first-timer's Infinity Alaska Review -- 7/30 to 8/6

[quahog8]

Greetings,

 

When I was preparing for my trip, I found others' reviews soooo helpful. In hopes that mine will be, too, I offer my experience as a first-time cruiser to you all. Happy travels to all!

 

FLIGHTS TO VANCOUVER. I was travelling on Frequent flyer miles, so we did our own arrangements. Despite an abundance of good intentions, this first part of the trip was a near-disaster, with some human error on the part of my family, compounded by more human error on the part of United. I'll just say that I was supposed to land in Vancouver in time for dinner, but after a 7-hour lay-over in Chicago's Ohare (what an awful place!) I finally made it to Vancouver at 1 a.m. Not an auspicious start to the vacation, but I kept repeating "half full, half full, half full" with as much of a smile as I could muster. It seemed to work most of the time.

 

PRE-CRUISE IN VANCOUVER. I stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel, arranged by Celebrity, for two nights before the cruise. Here, the glass was truly over-flowing. Although I rolled in very very late at night, they greeted my tired self warmly, and gave me the key to an ENORMOUS suite on the 12th floor: two bedrooms, living room, balcony, kitchen, and dining room. I'm sure I didn't pay more for it, but there it was, spacious and welcoming and very much appreciated at the end of a too-long travel day. Sutton Place is divided into the newer, more recently renovated rooms, and the older "Le Grande Residence" suites. I was happy to have the older-but-bigger room, even if it was a little worn in places. The balcony alone made an enormous difference.

 

I explored Vancouver by foot, not sure if I'd feel closed in on the ship. Much of my time was spent along the seawall in Stanley Park. The guidebooks recommend renting bikes or rollerblades, because it is a good distance, and that looked like fun. I just wanted to walk and walk and walk, so it was perfect. Their totem pole area was a good introduction to the area, and it is a very impressive public space. Rounding the seawall to see the Lion's Gate Bridge was a highlight of the walk, knowing I'd be sailing under it the next day.

 

Also, any walking tour should include the gorgeous Art Deco Marine Building, close to the Canada Place Pier. It was built in 1930, with beautiful details of all things maritime, honoring both the industrial aspects, and the ecological. Fish peer at you from all sorts of whimsical directions. It's a delightful building, and a notable piece of maritime culture.

 

Lunch at Tsunami Sushi -- excellent! Certainly far better than the sushi on the ship. If you've ever experienced the "sushi bune" restaurants in San Francisco, where you sit at the bar and the fresh sushi sails by you in little boats and you take what you like, Tsunami is similar. Drinks later at Fiddlehead Joe's on the waterfront near the Burrard St bridge, where we saw them setting up for the night's fireworks. Dinner was at Ketle of Fish (recommended by somebody on this board), also excellent. By this time, the waterfront was getting packed with people claiming their space for the fireworks, so we headed in the other direction.

 

For two weeks in Vancouver, on Weds and Sat, the city hosts an international fireworks competition. Those of you planning your trip for next year may want to extend your trip to include at least one of the displays. Competitors are supposed to synchronize the display with music, so try to have a radio handy, or sit near somebody who has one.

 

Remember that balcony I mentioned? Well, it turns out that we could see the entire aerial show from our balcony. Buildings obscured the ground portion, but the fireworks we saw were fabulous -- some of the best I'd ever seen. The next morning, we heard locals saying it was a disappointing show -- wow! They have very high standards!

 

EMBARKATION. We waited in a second floor room with pax from an RCCL cruise as well. The Celebrity bus was late, but the rep was excellent at keeping us informed about what was happening. I was more impressed, however, with the RCCL rep, who gave a very clear talk to her pax about exactly how things would work at Canada Place, and what they could expect to have happen. I'm glad I got to overhear it, because the X rep did nothing like it.

 

Our bus arrived about 20 minutes late (no big deal) and we moved smoothly through Canada Place. I'd be surprised if the whole process took more than 15 minutes, and we didn't even use the Concierge Class line like we could have -- there was no line anywhere! By 12:30 we were onboard, with the first welcome glass of champagne. It felt great to be there, and the ship was beautiful: spotless and sparkling and very welcoming. The staff was smiling and looked fresh, and the traffic flow worked as well as everyone had suggested it would. For my first cruise, I was very impressed ... and we hadn't even left the dock yet.

 

Short break ... there's more to come if you are interested.

quahog8

[bububr]

BTW: thats why I fly of of Midway and not O'hare:D

 

Keep it coming, I love that narrative!!!

 

Dave:eek:

[Deb C.]

I sure am.:D Love to see a cruise through the eyes of a first timer!

 

Thanks for taking the time.

[mii]

Excitely waiting for the 2nd installment.

 

Marilyn

[soooo excited!]

guahog8- of course we want more - all of it !!!!! but seriously, as first time cruisers - next summer - I am really interested in the views of a fellow first-timer , and little details like how you found the whole process of embarkation etc., are all important. I'm thinking I should study the deck plans before we go so I know what's where !! LOL !!!

