euroguy

@Kendall James-Vargas The only possibility to take another alskan cruise would be based on several deciding factors... if port times have been adjusted to allow better shore time and if the ports of call were different and less traveled and possibly a bit larger ship that offers more amenities. Rwgarding going in cooler weather, Whites Pass which takes you into Canada from skagway receives over 15 feet of snow each year and closed many times. As beautiful as it might be to see I don't think that would be a smart travel plan be it on cruise or not.

@Kendall James-Vargas yes I would like the title corrected as i originally had it i.e. Luninosa - Alaska Return Review. Not sure why it was changed when I posted. Yes the floating iceberg was gorgeous and so happy I was able to capture the beauty it held. Regarding the people on board I think that the type of cruise and timing is the primary reason for who was on the ship. Food was cooked better than on the Panorama but still not the best unless you spend a little then it dramatically gets so much better. I certainly ly tried to maximize my time at each port and was more fortunate than othe shipmates to see and experience more but I could have been better for all had the port times been slightly adjusted. I still saw some increadible and amazing things, which I'm greatful for.

@3Sisters no I didnt get into any of the water, but im sure it was chilly. Weather was a nice warm 65 degrees with no rain. A few of the peaks still had some snow which was cool to see. I'm glad you appreciated the pics even though only a few added here. The pics I added came from my cell phone, but also had digital camera and took over 1200 pictures with it. I haven't had a chance to review them yet. Please note...if anyone plans to drive or cross into Canada you will need a passport. Sadly they don't stamp it.

Hello everyone so since just recently returning from my alskan cruise I felt compelled to add a little more to this discussion. One thing that noone has addressed or stated was evwrytime you buy or order or purchase on the ship an 18% gratuity is being added, regardless. Order wine at dinner add 18% go to spa 18% added gift shop 18% added order cocktail or soda 18% added. The greatest part of all this is CCL adds an additional line below for...drum roll... you got it !! To add more gratuity. I had a message and the 18% added gratuity was $40 and the lady just looked at me as if I was to add more ... I paused and point blank asked her..."do.you receive 100% of the 18% gratuity of $40?" she said yes. I followed up with "you don't have to share any part of it with anyone else?" Answer "No" I felt that $40 was already fair and left it that. That free bottle of wine I received yep I had to pay 18% gratuity plus tax 😆 I find it more frustrating that not only is CCL automatically adding 18% gratuity to every purchase but then to compound it to actually add an additional line for more gratuity. I am certain many many many people don't actually catch that 18% is automatically added and they feel compelled to tip for some service and end up double tipping. Unfortunately I looked to see if I kept any of my receipts and I didn't as I wanted to show you an example. The long and short of the whole gratuity issue/discussion, in no way are the ship staff being short changed.

Ps. I'm all for helping to save people money 😁

@Kendall James-Vargas I wrote a lengthy review for the rest of the cruise title is Luminosa Alaska Retu...for what ever reason the title got edited and couldn't fix

I just returned from alaska cruise on Carnival and we stopped at skagway without issue. Skagway was by far my favorite stop. We were docked for 13 hours so had a lot of time. I rented a car for $150. The Canadian boarder is on 15 miles away. Drove 70 miles into Canada and saw so much increadible scenery. For me I was able to see and experience so much more by driving for the same or less than listed shore excursions. I saw stopped at so many places that I ended up taking lo ger than I expected but was worth it by far. Skagway overlook, waterfalls, yukon suspension bridge, bison chili, beautiful lakes, world's smallest desert (1mile square) carcross and Emerald lake.

@jcordle @kefthecruiser I think a lot goes into cruise operations and of course the cruise lines want to reach port that people booked but storms and hurricans throw a curve ball to them and most like like waiting to see more predictable direction of the storms then have alternative options for ports and which ports have room etc. Lots of cogs and wheels. Sometimes waiting until near departures is the only option, which really bites for the cruiser as we have planned for xyz and all of a sudden everything is tossed in the air and uncertainty sets in. I'm sorry this is happening but realize their is also many others waiting to know as well, it's not just you. Maybe call CCL and ask for a supervisor and see what if any options that ship maybe looking at so you can have an idea vs. Sitting in the dark wondering...which is no fun and I really dislike as well.

