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Live from the Eclipse in Alaska Redux (7/31/22)

abbydancer2003

By abbydancer2003,
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abbydancer2003 "Live from...." Rare

abbydancer2003

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LauraS
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"Thanks for generously sharing your time at sea with everyone at Cruise Critic!"

abbydancer2003 was awarded the badge '"Live from...."' and 5 points.

And I'm back.  Yes, same ship, almost the same itinerary.  However different people, and different room category.

 

This thread should have been Live from the Eclipse 8/02/2020.  We all know how 2020 went, so it's been lifted and shifted twice.   And at last, we're going.

 

My sister and I do a Caribbean cruise every summer.  We started in 2017, and alternated Eastern and Western.  In 2019, I suggested we go to Alaska, and we booked the Eclipse for the same week (first week August every year).  A couple of months later, our friends Mike and Kathy decided to book with us. So our group is me, my sister Beth and Mike & Kathy who have shown up on my live froms before.  We're all arriving today, with M&K this morning and me and Beth tonight.  She's on her way from New York, and I'm at SFO waiting for my flight, and chatting with my assistant waiter from last cruise on Facebook.

 

This time we're in Sky Suites.  When Covid it, and people started canceling in 2020, I moved us to the S1 on deck 11 that's next to the S2.  M&K went to the S2.  When we rebooked for 21, we were in the same arrangement on deck 12.  When 21 started looking doubtful, we moved to 22 and got the deck 11 suites back.  And so that's where we'll be.

 

We've all done our Covid test, but a couple weeks ago, after our last cruise, I did a negative test, then a few days later a very faint positive line (which may have been a false) and 30 hours later a negative.  I freaked out a little, so I got a Certificate of Recovery (those who were with me last time remember that it was a rebook from a missed May cruise).  I did test today with my proctored test because I have a lot of them, and it was negative.  Everyone else had a negative as well.  With B5, I was a little stressed about them, because I really didn't want to do this cruise by myself.

 

I'm meeting Beth in Vancouver airport, she'll arrive about 40 minutes after me.  Our original plan was to meet at the airport Marriott and take the air train to the port area and stay at the Pinnacle the second night, but about a month ago she broke her ankle, so air train isn't a good option.  So we're meeting and then cabbing to the Pinnacle.  We'll see Mike and Kathy tomorrow.  If anything interesting happens tonight,  I'll update, otherwise, next post tomorrow night most likely.

 

 

 

So, I'll finish my initial post with this - i thought about just cutting and pasting some changes on the previous one - change Glen for Beth, Blu for Luminae, and Sitka for Icy Straight, but somehow I don't think that would be terribly accurate. So it's all new and probably somewhat different.

 

 

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kstetser

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We are sailing with you on Sunday.  I've always enjoyed your posts and you were very helpful to me.  I hope you have a great cruise.  This is our first on Celebrity, so we pretty much have no idea what we are doing, but I assume we will figure it out!  If you see a middle aged lady with red hair and a teen with green hair - that will be us (Kathi and Carina)!

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asnaleah "Live from...." Rare

asnaleah

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Thank you for keeping us up to date! I’m very interested in your S1 on deck 11. We just booked it for Dec, 2023 and I’d love to see some photos if you have time and the WiFi permits! Thanks!

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gardenbunny

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We are doing this cruise Aug 21.  Will enjoy reading  about everything you share.  First time on Eclipse and only 3rd Celebrity.  Really excited - have not been in Alaska since August 1999!

We have previously done short cruise to Nassau on Constellation back in 2015 and Summit to Bermuda in 2018.

 

Note:  We got off RCI  Oasis of Seas mid July and tested positive a few days aftr getting home.  We will also be getting a LofR.

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edgee

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We just got off the Eclipse today (July 31) as you were getting on.  Did it big time...first time in a Royal Suite. We have cruised over 50 times...more than 10 times on Celebrity. The entire crew provided an over the top level of service, courtesy and friendliness. I know you will enjoy it....especially dining in Luminae. Entertainment was terrific. Our only issue was condition of the ship. IMHO it REALLY needs to be updated. Carpet moldy...mildew smells esp in gym and Deck 4 between Celler Masters and Casino. Hope it is first in line when they resume Revolutionizing the S and M class ships. Look forward to following your voyage! (I do hope your weather is better than ours...always a crap shoot in Alaska!

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abbydancer2003 "Live from...." Rare

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To finish up last night (now a couple of nights ago), my flight was a bit early, and the immigration line was short (I moved fairly quickly through the terminal.  Went to the baggage claim and waited.  And waited.  It took  about 50 minutes.  As I was exiting customs, I got a test from Beth that the were taxiing.  So, I thought about waiting in baggage claim, but it was hot and crowded, so I decided to go to the meeting area.

