Northern Aurora

Through the years we have done a number of turnaround days in Sydney, most recently being a B2B2B2B with all turnarounds in Sydney. Australian Border Force regulations mandate that all B2B passengers must physically be off the ship so the process is not done on an outer deck. Your succinct instruction letter, which will be delivered a day or so before the actual turnaround day, will outline the process and contain a transit pass. That transit pass allows folks to simply walk past much of the lines, but once you are back on board the ship you will not be allowed to leave again.

And to also expand slightly, when you pick up your Seapass cards from the mail slot outside your stateroom door there will be a magnetic sign on the door if the stateroom attendant hasn't finished preparing the room. I don't remember the exact wording but it is something like "perfection in progress."

In March 2023 we were on the Eclipse for a B2B2B2B series all in and out of Sydney. All 4 legs were in Suites. I did not see any dedicated check-in area for the Retreat. But it wasn't chaos either.

I really don't know if Retreat guests have priority for luggage delivery. Since the resumption of cruising we the latest I remember receiving luggage was about 3 PM. Years ago (2009?) one of our bags wasn't delivered until after dinner, but the cruise line luggage tag had been torn off.

Do you have a specific question? We have embarked in Sydney several times with the most recent being March, 2023. Celebrity uses the Overseas Passenger Terminal. I have always found embarkation and disembarkation in Sydney to be well organized. When we embarked in March we had an early boarding time (we were in a Suite and are also Zenith members of the Captain's Club). After dropping off the luggage we essentially just walked through, cleared Immigration and boarded the ship. I don't remember any special area with beverages and so forth for Retreat guests.

If you are weather cancelled in Juneau the Alaska State Museum is an easy walk. The Sealaska Heritage Institute is even closer.

Another DIY option in Ketchikan is the Tongass Historical Museum. This museum and the Totem Heritage Center are operated by the City of Ketchikan, and have small admission fees. The SE Alaska Discovery Center accepts a number of different park passes. Check their website for the list as you may have one, so would have free admission. While we also enjoy the George Inlet Lodge dungeness crab, we generally dine at Annabelle's Keg & Chowder House. Located right downtown in the old Gilmore Hotel.

Generally the hours for seating for breakfast in the MDR, Blu and Luminae end at 8 AM on disembarkation day. The stateroom attendants have very busy days and want folks to clear out of the staterooms at 8 AM. Depending on the disembarkation port disembarking passengers will need to leave the ship somewhere around 9:30 AM. The final call will be very clear.

And again -- many of the AMH stops are very brief. Friends boarded a AMH ferry on Saturday in Haines. While they will stop in Sitka for four hours many of the ferry stops are just long enough to offload and load before they are other way to the next stop.

The Celebrity Edge would also make the friend happy -- this ship is definitely not your grandparent's cruise ship. At least in 2024 it will be based out of Seattle so doesn't have the best itinerary, but will have naturalists on board, trivia, an excellent gym, spa and so forth.

To expand slightly on the Alaska Marine Highway -- in 2016 we flew to Kodiak for a few days before boarding the AMH ferry the Tustamena. We were on the "Trusty Tusty" for several days before reaching Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. Living in the interior of Alaska we rarely use the AMH system, but that trip put us on the AMH e-mail list. When we started to receive those e-mail updates we quickly realized how many times the ferry schedules are altered. Sometimes slightly altered, but other times significantly changed. Storms cause problems during the winter, but even during the summer months it was surprising how often the routes and times are changed. Folks would need to be extremely flexible in their plans to use the ferries.

@cruiseout2sea: You may receive more responses if you indicate what type of tours you are interested in doing. So many times during the years posters have responded with suggestions regarding flight seeing options or whale watching option only to be told that someone won't fly in small planes or ride in small boats.

I also think this post should be in the Cruise Critic Alaska Forum. But a quick comment from someone who lives in Alaska -- layers are the key. The outer layer needs to be waterproof -- not water resistant. For our OP, in September southeast Alaska can be quite rainy. Historically, May in SE Alaska is one of the drier months.

