Northern Aurora

Just a quick comment from someone who lives in Fairbanks. While I can't state with 100% certainty what the RCCL tour in Fairbanks will include I suspect it will be the Riverboat Discovery (which someone has called the Chena River boat tour on this thread) combined with Gold Dredge #8 (which will stop at the pipeline viewing station); the same local family owns both the Discovery and GD #8. Easy options for a day on your own include the Museum of the North (located on the University of Alaska campus), the Running Reindeer Ranch, and the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. I will be curious as to where RCCL will book regarding hotel rooms. If you can determine the hotel let us know. Even though we live in Alaska we have done a number of Alaska itineraries as these easy cruises give us the opportunity to visit another part of our very large state. Dress on Alaska cruises tends to be very casual no matter what cruise line.

While I am typing this I must say that our cruising philosophy agrees with @cruisestitch (Hi K.). We also like to feel like we are living on the ship. Without checking our cruise history which my husband keeps I think the longest consecutive number of days we were on a ship was 50 or 51 days; the entire trip included a short land trip before boarding followed by several days on land after disembarking. While we will do B2B cruises we generally do longer with B2B2B and now more frequently B2B2B2B series. Our next cruise will be a B2B2B2B series. We are able to entertain ourselves quite well. I am a quilter and I do find that it is best to finish a quilting project before leaving home for an extended period of time. Otherwise I find myself thinking about that almost completed project.

While I never assume that everyone I will encounter in Europe speaks English a great number of Europeans do. English has become the common language in the hospitality industry and in the business world, which has allowed Americans to become lazy in learning a second language. You will have no problems booking one-way flights into Rome and then one-way flights out of Barcelona. Barcelona is one of my favorite cities so I would suggest trying to spend several days there. And so much to see and do in Rome too.

With Celebrity only the north or south bound one way routes end or start in Seward. X also does M RTs out of Vancouver and Seattle.

The breakfast described by @DaKahuna is not the breakfast we have in our American home. Wonder how typical it is across the US. But when we attend the "coffeehouse style" Elite and above breakfast we share one of the ultimate platters. Love them.

We were on Eclipse (the "barnacle" cruise) in April as the ship just returned to service. Were in a Suite, and also didn't have evening bites in Michael's Club but nuts. I wonder why some guests were expecting a separate Retreat sun deck as the ship has not been revolutionized. We spent two weeks on the Solstice in June and then another two weeks in September. Again, in Suites. But on the Solstice there was a menu of evening bites in Michael's Club with a snack server. And don't expect a Retreat sun deck on the Solstice as it also has not been revolutionized.

Just a few random thoughts from someone who actually lives in Alaska --- Alaska itineraries on every cruise line will have a number of families during the summer during the school break. Even lines like Celebrity will have more kids than normal. And there will be a number of multi-generational families. Dress will also be casual. Our OP states they want an updated or newer cruise ship. Celebrity plans to deploy the Edge out of Seattle in 2024. Alaska itineraries may be perfect for those infinity balconies. And Celebrity will have a true naturalist on board, not a shopping lecturer. The issue of flying is mentioned by out OP in post #1 and #12. In my opinion, the best itineraries are the north or south bound Vancouver to either Seward or Whittier. RTs out of Vancouver I rank second followed by the RTs out of Seattle. High temperatures will range from the mid-50s on a cold day to the mid-70s F. May tends to be the driest month in SE Alaska with rains starting in August. But our weather patterns here are very variable. As already mentioned clothing layers are important with the outer layer being water proof (not water resistant). Remember -- there is a reason SE Alaska is called "rain country." Our OP also mentions land tours. The cruise line organized land tours always look rather herded to me, but they are popular. But a land tour lasting three or four days won't cover much territory. The most common ports are Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Some ships also call at Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), and since the dock has been enlarged at Sitka that port is also having more port calls. All of these communities have visitor bureaus, so just use goggle to find their respective websites.

Fleet-wide the evening shows in the theater are 7 and 9. Years ago occasionally the second show would be at 9:30 on what was then termed formal nights (the precursor to "evening chic"), but I haven't experienced that later time for the second show (and only on the formal nights) for a number of years. It was rather annoying as the second show would be at the standard time of 9 PM on the "regular" nights and 9:30 PM only on the formal nights.

Look for a tall narrow sign on the sidewalk with the words “Suites/Zeniths.”