I'm really anxious for next summer to hurry up and get here - only now I realize that a year from now it will all be over - we'll be back home - and that already depresses me !!!

[BrooklynGirl2]

Enjoyed your first installment and look forward to reading more. Thanks.

[quahog8]

Hello again, with your encouragement here's the next part!

 

ONBOARD WITH "CELEBRITY SECRETS". Like many of you, I read through the "celebrity secrets" sticky ... for the many hours it took. I was particularly interested in the "spa model" idea: apparently guests can be used as tour demos during the first day onboard, and get a free treatment with the caveat that people will be walking in and looking at you while it's happening. Sounded good to me, so I enquired at the AquaSpa desk if they would be needing any volunteers for the tours. The woman looked at me like I had a chicken growing out of my forehead. She asked what kind of treatment I would like, and said she would book it for any day I liked. When I explained what I'd heard about the tour demos, she again looked puzzled and said she would go ask. When she returned, she said my "services would not be needed at this time." In other words, I don't think they do this anymore. Either that, or I was too late ... but I don't think so. My guess is that they give slightly less expensive treatments on embarkation day, and you may have people walking through and looking at you anyway :eek: .

 

"SECRET #2". The "secret" sticky also indicated that you could request a tropical fruit bowl instead of the bananas and apples and grapes. Well ... this must be on Carribean and Hawaiian cruises, because my attendent gave me the same chicken-growing-from-my forehead look that the Spa receptionist did. :o Oh well. If I wanted tropical fruit, I quickly found it in the Spa Cafe. The attendent did make a point of bringing fresh berries every morning in addition to the traditional fruit bowl: strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I nibbled on them all day, and it was lovely.

 

WAITING NICELY FOR OUR STATEROOM. We decided to believe the cheerful crew who said our room would be available at 3:00, so we found some quiet public areas to sit and look at the water and the flow of people. My mother decided to check on a shore excursion that changed because of the itinerary swap, and came back a VERY long time later with at least two more champagnes in her. The line at that desk, she said, was filled with people who were only that day thinking about any shore excursion, and needed each and every one explained to them in excruciating detail. I guess they hadn't read any of the brochures, or visited the X website in the months leading up to the cruise. Here, I have to echo a statement in bonbon's review of the previous week: I was impressed with the patience and good nature of the staff, especially in light of the pax who do not even try to listen or think ahead or do what they've been asked to do. Most of the pax we met were wonderful, but the awful ones were really really awful.

 

EXPLORING THE SHIP. Soooo excited, you have the right idea in studying the deck plans before you go, but also know that the signage all over the ship is very clear and prominent. It is difficult to get lost, unless you lose direction and can't tell your aft from your ... uh, elbow. I speak from experience; it happened many times to me :o . Embarkation day, while the ship is in port, is a lovely time to walk the decks, find the hidden nooks with amazing views, soak in the elegance of the space. I spent much of that time outside, on decks 10, 11, and above. There are some wonderful viewing areas forward and above the running track.

 

THE STATEROOM: CC 8045. As promised, our room was ready by 3:00, with the bucket of champagne on ice in the sitting area. Thanks to this board, we grabbed 8045 when we realized it was still available -- it is quiet (between two residential decks, 7 and 9), and it has the extra-big angled balcony, facing aft. I LOVED this room, and can't say enough good things about it. The extra space on the balcony was a bonus, although they were not able to fit a lounge chair through the stateroom door to add to the balcony (and oh, how they tried!). 8046 currently does have a lounge chair out there, presumably because they can't get it back through the door to return it to Deck 4. In any case, even without the chaise, the view was terrific: both port and aft, with a nice windbreak while the ship was under power. The exhanced view was a better perk than the extra space. [Note to those in 8041 and 8043: yes, the window washing stand is still there. Avoid those rooms.] Our bags were delivered within an hour, and we were able to unpack before the muster.

 

THE MUSTER. I have to agree with bonbon again: had people listened to the crew, and shown up on time, and put their lifejackets on when asked, it would have gone more quickly. I don't fault the crew for that, but rather the pax who think they are the personal exception to every rule.

 

LEAVING PORT. What a thrill! The day was so beautiful; despite rain in the morning, we had sunny sailing by departure time. We ambled forward and up, to a little bumped-out curve above Deck 11, starboard side. It was so gorgeous that I ran down to the room for our champagne bucket and glasses, and I grabbed the CC h'or d'oeuvres as well. We sat in our spot and toasted as we sailed under Lion's Gate bridge. Very elegant, very festive, and surprisingly NOT windy. One tip: this is where it is good to know your aft from your elbow. In port, the ship was facing the city, but it seems a lot of people thought the opposite and planted themselves aft, only to be disappointed when the ship turned during sailaway.

 

More later ....

quahog8

[soooo excited!]

guahog8 - I don't know if you're trying to be funny - but you're review makes me laugh - keep up the detail !! I'm taking notes - learning how not to look like a chicken-is-growing-out-of-my-forehead !!! Forgot to tell you I liked your reference in part 1, to 'half-full, half-full, half-full' - excellent attitude - which I will try and remember when it's my turn.

