Just got back yesterday 8/29 any questions?

[miraclemet]

My wife and I just got back from the Infinity Round trip out of Vancouver. (ull review will be posted in the next few days)

 

If anyone has any questions please reply to my post and I will answer all I know.

 

Some things we did:

We were in cabin 8146

ate at SS United States

Ketchikan: South East Seas Kayaking

Juneau: Capt Larry's Whale watching and Coastal Helicoptors Glacier Landing

Sitka: no excursions just shopped

 

We participated both in Celebrity Air transportation, and used their valet service at the end of the trip for disembarkation.

 

Once again, if you have any questions I will be checking in all day, and will answer any general questions, infinity questions, event questions, excursion questions or port questions.

 

If you are headed out soon, enjoy!

[flagger]

How was the weather? How close did you get to Hubbard? It looked like it was raining on the webcam at least part of that day.

 

Where did you find the best shopping? What time did you show up for embarkation? When did you get to your stateroom?

 

Can you tell we are excited?

[miraclemet]

weather:

 

From Embarkation, Inside passage, and Ketchikan it was almost always perfect. Ketchikan was actually warm and our kayaking guide was in short sleves and a t-shirt. There was maybe 30 minutes of rain on the inside passage day late in the afternoon. Mendenhall, no rain that I remember out side of a little misting at one point.

 

In Juneau it was fine weather in the morning (we did whale watching), we then did the helicoptor to the Junea Ice Fields and upon our return (say around 4:30) it was raining. We waited it out for 15-20 minutes, and it stoped and was perfect shopping time (most of the other ships had left, and the other infinity passengers had headed back to the ship when it rained).

 

Sitka was rainy off and on all day and by the time we were cruising the inside passage on the way back it was rain off and on and some heavy fog in the evening.

 

Hubbard Glacier: I couldnt tell you how close we got, but I can say it was close enough to be spectacular, lots of calving and once huge double calving.

 

Shopping: For jewelry it was Ketchikan, for souviners it was Juneau, and for russian items it was sitka (go figure).

 

We did a good bit of souviner shopping at the Alaska T-Shirt Company (you knoe stuff for the family back home). Juneau was where I also bought my Totem pole, and other "authentic" items. Sitka was were we bought nesting dolls, and Russian Orthodox illuminaries.

 

Lets see, we got in to Vancouver around 11 am, and were headed out on the bus to the pier by 1pm (which is a 30-45 minute bus ride). We were on board by 3:00, and our luggage was there by the time we came back from lunch an hour later. It was a very smooth process. But note, there are no signs for Celebrity inside the airport, just head out to where all the other cruise signs point and you will then see Celebrity people (that was one of our few concerns)

 

Any other questions? Flagger do you know what room you are in?

[flagger]

We are in a room on the SkyDeck that from what I can tell it is in the cut out before the bubbles start aft of midship. It is like between the overhang and those little outbubbles as I call them. We went with CC because at the time it was less money than a 1A, 1B or 1C on lower decks. A balcony was a must.

 

We are doing the trip with Capt. Larry though we are taking our 15.5 month old. Based on what Carol told us, she has had little wee ones go before. We are bit nervous on being on the boat for that long with her, but she travels amazingly well.

 

We are flying with Michelle in Kethikan and doing our own thing in Sitka. I am really looking forward to exploring the Russian historical side of Sitka as well.

 

What night did you do the SS United States? We are planning one of the sea days, but we are not Captain's Club members as this is our first cruise. We will hit that upon first boarding. Then we will head to guest relations to arrange for babysitting.

 

We did early seating because of bringing the wee one. Coming from Texas, it would mean eating for her and us at 11PM body time. We are however flying up on Friday and will spend a day and a half exploring Vancouver.

 

Were there any upgrades available for sale at the pier?

[miraclemet]

We did it on the Hubbard Glacier night, which was perfect. The other @sea nights were booked.

 

I would book the night at the SS UNited States ASAP, maybe even before getting to your room. Cause we went the morning of the 1st day at sea and all of the early seating was full, as was the late seating for both of the @ sea days.