@FJB thanks ... I know it was a lot of info but really think people should know what to expect and get real and true picture of what the trip offers. I love cruising and what i had invisioned for a Alaska cruise was much different than what was. When I travel I love to see the real parts of those locations and history if possible. Yes do a little shopping but it's not my primary reason for travel. Additionally I felt like the reports about the ship that I read prior to my departure was a bit of a Debbie downer and made me a bit concerned but figured I would make the best of it regardless. I was really pleased to see that what elreported was not accurate as a whole. Yes I suppose if you look for facts flaws you will find them which I did a few minor items but really nothing to make me regret traveling on the luminosa. If I had one real complaint it would be the lacking of specialty dining but in reality I'm not sure how much it really effected me. As for the overall itinerary I think it would have been nice to cut the skagway port time from 13 hours to 10 hours and add the 3 additional hours to Ketchikan as 7a to 1p is just to short. I heard some people say they only had 30 min. To get back on ship after their excursions. I had 1.5 hours and frankly I was racing to see things felt like my feet were on fire and constantly watching the time. The extra time would have been nice so could have seen few more items. Same for Victoria an earlier arrival would have been nice as more would have been open and during day light.

I realized a couple things that forgot to let people know regarding Victoria and Seattle Port Valet. Victoria We docked at 8p.m. and dearted at midnight, which from what I see is the norm for CCL doing the Juneau Skagway Ketchikan route. 1st and foremost what ever you do NOT book any excursions from the ship for Victoria. Additionally do NOT hire one of the pedi cabs as both are outrageously priced at $90 USD per person and up. The best way to get to downtown is at the taxi station right next to the horse and buggy and independent pedi cabs. To take a rwgular taxi cab is $13 Cnd, but if use a U.S. Credit card the exchange rate brings the cost to $10. Additionally the taxi fee is per car not per person. Have them drop you are the British parliament building. You will be able take lots of pics , walk across the street to the water fountain park which is a great photo spot, short walk to empress hotel and small harbor then short walk up government street to lots of souvenir shops and some yummy ice cream shops too. Lots of taxis to take you back to the ship yep only $10. It's all a very easy walk and fun stuff to see and felt very safe. I would have loved to go to the fisherman's warf which is close to the cruise ship but by 8pm everything is closed and to dark to take an great pics of the colorful floating homes and blogs. Seattle Port Valet Svc for Luggage I am happy to report it worked really well and my bags made it on my flight and got my bags when i landed. It was really nice not having to lug my bags around when I got to seattle so I could spend some time exploring before my flight. Unfortunately CCL requires you to opt in for this service on ship.and can not do it in advance which is stated on Seattle velat service web site. All other cruise lines you can set up in advance. With that said you will receive a paper/letter in your cabin regarding the service couple nights before hand and was easy to fill out. On the last night before putting out your bags you will receive luggage tags and boarding pass for airline. Put you bags in hallway and don't have to worry about them again until.you land at your final destination. The other great thing about this service is it by passes over weight charges, yep that is right if you happen to buy few to many items and bag is over its weight limit per your airline rules it gets ignored if you use the port Valet service. Frankly I really wish more ports had this service and the best part is, ITS 100% FREE Because I used the port Valet service I was able to walk around the Pike Market, see the flying fish holds of flowers and lastly kerry park over look to get Seattle skyline pics.

@Cruising Caribbean i posted a long review unler the title Luminosa Alaska Return. just realized I forgot to report Victoria B.C. and seattle.port valet service so will post now

@Cruising Caribbean lol yeah I acquired a zoo and with great happiness to report it was all inclusive with no additional charges however the feeding and maintenance fees did add up as the zoo grew in size 😄

I got all my animals 🤣

Yes that was a real iceberg pic and it's true color.