I have been in southeast Alaska in May, June, July, August, September and even in October (on business -- not on vacation). May tends to be a drier month but may not be as chilly as you anticipate. But be prepared for wind in Skagway. Skagway is located at the head of Taiya Inlet and the winds can just howl down the inlet.

While we book based on itinerary I suspect that for a great number of people the ship itself is the primary attraction. Last fall we spent 40 days on the Celebrity Edge as it was repositioned from the Mediterranean to Australia (yes -- we went through the Suez Canal). The ship itself is drop-dead gorgeous. Innovative theater and bars. Venues suitable to multiple uses including the moving Magic Carpet which makes tendering so easy. I suspect the E-class ships are designed for those who are drawn to a ship itself. It will be deployed to the Alaska market this coming summer.

Great news indeed!

We don't eat as much at meals as we did when younger, but still occasionally order a entree to share between the two of us in addition to each ordering an entree.

Given your wife's interests she may find the Liarsville tourist trap feeling annoying at best. Research the Klondike National Historical Park website, paying attention to the Skagway Unit. Through the years the NPS has acquired more and more of the old buildings, and a number are open to the public. The Jefferson Smith Parlor Museum is extremely unique. Given its size entry is limited. Try to obtain tickets. Another interesting building in Skagway is the Skagway Museum. The building dates from 1899. The interior of the building has changed significantly since I first saw it in 1983 or 1984. The other competing community with Skagway was Dyea. While I love the area only remnants of the townsite still exists. If you are in Juneau check the status of the Wickersham State Historic Site. While the Wickersham House Museum in Fairbanks is furnished with items which were essentially in Fairbanks (there are a few exceptions) during the time Judge Wickersham and his first wife Deborah owned the house, the Wickersham State Historic Site in Juneau is just the house. But it is an interesting house. The Alaska Division of Natural Resources manages the site, and through the years has struggled with a viable plan for operations.

Our OP hasn't posted itineraries, but the NCL option has two major negatives -- docking at Ward Cove in Ketchikan and the Seattle departure.

We have also overnighted in Kona, albeit a number of years ago. The tenders did run all night but not as frequently. A number of the crew will be off. Bars and restaurants near the tender pier will be busy that night.

Did you click on the "more details?" If so, what were the details?

Ideas in Ketchikan which would fit your target for excursion spending include the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Heritage Center and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. There are small entrance fees to the Tongass Historical Museum ($6) and Totem Heritage Center ($6). The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center also has a small entrance fee but check their website as there are a number of park passes which they accept for free admission. Through the years the National Park Service has acquired a number of old buildings which are now operated as small museums. Check the website for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park for opening times, ranger led walks and times for films in the visitor center. Capital Transit is the public bus system in Juneau. Their website will provide information for trips to Mendenhall Glacier. In addition to the Alaska State Museum the Sealaska Heritage Institute has a gift store which has museum quality items, and also a cultural gallery (small admission fee for the exhibit gallery of about $7).

Whale watching from a small vessel is no comparison to seeing a whale from a cruise ship. While we have done whale watching in Juneau our best whale watching excursion EVER was out of Icy Strait Point. We have also done whale watching in Iceland, Hawaii and Cabo, but nothing compared to ICP where we watched 12 or 13 whales bubble feeding for ninety minutes.

Don't let other posters lecture you on what is a "must see." There are no perfect itineraries, so select the one which most fits your individual interests. That being said, I much prefer Sitka over Ketchikan and NCL docks at Ward Cove in Ketchikan which is miles out of Ketchikan itself. Also pay attention to the times in port.

We were on the Eclipse for a B2B2B2B last spring. We were in two different staterooms. Both staterooms were in excellent condition but the color scheme was rather dated. Crew were happy and upbeat. We are scheduled to spend a month on the Eclipse later this year and have no concerns.