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Solstice to Tracy Arm Fjord or Seward to Vancouver on Millennium


lozzie64
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Hi everyone (again), I currently have a Sky Suite booking on Celebrity Millennium from Seward to Vancouver, 7th Sept 2018. The booking was made quickly about 2 weeks ago as cabins were scarce. I am coming from Australia and this is just one part of my trip. I don't want to be away for more than 3 weeks and have realised that if I did Solstice in and out of Seattle I wouldn't have to leave Aust till about 5th of Sept. I would have to go earlier if I needed to make my way to Anchorage and then train down to Seward.

 

How do I compare the 2 cruises? I have also discovered that Solstice does do the sail out of Seattle on Inside Passage as shown on the Celebrity map, but that did not show up on other cruise company maps, so assuming the Celebrity one is correct???? Can anyone qualify that.

 

I will have to settle on seeing the Hubbard Glacier another time, as I would do Tracy Arm instead. It does also save me some flying travel time. Both go to Ketichan, Juneau and Skagway, Millenium also does Icy Straight Point.

 

Thoughts??? I have 2 friends who want to do Alaska in a few more years time and we would definitely go to Anchorage then etc. With more time.

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I've only booked my Alaska cruise for June 2018...and haven't been otherwise. However...you ask how to compare...so I took a look and this is what I see...

 

Millennium doesn't have any sea days really. There's the hope that you can see Hubbard Glacier...which isn't a guarantee, as I read, because conditions will vary and affect how close to the glacier the ship can get...and what time isn't spent with the glacier...the ship is sailing...but that isn't quite the same as a sea day. Then, it does do the Inside Passage, which, if you have a map and can follow along, I believe will have more viewing opportunities than a typical Sea Day...anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong. Those are the closest things to sea days on Millie.

 

For Solstice, in addition to having two similar type days, Inside Passage and the Tracy Arm Fjords, there are also TWO Sea days. So we're talking about a LOT of ship time on the Solstice, which is probably why they pick the S-class ship for this itinerary. Then you get 1 less port than Millie.

 

As you noted, Millie stops in ISP, where you can do many activities that you can do out of Juneau (whale watching, for instance)...and I believe that doing a Tracy Arm Excursion is an option in one of the ports. So, if that was still of interest to you, you could still see it, and probably see it in a more spectacular way.

 

For me, I'm on Millie because I wanted my cruise to be all about Alaska...as much Alaska as I could get...and the Solstice cruise doesn't interest me at all because there is so much ship time...and I'm not interested in having that much cruise ship time.

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Excellent info Anita Latte, I am just getting my head around getting myself to Anchorage instead of Seattle (from Australia which is much easier), but you are correct on possibly seeing more of Alaska on Millie. I was trying to compress the travel time from 2 hours south of Sydney to Seward Alaska and I need to build in flight interruption problem so I don't miss my cruise if something goes pearshaped. I was planning on being in Seward by Thursday 6th Sept when cruise departs on 7th. If I fly Sydney to Anchorage straight through and just overnight in Achorage there is a very early train to Seward, but that is really really hard travelling on the body, so I should have a day in Anchorage. Hmmmm, haven't made the change yet, and will give it more thought now before I do. Really appreciate your take on it and have a superb trip.

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I think PP made some great points for you to consider.

 

My input is only about the train......if it's too early and you can't add another day ( preferable, so try hard), you might want to consider a bus, cruiseline transfer, or independent transfer which have afternoon departures. (You dont want to sleep thru your first 2 days on the ship! )

- Park Connection Bus has a couple of departures incl 3pm,

- Alaska Cruise Transportation has several options from 9am thru 3pm, for direct or with a stop at Wildlife Center

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Anita Latte and anyone else in cyber land. I am coming from Australia, I am time poor on the trip due other US commitments on this trip and time away from my farm. I just looked at flights and connections to both Anchorage and Seattle, it's so so so much easier for me to get to Seattle than Anchorage with flights and connections, which actually also means it's so much cheaper as well as I won't need down time in Anchorage or Seward to build in days in case flights are cancelled (out of Australia is the main consideration). Also, I don't mind a ship day, I need the down time. Also, I have friends who want to go back there in a few years time, so it's like a taster trip for me. I have come to realised it's a lot of time and more expense to include the trip that has the Hubbard Glacier and we might not get near it early September? I have been on Celebrity Silhouette a few years ago and loved it, on the Med though. Hmmmmmmmm.

