This is our 5th time cruising to Alaska. We love it there but this time we were woefully disappointed in the cruise. Giving Celebrity complete slack for the slow embarkation----low tides delayed opportunity to off load luggage slowing those those getting off. And NOROVIRUS necessitated complete cleaning of the ship. No problem there and THANKS to tmem and the CDC for concerns about our health. But the compliments stop there. When we were able to go to the check in desk at the port there was no one to tell guests where to go--which line to stand in. No clarity, no hosts to begin greeting guests. We were not too unhappy waiting until 6 pm to get into our room. Of course then it was our early dinner so watching the sailing under the Golden Gate not possible.

My main problems/issues were however that there was NO NATURALIST on board. A SHOCK for a cruise to ALASKA. They had some ship person trying to substitute but he did not do an adequate job--not the job a naturalist does. The lectures were basically the woman giving shopping tips. Who goes to ALASKA to buy Caribbean gems??? AND AND AND cruising Tracy Arm should have been the chance to experience a glacier for those confined to the ship or those who did not opt to go on planes to one. The captain stopped the ship 7 miles from the Sawyer glacier. Hardly a respectable view. When I said something to a ship officer he responded it is only ice!!!!!! . We have been on ships that went right up to and experienced calving and the blue ice--not visible here.

AND ALSO for 5 days they closed down the non-smoking side of the poolside area for repairs. That means those of us who swim outside had to constantly brave the cigar and cigarette smoke and get our robes smelly from smoke when put on lounge chairs on that side of the deck. If going to the grill from the spa one also needed to wade thru the smoke smells to get to it or the buffet. AND because of the noro virus they never got the books cleaned and the library NEVER opened. Read more