Overwhelmed and Feeling Stressed / Anxious

[Essiesmom]

While an aft balcony is a lovely idea, temps in Alaska may make it uncomfortable to sit out for any length of time unless you are bundled up. When asked about a balcony, most of the people who reply say it is a must have. Those of us who choose to do it in an inside cabin are in the minority. We are not balcony snob. We do a balcony if the rates are really good. But usually rather save our money for other things...like another cruise. EM

[6rugrats]

My DD and I booked an Alaska cruise on HAL on a Wednesday and boarded that Sunday. We paid $975 total for our fare.

We ended up in an inside cabin down from the Neptune lounge (which we couldn’t use because of our cabin class).

The only advance planning I did was arranging for transportation from Seward to Anchorage.

My DD, who was 14, says it was her favorite cruise, and she’s sailed on Windstar, Paul Gauguin and HAL.

If part of your anxiety is the high price, you can have a wonderful Alaska experience for much less. An aft balcony cabin would be great, but there was always a spot on deck or inside to see the sights.

As mentioned, Akaska excursions can be pretty expensive; it’s not the cheapest cruise choice.

I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.

[Roz]

I've done 4 Alaskan cruises, and have a 5th booked for next year. Never had a balcony, never needed one. 3 Alaskan cruises on HAL, 1 on Carnival. All of them spectacular. When we cruised Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier, we went out on the wrap around deck and saw more than those who chose to stay on their balcony or inside. The highest category cabin I've ever done Alaska in was an outside, others were insides or obstructed outsides.

 

Roz

[disneydancersmom]

We cruised celebrity last summer , western Caribbean and were very happy. We had the free room service breakfast everyday. I book when they offer enough perks. We got free alcohol free WiFi prepaid gratuities and 400 onboard credit for the 8 day cruise.

I think you will really like it, the food was so good in the mdr that we never ate at any of the premium restaurants. We’ve also been on Disney, total five stars, and Rc.

 

 

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[KimA75]

I've done 4 Alaskan cruises, and have a 5th booked for next year. Never had a balcony, never needed one. 3 Alaskan cruises on HAL, 1 on Carnival. All of them spectacular. When we cruised Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier, we went out on the wrap around deck and saw more than those who chose to stay on their balcony or inside. The highest category cabin I've ever done Alaska in was an outside, others were insides or obstructed outsides.

 

Roz

I'm glad to hear this. I just booked our first Alaskan cruise for next year, for my family and my in-laws. I booked connecting interior for my family and ocean view accessible for my in-laws. Now my only concern is that my in-laws' cabin is on deck 3. It will be their first cruise and I want them to love it as much as we do.

[SuiteTraveler]

Be sure to bring some anti-seasickness medicine for your cruise. We usually take Bonine (OTC) and Trans Derm Scops (by prescription from the doctor.). Sometimes going up to or coming down from Alaska, there are high seas - both of our Alaska cruises had high seas going up, so we used the Scops for that part of the cruise and then switched to Bonine once we were in Glacier Bay and Alaskan ports. Coming backdown, we had no high seas. The way to find out what to expect is day of your cruise, ask your cabin steward if they had high seas coming back to Vancouver. If he says yes, then put on the Scops. If he says no, then take Bonine at least 4 hours before your ship departs the port of Vancouver. If you encounter high seas coming back, discontinue Bonine and use the Scops.

 

BTW, the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver is a great place to stay with amazing views and it is right next to the Port - you can literally check out of the hotel in the morning and walk next door, drop your luggage and check in for your cruise! This hotel has some great restaurants including 5 Sails and even their more casual restaurant has excellent food and there is also a great spa. Of course, you can easily walk around Vancouver from this hotel, as well.

 

Eclipse is a lovely ship. The food is very good in the MDR and also in the buffet. If your son is an adventurous eater, I think you all would enjoy eating at Qsine - it is a lot of fun. It does cost extra, but it is a special experience.

 

If you wait until 6 weeks before sailing, keep looking online at available cabins. Celebrity has a Family Verandah cabin which has 2 bedrooms, living room, dining room, and 1 bathroom - normally you can only reserve these cabins IF you have a party of 5, but if they are not taken, 6 weeks prior to sailing, Celebrity will make these cabins available for any size party. These are the second largest cabins on the ship. So...if they come available, you can upgrade to these cabins for a nominal cost. I think for me and my husband, we upgraded from a regular Veranda to the Family Verandah for under $500. they are all the way forward, but they are great cabins if you can get one.

