Northern Aurora

Welcome to Cruise Critic. As someone who actually lives in Alaska I am not aware of car rentals in ISP/Hoonah. This is a very small community and, as typical in Alaska, most folks have their own vehicles and know how to drive. The gondola to the top of the hilltop/mountain is lovely. The flat walk from the ISP compound to the community of Hoonah is nice on a good weather day. The displays in the old cannery are interesting but you will not spend 12 hours looking at them. ISP is an excellent port for whale watching. Our OP may want to reconsider and book a whale watching tour there.

My favorite SEATAC hotel is the Cedarbrook Lodge. It is actually a conference center and is so different from a standard airport hotel. Absolutely no airport noise. Beautiful restaurant. Beautiful gardens. Very private.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (if you want to talk like an Alaskan just refer to it as the AVO) doesn't expect any imminent Mt. Edgecumbe eruption despite the series of earthquakes. It has been 4000 years since any major eruption. The AVO does a weekly update on Alaskan volcanos during the evening news on our local PBS station, and, while Pavlov and Cleveland are frequently mentioned, I have never noted any mention of Mt. Edgecumbe. If it ever did erupt you certainly would see it from a cruise ship. The April Fool's Day hoax referenced by @wolfie11 is still talked about in Sitka. Apparently it had the community highly excited.

While I generally drop by the Juneau Artists Gallery the quality of the products can be variable. No crochet potholders but periodically items not much better. The Sealaska Heritage Institute is wonderful. The gift store is a breath of fresh air and I always (and I do mean always) leave with a nice pair of earrings. I don't remember what the admission price is for their cultural displays, but feel it is beautifully curated and worth the admission price.

K: We've done B2B turnaround days in Sydney several times. These were done pre-pandemic and we were actually on the Solstice on what would have been a B2B2B2B series in March, 2020. We flew out of Sydney the day Australian Border Force closed the border. Our turnaround days in Sydney were on the now departed Century and also on the Solstice (several times). We have done legs which were out of Australia to such areas of the South Pacific, Bali and also New Zealand. We never have had to pack out bags, put them out the night before disembarkation with the majority of the disembarking passengers, and then re-board as if it was embarkation day. So when did this exactly happen to you? Inquiring minds want to know. Pray tell.

I periodically sense that some folks, when doing their first B2B, over-think the process. For example, at B2B meetings the question about whether B2B passengers place their luggage out the night when departing passengers do so really surprises me. Why would Celebrity go through the work of removing luggage from the ship, X-raying it again and then move it back onto the ship on what is a very busy day? Folks need to remember that there will be a number of B2B passengers and the ship crew/staff have done this before.

OK -- I have to ask. You have described the situation on TAD in Reykjavik before. We have done two land trips to Iceland and one cruise. Why didn't you just take the little ferry over to Videy Island? The ferry is about a six minute walk from the cruise terminal and the trip over to Videy is less than five minutes. Beautiful walking trails and views across the bay to Reykjavik.

Cabin category is not relevant. EVERY B2B passenger will have a transit pass whether they need it (ie, are staying onboard) or not.

We almost always do at least B2B pairs, and our next series of cruises will be a B2B2B2B. We have never had to ask for a transit pass. The passes are included in the envelope with the succinct instruction letter about the turnaround day process.

The bulk of cruise tours which spend time in Fairbanks include the Riverboat Discovery and Gold Dredge #8. Our OP hasn't provided a hint regarding their personal interests so I suggest they check the Explore Fairbanks website. A few options include the Museum of the North (located on the University of Fairbanks campus), the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, or Running Reindeer Ranch.

Our preferred vendor is Major Marine. There has always been more than ample space on their vessels to move around to view the sights. And they assign a table so you have "your" space to leave backpacks, jackets and so forth. This assigned table has in the past confused folks who think they are suppose to sit there the entire time of the excursion. That assigned table is simply where you will dine and is the space to use for backpacks and so forth. The folks who own Major Marine purchased the Harbor 360 Hotel which had formerly been branded as a Holiday Inn. If you decide to use Major Marine check their website as they offer specials which include discounted excursions and room packages. During the pandemic they purchased an additional hotel property so now have two hotel options. We prefer the 7.5 hour excursion as it goes to both Holgate and Aialik glaciers.

Years ago there was a dedicated bar used for the Captain's Club happy hour. But now the "free" drinks are available in a number of locations throughout the ship. And yes, you can walk out of the bar with drink in hand and walk into the dining room with drink still in hand.

Just a quick comment -- for folks departing from Pier 66 the Marriott Waterfront is across the street from Pier 66. Also very convenient for Pier 66 departures. The Marriott Waterfront concierge also arranges shuttle transfers to Pier 91; last June the cost was $11 per person (each way -- not RT).

@Cruisedreamer1: The Classic package certainly covers lattes and so forth as long as you don't have a shot of alcohol in them. The coffees with Bailey's and so forth are covered under the Premium package. If you order something covered by the Premium package you will be charged for the differential in prices plus the extra tax. And for those who are tea drinkers Cafe al Bacio has Tea Forte which is also covered by the Classic package.