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Thanks Mapleleaves. Yes, I just looked at all the flight options to get to Anchorage from Sydney, Australia. I need to travel on Qantas. The one day I need to leave for San Fran then Anchorage, Qantas does not fly on that day out of Sydney. At that time of year we have big winds in Australia and it plays havoc with the Airport and causes massive flight delays. I need to plan on being in Anchorage with one full day to spare. Yes, I like the look of the train trip but 6.45am in the morning? If I do a bus connection to cruise then I probably only need to be in Anchorage one full day. Lots to consider. Seattle is much much easier, but how much am I missing out on by swapping????? Tricky when it's the first time. thanks all

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Another big advantage of the Millennium is Seward. Even if you don't get to Hubbard Glacier, you get see glaciers on a Kenai Fjords National Park cruise out of Seward (along with lots of wild life). To be honest, I'm looking forward to that as much as I am Hubbard (we chose Millennium over Solstice). We are also doing a kayak tour to Bear Glacier out of Seward as well. Afterwards, you can take the dome train tour back to Anchorage as well.

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I'm wondering if you are locked into these dates? Or if they are flexible? As in, would Millie from Vancouver to Seward be an option? That would be the week before, or maybe after? Could you get your travel issues post cruise? There is supposed to be a lovely train from Seattle to Vancouver that people often take for Vancouver departures.

 

You mention flying to San Francisco...I wonder if you could plan for an overnight there? Some airlines will let you book roundtrip airfare, but have your layover be overnight. Have you looked into the idea of breaking up your flights like that?

 

You have a lot to think about and the only recommendation that I would make is to pick the plan makes you the most excited to do. Attitude is really everything when you talk about travel...if you are excited by the plans then you just kind of figure out a way to deal with whatever you have to do in order to do what you plan to do. That's a mouthful...but you get the point. At that point, you just let go of opportunity cost and any second guessing if you could be doing something better and just make the best trip you can with what is available to you.

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Thanks everyone. I have a convention in Utah from about 18 Sept, then more days in LA after 5 day convention. I have just been away for 3.3 weeks to USA so trying to squeeze lots into a 3 week period. I have a very good budget, no decisions are made on money, it's time that's my issue. I will have some spare days between end of cruise and Salt Lake City and I want to go to the Boeing factory, so Seattle was calling. I have been to both San Fran and Vancouver. But yes, I thought I might get to Seward on the 6th so I could do a quick Whale Watch on the morning of the 7th before I board? If I stay with my Millie trip. My agent is looking into getting me booked on both at this time so I can decide in another few months. I don't normally make rush decisions, I research, but the cabins i wanted were disappearing. Everyone's comments are helping. thanks.

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I guess the issue is how much am I going to miss out on by starting in Seward and coming down the Coast to Vancouver, versus in and out of Seattle. Seattle is so so so much easier for me to get to and the timing is probably better as well on this particular occassion. I am happy with the Celebrity line and both ships. It's just a sample cruise to see if I like the area as well and being cold on holidays!

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I guess the issue is how much am I going to miss out on by starting in Seward and coming down the Coast to Vancouver, versus in and out of Seattle. Seattle is so so so much easier for me to get to and the timing is probably better as well on this particular occassion. I am happy with the Celebrity line and both ships. It's just a sample cruise to see if I like the area as well and being cold on holidays!

 

It actually may come down to Seward versus Seattle and that's just a personal choice for you. It was a different choice for us. We chose Vancouver to Seward and have never been to Seattle, but wanted more time in Alaska and first thought Denali and then decided Seward looked great for a couple of days.

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I thought you were looking at a one-way out of Seward and a RT Seattle.

I only mentioned RT Vancouver because its preferable to RT Seattle IMHO.

 

BTW, you can do whale watching (orcas) out of Seattle. I've taken several trips from Anacortes, about 90 miles north of Seattle. Sept is a great month since the salmon are running . It's a 6hr scenic trip into the SanJuan Islands, past lighthouses, ferries, and I've always seen orca , a few minke whales , sealions, dolphins.

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