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First Time Alaskan Cruise, Advice plz.


CarnivalNico
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So, been on several Caribbean cruises and the wife and I have decided to do our first Alaskan Cruise in 2020.   She wants to make sure we "Choose our room on the correct side of the ship for Maximum Sightseeing from our Balcony."

 

I believe it's a general collective knowledge that on an Alaskan cruise this should be taken into consideration, however; the cruise we are looking at leaves from Seattle and returns to the same port, so... is this something we should really take into consideration?  I'm thinking since it's a closed loop cruise we're guaranteed to be "on the correct side" for at least half the trip right?   Please correct me if I'm wrong or if my knowledge if flawed.   

 

Also please let me know if you have any other advice for me since this is our first time (And maybe only time) doing an Alaskan Cruise so I'd like to go into this getting the best bang for my buck.  I've already learned that layering is a must.  

 

If it matters, we're looking at a 7 day Carnival Alaskan Cruise at the beginning of May on the Carnival Spirit.  Seattle > Day at Sea > Tracy Arm Fjord > Skagway > Juneau > Ketchikan> Victoria BS > Back to Seattle.   

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1 hour ago, CarnivalNico said:

If it matters, we're looking at a 7 day Carnival Alaskan Cruise at the beginning of May on the Carnival Spirit.  Seattle > Day at Sea > Tracy Arm Fjord > Skagway > Juneau > Ketchikan> Victoria BS > Back to Seattle.   

Day at sea, go up on deck during the day in the afternoon as you enter the Alaskan Inside passage, good views both sides.

Tracy arm what you don't see on the way in you will see on the way out, also probably better views on deck when you get in close. Skagway  and Juneau don't matter unless you are staying on board, then port in Skagway and starboard if you want to see town in Juneau and port if you want to see the ocean.

 

I haven't been to Ketchikan but the visit in will see the opposite on the way out.

 

In Victoria Port sees out towards the Ocean, starboard into town.

 

I would choose port because a lot of views that matter can be seen going one direction or the other and it  probably would cost less.

 

A-

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I'm no expert but I'll give you my opinion. Since you say this is your first and perhaps the only time you do an Alaskan cruise I would pick a cruise ship that visits Glacier Bay National Park.  There is a reason Glacier Bay has National Park status, it's awesome.  By the way, the National Park Service only allows two cruise ships per day into Glacier Bay.  The two cruise lines that have the most permits to visit Glacier Bay NP are Princess and Holland America

 

In early May the Ruby Princess does a Seattle round trip and visits Glacier Bay NP, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Victoria, BC.  This is just my opinion of course.

 

Here's a link to the thread about whether Glacier Bay is a must do or not.  I included some photos in that thread I took while cruising Glacier Bay NP.  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2690263-is-glacier-bay-a-must-do/

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3 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

I'm no expert but I'll give you my opinion. Since you say this is your first and perhaps the only time you do an Alaskan cruise I would pick a cruise ship that visits Glacier Bay National Park.  There is a reason Glacier Bay has National Park status, it's awesome.  By the way, the National Park Service only allows two cruise ships per day into Glacier Bay.  The two cruise lines that have the most permits to visit Glacier Bay NP are Princess and Holland America

 

In early May the Ruby Princess does a Seattle round trip and visits Glacier Bay NP, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Victoria, BC.  This is just my opinion of course.

 

Here's a link to the thread about whether Glacier Bay is a must do or not.  I included some photos in that thread I took while cruising Glacier Bay NP.  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2690263-is-glacier-bay-a-must-do/

 

Good call, thanks.  I read that thread and I think I'm going to seek out a Glacier Bay cruise.  

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 I'm in the group of people who think, generally speaking, it's not going to matter which side of the ship you have.  Specifically while anchored in port.  I took two fairly identical cruises on NCL Pearl with basically the same cabin both times except one time was starboard side and the other on the port side.  I was thinking while in port we would have something different to see each time.  Not really.