Well -- apparently several of us can't spell today and someone who is very familiar with the Celebrity fleet is calling the Constellation the Infinity. We have been to Kotor four times. The sail in and out is absolutely spectacular. Look for the WWII submarine pens. In any event, two times we essentially stayed in the old city enjoying the medieval architecture including the old walls, beautiful cathedral, a local museum and great food. The town is a Unesco World Heritage Site. One time we did a tour out to the end of the Bay of Kotor doing a walking tour of Herceg-Novi and then enjoyed local food. Other time we visited the town of Perast enjoying more old churches and took the ferry over to Our Lady of the Rocks. Again more local food was enjoyed. We have only been to Split one time and I was impressed. The Palace of Diocletian is impressive. This town is also a World Heritage Site. And the walk along the promenade was also lovely. We enjoyed a great meal at a local restaurant located just outside the Palace. It was hard to choose which restaurant as several looked great. In Zadar there are more Roman ruins and more great medieval architecture. Great number of old churches. Again we found a great local restaurant and enjoyed the local cuisine.

We have been to all of the ports with the exception of San Margherita. I also think the decision is a no-brainer and would select the Constellation. The overnight in Dubrovnik will be lovely. And we enjoyed Split and Zadar very much. We have been to Kodor several times, including in 2019 when we were B2B2B on the Constellation, and it has always been a tender port for us.

And if you folks are in Fairbanks we will have you over for dinner. But just another comment -- cruise lines are also starting to do the "up close and personal" excursions to Hubbard as well. While I post frequently on the Alaska CC board I have not followed the Celebrity situation regarding small vessel excursions to the face of Hubbard. Hubbard is an interesting situation since it is a tidewater glacier which actively advances as opposed to the dramatic retreat of Glacier Bay glaciers. The first time we visited Hubbard Charles was incredibly excited -- and that is from a geologist who has spent months on glaciers such as McCall in the Brooks Range. And I suspect the small vessels used for those "up close and personal" visits, are ported in Yakutat, which folks can see in the distance prior to the entrance to Disenchantment Bay. I've flown into Yakutat, and, along with the Alaska community of Nome, I don't think I could live there. Give me -40F in the depths of a Fairbanks winter anytime over that climate. Gerry

Totally agree.

It depends on the definition of "expensive." But it was on the higher price range of excursions. And it had to be booked immediately -- no waiting or all slots were gone. We were close enough to Dawes that when large ice chunks calved and created a wake the Allen Marine vessel was impacted as we had a roll. There was a good naturalist on the Allen Marine vessel, and food options (which was important as we left the Solstice to board the vessel about 7 AM). And the divergence in Fords Terror was spectacular with the vessel approaching waterfalls and so forth.

Just a few comments from someone who actually lives in Alaska -- I agree with the advice in post #27. It just doesn't make sense to me to fly to Juneau for several days to go to Glacier Bay and then fly to Anchorage (there is no commercial air service to Denali). If you want to go to Denali then fly to Anchorage, spend several days, and then take a cruise which includes Glacier Bay. But I wonder if our OP realizes that the single road into Denali National Park is closed by the Pretty Rocks rock slide issue. That means that folks can't reach the Polychrome Overlook (mile 46), Toklat River rest stop (mile 53), Stony Hill Overlook (mile 62) or the Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66). It was closed in August 2021, and just this last January the National Park Service announced that the contract to bridge the problem area was signed. If all goes well they hope to have the road opened in 2025. I've always thought that folks who don't go into the DNP as far as Eielson Visitor's Center short change themselves. An alternative to Denali which isn't discussed as much as it deserves is the Wrangel -- St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Consider it.

For years Alaska did not have either Uber or Lyft as they violated one of our Wage and Hour regulations. Approximately 6 years ago (during the Governor Gary Walker administration) there was a change in the law. The issue you will have is that Sitka is sufficiently small in population there may not be someone driving when you need the service.

Actually, Celebrity does offer small boat excursions close to glacier faces. We did one on the Solstice last June in which we left the ship at sea, boarded a two level Allen Marine vessel (not a ship tender) and were able to get very close to the face of Dawes Glacier. The Solstice was stopped much farther out. The Allen Marine vessel then diverted into Fords Terror. We returned to Juneau shortly after the Solstice docked in Juneau. These excursions often sell out very quickly so folks have to book immediately. Celebrity will have a naturalist on board for their Alaska sailings. They are very helpful in spotting wildlife and will also present lectures. The Celebrity Alaska itineraries have a slightly different demographic than typical Celebrity itineraries. Many more multi-generational families and a fair number of teens.

@LEESRE: Unless there is a very small number of B2B passengers there should be a B2B meeting where Celebrity staff explains the process and answers any questions. You will also be provided with a succinct instruction letter outlining the process. You don't mention what stateroom category have booked, but B2B passengers are invited to the Concierge embarkation luncheon in the MDR.

Fortress of the Bear has mixed reviews, but I wonder if the kiddos would enjoy it. The stream running through the Sitka National Historical Park (the locals refer to it as the totem pole park) is a salmon spawning stream. It is easily walkable from the Harrigan Centennial Center. The HCC is the drop off point for the shuttle buses from the Sitka cruise terminal

Please understand that ports like Haines and ISP are very different from a port like Skagway. Not only do I live in Alaska I also remember what the community of Skagway was like before they were "found" by the cruise industry. And I actually know why the cruise industry moved into Skagway. Ports such as ISP and Haines don't host as many cruise ship passengers or cruise ships as Skagway, Ketchikan or Juneau. They are not "fully booked."