Just back from June 15th-June 22nd Alaska cruise

[Magic2013]

Thanks for the response Jtba! We are going July 2016 and also have a port side verandah, I'm glad to hear that you felt it was worth the money. We did the Med Cruise in 2013 and had a veranda and felt it was worth it because of the same reason.
Our DD14 got sea sick on a dive boat in Bermuda this past winter and is apprehensive about small boats so we will make sure she takes medicine before we go.

What was you favorite part of the trip?

 

[jtba]

What was you favorite part of the trip?

it was our very first time so honestly everything felt magical! the ship, the friendly crew, the meals, the evening shows, the excursions, palo, rainforest room with the friends i made on board, etc.

but if i had to choose it would probably be the "disney dreams" show. we're not a disney family (sacrilege, i know! ) and have never taken our kids to any of the disney properties before. but on day 7 at the show, when belle and the beast appeared on stage in their ballroom gowns, DD literally gasped and i could see the delight and wonder in her eyes. it was like a disney commercial! the show was very well done. would totally buy the DVD if they offered one.

off the ship i enjoyed harv & marv's whalewatching & mendenhall glacier tour the most. to read about the whales on paper / computer was one thing; to see them with your own eyes is quite another. also really enjoyed the white pass yukon train ride, for the history aspect of the gold rush, the terrain, etc.

even though the weather wasn't absolutely the best (cloudy and drizzly at times), we still had a great trip. DH and i agree that we will definitely return in a few years, and have already staked out the excursions we want to do next time (helicopter & dog sled, float plane).

 

[jtba]

Thanks for the response Jtba! We are going July 2016 and also have a port side verandah, I'm glad to hear that you felt it was worth the money.

we spent the entire afternoon at our verandah on tracy arm day. it drizzled at the beginning and rained as we headed out, yet we stayed warm and dry and could use the bathroom whenever we wanted to. of course being on deck 9 & 10 would've given us a more wide open view, but we liked our verandah just fine.

i should note though that people on starboard got a longer view of sawyer glacier simply because of the way the ship was positioned going in. we saw it from afar, but then the ship turned so we didn't see it for a long long time. i headed down to deck 4 to see how close we were, and lo and behold, it was right there the whole time. the captain did turn the ship around so people on port side could get some photo ops too, but overall it felt like starboard had 2/3 of the viewing time while port people had 1/3. i would imagine it depends on the captain and condition of the ice on the ocean surface, however.

 

[AngelDisney]

we spent the entire afternoon at our verandah on tracy arm day. it drizzled at the beginning and rained as we headed out, yet we stayed warm and dry and could use the bathroom whenever we wanted to. of course being on deck 9 & 10 would've given us a more wide open view, but we liked our verandah just fine.

i should note though that people on starboard got a longer view of sawyer glacier simply because of the way the ship was positioned going in. we saw it from afar, but then the ship turned so we didn't see it for a long long time. i headed down to deck 4 to see how close we were, and lo and behold, it was right there the whole time. the captain did turn the ship around so people on port side could get some photo ops too, but overall it felt like starboard had 2/3 of the viewing time while port people had 1/3. i would imagine it depends on the captain and condition of the ice on the ocean surface, however.

Totally agree that it depends on the captain. I have read other trip reports and most state that port side has a longer viewing time on the glacier. I have booked starboard side and hope the captain would do the same magic for us! Either way I would be happy to be there on the Wonder!