Big, honking sail away question -

I am curious as to whether other ports, besides Port Everglades, have the horn salute tradition. We really didn't pay a whole lot of attention the last time we sailed out of Port Miami, but we don't remember if the people who live along Government Cut are as "participatory" as the FLL / Port Everglades folks.

We've tried to observe the horn situation when we've left other ports, but it's not as noticeable if you are on one ship. It's much more obvious when the ships pass by you. This isn't a Miami-only question. If you live near any busy cruise port, please feel free to answer.

Disney ships leaving Port Canaveral will play their tune repertoire a few times after passing Fish Lips where the webcam is located, but except for the occasional person in the park by the jetty there are no land horns.

I've left from Seattle, Vancouver and Boston and never noticed it. Leaving from FLL next time and looking forward to what I keep reading about on CC.

Disney ships leaving Port Canaveral will play their tune repertoire a few times after passing Fish Lips where the webcam is located, but except for the occasional person in the park by the jetty there are no land horns.

Loved seeing and hearing the Disney ship a few years ago...while having dinner at Fish Lips....Have sailed out of several ports but don't really remember a lot of horn tooting...

Do love staying at the Wyndam (formerly Holiday Inn) in San Diego and being able to go out on the balcony and hear the ships announcement system:D That is a thrill....especially when you know you'll be boarding in a few hours!!

My impression is that Ft Lauderdale is a unique situation with the pretty obvious residential area to the north with the high rises so close to the waterway. I've not cruised out of Miami but I have been out and in of Tampa, Galveston, San Diego, and Seattle and can't remember much if any attention being paid to our departures or arrivals. Absolutely true in Europe, at least in the Med, where we've been in probably three dozen or more ports in the last three years but then again there are few ports with a heavy residential presence near. Funny thing I've only run into one person who lives in Ft Lauderdale, from her description in a high rise condo just one block off the waterway, and she absolutely hates the peak cruising season and considers the extended horns and horn exchanges as a nuisance.

I never thought about this til you mentioned it. I have sailed out of Miami 5 times in the last 2 years and have never heard any horn blowing. We were always the last ship to depart.

In March we were sailing on a Sunday so we made sure we were in FFL early enough to go to the state park and then out to the jetty to watch the Saturday sail aways.:)

In Port Canaveral we always arrive a day early with enough time to be sitting on the outside deck at Fishlips to enjoy the sailaways.:D

We have sailed out of quite a few different ports and have never witnessed all the whistles blowing like in Ft Lauderdale.

Years ago when we started to sail out of Ft Lauderdale there was very little whistle blowing. There was actually more noise from the condos than from the ships.

Not a port of embarkation, but the last two times we've sailed away from Warnemunde, Germany after a day there, there were fireworks escorting us down the channel. The accompanying vessels blew their horns, and Ryndam returned the salute. It was really a thrilling experience.

POA1

Well, Vancouver certainly doesn't, nor do the Alaska ports.

Apart from what you are asking about:

Several HAL Captains do some semi-serious whistle blowing in some ports, though. Shanghai, Yokahama, Kobe, Aomori, Rio, Cartegena (Spain), Cadiz, Ephesus and come to mind.

Some ports seem to forbid this in general; some Captains just don't.

Best whistle blowing for us was the Ryndam and Rotterdam saluting each other in the Gaillard Cut in the Panama Canal. Went on for about a minute!

Funny thing I've only run into one person who lives in Ft Lauderdale, from her description in a high rise condo just one block off the waterway, and she absolutely hates the peak cruising season and considers the extended horns and horn exchanges as a nuisance.

So, a fun person, basically? ;)

There was a time when HAL ships stayed until 11 PM in Curacao and as we left, fireworks would be set off.

When we were on the Westerdam in 2013, several times we were in the same port as the Zaandam. No matter which ship left first, there was a lot of tooting going on.

Not too long ago we were in St Thomas with either the Regal or Royal Princess. We left first -- but both ships blew their whistles. It was fun listening to the Love Boat and regular whistles going back and forth.

It seems to be just a phenomenon of FL, but I will say that the Captain on the Westerdam toots many times in every port they go into.

There was a time when HAL ships stayed until 11 PM in Curacao and as we left, fireworks would be set off.

We miss those fireworks. Acapulco used to do them as well - and that's such a gorgeous port to sail from at night.

Do love staying at the Wyndam (formerly Holiday Inn) ...

I read that as the name of a DAM ship! LOL