Breeze alternate docking in Miami

[weluvcruises]

Just curious, why does the Breeze dock pointing west on Saturdays then have to go into the turning basin to turn to go out through Government Cut when it starts the 8 day cruise, and on Sunday docks pointing east then go straight out to sea to start the 6 day cruise. You would think that it would dock the same way every time, but it doesn't. Has anyone else noticed this, and does any one have any idea why?

[lovestocruise19]

I actually probably know the answer to this question! We asked the same question to the people at check-in about the Liberty and it is because they are painting the ship on one side and then the other while docked in Miami! Pretty cool, huh? :) We saw them painting the Liberty through the large windows in the terminal. So the ships rotate so they can get painted on both sides.

[weluvcruises]

I actually probably know the answer to this question! We asked the same question to the people at check-in about the Liberty and it is because they are painting the ship on one side and then the other while docked in Miami! Pretty cool, huh? :) We saw them painting the Liberty through the large windows in the terminal. So the ships rotate so they can get painted on both sides.

Wow, that's a simple enough answer! Thanks lovestocruise19!!! Now we know.

[lovestocruise19]

Wow, that's a simple enough answer! Thanks lovestocruise19!!! Now we know.

 

You're welcome!

[okgirl]

If they told you it was due to painting then they were just pulling your leg and you fell for it. If you haven't cruised much maybe you've never noticed that painting is going on in almost every port you pull into.

 

There really is no telling how a ship is going to pull into any given port.

 

99% of the time the Magic comes into Galveston harbor does a turn about and docks with her starboard side to the pier. But this past Sunday she pulled straight in without the turn around and had her port side to the pier.

 

Sometime this happens if there are high winds, sometimes there is a medical emergency and they need to off load a passenger quickly, sometimes it's because there is going to be a crew inspection and they know that debarkation is going to take much longer than normal and they need to get that process started as soon as possible.

 

The same thing goes with the various ports of call. You just never know whether the ship is going to pull into the pier or back into the pier.

 

It doesn't make much difference the are docked to me. But I do occasionally like to be on the ship when it's doing it's turn around dance. That usually doesn't happen until the end of my cruise when I'm still in bed.

 

I can tell you that many years ago before ships had thrusters and diazapods that allowed for sideways and backwards movement. All ships had to be turned around by tugs and backed into the port so that if there was a fire emergency they could quickly leave the dock. In ports like St. Thomas this process took well over an hour.