[bonbon663]

I'm so enjoying your review. I can relate to so much you're saying. Keep it coming!! I'm anxious to hear what you thought about the shopping information you got on board. Did you remember to try the ice cream?

[minniemom]

Loved the Ice Cream. I still don't know where they walk around and give it to you. We always went to the dinning room to get it.

I tried quite a few flavors, most of them good. But I do have to say, that 2 that I tried were very grainy.... LIke it was made with splenda or something, and I had to through them away, I love ice cream, but not grainy kinds....

 

We had 8095,CC the view was awesome, the weather was cool, and DH, spent nearly his whole trip out there, he just loved it out there.

I asked him, if he would rather cruise 2 x a year, with inside cabin, or at least once a year, or go every 2 years, and have a veranda, and he said he would rather go every 2 years and do it right.

NOw me I would be happy with a port hole view, and go every year, but he said, every 2 years with a veranada. So, I guess that is how it will be....But I will take what ever I get

[quahog8]

I'm back. Clearly, I'd rather relive last week's experience than unpack, do laundry, or even show up at the office. Thanks for the positive feedback and encouragement!

 

PRE-DINNER. CStorm and I were hoping to meet up before dinner to toast the trip and put behind us all the anxiety and planning that went into it. Unfortunately, I had suggested Michael's Club, which was dark and uninviting, given how beautiful it was outside. We didn't meet up after all, but I'm hoping she had a glorious cruise as well. My advice: if you are going to meet somebody on the first day, make it the Martini Bar or the Champagne Bar -- they have windows, even if the view is of the lifeboats. Cova is pretty dark, but has a lovely guitar player there every night.

 

DINING. We did the late seating, a quiet window-side table for 6 on deck 4. I agree with everyone who wrote that the dinners provide a marvelous time to get to know interesting people from all over. We had wonderful conversation with our tablemates, and felt so much affection for them right away. It was sad saying goodbye!

 

First, the dress. Most people seemed to comply, but that was easy, as you'll see below.

Night 1 = casual. We expected this.

Night 2 = formal. What a blast to dress up, and to watch everyone else. We decided to enter the dining room on 5 so we could descend -- oh so elegantly -- down the curved stair case in our gowns. Lots of other folks had the same idea! :D

Night 3 = casual, after a late day in Sitka.

Night 4 = informal. I actually skipped this one, opting for "casual blvd." At the time, I thought we'd have another informal night ... we didn't :( .

Night 5 = casual, after a full day in Juneau. This was the filet and rack of lamb night, btw.

Night 6 = CASUAL AGAIN, after a late day in Ketchikan. I never got to wear my little black dress :( . People saw a LOT of my capris and fleece, though. Four times, to be exact. ;)

Night 7 = Formal, with lobster and the Baked Alaska parade. Yeah, we did the staircase again.

 

All in all, the table service was friendly and pleasant, but not as attentive as I had expected. On the first formal night, we had to wait until halfway through the MAIN course for somebody to take our wine order (but when I mentioned that to the ass't maitre d' it was prompt thereafter). Early on, when I asked questions about a few menu items, the waiter never quite answered them, saying instead "yes," smiling, and moving on quickly to the next table. I should say these were not yes/no questions. At first I wondered if there was a language barrier, but by the end of the week I was sure that he just didn't want to tell me the answer because it wasn't very good. Oh well. Also, they really don't get the food/wine pairing concept in the main restaurant, beyond "red goes with meat, white goes with fish." They are limited by their supply, and at times the wines in their list aren't available if the shipment wasn't in port. Just a word of caution for anyone with really high expectations. It was nice, the food was very good, but it wasn't over the top at all, and was at times a little disappointing. I'm sure the experience would have been different at the SS United States, but we didn't try it.

 

On the upside, the waiter was terrific about remembering to bring our table-mates an order of mashed potatoes every night. One night, he suggested that if I didn't like the quail, he'd bring something else out right away. It was nice to have him say the option was there, but the quail was fine. On the last formal night, he insisted that our table eat more lobster, and brought two more dishes out. I'd had a pasta with duck that night, and when I pointed out there were only three little slices of duck swimming in a sea of gemelli, he brought a plate LOADED with delicious duck so I could even out the proportions. That sort of generous service was a delightful surprise.

 

Another oddity: four salad dressings are listed on the menu, but the assistant will bring only three to the table. If you are intrigued by the fourth, he'll run back and get it. The moral of the story: read your menu. I wish I'd done that with the desserts on Baked Alaska night, because that is one underwhelming dessert. Honestly, though, I was having too much fun to care. BTW, the cheese and cracker plate is also underwhelming.

 

CASUAL AND OTHER DINING. Somebody on these boards characterized the sushi bar as "grocery store quality." I concur. That didn't stop me from eating it, though. Just don't expect the best sushi of your life. The miso soup was nice, although a little heavy on the mushrooms.