 

In Juneau the 1st cruise we were docked so that our starboard side cabin was facing the dock and land.  The 2nd cruise we came in and docked at the same spot (AJ Dock) but we did a spin around and our port side cabin was looking at the same land and dock. Ha Ha  I was thinking we'd have a cool view looking out across the water toward Douglas Island that 2nd time.  Oh well.  Practically the same thing in Skagway.  The first time we docked nose facing town and the 2nd time we did a spin around and the stern was pointing at town.  Same view from our cabin.  I don't think you can out-guess them!

 

A different slant on picking your cabin my be its proximity to things on the ship you might be interested in utilizing.  Our first time on Pearl we had picked a cabin at the near front of the ship (the 1st passenger cabin from the front on our deck) and had spa passes.  From our cabin door to the spa check-in counter was about a 60 second trip - the spa was almost directly above us via a single flight of stairs.  So that completely influenced our picking the same cabin but on the other side of the ship for the 2nd time on the Pearl - we loved the spa both trips and used it daily.  It was a bit of a hike (but not bad) to get to any of the restaurants or the large buffet - having the spa handy was more important.

 

Good luck!

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3 hours ago, CarnivalNico said:

 

Good call, thanks.  I read that thread and I think I'm going to seek out a Glacier Bay cruise.  

If you can afford the flight difference to Vancouver you see the inside passage of Canada and Alaska. I don't know if you can get direct to Vancouver from Tampa.

 

This is a nice itinerary on princess  https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details?voyageCode=6011

AVG070lg.jpg

 

Similar out of Seattle but more time out on the ocean on the way up.  https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details?voyageCode=R013

image.png.a0569155b1833d71e8d7f10f14ec0aa0.png

 

Holland America out of Seattle

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/A1E07A/D165.html

 

Holland America out of Vancouver

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/A1G07E/V163.html

 

You really need to check the times in ports when comparing.

 

 

 

Edited by AlanF65
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19 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

I'm no expert but I'll give you my opinion. Since you say this is your first and perhaps the only time you do an Alaskan cruise I would pick a cruise ship that visits Glacier Bay National Park.  There is a reason Glacier Bay has National Park status, it's awesome.  By the way, the National Park Service only allows two cruise ships per day into Glacier Bay.  The two cruise lines that have the most permits to visit Glacier Bay NP are Princess and Holland America

 

In early May the Ruby Princess does a Seattle round trip and visits Glacier Bay NP, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Victoria, BC.  This is just my opinion of course.

 

Here's a link to the thread about whether Glacier Bay is a must do or not.  I included some photos in that thread I took while cruising Glacier Bay NP.  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2690263-is-glacier-bay-a-must-do/

I agree! Glacier bay is a National park for a reason!!

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With your balcony, be aware that, depending on date and latitude, the sun can rise before 5 am and set after 10:30 pm, for - in theory just 6.5 hours of darkness - or less.
I say 'darkness' but there are long periods of twighlight during that time, when it does not get properly dark, as the sun is only just below the horizon and its light is bounced back to you from the atmosphere and cloud.

There is a solution to this: inside cabins can be virtually pitch dark whenever and for however long you wish.

As mentioned above, the good news is that, during daylight glacier park cruising, the skipper will rotate the vessel so everyone with a balcony can see the good stuff at least half the time. 

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For an Alaskan cruise I would never choose an inside cabin.  Weather in Alaska can be quite cold and Ketchikan is the rain capital of North America.  Residents refer to rain as liquid sunshine.  Booking an inside cabin would require you to be out on deck in the weather to see the fantastic scenery.  With a balcony cabin if it is rainy or very cold or both you can open your balcony door and sit inside the cabin and enjoy the scenery.  Again, this is just my two cents.

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A first-timer who doesn't bring the right gear to stay outside in the rain and cold for at least a couple of hours at a time has failed to do their research. A repeat visitor without such gear is a fool - or got REALLY lucky and had nice weather on all prior trips 😉

 

Don't let weather dictate cabin choice - just bring the right clothes!!! Instead of being stuck inside your cabin when it's cold or wet, viewing only the slice directly outside, stay on deck (when all the poorly equipped people will be huddled inside, giving you buckets of extra rail space to enjoy the sights from) and take in the views all around... even the best balcony on the ship provides an inferior view to an open deck - the actual advantage to private balcony space for viewing Alaska is nobody else using it in NICE weather, when the open decks can get busy. Exactly how busy depends on the ship - many of the high deck areas on modern ships are no good for photos thanks to solid 'wind break' plexiglass panels rather than open railings.

