You can see the countries in front of you but not those you your side of the lake. I personally LOVE the Illuminations cruise. It is a very special way to see the show. Now, some have disagreed with me saying that they have had smoke in their faces and some of the view is blocked when the globe moves across the water.....but that didn't bother me at all. I have done upwards of 6 of these cruises and only once did the wind blow in our direction.
if you have one booked -enjoy. If you are planning to book one remember that they book up in minutes and you must call precisely 90 days out at precisely 7 a.m. EST. Good Luck!
Linda