We decided to take this cruise because of the Itinerary... The check in was quick although since we were returning a rental car in Vancouver, they had us going up and down couple of times until we got on the ship. We were in cabin 7111 and our steward was great. No complains there.... The cabin was smaller than what we are used to based on their other ships, but it was OK... Bed - it was extremely hard and uncomfortable. I have back problems and there were nights when both of us couldn't sleep. Wanted to use the couch but it was too small and we couldn't. Not being able to sleep really put us in bad mood during the days. I sleep really well on the ships and was looking forward to it. Needless to say didn't happen. The friends we traveled with is a massage therapist and thank God she was able to help me so I can walk and move. Specialty Restaurants - Qsine was a cute experience... Tuscan Grill - we love this place, this time not so much. A dinner of 4 took 2.5 hrs all together, ordering a drink took 25 min to get it and if you want a refill it is another 25 min, on couple of occasions we had to fill our water glasses from the bottle they left beside the table. Buffet - the food was OK, not many choices, but OK... Getting a drink - we gave up on this one... no one ever walked around us and we ended up getting it ourselves. We liked the Martini Bar where we met other people with the same experiences of the beds and service. We are usually not high maintenance travelers and were really looking forward to this vacation. In summary, the bad bed, nonexistent service made us quiet disappointed with this ship, as we still paid premium price for the cruise. It wasn't cheap. This ship was Refurbished in 2015 and it doesn't look like it already. We did enjoy the tour of the ship, this was probably the only good thing on the ship that we experienced. We will be not taking this ship again..... Read Less

This is a long review. The itinerary and weather on my cruise were great and we enjoyed vacation. Always start an Alaska cruise in Vancouver. The port was a breeze to get on and off the ship and Vancouver is a great city with an easy airport to navigate. But as to the ship, and Celebrity, I will not repeat on the Infinity and am now hesitant about Celebrity for food and beverage defects which are probably across the line. The crew (waiters, stewards) were all very nice except one lady in Guest Services. Also, after three Alaska cruises, Princess’ Alaska cruises still have much better timing as for as ports, e.g. much longer hours in port. The Infinity is the perfect size, by today’s standards a 2,500 passenger ship is medium/small. To me, I never felt crowded, plenty of empty space to be alone, not pushed, can relax, and easy to get on and off the ship. This cruise did not seem near capacity, maybe 2,000 passengers on this trip; I have no idea but it was not crowded. Nothing was every busy except the top of the ship when we were at Hubbard Glacier. We spent a lot of quality time at the Hubbard and the weather was perfect. They also had a brilliant scientist on board, Milo, who was fun to listen to. From what I could tell the kids club was very good and fun for the kids. My Cabin: The cabin is large and the built in drawers, deck, closet were great. I had a balcony Concierge class on deck 8 midship which was very convenient. The cabins are a nice size, closet big, cabinet space ample. The beds are very narrow. The wall opposite the bed was floor to ceiling mirrors which may be fun for certain people ;) The balcony was very nice and well maintained. It also had two clean chairs and a table. The bathroom had a handheld shower which was nice, but the bathroom also had a strong mildew odor. I saw the vinyl flooring in the shower and by the sink had two rips in it and the water was flowing under. I told the cabin steward but it was never fixed. I did not like that the only electrical plug is on the desk near the balcony window and no plug in the bathroom for the hair dryer. The drape on the sliding balcony door was NOT black out and we saw the light clearly shining through the drape. That was a first as other ships are pitch black when the drape is closed. Ship Aesthetics/Artwork: The ships artwork on Infinity are a joke. Tiny 3D Printed figurines from 15 years ago. The ships colors are brown, brown, black, brown and brown. Aesthetically the Infinity is standard old fashioned boring (similar to Holland America). Nothing exciting like Carnival or modern Zen chic like the Celebrity Reflection which is my favorite ship of all time. The Food/Beverages Very Disappointing: Celebrity food is no longer spectacular; it is now average. The food in the main dining room is basic, cruise food. Nothing stood out as artfully placed on the plate, the same breadsticks and plain French bread, a couple times a brown bread. Everyday they made a big deal about whipped butter and some other bread topping like hummus or something else. The bread spreads they can skip, improve the bread and improve the other parts of the meal. The fish entrees and appetizers were dull. I was mostly irked that the waiter said we had real Alaskan salmon, which I thought meant wild, but I’m 98% sure the fish served was farm raised (light pink in color). Also, the entire ship does not seem to care about cocktails. The cocktail menus are difficult to find