Sadly my cruise to Alaska has ended...amazing how time crawls waiting to head out however the time flys by so quickly when on the voyage. In this post I will break it down in sections i.e. Ship, Crew, Food, Ports and overall conclusion with a few pictures. SHIP: The Luminosa is on the smaller size at it technically falls under the Spirt Class and holds max. capacity of 2500 passengers. CCL bills it out as a new ship, but in reality it's not. It was recently acquired from Costa Cruiseline and had a minor quick refit. I did discover this information some time after my booking and was a bit concerned as some reports stated it to look tired and worn. No it is not a brand new ship with everything being perfect. I did see a few things on deck 10 that did show its age a bit some window latches coming loose and few roofing panels with major rust, however as a whole the ship was in pretty decent shape and not an eye sore. I did NOT find myself thinking it was terrible and asking myself what had I done. Compared to larger ships like the Panorama the Luminosa seemed to have nicer and more open spaces for people to sit to relax or meet with others. The main theater had the long rows of comfy couches with tables throughout vs. Panorama had uncomfortable individual chairs like you might find at a conference in the entire main center of the theater. Additionally as on most spirt class ships it was easy to navigate the floors as most went from bow to stern vs the newer Panorama was a nightmare to get from one end to the other. Another notable item was when boarding on the Luminosa you entire directly into the main atrium and get the oh wow...honey I'm home factor vs. The Panorama you enter from the bow area which has no wow factor. This ship is suppose to have an Italian flare, but really I'm not sure I saw or really felt that. I had a balcony cabin and it was pretty much standard fare with 2 exceptions the interior room counter was actually larger than the Panorama s which I liked and the deck was doubled the depth which was great. CREW The crew on this ship was by far much better and more friendly than my last ship. Everyone said hello asked how you are doing and wanted to take care of you. I even had some remembering my name and greeting me with it, most notably in the Casino and my cabin steward who would be way at the other end of the hall and yell out hello to me..needless to say thew me off guard the 1st few times...lolol. all the food servers where friendly and accommodated any requests made. Unfortunately the same can not be said for the head waiter for my MDR table. He was disinterested, lacking in personality, slow, did bare minimum not friendly, and anything said came acrossed as forced. It was not just me everyone at the table mentioned it. FOOD Yes my prickly spot. 😂 the lido buffett food so so it was hit or miss and the way way its ayed out is horrible you have 3 stations on each side of the ship and people line up for it but the problem is it over fliws into the walkway so can be a bit jammed up and difficult to get around/through. I did read post that people had went to the burrito bar and request some items to be added or subtracted and given a "no" for an answer so I had to give that a try. I went twice once I requested additional al items and once less items, I'm happy to report I had no issues and the cooks did exactly what I requested without the slightest thought or pushback. The coffee and juice machines worked perfectly everytime, un like the Luminosa that constantly broke down or couldn't get to work... nothing worst than needing that 1st cup of Joe in the a.m. and the machine is malfunctioning and everyone around you is pissed off because of it. I was greatful for this positive. 😁 MDR I will say was bit better cooked but it still was lacking. Unfortunately the new menu has not reached the Luminosa yet. With that said being how bad the food was on the Panorama in April I was a little on guard and better prepared this go around. I did spend $23 for the Filet which was 9oz and cooked to perfection and advertised as prime usda. It was very good. The pasta shrimp carbonara was bland no flavor and seriously lacking which is sad as it's suck an easy dish to make (Alfredo sauce, peas, bacon bits, and little roasted tomatoes.) CCL version shrimp cream sauce bacon pieces, create sauce had zero flavor and missing ingredients. The spaghetti with Italian sausage was decent. The lasagna was horrible... mushy ground hamburger