First Celebrity Cruise

[Barsnikel]

Just booked our first Celebrity cruise (Alaska - Millennium on May 13, 2022).

We have sailed numerous times on Carnival, Holland America, and NCL... but never Celebrity. Never been to Alaska and never been on Celebrity, so this should be fun.

 

Any "secrets" I should know about ?  🙂  Things they don't tell you.. ?

 

I'll trade you Celebrity secrets for Carnival secrets  🙂

[ATXBecky]

We are on one of the Millennium sailings out of Sint Maarten in Aug 2021(very soon, yea!) It has been awhile for us on Celebrity but I have fond memories. The food and service is is very good. We have also been on NCL and Carnival. Alaska was our very first cruise in 1996. I hope you booked a balcony. The view is amazing! 

[CoatRackOfDoom]

I've been on M class ships 3 times and Millennium is my favorite of them. The first time I was on Millie, I didnt know the little cakes and pastries at Cafe Al Baccio are included in your fare - and now the specialty coffees are part of AI (I assume all of the coffee drinks, but at least anything up to $9).

 

If you aren't fond of dining at the Early or Late seatings, Anytime dining is best and you can still make reservations in advance if you want to, using the cruise planner. I'm advised that you will probably have the same team (waiter, assistant waiter, and sommelier) if you make reservations for the same time each night.

 

The rendezvous lounge near the main dining room is responsible for supplying mixed drinks to the restaurant, so wait times at that bar can be a little long. A before-dinner drink may be easier to get from the pool bar or sunset bar.

 

I prefer the sort of small bands that play at the Rendezvous - often an acoustic trio or a vocalist. The M-class ships don't often have entertainment in the atrium area, other than the occasional string duo at Al Baccio (deck 4 I think), or silent disco at the martini bar. So it's different from larger ships that have dancing or bands near the glass elevators.

 

Are you looking at excursions? I've done a few in Alaska and had a great time.

 

Hope this is helpful!

Ed

[NonnaTLC]

On 5/28/2021 at 4:11 PM, Barsnikel said:

Just booked our first Celebrity cruise (Alaska - Millennium on May 13, 2022).

We have sailed numerous times on Carnival, Holland America, and NCL... but never Celebrity. Never been to Alaska and never been on Celebrity, so this should be fun.

 

Any "secrets" I should know about ?  🙂  Things they don't tell you.. ?

 

I'll trade you Celebrity secrets for Carnival secrets  🙂

We are booked right after you on May 20, 2022, Millie Alaska, so following.

We've only been on 2 other cruises, but adore Celebrity.

@CoatRackOfDoom

ANYTHING you can tell us about the shore excursions would be try helpful!

We are A1, so dining in Blu and have a great veranda.  Any other tidbits would be greatly appreciated!

Sparkle on Everyone!

NonnaTLC 

Edited May 29, 2021 by NonnaTLC
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[Barsnikel]

On 5/28/2021 at 3:46 PM, ATXBecky said:

. I hope you booked a balcony. The view is amazing! 

Unfortunately, we did not. My wife and I have always booked a balcony on previous cruises, but this time it is just me and my adult son.  He wanted to book an inside cabin based on price (I hate inside cabins), so we compromised on an Ocean View.  I rationalized the concession on the idea that May would be too cold to enjoy sitting out on the balcony....  that may or may not be true, but It's what I used to rationalize the concession  :). 

 

I do see that Celebrity allows for bidding on upgrades, 30 days prior to the cruise.  Never seen that before on other cruise lines.  So when the time comes,  I'll make a bid on a balcony and see what happens.  Unlikely to win it, but it cost nothing to try...

[Barsnikel]

15 hours ago, CoatRackOfDoom said:

 Anytime dining is best ....

Are you looking at excursions? I've done a few in Alaska and had a great time.

 

 

Thanks, Ed.  We did book Anytime dinning.  We have always booked that on our other cruises, and enjoy the freedom it allows us.

 

Have not yet booked any excursions.  I was just looking at that today.  I'm going to hold off a bit and see what effect (if any) COVID has on excursions.,,, ie: booking through Celebrity or booking privately.

 

Still undecided about Denali... I hear it is a "must do"... so we'll see...

[DENIE]

Depending on the Carnival and NCL ships you have sailed on previously, the Millenium may be smaller than what you are used to. However, this class ship is very well laid out and doesn't feel very crowded. We have sailed her sister-ships Constellation and Infinity.  HAL ships are similar in size.  We really enjoyed both of these cruises.

 

Welcome to Celebrity! 🙂

[lobsternight]

We have done Alaska many times, nothing wrong with ocean view.  We do balconies now, and won't do inside anymore.  You are right in that May will probably be chilly, so pack many layers.  Definitely go on deck for the glaciers. Lots of good excurions to choose from, though some can be quite expensive.  Would suggest Taku lodge salmon bake out of Juneau, if not, get some fresh king crab at Tracy's Crab shack then head over for a Duck Fart at the Red Dog Saloon. Will agree that Millenium Class ships are the perfect size.

