Which Cruise? Alaska - August 2021

[kstetser]

Which would you pick and why?

Seward-Hubbard Glacier-Juneau-Skagway-Icy Straight-Ketchikan-Vancouver on Millennium

or

Vancouver-Icy Straight-Hubbard Glacier-Juneau-Ketchikan-Vancouver on Eclipse

 

We will sail August 2021

Currently booked on Eclipse 8/1/2021 but I'm dubious it will be Revolutionized by next summer and trying to decide if that is a reason to switch ships. We are in a Celebrity Suite and will have a 17 year old daughter with us.

 

We have 20 cruises under our belt, but this is our first on Celebrity.

Thanks for your input - it's so hard to know what to do not knowing the ships at all.

[Mr. Click]

We prefer the one way itinerary. You get to see more Alaska and it gives you a chance to spend some more time in Alaska pre or post cruise.  The itinerary almost always trumps the ship for us.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I would pick Millennium for the itinerary if you want to spend any time on land in Alaska.

The Celebrity Suite on Millennium is nice but the only entrance to the bathroom is through the bed room. Take a night light, the bedroom is really dark when the door is closed.  On Eclipse the bath has an entrance from the living area and the bed room. Getting into and out of the tub is challenging if you have any mobility issues, and the shower is in the tub.

The balcony on Millennium is wide but narrow but the wall of windows gives great views from inside.

Whichever ship/itinerary you choose you will have a great time.

[vermonter16]

I would pick the first one so you can see Skagway if this is your first Alaskan Cruise.  However, you cannot go wrong with a Vancouver to Vancouver - love that city!  Seward is an experience as well!

 

[DrKoob]

Ship-wise we have been on both of them and would sail on Eclipse before Mille because we have grown to love the S-class. I am really happy that you are sailing out of Vancouver either way. Even though we live in Seattle leaving from Vancouver is absolutely the way to go. Such a better voyage. 

 

The real choice here though is do you want to do a post or pre-cruise tour in Alaska. If you have the time and money, that's what I would do and Millie will be just fine for you.

 

JIm

[Fouremco]

Based on ship choice alone, I'd opt for the Eclipse. We really enjoy S-class ships, and have had three cruises on the Eclipse. But to be perfectly transparent, we've not cruised on the Millennium.

 

Although a RT from Vancouver duplicates some of the route, they are taken at different times of the day/night, so you'll be sleeping through stretches on the outbound leg that you'll get to enjoy during the day on your return.

 

Ultimately, @DrKoob hits the nail on the head: what do you want to do/see pre- or post-cruise? You will have the opportunity to see Vancouver with either itinerary, but only one lets you spend time in Seward.

[Northern Aurora]

We have been on both the Millennium and Eclipse several times, and have been in Celebrity Suites on both M- and S-class ships. I don't have a preference between the M- and S-class ships as I find that both have their plusses and minuses. But my husband has a definite preference for a Celebrity Suite on a M-class ship.  While we do not generally have meals delivered to the staterooms, he has a standard request for a pot of tea and orange juice to be delivered each morning.  He prefers the table in the M-class CSs over the large coffee table in the S-class CSs.

 

Even though we live in Alaska we periodically do Alaska itineraries as it gives us an excuse to visit another part of our very large state.  For us the one-way from Vancouver to Seward is a better itinerary than the RT out of Vancouver.  But another factor to consider is the amount of time in the various ports and what you want to do in each port.