 

I loved the stir-fry pasta bar, and ate there twice. My personal favorite was a saute of salmon, onion and garlic, zucchini, and blue cheese, with wheat pasta and no extra sauce. Another meal I tried their gnocchi with a marinara sauce -- terrific.

 

The Aqua Spa cafe was our mainstay, though. Very interesting cold dishes, more interestingly spiced than the foods in the main buffet. Great soups -- especially the borscht and the chilled carrot with chives. Over the course of the week, I ate so much salmon at every meal it's a wonder I didn't jump into the spawning grounds in Juneau.

 

The CC breakfast menu was also quite nice. When I ordered the scrambled eggs with asparagus, it arrived warm and yummy. The smoothies were pretty good, but I wouldn't pay $3.95 for them at the cafe. Yes, the croissants from the Cova Cafe are everything you've heard and more. Delicious.

 

Had I hung out in the pool area more, I might have seen more of the yummy things the pool butlers hand out. Bread bowls with split pea soup on Hubbard Glacier day was brilliant -- warm and tasty. Another day they had little chocolate mousses -- what a treat. On the other hand, maybe it's a good thing I didn't hang out there more often. :o

 

WEATHER. And why didn't I hang out in the pool area more? It was darn cold. I brought layers, lots of 'em, and wore them all. Simultaneously. Every day. It rained at least once a day, but moreso on port days. We saw the sun only as we left Vancouver, and then again for about an hour as we returned home through the Inside Passage. Otherwise, cold and rainy. Alaska is still very beautiful in ANY weather condition, but I would have liked to have seen mountains while we were sailing by.

 

WEATHER ON THE BALCONY. The overhang protects the balconies from any rain, so I did sit there a lot, wrapped in one of the really nice wool blankets from the pool area, camera ready in case the sun peeked out. One day the wait was worth it: ABOVE the clouds, glinting from some unexpected sun, the tops of the snow-covered mountains rose up above the clouds in the most startling way. Gorgeous. And ... now I know that Alaska really does have mountains, and they didn't just airbrush all those photos in the guidebooks.

 

Ok, back to work for a little while.

quahog8

[quahog8]

I'm so enjoying your review. I can relate to so much you're saying. Keep it coming!! I'm anxious to hear what you thought about the shopping information you got on board. Did you remember to try the ice cream?

 

I did, indeed, bonbon. My favorite was the cinnamon ice cream with a bit of strawberry topping. Very rich and creamy, yet light. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

quahog8

[soooo excited!]

thanks for part 3 - formal night the last night ? I've never heard of that - that's the night you have to pack your stuff up and have it outside your door ? I guess the re-jigged itinerary meant they had to change a few things !

 

BonBon and others have written about the rocking of the ship - did you take any seasick meds ? I was under the impression (don't ask me why !) that with the big ships and stabilizers you don't notice it much , but there's an awful lot of talk on this board about how to avoid being sick - just wondering how you did ? (our stateroom is right in the middle so we should have the least 'rocking' which I've read actually helps some people go to sleep ! )

 

Sounds like lots of people dressing up ? I hope they do next year - my DH and I are doing the 'tux and gown' - it's going to be such a blast !

[quahog8]

thanks for part 3 - formal night the last night ? I've never heard of that - that's the night you have to pack your stuff up and have it outside your door ? I guess the re-jigged itinerary meant they had to change a few things !

 

BonBon and others have written about the rocking of the ship - did you take any seasick meds ? I was under the impression (don't ask me why !) that with the big ships and stabilizers you don't notice it much , but there's an awful lot of talk on this board about how to avoid being sick - just wondering how you did ? (our stateroom is right in the middle so we should have the least 'rocking' which I've read actually helps some people go to sleep ! )

 

Sounds like lots of people dressing up ? I hope they do next year - my DH and I are doing the 'tux and gown' - it's going to be such a blast !

 

soooo excited,

 

About formal night: yes, it is the night you have to pack, but they told us to have our bags ready by 5:00 am, not at midnight. There was plenty of time to enjoy playing dress-up, then pack it away safely. Enjoy the tux and gown; it's more fun when people really dress the part. Also, you may want to build in time to stop at the photo shoots while you are dressed up. We weren't expecting it the first time, so we arrived earlier the 2nd formal night. They have various backdrops around the ship, including a very popular site at the grand staircase in the reception foyer. Large families and reunions really took advantage of that. There's no obligation to buy, btw.

 

About motion: I felt the rocking the first night, and ate conservatively at dinner as a result. The next day I was fine, but half of the people at our table felt more uncomfortable. Not sick, just queasy. I gave my sea bands (pressure point bracelets) to my mother, and she felt much better.

 

You are going to have a wonderful time!

quahog8

[Offtune Angel]

quahog8: When you have time, and if you don't think it prying, would you be kind enough to answer a few questions?

1. did you bring your own or did you rent a tux for formal nights?
   
2. who were your regular waiters?
   
3. how and who were your cabin attendants?
   
4. did you meet your Assistant Maitre 'd and, if so, who was he/she?
   
5. did an actual sommelier attend for your wine?

We sailed on Infinity for Hawaii last October and loved the staff, but others, who didn't have the same staff were not as impressed as we were.