[Cdresser]

4 hours ago, Barsnikel said:

Unfortunately, we did not. My wife and I have always booked a balcony on previous cruises, but this time it is just me and my adult son.  He wanted to book an inside cabin based on price (I hate inside cabins), so we compromised on an Ocean View.  I rationalized the concession on the idea that May would be too cold to enjoy sitting out on the balcony....  that may or may not be true, but It's what I used to rationalize the concession  :). 

 

I do see that Celebrity allows for bidding on upgrades, 30 days prior to the cruise.  Never seen that before on other cruise lines.  So when the time comes,  I'll make a bid on a balcony and see what happens.  Unlikely to win it, but it cost nothing to try...

 

[CoatRackOfDoom]

3 hours ago, NonnaTLC said:ANYTHING you can tell us about the shore excursions would be try helpful!

 

Barsnikel & NonnaTLC,

In Ketchikan, we did a seaplane tour of Misty Fjords. The company was Island Wings and our pilot was Michelle (skilled and put everyone at ease). They were very responsive via email before the trip, and I recall that their rates compared favorably to other services. We set down in a fjord for twenty minutes or so and saw wildlife ashore including a brown bear.

 

In Juneau, we took a bus to Mendenhall Glacier. I think it was a Celebrity excursion. I wish I'd had more time to do some hiking. The gift shop was run by the park service I believe. Supposedly there is quite a bit of wildlife at certain points in the season. We also visited Alaska Brewing, tasted some beers, and raided their tiny gift shop. No tours of the brewery were happening that day. Probably a good idea to check in advance to see if tours are available. 

 

Skagway is a scenic little town. We'd booked a zipline adventure with Grizzly Falls. They treated my 75 year old mom with kid gloves and she had a blast. There were at least ten lines on the route and the scenery was spectacular. S'mores around a fire after the ziplining before we headed back to town.

Also in Skagway we ate a late lunch at Skagway Brewing Co. The ship's singing and dancing troupe were also dining there, and it was entertaining to see them letting their hair down.

 

I hope you have lots of excursion options!

 

Ed

[Cdresser]

Sign up for Celebrity emails in order to get the MoveUp bid offer. It usually comes out about 60 days before but sometimes you can get it sooner by checking through the website. The offer will give you minimum bids for various rooms - sometimes a good deal and sometimes not. It will also show a bid range and have a meter to tell you whether your bid is weak or strong. I wouldn't put too much stock in the meter. I had a bid accepted that was just over the minimum and another time I put in a strong bid but didn't get it because there weren't any of the rooms I bid for available (they will put out offers even for categories that are sold out because sometimes there are last minute cancelations). It varies when they start accepting/rejecting bids but usually around 4 weeks out. With the ability now for people to cancel 48 hours out, I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of last minute bid acceptances. Good luck!

[alcpa1]

Lucky you,

We were supposed to board an Alaska sailing today.

There is lots of great Alaska information on the Ports of Call forums. 

I'd definitely suggest you plan a whale watching excursion. The last time we were there you could not get this excursion from Hoonah (Icy Straits) but I think you can do one there. It's a great stop for wildlife but if you want a little more "cosmopolitan" day think Ketchikan or Juneau.

Think layers when you select your wardrobe. Shoes and outerwear should be waterproof, not water resistant. Waterproof clothes gave us the freedom to saunter off to Tracy's Crab Shack while our sailing buddies ran back to the ship to dry off. 

I doubt if you can get up to Emerald Lake from Skagway because it is in Canada so the train might be an option there. You can self book the train and will get a better car. The terminal is not far from the docks. And, if you are docked near the helicopter port you may experience a wind tunnel affect. Bundle up!

Alaska is addictive. Enjoy your first trip.

[NonnaTLC]

Thank you All!

We are arriving in Fairbanks the Monday before we board Millie to drive to Denali, then plan to work our way down to Seward by Thursday. (Ship boards on Friday) We did book a seaplane tour to dogsled, but nothing else so far.  I plan to look into the other tours you mentioned.  It is my understanding that once on board we can only do Celebrity sanctioned/arranged tours.  We will probably only have the Alaska opportunity once, so want to take full advantage of our time there.  

And thanks for the tip about waterproofing!  

Sparkle on!

ETA, I'm very close to your mom's age!  Zip lining is definitely on my bucket list!

NonnaTLC 

Edited May 30, 2021 by NonnaTLC
added

[NonnaTLC]

11 hours ago, lobsternight said:

We have done Alaska many times, nothing wrong with ocean view.  We do balconies now, and won't do inside anymore.  You are right in that May will probably be chilly, so pack many layers.  Definitely go on deck for the glaciers. Lots of good excurions to choose from, though some can be quite expensive.  Would suggest Taku lodge salmon bake out of Juneau, if not, get some fresh king crab at Tracy's Crab shack then head over for a Duck Fart at the Red Dog Saloon. Will agree that Millenium Class ships are the perfect size.

