cruisetek

Just now, Jeter02 said:

As always for lunch on embarkation day it's always the dining room on deck 6 midship. So on the ship it would be Estrella. On a vacation day lunch will be served at 12:00 noon..

Amazing, thank you so much! I hope you continue to have a fantastic cruise.

Looks like you're having a great time! I appreciate the photos of the menus, as well. 

Could you please tell me which dining room was open for lunch on embarkation day? 

On 5/26/2023 at 3:14 PM, shiner6 said:

Update, I could not get an answer, nobody returned my several emails so I just cancelled instead.

Oh no! I wish I'd seen this sooner. For reference, in case anyone else is wondering, I've done RIB boats in numerous places and am similar in size to you. Have never had a problem - they always have larger coats, pants, overalls or whatever and I've not seen weight restrictions. They are such a blast!! If it's not too late, I'd definitely recommend you rebook it, I doubt you'd have any trouble at all.

We're bringing $100 worth for three of us. We expect we'll be able to use card in some places, and plan to do that when possible. Whatever cash is remaining will be spent on something before we return to port (food or souvenirs - it's not a great deal of cash so don't expect it will be difficult).

Thank you for your response. I see the usefulness of a trained service dog for someone whose diabetes is so severe that he wouldn’t be able to live alone otherwise. However, that person probably wouldn’t feel up to traveling, especially if he also requires renal dialysis.

 

I queried my diabetic friends & family last night. They prefer being able to live their lives as normally as possible, and two travel quite frequently for both work and holidays. So, no they don’t want service dogs. They’ve eagerly awaited non-invasive glucose monitoring devices, at least one of which was approved by the FDA last year. The new devices have pros and cons, but some diabetics do use them successfully.

Lows for some people with T1 come on very fast, with little warning. By the time the person could register that they're low, their cognitive function can be affected which delays treatment and leads to a potentially dangerous situation. Your friends sound like they aren't in this camp, which is great for them - but that's not the case for everyone. For those people, the dogs are an important part of being able to live a normal life. For parents of young children, the dogs are a godsend, allowing everyone to sleep better at night. I've been there, done that, got the kid with T1 diabetes and an insulin pump to prove it.

That particular lady was clearly full of it (self-training a service dog for your own condition?), but yes - it's important to note that there are ADA-approved dogs for diabetics who have issues with hypoglycemic unawareness (mostly Type 1s). The dogs can sense the drop in blood sugar, allowing the handler to treat themselves before they have a disastrous low (which can lead to unconsciousness and death if left untreated).

I understand she was stretching the limits with her particular dog, but would hate anyone to dismiss an approved service dog with these skills as a phony. They are real, they do help people (some kids, especially, whose parents would otherwise never sleep at night), and they are legitimate.

That's exactly the information I was looking for - thanks so much!

We'll be cruising within 3 weeks, staying in a RS, and have heard that we're supposed to receive an e-mail from the concierge in advance of our departure so we can put in our requests for the liquor set-up in the room, make specialty dining reservations, note any other preferences, etc. Can anyone tell me when we are likely to receive this e-mail? Just wondering if I should have heard something by now, or if it typically happens closer to our sailing date. Have cruised multiple times before, but this is the first time with Celebrity so I'm not sure how things work with them. Thanks!

Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau, for sure! There's also a kiosk called Crepe Escape that makes some really delicious sweet or savory crepes that you can eat while wandering. In Victoria it's hard to beat Jam Cafe, but it has limited hours (only open until 3pm, I think) and can have quite a line waiting to get in. The Pink Bicycle does some great burgers, they have a lot of various meats on offer and prices are reasonable.

Pretty sure you're looking for Joseph Machini. I have the same cat pendant (the head and tails both rotate) with yellow diamond eyes...it was bought in San Juan back in 2002 and he was in store at the time and engraved the pendant on the back for me. A quick Google search seems to indicate that he no longer has a shop (and might have been in Alaska for a while?), so I'm not sure if there's much chance you'll be able to replace your pendant. :-( It's definitely an unusual piece - maybe armed with his name you'll have some luck locating one for sale somewhere. All the best!

Understood. Thanks for the info!

Argh....totally mis-wrote! Not sure how to edit the post title....

It's the HUBBARD GLACIER excursion (can't keep my glaciers straight, apparently!). From the description:

The maneuverable, shallow-draft tour vessel provides a chance for up-close encounters and best photo opportunities of the area's animal species, in addition to exploration of the shoreline and islands. Throughout your tour, enjoy the dramatic vistas of rocky coastlines shaped by the mighty Pacific Ocean, and endless expanses of rainforest and snow-capped mountains. As you approach Hubbard Glacier, the experience captain will weave your tour vessel through a maze of icebergs, some multiple stories tall, making for amazing photos.

