Northern Aurora

Just because a med is an over the counter product does not mean they are safe for all folks. My mother-in-law had a form of glaucoma (my memory is that it was narrow angle glaucoma but since it has been over twenty years since her death I could be wrong). In any event she could could not take motion sickness meds. Always best to check with a medical professional. Also consider buying a set of sea bands. I have never used them but know someone who swears by them.

The list of participating airlines is on the Port of Seattle website.

I also want to thank our OP for his trip report. After 70+ Celebrity cruises it is interesting to "see" the ship from someone new to cruises. Since our OP hasn't returned, I hope he doesn't mind if I answer this question. Celebrity does not use Ward Cove which is about 7 miles out of Ketchikan. Celebrity ships dock right downtown. We can generally see out favorite Ketchikan restaurant (Annabelle's) from the ship. To confirm berths on Alaska cruises just goggle the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska website.

Check the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska website (goggle is your friend) for the docking assignment for your ship. Celebrity does not use Ward Cove so your ship will be centrally located downtown.

Well, we were on the Eclipse for a B2B2B2B this spring, and we definitely were able to make reservations for Sushi on Five for lunch. And the menu is the same for lunch and dinner.

Interesting. We have done LPC once (for us it was a once and done experience) on the Eclipse. So obviously not an E-class ship, but I remember a large party of about 7 or 8 who were accommodated at one long table.

The Morris Thompson is within easy walking distance from the Westmark. There are no shuttles from the MTCC to the Museum of the North (which is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks), nor are there shuttles from the MTCC to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. There have never been shuttles, but there may be some confusion regarding the Fountainhead trolley service which operated pre-Covid 19. Fountainhead is a development company, which in addition to developing commercial property, the Antique Auto Museum and residential subdivisions, owns several hotel properties. Pre-covid they operated a for fee shuttle route for their hotel guests which included stops at their auto museum in addition to the Museum of the North and some other attractions. Since covid that shuttle has not resumed and in any event was restricted to folks staying at their hotel properties. The bus system mentioned in post #2 is the Metropolitan Area Commuter System (MACS). It is not operated by the City of Fairbanks. It is operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Goggle the FNSB home page and you will find the link to public transportation. I took a quick look, and it appears you would use the Blue Line. The Blue Lines runs along College Road, so would get you close to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Also, the MACS transit center is even closer to the Westmark than the MTCC. To complicate matter a little more, once on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus there is a on campus shuttle (not related to the MACS system). Apparently it now runs out to the Large Animal Research Station (LARS). LARS is locally called the "muskox farm." LARS is a UAF research site but is not located on the campus proper. Our OP may have to do some digging for more information. Fairbanks has an abundance of taxis. We also have Uber but my impression is that Uber is not as available as in other areas.

The Tongass National Forest is massive in size. In fact, I think it may be the largest national forest in the US. In any event it essentially surrounds Ketchikan and a number of other communities. Consider contacting the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center (which is an Alaska Public Lands Information Center) for hiking ideas. They can tell you if Perseverance Lake Trail is a possibility. And don't dismiss the idea of a guided tour. Alaska wilderness is very unforgiving. As I type this the Fairbanks Detachment of the Alaska State Troopers and other agencies are searching for a pair of out of state tourists who didn't check in on time with relatives. Relatives called the AST to report them missing. Their TURO rental was found in the parking lot of the Chena Hot Springs Resort. No foul play is suspected, but they seem to have become lost on one of the trails around the resort. It has been days now and the outcome is looking more grim by the day.

You will not want to stay in your balcony. Disenchantment Bay gets narrower as your approach Hubbard and there will be scenery on each side of the ship. Also, while we have never been on a NCL vessel, we have been on ships which, in good weather, opened the helipad when nearing the glacier. And how fast the ship travels to the glacier face may depend on how much ice is floating from the calving action.

Since the resumption of cruises we have done several B2B, one B2B2B and one B2B2B2B. @grandgeezer: Your information is still pertinent. But just a few comments to our OP: Prior to each turnaround day you should receive an info packet which should contain the "In Transit" pass; if you don't have one then contact Guest Relations. And B2B passengers are invited to attend the Concierge Class embarkation luncheon. Also there is a small discount (not OBC) for B2B legs; make sure you have it on your confirmation copies. Frequently travel agents need to be told to ask for it, or if you booked directly with Celebrity make sure it was applied.

I agree. We were on an Alaska itinerary in June several years ago and the rain in Juneau verged on torrential. Sheets of rain pounding down. Folks resistant to taking waterproof footwear need to consider how miserable they would be with soaking shoes. Could they tolerate it or not?

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.