Balcony, on Alaska cruise?

[Chiliswick]

We are thinking about going to Alaska August 18th. Will it be too cold to use the balcony?

[Coral]

It can be beautiful or it can be cold. Alaska is very unpredictable from one year to the next, one week to the next and one day to the next.

 

We had a balcony on a July cruise and it was too cold for me to use (even with a jacket, blanket and hot chocolate). I later had a balcony on a May cruise in Alaska and it was beautiful and I used it all the time. I would aim for the balcony and hopefully the weather will cooperate.

[Guest caribcruzin]

We always book a balcony on our cruises. On our first Alaskan cruise we booked a balcony. This was during July. Temps on the land portion were in high 70's. On the inside passage with the ship in motion....it was way to cold to use the balcony except when bundled up. Much to cold to have breakfast on the balcony. We thought it a waste of money for Alaska. Most of the time you want to be on the open decks so that you can see the vast expanse of beauty of the land. A balcony gives too narrow a view. You need to be on the decks to really see what there is to offer. We have now booked our second Alaska cruise and have not booked in a balcony for the reasons that I have stated above. Save your $$$ and use them on shore excurstions. Alaska is beautiful and you will really enjoy it.

[mii]

Like Coral said you never know about the weather.My first trip was in July and it was cold. Our next one was in Sept. and was spectacular. We are now sailing this May and hope it will be great. Just remember, layer, layer and layer your clothes. Just bring sweaters, a coat and you will be fine. A balcony in my opinion is worth it.

 

Marilyn

[Mike2131]

We are thinking about going to Alaska August 18th. Will it be too cold to use the balcony?

 

Hi!

Our cruisetour was during the time that you are going and we had glorious weather! Just be aware that when the ship is in motion (or at a glacier face) it will probably be too chilly to really enjoy a balcony like you would in the Caribbean. You probably already know the main thing about clothing in Alaska is plan for layers, layers, layers!

Oh yeah, the rule of thumb - if you are northbound get a starboard balcony cabin and if southbound get one on the port side.

Have a great cruise!

[cruisingfreak]

Hi!

Our cruisetour was during the time that you are going and we had glorious weather! Just be aware that when the ship is in motion (or at a glacier face) it will probably be too chilly to really enjoy a balcony like you would in the Caribbean. You probably already know the main thing about clothing in Alaska is plan for layers, layers, layers!

Oh yeah, the rule of thumb - if you are northbound get a starboard balcony cabin and if southbound get one on the port side.

Have a great cruise!

 

Thanks for these tips, especially about port & starboard side. We're planning Alaska for next August 2006, with a port side balcony cabin. We'll be doing a 7 day tour & then the cruise southbound.

 

 

Minette

[taxatty]

If the weather is at all decent, when the ship does one of the close-up glacier areas like Tracy Arm, the balcony is worth it just for that.

Les

[Mike2131]

If the weather is at all decent, when the ship does one of the close-up glacier areas like Tracy Arm, the balcony is worth it just for that.

 

Les

 

Hi Les!

I have never cruised Tracy Arm, but when we were in Glacier Bay I was on deck for hours moving around and getting all the shots I could of the calving. At Hubbard, we really saw nothing other than the impressive glacier wall (very disappointing).

[gracekelley]

We sailed Princess Sapphire to Alaska in end of August. We traveled with my mother and sister in law and had side by side balcony rooms. We had the divider removed and ended up with a large balcony and wonderful views for Tracey Arms. We bundled up and sipped hot chocolate all the way through and it was fabulous. The guide who is on the deck broadcasts their narratve over the t.v. so you still hear all the points of the trip without the hassle of the crowd. I would do it no other way. The balcony is also wonderful for the ports that have the seaplanes and offer some great photo ops.

[judynorth]

We were in Alaska last May and are going again this May. Our TA encouraged us to get a balcony even though I thought it would be a waste in Alaska. I am so glad that we went with her advice. Having the balcony in Tracy Arm was worth the money. Our balcony on the Aloha deck was fully covered and shielded from the wind so when we became totally drenched and frozen on deck in the cold and rain when went to our cabin and spent the rest of the time viewing Tracy Arm from our own balcony. It was wonderful and didn't hinder our view in the least. Many of the pictures that I have posted (see below for link) were taken from the balcony. It was also nice when we were entering or leaving port. Since you often arrive early in the morning it is nice to be able to watch the docking without having to get up and dressed and out on the deck so early. My advice is to go for the balcony. You might not want to sit out there and just enjoy the view while the ship is clipping along at 21 knots but you will love it when you are sailing slowly through Tracy Arm or the glaciers particularly if it is cold and rainy.

[Call me Ishmael]

This is obviously a matter of personal preference, but we found the balcony a waste of money in Alaska. Actually, I think the cost difference was nothing or next to nothing, but the balcony was virtually unusable due to the cold. Well, we did use it to see how cold it was out. So if there's any cost differential, I say save the money for the next cruise to someplace warm where you'll actually use the balcony for more than 5 minutes a day.

[floridakeith]

We did a really enjoyable Alaskan cruise on Star Princess in the third week of July 2003 in a balcony cabin on Lido Deck. The cabin was beautiful but most of the time it was too cold to use it without being dressed up in multiple layers as if heading up to a glacier. The view from the picture windows was however great. Echoing other comments we soon found as we went up Tracey Arm that you could not appreciate the views fully from the balcony, so we move up onto the open decks to enjoy a panoramic view. The temperature on deck was barely above freezing (in the third week of July!) but the views were outstanding so we didn't mind wearing heavy layers, hats and gloves which we had taken in case it proved that cold. In any future Alaskan cruise I wouldn't spend the extra on a balcony cabin, lovely though it was, I would settle for our usual inside cabin choice and do an extra cruise with what we saved.

[unboringuy]

We've been on three Alaska cruises; two in May and one in August. In each case we had a balcony. We wouldn't do it any other way. Even if it's cold, you are going to be outside to look at the glaciers. Instead of having to fight others for a good spot at the rail on an upper deck, you merely sit on your balcony. If you get cold, you step inside for a moment or two. Just my opinion.

[WakeView4Us]

I agree with unboringuy, even if it's a little cold, you can always go inside your cabin for a few minutes and then go back out on the balcony. We went up to the outside deck for a few minutes to view the glacier and found it to be very crowded. We were very happy to have our own balcony to view the glacier at our leisure. Plus, on the inside passage part, it was so peaceful to sit on our balcony and have breakfast and watch nature. It felt like we were the only ones there. And yes, like everyone else is saying, the weather is unpredictable. We cruised in mid-September and had upper 60's-low 70's every day.

 

Go for a balcony and enjoy!