Northern Aurora

Thank you so much for a "boots on the ground" report. Will be following for further information. And I also hope you are feeling better soon. I once had a bad cold (this was pre-pandemic) and it was absolutely no fun being sick while on vacation.

Have you considered staying at the Pan Pacific? The hotel is literally above Canada Place. The bellmen will come to your hotel room to pick up your luggage and then take your luggage to the cruise porters. You just need to deal with your carry on items. An elevator which will take your down the cruise terminal. While the Pan Pacific can be pricey, in this case, when you are traveling with two folks with mobility issues the cost may not be a factor.

Unbelievable -- just unbelievable. Is this an admission of such a cash flow issue that management thinks a $2 cookie will dig them out of a hole? Does any one have photos of the "handcrafted" cookie on another ship. The other "test ship" seems to be the Eclipse. Is this also happening on the Eclipse?

We live in Alaska. Our provider is AT&T. No issues in Alaska ports.

The early evening sushi offerings were discontinued a number of years ago -- when Sushi on 5 was introduced.

This is a reference to Holland America Line cruises website. But @Steve in Omaha has now clarified they are on a NCL ship so we don't need to guess any longer.

While we have never lived in Japan we have traveled to Japan. No issues with bringing in non-opioid meds. My husband and I both take a standard US med to lower cholesterol and I also take a standard med to lower blood pressure. So no painkiller meds with opioids. No issues.

I don't understand your question. Who is "their?" If you are looking for a website for the Kenai Fjords National Park, just use google to find the national park website. The two companies which sell boat excursions are Major Marine (which is my preferred vendor) and Kenai Fjords Tours. Both have easy to locate websites.

Explore Fairbanks (the current name of the Fairbanks Visitor and Convention Bureau) is located in the Morris Thompson Cultural Center. In addition to interesting and informative displays about Athabaskan culture the MTCC also houses the local Alaska Public Lands Information Center. It is designed to be a "one stop" location for visitor information. The weather forecast suggests a miserable day tomorrow. It actually might be unique to visit the Chena Hot Springs Resort and spend some time in that outdoor rock pool. The rain on your face would be an interesting contrast to the hot water of the hot springs. We have been in the rock pool when snow was falling, and tourists thought it was a hoot.

You will want to do something inside. Ideas include a visit to the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, Museum of the North (on the University of Alaska campus) or the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Others will chime in.

I am posting from Fairbanks, Alaska. I am taking a more pragmatic approach in my response. While the aurora season for Fairbanks extends from August 21 to April 21 the weather we are experiencing today is expected for tomorrow too. We have a large low pressure system over the Interior of Alaska, and it is pouring rain with a very low cloud cover. While the National Weather Service certainly can make mistakes the current weather prediction for tomorrow mirrors what we are experiencing today. The odds of seeing an aurora tomorrow are low at best and, given the weather, I doubt that the other segments of that tour will be very enjoyable either. Just cancel.

I just read the article on the Anchorage Daily News. To describe the author as incredibly entitled is an under-statement. WOW! Just WOW!

Just because a med is an over the counter product does not mean they are safe for all folks. My mother-in-law had a form of glaucoma (my memory is that it was narrow angle glaucoma but since it has been over twenty years since her death I could be wrong). In any event she could could not take motion sickness meds. Always best to check with a medical professional. Also consider buying a set of sea bands. I have never used them but know someone who swears by them.

The list of participating airlines is on the Port of Seattle website.

I also want to thank our OP for his trip report. After 70+ Celebrity cruises it is interesting to "see" the ship from someone new to cruises. Since our OP hasn't returned, I hope he doesn't mind if I answer this question. Celebrity does not use Ward Cove which is about 7 miles out of Ketchikan. Celebrity ships dock right downtown. We can generally see out favorite Ketchikan restaurant (Annabelle's) from the ship. To confirm berths on Alaska cruises just goggle the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska website.

Check the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska website (goggle is your friend) for the docking assignment for your ship. Celebrity does not use Ward Cove so your ship will be centrally located downtown.

Well, we were on the Eclipse for a B2B2B2B this spring, and we definitely were able to make reservations for Sushi on Five for lunch. And the menu is the same for lunch and dinner.

