3. This question was asked of Captain Selvag in person by me and his reply was that it is not a first come first serve basis it is predetermined a year or two in advance . Specifically, is it a roundtrip (or closed loop) cruise or are you only going one-way (or open loop)? ), that doesnt necessarily mean that it is the best for everyone. Betters views as you pull into cities. Nonetheless, determine if smoking is indeed allowed, ascruise shipshave gotten stricter regarding non-smoking areas. But, as the title of your post states, any side is a good side, it's Alaska! I didn't phrase that very well -- I was agreeing that it's not "first come first serve," but saying that it's not "predetermined" in the sense that it can't change on any given day. This question is worth considering because they are very different experiences. Because there are no windows, the rooms get darker at night, which can give added privacy and could make it easier to sleep in, especially in the summer when we get 20 hours of daylight every day! Choose a port side stateroom for sunsets. Best Deck on a Cruise Ship for Avoiding Motion Sickness, How Much Is a Jet Ski? Cruise ships, like most things, are priced based on demand. View cruiseswith Skagway | View Skagway shore excursions | Watch video: Skagway port overview. Although, inside cabins are popular with solo cruisers due to the single supplement being lower priced than a costlier outside or balcony stateroom. Consult this list, and then check the chart to find a vessel that might fit your own preferences, from ships with the fewest passengers to those with the least expensive cruise fares to the ones offering exactly the itinerary you want. Explore one of the worlds oldest collection of totem poles at the Totem Pole Heritage Center, or stroll along Creek Street. Youll get both views. They sail down the coast, so the port side of the ship will face the coastline and the starboard side will face the Gulf of Alaska. The other days are in port or Glacier viewing and will have mountains on both sides. On Northbound Alaska cruises, many people prefer the Starboard side of the ship, where youll see the rugged coastline. PS My tongue is firmly in cheek on that -- I don't think that visiting Glacier Bay is the "be all-end all" of Alaska cruises, but I also don't think that RCCL, which cannot visit Glacier Bay and only has a couple of decades in Alaska (compared to Princess and HAL) has a "leg up" on other cruise ships. Not so much privacy, dont you think so? Moreover, they are proximal to entertainment hubs and recreational areas. Glaciers feel alive. Princess Cruises offers a cruise tour where you visit four national parks: Glacier Bay, Denali, the Kenai Fjords and America's largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias. Launched in 2006, the Crown Princess was refreshed in 2018. Unless you have booked a luxury cabin with a spacious balcony, standard balconies can only accommodate a maximum of four people: two sitting and two standing. On northbound cruises, you'll get the best views of the glaciers on the starboard side of the ship; when you're sailing southward, the port side is the way to go. What is the best side of the ship for a Northbound Alaska cruise. When you are somewhere like glaciers you will likely want to be out on deck to enjoy them to their fullest. RCCL seems to have a leg up on other cruise ships in Alaska. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Recommended Reading: Two Day Cruises From Jacksonville Fl. Am booking cabins with balconies for my family. However, there were other considerations and hence, my choice. You get to meet new friends and learn how to socialize. Don't count on seeing bears from the cruiseship, though it is a possibility. Itinerary: Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, as well as Endicott . As port and starboard never change, they are unambiguous references that are independent of a mariners orientation, and, as a result, mariners use these nautical terms instead of left and right to avoid confusion. But it's also a great opportunity to see the Emerald City. The term starboard comes from the Old English steorbord, meaning the side on which the ship is steered. Categories: However, if the view is obstructed from your balcony, then it would be better to do away with the balcony and go out on deck as many travelers do. The reason is that Alaskan cruise ships move in slow circles in scenic points to provide a good view of both sides from the comfort of your balcony. Anyway, you could have an excellent view from any part of the ships deck, or could simply go to the viewing deck and bask in the beauty of the whole scenery. Lets take a look at both sides and then well decide. There will be following "the ship turns" posts, but the "turn" is only a small fraction of the total viewing, and usually the glacier viewing from the starboard side is not during the commentary. When you book round-trip cruises from Seattle to Alaska, you'll sail on Celebrity Solstice, the debut ship of Celebrity's award-winning Solstice class. Aft cabins also tend to have larger balconies than the ones up front, as a tradeoff for the difference in view. The left side will have the coastal view and the right side will be mostly water. Alaska experiences are as seemingly vast as the state's untouched wilderness. However, they are more costly than the inside cabins. Your daily copy of Celebrity Today will list sunset and sunrise times so you wont miss out. ENJOy:D. It is best not to make assumptions as to how your ship will dock based merely on someone else's docking experience. Now, you don't mention if you are doing the inside passage and if it is during the daytime hours. That is to say, youll get both views, one on the way up and the other on the way back. Port or Starboard side of ship on a roundtrip Alaska cruise from Seattle? During these months, the weather would not be too wet or too cold. You need to be on the Starboard (right) side of the ship, since the land will be on your right as you head north out of Vancouver. Am booking cabins with balconies for my family. When we think of left and right, its usually from our own perspective. What Is The Best Side Of The Ship For An Alaskan Cruise? The left side is called port because ships with steerboards or star boards would dock at ports on the opposite side of the steerboard or star. Contrary to some beliefs that one side is better than the other, both sides are actually best for an Alaskan cruise ship.