Alaska - inside cabin because of early sunrise?

[ajo]

So we're booked on an Alaska cruise next summer in an oceanview stateroom. We're sailing with kids who tend to wake up with the sun and we were looking at the sunrise times and it is 3:00-4:00 a.m.!

We sailed on the Wonder this past January and the sun coming in the window (curtains drawn) woke our kids up at 5:00 a.m. several days, which was less than ideal. So, we're starting to second guess ourselves and are considering an inside cabin to avoid any chance of getting woken up by the sun that early.

For those of you who have cruised Alaska, did the early sunrise cause problems?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

This is a forum myth. All staterooms have good curtains it can be pitch black in there at 12 noon , in fact our room was when my son closed them to watch a movie. I have been and would say a verandah is a must those late evenings and early sunrises are magical if your awake to view but if you close the curtains you can have a lay in.

 

[clten]

I would keep the cabin you booked and bring a couple of clothes pins to hold the blackout curtains closed. It's usually just the gaps in the curtains that let in enough light to wake you!

 

[artnerds]

This is a forum myth. All staterooms have good curtains it can be pitch black in there at 12 noon , in fact our room was when my son closed them to watch a movie. I have been and would say a verandah is a must those late evenings and early sunrises are magical if your awake to view but if you close the curtains you can have a lay in.

I agree. The curtains are very effective. If you find that yours don't quite stay closed all the way (and you don't have clothes pins with you as a PP suggested), your stateroom host can provide you with some clips that will hold them closed completely.

 

[mmouse37]

I just use a hair clip to keep the drapes closed. I agree that the little gap lets in a lot of sun. That said, we had an oceanview cabin and I don't recall being woken up any earlier because of the sunrise. This was August Alaskan cruise in 2011.

MJ

 

[ajo]

Thanks everyone. We'd prefer the window so we can see the Alaska scenery, so I'll be sure and pack clothes pins!

 

[artnerds]

Thanks everyone. We'd prefer the window so we can see the Alaska scenery, so I'll be sure and pack clothes pins!

What works even better than clothes pins are those large clips you can buy to close bags of potato chips and other snacks. 2 or 3 of those clips and even the most stubborn drapes will be tightly closed.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I agree. The curtains are very effective. If you find that yours don't quite stay closed all the way (and you don't have clothes pins with you as a PP suggested), your stateroom host can provide you with some clips that will hold them closed completely.

These are the heavy curtains.



Now this is in bright sunshine, see the difference how the curtains block everything.

 

[dcassetta]

I bring a few binder clips for the curtains. One thing to do is look at the closed curtains before the sun goes down to check where the "gaps" might be. When we cruised Alaska in late June, it never really got dark outside.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is a forum myth. All staterooms have good curtains it can be pitch black in there at 12 noon , in fact our room was when my son closed them to watch a movie. I have been and would say a verandah is a must those late evenings and early sunrises are magical if your awake to view but if you close the curtains you can have a lay in.

Did you see what the op wrote?

We sailed on the Wonder this past January and the sun coming in the window (curtains drawn) woke our kids up at 5:00 a.m. several days

With curtains the sunrise woke her kids.

(The word "drawn" if I used it would mean "open" but I highly doubt the op would have mentioned it if she meant the sunrise woke them when the curtains were open. Different people use words differently)

When things happen to people those things aren't myths.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

So we're booked on an Alaska cruise next summer in an oceanview stateroom. We're sailing with kids who tend to wake up with the sun and we were looking at the sunrise times and it is 3:00-4:00 a.m.!

We sailed on the Wonder this past January and the sun coming in the window (curtains drawn) woke our kids up at 5:00 a.m. several days, which was less than ideal. So, we're starting to second guess ourselves and are considering an inside cabin to avoid any chance of getting woken up by the sun that early.

For those of you who have cruised Alaska, did the early sunrise cause problems?

This is a forum myth. All staterooms have good curtains it can be pitch black in there at 12 noon , in fact our room was when my son closed them to watch a movie. I have been and would say a verandah is a must those late evenings and early sunrises are magical if your awake to view but if you close the curtains you can have a lay in.

Did you see what the op wrote?
With curtains the sunrise woke her kids.

(The word "drawn" if I used it would mean "open" but I highly doubt the op would have mentioned it if she meant the sunrise woke them when the curtains were open. Different people use words differently)

When things happen to people those things aren't myths.

Yes thank you I did read it. If curtains are fully drawn or as other posters have added there isn't an issue.

 

[jtba]

Yes thank you I did read it. If curtains are fully drawn or as other posters have added there isn't an issue.

i know you tend to travel concierge. is it possible other classes of cabins have different curtains?

 

[ajo]

Just reporting back that we had no issues with the early sunrise in Alaska. We did bring clips to make sure the curtains stayed closed, but they were very effective at keeping the sunlight out.

 

[phinz]

i know you tend to travel concierge. is it possible other classes of cabins have different curtains?

They all have the same curtains. I've sailed Concierge and I've sailed Steerage. Both have effective curtains, as the OP has now confirmed.