 

Thanks,

Terry

[GigiAnn]

Hi Everyone!

 

We just booked the Infinity to Alaska for 7 May 2007.

 

I am trying to "educate" myself. I've only done four cruises to the Carribbean on RC. My hubby has never cruised before.

 

I've been reading some of the posts. I'm interested to hear about the ice cream, but seem to have missed it. Where is it? How does one get it? Etc, etc.

 

I hope I can find my way back here to see if there is an answer to my request. I am pretty bad at all of this.

 

GigiAnn in Tucson, AZ

[quahog8]

THE PORTS. As most of you know, our itinerary was switched around just 2 weeks ago, so many of the plans we made 6 months earlier had to be scrapped. It meant later days in every case, and different days of the week. All our independent excursions were a mess because of the short notice on the time and date change, but we certainly made do.

 

SITKA was our first stop, and I was very impressed with how they handled the tenders. This may be where the CC perks really help, though, because I don't know what it was like for anyone else. We were given little "priority tender" cards the night before, and told to meet somewhere else, while most folks were gathering in the Theatre. I was very lucky -- I showed up just as a tender was filling, and there was a spot open for me. The whole tender operation was smooth and far less crazy than I expected.

 

I hiked alone most of the day, the Indian River Trail along a salmon stream to (supposedly) a waterfall. It was raining the entire hike, making it very slippery and slow-going in some areas (hence, my not actually making it to the waterfall!), but also very authentic. It is a RAIN FOREST after all. During a few moments of sun, I captured some gorgeous foliage shots with those intense greens. Conditions eased up on my way back, so I probably could have made it to the waterfall, but I played it safe. The easier walking conditions made it possible to visit the Totem walk at the park. Along the way, I could see salmon just LEAPING out of the water trying to get to their spawning grounds. It's alternately heroic and hilarious to watch: they have to hurl their little fish bodies out of the water to move upstream. So much determination, so little grace. I was captivated by their efforts.

 

HUBBARD GLACIER, although not a port, was certainly a destination. For many, I heard it was the highlight of the trip. We spent a solid two hours at the glacier, and the capt turned the ship 360 degrees, and then again 180 degrees to exit. We saw lots of little action, and a few major calves. The ship photographers go out in a tender to get "action shots" of the glacier, and also of people on the ship. Some locals joined us on the loudspeaker system to tell us about their indigenous culture, the significance of the glacier, and their lives in our current times. I thought they were great, when I could hear them. Pax were not uniformly considerate about their conversations when they competed with the loudspeaker. You may notice I'm not saying much about the naturalist (saving that for later :mad: ), but he was okay at the glacier. He was decidedly NOT okay the other times.

 

JUNEAU was after Hubbard Glacier day. Again, I hiked alone, this time near Mendenhall Glacier. Another rainy day, more slick hiking conditions. Here, however, I had my most significant event of the trip: A BEAR! On the path, about 30 yards ahead of me. He was a gorgeous cinnamon brown, and a ranger later told me he was probably a 3-year old juvenile. We chatted for a little while (ok, I chatted, he kind of ignored me), and then he ambled off into the woods. It was thrilling! :D

 

My mother and I met for a fabulous salmon bake at the Thane Ore House (a recommendation from this board, thank you all!). On the way from the port, the courtesy van driver (who was also one of the cooks) took us to a spawning ground jam packed with salmon near a now-closed hatchery. The fish were so densely clustered, you couldn't see any water left in the river. It was a stunning sight. And, a little way down the river, more of the hurling fish bodies, trying to make their way to join the crowd. What a process, only to die at the end of it. On a more culinary note, the wild salmon was very good, but I've never had HALIBUT so exquisite. I've had great wild salmon before, but this was without a doubt the tastiest halibut I've ever experienced. We couldn't stop eating it :p .

 

KETCHIKAN. More rain. This is where the itinerary change really screwed us up. We were supposed to have a float plane/misty fjords tour had we been there on Tuesday as originally scheduled. By Friday, the only opening we could find was a 6:30 p.m. tour. As we were waiting, the pilot called to say the conditions were too rough, and visibility was too low. No float plane, much disappointment, lots of rain, and odd hours in port. I did, however, make it into a store or two so I wouldn't come home empty-handed.

 

CRUISING THE INSIDE PASSAGE, there and back. With the exception of a few hours on Saturday, this could really be called "cruising in water surrounded by clouds on all sides." If there were mountains, I didn't see them. If this was considered "scenic cruising," I must have a different definition of scenery. The weather is certainly not X's fault or responsibility, but we chose this itinerary hoping to see some shoreline and mountains, however distant.

 

The upside was that we saw plenty of orcas from the ship. On the first full day at sea, my mother spotted a pod playing in the wake of our ship just below where we were eating lunch. On the way back to Vancouver, I counted at least 3 pods in the two hours we weren't in fog.

