Port or Starboard on the Valor...HELP me decide!

[w4kry]

We are booking the Valor out of San Juan and wanting a balcony room, we normally do an inside room, but need help in knowing which side I should book for the best views. Thanks!

[Tapi]

The most beautiful views departing San Juan will be on the starboard side, with the walled city of Old San Juan and the San Felipe Del Morro Castle lit up at night.

 

All the other ports will be hard to determine as the ship may dock one way one week and a different way the following week.

 

 

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[pghsteelerfan]

We are booking the Valor out of San Juan and wanting a balcony room, we normally do an inside room, but need help in knowing which side I should book for the best views. Thanks!

 

We were on Valor last May on a sailing to the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan. Our balcony was on the Verandah Deck 8, starboard. I did a review of our trip and someone else had asked the question, so I provided a detailed day-to-day description of the starboard side. The ship doesn't always dock the same (sometimes it will pull in to a port and the next sailing it may back in). In St. Kitts we backed in since Valor ended up getting refueled that day. The one think I've seen about the starboard sailing on this cruise is passing the other islands after Barbados, since Valor is heading north and the islands are toward the east. Sometimes you need to get up early. We had great views of St. Lucia the morning we arrived. St. Kitt's is another - great views of Nevis and depending on weather, there are two other islands that can be seen before Nevis. I saw pictures of those in another review but could not see them the day we sailed in because it was mostly cloudy.

 

San Juan: When leaving San Juan at sail away that first night, the fort (El Morro) was on the starboard side, so we'd have had views from our balcony, but were up at the Mega Deck Party on Panorama Deck 10 - also great views. Best views - Starboard

 

St. Thomas: The morning we were coming in, we were heading due east into St. Thomas. I got up at 6AM, just after the sun rose and went to the balcony. Looking straight out from the balcony we couldn't see much (besides Sail Rock), but when I looked towards the front of the ship I could see St. Thomas in the distance and also the sun rise. I missed what I think would have been a great picture, but my camera lens fogged up due to taking it out into the humidity from an air conditioned cabin. We docked at 7AM. Now when the ship is docked in St. Thomas, the port side cabins have the view out over the water and we (starboard) had the views of the land side and Havensight Mall. Best views coming in - either; docked - port

 

Sea Day: We were out in the middle of the ocean and we did not see any other islands that day, so it didn't really matter. For sunrise, my guess would be port side since we were heading south. We didn't get up that morning until 7AM, past sunrise. Best views (for sunrise) - probably Port

 

Barbados: We couldn't see from our balcony because the ship was heading straight into the island. Barbados does have higher points but is not as mountainous as the other islands. We were docked that morning at 8AM.

Best views: It didn't matter since we went straight in. When actually docked, Starboard had the view of the island (industrial area) and Port had view of the second dock and ocean.

 

St. Lucia: I got up at 5:30AM because I wanted to see if we could see anything that morning and we could. When coming up from Barbados, we were heading north along St. Lucia's western coast, with great views of the Pitons. The feeling that morning to wake up, go out on the balcony and having the Pitons being the first things we saw, was, hard to describe, but awe inspiring. Valor docked in port at 8AM. Best views - Starboard and while in docked, either side had nice views

 

St. Kitts: I got up at 6AM and went to the balcony and saw Nevis and St. Kitts from our balcony. The ship is heading north along St. Kitts/Nevis' western coast, so it's the starboard side that has the best views. This is also the side where you'd see the sunrise. Best views - Starboard for coming in and Valor also backed in here, so while docked, both sides had views of the island.

 

St. Maarten: I got up at 6:30AM but since I couldn't see anything from our starboard balcony at first, I don't know which view would have been best for sunrise or to see the island as the ship was coming in. We were scheduled to be docked at 7AM, so I'd only been on our balcony a few minutes before the ship turned and started backing in to the dock. Best views - Starboard while docked because that side had the views across the bay and of Philipsburg.

 

San Juan: I got up at 5:30AM since we were scheduled to be in port at 7AM, but the ship gets in early. Best views for sunrise and to see Fort El Morro as the ship comes in - definitely port.

 

I hope this helps.

Edited February 27, 2014 by pghsteelerfan

[w4kry]

We were on Valor last May on a sailing to the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan. Our balcony was on the Verandah Deck 8, starboard. I did a review of our trip and someone else had asked the question, so I provided a detailed day-to-day description of the starboard side. The ship doesn't always dock the same (sometimes it will pull in to a port and the next sailing it may back in). In St. Kitts we backed in since Valor ended up getting refueled that day. The one think I've seen about the starboard sailing on this cruise is passing the other islands after Barbados, since Valor is heading north and the islands are toward the east. Sometimes you need to get up early. We had great views of St. Lucia the morning we arrived. St. Kitt's is another - great views of Nevis and depending on weather, there are two other islands that can be seen before Nevis. I saw pictures of those in another review but could not see them the day we sailed in because it was mostly cloudy.

