Do look at the weather reports prior to your Alaska Cruise, it makes all the difference in packing. We were blessed to have cloudless, sunny skies every day of our cruise and it got very warm. Previous reviews were correct in the attire for evening meals. We saw everything from jeans and Tshirts (even on formal night), to hats worn at breakfast. Captain Tasos made the cruise even more memorable with his daily report and his presentation of the building of the Solstice. We will definitely sail with Celebrity again. The reviews you read about a worn carpet here, a tattered towel there don't really matter. You are in Alaska, and if you are focused on all the negative stuff you will miss the glory and grandeur of Alaska.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were Aqua Class and from the transfer from the hotel to boarding the ship took less than 30 minutes. We went up to deck 12 and found some comfortable chairs around the pool until our rooms were ready. Food and drinks readily available.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Four nights we ate meals in Blu, our assigned restaurant. Three nights we ate at the buffet. Blu has delicious meals prepared in smaller, but well presented portions. Our waiter, Ernie and sommelier, Annga took excellent care of us. One of our group was vegetarian and Ernie always gave her a special menu to look over, and adjust to her liking for the next day's meal. We ate in the buffet on the days we had excursions and returned late. All food was plentiful, flavorful and the dining staff saw to your every need.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We participated in bingo one afternoon and went to one show at night. Captain Tasos gave a presentation on the building of the Solstice which was thoroughly entertaining. The enrichment lectures were well done. Our excursions were early so we usually did not make it to the evening shows.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Comedian on the first night was just so-so, never saw any of the other shows.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Every crew member had a ready smile and a quick "good morning!" or "good afternoon!"
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Every one worked diligently to keep the ship clean and spotless. The bathrooms were always clean and tidy.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Ship tip
We never felt overcrowded. The availability of food and beverage was easily accessible. You could be as busy as you want or just relax in quiet nooks and crannies on most decks.
We tried to take a float plane ride to Misty Fjords through Island Wings but the fog/low cloud cover would not allow us to. Instead , Michelle and Randy recommended they fly us to an island to do bear viewing which turned out to be just a wonderful option. We saw 3 bear, eagles and just had a wonderful afternoon. I just cannot recommend Island Wings enough.
We went whale watching through Alaska Galore Tours and had an epic time! The captain of the Rip Tide informed us that we were not to get our hopes up for Orcas because they only showed up about 10% of the time. We saw one orca 10 mintues later, whales lunge feeding for about 20 mintues, another pod of orcas on the way back and some seals sleeping on a buoy. When the ship returned to the dock, the captain pointed out an eagle in the top of a tree right next to the dock as well as the nest right below the eagle.
We rode the Skagway Haines Fast Ferry from Skagway to Haines to ride a boat down the Chilkhat River Eagle Preserve. Sadly, the eagles did not know to show up, but we did get to observe two female moose grazing in a field.
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