First Time Cruiser: is one side of the ship better than the

[Dana J]

other? We have an 8B balcony room on the Spirit for a southbound Alaskan cruise this summer. We are concerned that one side may have a better view of the scenery, while the other side has a better view of the sea. (Pardon our ignorance, if this is ridiculous!)

Also, we're trying to figure out which excursions to sign up for. We will stop in Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan!

Thank you so much for your help!

[judysalyers]

Are you on the port side or starboard side?

[Donna]

Hi Dana,
No, I honestly don't see that either side will make a huge difference, some of the time you'll be out on the higher decks and can see both sides, etc.

As for excursions, just keep reading through them and find whats best for you. I would suggest some kind of whale watching in Juneau, either through a ship excursion or a private tour company. We went with Capt. Larry and had a wonderful time, saw lots of whales and were with a much smaller group than the ones offered through the cruiseline.

In Skagway, we did the White Pass Railroad tour and that was wonderful, although on the long side, the scenery is amazing and on the way up fully narriated with lots of interesting facts and stories.

There are so many different excursions, you'll just have to decide what and how much you want to spend, because, yes, they are expensive there, but its a once in a lifetime kind of trip, so you don't want to miss anything.

Have fun and Welcome to Cruisemates.

[Dana J]

Thanks for your help. I believe we are currently booked in a balcony room on the starboard side.

[mehawk]

I have had cabins on both sides and they are the same in regards to the scenery. The ships dock on either side at the piers so it is a 50/50 proposition as to what side is available when the docking is done.

[Dana J]

Thank you all for your responses. I was just wondering as we cruise southbound (not while in the port), if there is a better side of the ship to view the scenery. We have booked a balcony room, so it would be ideal to hang out on our balcony occasionally and watch the scenery (not the sea) go by. Thank you all again!

[mehawk]

Go to the Lido Deck and sit awhile.

[colton's dad]

The top side is way better than the bottom side, . sorry just had to. Any side is great , wish I was there. We stode up front on upper outside decks when near ports.