Northern Aurora

I have a very comfortable pair of waterproof walking shoes which have been used locally, in northern Europe, Iceland and South America. Also well worth the investment. But the back to the OP's question. Whether you need waterproof footwear depends on what you plan to do. If you plan to participate in active excursions then you most likely do need them. And the dates of your trip fall in what historically is a rainy season.

An interesting place in ISP is the ISP Brewing Company. Right on the water on the outskirts of Hoonah. When we were in Skagway last year we dined at the Skagway Brewing Company and didn't think the food was as good as in the past. May have been an "off" day in the kitchen. I am interested in more recent experiences. Last year we also stopped at the Klondike Brewing Company. No food, at least last year. We purchased a flight and my husband thought that the beers at the KBC were better than at the SBC.

We did this route in 2018 followed by the next cruise around Japan. We missed the port call in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska. There was some rough weather in the Bering Sea as the ship contended with the remnants of a typhoon, but I didn't think it was particularly rough. On the second leg we contended with two typhoons (Trami and KongRey). Due to Trami B2B passengers were evacuated off the ship to stay in hotels as the ship headed out into Tokyo Bay where four tugs were positioned around it.

And this is a surprise for you? The photos have been standard operating procedure for years. Michael's Club/Retreat concierges have them both on their computers and photos are posted in the pantry area. On S-class ships (Eclipse is an S-class ship) they are also posted in the pantry area behind the bar. They are also posted in the pantry area on M-class ships.

I am just so amazed that the OP's friends were told by a "cruise consultant" that cruise passengers fly into Seward that I checked the Seward airport runway specs. They actually have two runways, so apparently can handle cross winds for small planes. The longest Seward runway is 4240 feet. The shortest is 2279 feet in length. In contrast the longest of the four runways in Fairbanks is 11800 feet. And because I am so surprised that "cruise consultant" told our OP's friends that they can fly into Seward I checked the specs for an Embracer. An Embracer E175 requires a runway length of 5656 feet for takeoff, and an E175AR requires 7362 feet. Alaska Airlines uses Embracers for their shuttle flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and we have also flown them between Seattle and Vancouver on the Alaska subsidiary Horizon Air. Definitely time for the friends to find another travel agent/cruise consultant.

Since our OP hasn't posted since last Tuesday I will answer your questions. I don't know the hours of the concierge lunch but in the past it has been held in a section of the MDR. It is limited to those booked in Concierge Class staterooms, B2B passengers and boarding Zenith level members of the Captain's Club. There is no fee. Post covid Celebrity's policy has changed. Now once you board you go to your stateroom. Your seapass cards will be in your mail slot outside the stateroom door. If the stateroom attendant is not finished his/her preparations for your stateroom there will a note on the door with wording something to the effect of "perfection in progress." You are free to drop off your carry ons and put valuables in the safe. Then leave to explore the ship.

@TSUmom: You are correct and the cruise consultant is incorrect. Folks boarding cruise ships in either Seward or Whittier fly into Anchorage. Seward does have a very small airport, but there is NO commercial aviation service. I don't know how long that runway is, but it handles planes in the four seat Cessna range.

Denali is located in the Interior of Alaska. It is south of the Brooks Range and is located in the Alaska Range. A visit to Denali means you will be doing so on a land trip, either a DIY trip or cruise line organized land tour.

As someone who lives in Alaska, I am not aware of any changes in cruise ship port calls. I also hope that folks realize that these floods from Suicide Basin have occurred annually since 2011. The science behind these floods is interesting but this last event was clearly much more extreme than in prior years.

We also have stayed at Sutton Place and also liked it. More recently we have stayed at the Pan Pacific which is located actually in/above Canada Place. The bellmen collect your luggage from your hotel room and deliver it to the porters. Convenience is incredible. We also like the Auberge. We have stayed there both before their renovation and after. Lovely hotel with great staff. Very easy walk to Canada Place. Very manageable with luggage.

We have rented a car on an overnight stop in Reykjavik. At that time both Hertz and Europcar had kiosks at the cruise terminal. The cruise terminal has a large parking lot, and cars were parked on site. No having to take a shuttle to another location. Very easy and convenient.