even in the bars. And, it’s the same menu everywhere except the martini bar which does not accept the Classic Beverage Package $12 limit. More frustrating, the bartender said I don’t pay the difference between the $12 package and the $15 martini drink. I must pay for the entire $15! Also, the “cocktail of the day” while only $5, is also NOT included in the Classic Beverage Package! The Cocktail menu is essentially one page listing some basic cocktails and except for the martini bar. Also, none of the bartenders (except in the martini bar) made decent mixed drinks. Example, only the martini bar guys muddled the mint in a min mojito! If you are a cocktail drinker, go on Princess, Carnival or some other cruise line. They also have very few bartenders and cocktail waitresses. In the large bars often the only persons working, even at 9:00 pm, were two bartenders who also had to deliver the drinks! More on the Food: The food was meh. 5 years ago on Reflection the cuisine was the best I ever had in over 30 years of cruising. It was particularly disappointing that they used farm raised salmon in Alaska and not wild caught salmon. However, the filet mignon and similar beef cuts were perfect. We mostly ate in the main dining room, and the presentation was nothing special, the choices pretty boring. The buffet food was almost always cold and not appealing and the pizza blah. Again, look at the Princess pizza parlor which is excellent. The ice cream in the buffet area was usually icy not creamy. They do offer many no sugar ice creams if you need that. The “gelato” bar was better, but not worth $4 per serving. The coffee bar scores a 3 compared to the choices on Princess or Holland America coffee bars which are a 9. For a basic coffee or cappuccino fine. But they offer nothing unique and the execution was almost always sloppy. I liked the spa cafe on the pool deck except they charged $6 for a small smoothie! The Cake Deserts are too sweet: Celebrity needs some new desert recipes that are not 95% sugar. All of the cakes except for the chocolate sacher torte, tasted of biting into a sugar cube. They looked nice, but tasted like raw sugar. However, the cookies and macaroons were very good. Hints: The QSine Petit Chef is fun worth the extra $45 (first night discount) to pay for a specialty restaurant. Note, they pass out a flyer to save 20% the first night, but everyone pays the same $45 so that coupon was misleading. ☹ The gym equipment is excellent. I particularly liked the treadmills with a large tv, Bluetooth, etc. I was surprised they never had a trainer or gym person try to sell a package of classes because I and my athletic kids, would have signed up. Ship photos: They took very few photos of passengers which seems strange as thy are a good profit center at $25 a photo. We made it a point to pose for photos, but I felt it strange they were not pushing them nor pushing a package photo deal like most cruise lines. Spa: Very few people took advantage of the spa. They had a lot of specials, and I think if you asked for a $109 for 50 minute massage "special" even if not advertised they would give it to you. The Persian garden on this boat is NOT worth it, even if free. Internet: If needed, buy your Internet mid-way to two days before the end of your cruise for a discount. You don't need internet because the ports have good coverage. Also, the Infinity’s internet was spotty and often went out. It completely went out for everyone, including the Concierge guy, the day before the end of the cruise so we could not check in early with the airline. Premium drink upgrade $14 is worth it for the last 3-4 days of the cruise. The classic drink package included as a perk is OK but is irritating because you only get simple mixed drinks and beers. The classic drink package does NOT include martinis at the martini bar and the martini bar is the ONLY bar with professional bartenders who know how to mix a drink. And as stated above, you cannot pay the $3 for an upgrade per drink. Walking the deck: It was odd that there was NO promenade deck which allows you to walk the perimeter of the ship with a covered ceiling above. In Alaska, if it rained or was windy it would be nice to walk outside while semi covered. Also the top deck (above pool level) has a small walking/jogging track but it just goes around the pool area which is small. The outdoor large screen video played movies all day if you wanted to sit and freeze a little. Guest Services: We had an interior cabin across the hall from our balcony cabin. On every other ship when I had a similar set up we were able to encode our key cards for both rooms. Celebrity said they recently changed their computer system so could no longer do that or issue two keys. That was false. I went back and asked for another key and they gave me one and that key opened the door without cancelling the first key. It was also irritating that the ship did not sell post card postage. Crew: all crew were nice, most excellent. My friend in another cabin was upset when she asked for a hair dryer the first night and was told "I'm on break now when I'm done". But they need more bartenders and wait staff. Shore Excursions: Take advantage of the pre-cruise package prices. Book the online 3 excursion tour special at least 4 days before the ship sails to get some good discounts. No excursion discounts are