HAL Nieuw Amsterdam Alaskan cruise in July--sunrise and sunset

[motravelerken]

Going on an HAL Alaskan cruise (northbound from Vancouver on NA) in July. We have a Verandah room. Just for a point of reference, I looked at average sunrise and sunset times in Skagway for mid-July. Sunrise is around 4:15 am and sunset is around 10 pm. I am a fairly light sleeper and struggle sleeping while the sun is up. An example is that right now where I live, it is starting to get light around 5:30 am and it usually wakes me up. How good are the shades (curtains) on the NA for our verandah room? Will it keep things in the room relatively dark if they are closed? Will it be fairly dark outside between 11ish pm and 4? Just trying to get an idea of how much light in our room I will be dealing with. I could wear some type of night shade eye wear I guess. Just curious what people's experience is with this. 

[lobsternight]

Just off NA last week on an Alaska trip with a Veranda.  It was getting light around 5am and dark around 10:30.  Of course that dark window will get even smaller for the next month, and the more North you go.

 

I found the shades very adequate, not too much light leaked in.  I doubt you will have a problem. Being the opposite after day 2 I left them open. Think you will be just fine

[dreamer321]

I, too, wake up at first light at home. This is one of the reasons I booked an inside cabin. It stays dark until I turn the light on.

[oaktreerb]

The curtains are blackout shades.  Bring a couple of clips to clip the shades together where they overlap.

Also bring a sleep mask just in case.  We recently sailed on a ship that had nightlights along the floor that would light up when there was movement (like a bathroom trip).  I love the long daylight hours on Alaska cruises, but like you need total darkness in order to maintain sleep.

[RuthC]

Just remember, the further north you go, the longer the sunset 'afterglow'; same for the pre-sunrise. 
If the sky ever truly gets fully dark while you are there (depending on when in July, it should for at least a little while) it won't get totally dark for long. 
My first cruise to Alaska was in a mid-July and one night I decided to stay in that ship's equivalent of the Crow's Nest, waiting for the sky to get dark (ship was heading north). It was heading toward 2:00 AM when I gave up in failure. 

You can always use the clips on a skirt/pants hanger to help keep the draperies closed. 

Have a great time in The Great Land.