Alaska - port or starboard?

[CRUZBUDS]

We're ready to book the repositioning cruise on the Century next September. Vancouver to San Diego via Alaska.

 

Sun Sep 18 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Mon Sep 19 Inside Passage (Cruising)

Tue Sep 20 Ketchikan, AK

Wed Sep 21 Icy Strait Point, AK

Thu Sep 22 Hubbard Glacier, AK (Cruising)

Fri Sep 23 Skagway, AK

Sat Sep 24 Juneau, AK 7:00am

Sun Sep 25 Inside Passage (Cruising)

Mon Sep 26 At Sea

Tue Sep 27 Seattle, WA

Wed Sep 28 At Sea

Thu Sep 29 San Francisco, CA

Fri Sep 30 San Francisco, CA

Sat Oct 1 At Sea

Sun Oct 2 San Diego, CA

 

This will be our first Alaska cruise - is there any advantage to one side or the other? We'll be booking a balcony cabin.

 

Thanks in advance!

[alaska eh]

Jim & Alison:

 

I took a look at your itinerary and it makes no difference. You are doing the inside passage in both directions, unfortunately I think it will be a night, but if you can find out from the navigation officer when you are going through Seymour Narrows set your alarm and get up. Not as narrow as the Panama Canal, but close. If the people in the house on the shore are watching TV, you will be able to watch their TV as well.

 

Skagway and Juneau are ports you go into, turn around and come back out, so you will get both views. The same with Hubbard Glacier, you cruise in as far as the Captain can go, turn around and come back. The scenery going to Icy Strait is wide open forest on either side. Going to Ketchican, you will have the town on the starboard side and the island with the airport of the port side. I like the airport view particularily if a plane is landing. The terminal is down the hill from the runway, so it is interesting to see a 737, taxiing down hill. The airport is accessable only by ferry, don't be late for your ferry/flight if a cruise ship is coming to town!!

 

Be sure to book your zip rider in Icy Strait. Longest zipline in the world, a 60 MPH rush. The tribal dinner is also very worthwhile, I love Icy Strait. other than Haines, my favourite Alaska port.

 

Hope this is helpful, enjoy Alaska.

[CRUZBUDS]

Hi Mark & Ingrid -- Thank you very much for the prompt and very helpful advice. It was exactly what I was hoping to find out!