Yes — Lobster night still occurs. If you have signed up for a 11:30 boarding time you will board at 11:30. Current embarkation process is that your seapass cards are left in the mail slot outside the stateroom door. They are no longer handed to you by cruise terminal staff. Now once you board you go directly to your stateroom to deliver your carry-on bags and put valuables in your safe. If the cabin attendants are still preparing your stateroom there will be a magnetic sign on the door with words to the effect that perfection is in progress but you are free to drop off the carryons.

Luminae will be open for those in Suites. For those booked in Concierge Staterooms a section of the MDR will be open for an embarkation lunch.

While it has been years since we booked a guarantee stateroom my memory is that I just checked the planner on the X website and there was the stateroom number.

I am curious -- if you are e-mailing the request are you receiving the auto response e-mail acknowledging that the request has been received? Have you considered calling the Captain's Club?

In addition to all other restaurant menus the Retreat Lounge will have copies of the MDR menu. If there is an item on the MDR you wish to order it will not be an issue to order that item in Luminae. And while I have few issues with the actual food in the MDR, it is very noisy and rather crowded. We stay in Luminae. Much calmer and more quiet.

We have encountered heavy rain in Skagway, and while there is a possibility it could be foggy when you are there, I would probably be more concerned about heavy rain. And also understand that Skagway can be very windy which can also impact air operations. I really suspect that Temsco is likely the vendor for the ship tour. Have you considered e-mailing them and asking about how often fog impacts their operations?

I've been to Skagway more than a dozen times both on cruise stops and driving our own vehicles there. I am not aware of any problems with a 7:30 to 9:so am tour. For example, I haven't experienced much fog in Skagway. And I would not be surprised if Temsco is the vendor for the excursion booked through the cruise line.

Years ago the process at times was slow and periodically we had to re-submit. But even before the pandemic the process has been very speedy for us. Sometimes surprisingly speedy, even having the shareholder OBC applied on a weekend and within 24 hours.

We scan the application form and the brokerage statement as a PDF file and submit by e-mail. Absolutely no problems. For an upcoming set of B2B2B2B cruises we received confirmation extremely quickly.

Do you realize that the X Edge is scheduled to be deployed in Alaska? If my memory is correct, it is in 2024. Would never characterize that ship as an older ship with older design. An Alaska cruise is all about the itinerary. Just ensure that the itinerary meets your interests. Don't focus on the age of the cruise ship.

I live in Fairbanks, Alaska so have visited Denali Nation Park a great number of times. I've always thought that a visitors who don't go into DNP at least as far as Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66) cheat themselves of the Denali experience. Since the NPS closed the road at Pretty Rocks we haven't bothered to drive down. An interesting alternative to DNP is the Wrangell -- St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

You will not be able to order a glass of wine from the Captain's Club happy hour drink list in the dining room, but you can carry one into the dining room.

Two of the closest are the Edgewater and the Marriott Waterfront.

It should be listed on the Celebrity Today. Look for something along the lines of "Afternoon Snacks."

In the US we have a phrase -- "don't make a mountain out of a molehill." Do not overthink this process. I looked at the Silver Muse roll call for this cruise and you are definitely over-thinking the procedure. The Alaska Railroad is not publishing mis-information. Silverseas has definitely done this before and is not incompetent. Both entities know exactly what they are doing. Both have done this for years. The cruiseline chartered ARR runs are not listed on the ARR time schedule because they CAN NOT be purchased by the general public These chartered runs can ONLY be purchased by folks on the particular sailing and ONLY purchased through the cruise line. Your luggage will be collected from the ship when you put out your luggage in the evening before disembarkation. Following the train transfer you will collect it at the Anchorage International Airport. With our "hub and spoke" air travel schedules many folks will be will be flying later in the day. But those who do not travel until the next day will have their luggage for the evening. Do not worry about this. This will be a very easy process. I am not aware of any cruise line which either embarks or disembarks from either Seward or Whittier which doesn't use a ARR chartered train. And remember -- I live in Alaska.

@DisneyQueen999: Welcome to Celebrity. There will be an info sheet in your stateroom when you board outlining your loyalty benefits. Check both sides of the info sheet. And I love the photo of the kitties. I am severely allergic, so am forced to now just take photos of lovely cats. One of my favorite computer wallpaper photos is of a beautiful cat in a park in Yokohama, Japan. So wanted to take him or her home with us.