Port Or Starboard Side For Round Trip Alaska From Vancouver

[Pete69]

Hi All,

 

We will be travelling round trip from vancouver on the island princess and will be booking a mini suite cabin departing May 16 2012. Can anyone tell me if its best to be on port side or starboard side for the better glacier viewing especially in glacier bay?

[LoriPhil]

The port side gets the first glacier views in Glacier Bay but the ship will also rotate once it gets in place, so both sides will enjoy viewing. Remember to bring your binoculars! Alaska is wonderful - have a great cruise.

[Loonbeam]

Other than the fact you get first view in Glacier bay on the port side until the ship rotates, there's really no difference.

[Pete69]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for the tips - want to make sure I get the best side available.

 

Cheers

[Donder1]

Since you are doing a round trip cruise, it does not matter in the least. And, in Glacier Bay the ship rotates. Plus, Glacier Bay is an all day affair. National Park Service rangers will board your ship and set up a temp center on the top deck. You will be all over the ship during this time. It is SO beautiful and interesting. Be sure to listen to the commentary, too. Have fun.

[8 Bells]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for the tips - want to make sure I get the best side available.

 

Cheers

 

You are in for some breathtaking scenery, no matter which side you are on! Something else you might consider is to get the book which follows the voyage, The Alaska Cruise Handbook - A Mile-by Mile Guide. It will give you a greater insight on the ports the ship will visit and has a map, so you can follow the route each day.

 

Have a great cruise!

[sashas_mom]

You will love alaska. When you are in glacier bay turn your tv on and find the Channel to listen to the naturalist while you are on your balcony. Also, make sure you buy wide angled binoculars and keep your eyes peeled for whales. We saw them everyday from our balcony. You have to learn how to spot them, but once you do it's incredible. Lot's of info on the Alaska boards. Highly recommend the white pass railroad excursion in Skagway.

[LordEd]

We're on that cruise as well. We were on an Alaska cruise on the port side previous and opted for a starboard side for a different view entering ports.

[AnakeRose]

Hey we're going on the same cruise! We were on the port side on our last (and first) cruise and my parents were on the starboard side. We chose the starboard side for our upcoming cruise so we can watch the ship docking and we can sit on our balcony on the way up and watch the coastline go by.

[Pete69]

So perhaps a starboard side mini suite would be more beneficial to enjoy watching coming into ports. I always thought that port side got the better views or arriving into port and of the coastline.

[Putterdude]

Side really doesn't matter on a b/b as what you miss going up you will see coming down. On your Glacier days you really need to get out on deck or you will only see half of what you are paying to see. Now if you choose starboard, about an hour after you pass under the Lions Gate bridge you will see me waving to you...which is probably not a good reason to choose that side, but......

[willysgrandma]

We had a starboard cabin and loved the view.As other say, you will see on both sides but the port side does get the Glacier Bay views first before the Captain turns the ship. We were on top of the ship for the fist few hours, so it didn't matter anyway. We did disembark more on the port side than the starboard, so if a view of the town when the ship is in the pier is important, consider that. It didn't matter to me.

 

I will tell you that going back South, we did see more whales off the starboard side while sailing than our friends on the port side saw. But depending on when you are going, when more whales are back in Alaska, I think you'll be fine on either side.