 

I'd second the idea of Vancouver RTs and Glacier Bay - but if you are thinking of a 'one and done' visit why not save up some extra vacation and do it more justice, with a one-way trip and some time on land? The vast bulk of Alaska is inland, not where the cruises go.

 

As to which side - there's a slight advantage to Port for when you get the spiel from the rangers in Glacier Bay, as it's always the port side that sees things first so the description of what's being looked fits better. So if you are going balcony, go Port - then when the ship turns around head up onto an open deck, starboard side, to look again (the more time you have eyes-on, the better chance of seeing calving). You could of course also do the opposite - but again, a lot of folks forget to bring the right gear and don't stay out for a long time so the open decks get less busy the longer you stay on station as the folks without gloves/scarves/hats run inside to warm up. Giants chunks of ice cool the air pretty darn well - even in summer on a warm day without much wind, you will notice it being colder when you are near a glacier!

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48 minutes ago, martincath said:

A first-timer who doesn't bring the right gear to stay outside in the rain and cold for at least a couple of hours at a time has failed to do their research.

Camera rain bags, phone bags, a lenses cloth to wipe with. Sometimes you get the deck to yourself. You need a hat that won't blow off in the wind. I was chasing a whale that was near the bow. It was sunny and dry about 30 minutes before

 

 

20180717_100727.jpg

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11 hours ago, AlanF65 said:

Camera rain bags, phone bags, a lenses cloth to wipe with. Sometimes you get the deck to yourself. You need a hat that won't blow off in the wind. I was chasing a whale that was near the bow. It was sunny and dry about 30 minutes before

 

 

20180717_100727.jpg

Most important question - did you get a picture of the whale?

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We rarely do balcony cabins but if cruising Glacier Bay we’d prefer a starboard cabin. The ships transits Glacier Bay by going up the bay on the right side. Starboard cabins would be nearest the shore giving better opportunities for possible wildlife sightings. We’ve seen brown bears and there are frequently mountain goats at Gloomy Knob that would be missed if someone was on their port balcony. A consistent message is that regardless of a port or starboard cabin, you’re always missing something if you stay on your balcony and don’t venture out on deck.

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On 11/11/2019 at 9:08 AM, CarnivalNico said:

please let me know if you have any other advice for me since this is our first time (And maybe only time) doing an Alaskan Cruise so I'd like to go into this getting the best bang for my buck.  I've already learned that layering is a must.  

 

If it matters, we're looking at a 7 day Carnival Alaskan Cruise at the beginning of May on the Carnival Spirit.  Seattle > Day at Sea > Tracy Arm Fjord > Skagway > Juneau > Ketchikan> Victoria BS > Back to Seattle.   

 

For Juneau I highly recommend the tram, it's lovely and you don't have to pre-book anything - you can just walk over

 

 

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On 11/13/2019 at 12:33 PM, Glaciers said:

We rarely do balcony cabins but if cruising Glacier Bay we’d prefer a starboard cabin. The ships transits Glacier Bay by going up the bay on the right side. Starboard cabins would be nearest the shore giving better opportunities for possible wildlife sightings. We’ve seen brown bears and there are frequently mountain goats at Gloomy Knob that would be missed if someone was on their port balcony. A consistent message is that regardless of a port or starboard cabin, you’re always missing something if you stay on your balcony and don’t venture out on deck.

 

We had a starboard side balcony cabin on our Alaskan cruise and when cruising Glacier Bay we were lucky enough to see those mountain goats.

 

image.thumb.png.6f7a318608d8cc15af601d6a4920f9a2.png

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It's not just the weather you have to deal with if you have an inside cabin, you also have to vie with other passengers for a good spot to see and photograph the glaciers and scenery on the public decks.

 

misguy just posted a video in this forum of Hubbard Glacier on the NCL Jewel and watching it you can see how the best viewing spots on the ship get crowded.  Nope I will always pay for a balcony cabin on an Alaskan cruise.  I'm not suggesting you stay in your cabin while cruising the bays but when it comes to viewing the major glaciers you can't beat having a balcony cabin.

