Alaska Balcony or Oceanview on 5/28/05 any advise

[lilkrz]

I am going to Alaska 5/28/05 I usually book a balcony cabin but was wondering in Alaska at that time of the year should I spend the extra money or go with just an Oceanview cabin? Anyone been in Alaska around this time have any tips on what clothing one should bring. Thanks

[dickinson]

I have never been to Alaska but hope to one day. We always get oceanview cabins but I do remember a thread once about someone who had the oceanview on an Alaskan cruise and regretted it. Every time they wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery they always had to go upstairs and go outside instead of just stepping out on the balcony. it made for more of a production. On your balcony you can easily go back in your room for a while to warm up and then easily step back outside without constantly going upstairs and finding a spot outside. After reading this I decided that when we finally do an Alaskan cruise it will be a balcony for us!:rolleyes:

[Cruising89143]

Even with the questionable weather, I would not book a cruise to Alaska without having a balcony. There is just too much to see on this type of cruise.

[pholter]

I wouldn't go without a balcony.... Wishing you were out there when you wake up with your cup of coffee and a danish from room service isn't the same thing as doing it. I loved my balcony and I thought Alaska was breathtaking. That time of year should be very mild and warm, but not like being in Mexico :) We went in Septemeber and needed a sweatshirt from time to time. Look for better deals and book it! Enjoy :)

[fhowell2]

I have never been to Alaska but hope to one day. We always get oceanview cabins but I do remember a thread once about someone who had the oceanview on an Alaskan cruise and regretted it. Every time they wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery they always had to go upstairs and go outside instead of just stepping out on the balcony. it made for more of a production. On your balcony you can easily go back in your room for a while to warm up and then easily step back outside without constantly going upstairs and finding a spot outside. After reading this I decided that when we finally do an Alaskan cruise it will be a balcony for us!:rolleyes:

We went to Alaska on the Celebrity Mercury in the last half of May this year. We cruised roundtrip(12 days) from SF.

We usually book inside, but this trip we splurged and got a balcony and have never regretted it. The sun rises at 4:30am and sets at 9:30 pm and you are never without something to look at. Treat yourself and book a balcony. You'll always remember it.

Weather-We wore shorts/t-shirts in Juneau (80 degrees), long pants/jackets in Skagway because we took the train ride, heavy cold gear at Hubbard Glacier, raingear at Sitka and Ketchikan. You gotta take it all.

Have a great cruise!

[wwwmarge]

Number one it's going to be very cool while you are crusing. I would not spend the extra money because of that. We had a inside to save money because we had combined it with a land tour. Never regretted it. Marge

[kkorman]

I have done it both ways. I would not pay for the balcony again. First, the price is a big jump from that in the Caribbean. With the prices of the excursions, I'd take the money you'd save and do the glacier trekking or dog-sledding. Second, it stays light out really late in Alaska. I actually enjoyed my Inside just as much as the balcony. Finally, there are plenty of open decks on these ships and you mind as well take advantage of them. That way you can see more than the one side.

[Sea Turtle]

lilkrz--

 

Until last year I had never booked anything other than an inside guarantee; however, on my last two Alaskan cruises (last week of May03 and first week of Jun03) I upgraded to a balcony. It was without doubt the best cruise decision I ever made. The first time I cruised Alaska in Sep00 I had an inside, and had a grand time so for me the cabin location would not make or break the cruise but the balcony was a MAJOR enhancement. It could never be too cold for me to not enjoy a balcony in Alaska, and look where I live!! Sure it can get cold on the balcony but no colder than it does when you go up and out on deck. But there were also times when I sat on my balcony (while docked or anchored) while wearing shorts. Even on the coldest day I only needed to wear a windbreaker, wind pants, an ear/headband, and some wool gloves ($.99 kind that even the Florida Target store sells).

 

If I couldn't have a balcony for Alaska, I would skip over an oceanview and book an inside, and spend the savings on excursions.

 

And, despite what you might have read/heard there are cruisers that can go back to an inside cabin after having a balcony. I've done it twice since my Alaska cruises last year. I could care less about a balcony while cruising the Caribbean, and I sure didn’t need one for my transatlantic crossing.

 

You can see all the different takes on ‘to balcony or not’ here on your thread. :) I say get the balcony for Alaska!!!

 

Enjoy your planning.

[glrounds]

I cruise SOLO and LAST MINUTE (usually a week or so before the cruise). So the cost and availability of a SOLO balcony is out of the question.

