AVOID THE DISCOVER SHOPPING BOOK on the Celebrity Cruises - it's a waste of money! (Note that ALL shops described in the presentation and the books have PAID FOR THEIR representation. This is noted is very small print in the book but not in the presentation.) Thus, there's a conflict of interest that the presenter doesn't tell you about and you're lead to believe that these are the "best places" to shop. Fooey! When booking excursions, think about what you can do where you live and what can only be done in Alaska. I went on a fishing excursion - this was cool but was only about 2.5 hours of fishing and really only one of the five on board was fishing at a time. The skipper did everything except reel in the fish. Not quite what I expected. I could have done this in California. Oh, and sending Salmon home? Yep, there's an $80 minimum charge and then $4.50/lb over 17lbs. The whale watching was nice, but we could also do that in California. We should have taken a trip to the dog sleds or halo over a glacier. People who did these trips said they were amazing. We boarded the ship just before noon. This was great because there was no line - we walked right through! Our bags arrived earlier than most others too. I like the fact that Celebrity hasn't made the service tipping a mandatory item as other cruise lines have. Our waiter was "ok," but not very friendly. His assistant was wonderful. Thus, we adjusted their tips accordingly. The ship was very clean and we had no problems with any of the services on board, save the Discover Shopping book. (We requested our money back and it was refunded on the last day.) We noticed that many excursions are offered in port for quite a bit less than through Celebrity. Be careful though - Celebrity will wait to leave port if one of their excursions is late but won't wait if you booked through someone else and are running late. Nightly sushi bar was fantastic! Drink prices are about normal but include a 15% gratuity. You need to know this because if you hand the server a tip after delivering the drinks, they don't inform you that you've already tipped them on the bill. :( Our stateroom attendant was great and went well beyond the normal. Children are supposed to stay out of certain areas but that wasn't the case. For example, a couple of the spas are adults only, but we never found them without children in them. The navigator club at night also had children running around. Hubbard glacier was gorgeous! We got in real close and were able to stay and watch for a while. The Seapass card allows for cashless purchased throughout the cruise. This was great because we didn't have to carry cash or credit cards. Only wish we could have a nightly report on the TV if needed. Internet access and wireless is available for an outrageous $0.75/minute (or less in bulk.) You can download digital pictures for free onto their computers and then burn a CD of them for $15. (For twice that price, you can buy a 512mb card for your camera.) All-in-all, we had a great time and this was by far the best vacation we've ever had.

Embarkation with Celebrity Cruises, Mercury in Vancouver was effortless. we parked about a block away from the terminal and were assisted with bags, etc. Reasonable parking prices. Good security.
Once aboard, we were upgraded to a window room, which we much appreciated in Alaska, as we were never out of sight of land. The views were magnificnet. For Caribbean and Mexican cruises we have always found inside rooms to be more than sufficient. Ship was clean and well-maintained. Children were corralled and entertained with a number of programs and very rarely consitiuted a nuisance. Activities were numerous and seemed to be well-attended and efficiently organized. The poolside activities were low key and did not intrude on relaxation poolside.
Entertainment was the usual cruise ship fare with production numbers, singers, a magician/ventriloquist. Etc. Not my cup of tea, but my fellow cruisers seemed to enjoy it all immensely.
The food service was wonderful, and in comparison to the ten other cruises we have taken, quite a cut above. The dining room staff was primarily Eastern European and very attentive and professional. Alternative dining, at a minimal extra cost and necessitating reservations, was available each evening in a nice dining section in an inside/outside poolside area.
The buffet dining room forward had unobstructed wide views of the sea around us and it was a nice place for quiet coffee and conversation at non-peak times.
While it seems trivial, the dark blue and white color scheme of the ships exterior seemed to blend well with the Alaskan landscape.
Other public rooms were attractively furnished and decorated for quiet reading or for a drink and conversation as appropriate. The casino was spacious but did not intrude on the rest of the ship. All the bar staff were friendly and informed.
In all, this was one of the finest ships on which we have traveled, and I would certainly recommend it.
The ports orf Juneau and Ketchikan were primarily tourist areas, at least in the port section. Sitka was less so, and much more interesting as a typical small Alaskan town. Some recommended shore excursions for those who cannot afford the $150 to $250 charges to go flying off in a helo or bush plane to see the glaciers:
1. Mendenhal;l Glacier and Salmon Bake tour at Juneau. Beautiful vistas of the glacier without getting your feet wet, just outside town, followed by a Salmon Bake at a little compound specially built for that purpose. Covered eating areas if there is a storm, openpit salmon bake and barbecued ribs, followed by live entertainment with an Alaskan flavor. visit the nearby falls, a short walk from the bake area. See salmon crowding the stream, in August at least.
2. The Silver Fjord Salmon Hatchery tour in Sitka. Take a cruise along many miles of fjord lined by misty mountains with bald eagles soaring around. The salmon hatchery is very interesting and gives one the experience of seeing how salmon are farm raised and restocked in the sea. Dress warmly and carry a rain slicker.
You might be able to get a slightly better price on the
The weather in Juneau and Ketchikan was very warm in Augusat , shorts and t-shirt weather. I enjoyed Sitka most primarily because the mist and colouds made it seem more like the "Alaska" I had expected. Next time we'll travel in May.