Is a Balcony an Absolute Must for Alaska?

[LisaP]

We had a balcony on the Alaska Inside Passage cruise we took last month. (It ended up being a different cruise than the one we had originally booked, and this was the lowest category triple available.) I think I used it once. I preferred going out on deck or to the forward lounge as others would tend to spot wildlife or glacier calving before I did. There would be a huge cheer...was nice to do in a group. JMHO.

[janfred]

Nothing wrong with that either. You'll be on a cruise to Alaska and that in its self is so fantastic too. Check out the Promenade deck too that sometimes is a nice spot to be.

[Dave]

In some places you get a better sense of the scenery by being on deck rather than in a balcony.

[f-mattox]

LisaP makes a good point: on a balcony you only have one field of view; on deck you can move quickly from side to side. And many eyes increase your chances of seeing wildlife or calving.

[Berick1234]

It's the wind in your face and the smell of the sea that makes it the best cruise...4 times up there and heading on our 5th in May....Walking the decks and talking to the people on the ship makes it much better than sitting on a balcony and FREEZING:-).....

But it's a personal choice.....Do what makes you happy:-)....

[anngreaves]

We had a balcony on Serenade of the Seas in 2009. We also went on deck but I can remember standing on our balcony with mugs of hot coffee with rum in (!!) looking at the Sawyer Glacier. The Captain was brilliant as he turned the ship through 360 degress so as to give everyone on all sides a good view of the glacier. It was all brilliant.

[MCPayne]

Thanks again everyone for your input. However, in looking at prices, I don't think I can afford a balcony, so I'll just have to book an inside room, then go to one of the lounges or open decks early for the glacier day.

As it stands now, I'm planning on either NCL or Princess for the last week in August. This is one cruise though where I'll fly out the day before, and spend the night, as for me, this would be a cross country flight. I actually used to live in the Seattle area, so I may do some sightseeing the day before and after the cruise.