that tasted like canned chef bordee. On pork chop night I warned table mate across from me to stay away as it will be as hard as rock...she did, however two others didn't hear me and order them. Yep they both complained about how hard it was as the tried to saw through them... myself and lady across from me tried to refrain from laughing as we looked away chuckling. The casino was nice enough to comp me $50 for wine and another meal from the menu special order. I ordered the lamp chop which to my surprise really isn't a lamb chop but a 6 rib bone rack of lamb and when cut individually they become lamb lolly pops. Cooked perfectly and best meal of the trip. If I had to pay the normal fee of $23 I would do it in a heart beat. The sadest part about the MDR food is I have proven by having the Felit and lamb from the $23 upcharge menu that they can produce good to great food and for a slight increase of cost on each menu item that's included for free could be so much better. For you CELEBRITY CRUISERS, CCL now offer free chocolate Chip Cookies until midnight... no upcharge of $2 each 🤣 PORTS I will start this off by saying I'm pretty disappointed as to how commercialized each are... juneau the worst, has to be over 50 yes 50 jewelry stores one next to the other all ran by people from India. No I'm not prejudice but merely stating facts. I didnt see one retailer that was locally owned with the exception of the tshirt and souvenir shop directly across from the tram. The town is know for its whales... try and find something unique for a whale... good luck all you find is whale tail jewelry...yep you guessed it from the jewelry shops. No scremshaws of whales on bone or ivory or whale carvings just jewelry or cheap item from souvenir shop. I was really hoping to buy something hand crafted from alaskan natives. The tram costs a staggering $50 for a 6 minute ride to the top of the mtn. I did go on a whale watching trip which is what I expected but did see some whales so not all was lost...thankfully. Skagway I rented a car at this port which was waiting for me at the pier. I drove about 70 miles into Canada. I saw some amazing scenery, waterfalls, lakes, mountain ranges and peaks, walked on the suspension bridge had bison chili, works smallest desert that is 1 square mile, emerald lake...all things that make Alaska and Canada worth seeing. Started at 8 a.m. and returned at 3:30pm found so many things that just take in. Plenty of time left for the town it's self. Not a lot to see in the town more jewelry stores but only a handful...thankfully. did have some decent shop to visit which was nice and picked up a scremshaw of a bear on 600 year old walrus tooth about 3 inches long. Amazingly all the stores here had whale items but its know for its bears with very little bear items to purchase lolol go figure. Sadly I learned from a local that skagway has no real industry as the depth. of tourism will not allow any fast food or development and no commercial fisheries exist as well. The town felt rich with history and could invision days gone by as the gold rush boomed. Ketchikan I was suppose to ride helicopter to top of a mtn and to a remote waterfall however weather caused a problem and ended up on a remote beach via helicopter and the fly over the city and cruise ships. It was ok but wish could have dine what was planned but can't control the weather. Again very commercialized lots of jewelry stores but a couple unique shops with real alaskan natives items but I really had to search for them as they are not located in the main stream. I ended up finding a small hand carved and painted totem pole and carved out of bone a salmon breaking water and underneath carved Alaska.. this town is known as the salmon capital of the world and only 1 shop had anything unique for salmon. CONCLUSION I saw probably 4 kids on the ship, the majority of people where much older and super low key so not much of a "fun ship" don't get me wrong people where nice but by 930-10 the ship was pretty quite with the exception of the casino, yes I spent a fair amount of time in it ...of course I did !!!!! Lol Would I do it again probably not to the same ports. I might consider one of the 1 way trips that goes from alaska to seattle to different towns that are less traveled as not many ships do the 1 way trips. I suspect they would be less commercialized. I would love to see and experience more of the real Alaska. I can go jewelry shopping here at hope for better pricing

