included in the fare.

I'm really doing this for my family more than myself, esp. our kid, who can identify all sort of sharks, dolphins and whales by just glancing at pictures. So if they're happy, I'm going to be fine too (provided no annoying pushy sales tactics and inedible food).

Are the balconies in the picture partially covered? It's hard to tell with the shades. Thanks.

I just committed to a cruise for 2 adults and 1 child (sunset veranda on Celebrity Eclipse) for Alaska sailing from Vancouver in Aug 2019, and I'm feeling a bit queasy. Money is part of it -- because it's quite a bit (a little over $5,500) -- and also because I keep hearing how horrible and dime-n-nickling cruiselines are now, compared to when I cruised over 15 years ago on Carnival. And that is not a good feeling to have when just the cruise (inclusive of all fees and taxes) is over $5,500 for seven nights. We could spend that much and spend 2 weeks in Phuket or Danang in a 5-star resort, inclusive of resort, air and food.

I honestly have no clue what to expect now. And some of the unflattering reviews about Celebrity and Eclipse aren't helping. (We picked Eclipse leaving from Vancouver because it has 2 days of inside passage v. Solstice leaving from Seattle which has only 1 inside passage and 2 days at sea...)

I REALLY hate it when I'm confronted by people trying to upsell me or get me to buy stuff from them all the time constantly. I feel like for that kind of money for 7 nights, I'm entitled to some peace, warm hospitality and good food.

Any advice for an anxious and not-newbie-but-might-as-well-be-newbie? Are cruiselines so horrible now, like domestic airlines? And is food really that horrible too?

And does filter water that cruise lines offer (for free I presume) taste bad?

Seriously wondering if I should just book a land tour of Alaska instead now... >.<

(My friends are trying to make me feel by telling me I can cancel and get all my money back until next May...)

I think it depends on how social you plan to be? If you're going to be very social / outgoing, maybe you want a ship with more younger crowd / people your age group and so on. But if you are going to be focusing on spending it with your spouse, then does it matter?