The Millennium, Seward to Vancouver (Long) Part I

Celebrity Millennium, Seward to Vancouver, June 12, 2015

I'm purposely not re-reading the previous review so I can keep them separate in my mind. I got a reminder today about saying I'd do a review, and I felt badly that I hadn't done it, so here's the first part....

About us: We have cruised on Carnival, Princess, Disney, HAL...and our favorite, clearly, is Celebrity. We don't expect cruise vacations to be perfect and are pretty easy-going about the oopsies that happen. In fact, in all of these cruises, even with one cruise that was truly pretty awful (on Princess), we have never felt moved enough to make a complaint. I will say that this is the first cruise where that happened, and it was on an excursion, not anything to do with Celebrity.

We are pretty happy campers to be together and feel so very blessed to have the income to take cruises. We think cruises are the perfect vacation with good choices and the ability to do as much or as little as you like. Our jobs, like yours, are hectic, and we both have very long commutes each day. We get up every day at 4:30 a.m., so we really value the relaxation part of cruising, needless to say....and having time together. My husband, who is a wonderful man, was a USAF fighter pilot for 21 years, and we have spent many long months and years away from each other. Now, at year 38, we really treasure time together--and if it's on a ship, all the better!

We did this cruise the other way around a few years ago, sailing from Vancouver to Seward, same ship. We loved that cruise, and we loved this one. I have to say I liked starting in Seward more, for reasons I'll explain as we go. If you are heading to Alaska, I would encourage you to read both, not only in case something I share might be of value, but because lots of other people posted and shared information.

We flew out of Atlanta oh-dark-early on Thursday, June 11. We spent the night, as we did before, at the Drury Inn, which is close to the airport and which allows your car to remain parked behind a security barrier for the duration of the trip. For free. Check it out if there is a Drury Inn near you. We had an excruciating 3:15 a.m. wake up in order to get to the airport for an equally painful early flight. Not what we chose, but what was "inflicted" upon us by good old Delta.

Last trip it was my husband and myself. We fell in love with Alaska. William Seward is my hero! This time it was our son and his fiancé–to-be, both mid-thirties, and our granddaughter, age 8. Also, our daughter and her husband. She is mid-thirties; he is mid-forties. My husband and I are approaching mid-sixties….so there was a wide range of ages on this trip. The good news is that EVERYONE loved the cruise. And they pretty much loved everything about the cruise. Our son and daughter, and our son-in-law had been on anywhere from one to two cruises, so they had a little experience.

This was our bucket list item; to take our children to Alaska. We tried hard to make it special and in some places dug deep into our pocketbook for the experiences we felt they would value. We don’t regret any of the expenses because it was the trip of a lifetime for everyone. I’d do it again in a minute….

They loved the Premium Beverage Package, which we purchased for everyone. Our granddaughter had a classic, non-alcohol package. She loved ordering smoothies and Shirley Temples. They loved the ship and thought it was attractive and well designed. They loved the balcony. They loved the whale watching. Our daughter, who has a thing about eagles, saw enough eagles that she says that square is filled! They did not feel the ship was full of "old people", and found plenty to keep them entertained. We made full use of the martini bar, which was our meeting place each evening prior to dinner.

Dining

We like Select. We don't mind not being able to fully connect with our waiters, (though we love getting to know them a little) and have found that you can frequently be placed in the same area if you have an affinity to a particular waiter. I do remember that last cruise we felt the upper MDR was often too hot. This time, we only had one time where it felt uncomfortable and apparently enough people complained about it that they were able to adjust the temperature. We rarely had a wait; if we did, they gave us a little beeper thingey and off we went to relax at a bar nearby. Sometimes we had a reservation and sometimes not. We really like not being tied to one particular dining time, and it worked well with 7 people. We ate almost all dinners together as a family, which was a lovely thing for my husband and myself. We had told the kids they could feel free to dine alone and have some "date time", but they pretty much chose to eat with us and we had so much fun.

Food

Here's that easy-going thing with us; we long ago learned that there will be good meals and bad meals and inbetween meals. And, I think we would be classified as foodies. We also learned that the staff WANT you to be happy. If you get fish and it is so tough you could scour pans with it--send it back and get something else. If your pasta arrives in a gummy mess that looks like Elmer's, send it back. Do I think the quality of MDR food has gone down? Yes. Do I think this is true on all ships we have cruised over time? Yes. So we just roll with it and don't get bent out of shape over meals that are hit or miss. I am a fan of the French Onion Soup (note the capitals, since it is so special to me). LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it and had it every night. And the Crème Brulee. Oh, my. And the pork chop the first night....those that didn't get it had order envy. Bottom line, work your way thru the menu till you get something that makes you happy. It's on there; it just might not be your first pick. :p

That said, we are next on the Eclipse Scandinavia/Russia next August. Just the two of us, and we are trying Aqua and Blu. Very interested to see the difference. Will do a review and let you know what we think.