offered on board. On shore excursions except for Icy Point book at the pier and save money. For Icy Point just do the whale watch tour with the ship which was excellent. You can also use a web site like https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/v/a/costco/ Example, at the dock I paid $300/per person (Celebrity charges $449) for the Juneau Helicopter Herbert Glacier tour the dock company was http://www.panhandleexcursions.com/ . where you land on the glacier and walk around for 30-40 minutes for $300 each. Just so you know, this company on the pier books with the helicopter company https://www.coastalhelicopters.com/ which you can also directly book with. As it turned out, we went to Herbert glacier and the weather was perfectly clear, the cruise people went to Mendenhall because they use another company and it was foggy so they had their trips cancelled! Always bargain with the people on the dock selling excursions. The lovely girl who booked our helicopter tour also gave us (4 persons) a private free ride to the Mendenhall glacier, she hung out for 1.5 hours so we could walk around and explore for free! I tipped her a $100 which still saved us $100. In Ketchikan don't be afraid to walk down the dock to the excursion shacks down the road. The vendors raise their prices for the tourists just off the boat. If you go to a dock where the prior ship arrived a couple hours earlier you can get a better deal. Also, the guys selling walk in their private property wooden elevated board walk and see bears are jerks. I had a very good time, but I always enjoy cruises no matter what happens and realize no cruise is perfect. I have taken three Alaskan cruises, two with Princess and this one with Celebrity. Princess has by far the best itineraries for Alaska; "best" is based upon the length of time in port and the hours spent in port (e.g. afternoon hours in Alaska are drier and sunnier than the first half of the day.) I choose Celebrity because 5 years ago on the Celebrity Reflection I experienced the best cruising of my life. But I won’t go on the Infinity again, and probably not with Celebrity because the food/cocktail issues are likely systemwide. Read Less

Excellent Ship and Staff all who were so helpful and friendly. Our waiter in the evenings David and assistant waiter Fauzi went over and beyond their duties to make our stay that more enjoyable. Our cabin attendant Hafiluddin was also friendly. Lots of short excursions offered, which I suggest you book early as we missed out on the first lot of whale watching tours, but did manage to book one at the next stop. We were also very lucky to have been offered a galley tour which we found very interesting. All the restaurant that we eat out the food for excellent and so much to choose from. If you went away hungry you only had yourself to blame. The theatre shows were great but we only managed to get to three. We chose this cruise for its distinction to Alaska and also it was not the biggest cruise ship. I preferred the one a little smaller the most which were bigger. We were not disappointed and would sell with Celebrity again. Read Less

We have never been on a cruise before, and it wasn't necessarily our desired vacation, but we wanted to see Alaska, and we live close enough to Vancouver to avoid the costs of flights. We are now converts after such an amazing experience with Celebrity. I had been reading reviews of this ship, and reading comments such as 'the ship is dated'. Let me tell you, if anyone can say one negative about this ship, the customer service, the food, the facilities, or anything, then they are just miserable bags who likely are not happy in anything in life. Granted I have never been on another cruise before, but this is 5 Star across the board. The dining options are plentiful and exceptional. Just eating at the buffet is satisfying enough, variety from around the world, so much choice, and daily chef specials. The entertainment is non stop, several options every hour of he day. This strikes me as a serious party ship which met our satisfaction. The ship was probably 40% families with children, so not the stereotype of all seniors that everyone told me to expect. There was a teens club (one negative, we didn't see our son half the trip because he loved the teens club so much and met so many friends), fabulous kids club. So, for those with families, this cruise in the summer should be appealing. Shawna the cruise director, is top notch, she has a bright future. What a talented young woman, witty, confident, personable, amazing qualities that will propel her to big things ahead. The dress was casual, during the day it seemed anything goes, and the evening you saw everything from a golf shirt to suit and tie. So for those worried about rolling in ball gowns and tuxes, don't sweat that. Mind you people who dressed up looked so fantastic. I tried to understand how much motion you feel on the ship, and rarely read a review that mentioned this, and most people I spoke to said you would never even know you are on water. Trust me, they are liars. I have been off the ship for 30 hours now and still feel like I am on it. One night I was awoken to major movement that the captain acknowledged in the morning announcement, which he said are rare 11 foot swells. However there are times that I felt like I couldn't walk straight. My 13 