Alaska - Grand Princess - Best Viewing Area (Glacier Bay/College Fjord)

[BRDLY99]

Upfront I realize this request may be outrageous or impossible but if there is such a place I'm sure this group will be able to provide me the best options.

 

Family going on Alaskan cruise this summer on the Grand Princess. We do have a balcony room (port side) Dolphin deck. Looking for recommendations of where to go during Glacier Bay/College Fjord for best viewing (unobstructed if possible with little crowds). I understand it takes some time for the cruise to get to these locations and camping out all day watching the scenery go by may not be an option (but if it is let me know!). 

 

Thank you in advance!

 

[karatemom2]

You have a number of options including just enjoying it from your own balcony, which we often prefer. Keep in mind the ship will do a full turn at the glacier so you get good views from both sides of the ship. Furthermore, as far as views approaching and leaving the glaciers, from your balcony you will see it both ways - one side coming in and the other side going out. 
 

But, if you want a more expansive view, you can always go out to the promenade deck and follow it all the way forward to the bow if it is open. Or, you could go out to the small aft deck and have wide ranging views from that angle as well. 
 

You can also get great views from the top lido and sports decks in the open areas as well. 
 

Keep in mind, public areas can get crowded - all the people who don’t have balconies will be looking for viewing areas. That’s one of the advantages of having a balcony in Alaska as you have your own dedicated space for viewing. 
 

We generally order from room service or bring staples from the buffet, stock up with a couple of pots of hot water for hot chocolate or tea and just enjoy the day on our own balcony. 
 

If you want to be out and about though, you will have a lot of viewing areas to enjoy. 

[Coral]

6 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

 

But, if you want a more expansive view, you can always go out to the promenade deck and follow it all the way forward to the bow if it is open. Or, you could go out to the small aft deck and have wide ranging views from that angle as well. 

This is my favorite spot. It is Deck 7 and is covered (in case it rains). You can walk easily from side to side (either around the ship or cut through the ship) to get from one side to another. 

 

Everyone heads to the top. I actually prefer Deck 7 as pictures turn out better when you are at a lower level as opposed to looking down. Also, this area is often not crowded. There maybe people on deck but you are not fighting for spots.

 

You want to be mobile as the ship goes towards the glaciers to get the best view.

 

The other area when leaving the glaciers that I like is the aft pool area.

[Ken the cruiser]

We’ll be on the Grand and cruising in and out of the College Fjord in May where I will also be posting to a Live From thread. But you did get me curious where the fjord was as we haven’t cruised through them before. 

 

 

As @karatemom2 suggested the Grand will need to do a full turn probably at the “last” glacier before heading back out the fjord, so your balcony might be your best bet. It also appears you will have some awesome views of a variety of glaciers from your port side balcony prior to the turn around.

 
https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/alaska-cruise-tips/learn-about-alaska/the-glaciers-of-college-fjord-alaska.html

The same applies as you head towards the glacier in Glacier Bay.

 

Edited March 17 by Ken the cruiser

[Cruise Raider]

We usually try to stick with a travel budget so book an obstructed OV room on deck 8.  We then go to deck 7 and pop in an out the entire morning .. can go from side to side depending on where the scenery is the best at the time.  
If we get a balcony, we tend to hang out there. It’s kind of an all morning site seeing adventure so, we get something hot or drink.  Be aware, there will be no paper coffee cups, paper napkins or anything disposable that day so an insulated mug is a great idea.  
 

We tend to like the port side and the Caribe deck balconies are great for a family.  But either way, you will see what Peter you don’t see on the way up and the captain will make a full turn quite slowly when you get to Majorie Glacier.  You will also see the Grand Pacific Glacier in the way up and back but closer on the way back out of the fjord.  The whole day is amazing!  
I would probably plan the early morning hours on the balcony and deck 7 after you’ve left the Majorie Glacier.  For photographs of the Grand Pacific Glacier, which is spectacular, I would try to be on deck 7 unless you have a starboard side balcony.  You can pop in an out on deck 7 in between.  
 

[Thrak]

On our first couple of Alaska cruises we booked inside cabins and were fine with them. We went up on the high decks forward so we could see everything on both sides. I would watch for the glacier to calve and would hear  "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" from the folks behind me looking the other way. I would quickly turn around just in time to see a bit of splash but basically miss it. While I was looking that way in disappointment I would hear, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" behind me again from people looking the way I had just turned away from. You get the idea. Still, we enjoyed it greatly and, once I figured out I was too dang slow or whatever to catch the calving it was fine. Like others we retreated to the Promenade deck and had more comfortable viewing that was great.