@Cruising Caribbean yes I just returned yesterday early evening. Finally unpacked. I will be submitting a full report of my latest cruise on the CCL board probably ly later tonight or earlyish tomorrow. Hopefully it won't annoy or bore everyone 😅

Carnival still.gives free cookies in fact.they just started now putting them out for late night snacks 😋

🤔 the things that make you go hmmm

Well the time finally has arrived!! catch my flight at 530a. From Sacramento Ca. To Seattle and Board the Luminosa steaming to the great white north of Alaska. Thankfully I'm headed away from all the hurricanes. I of course will do a proper report of ship, trip etc upon my return. Cheers mate's

@kefthecruiser i too agree with your point of mediocrity. Additionally I would think that at some level the workers probably think why work any harder than necessary as we are going to get tipped regardless because the cruise line puts it on the guests tab and the majority of the people just pay it. I remember when I 1st started cruising with CCL we would get an envelope on our last day of the cruise for tipping the room steward and the stewards actually seemed to care. They would ask if everything was okay, if needed anything, enjoying your trip etc. Now it's appears to be how little can I do....sigh. please don't get me wrong I'm not one for wanting my feet to be kissed but you are in the hospitality industry and a little niceness goes a long ways, probably more now days than earlier times.

@KeithG @Kendall James-Vargas @3Sisters @Tootie Im sure i wont win any friends with this but its a honest and frank perspective from my view. I do wish the gratuity discussion had more informative depth. For example the "mandatory" gratuity, is it being split up between cabin steward and others or is theirs 100% the cabin stewards? I believe some time ago I heard it gets split by cabin steward and their assistant by some %. With all that said, I do have a bit of an issue with a mandatory gratuity. #1 I do feel that CCL and probably all cruise lines offer lower pay scales and tell the prospective employee how they will make much more due to the gratuity system. #2 if i go and stay at a nice hotel for a week i would receive daily house keeping similar to what happens in our cabins and hotel doesnt have a mandatory gratuity for doing the job thwy are paid to do. #3. If I stay some place or eat somewhere and get bare bones or crappy service I'm less inclined to tip. again you are already getting paid a wage for the work you do and have done nothing extra. I can't even go to a drive thru food or coffee without being hit up for tip....really all you did was hand me my food or drink Tipping has become a pre set expectation vs. Earned. On my last cruise a few months ago I saw my steward a couple of times... only made towel animals 3 out of 7 nights and did minimal housekeeping duties, not even a turn down at night. And the 2 times I saw him he said hello, not even how are you doing g, having fun... nothing. #4 to make it clear I have no problem tipping and can be very generous but go out of your way just a little..make a little effort to show you give a s**t. An example was the dinner wait staff in the MDR my main table waiter made sure I had my regular drink every night after the 1st night, welcomed me personally by name every night. If I wasn't happy with the dish I ordered, I wouldn't complain i simply wouldnt eat it and just let it sit there, he promptly would ask if everything was okay and then took care of it by offering a different suggestion or getting the original dish done properly. He also became personable as well by asking what I did for the day and showing an interest. That is doing extras that is the kind of stuff that earns a tip in my book. Ultimately he received a $100 tip on the last night. The look of.appreciation from him was amazing and I thanked him for great service and making me feel welcomed. Conclusion.. NO I don't think mandatory gratuities should exist.

I do wish the gratuity discussion had more informative depth. For example the "mandatory" gratuity, is it being split up between cabin steward and others or is theirs 100% the cabin stewards? I believe some time ago I heard it gets split by cabin steward and their assistant by some %. With all that said, I do have a bit of an issue with a mandatory gratuity. #1 I do feel that CCL and probably all cruise lines offer lower pay scales and tell the prospective employee how they will make much more due to the gratuity system. #2 if i go and stay at a nice hotel for a week i would receive daily house keeping similar to what happens in our cabins and hotel doesnt have a mandatory gratuity for doing the job thwy are paid to do. #3. If I stay some place or eat somewhere and get bare bones or crappy service I'm less inclined to tip. again you are already getting paid a wage for the work you do. I can't even go to a drive thru food or coffee without being hit up for tip....really all you did was hand me my food or drink Tipping has become a pre set expectation vs. Earned. On my last cruise a few months ago I saw my steward a couple of times... only made towel animals 3 out of 7 nights and did minimal housekeeping duties, not even a turn down at night. And the 2 times I saw him he said hello, not even how are you doing g, having fun... nothing. #4 to make it clear I have no problem tipping and can be very generous but go out of your way just a little..make a little effort to show you give a s**t. An example was the dinner wait staff in the MDR my main table waiter made sure I had my regular drink every night after the 1st night, welcomed me personally by name every night. If I wasn't happy with the dish I ordered, I wouldn't complain i simply wouldnt eat it and just let it sit there, he promptly would ask if everything was okay and then took care of it by offering a different suggestion or getting the original dish done properly. He also became personable as well by asking what I did for the day and showing an interest. That is doing extras that is the kind of stuff that earns a tip in my book. Ultimately he received a $100 tip on the last night. The look of.appreciation from him was amazing and I thanked him for great service and making me feel welcomed. Conclusion.. NO I don't think mandatory gratuities should exist.

And who know what animals I will see ... maybe a bear hehehehe it seems that it happens frequently along the route I will be on. HEY BEAR!!! Lol 😆

@FJB what cabins get what points? I guess you also have to consider a Celebrity cruise costs considerably more than other cruise lines too so I would expect them to step up. With that said it would be nice if CCL did something like that as well as if traveling solo and paying double to double the points for the solo traveler, seems only fair if paying double.

I will give it a try and let everyone know how it works out. Fingers crossed they don't lose my luggage lol