 

SHIPBOARD ACTIVITIES AT SEA. Hanging out on the balcony, wrapped in a blanket drinking green tea. Having a "tired feet" treatment at the spa after the hiking. Hanging out in the Persian Garden every day to let the heat penetrate into my bones after so much chill (yes, I did the pass for the whole week and felt it was worth it). Walking 15 laps on the track (three laps is 1 km). Reading by the quiet portholes on the 3rd deck. Watching our position and map changes on channel 37. Grazing and eating, of course.

 

THE "NATURALIST." As you can tell from my choice of excursions, I'm into the whole nature thing. Also based on recommendations from this board, I was very much looking forward to the naturalist's presentations; I'm kind of a geek anyway, so going to a lecture sounded like a terrific thing to do when we were at sea. And, hey, the handout said he was a "Dr." [They didn't say of what, nor from where, and I have my suspicions.] Oh my heavens was he terrible! Just awful. He was silly and patronizing and had no sense of how audiences process information. First was the cute music, and then he tried to compete with the music while he talked, even though a few audience members asked him to turn it down or off. Then he ONLY looked at the main floor, oblivious to anyone in the balcony. Even better, he walked under the balcony and gave some of his presentation from there, where we couldn't see him at all. It was more about audience interaction than it was about Alaska. Next, he set up a "battle of the sexes" trivia contest about cute Alaska factoids. After that, he showed some footage from Animal Planet with a 5-year old narrating. I swear to you, I am neither making this up nor exaggerating.

 

He had audience members dance, and "repeat after me," and all kinds of schitky fun. The few times he gave actual information, he rattled it off so quickly you couldn't possibly begin to comprehend or process what he was saying. At one point -- seriously, really -- he pointed to where things WOULD have been on the map had the map still be there. :mad:

 

If people reading this enjoyed his performance, I apologize in advance if my critique offends you. Everyone around me just looked embarrassed. For my part, I was very disappointed that "Dr. Bob" treated Alaska, a wonderous state with such stunning natural beauty -- both gigantic and subtle -- into a "gee whiz" fluff act. Who needs all the silly nonsense when there is so much amazing geological, ecological, and biological material that is so real that it seems unreal. Believe me, Dr. Bob Basso is NO naturalist. A naturist, perhaps, but we were at least spared that indignity.:eek:

 

I'd better take a break -- I'm getting all annoyed again just thinking about it!

 

One more installment to go,

quahog8

[Diedera]

He had audience members dance, and "repeat after me," and all kinds of schitky fun.

 

Ok, THAT would have made me raise my hand to ask questions....Evil Questions that would have made him THINK and Pay attention to his JOB as one there to help people LEARN!!.........Or I think I would have gone off to find a good cup of coffee and a yummy pastry....Geesh

 

Entirely reasonable that you were upset.

[clearbluewater33]

Could you comment on the Sanitation stations or if Noro was present?

[Rebel]

I ravenously read every word you wrote as DH and I will be on the Infinity on 9/13/06. Thank you so much! Looking forward to the last installment. :)

 

I'm thinking you may want to send an email to Celebrity about the so-called naturalist "Dr. Bob", unless of course, you mentioned something in a comment card. If he was that bad I would hope Celebrity would want to know about it. Sounds like he was a waste of the passenger's time and Celebrity's money (I assume they pay him; true?)

[Cinnabel]

Thanks quahog8 for your interesting review. I seem to agree with everything you say - we were coming off as you were going on and had your opposite # cabin in 8046 (along with the deck lounger! which we enjoyed).

Do continue........

[CStorm]

Hello quahog!

We had a fabulous cruise! I am sooooo sorry to not catch up with you the day we left but we were outside on deck 10 enjoying the beautiful day! I will post a review soon. I LOVED our cruise and it won't be our last. They need to work on a couple of things but I will touch on all that.

 

I will post a separate review sometime very soon. We were late for our flight out of Seattle and missed our plane so we just arrived home last night, 20 hours late.

 

To answer someone's recent questions, I did not notice anyone being sick with noro however I did notice them using the cleaning solution that has to be left on the surface on the elevator buttons. I used the hand sanitizer whenever it was offered and felt fine the whole trip.

[quahog8]

quahog8: When you have time, and if you don't think it prying, would you be kind enough to answer a few questions?

1. did you bring your own or did you rent a tux for formal nights?
   
2. who were your regular waiters?
   
3. how and who were your cabin attendants?
   
4. did you meet your Assistant Maitre 'd and, if so, who was he/she?
   
5. did an actual sommelier attend for your wine?

We sailed on Infinity for Hawaii last October and loved the staff, but others, who didn't have the same staff were not as impressed as we were.

 

Thanks,

Terry

 

Hi, Terry,

 

1. I can't help you on the tux question -- my table was all-female, so the subject never came up.

 

2. Our waiters were Budi and Helmi, both very nice guys. Somebody else had raved about Budi, so my expectations were perhaps a bit too high. The first two nights in particular, they were working very hard servicing a lot of tables, all completely full.

