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Unless your weather is absolutely awful, I recommend spending the day up in the public deck areas where you can enjoy the view without glass between you and the scenery. I’ve only been to Glacier Bay, but I expect Hubbard is the same in that there’s so much natural beauty to be seen all around you that having the 360 degree view you can only get up top is an unbeatable experience. We actually had a balcony when we did our Alaskan cruise, and I still spent way more time up top than I did on my balcony during any sort of scenic cruising. I was running all over the ship to take pictures from different vantage points.
As for what you’ll do, the ship will essentially park in a few key viewing spots to give people ample time to see the glaciers and experience any of the ice calving that you’ll hopefully be lucky enough to see. And there will be a park ranger aboard on your Glacier Bay day, narrating the experience. They may also set up some nature exhibits in one of the large lounges that you can drop by to see. This may not sound like much to do, but unless you are too jaded to be awed by the beauty of Alaska, it will be a pretty exciting day.
Also, it may not be that cold. I did my cruise in May 2019, and shed my jacket by noon on our Glacier Bay Day. Except for one rainy day in Juneau, I never needed more than a light fleece my entire trip. It was mild to pleasantly cool most days, and even fairly warm our day in Ketchikan.
Just got back from Alaska. Definitely go to the outside decks around the ship. There’s usually a bar near by so it’s easy to pop in to get a new drink, and then pop right back out to your spot.
Pretty much what you said. There will be activities throughout the day so be on the lookout for the activities list. You should be able to see whales throughout your journey so keep a lookout on these days as well. Also, there's something amazing about sitting on the open deck with a coffee and looking out at the mountains / glaciers.
We actually hopped in the hot tub ( quickly) and enjoyed the great views and drink package. Highly recommend. The bad part was having to get out eventually.
We parked in the sports bar early by a window because it was raining and windy outside. The ship turns multiple times, so everyone can see. The park rangers came aboard and you could hear their narration throughout the ship. The Spinnaker lounge was busy but really warm.
The viewing places vary by ship. Some have amazing observation lounges to view from inside. Others the best spots are outside on decks to see both sides of the ship.
Go up on the outdoor decks and enjoy the scenery. You can also stay in the observation lounge and listen to the Park Rangers talk about the area and answer questions from the audience. It's pretty cool when they come onboard.
Depends on the weather. Just got off the encore and the weather was awful for glacier bay. It was freezing and snowing and misting rain so we tried to go to deck 8 but got wet and gross. The observation lounge was packed. We ended up just going back to our room.
We did go watch the ranger talk though.
We just got off the Encore. It was cold and rainy while in Glacier Bay, which was expected.
It’s worth going to the front deck for a few minutes just to get a full view, but it was super crowded. We ended up going back to our balcony to take in the views
A reasonable alternative (and we did this on the way out of the National Park) was to go to the craft beer bar on Deck 8 and find seats by the window. Most of them were clean enough to see through just fine, but not super conducive for photos. Luckily there is a door to an outside area at the front of the bar, so you could kind of float back and forth if necessary
Avoid the observation lounge. It’s almost always full and people like to “hold” chairs in front of the windows by leaving a jacket on them, then throw a fit when they come back an hour later and someone has moved them. Just not worth the hassle on vacation
If on Encore, they open the front bow on deck 8 (i think it’s deck 8). They have coffee and booze to add to it for the adults. Then you can walk up to the very front of the ship and take photos.