year old was also struggling with it, but it settles down for the majority of the time. But there is no doubt you feel it at times. Perhaps others didn't feel it? I didn't pack correctly for summer in Alaska, again an area I felt like I didn't get useful information prior. I would suggest you need 4 seasons worth of clothes. Definitely cold, wet and windy at Hubbard Glacier, to swimsuits and sunscreen and pool days on 2 days. I am from cold, wet Canada so for those coming from warm climates, something to be mindful of. Hoodies for the day, warmer jacket, and t-shirts are also needed for the poo, deck, the gym. Rooms are a little cramped for a family of 4. But it is a cruise ship and that was to be expected, so we spent very little time in the room. So much food variety, everyone should be happy, exceptional entertainment, and fun throughout the day. Customer service is exceptional, you can get a drink pretty much any ware. Apple Store on board that did training such as 'how to get the most out of your IPhone camera. Except they charge for all of their training. A trillion dollar company knows how to create enemies. So needless to say I didn't attend their offerings. The gym is as good as you can expect, the treadmills are the best quality I have used. Classes through the day. They could perhaps have a basketball available for the basketball court. Just sayin. The smoking sections could have had better forethought, next to the family pool and beside the running track. Hello, who thought of that?? They have a casino, gym, outdoor movie theatre, cafe x2, beatiful theatre for entertainment, several dining restaurants (mostly for additional cost), shops, duty free, many bars mostly with different themes, adult pool with spa, family pools, kids and teen clubs, library, so many outdoor options. Shore excursions were mostly outrageous in cost, no exaggeration. It appears that very few did them because of the cost. Perhaps promoting more affordable options would be a consideration. Alaska is beautiful, Milos was amazing source of expertise on the area and a comedian to boot. Do your research on the ports of call to check out this beautiful part of the world. Our family night recommends this cruise on the Celebrity Infinity. Read Less

Perhaps the significant thing is that there is something for everyone young or old. No-one needs to suffer boredom. There were outside activities on the top with food available for those who did not want to stir and there were games on the side decks. Seating or lounging was available everywhere and although the ship was extremely busy we were never stuck for room. We used the Trellis Dining Room for our evening meals much to the delight of the children who are not used to waiter service. My wife and I being the grandparents and a little elderly did not make use of the gym facilities but the children and their mother did along with the spa and swimming pool. One of the young girls used the running track as well she felt she had been putting on excessive weight with all the sumptuous food. As we are all nature lovers the highlight for us however was actually ashore in Juneau where we came across a family of black bears fishing for sockeye salmon in a creek. Marvellous! Read Less

A family member organized an Alaska cruise from Vancouver through the Inside Passage, August 3-12, 2018. The boarding experience was fairly smooth and we waited in the Oceanview Cafe until our rooms were ready. That's when I found out that CocaCola was $3 per can, plus tip. The mandatory safety briefing in the theater was a multimedia presentation in multiple languages, explaining how to put on a life jacket and where to go to board a lifeboat if necessary.. The glaring omission was an explanation of what action to take, what alarm button to push, and/or who to report an emergency such as "man overboard." I constantly looked for placards or ship's crew to get some clarification about this, and was unable to find anyone except one 4-striper with a cell phone glued to his ear. So, I'm still looking for an answer to that one. Our stateroom attendant was excellent, but a little overeager, so we quickly learned to hang the "do not disturb" sign outside the door whenever we were in the room - and sometimes when we were out of the room, too. The Trellis Restaurant is way overrated: big plates, small portions and generally overcooked. Service was mostly friendly and efficient, though. The buffet in the Oceanview Cafe was much better: wide selection and fresh. Well, the pizza could be better. The live floor shows in the theater were of generally high caliber and quite professionally executed, particularly the Saturday night finale. We saw it twice and would have gone again if there'd been a third performance. Disembarking was orderly and the sooner the better, Luggage retrieval is well organized, as it has to be. For that matter, everything is well organized, since the ship is on a strict itinerary. However, if you lose anything, it's gone, as the only lost and found is on the ship, so by the time you realize something is missing, the ship has sailed. Bon voyage! Read Less

