Is there a better "side" of the ship? Starboard or Port

[5 in OK]

I read just a moment ago that someone was disappointed that they didn't get a particular side of the ship. Is there a better side?

[Taylor]

where are you going??

[Aussie Gal]

Sometimes it is better to be on one side or the other of the ship when you are doing a particular cruise. We went to South America in January leaving from Rio and Starboard side was definitely the better side to view the scenery etc.

 

This year we are going down the west coast of the U.S. and Mexico and I was advised that Port side is the better side of the ship.

 

On other cruises, it may not matter where you are.

 

Jennie

[dakrewser]

Rarely does it make a big difference.

[Frogs]

We are on the ZU in the Eastern Caribbean. Any significant difference?

 

Blessings!

[5 in OK]

where are you going??

 

Alaska - Hubbard Glacier Route.

[Copper10-8]

Shouldn't make much of a difference if you're on a round-trip out of FLL, VAN, SEA, LA, etc, any of the "regular" ports because you're going to see the same/have the same view on both sides, either on the outbound or on the return. I guess if there's a lot of nice scenery and you're on a repositioning cruise and/or on a one-way/one-time itinerary (i.e. Europe, world cruise, etc), it could make a difference depending on what there is to see at sea;)

[dakrewser]

We are on the ZU in the Eastern Caribbean. Any significant difference?

 

Blessings!

 

Makes no difference - there's mostly water as far as you can see on either side.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It really doesn't make a difference but for some unknown reason we try to book on the port side - maybe we like even number????:D

[eigig]

We have cruised twice so far and once we were on the port side and once on starboard. There was no difference when we were at sea (Carribbean from FL) but once we were in PORT it was nicer to be on the port side.

 

My husband is handicapped and does not leave the ship so sitting on the balcony and watching the scenery and the people getting off and on and the islands was really nice. I liked it too though. I'd have breakfast on my balcony in the morning and view the islands and, after I returned onboard at the end of the day, it was nice to have great scenery.

 

The starboard side was okay but alot less scenic in PORT

Hope this helps! We had a wonderful time on both sides.

[Hollyhawk]

Woah that's weird we've been starboard for the last two Caribbean 6115 on ms. Zuiderdam and 6169 on ms.Westerdam and we always docked on our side of the ship. You will be jammed right up next to all the other lines and everyone is checking out the digs from their balconies. Especially fun if you happen to be docked next to the annual Harley run, shocks the ****out of you when you hear all those Harleys crank up, then you go look out and watch them coming out of the bowel of a Carnival ship running down the pier.

[Hollyhawk]

The ships we've been on dock starboard so all you will see is mega ships and thier balconys and part of the pier.

[RevNeal]

There is no guarantee that the ship will dock with the pier and/or the "port" on it's port side. I've seen it either way, and I've seen it neither way (i.e., nose first, with neither side of the ship being able to see much of anything). And, I've seen it where the side that we docked on had horrible views of an UGLY industrial port center, while the other side had GLORIOUS views of a bay and scenery beyond. In short, one really cannot say which side the ship will dock on and wether or not the views would be preferable on that side. In 2004, on our Panama Canal Cruise, the ship docked with the port side facing the "port" 4 times ... the other 4 times we were docked on our starboard side. :)

[RevNeal]

As for preferences ... I don't know why, but better than 70% of the time I end up on the starboard side of the ship. Even when I don't plan it that way, it seems like that often happens. As a result, I usually orient myself as if I were on the starboard side, which can result in great confusion if one happens to be berthed on the port side for a change (as happened in Alaska).

[elmorejj]

On all of our many cruises we have been on the port side. Before I learned how to select cabins we were given port, and back when I started to select my own cabin it was always on the port side. Do you think it has anything to do with being left handed? ....Just a thought........jean:cool: :cool:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Not sure why but for all our cruises we have been on the Starboard side with the exception of a very last minute 3 day cruise. Our very first cruise I chose the Starboard side and we just stuck with it. I guess it just feels right to us. It will be interesting to what we get when we do our 4 Day Repositioning cruise on the Veendam we have a Guarantee S Suite.

[jhannah]

I make cabin selection based on itinerary, and the likelihood that scenery will be visible to us along the way. So far as being in port, my experience has been just like others ... never can tell which way the ship will be placed by the port authorities.

[DUCKS4LESS]

....In the early days of sailing from the east to America across the Atlantic, when ships were not as well heated as today, passengers would request "POSH" accomadations. Can you guess what that stood for? (answer below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POSH stood for Port out, Starboard home. Its meaning was simple: with the sun towards the south, you wanted to be port going west, starboard going east.

[willowtak]

To me it doesn't matter which side( port or starboard) as long as it is top side up. LOL

[dakrewser]

....In the early days of sailing from the east to America across the Atlantic, when ships were not as well heated as today, passengers would request "POSH" accomadations. Can you guess what that stood for? (answer below)

POSH stood for Port out, Starboard home. Its meaning was simple: with the sun towards the south, you wanted to be port going west, starboard going east.

 

A lovely story byt, alas, apocryphal. See Michael Quinon's explanation here. It's from his book "Port Out, Starboard Home", published by Penguin Books (UK). It is also available in the USA under the title Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds.

[bepsf]

I always need to be on the Port side...

...I get dizzy riding backwards

:eek:

[eigig]

Wow!! I really thought that port meant the side that the ship docks on in port. We were on the QM2 both times so I don't have much other experience -- thanks so much for the information. This board is great!

[NORTHSHOREPAIR]

We were Port side on our Mexican Riveria cruise and had great views. Friends we met on the ship were Starboard and also had great views.

You're on a cruise ship...is there anything other than great views?

[SpuddGirl]

I can't comment on Starboard side because we've only been on Port side - that was on the recommendation of our TA while booking our first cabin. We always had great views - on the Zui Eastern Caribbean route - from port side, but I honestly think we would have been just fine with SB side as well.

 

While in HMC, we had a great view of the island, in St. Thomas we also had a great view, same in Tortola, and in Nassau, the ship actually backed in to the pier if I recall correctly, and port side had the best view of the town. Maybe SB side had great views too, but ours were fantastic!

[DUCKS4LESS]

In the words of a great Danish ship captain, "Vey ta poop on my parade!"