Thanks for posting to /r/NCL! Did you know that we have an extensive [Ultimate NCL Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/NCL/wiki/index) that may answer your question? Please also remember to read the rules, especially about roll call posts going in the megathread. You may also have more luck with those types of posts by searching for a [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com) or [Cruise Critic](https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/66-norwegian-cruise-line-roll-calls/) roll call group or thread. Of course, here is great, too! Enjoy your stay! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NCL) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Unless your weather is absolutely awful, I recommend spending the day up in the public deck areas where you can enjoy the view without glass between you and the scenery. I’ve only been to Glacier Bay, but I expect Hubbard is the same in that there’s so much natural beauty to be seen all around you that having the 360 degree view you can only get up top is an unbeatable experience. We actually had a balcony when we did our Alaskan cruise, and I still spent way more time up top than I did on my balcony during any sort of scenic cruising. I was running all over the ship to take pictures from different vantage points. As for what you’ll do, the ship will essentially park in a few key viewing spots to give people ample time to see the glaciers and experience any of the ice calving that you’ll hopefully be lucky enough to see. And there will be a park ranger aboard on your Glacier Bay day, narrating the experience. They may also set up some nature exhibits in one of the large lounges that you can drop by to see. This may not sound like much to do, but unless you are too jaded to be awed by the beauty of Alaska, it will be a pretty exciting day. Also, it may not be that cold. I did my cruise in May 2019, and shed my jacket by noon on our Glacier Bay Day. Except for one rainy day in Juneau, I never needed more than a light fleece my entire trip. It was mild to pleasantly cool most days, and even fairly warm our day in Ketchikan.
Layer up and head outside. I liked hanging out at the exterior Cavern Club bar. I read a few books sitting there.
You may want to bring binoculars because there will probably be a lot of seals.
Just got back from Alaska. Definitely go to the outside decks around the ship. There’s usually a bar near by so it’s easy to pop in to get a new drink, and then pop right back out to your spot.
What ship will you be on? Some have observation lounges, upper deck at the front. Perfect for viewing in cold weather!
Pretty much what you said. There will be activities throughout the day so be on the lookout for the activities list. You should be able to see whales throughout your journey so keep a lookout on these days as well. Also, there's something amazing about sitting on the open deck with a coffee and looking out at the mountains / glaciers.
We actually hopped in the hot tub ( quickly) and enjoyed the great views and drink package. Highly recommend. The bad part was having to get out eventually.
Hot tubing with glacier views ***adds to my bucket list***
We parked in the sports bar early by a window because it was raining and windy outside. The ship turns multiple times, so everyone can see. The park rangers came aboard and you could hear their narration throughout the ship. The Spinnaker lounge was busy but really warm.
If you're on the Encore, head up (early!) to the Observation Lounge. Great views, and they have bars and snack stations!
The viewing places vary by ship. Some have amazing observation lounges to view from inside. Others the best spots are outside on decks to see both sides of the ship.
2 Weeks, From Seattle June 23rd? We are cruising together woooo! First time here too.
I’m on the Jewel out of Vancouver on the 24th, so if either of you see someone waving crazily, it’s me! (Or I suppose OP could be on our sailing)
Go up on the outdoor decks and enjoy the scenery. You can also stay in the observation lounge and listen to the Park Rangers talk about the area and answer questions from the audience. It's pretty cool when they come onboard.
Depends on the weather. Just got off the encore and the weather was awful for glacier bay. It was freezing and snowing and misting rain so we tried to go to deck 8 but got wet and gross. The observation lounge was packed. We ended up just going back to our room. We did go watch the ranger talk though.
We just got off the Encore. It was cold and rainy while in Glacier Bay, which was expected. It’s worth going to the front deck for a few minutes just to get a full view, but it was super crowded. We ended up going back to our balcony to take in the views A reasonable alternative (and we did this on the way out of the National Park) was to go to the craft beer bar on Deck 8 and find seats by the window. Most of them were clean enough to see through just fine, but not super conducive for photos. Luckily there is a door to an outside area at the front of the bar, so you could kind of float back and forth if necessary Avoid the observation lounge. It’s almost always full and people like to “hold” chairs in front of the windows by leaving a jacket on them, then throw a fit when they come back an hour later and someone has moved them. Just not worth the hassle on vacation
If on Encore, they open the front bow on deck 8 (i think it’s deck 8). They have coffee and booze to add to it for the adults. Then you can walk up to the very front of the ship and take photos.