 

3. Our cabin attendents were WONDERFUL, charming and professional and genuinely kind. Christine was the main attendent, and her assistant was Benjie. They did their jobs perfectly, as far as I could tell, and had some nice little touches that I found charming. One day, for example, they fashioned an extra set of towels into a little monkey, and hung it from the curtain rod. I laughed every time I saw it hanging there.

 

4. The assistant maitre'd, Luis, introduced himself the second night, and made the rounds thereafter. When I brought a problem to his attention, he took care of it right away and continued to follow up. He was great.

 

5. Our wine steward was Christina, a delightful woman who perhaps had too many tables to attend to, and too few wines in the storeroom. She was running from table to table constantly, always pleasant and smiling, but clearly very busy. She's somebody I'm sure I would enjoy hanging out with outside of work, so my complaints about the service weren't directed at her personally. To be honest, I don't know enough about the difference between a sommelier and a wine steward to know if, again, my expectations were unrealistically high.

 

Somebody else asked about the sanitation issues and norovirus. Purell dispensers were everywhere, and I used them frequently. The buffet had very few self-serve areas, but the lines seemed to move quickly anyway. Twice during the cruise I smelled bleach, but it was neither pervasive nor over-powering. Most importantly, I didn't hear of anyone getting sick! One of the bartenders chatted about how difficult it was a few weeks ago, and how much extra time the crew was putting into the cleaning. He agreed that our cruise seemed to be going smoothly, health-wise.

 

That's it for now,

quahog8

[quahog8]

After a good night's sleep, here's the final installment.

 

Amazingly, even with all the verbiage of my past posts, I left out one highlight. On day 2 or 3, we were treated to a double rainbow, the brightest and most clearly defined I've ever seen. The colors were almost cartoonish, rising from a small island (so perhaps it was the Sitka day), as if the pot 'o' gold were just sitting there, waiting for somebody to reach out and grab it. The colors were so brilliant, though, that nobody would dare disturb the magic.

 

THE POD PICKLE. So here we were, on the final Inside Passage day, returning to Vancouver, enjoying warmth (really!) on the 10th and 11th decks, cooled down by some sporadic fog. Pax were sighting whales port and starboard, binoculars and cameras were out, and people were happily relaxed at the end of a fine week's vacation. Then the ship slowed, turned around, and headed into a foggy cove. Hmmm. Another pod pickle.

 

The capt announced that we were experiencing a problem with the pod system, and that it would be fixed. We would anchor for about an hour, and they would update us on a revised arrival time in Vancouver around 8:45 that evening. Mercifully, Eric didn't translate English-to-English this time, but he did follow up to clarify further. This means that we knew by 5:00 or so that our arrival would most likely be delayed. So far, so good -- very clear communication and expectations. The X team was dealing well with an unfortunate situation.

 

When we did set anchor, it was loud! Eric got on the PA system to announce that there was no cause for concern, that the loud noise was the anchor, and that we would probably hear it again in an hour or so. Again, so far so good -- the X team anticipated people's anxieties, and communicated what was happening.

 

Promptly at 8:45, as promised, the captain announced that we were underway, with the pod functioning, and that our arrival in Vancouver would be delayed by 2 hours. Eric then encouraged anyone with travel arrangements before 1:00 pm to head to guest relations so that X could rebook them on later flights. Here, still, the X team was doing fine. It appears that guest relations must have been up all night working on rescheduling those travel plans.

 

We went to bed with confidence in the X team and their ability to handle a 2-hour delay.

 

Before I describe what happened the next morning, please understand that almost everyone on board had their own version of a nightmare. The one I'm describing was particular to our situation, but once in the airport, I heard various other versions from other situations. They were all bad, in an astonishing variety of different ways.

 

THE DEBARKATION DEBACLE. We had opted to participate in a "don't see your luggage til your final destination" program. Because of the delayed arrival, the program was not available and our money refunded. Instead, we would pick up our luggage at the airport. No biggie, or so we thought.

 

All participants in our program were called to the Celebrity Theatre at 8:30 to gather for our documents. Things didn't break down badly until 9:00. To gather our boarding passes and other debarkation paperwork, we were asked to line up according to the letters on our luggage tags (A through D, I think). She would take the A's first, as their flights were the earliest. Seemed fair. She also announced that we would not see our luggage until our final destination, not knowing that we had all received letters to the contrary. The A's lined up, somebody showed her the letter we had received, so she tried to figure out which information was correct. I was already feeling sorry for her, because she'd clearly gotten misinformation from above. Her credibility, though, was undermined with the crowd. Moments later, she announced that the gangway she'd told us to use was also incorrect. Moments after that, she informed us that we would need to get our luggage at the airport. Juggling too many balls, she forgot about the alphabetical line-up, and never called the Bs. The line, then, became a free-for-all, with half of the audience thinking it was time for ALL "white tags" to line up, and the other half waiting im/patiently for the next letter to be called.

 

I tried to ask one of the helpers to get us back on track alphabetically, but that chicken must have sprouted from my forehead again -- perhaps this time wearing a propeller beanie -- because she told me that only the A's were being helped, and I just needed to be patient. I again tried to explain that the line was filled with B's, C's, and D's who were confused, and that a simple announcement would be most appreciated. She must have been distracted by the chicken, because no such announcement was made. Eventually, we joined the horde, and joined the line.

