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Are the ports always on the right side of the ship?

Drrandall

By Drrandall,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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emm126

emm126

Posted
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Usually alternate between port/starboard facing the port/pier. For your cruise, Grand Cayman is a tender port, so you will be in the middle of the ocean and the other 2 ports will be starboard 1 day, port side the other day.

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BoDidly

BoDidly

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Been so picky on my room selection. We are on the Breeze in July. Jamaica, Grand Caymen, Cozumel. Does the ship always dock so only the right side (odd numbered rooms) see the island?

GC ,tender port . Coz , flip a coin :). Jamaica me crazy :o.

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MissKIA

MissKIA

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Total crap shoot. In fact, more often than not, the ship is FACING the island so both sides get a similar view of water/island or even facing another ship. Even if the ship is docked parallel to the island, it could go straight in or it could back in. It really doesn't matter which side you're on.

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k2excursion

k2excursion

Posted
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There truly is no way to know for sure. It doesn't necessarily alternate, not by rule. It might alternate, or it might all be port or all starboard. I did the exact same sailing on the Dream (same port schedule out of the same home port) within 3 years, and we actually did have the starboard side facing the island on every port both times. I kind of like looking at the pier, watching for pier runners, which is why I booked us in a starboard room the 2nd time (starboard is odd numbers; port is even). But I knew that it could be different this time. It just worked out that it wasn't. Your best bet is to try to find out from other sailings of your exact itinerary on your exact ship, pick your side of choice based on that info, and then just hope it's the same for you, knowing it might not be.

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BoDidly

BoDidly

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There truly is no way to know for sure. It doesn't necessarily alternate, not by rule. It might alternate, or it might all be port or all starboard. I did the exact same sailing on the Dream (same port schedule out of the same home port) within 3 years, and we actually did have the starboard side facing the island on every port both times. I kind of like looking at the pier, watching for pier runners, which is why I booked us in a starboard room the 2nd time (starboard is odd numbers; port is even). But I knew that it could be different this time. It just worked out that it wasn't. Your best bet is to try to find out from other sailings of your exact itinerary on your exact ship, pick your side of choice based on that info, and then just hope it's the same for you, knowing it might not be.

 

It might be that maintenance scheduled one side of the ship to be painted and the other the following docking .

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sparks1093 Great Review Rare

sparks1093

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It might be that maintenance scheduled one side of the ship to be painted and the other the following docking .

 

They also need to test a certain number of life rafts on each port stop. Definitely more than one factor in play.

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lizardhowson

lizardhowson

Posted
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Not sure about rafts, but crew members do lifeboat drills in port sometimes.

 

Been so picky on my room selection. We are on the Breeze in July. Jamaica, Grand Caymen, Cozumel. Does the ship always dock so only the right side (odd numbered rooms) see the island?

 

 

Just wondering where you came up with this notion ? If you use Google images to view pictures of Carnival ships in port, you will see ships head in, backed in and on one side of the pier or the other side.

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BoDidly

BoDidly

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Not sure about rafts, but crew members do lifeboat drills in port sometimes.

Sure they do , not as often as painting but they should . They might do the rafts too. I have never noticed it though.;p

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beachbum53

beachbum53

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Sometimes, whether a ship docks on the Port side or the Starboard side depends on if there are other ships in port, and who gets to the dock first. Kind of like when you get to the parking lot at your store. You may get a parking space facing the sun, or one facing away from the sun. Depends on availability. On our most recent cruise (on the Vista), we had 4 ports. Our first port was Grand Turk, and we were the only ship there. We docked on the Port side. At each of our other three ports, San Juan, St. Kitts and St. Martin, there were other ships docked ahead of us, and we were docked on the Starboard side.

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evandbob

evandbob

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Oooops, not enough coffee yet, they test the lifeboats as they are required to put each boat into the water a certain number of times per year.

 

Yep, I've seen the life boats being lowered into the water on several ships and tested as required by safety specs. ChengPK would probably know how often a cruise line is required to do this drill.

 

I also remember that a crew person was killed during one of these drills, (perhaps on a RCCL ship?)

 

As far as the OP's question, there is no way of predict.ing which way a ship will face when docking.

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summersigh

summersigh

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Posted
Which side depends on numerous factors. And you can dock port one visit starboard on the next visit on the same ship.

Very true in our experience. Also, something to look at is how the ship will be approaching the island because if you sail in the winter, although your arrival is by daylight, it's likely you'll sail-away after dark settles where there's not much to see.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
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Docking direction depends on many things. In any port, the physical situation determines a lot. Whether the ship can go straight in and back out is one thing, whether it needs to turn around is another, and with turning, the time of day, the weather, and the presence of other ships in the area of the dock and turning basin can change the harbormaster's decision.

 

Then, if the harbormaster doesn't care which side the ship docks to, it's up to the Captain, and that can depend on again the weather, or maintenance (painting on the landward side, or washing windows on the seaward side). Then there is the lifeboat drills.

 

All lifeboats must be lowered to the water and exercised (can't have flabby lifeboats) at least once a month. Since you can only lower the boats on the offshore side, whatever port is chosen for boat drill (typically a port that sees a very low pax count remaining onboard) will alternate sides of the ship to the dock at least twice a month, so that each side is seaward once a month.

 

Rafts are a one time use, and are taken ashore and inflated, inspected, and rations/water renewed at certified shore facilities, and then deflated and repacked annually. The crew have a "training" raft that is excess to the required amount, and which is inflated by an air hose, rather than the CO2 cartridge, and is repacked onboard for future training. Typically this raft training is done at another time than the normal crew fire and boat drill. All crew assigned to emergency duties, even those who only assist with the passenger muster (taking the muster, station leaders, the people at the stairwells, and the people who search the cabins), have additional training at times other than the weekly crew fire and boat drill. This training is required by law, and is outside the normal working hours (can't interrupt passenger services!), and the crew receive no compensation for emergency training and drills.

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sparks1093 Great Review Rare

sparks1093

Posted
Posted
Docking direction depends on many things. In any port, the physical situation determines a lot. Whether the ship can go straight in and back out is one thing, whether it needs to turn around is another, and with turning, the time of day, the weather, and the presence of other ships in the area of the dock and turning basin can change the harbormaster's decision.

 

Then, if the harbormaster doesn't care which side the ship docks to, it's up to the Captain, and that can depend on again the weather, or maintenance (painting on the landward side, or washing windows on the seaward side). Then there is the lifeboat drills.

 

All lifeboats must be lowered to the water and exercised (can't have flabby lifeboats) at least once a month. Since you can only lower the boats on the offshore side, whatever port is chosen for boat drill (typically a port that sees a very low pax count remaining onboard) will alternate sides of the ship to the dock at least twice a month, so that each side is seaward once a month.

 

Rafts are a one time use, and are taken ashore and inflated, inspected, and rations/water renewed at certified shore facilities, and then deflated and repacked annually. The crew have a "training" raft that is excess to the required amount, and which is inflated by an air hose, rather than the CO2 cartridge, and is repacked onboard for future training. Typically this raft training is done at another time than the normal crew fire and boat drill. All crew assigned to emergency duties, even those who only assist with the passenger muster (taking the muster, station leaders, the people at the stairwells, and the people who search the cabins), have additional training at times other than the weekly crew fire and boat drill. This training is required by law, and is outside the normal working hours (can't interrupt passenger services!), and the crew receive no compensation for emergency training and drills.

 

Thanks again for a lucid and informative answer!

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