Interesting. We have done LPC once (for us it was a once and done experience) on the Eclipse. So obviously not an E-class ship, but I remember a large party of about 7 or 8 who were accommodated at one long table.

The Morris Thompson is within easy walking distance from the Westmark. There are no shuttles from the MTCC to the Museum of the North (which is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks), nor are there shuttles from the MTCC to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. There have never been shuttles, but there may be some confusion regarding the Fountainhead trolley service which operated pre-Covid 19. Fountainhead is a development company, which in addition to developing commercial property, the Antique Auto Museum and residential subdivisions, owns several hotel properties. Pre-covid they operated a for fee shuttle route for their hotel guests which included stops at their auto museum in addition to the Museum of the North and some other attractions. Since covid that shuttle has not resumed and in any event was restricted to folks staying at their hotel properties. The bus system mentioned in post #2 is the Metropolitan Area Commuter System (MACS). It is not operated by the City of Fairbanks. It is operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Goggle the FNSB home page and you will find the link to public transportation. I took a quick look, and it appears you would use the Blue Line. The Blue Lines runs along College Road, so would get you close to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Also, the MACS transit center is even closer to the Westmark than the MTCC. To complicate matter a little more, once on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus there is a on campus shuttle (not related to the MACS system). Apparently it now runs out to the Large Animal Research Station (LARS). LARS is locally called the "muskox farm." LARS is a UAF research site but is not located on the campus proper. Our OP may have to do some digging for more information. Fairbanks has an abundance of taxis. We also have Uber but my impression is that Uber is not as available as in other areas.

The Tongass National Forest is massive in size. In fact, I think it may be the largest national forest in the US. In any event it essentially surrounds Ketchikan and a number of other communities. Consider contacting the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center (which is an Alaska Public Lands Information Center) for hiking ideas. They can tell you if Perseverance Lake Trail is a possibility. And don't dismiss the idea of a guided tour. Alaska wilderness is very unforgiving. As I type this the Fairbanks Detachment of the Alaska State Troopers and other agencies are searching for a pair of out of state tourists who didn't check in on time with relatives. Relatives called the AST to report them missing. Their TURO rental was found in the parking lot of the Chena Hot Springs Resort. No foul play is suspected, but they seem to have become lost on one of the trails around the resort. It has been days now and the outcome is looking more grim by the day.

You will not want to stay in your balcony. Disenchantment Bay gets narrower as your approach Hubbard and there will be scenery on each side of the ship. Also, while we have never been on a NCL vessel, we have been on ships which, in good weather, opened the helipad when nearing the glacier. And how fast the ship travels to the glacier face may depend on how much ice is floating from the calving action.

Since the resumption of cruises we have done several B2B, one B2B2B and one B2B2B2B. @grandgeezer: Your information is still pertinent. But just a few comments to our OP: Prior to each turnaround day you should receive an info packet which should contain the "In Transit" pass; if you don't have one then contact Guest Relations. And B2B passengers are invited to attend the Concierge Class embarkation luncheon. Also there is a small discount (not OBC) for B2B legs; make sure you have it on your confirmation copies. Frequently travel agents need to be told to ask for it, or if you booked directly with Celebrity make sure it was applied.

I agree. We were on an Alaska itinerary in June several years ago and the rain in Juneau verged on torrential. Sheets of rain pounding down. Folks resistant to taking waterproof footwear need to consider how miserable they would be with soaking shoes. Could they tolerate it or not?

I have a very comfortable pair of waterproof walking shoes which have been used locally, in northern Europe, Iceland and South America. Also well worth the investment. But the back to the OP's question. Whether you need waterproof footwear depends on what you plan to do. If you plan to participate in active excursions then you most likely do need them. And the dates of your trip fall in what historically is a rainy season.

An interesting place in ISP is the ISP Brewing Company. Right on the water on the outskirts of Hoonah. When we were in Skagway last year we dined at the Skagway Brewing Company and didn't think the food was as good as in the past. May have been an "off" day in the kitchen. I am interested in more recent experiences. Last year we also stopped at the Klondike Brewing Company. No food, at least last year. We purchased a flight and my husband thought that the beers at the KBC were better than at the SBC.