Anchorage and the Flight:

We flew from Atlanta to Chicago and then to Anchorage. Our daughter and husband flew in from Denver. By the time we got our luggage (a little snafu, but resolved), and made it to the Anchorage Hilton, we were pooped. We got situated in the rooms, and then met in the lobby/hotel bar to be together as a family. The Hilton is nice; pretty typical; clean; in a great location for cruisers.

We had dinner reservations (strongly suggest; it was hopping for a Thursday night--do it online) for 6:30 at Glacier Brewery, which is a few blocks away—an easy walk. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone loved their meal; and I admit to being surprised. It is a “touristy” place, but we thought the food and service were very good. I had the Copper River salmon. Yummy. My husband had the herb-crusted halibut. Wow. We went back to the hotel and fell unconscious in bed. The Atlanta contingent had been up since 3:15 a.m. East Coast time, and we had an early show at the Anchorage Train Depot—5:45 a.m.

The Train:

We met in the lobby and walked the approximate two blocks to the train depot from the hotel. If your luggage rolls, go for it. It would feel goofy to book a cab to go two blocks unless your luggage was too much to handle, it's pouring, or if you have mobility issues. All of the passengers, as far as I could tell, were Celebrity passengers. At any rate, those of us who were, took out our luggage tags for the ship, attached them, and gave them to the magic genies in a tented area, who made them disappear. The next time we saw them was on the ship, in the cabin. Hot Dog! WHAT A GOOD DEAL!

This train trip was another splurge; we had taken before and booked again, the Gold Dome cars. The “kids”, as I will call them for the sake of brevity, loved it. Our Granddaughter was entranced by it. It is such a fabulous way to see some “interior” of Alaska. You see glaciers; eagles; we saw the back end of a bear on the tracks; stunning scenery. It is just fabulous. The weather cooperated; warmish for Alaska. A little overcast but fine. The train is very open; easy to walk around, which everyone does. You do have assigned seats. All seats faced forward. There is a steward in the back who serves coffee and drinks. You can go out on the observation deck and anywhere you want. Bathrooms are downstairs. One caution; there is a little winding staircase to get up to the domed cars....if you have a walker or cane it might be a challenge. Not sure. Inquire to be sure if you have concerns.

Previously, we did this trip in the reverse, so the train ride was at the end. I loved doing it at the beginning because it is such a great, eye-opening experience…..and just increases your excitement at being in Alaska.

The only small negative was breakfast; it was cold when it was served. Cold eggs are not my thing. We didn’t send it back to be reheated, which I’m sure we could have done. One note—there is not a lot of luggage or storage room on the train; enough for a backpack perhaps….so you have to get rid of your luggage, which is a big plus for me!

When we got to Seward we wanted to stretch our legs, so we all walked to the ship. I would say it is about ¾ mile. Easy if the weather is good. When we walked into the building there was no line. We walked basically straight through. Certainly the easiest boarding we have ever had. Once on the ship we went to the OceanView for lunch. Typically we eat in Bistro on Five on embarkation day but did not this time since the ship was practically empty. I would say we boarded about 11:45 or so.

After lunch the kids wanted to have time to talk and explore the ship. My husband and I took our granddaughter to Exit Glacier. We walked to the blue train in town and paid for a bus to the glacier. Easy and quick. Do not be fooled; it is not a flat or easy walk to the glacier if you are not either prepared or able to hike a little steepness. It will get your heart rate up! It is a small glacier but well worth seeing and they have a nice visitor center with park service people to answer questions. Also bathrooms are there. We stayed long enough to hike to the glacier, spend about 10 minutes and hike back. The driver took us back to the ship. I cannot remember the name of the bus company, but I think it was Glacier Shuttle.

Once on ship we went to our cabins and unpacked. The next day was a sea day and cruising the Hubbard Glacier.