For our 5th trip to Alaska (and 30th cruise overall) we chose Celebrity Infinity with a Vancouver R/T. Boarding at Canada Place (with one other ship in port) could not have been smoother. These people know what they are doing! The ship looks amazing. Clean and spiffy, new (or VERY) clean carpeting throughout, soft comfortable bedding, and a marvelous staff. We were very impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of this crew. From our lost/delayed luggage that our cabin steward found, to the unbelievably gracious staff in BLU, to the vibrant evening shows, and the fun-loving cruise staff - a wonderful trip in every way. This was our first time in Aqua Class, but it won't be our last. (Already booked our next trip!) The cabins are premium balcony cabins with a wonderful shower system, and attentive service. Dining in BLU for breakfast and dinner was a delicious experience. Fresh food served without fussy sauces and unparalleled service. The wine steward, Fernando, was a hoot!! A special shout out to Eduardo, Crispin, and Jenny too. The onboard naturalist was fascinating. He had some really wonderful experiences to share and was knowledgeable about so many topics. His commentary during our Hubbard Glacier visit was spot-on. Entertainment throughout the ship was impressive. The evening shows were very good, the comedians were hilarious, and the musical guests were terrific ~ piano player, guitar player, and an electric violin duo ~ all really lovely. We did not favor the spa experience this time however. We have used the Parisian Garden many times previously and found the spa staff onboard Celebrity to be quite unimpressive. There were several mix-ups at check-in with locker keys, sandals, and robes; the area was not monitored for heat/warmth/aroma; and the employees were just not that friendly or attentive. We ported in Sitka (lovely little city, nice city shuttle, friendly too!!); Juneau (FABULOUS shore excursion to Tracy Arm Fjord); and Skagway (walked ourselves out to the Totem Park). All in all - a very nice itinerary with three gorgeous sea days - saw a few humpbacks and one orca along the way. Disembarkation was as easy as you can possibly imagine and we were out walking around in downtown Vancouver by 9am. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this ship, this sailing, and this itinerary. Cheers!! Read Less

This cruise was recommended by our travel agent. We paid over $3500 Au for Concierge class and whilst the cabin was reasonably comfortable it certainly wasn’t luxurious. Embarkation took over an hour as we had to wait whilst 2 ships passengers passed slowly through US Customs. The ship is old and dated. The main dining area was overcrowded (sometimes nowhere to sit), the food was mediocre and pretty tasteless, the activities were boring, the service was substandard from most of the staff, though a few people stood out with their friendliness and helped us a lot. When we asked about our booked excursions re clothing we needed to take etc, they just dismissed us. When an activity was cancelled, there was no interest in offering an alternative-just, you’ll get a refund. We went to the entertainment once and walked out after 20 minutes. I’ve seen better high school productions. If you’re an Aussie, you’ll get this. It was like a giant floating RSL Club-average food, average entertainment, pokies everywhere, lots of old people (I’m over 60 and even I felt young). People would go to the coffee shop where you had to pay extra or have a drinks package, and just curl up and sleep in the arm chairs by the windows! When we asked the staff to ask them to move they just shrugged their shoulders and walked off. Regarding the staff-our cabin attendant said they work a 7 month contract and never get a day off. I can see why they all look overwhelmed. The one good thing was the excursions. We did kayaking in Sitka, a helicopter/airboat/glacier excursion in Juneau and ziplining in Ketchikan. The kayaking was good but the guide basically forgot we were there and kept leaving us behind (must be that over 50 invisible thing). The helicopter tour was booked on the wharf in Juneau as our other tour was cancelled due to weather. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Look out for the Taku Glacier excursion. The ziplining in Ketchikan was amazing and took my 66 year old sister and me to the extreme but I would do it again in a heartbeat. The staff were brilliant and treated us with great respect as did the helicopter tour staff. Having done a Hawaiian Cruise last year, Celebrity compared poorly. We decided that the only benefit of the cruise was to get us from one excursion to the other. Be warned. Read Less

We read reviews prior to booking in January for trip to Alaska on Celebrity and were expecting more. Our trip was average at best and food was not as good as our previous cruise on Royal Caribbean. Weather was not good except for our day in Ketchikan on this trip but nothing we do about that. We booked all of our excursions ourselves instead of through cruise line which worked our well and was less expensive than utilizing cruise line. Research via trip advisor for things to do. We we did wildlife and whale watching as well as Misty Fjords on a float plane. The plane excursion was great. Trip to mindenhall glacier and national park was very good. Food was disappointing except for the Ocean Blue Cafe. Best bets is to get food to order at the cafe. You can do this at breakfast and lunch. Trellis dining room was okay but nothing to write home about. Our best meal was at Tuscan but 90 dollar upcharge. Entertainment was okay. One good comedian, good Elton John Tribute and decent cast shows. The waiters and servers were very personable and good. Jorge was very good at the Trellis. Trip to Hubbard glacier was great even in wet weather. Rooms were okay, decent shower, uncomfortable bed and pillows and limited closet space. Furnishings were dated. Would I cruise Celebrity again? Very doubtful, it was less than expected. Read Less