 

That was also crowded, so I went upstairs to the food court.  Long story short, they had a technical problem with the Jet Blue luggage (I think that’s code for not enough baggage handlers), and it took approximately 1 hour and about 35 minutes from landing to baggage delivery.  In the meantime, I’d contacted the hotel to let them know that we wouldn’t be arriving at 11 as I thought, but between 11 and 12.  Then I contacted them again to say after midnight.   

 

Once she got her bags, we had to get to our hotel downtown.  We first looked at Uber, but that was about 75.00.  So we got in the cab line.  I left Beth with the bags, which was a bit of a challenge for her as she’s still using a crutch.  It turns out that a cab was about half that price, so we decided to wait in the cab line. It moved fairly quickly and we got a very nice driver who did tell us that it would be easy to get a cab from the hotel Sunday morning, and that Vancouver was a pretty safe city.

 

We arrived at the hotel and were quickly checked in.  We had a room on a hight floor, and while not the spectacular corner rooms that Glen and I had, (those rooms have a king bed, not two doubles) from the corner we could see the harbor a bit.

 

Since it was after midnight, and neither of us had dinner, we decided to go to the only open restaurant in walking distance.  A & W.  We had their Whistler dogs and small rootbeers.  Well, the rootbeer was good.

 

After that, back to the hotel and bed.

 

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abbydancer2003 "Live from...." Rare

abbydancer2003

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Day 2 Vancouver

 

We woke up in time for breakfast around 10.  It was the standard Marriott buffet breakfast.  After a text exchange with M&K, we agreed that we’d meet at their hotel (Pan Pacific) at 12:45.  We had decided we needed some stuff at a drug store, and we found a Rexall nearby, so at about 11:45 we decided to head out, go to the store and then to Canada Place.

 

I tried using google maps to get to the drug store, but we couldn’t find it.  There was a nail salon about where we thought it should be, so we asked the cashier there about it.  She said it was close, and actually walked out of the salon and showed where to go downstairs in the waterfront center to it.  It was only somewhat successful.  Beth wanted an Ace Bandage for her foot, but it turns out Canadians don’t use them, so no luck.  I’d only brought one pair of reading glasses and a sense popped out in SFO.  I got it back in, but wanted a back up pair.  That was successful, and Beth got a couple of other things, but we are still in search of an ace bandage.

 

We still had some time, so we walked over to Canada Place, and walked along the Canada walk (for lack of a better term).  That’s ground level, above the cruise check in, where along the ground are plaques (also for lack of a better term), for each province, and plaques for cities and towns in them.  Midway through, there was a tent set up, with a couple of young men running a Canada match game.  It was a wooden board with the provinces marked but not labeled, and with velcro.  On the side were a bunch of wood squares with velcro on the back, and the names of the Provences on the back.  In addition, there were squares with pictures of things the province was famous for.  The idea was to match them all up.  We didn’t do too bad, ie, we got provinces in the west and east on the right sider of the country, and got several of the landmarks correct.  They gave us Canada Place pencils as a reward.

 

After that, and looking at both ships in port (random holland America and Majestic Princess) it was time to meet M&K, so we headed to the hotel.  Mike brought us up to the room, where we completed ArriveCan round 2. 

 

He needed to go to the drug store, so I walked out with hime, and walked him through the luggage drop and checkin process.  It’s confusing if you’ve never done it before.  He then headed to Rexall and I went back up to the room.

 

 Following that, we walked to De Dutch, a dutch pancake place along the water.  This weekend was AniRevo - an anime convention at the convention center, so lots of young people in costume running around the area.  

 

After lunch, we went back, dropped them back at their room, and we went back to our hotel until it was time to meet for dinner.  I, of course, did one of the final 3 labs for my class.

 

At about 7:45, we headed out and walked to the Keg, about .4 miles away - it’s a steakhouse chain in Canada, that used to be in the Seattle area.  We had a lovely dinner, and I enjoyed a great prime rib.

 

When we walked back, apparently there had been a firework show, so lots of people milling about.

 

We made it back in one piece, and then went to bed for our last precruise sleep.

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abbydancer2003 "Live from...." Rare

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Thanks all.  And to the person who asked, if you don't like it, don't read it.  No one is forcing you to.

 

Anyway, let's get to the actual cruise, shall we?

 

Day 3 - Boarding

 

Finally, it’s boarding day.  We got up a little earlier, since I figured there would be a bit of a wait for breakfast based on my last experience.

