winn43

We are a member of CC but havent been on here for awhile...Going on Celebrity Equinox Oct 25-Nov 2 ..Forgot how to post,..Found the Roll call  ..what is the next step

Winn and MAX

Thanks,..will look into them

Irwin and MAxine

We have used all the companies below, to our satisfaction, and can recommend them:

 

Skagway - Beyond Skagway Tours

Ketchikan- Wild Wolf Tours

Juneau- Evergreen Taxi Tours

 

Icy Strait Point - If you can walk a little, there's plenty to see and do at the pier on foot.

Thnaks for the recommendation..will look into them

Thank you all for your thoughts and recommendations...Havent decided on which tours on the ship..Celebrity..to duplicate at this time.....looking into several....

Iriwin and Maxine

Going to Alaska......Land (Fairbanks and Denali) and Cruise to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, ,Icy Point and Hubbard Glacier

Does anyone have some recommendations of specific private car/van companies that does shore excursions..in ports above ....and have been very satisfied with them

Would like to book several (with others) while in port instead of from the cruise ship

Thanks

Irwin and Maxine Brand

Do you have any recommendations on some of the private ones ..What you suggested is what I normally do ....Havent gotten started as yet

Irwin and Maxine

Great.......If you are interested in a private tour with us on some of the ports we dock at let us know .....I will look into them in a few mo nths

Irwin and Maxine;)

Going on 11 nite Majestic Tundra Explorer on Celebrity Millennium in May/ June 2018....Fly into Fairbanks on May 28, 2018 with 3 days on Land to Anchorage and Denali (May 28-June 1)...and board ship on June 1-9 in Seward and itinerary .to Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait, Kechikan and end in Vancouver

If you are just going on cruise that time ..June 1-9 would love to hear from you also

If you are interested in finding Private Excursions let us know..We did this in an Italy cruise and we had a great time with only 6 people and cut the costs as well..Looking to do the same as well on this trip

If you have any suggestions of what to do in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Denali let us know ....Been on an Alaska cruise before and loved it..Now a land tour as well

Contact us here on Cruise Critic or at irwinbrand@gmail.com

Looking to meet up..Irwin and Maxine Brand:)

Hi

Not sure when you are going..But we are going May 28 -June 10 2018....Doing the 11 night Majestic Tundra Explorer...Similar to yours...Pre Land Fly into Fairbanks...thru Anchorage and Denali and to Seward on June 1 to the cruise portion....end in Vancouver...... Been on Celebrity many times ...and been to Alaska once before ...Most of the excursions are expensive BUT if you would consider private excursions with up to 6 people do that....We did this in Italy and had a great time ...For more info and on the same itinerary and timing...email us here or at irwinbrand@gmail.com...Irwin and Maxine Brand

Thank you for your recommendation..Will look into it

Winn and MAx

Thank you both for our suggestions..Will look them up

Winn and MAx

Here are some answers to your questions:

1. Alcohol on ship......You will get wine or beer at no charge....We had a private dinner room just for us (and another tour group).....in VIP lounge

2.In Beijing we didnt stay an extra day...really dont need to..We saw the major attractions within the 2 1/2 days...Tiananem Square, Forbidden city, foot massage (great) and Peking Duck dinner, Great Wall, Beautiful show at theater in eve,Temple of Heaven....

3.Every day was full..Met our group (with our Tour Manager..TAO,, around 8/8:30 AM every day...Got beck to hotel around 4PM...rested for a few hours and then went to dinner and show...Tiresome but great

4. The River cruise part was good but not all excursions were great..The Three Gorge was fantastic (like Panama canal going thru locks.....plus tour, also on a small river cruise...beautiful scenery

5. We didnt go to some of the areas you are going...Lsha and Tibet..Guilin is Great and so is HK....Especially seeing night lights

6.The Hotels were 5 stay....Shangra La in three of the cities, Sofitel in Beijing and Waldorf Astora

Overall we had a great time.....And with Uniworld....We also like to travel with Celebrity/Ocean Cruise..been a lot of places over the years and looking possibly to Viking to Paris and Prague in 2016..Would go on Uniworld again if they went there

We took at lot of pics...If you are interested in knowing more call us..we are in Florida...954-693-3671 and give you more insight

Winn and MAx

Hi, Winn and Max! Lots to love in both Italy and Greece. What are all of your port stops? For Athens, we stayed at the AVA Hotel that is so handy and in a wonderful, charming area nearby to the Plaka, Acropolis, etc.

