Deck space for Alaskan cruise question

[gstepic]

We just booked an Alaskan tour/cruise for next summer on the Radiance of the Seas. We have only been on once cruise before, with Carnival in 2006.

 

I am a semi professional photographer and am just about drooling over our future Alaskan cruise (set to sail August 30, 2010). Originally I booked a NCL inside passage cruise but after talking to a couple of friends decided to do a tour/cruise so we could see Denali and some other sites (we booked tour #7). RCI seemed to have some nice packages.

 

I was told deck space is often a problem on Alaskan cruises as far as setting up a tripod. We have a deposit on a balconey stateroom but it may be nice to take some photos from the deck. After reading the CC review of the ship it appears there is a lot of deck space plus the ship has more balconey staterooms than many other ships.

 

So from anyones experience is it real crowded on deck for Alaskan cruises on the Radiance of the Sea?

 

We are going to spend a little on tours so another question is does RCI offer discounts if several tours are booked at the same time?

 

Gary

[cb at sea]

Along the helipad and along the railings, deck space will be at a premium. But, there are alot of other "upper" decks where you'll have a fabulous view and it won't be crowded. The majority of cruisers will NOT walk up one flight more than necessary! If you "scout" out the ship, you'll find some fine places that won't be too crowded for your shots.

[PrincesScuba]

When you are cruising up a fjord and getting up close to a glacier, ALL of the outside deck spaces will be crowded and it will be

 

1. difficult

2. rude

 

to use a tripod.

 

Get a cabin on the aft, and your aft balcony will be the perfect spot to set up your tripod.

[ramkla007]

Will a tripod be better than hand-holding if the ship is in motion? Won't the tripod pick up all the vibrations of the floor?

[gstepic]

I really am not sure how much it will help but I have a nice tripod for traveling so I will use it when I can. I want to try a few panoramas and that is where a tripod can really help.

 

Not sure what for or aft is. I think port is the left side, starboard the right side, I think for is the front of the ship and I am guessing aft is the rear. Our deposit is for a room on the 8th deck on the port side, pretty close to the middle of the ship (a little more to the rear).

 

I believe in being considerate so maybe I will save the tripod for shore excursions and the balconey. My bread and butter lenses have image stabilization which helps with camera movement.

 

I am learning that my priority on vacations with my wife is to have fun and not so much technical perfection for taking pictures. I often take my tripod on vacations with the intent of getting the best technical results, but the reality is I often feel encumbered so I leave it in my room.

 

When I am really serious about landscape work I have to travel on my own.

 

Gary

[Sue L]

When you are cruising up a fjord and getting up close to a glacier, ALL of the outside deck spaces will be crowded and it will be

 

1. difficult

2. rude

 

to use a tripod.

 

Get a cabin on the aft, and your aft balcony will be the perfect spot to set up your tripod.

 

 

there was PLENTY of room, and it wouldn't be either rude or difficult, just stay out of the main traffic areas.

[vickiw0318]

I watched the glaciers calve from the Promenade Deck (5) in May. There was plenty of room down there.

[bigtoeswim'n]

gstepic: I recently saw a tripod that was flexible. The coolest-looking thing. It was blac-and-white and segmented in such a way that it could be made to curl around a banister. Just thought I would mention that. But again it is just another piece of stuff to haul around and you couldn't move it quickly like a tripod, but it would give you the option of a stability/tripod w/o taking up space with a tripod.

[Coolcruise02]

There was plenty of room around the decks for us. Early in morning it was cold and windy so people would just step out the doors for a look and back inside. :)

 

Those of us that were properly dressed had the outside decks to ourselves. :)

 

I DO NOT think it is rude. If you get there first, it is your spot.

[negc]

Even though it might be crowded at the railings out on deck, as someone has already indicated there should be more than enough room, especially on the outside decks above the pool deck and the solarium for your purposes. However, I would still recommend a balcony cabin which will allow you unobstructed views of the Alaskan scenery, especially the glaciers. On many occasions the captain will turn the ship 360 degrees so that everyone gets a good view regardless of which side (port or starboard) they are on, and while shooting pictures through glass may present some challenges, there are plenty of locations inside the ship which offer fantastic views through the glass windows.

In 2010 we are going to Alaska on a cruisetour which includes 7 nights on Radiance of the Seas. It has been ten years since we were last there, much too long between visits.:)

[Teeara]

Set yourself up on the OPPOSITE side of where everyone else is. The captain will do a 360 and you'll still be able to get your shots. Don't really think you need a tripod, though. Ship's vibration might affect your shots.

[gstepic]

We will be going on the last cruise of 2010, August 30th, so maybe that ship will be even less crowded then mid summer cruises.

 

The main reason I would use a tripod is for panorama shots, where a series of photos are stitched together. So eliminating vibration is not as much of a problem as keeping the shots on the same plane. If the ship is bouncing around it still may be a problem.

 

We have booked a balconey and we will take advantage of the land tours. Funny, we are going to Hawaii in three months and this is the third year in a row visiting the Islands. Normally I would be really really excited about now but I am more excited about the Alaskan cruise. I admit I am still pretty excited about Hawaii though.

 

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask about tours but I will try. I would love to see Mendenhall Glacier and do a whale watching boat trip. I am looking at the Alaska Whale's & Rainforest tour - JU63. I know there are several glacier tours so does anyone know if this tour will take us to the same vistas as the normal glacier tours as well as explore the coastal areas?

 

I printed out the description of the tour but did not click on the button that states "Find cruises that feature this". Hopefully clicking on that link will give me more information and possibly tour contact information. Does anyone know if RCI offers discounts for multiple tours if booked through RCI?

 

Gary

 

Gary

[derrick22]

We are going to spend a little on tours so another question is does RCI offer discounts if several tours are booked at the same time?

 

Gary

 

No discounts. :( Although this year RCI offered 5% off for about 10 days for

cruise only excursions. The land excursions didn't count.

 

I leave in less than two weeks so I can't help with any thing else.

 

I am booked with FISHES whale watching excursion in Icy Strait.

 

Check out the Alaska forum. Wealth of info there.

 

Denise

[songster2]

Just returned from a B2B Alaska cruise on Radiance. In Icy Strait, we watched whales bubble-net fishing while at breakfast on the ship, and saw multiple whales around the ship and not too far from it while ashore, and did not pay any extra for it. It was really fascinating!

 

As for using a tripod, I saw a few at the rail on the helipad, but I heard no one complaining. The second time at Hubbard, I started shooting photos on deck 12 and worked my way down to the helipad. The glacier was really active that day, and we got some wonderful shots of the calving. There were hundreds of seals on the icebergs about 1-2 miles from the face of the glacier, so be sure to watch out below, as well as in front of the ship. I'm excited for you, and wish we were going again. Be sure and take insect repellant. I had never seen mosquitoes that large, but I wasn't bothered by them. Enjoy your trip.