Infinity review July 23-30

[chily3]

"""""Me and my Mom had a great time!! Two big thumbs up for Celebrity! The staff went out of their way to help us out at every turn. :) Unfortunately, I don't think people want to hear good news about someone's cruise. I just thought I'd share.""""

 

Donna

Thanks very much for the good news, which is always appreciated. :):)

[bonbon663]

Wow, what a reflief BonBon - I'm so happy everything went well for you - and you kept a good attitude through any little rough spots - maybe it helps to be a first time cruiser ? ! We are really looking forward to our first cruise next year - and we are getting dressed up - my DH is taking his tux !! Did you meet up with any fellow posters from CC - wasn't 'minniemom' on your cruise ? Did you only take the Bonine (sp?) on the days you felt sick or every day 'just in case' ? did you enjoy the ports - any special notes you want to pass on - any shop in particular that I should look for ? happy planning - get started on that 2nd cruise !!!!!

 

I didn't meet up with minniemom, which was really unfortunate, I think I gave her my room number wrong, so, she probably went and knocked on some strangers' door. I took the Bonine (Bonamine in Canada) every day. I have heard here not to wait till we got sick. It worked like a charm. The stores on Creek Street in Ketchikan were the nicest. The others had a lot of touristy stuff. The Creek St. ones weren't affiliated with the cruise ships, and had authentic stuff in them. There were some very nice shops on the ship too, I bought a nice necklace and earring set for 10.00. Obviously costume jewelry, but I got compliments nontheless.

[bonbon663]

I sail on the Infinity Sep 13, and like you, I have been following all of the posts regarding every aspect of this ship and of the cruise itself. I read your comments and concerns, and I am SO GLAD that you kept in touch with all of us as long as you did. Like so many others who read your prior posts, I kept watch on the webcams. You stated that the weather wasn't great...did you mean that you hit rain, or was it cold? I have read that September is the start of the rainy season, so I know we will hit some rain (one of the risks of sailing this late in the season). Don't really care though because I am bound and determined to have a great time! :p

 

While I have read and heard some negative comments, and some downright scary comments, I have also heard a lot of great ones too. No trip, vacation, or cruise is ever perfect. I believe that one's attitude has much to do with the success of the trip. And yours is tops!

 

Thanks for sharing your comments, and I do have a question: you said the ship was rocking and rolling. What cabin were you in, and was it felt in your cabin? Throughout the ship? Any specific day (cruising inside passage, hubbard glacier, or where).

 

Glad you had a great time...I've been looking for your post since your cruise ended!

 

 

Sorry for the double post earlier. The ship was really rocking from Vancouver to Sitka, pretty calm after that. Even some crew members were commenting on it. Was really fun in heels. :D We were in cabin 6092 which was pretty much middle of the ship. So, not too much motion compared to some. I found the motion really literally rocked me to sleep. The weather was cold and rainy for much of the cruise. Ketchikan was the only sunnny day. In Sitka, I was wearing a t shirt, sweatshirt, fleece jacket, and a raincoat, and was comfortable in that. There is so many more details I have to share. I liked so much of it. At the glacier, they were walking around handing out bowls of soup in bread bowls. Nice touch I thought.

[Jim_Iain]

Donna,

Really happy to hear you had such a nice trip. I was worried for you after reading all of your posts when the problems on Infinity started popping up.

 

I think that a first cruise is so important to your journey to addiction.

 

A glass can either be half empty or half full. I am glad that you had a full glass.

 

Jim:)

[soooo excited!]

just wanted to say thanks for posting back and answering questions - much appreciated. I've read that it's tough getting back to reality after a cruise - cooking and cleaning - not looking forward to that part of it ! LOL !!!!!

[bonbon663]

Tell me about it!! I've been home 3 nights, and not one mint on my pillow!

[Steppin Out]

We got chocolates! And I totally agree that the rocking made us sleepy - I think it is an innate response from infancy.

 

I haven't even finished unpacking because the temperature here is a sweltering 36° C (with humidex ~ 42°; 97° - 110° F) and I have had to retreat to the air conditioned home of my parents! I could barely see straight. Oh to be standing next to the Hubbard Glacier again! I agree that the pea soup in the pumpernickel bowls was a really nice touch and quite delicious. I think it would have been nice to also have had a vegetarian choice for those with food limitations.