 

As to upsells, do get the beverage package (whichever one applies to you and your husband). They have this great tea shop onboard called Cafe al Baccio - the food is free, but you pay for the fancy tea or coffee unless you have the beverage package. This is a great place to hangout and I used my beverage package for sparkling water, special tea in Cafe al Baccio, specialty coffees, bottled water and wine and also for the martini bar - which was a fun place to go before dinner and watch the fancy tricks the bartenders do. I tried a different martini every night. The beverage package was great because I just showed my card and never had to sign for anything. The gelato adjacent to Cafe al Baccio costs extra, btw.

 

While we were on Eclipse, we were mostly ate in the regular MDR which was quite good. If you want even more upscale food, get into either a Aqua class stateroom which eat at Blu or a suite to eat at Luminae. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1926. But I don't really think it is necessary as the food in the MDR really was good.

[skyung001]

Thank you, everyone!

 

Also this is a newbie question, but if there's a price drop on a suite (some people said that's how they upgraded), but if the price of the suite is below what you paid for your cabin, you can't upgrade? Or is it only if you've already gone past the final payment day?

 

Also - if an online agency offers me extra OBC (let's say $300) to book with them on top of the Celebrity perk(s), and if there's a price drop, does the agency reduce the amount of extra OBC? Or does the OBC stay the same? Thanks.

[KimA75]

Thank you, everyone!

 

Also this is a newbie question, but if there's a price drop on a suite (some people said that's how they upgraded), but if the price of the suite is below what you paid for your cabin, you can't upgrade? Or is it only if you've already gone past the final payment day?

 

Also - if an online agency offers me extra OBC (let's say $300) to book with them on top of the Celebrity perk(s), and if there's a price drop, does the agency reduce the amount of extra OBC? Or does the OBC stay the same? Thanks.

You can upgrade at any time. If you are past the 90 day mark and the upgrade is less than what you originally paid, you will not get money back. That is the only catch to tun 90 days or less.

 

I can't answer about the travel agent, we haven't used one. I'm sure someone else will be able to answer that portion.

[Roz]

It's up to the agency regarding the OBC. They set their own policies.

 

Roz

 

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[Flatbush Flyer]

Thank you, everyone!

 

Also this is a newbie question, but if there's a price drop on a suite (some people said that's how they upgraded), but if the price of the suite is below what you paid for your cabin, you can't upgrade? Or is it only if you've already gone past the final payment day?

 

Also - if an online agency offers me extra OBC (let's say $300) to book with them on top of the Celebrity perk(s), and if there's a price drop, does the agency reduce the amount of extra OBC? Or does the OBC stay the same? Thanks.

 

 

 

If the source of the OBC is commission sharing, the TA might recalculate it. If the source is promotional funds from the cruise line or the TA's membership in a consortium, it may also depend on the nature of the "current" perks/bonuses deal when you get a price change match (or rebooking).

[Nebr.cruiser]

It is possible that the amount of OBC may be reduced if you take a price reduction; you just have to figure out which is the better deal. For instance, if you have $100 in OBC but a $500 price reduction comes up, if you lose the OBC you will still come out $400 ahead.

 

It just depends on circumstances if you will lose all or part of the OBC. I have had both happen; have had a price reduction and kept the OBC and also have lost the OBC.

 

You also have to factor in any perks you may or may not be losing and their value for a price reduction.

[griffy116]

Just me, but I would be looking at a balcony cabin in a category that is less than the aft and save the money for excursions. Spending much time on the balcony is going to get COLD, especially since it will be windy on the balcony. Some of the excursions for Alaska are pricey. I think they make the cruise far better than any cabin location. As for the food, we have sailed on Celebrity and we were very happy with the food and never felt a need to spend extra on spcialty dining. We had no problems with the water out of the tap.

[skyung001]

You can upgrade at any time. If you are past the 90 day mark and the upgrade is less than what you originally paid, you will not get money back. That is the only catch to tun 90 days or less.

 

I can't answer about the travel agent, we haven't used one. I'm sure someone else will be able to answer that portion.

 

Does this mean if it's been 90 days since I booked my trip, I can't get the difference in fare back? I have a refundable booking, so wouldn't it just make me cancel my existing trip and rebook?