I would like to do an Alaskan itinerary in September, so please everybody please leave those inside cabins alone. :D

Sunsets at 9:30 and rises at 4:30 . . . .PERFECT ! ! This allows me 7 hours of sleeping, showering, changing clothes before I'm all over that ship taking in the sites from BOTH sides of the ship (as well as the aft and bow). :)

Breakfast every morning on the Lido looking out over the aft of the SPIRIT, lunch on the Lido, and dinner in the formal dining room (if I must). What a way to go. :p

 

[sandy toes]

You wil probaly have NO trouble getting your ship/your cabin but the air fare may be a bit tough. I had a friend almost miss out on a last minute Sept sailing because she could not locate air. She finally turned to MY travel agent and she found air with 2 stops that was within a resonable price. Save your pennies for the excursions...they are costly but worth it!!! I would take the excursions over the balcony if I could only afford one or the other. Try to find positives...an inside room will be dark and you will get some much needed rest so you can do ALL the wonderful Alaska things you planned. Have a wonderful cruise!

[carol459]

Victoria(beautiful weather)-Pulled into port and watched various pontoon planes take off and land from our verandah. Left the ship without any particular plans and hopped onto the Grayline double-decker shuttle ($5pp for all day) to go downtown to the Victoria Hotel. There, Carol and Judy K. went onto a Grayline tour (Judy K. has limited mobility, so must ride much) and had a great time sightseeing. I walked over to the Royal British Columbia Museum and spent a couple of hours going through the native American exhibit (no photos allowed). Went to Thunderbird Park and photoed numerous Totem poles, then headed back to the bus pickup point. Returned to the ship with Carol and Judy K. and had lunch. We set sail soon thereafter.

NOTE-daylight hours began at approx. 4am and sunset was about 9:30-10 pm all the time we were in Alaska. I wake up at dawn and for a few days suffered from severe sleep deprivation.

Inland Passage(beautiful weather)-What can I say. This is a beautifully scenic area and I spent as much time as possible looking with wonder at all of the trees, mountains, waterfalls, snow, whales, dolphins, orcas, eagles, and so much etc.

Juneau(beautiful weather)-Went through Stephens Passage to get to Juneau, passing numerous waterfalls and snow-covered mountains. Docked at downtown Juneau and went on a tour we arranged through Mighty Good Tours (MGT) to the Mendenhall Glacier. There is a visitors center there, where we saw an informative movie and were able to spend 45 minutes checking out the glacier and its icebergs. Our tour took us around and through Juneau for 3 hours. We went to Auke Lake, which is just downstream of the glacier and we had numerous photo opportunities. Well worth the money and less than the comparable ship shore tour. Back to the ship for lunch and a little shopping. We were tired and ready to call it a day.

More Inland Passage-Darn, we had to endure more Inland Passage scenery on out way to Skagway. Tough duty, but someone has to do it.

Skagway (high clouds, nice)-Another early morning arrival. We ate breakfast and boarded the White Pass RR for the trip to White Pass, where the gold rushers had to go to get to the gold. The train loads right next to the ship. It is a great ride and takes an hour and a half to get to White Pass, because the trip is uphill all the way. Beautiful scenery with glaciers, waterfalls, rainforests and plenty of sightseeing. I spent a good amount of time on the traincar platform taking photos. It is tough to take photos through a glass window. After the traintrip, we went to the ship for lunch, then walked into Skagway. It only takes a few minutes. Walked down the main drag and then went to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park for a ranger-led talk and a tour through their museum. Back to the Ship and relax time. Set sail 9ish pm.

Icy Straight(Hoonah)(sunny, cool)-The next morning, we anchored off Icy Strait, half way between the town of Hoonah and the Fish Cannery. We were tendered to the Fish Cannery pier. There is a newly developed area there with a museum, shops, a nice restaurant, boardwalk, and a beach path around to Icy Strait Point. The area is still under construction, but is well enough along for us to be the first cruise ship to anchor there. Everyone was anxious for us to feel welcome and we had a good time. I walked around and took photos. There was even an announcement that orcas were coming into the bay and they came close enough to shore to see their markings. A couple of Bald Eagles put in an appearance also. Carol, Judy K., and I were disappointed to have our Nature Tram tour canceled because the roads were too wet and impassable. Other tours went off as scheduled. Carol and Judy hitched a ride into Hoonah with the general store proprietor and were able to get some photos. Quiet little place, population 800. The ship carried 2000 passengers. Beautiful area and the most natural inhabited place we would visit, with one exception. Logging was a prominent local industry for a while and evidenced by large clear –cut areas. The areas are re-vegging and are green and don’t stand out. Off we go into Icy Strait for our next experience.

Hubbard Glacier (Yakutat Bay)-We sailed into Yakutat bay the next morning, moving slowly to avoid icebergs, not wanting to do a Titanic imitation. This was the coldest day of the entire cruise with a low cloud cover and ice cubes of various sizes floating all around us. We cruised to within a half-mile of Hubbard Glacier, where we could see the glacier calving and hear it make sounds like thunder. The Mercury stayed in one spot and slowly revolved so each side of the ship could experience the view and sounds. This all took several hours. Then we slowly sailed out and headed south.