 

Get the Chocolate Souffle(sp) if they offer it... best thing I have ever eaten.

[jjgreg113]

We are staying in room 8146. how was it? I am so excited. I was just checking the boards one more time. My wedding is Friday night and we leave for Vancouver first thing Sat morning. I am soooo excited. I can't wait.

[miraclemet]

Forgot two other things I would recommend.

 

1) Spend lots of time in the aquaspa,

they have a saltwater soaking pool (though there were some crazy people trying to do laps in the 20ft long pool!)

there are 2 jacuzzis

and best of all there is an age requirement of 18 so no kids.

 

2) Also I got a massage there on the first day and got $20 off the $109 cost. Great way to start the trip and to have someone work out all those tense muscles from the whole flying/customs/embarking process...

[pairodocs]

We'll be cruising this coming Sunday (9/5) and we're still trying to figure out what exactly we'll need to pack for the trip.

 

Do you have any tips on what to bring as far as clothes, or special items to bring to make the trip a little more comfortable?

 

How was it getting around in each of the port, especially Sitka?

 

Did your helitour actually land on the glacier? I have a patient that got back from an Alaskan cruise and told me that the helitour she went on didn't land on the glacier because it was "too soft", so they flew around the glaciers for an hour or so.

 

Did you see any wildlife (i.e. whales, bears, otters, seal, salmon) on your kayak trip?

 

Did you purchase/ship any salmon in any of the ports and if you did how easy and expensive was it?

 

How was the debarkation process? I understand that you are assigned a specific time to leave the ship, but can you stay past that time or better yet can you request a specific time to leave?

 

One last question regarding smoking. How did you find the smell of smoke around the ship? I'm a non-smoker and like to steer clear of those areas that tend to be excessively smokey.

 

My wife and I, like Flagger, JJ and his soon to be wife, are really excited that our cruise is only 6 days away. So little time and so many things to do.

 

Thanks for taking the time to field all these questions.

[miraclemet]

We are staying in room 8146. how was it? I am so excited. I was just checking the boards one more time. My wedding is Friday night and we leave for Vancouver first thing Sat morning. I am soooo excited. I can't wait.

 

I'll answer each question seperately.

 

I booked 8146 months ago, and when my TA gave me the choice of booking a room class or a specific room I went for the specific room based on the ship layouts I had seen on line.

 

8146's room is the same size as the other ones before it (8136,38,40,42,and 44) but has one distinct advantage, the veranda is bigger! the veranda instead of being square has additional space where it expands where the ship bows out, so we get extra space, and no leaning our heads off the balcony to see along the ship, we can just sit on the veranda and get the full 180 view plus a nice look towards the front of the ship.

 

8146 is also nice that it is close to the stairs/elevator. The "ding" of the elevator becomes easily ignorable and you forget about it after a while. It really didnt bother either me or my wife, and she's verry attentive to things like that. Just jump up 2 flights of stairs and there you ar right at the enterance to the Oceanview Cafe... perfect.

 

Plus for the first 5 days you have great views, only in Sitka are you "facing out" from the dock. So you can sit on your deck and bid bon voyage!

 

If we were to book a room of the same class next year, it would be the exact same room... enjoy it!

[miraclemet]

We'll be cruising this coming Sunday (9/5) and we're still trying to figure out what exactly we'll need to pack for the trip.

 

Do you have any tips on what to bring as far as clothes, or special items to bring to make the trip a little more comfortable?.

 

 

Here is what I ended up using of what I brought

Shoes:

sneakers

brown dress

black dress

 

Port/day clothes:

1 pr jeans

3 long sleve t-shirts

2 short sleve t-shirts

 

Casual nights

2 polo shirts

 

Semi-formal

3 collared shirts

1 blue blazer

2 pr khaki slacks

 

Formal

2 dress shirts

2 ties

1 black suit w/ 2 pr pants

 

outdoor clothes:

1 Eddie Bauer shell (basically a wind breaker)

1 fleece pullover

 

I wish I had brought gloves and sunglasses, the gloves for the Glacier trip and the sunglasses for the bright days we had in Ketchikan and Juneau

 

How was it getting around in each of the port, especially Sitka?.

