Princess Alaska cruise July 2018, port or starboard

[NitaO]

Princess southbound cruise 2018 , which side should I book? Want some land views of course but I also like watching people at the ports. Is there a link that tells me how my ship will dock in each port?

[JF - retired RRT]

Princess southbound cruise 2018 , which side should I book? Want some land views of course but I also like watching people at the ports. Is there a link that tells me how my ship will dock in each port?

No. That's a decision that's made "on the spot".

If you pick port side, starboard will be better. If you book starboard side, port side will be better.;);p

[NitaO]

No. That's a decision that's made "on the spot".

If you pick port side, starboard will be better. If you book starboard side, port side will be better.;);p

😂 that is what I was afraid of!!lol

[puli]

depends upon whether or not you will be going to Glacier Bay & if you have a balcony..... the naturalist usually comments when the port side is facing the glacier which happens first before the ship is turned around. however most people do not just view glacier Bay only from their cabin.

 

also if you are sailing southbound some think you get a better view of the passing land when you are located on the port side. Personally I have not found that to be true as you are usually too far out at sea to actually see land until you are in the inside passage and at that point the views are incredible from both port and starboard.

[peety3]

No. That's a decision that's made "on the spot".

I think it's designed to be consistent week-to-week, or at least consistent for all of the southbounds and consistent for all of the northbounds. When we did the Ultimate Ship Tour on the Ruby two years ago, they had exact compass headings (to the tenth of a degree) for each relevant docking spot in Alaska that season, and for any given spot they only listed one compass heading. Sure, just add or subtract 180 degrees, but I think they're consistent all season long to avoid surprises.

 

If nothing else, every time we've been to Ketchikan, our general direction was northbound and we were always pointed north. Every time to Juneau, we've always been pointed south (and Juneau always requires a U-turn). Every time in Skagway, we've always been pointed north. Every time in Seattle we've been pointed north. Victoria is the only variable: on the Grand in 2014, we were pointed east (bow-in), on the Ruby in 2015, we were pointed west. Vancouver was always northeast, and Whittier was always east.