Sitka-Another early morning arrival (good grief). We had breakfast and were tendered to shore in the rain, which lasted most of the day. At the tender dock, we found a shuttle called Tribal Tours, which is operated by the local Tlinget clan, which cost us $7pp(for all day) to haul us around. Went to the Sitka National Historical Park to start off, watched a film about the Tlinget/Russian battle for Sitka. Very informative. Toured the Center/museum, then went back downtown to Totem Park. Walked the downtown area, which is not very big. Did a little shopping, not much. Walked up Castle Hill and took more photos, then went back to the ship. It was showery all the time we were in Sitka. Too bad. It is a pretty town with lots of bald eagles everywhere. I feel sorry for the people who payed to see bald eagles when you could see them everywhere and use their money for something else. Hunkered down and sailed out for our last stop in Alaska.

Ketchikan (showery)- Early in the morning(when else), we docked really close to downtown, and Carol and Judy K. went on a float plane trip to the Misty Fjords. They had a great time, with several landings/takeoffs in the Fjords and lots of photos. I went on a local tour to Totem Bight State Park. I chose this one because it is in a rainforest and the tour gave much more time for photography. We started out with a short tour around town and then headed out to Totem Bight. The driver walked with us through the rain forest, a clan house (reproduction), and through the totem pole park area. Afterwards, we went to a museum/giftshop for smoked salmon treats and a bit of shopping (imagine that). We then went back to town and our driver dropped us off at Creek Street, which if you are in a hurry, is only a 15-minute walk from the ship. I strolled back and enjoyed the town and was able to relax a bit. We were only in Ketchikan for 5 hours, so you had to keep moving to see very much. We sailed out at 1 pm and headed for home.

This info may help you make up your mind.

Have a good cruise

Carol and Rick

[Stircrzy]

Spend the extra and go for the balcony, in case you never get to cruise to Alaska again. We spent a lot of time out there on our cruise the first week of June in 1985.

 

As for clothing...layer, layer, layer. Silk longjohns are nice, light, and comfy as an underlayer. A cashmere hoodie is warm and lightweight.

[ar_barbara]

We went to Alaska in May, 2003. We had a balcony and I would highly recomend it. We were protected from the wind and water while we sailed throught the glaciers. We were able to drink coffee out there in the morning. There is just to much to see to not have a balcony. The weather was great. We still got to see snow but we had blue skys and fairly mild temps (for Alaska). No rain to speak of a couple of small showers.

[Hoonah_Tlingit_Boy]

HELLO EVERYONE! I just wanted to take this time to thank Carol459 for posting about Icy Strait Point. It was quite the historical year for Hoonah and our people. I want you to know that we sincerely enjoyed EVERYONE'S company. The children were teeming with joy and exuberance, and above all...PRIDE, in having the opportunity to express themselves as Tlingit people. Again, GUNALCHEESH HAAT YEEY. AADI! (Thank you for coming!)

 

Koo Hook

[bthorn1108]

I'm going to put in my two cents here, although, I appear to be in the minority. When I cruise the Caribbean, I always get a balcony. I love to go out there, in my robe, with my coffee and then again in the evening while we're getting ready for dinner with a drink. We love to watch the stars, once it's dark. These are our main reasons for getting a balcony. That being said, in Alaska it was MUCH to cold in the morning (we sailed the first week of July) to enjoy coffee out there, it was too cold in the evening to enjoy a drink out there. The sun didn't set until 2:30 am and came up again at 4:30 am, so much for viewing the stars. We went with an oceanview cabin, therefore, we could see sights out of the window, however, we saved hundreds over the cost of a balcony. When we were at Hubbard Glacier, I would have gone on deck to see anyway. The captain was turning the ship around and around, so I kept running from port to starboard, through the lobby, so I could get a better view. You can't do that from your balcony. It's strictly a personal preference, however, I have stated my opinion to several of my clients and most of them agreed with the reasoning.

[L2J]

Number one it's going to be very cool while you are crusing.

 

Not necessarily. *shakes head*

 

Book the balcony. You wont regret it.

[suzybruner]

We cruised the Spirit the end of May from Seward to Vancouver last year. We paid an extra $100 pp over an outside to get the balcony. It was absolutely worth it. Don't forget the bungee cord either, on sunny days it was warm enough to have the door open for a little while.

 

Also, we did not do the land trip to Denali prior to the cruise and we really regret it. Don't know if I will ever get to Alaska again to see that.

 

Suzy