Celebrity Infinity Review

Infinity - Alaska

Review for Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Infinity
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sthomasa
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Aug 2006
Traveled with children

This was my fifth Celebrity Cruise and the third one to ALASKA. (previous two, Mercury--A+, A+) Seems like when I talked up the service and experience, more friends wanted to go. This time there were 20 of us in eight cabins. This was also the first time I book via a travel agent, knowing that some of the people were rather demanding and I wanted a profession in between. We booked the air and hotel through XXX and I was able to get the PAN PACIFIC hotel included the day before and after for about the regular price of the air. What a great hotel! You can throw a rock and hit the ships (don't do it) and it's a elevator ride down to the cruise terminal, Canada Place. The Pan Pacific took care of the luggage. Same on the return, just handed it to the bellman at the cruise terminal and saw it next in my room. We were excited about the INFINITY because we loved the Millennium in the Med. Great ship! Meeting our party in the lobby of the ship& that's when it started falling apart. We were to have three balcony rooms with inside rooms right across the hall. The diagram of the forward, 7th deck shows them across the hall and the agent confirmed that with Celebrity. They were not! They were in a inter hallway almost 200 feet from the balcony rooms. Because there were small children, this was a major problem! But all the screaming and complaining to GUEST relations could do nothing. The ship was sold out. Then is when we found out about the major motor (pod) problems. We'd heard that they were doing the cruise backwards with Sitka first, not last. Not a big deal, right? Let's face it, the Alaska ports are interesting and maybe even exciting (if you want to spend the big bucks on helicopters and dog sleds) but the towns are tourist traps. Many shops are controlled by the cruise lines' $$ and if you never go off the ship (for the towns), you wouldn't be missing much. What is amazing, spectacular, and memorable is the inside passage. It is hundreds of miles of rain forest and maybe the most beautiful places on earth (but inhospitable). Sitting on a cruise ship, drink in hand and watching wildlife, nature and panorama scenery pass is the reason we took this trip again. But the Infinity was not going there. POD PROBLEM!! The major inside passage up and down was eliminated because the ship couldn't go fast enough and we were told maneuver in the tight spaces safely enough for the pilots. We limped to Sitka through open ocean, arriving late. Tendering was the worst I've ever seen! Calling Tender ticket # 342598 Two hours! I think Sitka is off the CC list next year. I assumed a cute Russian village with a Russian bar with some incredible vodka it was just a place to buy a Sitka t-shirt. Do walk to the hatchery and the extra mile to the stream. Late in means late out. Late out means you lose the light and the topography becomes black. And that was how the trip went. They should have let us know we were going to be playing catch up the entire trip. We probably would have gone anyway making it our choice. The weather was good/bad. Wait five minutes and it would change. Rating of the cruise without the major disappointments. It was a 8 out of ten. The cabin service was a ten of ten. We'd actually had Norbert on a previous cruise and he took great care of us! The food was nearly a ten of ten too! It was like the AK weather, if you didn't like it, the waiter could sense it and five minutes later brought something else. (until you were too full) I see that the Mercury is leaving from Vancouver next year. Other than about 100.00 more for air, it's probably a better port. You'll have a passport then for sure and wasn't much of a hassle either in or out. We were in Cabin 3080. Very nice and comfortable, mid level and mid ship cabin. The cabin was always neat and clean but tight for three to get ready. We couldn't get the room cool and below about 74. We tried to make the specialty restaurant SS United States but had to cancel because of the late tenders and port arrivals. The captain took us very close to Hubbard Glacier. Maybe two football fields. The weather was cold, foggy and raining. I don't think the captain had a button to fix that so he got us CLOSE! It was the only time I heard the naturalist speak and he told a good story. Entertainment. After dinner we went to the show and without exception, they were entertaining to off the strip Vegas quality. We all spent the rest of the evening in the Casino. Many times I forgot I was in the ocean and not in Vegas! Aqua Spa. The Therapy Pool was wonderful the first night but progressively got greener and less inviting every day. It was heavy salt and chlorine and had two beds with bubbling water. Everyone go out with a bleached swim suit. We always ate breakfast in Aqua Spa cafe. The best pastries and tarts. A secret place and well hidden. Ketchikan  Like Disney Wilderness but enjoyed being off the ship (calling tender ticket 4356098).

Juneau. I like the comedian who called the tram, the scam. Over twenty bucks to take you up so you can see where you were. Again we were late and left late to all ports. About the Infinity. We never saw them cleaning a window, even in Hubbard. Okay, it was raining a lot but you don't turn off your windshield wipers because it will just get wet again? The Mercury was older and showing wear (like an old pair of denim jeans) but was always being taken care of& Would I go again? Never AK in August. In June, it's light until the wee hours and you see it all. Never when a ship is having problems. CDC problems and Pod problems should have made me cancel. One of our party got very sick the day after leaving the ship??? Getting off the ship was only a problem in that they game me a very late disembarkation even though I told them I had an early flight (I didn't. I've been on enough cruises to know that you never tell them you are staying or you sit in a hallway for hours. Yes, they got me.). So, I still love Celebrity but feel sorry that they didn't tell me about the problems and let me make my own decisions. Instead, I am upset about the way they handled the problem. I will not be taking any CC M-class ship until they get the problems fixed. If they need me to testify at the POD law suit, I will!!

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Cabin 4
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