What side of the ship do you prefer?

[WetToes]

As long as we have a balcony, couldn't care less. I'm on a cruise!!! :)

[megr1125]

What side??? Anywhere INSIDE the ship...sailing ANYWHERE...with ANY drink in either hand!!!!!

 

Me too....as long as it is not an inside cabin...

 

lol...that said, i tend to book starboard.....for no reason I can think of other than that is what I had on my first cruise.....

 

Sent from my Galaxy S3, somewhere in the galaxy

[BillB48]

As long as we have the "on" ship part taken care of, side is not a concern!! Seriously, I prefer the side that has the least amount of afternoon sun... but even that is not a deal breaker. That's an advantage to inside cabins... either side works. The only problem is I just can't sell DW on the that idea;)!

[north29]

Another newbie thread but I had to look LOL. But after thinking, here goes, IMHO, I have always tried to book on the side nearest the land mass, but but, only at times does/did it make a difference, usually you are too far away to see any real good stuff. I made an issue to book port side on our cruise around South America, only a few times did it make a difference and in the Beagle channel, both sides were interesting so we were running from side to side on the upper deck and same for Cape Horn. I can see where, an Alaskan cruise(have not done) the side might be important.

Edited October 9, 2013 by north29

[LindaO]

Sounds like where the term POSH came from. Port Outbound, Starboard Home.

 

But in my case, I just want to be on the ship. Which side really makes little difference.

 

Urban Legend... POSH has nothing to do with Port Out, Starboard Home...

posh

The word means rich, aristocratic, wealthy, loaded, fancy, toff, toffee nosed, upper crust, well off, or well to do. The origin of this word actually derives from an old Romany Gypsy slang word for pennies, i.e. if you've a lot of pennies you're well to do, rich, etc. In this light, the word posh can be used as a term of light hearted derision. Please note: a wrong but often repeated even on this website www.urbandictionary.com (is the urban myth is that the word POSH originated from Port Out Starboard Home - based on based on the position of the more expensive cabins on a passenger ships from England to India - but this is actually nonsense which has been commonly repeated.

Or as noted in the definition on www.thefreedictionary.com -- Word History: "Oh yes, Mater, we had a posh time of it down there." So in Punch for September 25, 1918, do we find the first recorded instance posh, meaning "smart and fashionable." A popular theory holds that it is derived from the initials of "Port Out, Starboard Home," the cooler, and thus more expensive, side of ships traveling between England and India in the mid-19th century. The acronym POSH was supposedly stamped on the tickets of first-class passengers traveling on that side of ships owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. No known evidence supports this theory, however. Another word posh was 19th- and early 20th-century British slang for "money," specifically "a halfpenny, cash of small value." This word is borrowed from the Romany word påh, "half," which was used in combinations such as påhera, "halfpenny." Posh, also meaning "a dandy," is recorded in two dictionaries of slang, published in 1890 and 1902, although this particular posh may be still another word. This word or these words are, however, much more likely to be the source of posh than "Port Out, Starboard Home," although the latter source certainly has caught the public's etymological fancy.

[Ocean Boy]

Another newbie thread but I had to look LOL. But after thinking, here goes, IMHO, I have always tried to book on the side nearest the land mass, but but, only at times does/did it make a difference, usually you are too far away to see any real good stuff. I made an issue to book port side on our cruise around South America, only a few times did it make a difference and in the Beagle channel, both sides were interesting so we were running from side to side on the upper deck and same for Cape Horn. I can see where, an Alaskan cruise(have not done) the side might be important.

 

Much better wording than before your edit.

[klepton]

Another newbie thread but I had to look LOL. But after thinking, here goes, IMHO, I have always tried to book on the side nearest the land mass, but but, only at times does/did it make a difference, usually you are too far away to see any real good stuff. I made an issue to book port side on our cruise around South America, only a few times did it make a difference and in the Beagle channel, both sides were interesting so we were running from side to side on the upper deck and same for Cape Horn. I can see where, an Alaskan cruise(have not done) the side might be important.

