Inside Passage - Port vs. Starboard

[55HudsonMet]

We are sailing on the Serenade this summer on the inside passage route. Anyone have an opinion on which side of the ship is better for scenery? Thanks for your help.

Serenade Alaska - 5/04
Serenade Southern - 12/03
Navigator Eastern - 4/03
Explorer Western - 4/02

[Tsunami]

Hello, On a 1998 Southbound Inside Passage cruise, I chose a port cabin. On my 2004 Northbound cruise, I have chosen a starboard cabin. This way you can see the beautiful landscapes from your cabin rather than the sea. On my 1998 cruise, we also saw several whales from our room - amazing. These shore-facing rooms tend to sell out the fastest, so you may want to reserve asap.
Happy cruising [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[LindaKE]

If you're doing round trip, you would see both sides, one going and one coming. Otherwise the side facing land gives beautiful views for almost the entire cruise!

LindaKE

Sun Princess(Alaska)
Carnival Inspiration

[GJustice]

OR, if you're like me, you're only in the cabin to sleep, and spend the rest of your time out on desk, then you can see EVERYTHING. I saw some of the most spectacular scenery between 3 and 4 am while everyone else was sleeping. The serenity of quietly gliding through the water past miles of pristene beauty is beyond words.

Check out my photo galleries here:

[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx"]http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx[/url]

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

Serenade of the Seas (Alaska) - July 11-18, 2004
Radiance of the Seas (Alaska) - June 21-28, 2003
Nordic Empress (Caribbean)- June, 1993

[Krazy4Kruisin']

Ok, so let me get this straight. We are sailing on Serenade in July. We are doing round trip from Vancouver, inside passage. Therefore, it shouldn't make a difference if we have port or starboard, right? I mean going northbound we will probably only see water, but on the return, we should see the land. I chose our cabin because of the huge balcony. We are the cabin directly to the front of the glass elevator on the 9th deck. Can't recall the exact cabin number right now. I hope we have a good cabin.

[Krazy4Kruisin']

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Check out my photo galleries here:
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx"]http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx[/url]
Serenade of the Seas (Alaska) - July 11-18, 2004
Radiance of the Seas (Alaska) - June 21-28, 2003
Nordic Empress (Caribbean)- June, 1993<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

GJustice: I am in the process of looking at your photo album and I am totally mesmerized. It is making me so excited. Can you tell me in each city what excursions you did last year and what you are doing differently this time around? Did you go on the ship's excursions or on your own? We are in the process of finalizing what we want to do. Here's our choices so far, and let me know your opinion:
Skagway- we are going to hike on our own for about 4 miles. We'll pick up lunch somewhere on the way out and put it in our daypacks. One of the other guys going with us is very good at scouting trails and he has gotten a trail map that the visitors bureau sent him. After that, we are undecided. In Juneau--helicopter glacier landing (about an hour on the glacier), then head on over to the salmon bake. In Ketchican-probably doing Misty Fjords by seaplane.

Thanks for some info.

[GJustice]

We're MUCH more sedentary than that! In fact, we're taking my parents this year (He'll turn 80 while we're there!).

We're doing basically the same excursions as last year. Off the top of my head we're doing:

The White Pass Railway/Bus trip to the Yukon Experience (only did WP up and back last year)

The Mendenhall Glacier and Wildlife Quest (Whale watching)

The Guard Island Lighthouse (was cancelled last year).

We booked all through the RC website, insures we don't miss the boat if a trip runs late, and the rates are about the same if you buy when you get there.

When are you going? First time cruising?

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img] [url="http://www.escati.com"][img]http://escati.linkopp.net/logos/time98.gif[/img][/url]
Until we sail Serenade of the Seas (Alaska) - July 11-18, 2004
Meet and Mingle [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=18910122&f=1683059817"]HERE[/url]

Radiance of the Seas (Alaska) - June 21-28, 2003
Nordic Empress (Caribbean)- June, 1993

[GJustice]

test

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img] [url="http://www.escati.com"][img]http://escati.linkopp.net/logos/time98.gif[/img][/url]
Until we sail Serenade of the Seas (Alaska) - July 11-18, 2004
Meet and Mingle [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=18910122&f=1683059817"]HERE[/url]

Radiance of the Seas (Alaska) - June 21-28, 2003
Pictures here: [url="http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx"]http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx[/url]
Nordic Empress (Caribbean)- June, 1993

[luv_2cruise]

GJustice

Your pictures are incredible!! We are sailing the Serenade May 30. Thanks for the terrific preview.

5/30/04 Serenade of the Seas to Alaska
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=4169e1&cdt=2004;5;30;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

[GJustice]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by luv_2cruise:
GJustice

Your pictures are incredible!! We are sailing the Serenade May 30. Thanks for the terrific preview.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks, I kind of went overboard (no pun intended!) but figured I'd rather have too many pictures than miss something. Of course, even with over 1,000 I still wish I'd taken a few more that I didn't realize until after I got home and started really reviewing them. I built a DVD that runs about 80 minutes that is pretty nice.

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img] [url="http://www.escati.com"][img]http://escati.linkopp.net/logos/time98.gif[/img][/url]
Until we sail Serenade of the Seas (Alaska) - July 11-18, 2004
Meet and Mingle [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=18910122&f=1683059817"]HERE[/url]

Radiance of the Seas (Alaska) - June 21-28, 2003
Pictures here: [url="http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx"]http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx[/url]
Nordic Empress (Caribbean)- June, 1993

[Krazy4Kruisin']

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GJustice:
When are you going? First time cruising?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We are on the same cruise as you are. July 11-18. Not new cruisers at all. Have been to Europe on RCCL and to Carribean several times on other lines. But new to Alaska. There are 3 couples of us traveling together, and one couple is cruising for 1st time.

[Thoth]

If i was given a choice, I would take starboard on a roundtrip from Vancouver. On that first day, it was light outside and I did more viewing, coming back Southbound it was dark and I had seen enough already.
However, I saved money on an inside room and went to the public areas where I got a panoramic view of the sea and other sights. Leaving Vancouver was a feast for the eyes from both the starboard or port sides.

[GJustice]

I KNEW there had to be some more people on this trip!

Jump in on the M&M thread (link's in my signature) and then sign all yourselves up here: [url="https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do"]https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do[/url]

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img] [url="http://www.escati.com"][img]http://escati.linkopp.net/logos/time98.gif[/img][/url]
Until we sail Serenade of the Seas (Alaska) - July 11-18, 2004
Meet and Mingle [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&s=927093444&a=tpc&m=18910122&f=1683059817"]HERE[/url]

Radiance of the Seas (Alaska) - June 21-28, 2003
Pictures here: [url="http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx"]http://community.webshots.com/user/gregjtx[/url]
Nordic Empress (Caribbean)- June, 1993

[gsbw]

GJustice

Oh, the incredible pictures. What a terrific way to get the excitement of going to Alaska for the first time stimulated even more. Have past on your link to the other 2 couples going with us.

Thanks again for the picture post.

Carnival Carnivale 5/87
Carnival Imagination 5/00
Golden Princess 11/02
Carnival Fantasy Christmas cruise 12/03
NCL Star, Alaska and wedding 06/20/04
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=CD20CD&cdt=2004;06;19;16;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[luv1another4ever]

THANKS for all of the great photos!

Talk about getting excited! We can not wait until our cruise - May 29 - I think that I booked the good side - going North on the starboard - please tell me I got the correct side!

Thanks again for all of the photos, for someone who has never been to Alaska it is incredible to think about what we are going to see while we are there.

Shelly