 

Yes, Sitka was by far the nicest of the three ports. A charming, tiny little town, I could not stop the theme from "Northern Exposure" from running through my head; I kept waiting for the moose. We walked most of the central area in less than an hour (including shopping). The stores here were lovely and carried really high quality items from local artisans, Alaska, and Russia - ranging in price from inexpensive to tens of thousands of dollars (some of the glass, the 35 piece dolls, etc)

 

Juno was extremely touristy, but we really didn't get a chance to venture farther from the port area for exploration on foot or shopping (this is where we went whale watching and to the Mendenhall glacier). There are two or three really great galleries of local artisans farther down the main strip worth checking out. The sashimi was good!

 

Ketchikan is much more industrial - and quite interesting. The buildings along the main strip highway are all built with their front to the water - so only the rear is visible from the road. It boasts the world's smallest Wal-Mart - supplies are extremely limited here as they only get deliveries about every 3 days or so and stores often run out of product, especially perishable and fresh foods. They had their first sunny day in weeks when we were there (our bus driver said they had had about 15 days of sun in the last 3-4 months) - an invocation from my mother for her birthday as she insisted on singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" at dinner the night before! I still wore a turtleneck and sweater.

[uktog]

Bonbon

Thanks for your review and for keeping people updated when you were onboard. The key thing was you went on holiday to enjoy yourself, not to find fault and I am so glad you and your mum were rewarded with the lovely trip you deserved. On you go now, get some more cruises booked - it is addictive :)

[Goofyisme]

Two informative well rounded reviews what a change from the norm here lately. I am so glad you both enjoyed your cruise even with the few issues. Happy sailing in the future.

[bonbon663]

I can't wait to go on another cruise. The problem is my husband has no interest, so, unless I can talk a friend into it, I'll be paying a BIG single supplement.:mad:

[florisdekort]

Great review. I am sure you must be able to talk a friend into it, or to convince your husband to go explore a different part of the world. Some place warm maybe? ;)

[soooo excited!]

Just thought I'd share with you how I got my husband to agree to try a cruise: 1st, he knows many in his office who cruise and one male co-worker told him that he went on the cruise only because his wife wanted him to and was really surprised that he actually liked it - that got me part way there - then, I started doing some research - came up with Alaska - salmon fishing - my DH loves fishing/fly fishing - it was a done deal !!! so if you know of any guys who went on cruises - get them to talk it up - or, find a cruise/ports that might hold some special interest for him ??? short of that - get a friend to go with you - he'll eventually get jealous and want to go too !!

[Host Anne]

Donna ~ Whew ... I was so hoping you would have a wonderful cruise after all the worries you went through pre-cruise. I'm so glad to hear it went well and you plan to cruise again.

Steppin Out and Wyman, along with Donna ~ I encourage you to go to the Cruise Critic reviews section and post your reviews there as well. You can cut and paste from this thread if you'd like. It's great to post your reviews there as well because members use that section as a reference long into the future.

Glad you all enjoyed your cruise.

[Cinnabel]

Well, we are finally back in Australia after also spending a week on Infinity. It is a fantastic boat and in great shape! It was a wonderful experience in Alaska and I can honestly say the changes to the itinerary did not affect us as the only excursion we had was in Juneau and it was booked on the ship.

Our embarkation - we were 5 people travelling independently - was smooth. We had arranged to stay at the Fairmont Waterfront on our return from Victoria the evening before, so checked out of the hotel after a leisurely breakfast and strolled over to Canada Place Dock with our bags wheeling behind us. After having to ask a few people how to get to the baggage check-in (Note to Celebrity -- some signage at street level for independent travellers, wouldn't go astray!) and where to from there, our embarkation and customs clearance etc. was all completed in 35 minutes. We left the Waterfront at 11.15am and were on board at 11.50am with champagne in hand!!! Marvellous.

Overall, we found the staff to be very solicitous and helpful, the rooms to be very comfortable (we had a Concierge Class stateroom 8046 with the larger balcony) and we would definitely recommend this stateroom to anyone travelling Alaska. Although the weather was not warm, because of the hump and extended balcony, we were sheltered from any wind and used our balcony quite a lot throughout the whole week. I watched the wonderful spectacle of Hubbard from up on Deck 12 (near the exhaust fan from the massage rooms below, so had an updraft of lavender scented warm air for 2 hours!!!) My husband juggled between our balcony when in line with viewing for photo's and my spot of Deck 12.

