Photo Review: Celebrity Solstice to Alaska 5/27/16

[SunnyAJ]

Hi alainamarie,

 

Thanks for this great review with awesome photos! I've been on many Celebrity Cruises (mostly Caribbean) but never to Alaska. We finally have it booked on the Solstice next year so I'm constantly looking at information. The excursions look and sound terrific. I'm enjoying reading along and thanks again!

[alainamarie]

SherrifJoe is confused... definitely went through Tracy Arm. :)

 

 

 

Enjoying the pics & review - thanks for taking the time!

 

 

I may have it wrong, I've been wrong before [emoji13]. Maybe I interpreted what he said incorrectly. I thought we turned around but did not actually enter Tracy Arm, so I'm likely the confused one! Mike, chime in!

Like I said, not a morning person! [emoji12]

Edited June 10, 2016 by alainamarie

[alainamarie]

Great review and beautiful photos

 

 

 

I <3 The Solstice

 

 

Thank you!

 

Hi alainamarie,

 

Thanks for this great review with awesome photos! I've been on many Celebrity Cruises (mostly Caribbean) but never to Alaska. We finally have it booked on the Solstice next year so I'm constantly looking at information. The excursions look and sound terrific. I'm enjoying reading along and thanks again!

 

 

You will love it! Just wait until you see Skagway [emoji4] ... I truly loved each port for very different reasons.

[bhughey]

I may have it wrong, I've been wrong before [emoji13]. Maybe I interpreted what he said incorrectly. I thought we turned around but did not actually enter Tracy Arm, so I'm likely the confused one! Mike, chime in!

Like I said, not a morning person! [emoji12]

 

From what I have read, the 5/13 & 5/27 sailings on Solstice did Endicott Arm/Dawes glacier in lieu of Tracy Arm - the 5/20 sailing did Tracy Arm, but too much ice prevented us from getting close enough to see the Saywer glacier.

 

I might have been unclear in my first post, I was just pointing out that at least one Solstice sailing has in fact, made it to Tracy Arm this season. Sorry for any confusion!

Edited June 10, 2016 by bhughey

[alainamarie]

From what I have read, the 5/13 & 5/27 sailings on Solstice did Endicott Arm/Dawes glacier in lieu of Tracy Arm - the 5/20 sailing did Tracy Arm, but too much ice prevented us from getting close enough to see the Saywer glacier.

 

I might have been unclear in my first post, I was just pointing out that at least one Solstice sailing has in fact, made it to Tracy Arm this season. Sorry for any confusion!

 

Gotcha! I'm honestly confused about it all now. I thought we attempted to enter Tracy Arm, ice was blocking, hence turned around and made it to Endicott and Dawes. I was under the impression the 5/13 and 5/20 cruises did the same. No biggie, you've been very helpful though! It was difficult for me to wake up that morning. ;)

[alainamarie]

Sorry about all of the Tracy Arm confusion, my group was under the impression that we attempted to enter Tracy Arm, but there was too much ice flow in the water to safely enter. Therefore we went to Endicott and Dawes. Anywho..............

 

Either way, I was sleepy, so I took a HUGGGE nap.. I picked a bad night to meet up with a friend at the martini bar. I did not get much sleep the night before, so I took a 3 hour nap once all of the glacier looking was over.

 

We tendered in Juneau and arrived around 1:30pm. This is my second time tendering with Celebrity and I find it pretty simple. (First time was St. Barts) We chose an excursion that began at 5pm so we did not have to get off the ship until after 4p. We did walk around town for a bit & our bus picked us up right at the pier.

 

Here's the excursion info:

Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip (JU14) $149.75

River rafting, icebergs and a snack! Your experienced guide will steer you across the serene waters of Mendenhall Lake, past floating icebergs to the Mendenhall River.Act

ivity Type: Active Adventures

Activity Level: Moderate

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Restrictions: Minimum Weight: 50 pounds

 

 

I HIGHLY recommend this excursion! It was the perfect time and we wanted a variety from port to port. One by air, one by river, and one by car. I carried my small Nikon with me, so these are a bunch of photos from the middle back of the raft.

 

 

Photos from the pier:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alainamarie]

We found a cute coffee shop a short walk from the pier to wait it out. Not going to lie, we had to pee too.

 

 

The bus brought us the raft drop off area... we had a great bus ride and saw HUNDREDS of bald eagles! Juneau is probably the only port site I could see myself living in. Small city with a slightly bigger city feel.

 

 

You had to put your get-up on... ok y'all can use this photo of me one day as blackmail, but here goes!

 

 

 

My rubber boots weren't on yet, but you get the picture! :eek:

 

 

View of the boats and river where all of the fun begins!

 

 

 

Let's get going!

 

 

[alainamarie]

Sit back & relax cuz I'm about to show you some photos from our rafting... no commentary, just some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alainamarie]

 

 

 

[alainamarie]

A picture of our rafting group... Brett was a great guide!

 

They had salmon dip and reindeer sausage waiting for us when our rafting trip ended. Yummy!!!

 

 

Some photos of town when we were dropped off at the pier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside:

 

 

 

Next up: Skagway!

 

[travellink]

Could you please post the dailies from your cruise. Would like to see what activities there are and the times . Thanks!

