Just back from the same cruise as Deb..
We spent most of Tracy Arm up on deck 10... the characters came by with photographers fairly early in the day... almost so early we missed them.. And then Donald headed down to deck 9 as it started to sprinkle... This was actually before noon, b/c after that we headed towards lunch (BBQ at Beach Blanket)
Once we got to the glacier and stopped, eventually I somehow made it down to deck 4, I guess to get a better view, I don't know why.. but then, Donald and photographer, at least and another just family photographer we both wandering down there.. Got some GREAT pictures of my dad and I.. and Donald and I with the beautiful glacier behind.
They actually had hot chocolate and coffee and cookies allllll the way forward on deck 10... Just behind the wind shield and before the sports courts. There was no charge for those, AND the hot chocolate was MUCH better than the stuff coming out of the machine back at the beverage station. Yes, they also had people wandering with the souvenir Alaska mugs and specialized and alcoholic coffees and such for a charge.
Here's a tip from our family for Tracy Arm... if you're going to brave deck 10, and get there early enough.. find a spot on a lounge chair near the clear partitions that separate various spots on deck.. if you sit behind those, they help block some of the wind as you cruise into Tracy Arm. Then, once things slow down and people start gathering, you've got a little spot to yourself and no one trying to stand in front of you b/c you've got the partition there.
I found the temperature overall outside to be fairly moderate.. in that, they didn't fluctuate too much from morning to afternoon to evening. It gets light so early, and doesn't stay dark for very long, that i don't think an earlier morning excursion (8 am vs 11 am) will make much difference for the temperature. I also don't know what the rain is usually like, but when it did rain, it was later in the morning or early afternoon, vs a clearer morning. Just some thoughts.