[sanger727]

Does this mean if it's been 90 days since I booked my trip, I can't get the difference in fare back? I have a refundable booking, so wouldn't it just make me cancel my existing trip and rebook?

 

 

 

It’s not 90 days after you book. It’s 90 days before sailing, AKA, the final payment date. Anytime prior to final payment (because your booking is refundable at that point) you can get price drops. After you make final payment and cancellation penalties kick in, you can upgrade your room but they won’t refund any price differences. Now, if a price difference is significant and ur cancellation penalties are low, some people will cancel, pay the penalty and rebook at the lower rate and still save money.

 

 

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[shadow8800]

Celebrity is a good line we have been with them 2 times. As others have stated if money is a concern rebook in a different cabin. We did consierge class (decided not really worth it and won't do it again) balcony and it was $3000 total for 2 of us. I think you can do better on your cabin price then perhaps the buyers remorse will lessen for you. As for upselling a polite no thanks works delightfully well. We didn't run into much of it anyway except for wasted paper ads in with the newsletter each night. Happy planning

 

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[skyung001]

Celebrity is a good line we have been with them 2 times. As others have stated if money is a concern rebook in a different cabin. We did consierge class (decided not really worth it and won't do it again) balcony and it was $3000 total for 2 of us. I think you can do better on your cabin price then perhaps the buyers remorse will lessen for you. As for upselling a polite no thanks works delightfully well. We didn't run into much of it anyway except for wasted paper ads in with the newsletter each night. Happy planning

 

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Where did you go and when? Thanks. Everyone is telling me Alaska just costs a kidney...

[sanger727]

Where did you go and when? Thanks. Everyone is telling me Alaska just costs a kidney...

 

 

 

I did a quick search and I think your price is right in line for summer and that room. If you wanted to save some money you may want to look at switching to may or September (June-August is always a premium since schools are on break) or an inside or ocean view room.

 

But yes, I think Alaska is always sold at a bit of a premium since the Alaskan cruising season is only 4-5 months and they only commit a few ships to it. Lower supply with high demand will always lead to higher prices.

 

 

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[KimA75]

Prices anywhere vary with the school season. They are also higher for the newer, larger ships. Alaska is definitely more than the Caribbean.

 

I have just booked an Alaskan cruise for next year. After so many mixed reviews on the balcony, and the cost, we went with ocean view. There will be plenty of viewing areas on the ship that we decided to save that money for excursions.

 

If you are able to, look to September for an Alaskan cruise. Lower prices and a better chance of seeing the northern lights.

[skyung001]

Thank you everyone.

 

I can't do May/June or September because of the kid's school schedule. We have one week break during the 1st week of May, but I doubt Alaska cruises start quite that early.

 

 

I hear you about the balcony... Some say its' too cold for balcony, but some say it's a must. I decided to get an aft balcony because I get cold easily and wanted to be able to get back inside the cabin if I wanted to, rather than be freezing on the deck. (I don't think decks are covered and heated?) To give you an idea of how bad I am with cold, I thought Hawaii in Feb was pretty cold. (No beach for me at all) Or is it warmer/better on the decks?

[shadow8800]

Where did you go and when? Thanks. Everyone is telling me Alaska just costs a kidney...

 

As posted above the time of year definitely makes a difference in price, shoulder season does tend to be cheaper For Alaska that would be May and September. We did Alaska in 2015 and as mentioned May was our choice due to price being lower. We had great weather and smooth sailing for the most part. Alaska in general seems to be more costly than your average Caribbean holiday. We did Celebrity again in 2016 for a Southern Caribbean route.

 

We have decided to give HAL a try for Alaska in 2019 as they have the permits to cruise Glacier Bay and Celebrity does not. We did the Tracy Arm route out of Seattle. Tracy Arm was a beautiful area to see, it was kind of Zen-like and calming. A truly gorgeous thing to see. We chose June for our next sailing and of course it was several hundred more than May. We chose a mid-ship balcony and still paid less than $4000 for 2 of us. I also keep checking the sailing for any price drops so I can notify my TA. Good luck and Happy Planning

[skyung001]

As posted above the time of year definitely makes a difference in price, shoulder season does tend to be cheaper For Alaska that would be May and September. We did Alaska in 2015 and as mentioned May was our choice due to price being lower. We had great weather and smooth sailing for the most part. Alaska in general seems to be more costly than your average Caribbean holiday. We did Celebrity again in 2016 for a Southern Caribbean route.

