Port or Starboard??

While I was booking my cruise today my PVP insisted that we get a room on the port side of the ship as that is the one facing the ports when docking. I was always under the impression that the ship docked however it needed to... I have no memory so I don't know which way we've docked in the past however I'm sure my husband would rather face the ports if there's really a choice. Can anyone confirm who is right?

Thanks!

ldarcy

You're right.....sometimes they back in; sometimes, they're bow first....I've never seen a logical way of predicting which way will be which. Sometimes the harbour view is better than the view of the port.

We've had 2 balconies, port side both time. Every single port, both cruises, we docked port side.

You are correct. I am sad to hear that there is a PVP out there that is so misinformed.

Almost every Sunday I watch the Magic port in Galveston (via webcam). Many things determine how she docks including but not limited to time of arrival and weather. Sometimes she dances (turns) before docking other days she pulls straight into port.

I have been to Cozumel many times and been on both sides of the pier.

I always book us starboard. I like odd numbers.

Most of the time I book a cabin on the starboard side of the ship and have been rewarded with beautiful views of the ports as the ship docked.

However, on our cruise last December, I booked a cabin on the port side of the ship and we still docked facing the piers.

Get a different PVP.

Not only the back in forward in issue but what side the dock is on.

My next cruise [i've visited all the Ports multiple times] I expect we will be starboard to dock three times and Port to dock twice, and I'd guesstimate that across all my cruises it would have averaged out to 50:50.

On 17 cruises, we have docked in ports with the port (left) side facing the island on all but 2. We always have a port side balcony.

We typically book our cabin on the Port side. However, on those occasions when the ship is docked on the Starboard side, it's pretty easy to go to the Lido deck and see what's going on on the other side of the ship. Not quite the same as watching the port activities from your balcony, but it's infinitely better than being in an interior cabin where you can't see anything on either side.;)

Your PVP is wrong. The ship will dock however it needs to based on several things. Sometimes it's purely the Captain's choice whether to pull straight in or back in. Sometimes it's the pier itself. Other times it's because they need to do maintenance on one side or the other, or on lifeboats which have to be done over water. Many different factors go into which side the ship will dock on. Just because someone has had their ship always dock on the port side means absolutely nothing. After 16 cruises, we have docked every way imagineable in several ports. Everytime we've been in Falmouth for example, we have docked on the right side of the port by backing in which means starboard cabins are on the pierside. St. Thomas is one where we have always been port to the pierside, but that's just the way it's done there. In Nassau, ships pull in straight and there are two sides to most of the piers so it's a tossup and dependent on whoever is already in port. In Labadee, it depends on which ship is there first as to which side of the pier you will be on. Cozumel is the same way. We've been both port and starboard in both locations.

While I was booking my cruise today my PVP insisted that we get a room on the port side of the ship as that is the one facing the ports when docking. I was always under the impression that the ship docked however it needed to... I have no memory so I don't know which way we've docked in the past however I'm sure my husband would rather face the ports if there's really a choice. Can anyone confirm who is right?

 

Thanks!

 

ldarcy

Here's another thought: sometimes being on the port side and docking to port does not offer the best views. I can't remember which ports we sailed but we had starboard balcony cabins. (We were either on Breeze or Magic. We usually book port side on other ships.) I was a little conflicted about not seeing the port as we docked, until we actually docked. We had gorgeous views of the ocean and landforms while port side faced giant fuel tanks and an industrial park.

As to your impressions, they are correct. One example: we sailed to Roatan and pulled forward into port. The next time we sailed there we backed into port.

Don't worry about what your PVP said. Listen to us. We know better. :D

Enjoy your cruise.

Port means "left"...it doesn't mean facing the DOCK......jeez...your TA is an idiot!

Port means "left"...it doesn't mean facing the DOCK......jeez...your TA is an idiot!

Wow, seriously? BTW, a PVP is a Carnival vacation planner, not a TA. I didn't realize you posted your "info" over on Carnival forums also.

Well I'm glad I'm not losing it... I was pretty sure the PVP was wrong (and yes, it was a Carnival PVP not at TA) but I figured I could just confirm here and call back later to change it... I have no reason for preferring the starboard side, I just do! Sometimes you find a spot you like and there's no explaining why...