Concierge:

The CC cabins are larger than the regular balcony cabins. Not by much, but it is noticeable. Balcony was the normal size; no footstools. I didn’t care one way or the other about the toiletries or robe. The binoculars are worthless for adults, but our GDaughter liked using them. The beds were much more comfortable than the previous ones we encountered in a regular balcony room. There were three green apples in the room when we arrived and three green apples when we left....I think they were the same ones. Also the sparkling whatever it was. There they remained the whole trip. We would not do CC again unless it was a great deal or we needed the points.

Hubbard Glacier. Wow. WOW! It was actually a fairly warm day by glacial standards. The several things I brought that were heavy only served the purpose of weighing down my suitcase like lead. Never needed them. Hand warmers. Ear muffs. Fluffy fleece. I was tempted to throw them overboard. (kidding) When we went last time it was a month earlier, in May. It was the second trip of the season, I think, and boys, let me tell you, that glacier was Cold. I was frozen, even bundled head to toe. This trip we had the great blessing of magnificent weather. Not one raindrop except for a very slight mist one evening while at sea. Otherwise, it was dry, mostly sunny. Some days would be classified as shorts weather—if I had brought any!

The glacier experience is partaken along with a few thousand of your new good friends. Some stayed inside, but most were on the decks. We went out the second level of the theater and to the forward deck; along with a kajillion other people. We saw many instances of calving and it made me kind of sad to see the big pieces falling away from where they had been for centuries. Very humbling to see and experience. They rotate the ship so wherever you stand, you will see wonderful sights, the kind I hope I will have sense enough to remember and treasure my whole life.

First Formal Night:

We are to the point that we're kind of over it, to be perfectly honest. We once did the long gown and tux or Mess Dress, but it is increasingly hard to squish that into a suitcase. We still do cocktail dress/ dark suit, and always get into the festivities clothing-wise. I enjoy seeing everyone dressed up and it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other what other people do, as mentioned in my first review. For our kids it was fun and it was a treat to see them looking so wonderful. Our granddaughter also brought two fancy dresses, so she was excited about all the flurry.

Juneau

We went with Harv and Marv last time and we had booked a private whale watching trip with Harv and Marv this time. Just the 7 of us. When we returned, I posted a warning regarding our experience on the Alaska boards, thinking it might help someone else. It was removed, my oopsie, (you cannot post a critical review unless it is in response to a specific question, which I did not know) but not before a few people blasted me for my opinion. In fairness, I wrote it in a hurry and perhaps was not as detailed as I needed to be; so I will give you my detailed opinion regarding the experience for no other reason than to help you insure that you get what you booked. My purpose is NOT to slam Harv and Marv because I think they are a good company and give a good experience.

When we arrived at the dock we were on the boat and beginning to cast off when I noticed that there were two women on the boat in addition to the captain and the naturalist on board. When I asked about them I was told “they are in training”. By that point we were out into the bay. I questioned the captain and told him I was not thrilled with having the extra people on board with no notice. He was very nice. He offered to turn around and put them off, but I said no since it would take time away from our whale watching. And I was uncomfortable making them uncomfortable. I wanted every possible minute we could get and I knew they wouldn’t add time to the end since they have schedules to keep (we were the morning group).

I observed the women off and on during the trip. They never took notes; they took selfies and talked, but I saw zero evidence of training going on. They tried to stay out of our way. I have and had nothing against these ladies. I just felt H and M should have been upfront about the two additional people PRIOR to us boarding the boat. So, the next day in Skagway I called to give my concerns. The man I spoke with, after hearing my issues, said, “Well how are we supposed to train people?”

This is a valid statement and I understand it from a certain perspective. However, the captain talked with us about living in Maui. One of the women was wearing a Maui t-shirt. Hmmmm. Ultimately, when I noted to him that they took no notes, etc., I then asked if these were Harv and Marv employees. They were not. They were friends of the captain, visiting from Maui to (I think) learn how a whale watching business works in Alaska. This is where I take issue. IMHO if you, as a business owner, are doing a favor for someone you put these two women on a boat with perhaps 5 paying customers and your company takes a little $ hit to accommodate the two additional free passengers. We were obviously meant to infer that the women were H and M employees and they were not. This was a little too “clever” to suit me and I very politely said so.

IMO you do not put additional random people on a boat with a client who has paid for and expects a private excursion. And that is my sticking point. In the end H and M gave us a credit of $150. So, my reason for posting this is to warn others to be sure H and M have the same definition of a “private” excursion so everyone is on the same page. I was accused by some well known posters on the Alaska boards of having a vendetta and by another of having a skewed opinion and told I was way out of line. Geez! (Kind of hurt my feelings, to be honest, but I have to honestly say I feel the same way now that I did then.) Take it for whatever it is worth to you. Again, we like Harv and Marv. We loved our trip. We saw lots of whales. It is humbling and magical to see them. What a privilege. We liked the captain. We tipped him well. It is this one issue I share so possibly no one else gets a surprise….