 

 

Walked everywhere, the Excursions all either picked us up at the dock, or were located right by the dock (Orca). We walked through Ketchikan and Juneau and got to plenty of shops and such without having to take any other form of transportation. We wouldnt have been able to walk to the Raptors in Sitka or the Totem Poles in the National Park, but there is a ton of $5 shuttles there.

 

Did your helitour actually land on the glacier? I have a patient that got back from an Alaskan cruise and told me that the helitour she went on didn't land on the glacier because it was "too soft", so they flew around the glaciers for an hour or so..

 

 

We landed on the Glacier which was not Mendenhall, but another glacier on the Juneau Icefields (which was one of the reasons I picked Coastal for the fact that they go to different Glaciers), actually in a spot that had not been landed on before. We used Costal, and our pilot said he had been scouting out this place for the last few days since it was so close to the "ice water falls" as he called them. We landed and walked around for about 20 minutes. Maybe the tours that go to Mendahall have to worry about that, but if we had experienced "to soft" conditions I am sure our pilot would have just found a better place to touch down.

 

Did you see any wildlife (i.e. whales, bears, otters, seal, salmon) on your kayak trip?.

 

 

Heres the wildlife list:

Inside passage: 3 humpbacks, 2 eagles and a bear

Ketchikan Kayaking: 4-5 eagles (all over the place), lots of jumping salmon, about 6 harbor seals (one that actually started towards us when we called it)

Juneau Orca Enterprises: Tons of Humpback and otters, and 3 ORCAS.

Sitka: nothing of note

Inside passage south: 3 more humpbacks.

 

Did you purchase/ship any salmon in any of the ports and if you did how easy and expensive was it?.

 

 

No salmon buying for us.

 

How was the debarkation process? I understand that you are assigned a specific time to leave the ship, but can you stay past that time or better yet can you request a specific time to leave? .

 

 

We did the Valet program, which gave us priority debarkation. Saturday you get a package with tags for your luggage that have a color that designates where you gather to leave and when you will do so. Im sure you can make specific requests. I assume they base it off of when your departing flight is.

 

 

One last question regarding smoking. How did you find the smell of smoke around the ship? I'm a non-smoker and like to steer clear of those areas that tend to be excessively smokey..

 

 

The ONLY time we ran into smoke is the one time we walked around the (dont know what the shipsides are..) right side of the Martini lounge on deck 5 and discovered where the smokers were. That was the one and only time we noticed them. They have those smokeless ashtrays on deck for those smoking around the pool, and I never smelled anything. And being not a big fan of smoke, I was happy about it.

 

My wife and I, like Flagger, JJ and his soon to be wife, are really excited that our cruise is only 6 days away. So little time and so many things to do.

 

Thanks for taking the time to field all these questions.

 

let me know if there is anything else.

 

Oh and unless you are a huge fan of the ship show productions I would save your time and just sit on your deck... they were... well the dancing was atrocious and the singing was so-so. The comedian was ok, and the only real entertaining entertainer was the "arial specialist" who was the special guest.

[flagger]

You posted before you left asking how much cash to bring, so how much did you end up bringing if I can ask.

 

Because of our days in Vancouver, we are bringing $150 CDN and some cash for our first port of call. If we need more cash, we will just get an advance from the casino.

 

If I could ask, did you end up with sticker shock on your final bill? Were there any errors?

 

Also did you happen to save your dailies? I know someone else on the board that was going to try and scan them but has not been able to with work requirements. We would love to try and plan our days as much as possible.

[miraclemet]

You posted before you left asking how much cash to bring, so how much did you end up bringing if I can ask..

 

We ended up going through $300 in travelers checks, and $300 in cash. Didnt use the credit card once (except for the on ship stuff). And most of the cash was for tips at the end of the cruise. The travelers checks were on souveniers.