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I disagree about having a balcony cabin. I've had one out of five of my cruises to Alaska. It was great to have since we were at the bow of the ship. When the captain turned the ship so that both sides could have a view of the glacier, we had a view the whole time. But we also had a great time on the other four cruises. Make sure you choose a ship that has plenty of space for viewing--a wide Promenade Deck like I had on the Island Princess this summer is great.

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What upset me the most was that we had a starboard side balcony and only at one port did we dock in such a way as to have a view of the water while in port. All the others were looking at the dock. I'm really not sure how one could even choose since it may be up to the captain and dock master how the ship parks at dock.

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On 11/11/2019 at 10:33 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

Would you consider another cruise line besides Carnival?

 

I would, and have.  I think for this Alaskan Trip were going to sail Norwegian for the first time.  On the Bliss I believe.  I do like Carnival, but really think Carnival is best for the Caribbean and not so much for Alaska.  Don't really know why I feel that way to tell you the truth, but just one of those gut things.   Also, I guess NCL is one of the few lines that actually do Glacier Bay, and I kinda enjoy being on newer ships.

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On 11/15/2019 at 8:46 PM, donaldsc said:

Why did you pick a Carnival cruise?

 

DON

 

Honestly, I had cruised Carnival for the Caribbean and I'm only 1 night away from getting my next Cruise Level.... lol, so that was my sole reason for considering it.    After researching more I don't think I want to do Carnival for Alaska.  I'm looking more now at the BCL Bliss.  Plus, Carnival doesn't go to Glacier Bay and I'm pretty sold that's where I want to tour.

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On 11/15/2019 at 5:01 PM, Oakman58 said:

It's not just the weather you have to deal with if you have an inside cabin, you also have to vie with other passengers for a good spot to see and photograph the glaciers and scenery on the public decks.

 

misguy just posted a video in this forum of Hubbard Glacier on the NCL Jewel and watching it you can see how the best viewing spots on the ship get crowded.  Nope I will always pay for a balcony cabin on an Alaskan cruise.  I'm not suggesting you stay in your cabin while cruising the bays but when it comes to viewing the major glaciers you can't beat having a balcony cabin.

 

Unless it is on the other side of the ship.  Yes, I know that they rotate the ship but that still means that you get to see the glacier for only 50% of the time you are near it.

 

DON

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2 hours ago, CarnivalNico said:

 

I would, and have.  I think for this Alaskan Trip were going to sail Norwegian for the first time.  On the Bliss I believe.  

 

I get that you want to try something shiney and new, but look very closely at Bliss port times. They're terrible !!

What do you expect to accomplish in Ketchikan with port time of 7am - 1:15pm ?   Realistically you won't be off the ship until around 8am and you'll need to be heading back to the ship at 12:30.  And in Juneau do you see yourself still sightseeing at 9pm? It will be daylight but you'll probably head back to the ship by 7 for dinner and will stay on board.  

And while Victoria is a beautiful city, it's not Alaska.  And again, what will you accomplish in 3 hrs ?

 

I agree with others who have recommended a RT Vancouver sailing with GBay. Far superior with port times. And the bonus of sailing between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland; scenic and smoother waters.  Seattle sailings travel on the west side of Vanc Island, so no scenery and open sea which CAN be rough.

 

Give some more thought to your itinerary and port times.  The Bliss is a poor choice, unless your priority is using the bumper cars and water slides.......

 

 

7-Day Awe of Alaska: Glacier Bay & Inside Passage from Seattle

Day Cruise Ports Arrive Depart
Sun Seattle, Washington (EMBARK) --- 5:00 pm
Mon At Sea --- ---
Tue Juneau, Alaska 2:30 pm 11:00 pm
Wed Skagway, Alaska 7:00 am 8:15 pm
Thu Glacier Bay (Cruising) --- ---
Fri Ketchikan, Alaska 7:00 am 1:15 pm
Sat Victoria, British Columbia 7:00 pm 11:59 pm
Sun Seattle, Washington (DISEMBARK) 6:00 am ---
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