We went on the Celebrity Infinity for a round trip Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver, BC on August 5th, 2018. We went on the trip with me, my wife, our 16 month old son, and extended family. It was a family reunion trip, which seems to work well on cruises since there's something to do for everyone and it's easy to find space to get together as a family. First off I need to say that the crew went above and beyond to make it a memorable and enjoyable trip. As many of you already know from other cruises, the crew work so hard to make us happy and that’s what really makes the difference. Our stateroom attendant (Aldrin) was always so pleasant and cheerful and helped make out room more comfortable for my wife and me and our one year old son. He learned my son's name right away and always greeted him with a smile whenever we passed him in the halls. You can read more about our room experience in the room section below. For dinner we had a large group and got one of the larger tables (table 153) and our server Irfan hustled like crazy to honor all of the requests of my large extended family. We had 3 young kids and he honored our request to bring out the food ASAP so that the kids wouldn't get fussy while waiting for their food. He quickly learned our preferences and he always had the high chairs ready, extra bread sticks for the kids, etc. The Trellis Restaurant main dining room was able to accommodate our special food requests (allergies for the kids) and even specially prepared single ingredient puréed for my 16th month old son. Mealtimes are always a struggle with my son but Irfan helped make our meals enjoyable! He deserves extra recognition for how hard he had to work to accommodate us all. I had some issues with my prepaid internet package and I also wanted to commend Olivia at the guest relations desks. I was having some issues with my prepaid internet package and she helped me get it all sorted out. Not only that, she followed up with me a few times to make sure everything was working and really took the time to make sure I was having an enjoyable cruise experience. She is definitely a valuable asset to the guest relations team and went above and beyond what I would have expected. In terms of the internet package, I prepaid for 2 devices and it seemed to be the same price on the ship as my prepaid price (maybe I saw the price wrong but it didn't seem to be a discount for pre-paying). Also they discount the price of the unlimited internet packages starting on Wednesday (day 4 of the cruise). Next time, I would probably just buy internet half way through the trip. The first day is when you get on in Vancouver so you can use your cell phone fine. Day 2 is at sea so no internet. Day 3 is Sitka most of the day and there's a few places to get free Wifi in Sitka. There is a crab tent with free Wifi right when you dock. You can also get free Wifi at the public library and also the bus terminal. We did have some choppy waters, especially on the two sea days at the start and end of the cruise and on the Hubbard Glacier day. My wife got terribly sea sick on those sea days and we were able to get some sea sickness medication from guest relations. From what I’ve read online, Alaska may have more choppy waters than other cruise locations. My wife had no sea sickness on our Caribbean cruise a few years ago and I also don’t remember as much rocking of the boat for the Western Mediterranean. So this may be something to consider if you get sea sick easily. There’s not much activities or planned events for kids under 3 but we were still able to enjoy the cruise. My son especially enjoyed the live music at various times throughout the ship. We didn’t try out the in cabin babysitting but they do offer it for a fee. The toddler time drop in play sessions were quite limited in time slots and honestly didn’t have much. It was only a small play area and not that many toys (a number of which did not work because they were out of batteries). The under 3 year old offerings could definitely be improved. (But you sort of know going into it that they don’t do much for young kids...) For embarkation we got to the cruise terminal around 1pm and it went smoothly for us. You can pull your car in underneath the cruise terminal and porters take your luggage directly from the car onto the ship. Make sure you have your luggage tags ready to go. We brought bottled water for my son's formula and put some luggage tags on it. They took it directly from the car and delivered it outside our room. Some other family members checked in around 11am and they had to wait almost an hour for the check-in line whereas the wait was maybe 10 minutes by the time we got there. You do clear US customs before boarding the ship. For disembarkation we opted to carry the luggage off the ship ourselves so that we could make it off the ship as early as possible to get home for my son's first nap. Read Less