 

The Thalassotherapy pool and hot tubs are a must, especially in the cooler weather. This was such a relaxing time after a day ashore. We found the most convenient time for us was around 6pm when a lot of people were at Main Dinner Sitting. We would spend an hour in the pool then go below to dress for late dinner sitting.

 

We ate most evening meals in the Trellis Restaurant and the staff there are marvellous. Our Table Waiter had a somewhat gruff manner but I think I was working him out towards the end of our trip although some of the other members of our table were not impressed! However, our Assistant Waiter was super! I am sure he was mentioned on all the guest comment cards and hopefully, remunerated sufficiently at the end of the trip.

The food was terrific and if there was not an appealing selection in a course - the staff were only too happy to suggest something you may like. Or bring multiples if you wanted a taste of each and couldn't decide!!! Our table mates were from Hawaii and they were a terrific couple celebrating their wedding anniversary. We had many wide ranging dinner discussions over the week (& shock, horror we did discuss politics and religion but didn't get a chance to touch on sex!!!)

 

We felt the Broadway production lacked a little pizzazz! It just seemed a little humdrum and tired but we did enjoy Matilda (the comedienne!), and although George Solomon was not the most brilliant singer, he did know how to work a crowd and was a genuine entertainer. The aerial duo was fabulous too!

 

One of the most terrific features of Infinity that we found was the lack of crowds in most of the public areas. These areas are so well laid out and spaced throughout the ship, that you never seem to have any trouble getting a seat or a corner or a nook for whatever you may desire. We tended to meet with our group for a pre-dinner drink in the Rendezvous lounge from 8pm and go into dinner together. We could always get a table on the non-smoking side. The same applied to the Oceanview Cafe at lunch-time. We did not have any trouble finding a table for 4 or 5 of us whenever we decided to gather.

 

The Cova Cafe Coffee is worth the price and the Aqua Spa Cafe is also a hidden gem! We could always find a plate of something to snack on, grab it and trip down the stairs to our balcony on Deck 8 in no time.

 

Overall, we had a fabulous experience and will definitely sail with X again, if given the opportunity.

I am happy to answer any questions.

[cechase]

Cinnabel thank you for a great review! Am so happy that you had a great time on Infinity.

 

We board her on September 3, 2006, and hopefully will have the same great cruise experience as you did.

[minniemom]

Hey, I really did go on the same cruise with bonbon, just didn't know where to look for her, or what she looked like. Bummer

 

 

WE had a fantastic time.

 

WE had the BEST table mates... Can't wait to go and visit them sometime in the future. They were great...

Food was good. Some meals were fantastic, and others I thought were OK.

DH, is a big guy and a big eater, so he asked for 2 steaks one night, and our server was so happy to get it for him.

WE did the gym twice. First day it was great, the second day it was sooooo rocky, I had to hold on to the treadmillso I wouldn't fall off. However, I was almost sick afterwards. I agree with you Donna, Bonine helped that one... Wish I had started earlier in the day with it. Too rocky that day and night...

 

The ports were nice. Very comercialized. Buy Diamonds....WE didn't but had a fun time looking. There were things I liked at each port, didn't do elaborate excursions, too expensive, but our table mates did, and they loved the whale watching. WE did the glacier gardens and Medenhall glaciers, it was raining but wonderfully cool.

 

WE liked the Duck tour. It was an overall tour of the city Ketchican, but we went out into the water and across the water to the other side, and saw 2 eagles up in a tree. That was fun to photograph.

I liked most of the shows. The broadway night was good I thought, the first night was good. I didn't care for the ventriliquist? I think I kept falling asleep. Didn't go to the one man show, but we loved the final night. Love the couple that does all sorts of acrobatics. WOW, they are incredible.

 

The midnight buffet was nice, but too many people. Long line to get up to see it all, then back out and in long line again to get the food, DH, gave up and went back to our room, didn't think it was worth the wait to get back in line to eat it.

