Cruising with Celebrity through Alaska was everything we hoped for and more!

Every aspect of our cruise met and in most cases exceeded our expectations. The Specialty Restaurants were excellent and provided a nice diversion from the dining room. Food quality and presentation in the Specialty Restaurants was above par and a noticeable notch up from the dining room and menu. We never once used Room Service. Staff engagement was very good and noticeably different for some in the beginning however as the 7 night cruise unfolded we found staff friendlier and more engaging. The ship and activities were very good. We loved the Glass blowing exhibits, art gallery/auctions, wine tastings, and most of the entertainment. Comedians were both great. The "Circ" like performances were great and the Solstice talent did an outstanding job. Bret the environmentalist was outstanding and obviously very passionate little out there but does a great job with keeping a listener interested, knows his stuff and is amusing to say the least. He shined through when we went Tracy Arm as we listened from our veranda his tutorial. And the Lady in Red did an outstanding job of sharing historical stories and tales of the Gold Rush era. Weather/ice did not permit us to go farther into Tracy Arm and unfortunately a tragic accident occurred in Ketchikan the week prior and no Flight Plain excursions were being offered due to the accident. We found this out through the media when we arrived in Seattle and received a note of cancellation when we arrived on the ship. The operations side of the ship is extremely fascinating, Celebrity Team in general does an outstanding job coordinating, keeping to schedule and trying to be everything to everyone which is not an easy task. Our accommodations (7350) were comfortable, clean and the veranda made all the difference in the world. That additional space made a huge difference and we would not cruise especially Alaska without a veranda/balcony. Our stewards did an excellent job; they were kind and caring as my husband fell ill and they had to adjust to him in bed for two of the days. Ship's shopping was good, casino was suitable however we did not spend  much time in there for some reason. We have always cruised Royal Caribbean and was drawn towards Celebrity because of the demographics: not too old not too young.  Felt like a hotel/resort more than a cruise which we liked. Not too many children which we really liked. Love kids but this particular cruise and time for us we were kid-free. There should be a kid-free zone upheld when in the spa sanctuary pool and area so quiet is respected and observed. Embarking and Disembarking was efficient, customs a breeze and apparent security was a priority to be upheld.  Booked through a 3rd party (travel agent) however would not do that moving forward. Not necessary nor a benefit in my mind. Perhaps if cruising International so they hep with unknowns however it appeared to me there was a gap where information did not flow through to Celebrity and I was not certain who owned our reservation. We had to go back and forth and initially we were restricted from booking excursions and upgrades from Celebrity, could not go direct which I did not like. That was my only hang up with the trip.