Any whales?

[mochuck]

My sister said when she did her Alaskan cruise a couple of years ago she saw a pod of whales while she was sitting on her balcony. She had done a whale watching tour the day before and said that she swa more whales from her balcony.

 

I was wondering if this is common, has anyone else seen whales from the cruise ship?

[Budget Queen]

No this isn't "common". Anything seen from a balcony is pure chance. :) From a ship the views are usually distant and brief. IF whales are a priority to see, then a tour is my only suggestion.

 

I do spend most all my time out on deck and have excellent sighting stats from a cruiseship. HOWEVER, it is always from the front, you cut your sightings by over 50% from the side, you need to track from the front, and I also, specifically know the areas. Proper attire is necessary along with a good pair of wide angle binoculars. VERY few people are willing to invest the considerable amount of time needed. IF interested, hook up and get friendly with your ship naturalist, if on HAL, Princess or Carnival. They can offer you excellent advice based on the prior week and their extensive knowledge.

[knorrisb07]

If you are out on the deck, there is a good chance to spot them. But most of them are far away and less dramatic than what you see from 200 yards away with a binoculars.