No photos of the boat type, or details on how we embark the new boat, no indication of how many people will be on the boat, etc. I understand it's new, and would love to hear from someone who has some direct knowledge of it. I think there was a post from a couple of weeks back, where someone was going to report back after the tour but I don't believe it's been updated. I've been to Alaska a few times and know all about weather changes, that glacier conditions can't be relied upon, etc. - just curious as to how close they AIM to get. It was a fairly pricey tour and I'd love to know if people who've done it thought it was worth it. Otherwise, we'll just settle for the surprise. :)

Has anyone had an experience yet with the Mendenhall Glacier excursion now being offered? We've reserved it for an upcoming Infinity cruise, but don't really know what to expect based on the description - it sounds like we board a smaller boat for a couple of hours, but I'd love to know more about the logistics of the excursion, how close it gets to the glacier, etc. and whether it was worth the price. If you know more about it or had a chance to go on it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

There would be 3 of us in total, 2 adults and one teenager (who's taller than me!). Here's the text that comes up on the booking summary when selecting this cabin:

Available Bed Types:TWINS/SOFA/ROLLAWAY

Note: For 3rd or 4th Guest, 1 rollaway bed is permanently placed in your cabin.

If it is, indeed, a rollaway, then it sounds like it might be a deal-breaker. I know the cabin is large, but the space seems well-utilized already and the only way I can see accommodating a rollaway is by moving furniture around (which kind of defeats the point of having extra floor space).

IS there a sofa bed? When looking at booking online, there was red text indicating that a 3rd or 4th passenger would require a rollaway...so I presumed that there wasn't a sofa bed. The bed options were listed as "Queen/Twin, Sofa, Rollaway" - the other cabins with sofabed specifically say "sofabed" instead of sofa. If there is indeed a sofa bed that would solve our problems! :)

Hi there, we're looking at booking this cabin on the Crown for a Caribbean itinerary. We're traveling with a 14 year old (adult size!), and are wondering how the rollaway is for this room? Is there enough room for it to not be in the way? Looking at the few photos I can find, I don't see where it would go. Is it comfortable? Our DS has previously stayed on the sofabeds, and finds them fine to sleep on - we're just concerned the rollaway might be less comfortable, and worry about the space it will take.

Also, I've searched myriad threads for balcony photos, and am still unsure on whether this balcony is considered desirable or not! The dreaded beam issue. Does anyone have recent photos or input? We just want enough space to spread out, and likely enjoy balcony dining for all 3 of us in comfort.

Thanks for any input or advice!

Victoria in September will be quite light until close to 9PM; once it gets darker the lights will be on all around the Inner Harbor and it's really quite pretty. There will still be lots to see and do, and the horse-drawn carriage rides are lovely in the evening.

September has been a really warm month the last couple of years, which makes for a very pleasant evening visit.

Personally, I love Indian food and enjoy sampling the options on the buffet and in the dining room. What I DON'T enjoy are buffets bursting with chicken nuggets, pizza, burgers and fries - we don't all want to eat off the equivalent of a kid's menu for every meal, so I appreciate the options and that ethnic dishes are available for the (many) of us who enjoy them and the variety they offer.

:rolleyes: Ummm...No clue why you think I'm scaring anyone, when what you just said about present temps in the mid-80's is exactly what I said also? :confused:

Unless you're freaked out about the "high 90's, low 100's" bit...but if you think that never happens, you're living in a different city than me ;) I never said it WOULD be that hot, I said it COULD be that hot - and believe me, it can be, and has been that hot before (not for endless days at a time, true - but if I were in a non-airconditioned hotel room, even a day or two in that kind of heat would be too much. Your mileage may vary).

For the most part, our weather is absolutely quite mild, but we can get some very hot days - the last couple of summers have seen record-setting high temps in some parts of BC. Vancouver does get the breeze, which helps - but it's entirely possible that you will see temps in the 90's once we get a little further into July. The Fraser Valley will get hotter still, but odds are cruisers won't be leaving the city.

For those of you wanting a restaurant recommendation with great harbour views, I can highly recommend Aqua Riva :) I live in Vancouver, and it's one of my favourite places. It is located adjacent to Canada Place, with great harbour views - if there is a cruise ship on the right side of Canada Place, you'll have unmatched views of the ship.

http://www.aquariva.com/

For photos of the restaurant and view, click here:

http://www.aquariva.com/360/?view=main

You'll want to click the "360" circles at the top for views from the main dining area - the other areas are the bar, and don't offer the same harbour views.

The menu is quite varied, with a real emphasis on "west coast" flavours - lots of seafood, and typically lobster specials this time of year. They also have a wood-fired rotisserie and pizza oven. The portions are generous and the atmosphere great (and no, I don't work there!! :p )

As to the air conditioning question - it all depends on your tolerance for heat!! At the moment, temperatures in Vancouver are averaging in the mid-80's, low 90's....not terrible, but definitely uncomfortable for some people. Once we get into July, it's highly possible that we will see temps in the high 90's, low 100's. 'Course, being a coastal city, there's usually a breeze which helps to temper the heat a bit.....but still, it CAN get very hot here.

Back on Grandeur in '02 - Alper from Turkey, and Head Waiter Erkan Esgin, also from Turkey.

Best Bartender ever is Adriannie, from the Phillipines - he was full of jokes and little magic tricks, and made the cutest shapes out of the straw wrappers! :) This was back in the days of the "cocktail cards" - when Adriannie found out we were departing the Grandeur and immediately boarding the Explorer, he slipped us 8 (eight!!!) cocktail cards to enjoy on our next cruise! :D