Luminae serves lunch on embarkation day. So nice to have a served lunch and avoid the buffet. We board early enough to be able to attend.

Don't even consider printing out the entire guest ticket booklet -- it is pages long. If it makes you feel better than download it onto a laptop.

I also think our OP made the correct decision to spend time in Seward versus an extra day in Anchorage. And I would seriously consider renting a car. With a car our OP can visit Turnagain Arm, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, take the tram at Alyeska Resort, or even time the tunnel and drive into Whittier. Alternatively our OP could drive to Homer which is my favorite small coastal town accessible by road.

We have tendered in Kona, and I will be very surprised if the tenders don't operate all night (on a reduced schedule late at night). The one time an overnight tender did not operate all night was in 2016 in Yorkys Knob in Australia. That port is someone what of an aberration due to sea conditions and the length of the tender ride.

Just to expand slightly on @Glaciers's response -- a surprising number of the southeast communities do indeed have a local sales tax. I think I correctly remember the number of communities, but since I am not absolutely certain I shouldn't post it. But the number really surprised me as it was more than this Alaska resident had anticipated. No statewide sales tax.

Anchorage has a large range of hotels -- both chain properties and some non-chain. If there is something specific you want to do in Anchorage than you may want to consider a property near that attraction. But I have another idea -- have you considered spending a day in Seward? A number of interesting attractions in Seward with a variety of hotels too.

While I haven't been to ISP this summer in the past there has been an elongated golf cart shuttle.

Just a quick "thank you" for such a lovely review. In 2019 we were on a B2B2B on the Constellation. We also did the Tuscan Farmhouse Experience (post 52). From the outside of the stone farmhouse and your other photos it appears to be the same family we visited. We a great amount of N-OBC and really enjoyed this excursion. It was a hoot.

While Anchorage has a serious homeless issue it is not a problem to walk from a downtown hotel to restaurant. There are cabs. Alaska's Wage and Hour regulations were modified several years ago (under the administration of former governor Gary Walker) and so now Uber is legal.

Absolutely not. Even prior to the pandemic folks needed to be prepared for a significant wait if they did not have a reservation. Post pandemic Alaska is experiencing a serious labor shortage and the hospitality industry has been very hard hit. If there is a restaurant of particular interest than make a reservation. And there are very few restaurants in Anchorage which do not take reservations. At a restaurant such as the Marx Brothers a reservation is a must even during winter.

We also have taken the train. Lovely scenery. Folks keep their carry-on luggage with them and large bags are checked. Once the train reaches Vancouver the cars disembark by each car, with the luggage lined up and very easy to locate. It is also very easy to fly. Alaska Airlines/Horizon have multiple daily flights from Seattle to Vancouver.

I also don't read any indication that our OP is in an Aqua stateroom. I agree with "mom."

@hrt4girls: Bird watching magazines have reviews of binoculars which may be handy. Check your local library. But while reading reviews is helpful it is so important to actually hold binoculars in your hand before buying. My husband is a birder so we have multiple pairs around the house. His favorite is a Zeiss Victory HT 10 x 42. He absolutely loves them by they don't fit well in my hands and I find them incredibly heavy. My own favorite pair is a Nikkon. Binoculars are not a "one size fits all" sort of product. So head over to a local sporting goods store, talk to the personnel and start trying on binoculars.

The single road into Denali is closed about mile 43. Work on the bridge project just started last month. The National Park Service is hoping to have the road fully accessible in 2025 but who knows? What folks are missing from the Denali experience includes the Polychrome Overlook (mile 46), the Toklat River rest stop (mile 53), the Stony Hill Overlook (mile 62) and the Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66). My perspective, as someone who lives about a 2.25 hour drive north of the entrance to Denali National Park, is that someone who doesn't go into the park at least as far as Eielson Visitor's Center has shortchanged themselves on the Denali experience. While Denali is heavily sold by the cruise lines it certainly is not the only road accessible interesting park in Alaska. As an alternative consider Wrangell -- St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Also consider researching the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark and the town of McCarthy. May be of interest. Gorgeous area.