 

The X team was breaking down. Communication was horrible, and the person in the middle of it was juggling far more misinformation and customer relations than one person should have to. At one point, she tried to out-shout the PA system, a losing proposition only resulting in more anxiety and frustration. Loud, angry pax were also working with other attendents to clear up their problems while the coordinator was trying to clarify, making it hard for all of us to hear what was being said (the X reps should have taken them into the hallway). You can imagine the stress level in that room!:(

 

We managed to get on a bus to the airport, but had to wait for somebody to open the gate to let us out. The bus driver, not knowing we were already delayed and stressed out, decided to give us a scenic detour through some downtown neighborhoods. I'm not sure how many people realized that we were essentially going in circles, and instead wondered why the drive to the airport was taking so long. At one point, he asked if people wanted a tour of a different area, and we all shouted NO! He had no clue.

 

Once at the airport, the bus was routed through a special bus area for cruiselines, where a perky gal got on board to ask us if we'd had a nice cruise. Nobody was in the mood for chit-chat at that point. She gave us a few safety instructions, and we finally headed to the terminal. Once there, we walked to the area where our luggage should have been ... but wasn't. It wouldn't arrive for another 30-45 minutes. In the meantime, anyone with an noon flight could fill out a "lost luggage" form and head to the gate. The rest of us needed to wait.

 

The first truck of luggage arrived, and we were told it was all of the "white tags." It was only a quarter of them, so the rest of us feared our luggage was lost. Four more truckloads, and an hour, later, we all seemed to have our bags. I was told by TWO different attendents that we were to take the bags and go right through customs, no need to wait in the airline check-in lines. So we did. The customs line was slow, and at that point it was getting close to my 2:00 flight time. I wasn't worried, yet.

 

Once through customs, we were asked to put our checked luggage on conveyor belts. Checked luggage? What checked luggage? We were told to go straight through customs with our boarding passes, not to check in the with airline. Hmmmmmm.

 

An extremely nice luggage handler called United to send a rep to check us in on the other side of customs, which she did. Clearly, the X team had twice given us the wrong instructions -- we DID need to wait in the line, and we noticed that other fellow cruisers had done it correctly. Must be the curse of the chicken.

 

I did make it to my gate a few minutes before boarding time. There, I had no choice but to overhear other X pax rehashing their nightmares ... all uniquely different but equally exasperating. Unfortunately, this rehashing process lasted several hours, and extended well into flying time, at which point I just really wanted a nap -- knowing I still had Ohare to deal with before I could get home.

 

Remember that pax had eaten early, if they had eaten at all. We were tired from formal night and packing the night before. We were cranky and anxious. It's a toxic combination, and tempers were raw. The X team's lousy coordination and troubled communication inflamed and already festering situation. It was a VERY unfortunate way to end an otherwise lovely cruise. The X team really does need to work on these contingencies better, in the event they are delayed coming into port again (which, given pod and other irregularities, seems likely).

 

I'm omitting other details, believe it or not. You get the gist though.

 

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL? I'm not sure how to answer my own question here. Surely, there are far worse things that can (and do) happen to vacationers. Surely, a poor ending doesn't RUIN an entire vacation. 36 hours after returning home, I'm almost fully recovered from the stress and the jetlag. It didn't end well, and I can't pretend it did. It was, however, a very nice vacation up until the end.

 

As you know, I'm a first-time cruiser. I don't know if I'll do it again, but not just because of the debarkation debacle. Maybe the small ships are better suited for me -- the Xpedition, or Lindblad, or Cruise West. Still, I'm glad I tried it.

 

Most importantly, I'm so grateful to this board for all the help, advice, and advance work. I hope I've been able to give back a little in return.

 

Happy travels to all,

quahog8

[c-legs]

:) Your report on this cruise is one of the most enlightening, factual, objective and ever so pleasant I've ever read. Mnay many thanks for taking the time to present your views and being ever so cool, calm,collected and objective in your description.

 

Re;;the pod....to this day, the problem that made the bridge crew head for a ''pit stop'' on day #6 to cool things down and effect some '' on site'' repairs is officially listed as an electrical component malfunction, not a pod failure recurrence. Indeed, if the pods were again acting up, one of the most immediately felt results is a slowing down of the vessel to approx 16 knots...which would have resulted in an arrival in Vancouver approx mid-late afternoon, given they already had gone off course to a small cove and dropped anchor for 1 hour or so....I'd have to think, imo, that the pods themselves were behaving OK to allow the ship to actually gain about 1/4 to 1/2 hour off the time lost the day before.

Seems like the pods have now gathered a life of their own in the public mind ( and the crews as well...) and the slightest sign of malfunction immediately brings the '' Oh no, not the pods again "" understandable reaction.

You're to be commended and acknowledged for your practical and almost cheerful reaction to those things that didn't go '' per the advertised'' on your cruise.

Hopefully, you'll sail again.

Cheers

Claude G

;)