Hello and thanks!

[ZenSonic]

Hi Cruisers, thanks so much for all the invaluable info on this site. It would take years instead of days for me to learn some of the in and outs of cruising with out all the helpful input here.

I have a few questions that I hope people don't mind answering. I am planning on traveling solo on the Westerdam to Alaska on 9/22. I am plannning to get a Veranda room so I can shoot allot of video of Glaziers for music video a project I am doing. Here is a link to one I made from footage I took in Southern Africa last June. vimeo.com/9722087 (http://vimeo.com/9722087)

I like the idea that this late Sept cruise may be a more quiet one with less people. I don't mind the cold...just wondering if the sea will be ruff to the point where it is hard to shoot video from my veranda?

Also wondering if Hal allows tri or mono pods on the main decks? Also, if I am given the option, where I should opt for my veranda room to be for optimal video shooting?

thanks very much, Stephen

[3rdGenCunarder]

Hi Cruisers, thanks so much for all the invaluable info on this site. It would take years instead of days for me to learn some of the in and outs of cruising with out all the helpful input here.

I have a few questions that I hope people don't mind answering. I am planning on traveling solo on the Westerdam to Alaska on 9/22. I am plannning to get a Veranda room so I can shoot allot of video of Glaziers for music video a project I am doing. Here is a link to one I made from footage I took in Southern Africa last June. vimeo.com/9722087 (http://vimeo.com/9722087)

I like the idea that this late Sept cruise may be a more quiet one with less people. I don't mind the cold...just wondering if the sea will be ruff to the point where it is hard to shoot video from my veranda?

Also wondering if Hal allows tri or mono pods on the main decks? Also, if I am given the option, where I should opt for my veranda room to be for optimal video shooting?

thanks very much, Stephen

You sail up a fjord to get to the glaciers, so it's very smooth. I have never been on Westerdam, so I leave the veranda question to others. I'm sure a monopod is OK. I don't know if they ban tripods, but there are lots of people on deck for glacier vewing, and you won't make a lot of friends if you have a tripod hogging space at the rail.

[sail7seas]

Hi and Welcome. Happy you found us. :)
Don't plan on the ship being anything other than full. Most HAL ships go out full every cruise. After final payment, if they have unsold cabins, they often start to lower some prices until the ship is full.

A bed without a head brings in no revenue. That revenue is lost forever if the ship sails with an empty cabin.

[ZenSonic]

Hi and Welcome. Happy you found us. :)
Don't plan on the ship being anything other than full. Most HAL ships go out full every cruise. After final payment, if they have unsold cabins, they often start to lower some prices until the ship is full.

A bed without a head brings in no revenue. That revenue is lost forever if the ship sails with an empty cabin.

Hi, thanks! I thought I would purchase my room about 6 weeks prior to sailing. Does this seem like a good time to buy?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Verandah cabins sell out very quickly -- don't wait too long.

Also if you are traveling solo -- check to see what HAL is charging extra for your being in a cabin alone.

[sapper1]

I just checked our Aug 27th sailing to Alaska and the balcony cabins are showing as unavailable already. We have been booked for almost a year now and many others also book very far in advance in order to get the cabins they want.

I would guess that by waiting to book just six weeks out, you would risk not getting on the ship at all, as the Alaska cruises are very popular.

I agree with the previous poster that people would be very angry with you---and vocal, if you took up so much valuable space at the rail with your tripod. Viewing space is always at a premium during scenic cruising. The one that comes to mind is our Panama cruise which had a "take no prisoners" atmosphere. The tripod would have been "dealt with" real fast.:eek:
On that particular cruise we tried to get a balcony six months out and had to settle for an ocean view. After that, we learned to book at least a year in advance.

[catl331]

Even booking a veranda, we ended up on the bow or on the upper decks of the ships for glacier viewing! We did do a Sept. sailing to Glacier Bay. Sometimes the ships can get close to the glaciers and other times they need to stay back. We seem to miss the great calving days.

No one can guarantee a clear day. Actually we have never been in Juneau on a clear day! Certainly bring warm clothes, hat and gloves. It is always colder around the ice and it could be windy.

Sometimes it looks like all the verandas are sold and that is because many tour groups set aside a block of rooms for their tourists and some leftover rooms become available at a late date. But if you really want a certain veranda you must book ahead more than six wks.

[ZenSonic]

Thanks, I think I'll bring a mono pod to use when/if it feels appropriate and try and suss out parts of the ship that are less congested but offer good perspective for video shooting.

[Willsot]

We had an absolutely gorgeous sunny day at Hubbard Glacier this past August 31. We had a verandah, but the best viewing when we were actually at the glacier was up front on the bow. I used a monopod there.