Alaska- Does it matter which side of the ship?

[anjuan]

I recently re-booked my Alaska cruise for next year while on board and am in the process of transferring it over to my TA. We're doing a navigator's veranda. Does anyone have recommendations for which side to book on or does it really not matter since it's a round-trip cruise?

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I recently re-booked my Alaska cruise for next year while on board and am in the process of transferring it over to my TA. We're doing a navigator's veranda. Does anyone have recommendations for which side to book on or does it really not matter since it's a round-trip cruise?

It really doesn’t matter, you get to see the same things up and back.

 

[GPaLarry]

Forward in 8000s staterooms we had issues with smoking area above during the glacier, dead-calm day. Pick the starboard side if you are high up on the front of the Wonder.

 

[Shanti]

I recently re-booked my Alaska cruise for next year while on board and am in the process of transferring it over to my TA. We're doing a navigator's veranda. Does anyone have recommendations for which side to book on or does it really not matter since it's a round-trip cruise?

Imo it doesn't matter. We were deck 5 starboard aft and had a great view on glacier day and every other day, and no problems with our navigator's verandah- we loved it. They turn the ship on glacier day so that both sides get time looking at it.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Our last Alaska cruise was port side stateroom 7076. Very nice view of the water and a few islands, northbound and the coastline southbound. Enjoyed Tracy's Arm glacier on the top deck for a while then returned to the veranda and saw it as the ship was turning around, with a glass of wine. Blue ice and wine go together rather nicely.

 

[Shellyred8]

When we stopped at Endicott Arm glacier they had one side of the ship facing the glacier for quite awhile. I had heard that they turn the ship part way during the stop so the other side of the ship gets the view of the glacier for a bit, but when we turned, we headed out. So those that had verandah's on the other side of the ship didn't get any glacier viewing time. I think this probably varies from cruise to cruise though and you can't really plan for it. Our room happened to be on the side that did get the glacier viewing and it was spectacular! Other than that though, I didn't feel that it mattered which side we were on. As others have mentioned you get to see one side on the way up and the other side on the way back.

Have a great trip!!!

 

[Ravenne]

If people watching is something you'd enjoy, go with starboard. Port side only gets the view of the pier in Skagway. Ketchikan and Juneau are on the starboard side. Glacier day, it doesn't matter. That, and aside from smoking area considerations (port deck 9 for forward 24 hrs, starboard deck 4 aft from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. only) it doesn't really matter which side.