We have a balcony, will we need to go on deck to see the glaciers, or will our balcony be perfect?  

[Glendakayself]

The Whitepass train tours out of Skagway are wonderful. We usually take a bus one way and a train the other. 

 

As far as the glaciers go, you will be able to see well from your balcony. The captains usually do a complete turn of the ship in the bay, so everyone gets a great view. I have not looked at the offered tours for next year, but we had booked a cruise line tour to get on a small boat and motor around the ice floes and glacier at Hubbard Glacier for cancelled 2020 and 2021 cruises on Millie.

 

The first 8 M-class forward balconies on deck 6 have double-sized balconies and are the lowest priced balconies. The best of these "Sweet Sixteen" balconies are 6030 and 6035--both are currently available on Millie for May 13.

 

I think the last CDC guidelines stated that shore excursions can now be taken with private companies or on your own depending on the local requirements. It is changing daily, as the COVID situation changes rapidly in the US. Hoping that it is all opened up by 2022 spring/summer Alaska cruises!

Edited May 30, 2021 by Glendakayself

[NonnaTLC]

"As far as the glaciers go, you will be able to see well from your balcony. The captains usually do a complete turn of the ship in the bay, so everyone gets a great view."

 

WOW, so happy!

Thank you!

 

 

[dkjretired]

5 hours ago, NonnaTLC said:

We have a balcony, will we need to go on deck to see the glaciers, or will our balcony be perfect?  

Unless your balcony is aft, I would go up on deck as there may be wildlife visible on the other side you won’t see. Celebrity will have a naturalist on board doing a play by play.

Also, to the OP, shore excursions in Alaska are generally pricey.

Edited May 30, 2021 by dkjretired

[NonnaTLC]

@dkjretired

We are in cabins 1115 and 1117, that was part of the whole point in booking those balcony rooms.  We can go to the deck of course, but I thought because of the crowds visibility would be poor.

[Jazzbo]

We went many years ago on the Celebrity  Century — our first Celebrity Cruise. We did a Celebrity excursion in Juneau. It was a visit to Mendenhall Glacier followed by whale-watching on a comfortable boat with a naturalist onboard. We saw a lot of wildlife, and the best was getting really close to a pod of humpback whales and watching them bubble-net. The pod circles a school of fish and “nets” them in bubbles (from their blowholes, I think). Then one of the humpbacks (the matriarch first) dives down and the comes up through the circle, capturing lots of fish in its mouth. It was magical!

I definitely would take a rain parka and water proof hiking boots. And like everyone says, lots of layers.

[CoatRackOfDoom]

The Celebrity ships have a great view but can only get so close. A pair of binoculars are handy for closer looks. 🙂

[lobsternight]

46 minutes ago, NonnaTLC said:

@dkjretired

We are in cabins 1115 and 1117, that was part of the whole point in booking those balcony rooms.  We can go to the deck of course, but I thought because of the crowds visibility would be poor.

I found that the visibility on deck was not too bad. You are there for a good length of time, so I walk and enjoy the deck, and then finish off on my balcony.  Hint: on glacier day they put out nice cozy fleece blankets around pool deck.  I go early and grab some, then return later for the    viewing.  Also last X cruise they were serving hot consume on deck as well as hot chocolate.  Found it very satisfying.

[NCHPcruiser]

We loved our Millennium Alaska cruise about four years ago.  It was about our eighth time on board a Celebrity ship (first M class)  and it was by far the most casual of all.  There were also many multi-generational family groups.   Loved the cruise, but we thought it had a different vibe than our usual Celebrity cruise.  

[NonnaTLC]

"And it was by far the most casual of all:.

 

We are eating in Blu almost every night, can the gents wear jeans and a pressed flannel shirt tucked in?  Or do they need something a bit dressier?  I am trying to pack as little as possible.   I can always pack pretty scarves for over my Turtlenecks, but the guys are more limited.  

 

[keels81]

7 hours ago, Glendakayself said:

As far as the glaciers go, you will be able to see well from your balcony. The captains usually do a complete turn of the ship in the bay, so everyone gets a great view. I have not looked at the offered tours for next year, but we had booked a cruise line tour to get on a small boat and motor around the ice floes and glacier at Hubbard Glacier for cancelled 2020 and 2021 cruises on Millie.

 

I watched the glaciers from the hot tub in the Solarium on the Solstice - so I definitely recommend that! 🤣

[alcpa1]

Jeans are fine in Blu. The only time I have witnessed the maitre 'd refuse entrance was for a passenger with holes in their jeans. Regular jeans and any collared shirt, turtleneck or dressy pullover are perfectly appropriate.