 

I think this sums up my strategy/feelings as well. I've sailed both starboard and port a number of times, but really don't give much thought to it unless I'm sailing up or down a coastline. On a cruise around South America like you did, I'd definitely try to book port. On our Mexican Riviera cruise we were port and had MUCH better views sailing into ports than the starboard side did. In the caribbean, it doesn't matter nearly as much. Many of the big ports are luck of the draw as far which direction you'll face.

 

I recommend everyone do an aft balcony at least once... sailaways and sunsets/sunrises are amazing from the aft.

[cruiseapril]

We always book port side-perhaps because that was where we were on our first cruise, as others have mentioned.

[jt1120]

Personally, I prefer the top side.

[FLACRUISER99]

if' date=' we're on a transatlantic, we book port side if we're going west and starboard if we're going east. We usually get more sun that way, on our balcony. :)[/quote']

 

And I prefer the shady side.

 

 

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[WetToes]

Urban Legend... POSH has nothing to do with Port Out, Starboard Home...

 

Linda,Oh. :eek:

[blueblock]

No preference.

[LarryL]

Depends on the sea day and/or where we are positioned best for watching a sunset from the balcony. It's really a toss-up which side of the ship is next to the dock. On our TA we chose the port side because, heading west, we had the sun during the crossing.:)

[runner15km]

Either side, I want to be center and have cabins above and below me.

[Little Buddy's Mom]

And I prefer the shady side.

 

 

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Usually, on our crossings, it's been late fall or early spring. Since the weather is pretty iffy then, I like to get all the sun I can. :)

 

On the times, we've been able to get a big aft balcony, I don't care where the sun is. :D

[sleepless]

We usually book starboard side, even when we book an aft. I can be directionally challenged. Our first cruise I booked starboard side, and have continued on each cruise. I don't get lost this way, and always seem to know what direction my cabin is in.

 

I am usually on deck somewhere during sail-away, so that is not important. Nor do I care what the view is of upcoming ports, nor the view while in port.

[paulaclara]

It's strange but usually end up port side. I would love to do aft!:D

[purplelilly]

On our past cruise and first cruise we were on a eastern med and booked the side we figured would have best view of the land and what we wanted to see. As it turned out, we saw the other side on the way back.

[nanwel]

Usually book port side. Had a surprise when coming to Quebec city. It was late fall, so I booked a window, not bothering with a balcony - too cold to use it.

Forgot about tides - had my curtains open, and found out dock side, was also dock level - opps -slithered out of bed to find my robe!

[griffy116]

We don't even bother worrying about which side. Location on the ship is more important and we've never had a bad view from our balcony whether it faced the port or looking out on the ocean. For some ports, it's a view of an industrial mess so we just take our chances and try to pick the cabin we want regardless of the side of the ship it's on. JMO...for others it's a big deal.

[jt1120]

It's strange but usually end up port side. I would love to do aft!:D

 

The afts on the Radiance class are awesome! Can't say about the other classes as we have not done those afts yet.

 

Yet.

[Big_G]

Port side. I have no particular reason other than it was what we happened to book on our first cruise and I have been booking the same side ever since.

 

That's pretty much what we did too and then last year on Reflection, they screwed up the cabin categories and moved us to the appropriate category on the starboard side. Practically every time we left the cabin I started to turn the wrong way. It almost lasted the whole cruise. :o

[Queen of Oakville]

I'm honestly shocked that soo many people have preferences.

 

I've never paid any attention to this. I usually book based on price and availability - port/starboard has never factored into my decision. {my preference is mid-to-aft - after that I choose based on deck}

Edited October 10, 2013 by Queen of Oakville

[LarryL]

I'm honestly shocked that soo many people have preferences.

 

I've never paid any attention to this. I usually book based on price and availability - port/starboard has never factored into my decision. {my preference is mid-to-aft - after that I choose based on deck}

 

It appears the question was too specific. Maybe it should have been amendind to, in general, "what are your cabin preferences, and why"? There are absolutely people, like you, who don't have a preference regarding which side of a ship they book but seek other options. Your comment is certainly interesting, though, seeing you really do have a preference.:)

[Ourusualbeach]

As long as the cabin is above the waterline then all is good in my world.