Do we need a balcony? (Alaska Cruise)

[cruisehopeful]

SO... how crowded ARE the upper decks/railings? Am I correct in thinking that having one of those veranda's at the tail end would be a win for photography or am I missing something? I mean, I know we can always go up whenever we want to explore as well just to try it out and make sure, but I do agree with DH, it would be nice to not spend the extra $$$$ if we can count on having good places for my son to be able to take his photos without getting frustrated. We have time to save up, especially since we can use our DVC points for one of the fares.

They do get crowded on the Tracy Arm day. Most people swapped places with those behind them every few minutes.
One thing we found out, when approaching the glacier, everyone stays on the same side of the ship (the side with the best view). The captain will turn the ship around so the other side has the same great view after a while. So, if you want to secure a good spot and you missed out at first, just get one on the other side of the ship and wait for the ship to turn. While you are there, there will still be seals and other wildlife to see. It was very cold when we went. We went early in the season to see more snow/ice.