Following the whale watching we ate lunch at the Red Dog Saloon...which I don't recommend. The food was truly bad. For us....other patrons seemed to be having a great time. The atmosphere is fun; a piano guy, sawdust on the floor....just not something we loved. as far as food.

Then we were off to Mendenhall Glacier and the waterfall. Don't miss it. There are two different buses you can take right off the dock. The ship docks right in the middle of town which is so close that if you fell off the ship, you'd land in a store. The glacier is almost dwarfed by the spectacular waterfall, but the combination is really something. The walk to the glacier took us about 20 minutes, I think, and it is mostly flat; little slippy rocks in a few places.

The town of Juneau is just full of tourist stuff. Store after store of the same things, for the most part...though I'm sure there is plenty we didn't see. For us, the attraction was the whale watching and the glacier.

Skagway

When we visited Skagway before, we visited with my husband's cousin, who owns Sockeye Cycle in Skagway and another bike shop in Haines. We rode the fast ferry to Haines and explored, and then came back and wandered the town. There were fewer ships in town then, because this experience was different. It was HOT, for one thing, and the cute little town was wall to wall people all over the boardwalks and trying not to step on each other. It felt like a mini-New York City! We had not booked an excursion here, thinking we would hike, but after visiting the very interesting Gold Rush museum and wandering the town for a while we cried "uncle" and headed for the Celebrity hills.

As soon as possible I'll post more, and will try to wander through the photo posting wilderness....last review it took heaven, earth and some miracles (and kind posters to help me) for me to get some photos posted. I'll do my best!

If you have ? I'll try to answer promptly. :)

Enjoying your review so far. Thanks so much for putting the effort into it. Can't wait for the rest.

Did you do whale watching both in Juneau and icy strait like you did last time? We booked icy strait because we'd heard it was better. Do you agree?

Enjoying your review so far. Thanks so much for putting the effort into it. Can't wait for the rest.

 

Did you do whale watching both in Juneau and icy strait like you did last time? We booked icy strait because we'd heard it was better. Do you agree?

Hi, Birdnutty,

we only did whale watching in Juneau this time. We had a good experience with Misty Bay Lodge last time. This time we actually stayed on the ship in Icy Strait and watched for whales from the ship. Unsuccessfully. I encourage you to get off the ship in ISP...it is a totally different experience. Worth the tender trip.

Will try to post more tonight.

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to upload photos? I struggled with it last time, and once again....at least I am consistent in my deficiencies! :rolleyes:

I have photos posted on Facebook; and they are on my ipad and on my iPhone. Any suggestions?

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to upload photos? I struggled with it last time, and once again....at least I am consistent in my deficiencies! :rolleyes:

 

 

 

I have photos posted on Facebook; and they are on my ipad and on my iPhone. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your review! We will be there next year and I am doing all I can to get others' perspectives on what/when/where...

Short note on photos: you need to have your photos on a website (I use a commercial one but there are many free ones as well.) There you need to extract a link to your photo. Back on CC, here you use the photo icon, it opens a popup window, you paste the link there.

For additional more detailed guidance, go to the Photos section of CC. There is a longstanding ongoing thread there on How Do I Post My Pictures!?! Good information, and a place you can practice a few times with no judgmental carping when you make the inevitable mistakes. Been there done that.

One complication is that the exact procedure varies according to which free hosting site you use. The regulars in that forum have seen them all and give good suggestions.

Stan

Can someone please let me know how their experience was sailing from Hawaii to Vancouver with Celebrity Millenium. We are going on a cruise leaving Hawaii and sailing the islands and then onto Vancouver. My question is: Are the Pacific waters ruff coming across? Thank you Franni

Our 25th anniversary is next year and we are thinking of visiting Alaska...Love the beauty of it, but live in FL and really am a bit worried about the cold (to us anything under 70 degrees!)

Thanks

I'm glad the review helped you! Our first trip was in late May. Our second trip, which has another review, was in mid ro late June. It was significantly warmer. The only place we were cold was at the glacier....and even that needed only a jacket. No earmuffs, no gloves, etc. I really hope you'll visit AK...Such a special place!