 

San Juan: When leaving San Juan at sail away that first night, the fort (El Morro) was on the starboard side, so we'd have had views from our balcony, but were up at the Mega Deck Party on Panorama Deck 10 - also great views. Best views - Starboard

 

St. Thomas: The morning we were coming in, we were heading due east into St. Thomas. I got up at 6AM, just after the sun rose and went to the balcony. Looking straight out from the balcony we couldn't see much (besides Sail Rock), but when I looked towards the front of the ship I could see St. Thomas in the distance and also the sun rise. I missed what I think would have been a great picture, but my camera lens fogged up due to taking it out into the humidity from an air conditioned cabin. We docked at 7AM. Now when the ship is docked in St. Thomas, the port side cabins have the view out over the water and we (starboard) had the views of the land side and Havensight Mall. Best views coming in - either; docked - port

 

Sea Day: We were out in the middle of the ocean and we did not see any other islands that day, so it didn't really matter. For sunrise, my guess would be port side since we were heading south. We didn't get up that morning until 7AM, past sunrise. Best views (for sunrise) - probably Port

 

Barbados: We couldn't see from our balcony because the ship was heading straight into the island. Barbados does have higher points but is not as mountainous as the other islands. We were docked that morning at 8AM.

Best views: It didn't matter since we went straight in. When actually docked, Starboard had the view of the island (industrial area) and Port had view of the second dock and ocean.

 

St. Lucia: I got up at 5:30AM because I wanted to see if we could see anything that morning and we could. When coming up from Barbados, we were heading north along St. Lucia's western coast, with great views of the Pitons. The feeling that morning to wake up, go out on the balcony and having the Pitons being the first things we saw, was, hard to describe, but awe inspiring. Valor docked in port at 8AM. Best views - Starboard and while in docked, either side had nice views

 

St. Kitts: I got up at 6AM and went to the balcony and saw Nevis and St. Kitts from our balcony. The ship is heading north along St. Kitts/Nevis' western coast, so it's the starboard side that has the best views. This is also the side where you'd see the sunrise. Best views - Starboard for coming in and Valor also backed in here, so while docked, both sides had views of the island.

 

St. Maarten: I got up at 6:30AM but since I couldn't see anything from our starboard balcony at first, I don't know which view would have been best for sunrise or to see the island as the ship was coming in. We were scheduled to be docked at 7AM, so I'd only been on our balcony a few minutes before the ship turned and started backing in to the dock. Best views - Starboard while docked because that side had the views across the bay and of Philipsburg.

 

San Juan: I got up at 5:30AM since we were scheduled to be in port at 7AM, but the ship gets in early. Best views for sunrise and to see Fort El Morro as the ship comes in - definitely port.

 

I hope this helps.

 

thank you so much. Very helpful...now lets get this cruised booked! :D

[Dirkgun]

I completely agree with pghsteelerfan.... The ship can and does alternate, depending on how many and what ships are in various ports. Sometimes she backs in and sometimes she noses in. I personally think the Starboard (right side) is the overall best considering the sail away from San Juan and the sights of the Pitons when coming in to St Lucia. The rest is kind of a crap shoot. There is really not a bad side.....:eek::D. BTW her review is one of the best on that ship. You should read it if you can. There is a link to it in her signature.

[pghsteelerfan]

thank you so much. Very helpful...now lets get this cruised booked! :D

 

So happy it was helpful, and yes, get this cruise booked! This is one of the best itineraries in my opinion and we fell in love with Valor as well. Great ship and a wonderful staff.

 

Dirkgun, thank you. I think your Victory reviews are the best. w4kry, you should also check out Dirkgun's Victory reviews for itinerary. Victory did this itinerary until February 2013 when she went to Miami and Valor took over the Southern itinerary in San Juan. It was the Victory review from 2010 that sold me on this itinerary and I also really enjoyed the December 2012 review. There is also a Valor review for information about the ship. Links to those reviews are in the signature.

[huntm]

What cruise dates are you booking? We jus booked the Valor for July 6th and are super excited!!

 

 

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[Sharonlee912]

We just got off the Valor and had cabin 9214, Lido Deck. We loved the balcony and the fact that you could walk down the hall to the pool or to get coffee in the morning. We loved the views and docked next to several mega yachts, "The Falcon" being one! Have fun!

[w4kry]

What cruise dates are you booking? We jus booked the Valor for July 6th and are super excited!!

 

 

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We are looking at May 10 2015. We already have 2 cruises booked this year. We are wanting to fly into San Juan a few days prior to the cruise and do some sightseeing. We are planners...we always book a year ahead.:)