kstetser

We are new to Celebrity - would appreciate some opinions.  We are looking to book Alaska 2021 in a Celebrity Suite.  Do I want deck 10 (with other staterooms above but a more open veranda) or deck 11 (with public spaces above but a more sheltered balcony which would be good for rainy Alaska).  Specifically looking at  1233 or 1615 for larger balcony and port side.

Thanks!

Kathi

I also have the option of one way from Vancouver to Skagway or vice versa.  

We have sailed 20 times to Caribbean and Canada on Disney and are looking at Celebrity to Alaska in August 2021.  I am very far outside of my comfort zone and would welcome your input.   We are a family of 3, daughter will be 17.   We are active and enjoy nature and hiking.  We generally don't like to be cold - so this vacation is outside our comfort zone.  We love dining and trying new food, but daughter is vegetarian.  I want to see whales more than just about anything.   I'd also love to eat halibut at every meal.   No planes or helicopters.  Small boats are a maybe, but sea sickness is a concern.  Rarely do ships's excursions and prefer small group or private tours (I'm not a fan of being herded.)   Options are listed below.

Dawes Glacier Cruise

Celebrity Solstice 

Aug 13^th and 20^th

• Seattle
• Sea
• Ketchikan
• Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier
• Juneau
• Skagway
• Inside Passage
• Sea
• Victoria, BC
• Seattle

Hubbard  Glacier  (2 options)

Celebrity Eclipse

• Vancouver, BC
• Inside Passage
• Icy Straight Point OR Sitka
• Hubbard Glacier
• Juneau
• Ketchikan
• Inside Passage
• Vancouver, BC

Let's hear it Alaska pros!

Thank you so much for your time and expertise.

Kathi from NJ

Can someone tell me the difference in level of service/amenities between Sky Suite and Celebrity Suite?  Clearly one is larger, but does it come with other benefits?  Right now there are no Sky Suites open on the sailing we are interested in (except far aft and that is not a good place for me with motion sickness).  Would they take the table out and add a third chair on the Sky Suite balcony?

Also - is there a preference for port vs. Starboard when sailing from Seattle?  (I can ask this on the Alaska board as well.)

Thanks to those who have already responded. There is nothing like first-hand information from people who love to cruise!

Kathi

We have been sailing with DCL forever.   About 1/2 of those sailings in concierge the rest in a veranda cabin.    Their prices are pushing us out and now that our daughter is a teen, Celebrity seems like the obvious choice for us.  Service and food are super important to all of us and we want a new cruise line with interesting and varied itineraries   I'm looking at Alaska on the Solstice for August 2021 in a Celebrity Suite.  I see that the ship is due for a total upgrade in October.  Should I wait another year for the refreshed ship?   Any thoughts you might want to share with me regarding this ship and Alaska on Celebrity?  I've sailed 20 times - but all I know is DCL.    

Thanks in advance for your input.

Kathi

21 hours ago, LeeW said:

By the way, if your daughter gets carsick how does she handle the volcano rotten egg smell?  You might want to stay out of the volcano.  

 

 

I'm a geologist - I get very motion sick.  Visiting a volcano or other geothermal sites has never made me feel ill from the sulfur smell.

I'm on the same cruise and I also get terribly car sick.  We are just going to hit a closer beach.   I was really looking forward to going back to Martinique, so the port change has me bummed out.  Hope you can find something that works for your family.

Safe travels home and thank you for giving us updates. I have been following along and have been so impressed with how you were all treated on board.  I know it wasn't what you set out to do on vacation, but I'm glad the crew did their best to keep everyone safe, comfortable and entertained.  

Kathi

The Wonder is a great ship that has been through multiple upgrades/refurbishments.  If it's going to be cheaper/easier for you to sail out of CA, I suggest that is what you do.

THANK YOU!!!  This is just the review I was looking for.  This seems like a good place for our group of seven (4 adults and 3 teens).

My cruise was just changed to include St. Lucia (rather than Martinique).  Could you tell me what beach you visited?  I just started researching today.

Kathi

I just received an email that our Martinique port day has been changed to St. Lucia.  We had planned on a relaxing beach day on our own in Martinique.   We don't like to take ship tours.  Are looking for a nice beach with chairs/umbrellas, food nearby and restrooms that is less likely to have herds, towels or aggressive vendors.   Would welcome suggestions.   We will be there in July - so as much as I love hiking (I'm a geologist), I think it's just going to be too darned hot.  I also get really car sick, so long drives on winding roads are a challenge.   We will have a teen with us - so adult only options are out.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kathi

Are people constantly pushing you to buy things on Fort James Beach?  We are looking for a relaxing beach day  where we can swim/eat/drink and relax.  My friend was just in Antigua for a Port stop and said she felt the vendors were super aggressive everywhere they went.