[alainamarie]

Could you please post the dailies from your cruise. Would like to see what activities there are and the times . Thanks!

 

 

At the end of my review possibly. Have to figure out how to scan them!

[BecciBoo]

just take a pic with your phone or your Nikon and post them like your others, that's what I do, who wants to scan....;)

[PortlandCruiser]

You are exactly the kind of cruiser we'd love to sit with at MDR dining and probably go have drinks with after. You "get it". Enjoy and thanks for the write ups!

[alainamarie]

just take a pic with your phone or your Nikon and post them like your others, that's what I do, who wants to scan....;)

 

 

Thanks, will do that this weekend!

 

You are exactly the kind of cruiser we'd love to sit with at MDR dining and probably go have drinks with after. You "get it". Enjoy and thanks for the write ups!

 

 

Aww, thank you! I enjoy a good time... It is vacation after all!

[SheriffJoe]

One of our cruisers (SheriffJoe) sailed on the 5/20 sailing and reported no Tracy Arm. Very interesting indeed! Beautiful either way, but I am envious if you made it to Tracy! Sawyer would be a dream come true for sure [emoji2]

 

Yes we did get into Tracy Arm but only about 15 miles in, we didn't get to Sawyer Glacier though which to me is the entire point of it....the sailing prior 5/13 did not even get into Tracy Arm which may have caused some confusion in my report....bottom line for me though having done TA one week 5/20 without a glacier view and Endicott the other week 5/27 with a glacier, glacier wins hands down....

[Blondie008]

I am getting confused - I was on the 27/05 sailing and this was one of the the calvings on Dawes Glacier - taken from the Catamaran Tour

[alainamarie]

Yes we did get into Tracy Arm but only about 15 miles in, we didn't get to Sawyer Glacier though which to me is the entire point of it....the sailing prior 5/13 did not even get into Tracy Arm which may have caused some confusion in my report....bottom line for me though having done TA one week 5/20 without a glacier view and Endicott the other week 5/27 with a glacier, glacier wins hands down....

 

 

Now it makes sense, I thought you said y'all didn't enter Tracy Arm at all... Did we enter it on 5/27 sailing? I may have been asleep [emoji50]

 

I am getting confused - I was on the 27/05 sailing and this was one of the the calvings on Dawes Glacier - taken from the Catamaran Tour

 

 

No need for confusion because that's exactly what my pictures look like and it was Dawes. You got to be so close for the calving! We saw/heard it, but man were you close!!

[Blondie008]

 

No need for confusion because that's exactly what my pictures look like and it was Dawes. You got to be so close for the calving! We saw/heard it, but man were you close!!

 

 

My bad - for some reason I thought u had gone Tracey Arm Fjord - which obviously we didn't lol as we were both on the same ship same cruise :)

I re read it all - my bad. My apologies.

 

But hey - look at the fabulous day we had in Ketchikan compared to the week later - you just never know huh - Alaska is so much like my home - four seasons in one day :)

 

Glad you enjoyed the cruise as much as we did - we have come home in wonder - loved every minute!

Edited June 10, 2016 by Blondie008

[alex2155]

Now it makes sense, I thought you said y'all didn't enter Tracy Arm at all... Did we enter it on 5/27 sailing? I may have been asleep [emoji50]

 

No we did Endicott arms and Dawes glacier on the 27th sailing.

[MicCanberra]

The rafting and excursion in Juneau looks awesome. Love the pics.:D

[alainamarie]

My bad - for some reason I thought u had gone Tracey Arm Fjord - which obviously we didn't lol as we were both on the same ship same cruise :)

I re read it all - my bad. My apologies.

 

But hey - look at the fabulous day we had in Ketchikan compared to the week later - you just never know huh - Alaska is so much like my home - four seasons in one day :)

 

Glad you enjoyed the cruise as much as we did - we have come home in wonder - loved every minute!

 

 

Oh we lucked out with weather! Ketchikan weather was all over the place.

 

No we did Endicott arms and Dawes glacier on the 27th sailing.

 

 

So I'm guessing we did not enter Tracy Arm at all, correct? Gee, why is this so confusing!? I know we went to Endicott & Dawes, but I thought we attempted Tracy?

 

 

All- busy weekend back in town, but I will try to get to Skagway & then take pictures of the dailies. Hoping it works with my Nikon? [emoji4]

[MicCanberra]

And you think you are confused.:confused:

[bhughey]

The captain has to make a decision prior to entering either arm, if you start to enter (and proceed) Tracy Arm, you cannot then decide to enter Endicott (and vice versa). It's one or the other, once you are in, you are in. We actually had dinner with the staff captain on the May 20th sailing who explained this. I am guessing that they made the decision to do Endicott instead to give passengers on the 5/27 cruise a view of the glacier... knowing that after entering and sailing Tracy Arm on 5/20 that there was too much ice to get a view of Sawyer glacier.

 

To summerize:

May 13 Solstice sailing - Endicott Arm, view of Dawes glacier

 

May 20 Solstice sailing - Tracy Arm, no view of Sawyer glacier

 

May 27 Solstice sailing - Endicott arm, view of Dawes glacier

Edited June 11, 2016 by bhughey

[deliver42]

Great review, and pics. Looking forward to the rest