 

If I could ask, did you end up with sticker shock on your final bill? Were there any errors?

 

A little bit, but the trick is to check it (via the TV menu) through out the week. Watching it creap higher is less stressful (and lets you try to keep a budget) than being shocked on Saturday nite. We went through just over $400 on our cruise account. Most of that was the day one massages for me and my wife ($109/each minus a $20/each discount for getting them on day one) and then Dinner at the SS United States ($30/each plus drinks and tips so that was another $100) and another $75 for pictures and getting my digital camera pictures to CD (took 700 shots over the week so had to burn a CD by wednesday) Then a drink here, some hot chocolate there and we hit $400. No big shock, I planned for $500, but once we got there decided against the soda cards, and we arent big wine/alcohol drinkers so we knew we could keep our tab down.

 

Also did you happen to save your dailies? I know someone else on the board that was going to try and scan them but has not been able to with work requirements. We would love to try and plan our days as much as possible.

 

I did keep the dalies, but dont have a scanner. What sort of activities/schedule would you like to know about. I'll get you as much info as I can on here.

[pairodocs]

Thanks for the info. You've covered just about everything I can think to ask about in all of your posts. Maybe as our departure date gets closer and we get more excited about leaving, I'll have some more questions for you. Again, thanks for taking the time to field our questions.

[pairodocs]

Got another one for you.

 

How did you handle the tipping thing, cash or charged to ship account and who did you have to tip? I've read lots of stuff about cash vs charge, tip this person but not that. What was your solution to this age old problem?

[miraclemet]

Got another one for you.

 

How did you handle the tipping thing, cash or charged to ship account and who did you have to tip? I've read lots of stuff about cash vs charge, tip this person but not that. What was your solution to this age old problem?

 

I planned for the tips ahead of time. Brought cash in the right denominations for each person who Celebrity suggests tipping at the rate suggested by Celebrity. At the end of the week I added more in to those who went above and beyond the standard. I did not downsize anyones tip, because no one disappointed me in their service.

 

In particular our Waiter got a hefty bonus because of his excellence: the fact that after the 3rd day my wife didnt have to say her order, he was able to tell her, he knew by the look in my eye when I wanted the same as her, and when I wanted different, and the fact that he knew my wife like fresh ground pepper on everything, while I only liked it on hot soups, and never on salads. His name was Elves Fernandez, and if you are in his service you are taken care of with grace and elegance (none of that flashy TGI Fridays showy stuff that other waiters use to entertain)

 

The tips that I am not a big fan of are the Assistant Matre'de (sp) who did nothing for us, but I guess that is a sign that he manages his people well so I was not that concerned with it.

 

I also tipped cash to the excursion people (non-cruise line excursion) who provided us great service; our guide Kayaking, the Naturalist from Whale Watching, and our Helicopter pilot.

 

The only tips I put on our SeaPass card were tips for the Aquaspa massages, and for the SS United States waiters who were not incorporated into our regular tipping plans. Those tips I did at the time the service was provided. You can just add a Tip line and add it to the total on the charge reciept they ask you to sign.

[LaurieHoffman]

We leave on June 18th. We booked 8146 too based on our TA recommendation. He told us the larger balcony would be worth it... Based on what you are saying it looks like he it right.

 

We have never sailed Celebrity before. Have done Disney and Carnival. My husband is worried about it being to formal for him.. I think we will be fine. Bringing our two kids too....ages 12 & 14. Just hoping the ship's kids program will keep them busy and happy

[Old As Dirt Mom]

We leave on June 18th. We booked 8146 too based on our TA recommendation. He told us the larger balcony would be worth it... Based on what you are saying it looks like he it right.

 

We have never sailed Celebrity before. Have done Disney and Carnival. My husband is worried about it being to formal for him.. I think we will be fine. Bringing our two kids too....ages 12 & 14. Just hoping the ship's kids program will keep them busy and happy

 

Hi there - I would recommend that you start a new thread with your particular questions about your upcoming cruise. This thread is more than 5 1/2 years old, and you might benefit from more current information.