We are one of 2 ships in Port this July and are looking for a relaxed beach day.  Total cruise passengers in port that day approximately 8,000.  Chairs/umbrellas to rent, rest rooms, water we can swim in (so not too rough or rocky).  Food/drink a bonus.  Want to avoid Towels and Herds.   4 adults and 3 teens.    We usually go to Sapphire beach.  Would it be safe to try a calmer more touristy beach this trip?   Any other recommendations?

We are the only ship in Port this July and are looking for a relaxed beach day.   Chairs/umbrellas to rent, rest rooms, water we can swim in (so not too rough or rocky).  Food/drink a bonus.  Want to avoid Towels and Herds.   4 adults and 3 teens.    We usually do a day pass at the Marriott but with no ships in port, maybe it's safe to try somewhere with calmer water and less likely to be full of seaweed?

Thanks!

We are the only ship in Port this July and are looking for a relaxed beach day.   Chairs/umbrellas to rent, rest rooms, water we can swim in (so not too rough or rocky).  Food/drink a bonus.  Want to avoid Towels and Herds.   4 adults and 3 teens.

Thanks!

We chose the Marriott in summer 2018.   Due to the wind direction the beach was LOADED with seaweed and totally unusable.  Like they were using a front end loader and a dump truck to haul it away.  It was smelly and horrible.   We spent the day at the lovely pool, but we really wanted a beach.  Not sure how often that happens.

On 11/6/2019 at 7:05 PM, LeeW said:

Going on Fantasy next summer and it is $8K for two in a balcony cabin for 9 days.  For that price I can get a pretty large suite on Harmony for a week.  But younger granddaughter hasn't been on a Disney cruise yet. 

 

 

 

Are you on the Fantasy Eastern at the end of June?   If yes, we are on that cruise also.  I wish it were 11-nights, but they are not doing the southern in Summer 2020 unfortunately.  It should be a great cruise, even if shorter than I would like!

On 10/28/2019 at 2:30 PM, JTor said:

Agree, the prices are really, really crazy.  We just looked into it and can't understand why anyone would go (and we love Disney World).  I get that if you have a bunch of kids all the "free" babysitting probably counts for a lot and is unique relative to many other ships but for adults traveling without kids - even very Disney-keen adults - I don't get it.  We can go with Silverseas or Crystal (all inclusive service/alcohol etc) for the same price as Disney.  People rave about the service on Disney but that is relative to other mass market big ships; the luxury lines have fantastic service.  Do people not realize...?  Anyone out there who can compare Disney to Silversea/Regent/Crystal/Seabourne and can tell me why they prefer Disney at the same price...?

I think you are just looking at very different demographics.   We sail DCL now because we enjoy the service and the quality and we have a child.  She will be in college soon and eventually out on her own.  At that time, we will definitely try the luxury cruise lines you listed.  But those are not lines that younger people with children would typically cruise.   We love DCL, so I think it's likely that my husband and I will still sail (and maybe bring our daughter/family along) in the future.  But we do want to try other lines.

More DCL cruising is always better than less, IMO!!  I agree with the suggestions above.   See if an on-board booking would be cheaper, Silver status will get you a slight edge on booking port adventures and on-board activities and you can just get the lay of the land with DCL and with the Dream class ships.

How difficult to rent a car and get to Rum Point?  How are the driving conditions?

Take a look at the MDR menus and see which one you like the least.  I think you will want to do Animator's Palette night and Pirate night with your son.  (You can request your dining rotation - it's not guaranteed, but they usually can  accommodate you).    Other than those 2 nights, I'd pick Remy for the night you least like what's being served in MDR.

We were on the 11-night Southern in 2018 and it was our favorite cruise ever.  I agree with the high percentage of Gold and Platinum members (we are Platinum and we try to be friendly and helpful to everyone).  It does make it hard for Silver and new cruisers to get some of the more desired reservations/port adventures.  I think Palo brunch sold out during Gold and also some of the princess things (which we don't do).  They do hold back some reservations for on-board booking.

I still wanted a longer cruise after 11 days!  I love the Fantasy but I understand your comment about the Magic/Wonder being more intimate.  We like to cruise the Magic to Canada out of NYC.  Satellite Falls, Remy, Meridian and Oh La La are favorites for us, so we tend to stick with  the Fantasy otherwise.

Thanks for the review - I think it was very balanced and didn't come across as negative at all.

I had no idea this was even a "thing" on DCL - sounds very interesting!  (We next sail the Fantasy on Christmas this year!)

Looking for recommendations for a good beach location in Grand Cayman?  We will be there Christmas Eve day.

• loungers/umbrella to rent
• bathroom
• food/booze to buy

Hopefully not hellishly crowded and calm enough to swim. 

Thanks!

Thank you.