Port or Starboard Balconies in the Med?

[cheffip]

Any views/experience to suggest that either a port or starboard balcony cabin would provide better views for entering and departing the western Mediterranean ports? (Villefranche, Genoa, Livorno, Salerno?)

[mahdnc]

When we took our 2007 Med cruise aboard Millennium which included Villefranche and Livorno, I did not think it made any difference which side of the ship your balcony cabin was. Then again, our cabin was facing out the back of the ship, so we usually could see something decent no matter what.

 

Port of Livorno was so industrial that the view to me did not matter:

 

 

We anchored in Villefranche and I would think that the ship orientation when anchored is not going to be consistent every time:

 

 

But you can see that the port side of the ship in the above pictures faced the port (at least for our particular sailing). The only European port that I could recall where balcony location would be important was Venice (only if your cruise started or ended there). Port side balconies had the best view as you sailed away while starboard had the view while pulling into Venice.

 

One last item, our Millennium Mediterranean cruise basically went from East to West (Venice to Barcelona). So in general as we were sailing, the starboard side of the ship probably got the better casual views if any land was visible. In particular I remember the impressive views on the starboard side of the ship when we sailed thru the Strait of Messina and when looking at the lights of the various cities/towns that dotted the southern coast of France we sailed away from Villefranche.