 

We dressed, and packed up.  I was ready before Beth so I went down to put our name in.  I went back up, and realized my key had stopped working.  I ended up on 25, realized that I’d forgotten the vouchers for breakfast.  I was about to text her to bring them, when I got a text that she was on her way down.  So back to floor one.  I grabbed her key and went up for the vouchers.

 

Our table was ready so we had breakfast, and then went to grab our bags.  It was about 10:15 when we got to the lobby.  Normally, I walk the 6 or so blocks to the port, but with Beth having a boot and a crutch, we decided to take a cab.  The bell staff quickly called a cab, and away we went.

 

The cab drop off is very different than the walk drop off.  You go to the bottom parking lot, where there are baggage drops for each ship, as well as booths for getting tags.  Once you drop the bag, you head to the elevator, which takes you up to the check in level.  We were quickly checked in and got our orange ticket.  It was green last time.  It simply to help you get to the right ship (and Beth and I were once on a shuttle with a group not sure what ship they were on.). From there, exit, down the escalator to security.  

 

When the security staff saw Beth with the crutch, they let us use the crew lane, and go ahead of the group of crew boarding.  We then went through the global entry line, and got to the gangway entrance.  At the entrance, when we said we were in a suite, we were introduced to the retreat concierges, Mike and Jairo, both from Mexico.  Mike walked us up the gangway, and pointed us to the elevator, and told us to get off at deck 11.  It was about 10:58 at 

 

We went to the room,  which of course was not ready.  So we dropped our carry ons and headed to Michaels Club.  We met the concierges again, as well as the very nice and amusing bartender from Japan.  We first had water, and then asked for a weak mimosa.  They were delivered with a smile.

 

In the meantime we’d started getting updates from Mike and Kathy that the were progressing through check in.  They headed directly to the spa to set up Kathy’s appointments,  

 

I had a nice surprise when I asked one of the concierges about  getting a plalette cleanser, and he said to ask the Maitre’d of Luminae, Aurica.  Aurica has been the head of Luminae on the Equinox forever.  She has both US and Romanian citizenship, and lives in Florida I think.

 

At about 1pm we decided it was time for lunch.  Mike said he’d join us.  So Beth and I went down, and sure enough it was indeed Aurica, who’d been our Maitre’d on the Equinox both last October, and in 2018, when Beth and I were in a sky suite.

 

She seated us at a table to wait for Mike and I had another nice surprise - the person pouring our water was Ali, our assistant waiter from the Equinox.  And he was now a waiter.  He was an excellent assistant, so I was pleased that he’d been promoted.  Mike soon joined us, and we ordered lunch.  We had our usual half Luminae burgers, and enjoyed it.  Mike left at 2 to join Kathy, and we headed to the room and to our first Coffee at Al Baccio.  Because we hadn’t had dessert,  Mike joined us soon after when Kathy went back to the spa.

 

We had some eclairs and conversation, and then Mike headed off.  We went back to the room, and on the way, saw one of Beth’s bags (her small one) on the wrong door.  We grabbed it and mentioned to the luggage guys that they’d put it in the wrong place.  I saw our other bags in the hall, so I grabbed mine, and took it back to the room and unpacked.

 

We decided to go to the Sky Lounge for sailaway.  We sat up there for a while, enjoyed going under the bridge, and watched for a while.  Back to the room for Beth to unpack, and more watching from the balcony.  We also met our butler Jamal.  Jamal is from the Kingdom of Morocco, and very interesting to talk to.

 

We then dressed for dinner (I always do), and headed out.  We decided to stop by the Effy store to get the lockets that on the last cruise I left behind.  We wanted to get one for Kathy, but they said she’d have to get it in person, so we’ll bring her tomorrow.

 

It was then around 8:20 so we decided to head to Luminae and wait for them.  Aurica told us we could wait at our table.  I asked if Ali could be our waiter for whole cruise, and she of course.  

 

Mike had told us that Kathy would be done at 8:10, but at about 8:35 he texted that she was still in the chair but would be done soon.  So we waited.  Last time on the Equinox, Glen and I waited and we’d already started by the time they arrived.  However at 8:48, they said they were on their way, and arrived soon after.  

 

Dinner was a nice affair.  I couldn’t decide between the Burrata and the tomato soup, so I had both, as did Kathy.  We also both had the filet mignon.  It was all excellent and I finished with a brown butter pear.  We closed the restaurant down.

 

After dinner Beth and I decided to watch most of Into the Wild, the movie made from Jon Krukauer’s book about Chris McCandless.  He was the person who went into the Alaska wilderness unprepared, and dies in an abandoned city bus near Healy Alaska.  Maybe they’re showing it to discourage us from going off on our own.

 

After that, bed time.

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