 

We have decided to give HAL a try for Alaska in 2019 as they have the permits to cruise Glacier Bay and Celebrity does not. We did the Tracy Arm route out of Seattle. Tracy Arm was a beautiful area to see, it was kind of Zen-like and calming. A truly gorgeous thing to see. We chose June for our next sailing and of course it was several hundred more than May. We chose a mid-ship balcony and still paid less than $4000 for 2 of us. I also keep checking the sailing for any price drops so I can notify my TA. Good luck and Happy Planning

 

Fascinating re: Tracy Arm. I think the ship we chose goes to Hubbard.

 

How do you look for price drops? Do you check the site every day? Or is there a service that alerts you for a small fee?

[gambit57]

I hear you about the balcony... Some say its' too cold for balcony, but some say it's a must. I decided to get an aft balcony because I get cold easily and wanted to be able to get back inside the cabin if I wanted to, rather than be freezing on the deck. (I don't think decks are covered and heated?) To give you an idea of how bad I am with cold, I thought Hawaii in Feb was pretty cold. (No beach for me at all) Or is it warmer/better on the decks?

 

That's why I recommend a balcony on Alaska, but it's mainly for when you're cruising the glaciers (Glacier Bay, etc). That said, if you get cold that easily, then a balcony is definitely going to be worth it for you. The decks are not heated. I find the privacy of your own balcony nice. Especially if you get cold easily and need to leave your spot often.

 

If you search "deck chairs", you'll discover that quite a lot of people like to get up at the crack of dawn and snag chairs up on the decks. It means they're often limited, so if you leave to warm up, it'll almost certainly get taken.

[broadwaybaby123]

As someone who took a 10 year hiatus from cruising and just got back into it last year, I can safely say, it's not worth all the worrying. I was itching to get back on a boat and see the world again! The Summit will be my first Celebrity Cruise in over 15 years, I believe (I'm not counting my cruise just before my hiatus....Grandeur Of The Seas, which is RCCL, owned by the same company).

 

The only line that went downhill as far as I can tell was Carnival, and while I had a bad experience on there (for a myriad of reasons), the overall experience with all the ports and just getting back to doing something that I love was worth it. I'm hoping that the Summit (another Celebrity ship, which will also be my next cruise) will be a different experience.

[KmomChicago]

Thanks for the reassurance. You’re probably right about negative reviews. I’m an odd duck because I either write a super glowing review or a super scathing one everywhere after my trip. If my experience was just average or just met my expectation, I tend not to write anything.

 

 

 

I don’t think that’s odd at all. It’s probably the norm which is why reviews are all over the radar. Further I can tell you from posting my very long detailed multi-post review of Carnival Sensation earlier this year, it’s a massive time commitment (weeks) to describe everything in detail and try to be just-the-facts in your POV without getting emotional and ranting or cheering about your personal preferences. That cruise was a very average experience but I committed in advance to a long and hopefully balanced review because I had trouble finding good info when searching for myself. Didn’t bother with Oasis of the seas because there is plenty of recent info available and my 2 cents would not add much value.

 

I think it takes that extra joy or anger of a great or terrible experience to motivate some folks to share.

 

I was on Celebrity many years ago and it was very nice and still has an excellent reputation, notwithstanding the occasional grumbler.

 

In fact I have never been unhappy with any cruise. If you liked Carnival back in the day you should be pleased with this choice. Alaska is pricey with any line as you have already discovered.

 

I would ask you to think about planning ahead to do a fair review regardless of your overall impression after the trip. It changes your perspective to put yourself on a fact finding mission. The extra photos I took on that cruise helped me organize my thoughts and reminded me of many aspects to include in the review.

 

 

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[skyung001]

As someone who took a 10 year hiatus from cruising and just got back into it last year, I can safely say, it's not worth all the worrying. I was itching to get back on a boat and see the world again! The Summit will be my first Celebrity Cruise in over 15 years, I believe (I'm not counting my cruise just before my hiatus....Grandeur Of The Seas, which is RCCL, owned by the same company).

 

The only line that went downhill as far as I can tell was Carnival, and while I had a bad experience on there (for a myriad of reasons), the overall experience with all the ports and just getting back to doing something that I love was worth it. I'm hoping that the Summit (another Celebrity ship, which will also be my next cruise) will be a different experience.

 

I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience with Carnival. Where did you w/ them?