 

For those who have not yet visited Greece and Athens, the good news is that the wonderful Plaka is right handy and next door to the famed Acropolis area. That makes things so much easier. On going up the hill, be careful as the stone steps can be slick in areas. And you will be looking up and forgetting to watch where and how you are stepping. It's well worth the effort getting there to the top. It is amazing history and architecture!! Also, we had a private guide to help us on this spectacular site. It's not cheap, but it was well worth it to know more on what you are seeing and why it is so important. Below are a few of my visual sample to get people excited about their upcoming visit and/or re-live those wonderful memories from this historic city.

 

Below are a few visuals to get you excited about visit Athens, etc.

 

For Athens, Greece, check out this posting with many ideas, tips and exciting visuals. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

There have been over 9,565 views on this posting.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 176,479 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

A night view from our AVA Hotel balcony of Roman relics in Athens:

 

 

 

Outdoor dining in the Plaka in the heart of Athens’ historic area. Lots of music and fun, shopping, music, plus good food. Don't miss this part of Athens!! The Plaka is clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. It is a labyrinthine of streets and neoclassical architecture. The Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. It is known as the "Neighborhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many nearby archaeological sites.:

 

 

 

Enjoying a bright, sunny day in front of the famed Parthenon in Athens. Dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, considered by the people of Athens as their virgin patron, its construction began in 447 BC. That is when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC. Called the most important surviving building of classical Greece, the Parthenon was the culmination of Doric order development. Its decorative sculptures are rated as some of the high points of Greek art.:

 

 

 

This is he Odeon of Herodes Atticus outdoor stone theatre structure located on the south slope of the Acropolis in Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian power Herodes Atticus. It was originally a steep-sloped amphitheater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive, cedar of Lebanon timber. We saw an opera here during our three-day visit to Athens before starting our cruise. It is also used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000.:

 

Great Pics...Thanks for the tip...Will look up when we book Air

Winn and MAx

We stayed at a boutique hotel called Fresh Hotel. One day we took the hop on / hop off bus on our first day to get the lay of the land and visit the main sights (Acropolis and Parthenon). The next afternoon we spent in the Plaka area doing some shopping and eating our way through there ... lots of great places to eat!

Thanks....Great Pics...Once we book airlines will look into the Hotels you recommended

Winn and MAx

Going on a cruise next June to Greece and Italy on Celebrity/Eqiuinox...Any recommendations where to stay in Athens G...we want to stay a day or two extra as well as key things toi do our tour companies recommended

Winn and Max

I will be writing a review shortly..BUT to answer your question the trip was fantastic...On Uniworld..as my statement says...Not sure if I would go again on so many flights..9 in total....Ft Lauderdale to San Fran, next day from SF to Beijing..11 Hr flight....Suggestion get the economy Plus you pay a little more but gives you more room..we got the bulkhead..same on the back end from Hong Kong to San Fran......Intra China flights there were 5...all between 1-2 hours each with LUNCH..which was good....better than the US flights....Thereason for so many flights was because you covered many cities....In terms of the Ship..Century Legend ..the 4 days was enough..The ship is new...but nothing really to do on board.PLUS we had problems with the AC...The Chinese like it warm and the foreigners like it cold,When in port for excursions they turned off the AC so when we got back on board it was warm and took time to get cold..Food was good and service was excellent

Hope that helps

Winn and Max

Would appreciate any recommendations for Hotel Stays and things to must do in Barcelona, Spain (embarkation port) and Athens ,Greece (Disembarkation port). Plan to stay a few extra days on either end after 12 day cruise to Greek Isle and Med next June:)

Thanks

Winn and Max

Just came back from 19 days to China on River Cruise through Uniworld....Visited Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Hong Kong and other ports...Overall Awesome, Hotels all 5 stars (Shangri La, Waldorf, and Sofitel)...Food excellent in ports (locals)and on ship, Tour Guide TAO was the Best and made our journey seem seamless, Visited the Great Wall, Tianamen Square, Temple of Heaven, 3 Georges,Terrocat Warriors to name a few.....Anyone wanted more info email us here or irwinbrand@gmail and will give more info

Winn and Max

Hi Fran...Thanks for the advice...will check into it.....

Winn

Thanks....already looking at Vantage....

Winn

I agree...We will do same..on Viking or another competitor to China