On another note... kudos to those captains who back the ships in! I have trouble parking our little boat going forward :)

Thanks for the confirmation!!

Exactly! I prefer the starboard side as well! :D

 

On another note... kudos to those captains who back the ships in! I have trouble parking our little boat going forward :)

 

Thanks for the confirmation!!

And they do it with a little joy stick, no wheel lol.

In Nassau, ships pull in straight and there are two sides to most of the piers so it's a tossup and dependent on whoever is already in port.

Not always. When we were in Nassau, we headed straight in but we were parked next to a Royal Caribbean ship that was backed in.

Another thing to think about, if the pier has two sides to it, you may be facing the pier but you may also be looking into another ship moored on the other side instead of the island. We've had that happen a couple of times.

I am sad to hear that there is a PVP out there that is so misinformed.

Not always. When we were in Nassau, we headed straight in but we were parked next to a Royal Caribbean ship that was backed in.

 

Another thing to think about, if the pier has two sides to it, you may be facing the pier but you may also be looking into another ship moored on the other side instead of the island. We've had that happen a couple of times.

Thanks for nit picking. Didn't I say the piers are two sided there? My point was, you never know how you are going to pull in anywhere. As I posted it's dependent on a lot of factors.

We have cruised ten times all but one were balconies. I used to think we had to have Port side to see the dock then it happened... Same port, same port cabin, no dock view. I was so disappointed ! Lol.

Now we just take whatever side looks good and we either will or we won't have a dock view.

And yes sometimes there is a beautiful view and activity to see on the harbor side of the ship! :)

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We book port side and have never been disappointed with the view whether docked facing the port or not. Granted I didn't see the views the starboard side saw, but we tend to stick with port side.

Port side cruisers are not only happier, they live longer!:D

Wow, seriously? BTW, a PVP is a Carnival vacation planner, not a TA. I didn't realize you posted your "info" over on Carnival forums also.

How else does one get to 60,000 posts without posting on all sites? Wrong info still counts as a post.

By the way, we book starboard and on every cruise we have done to St Thomas we pull in forward and we face the dock. St Maarten we usually have another ship next to us and our side faces the dock, but that is when we sail on Carnival. St Maarten has a lot of ships lined up when we get there but depending on the line we sail, we don't see anything but the ship docked next to us. Nassau we are facing the dock also, but there are several ships docked. I know starboard or port is never a guarantee as to what we will see.

Wow, seriously? BTW, a PVP is a Carnival vacation planner, not a TA. I didn't realize you posted your "info" over on Carnival forums also.

How else does one get to 60,000 posts without posting on all sites? Wrong info still counts as a post.

By the way, we book starboard and on every cruise we have done to St Thomas we pull in forward and we face the dock. St Maarten we usually have another ship next to us and our side faces the dock, but that is when we sail on Carnival. St Maarten has a lot of ships lined up when we get there but depending on the line we sail, we don't see anything but the ship docked next to us. Nassau we are facing the dock also, but there are several ships docked. I know starboard or port is never a guarantee as to what we will see.

When we have the choice, we choose the side of the ship that will be facing south for the most Sea Days. Especially in the winter months where we get the sunrise and sunset. From Galveston, that usually means starboard.

BTW, port did originally start off as a convention for the side of the ship that would dock but the name has outlived the practice on ships (but not on planes which followed suit) so your PVP is not a complete moron, just living centuries in the past. As piers (which air built perpendicular to the shore and are two sided) began to replace docks (which run along side the shore) the practice of building one sided ships was abandoned.

On a recent Galveston departure, I heard it explained that they will spin the ship if they can before arrival but if they were running late, they'd pull right in as it saved an extra 20 to 30 minutes. Seems like it would make sense to do that in most ports.

Thanks for nit picking. Didn't I say the piers are two sided there? My point was, you never know how you are going to pull in anywhere. As I posted it's dependent on a lot of factors.

That wasn't nit picking. You made the statement that the ships pull in to Nassau. I only said that they also back in. You did mention that the piers may have two sides but you neglected to mention that there also could be another ship on the other side blocking your view of the island. That's not nit picking. It's adding addiional information that might help the OP.