I thought it was nice, but worth it??? It was beautifully presented. Would I stay up to see it again??? NOT sure.

 

Loved the sights of Alaska, it is just beautiful. I would go go go go again. Would LOVE to go again.

 

Our first X cruise,3rd cruise overall. I would do it again. It wasn't as fancy as I was worried about. DH wore a Black suit, with a white shirt, and a B&W MickeyMouse tie, he looked so great, he looked like he worked for the secret service with his 6'4" 300+ frame.

We signed up for SS dinner, but cancelled it a day ahead of time. We enjoyed our tablemates SO MUCH, and since they weren't going, we decided, we would rather sit and dine with all of them, then to be by ourselves.

 

Didn't watch TV much, didn't do much of the classes, did go to the Anniversary party, that was nice.

The gym was nice, listened to some of their health classes.

 

I just loved being with people and meeting some wonderful wonderful people. WE met so many wonderful people on the ship, I couldn't have asked for a better time.

 

Sorry I didn't meet up with BonBon though

Loved the T-pool... It was so nice and relaxing, just sorry I only went in once, it was nice.

The Veranda is a wonderful thing to have, DH LOVED that.

 

OH< one of the mostfun things we did, we went to the internet cafe, and we told our 6 CHILDREN, to look at the webcam, at 8PM one night and they could see us, so we did, and we stood in the middle and looked up at the camera and waved, and then we called them on the phone, and they got to see us... They actually saved the video footage of it, and so we saw it when we got home....

 

OH< make sure you go get the chocolate croisants on deck 4 I believe, cova cafe, they are wonderful, and warm.

 

To all of you waiting to go, enjoy every minute of it, it came and went all to quickly.

Can't wait until my next trip whenever that will be...

[Cinnabel]

Yes, minniemom, I agree with all you have said in the previous post. I took a KWELL the first night when it started to get rocky before Sitka. Then followed up with another one next morning after going up to the Constellation Lounge after breakfast. A combination of sitting backwards, the height and forward position of the lounge and the somewhat sideways swell at the time attacked me. I disappeared quietly and quickly to our cabin and took another Kwell. I was fine in about half an hour! Bought Bonine in Sitka and took one that night after sailing from Sitka but didn't feel the need to take anymore until pre-flight on the Sunday in Vancouver. I suffer from ALL forms of motion sickness!

 

Yes, the midnight buffet was spectacular! I agree about the people and we opted out of eating. Just did the tour through for photographic purposes and headed off to bed.

 

We spent quite some time people watching, especially enjoyed watching the early diners on formal nights getting their portraits done. Some beautiful clothes and every one looked so spiffy in their good gear!

 

I also liked the way the Emporium rotated their stock so that there was always something different out on "special". Sometimes, I would just go for a quiet wander around the deck and back through the shops and there was always something different to look through. Afraid I didn't buy much, but enjoyed looking!!!

 

Another thing I enjoyed was the Easy Listening and Jazz music channels on the TV. I would turn it on when waking up in the morning and leave it on all day. There was always soft music playing in the cabin - probably not important, but it just made our cabin more enjoyable.

 

All in all, a wonderful experience. Now to work out how we can fit in another cruise........

[bonbon663]

We definitely have to get together next time. I agree with both of you about the buffet. It was beautiful, but we didnt' feel like waiting in line again for eating. I did get some lovely pictures of it though.

[minniemom]

Oh, I took pictures and waited in line again to eat it.... I am not sure it was worth it. It was good, but did I need it??? NO, I was with one of the couples I sit with at night. We ate it, but I don't think I would do the wait again. It was good, but by the time we waited and ate and were through, it was 1AM... Too late for me...

 

Bonbon, did you get the picture I emailed you, you need to email me a picture, I want to see If I saw you sitting next to me, it sounds like we were in the same area for dinner......

[quahog8]

Donna,

THANKS for taking the time to keep us future passangers informed with a more ballanced report. KeyDoctor

 

bonbon,

 

As somebody who just returned from the 7/30 sailing, I want you to know how much I appreciated the time you took to post from the ship. I certainly never managed to do it, but your experiences made me far less anxious about the shape Infinity would be in when we got there.

 

She was beautiful, and -- like you -- we had a great time. Thanks for being so considerate!

 

quahog8