Preferred side of ship for Alaska cruises?

[jcathers1]

We are veteran cruises going on our first Alaskan cruise next year (Bliss). Any strong opinions/experiences on which side of the ship might be preferable, based on the itinerary? We are going Seattle > Sitka > Juneau > Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier > Icy Straight Point > Ketchikan > Victoria, BC > Seattle.

 

I appreciate that we can move to either side of the ship as necessary, so really just looking for experiences with things you missed/enjoyed from your stateroom balcony. We are booked in a Haven rear-facing balcony, if that affects the answers (since that will be a bit different from a traditional port/starboard side balcony). Thanks in advance.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, jcathers1 said:

We are veteran cruises going on our first Alaskan cruise next year (Bliss). Any strong opinions/experiences on which side of the ship might be preferable, based on the itinerary? We are going Seattle > Sitka > Juneau > Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier > Icy Straight Point > Ketchikan > Victoria, BC > Seattle.

 

I appreciate that we can move to either side of the ship as necessary, so really just looking for experiences with things you missed/enjoyed from your stateroom balcony. We are booked in a Haven rear-facing balcony, if that affects the answers (since that will be a bit different from a traditional port/starboard side balcony). Thanks in advance.

That Aft balcony cabin is in between.  You'll get to see both sides of wherever you sail/port.  So, there is no side preference, per se.

[Panhandle Couple]

We sailed on Bliss to Alaska in 2019, in a deck 15 aft cabin.  We thought it was great, and mostly out of the wind.  We would keep the TV on the bow cam, to see what was coming up, and also be able to see when we went by.  Early morning was great, only 4 neighbors, much different vibe than in the middle of a long string of side balconies.

 

For Endicott Arm, you will probably want to be topside and walking around for best views and photo ops.  If raining, your aft balcony will be a good option for viewing.

[bonvoyagie]

you will also have access to the Horizon Lounge in the front of the ship above the main observation lounge. It is reserved for Haven guests only.

[Sigyn]

We were port side on our recent Alaskan cruise and I had thought beforehand that maybe starboard was the best side. I was wrong. Turns out it didn't matter. You go through so many narrow areas on the Inside Passage and you see so much from both sides of the ship. It's just gorgeous for your entire cruise. On two different nights I saw smaller ships in the distance and managed to get great photos of them from my cabin. If I'd been starboard I wouldn't have gotten the photos. You just never know what you will see. 

[Dcoy]

We had an aft cabin and loved it. Sat and watched the seaplanes take off and land one afternoon.