Help. Cabin guidance on an alaskan cruise

[kkpennylane]

My husband and I are booked on the celebrity eclipse Alaskan cruise in August. We will be doing a balcony and it looks like the starboard side is best for views. For an additional price, we can pick our cabin and have it guaranteed on that side. BUT I am not sure if it is worth it bc it might be beautiful on port side as well. 

Has anyone done this route and can help me with this? Should I save the money and risk them putting us in any balcony cabin? If you stayed on the port side, do you get the same views?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[RTShaker]

24 minutes ago, kkpennylane said:

My husband and I are booked on the celebrity eclipse Alaskan cruise in August. We will be doing a balcony and it looks like the starboard side is best for views. For an additional price, we can pick our cabin and have it guaranteed on that side. BUT I am not sure if it is worth it bc it might be beautiful on port side as well. 

Has anyone done this route and can help me with this? Should I save the money and risk them putting us in any balcony cabin? If you stayed on the port side, do you get the same views?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

Generally speaking if the port side sees something outbound, starboard will see it inbound. When cruising in Glacier Bay, etc you will see both sides. It really doesn't matter which side you are on.

[mrgabriel]

@RTShaker said exactly what I was going to. Doesn't matter which side you're on, especially when you go through the fjords. Out and back!

[Ken the cruiser]

Are there any aft-facing balcony cabins left? That would be our preference as then you could see the scenery as well as possibly wildlife sightings on both sides of the ship as well as out the back. Which cruise are you thinking about?

  

Edited June 2, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[kkpennylane]

Thank you all for the help. We are taking the celebrity Eclipse and decided to save the money (almost$1000) and have them choose for us. That way we can have money to do better excursions, specialty dinning, etc. After talking to our agent, there are very few verandas left so I am happy with our decision. 

 

[Northern Aurora]

Even though we live in Alaska we have done at least six (or seven?) Alaska itineraries.  I prefer the aft staterooms, but really have no preference as to port or starboard side.  And the best places to be on the Eclipse will be the Sky Lounge, outer decks and the Ocean View buffet (not during peak meal times).  You want to be out of your stateroom with the ability to move from one side of the ship to the other.

[phoenix_dream]

I agree 100% that it matters not one bit which side of the ship you are on as regards viewing scenery.  On Alaska cruises you are either in the Inside Passage, where each side has a good view, or in open seas where you are far enough away from shore it doesn't matter.  At the glacier, they rotate the ship so all sides have views.  It may mean you do or don't face the port when docked but that can change by sailing so you can't predict.

[Jim_Iain]

I generally have found that the side of the ship really isn't important .    At the Glaciers the captain rotates the ship 360 degree in one direction and then rotates in opposite direction giving everyone views from their rooms.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Totally doesn't matter. When I was on a cruise to Alaska and splurged on a balcony, almost invariably when they announced wildlife sightings it was on the other side - going north or going south.

[shipgeeks]

I might add that we would not even book a balcony.  We did once, and we only used it one time - for an hour or so - during the entire 10 days.  All our waking hours were spent up on the open decks, or promenade deck or public spaces during wet weather. Our preference now is oceanview, which lets us see the sea in comfort, and lets in the light and a view of the weather.

[LeeW]

First, the critters are always on the other side of the ship.

 

Second, most sailing is done at night and you can't see much.

 

In places like Hubbard Glacier you want to be moving around the ship (same with Panama Canal).  Including moving far forward even when raining.  Yes, it can be very cold.

 

We have done a B2B Vancouver to Vancouver in an ocean view cabin.  Since we were seldom in the room this was a ton cheaper than booking a balcony.

[lizinindy]

We were so much warmer on our aft balcony compared to our friends in balconies on the port or starboard sides