 

On our last Alaska cruise I booked a balcony and we enjoyed both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier from the comfort of our balcony while sipping a drink. We had our own, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" moments even though we didn't see any calving.

[capriccio]

We've done 3 Alaska cruises, all included Glacier Bay and 2 included College Fjord.  National Park rangers will be broadcasting over the PA system in Glacier Bay (which, IIRC is about a 6 hour trip up and back).  You can also hear their narratives on the television should you decide to sit on your balcony (although I agree with others that it is best to get up and about).  They seemed to me to be concentrating the announcements more on the first half of the trip.  I think they have lectures for adults and a presentation for the kids on the return trip. 

 

On our visits to College Fjord the on board naturalists did the narration.  We've been fortunate to have some first rate naturalists on Princess Alaska cruises.  Watch the Patter for their presentations and those of other experts brought on in port. If Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Itidarod, comes on board (usually with at least one of her dogs), don't miss her presentation.

[fourboys]

On 3/17/2024 at 5:30 PM, Coral said:

This is my favorite spot. It is Deck 7 and is covered (in case it rains). You can walk easily from side to side (either around the ship or cut through the ship) to get from one side to another. 

 

Everyone heads to the top. I actually prefer Deck 7 as pictures turn out better when you are at a lower level as opposed to looking down. Also, this area is often not crowded. There maybe people on deck but you are not fighting for spots.

 

You want to be mobile as the ship goes towards the glaciers to get the best view.

 

The other area when leaving the glaciers that I like is the aft pool area.

Just returned from Grand Princess.  We used our balcony and also Deck 7. Not crowded. Great views. Still able to hear the narration. My son went to top deck and said very crowded and advised us not to bother. 

[Coral]

3 hours ago, fourboys said:

Just returned from Grand Princess.  We used our balcony and also Deck 7. Not crowded. Great views. Still able to hear the narration. My son went to top deck and said very crowded and advised us not to bother. 

It truly is a great area!

[DougH]

I'm also a big fan of the promenade deck. A great spot is all the way aft looking out from the stern. No lifeboats blocking the view at all.

[coldweather]

I was on the Grand Princess earlier this month.  We had an inside cabin.

 

In my experience, the viewing crowd was not bad.  For the cruise we had excellent weather including sunny skies daily (very unusual). Yes, our first day of glacier viewing it seemed like the entire ship was on the Lido deck.  After a short while, people moved on to other areas/activities.  

 

The best viewing I had on multiple days was on the bow.  It was awesome to see mountains on both sides and a glacier ahead.  It is very windy so most people don't stay there very long.

 

For the OP, you have a balcony to escape to until the crowds settle in.

 

The scenery is so spectacular and lasts for hours that I am confident even moving about you will find many locations for viewing.

 

I wish you the best in your upcoming cruise.  The Grand Princess was quite enjoyable. 

[opshannon]

The best answer to this question is the bow if the ship has a complete promenade, which the Grand does. You have basically 270 degrees of viewing up there. We did the 14 Vancouver round trip in June on the Sapphire and spent all glacier days at the bow. We saw everything from there. If we'd been on a balcony on one side we'd have missed so much that was going on on the side of the ship. But up there it's often just a turn of the head. It did draw crowds sometimes, but they were short lived crowds.

[michellecornelius721]

On 3/17/2024 at 11:03 PM, BRDLY99 said:

Upfront I realize this request may be outrageous or impossible but if there is such a place I'm sure this group will be able to provide me the best options.

 

Family going on Alaskan cruise this summer on the Grand Princess. We do have a balcony room (port side) Dolphin deck. Looking for recommendations of where to go during Glacier Bay/College Fjord for best viewing (unobstructed if possible with little crowds). I understand it takes some time for the cruise to get to these locations and camping out all day watching the scenery go by may not be an option (but if it is let me know!). 

If you're looking for help with your personal statement while planning your trip, you can check out this https://personalstatementhelper.com/ service to make the process easier. Enjoy your cruise and the breathtaking scenery!

Thank you in advance!

 

If you're on the Grand Princess and want the best views during your Alaskan cruise, your balcony room on the port side will already offer some great vantage points. For Glacier Bay and College Fjord, the upper decks and the front of the ship usually provide the most unobstructed views. Arrive early to secure a good spot, as these areas can get crowded.