Port or Starboard?

[Howiehal]

Looking at the December 18 cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Nieu Amsterdam stopping first at Grand Turk, then Amber Cove, DR, then San Juan, PR, then St. Maarten, then Tortola, and finally Half Moon Cay before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. We will book a balcony and I was just wondering if any of you can tell me which would be better for the views from the balcony. Port, or Starboard? We have not done this route before.

Thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

There are only 2 or 3 places in the world where side of the ship matters, and even in those cases, you are not locked in your room. You will be out and about, roaming the ship.

 

So, no, it doesn't matter.

[dakrewser]

Most of your time at sea there'll only be water on either side. Most of our time in port, there'll be land views from either side. So, no, it doesn't matter.

[jtl513]

There's no way to predict which side will have the better view in any given port because it varies from trip to trip.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Over the years we have found that port side faces land more times than starboard.

We love to sit out on the verandah and people watch.

Port side for us.

[EagleRockers]

After over 40 years of cruising, I always try to book starboard. I find this is usually the side of the ship facing land and where embarkation and disembarkation takes place about 90% of the time.

[Boytjie]

Sailing in the Caribbean there is not much to see on either side while out at sea. We have had both and it really did not make much of a difference.

 

If in port and I want to see what's going on on the dock and I don't have a balcony on that side, I just go watch from the Promenade Deck or upper decks.

[Taters]

I personally prefer having a cabin on the starboard side of the ship because... It just feels better to me. No real reason other than that.

 

Cheers!

[navybankerteacher]

Either poster # 5 or poster #6 MIGHT have known what they were talking about. Frankly, I believe, from my own experience, that they were both wrong -- in that I do not believe EITHER side of a ship is more likely than the other to face ANYWHERE.

[joekerstef]

I personally prefer having a cabin on the starboard side of the ship because... It just feels better to me. No real reason other than that.

 

Cheers!

 

I agree. No good reason why. It just feels right.

[DaveOKC]

I personally prefer having a cabin on the starboard side of the ship because... It just feels better to me. No real reason other than that.

 

Cheers!

 

I agree that it really does not matter for most cruises, especially those in the Caribbean. I think sticking to one side or the other on your cruises makes some sense as it is easier to get accustomed to the ship that way.

[catl331]

Either poster # 5 or poster #6 MIGHT have known what they were talking about. Frankly, I believe, from my own experience, that they were both wrong -- in that I do not believe EITHER side of a ship is more likely than the other to face ANYWHERE.

I haven't noticed any predominance for either side.

 

I agree. No good reason why. It just feels right.

I prefer port. No good reason why. It just feels left. :)

 

I think sticking to one side or the other on your cruises makes some sense as it is easier to get accustomed to the ship that way.

But then there's a danger of trying to open the door of the cabin that you had on a previous cruise! :o:o:D Edited July 8, 2016 by catl331

[summersigh]

Looking at the December 18 cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Nieu Amsterdam stopping first at Grand Turk, then Amber Cove, DR, then San Juan, PR, then St. Maarten, then Tortola, and finally Half Moon Cay before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. We will book a balcony and I was just wondering if any of you can tell me which would be better for the views from the balcony. Port, or Starboard? We have not done this route before.

Thanks.

 

It will be dark early by December so sail-aways will be in the dark. (we know because our last Caribbean cruise was in the winter ) :) The side did matter to us because DH has mobility issues and prefers to do sail away from our balcony. It was dark for all 3 of our 5pm sail-aways.

I'd say look at a map of your route and see which side has a view of the islands as you sail in to see the most from your balcony.

 

I just went and looked at a map of your trip and if I were a bettin' woman I'd bet on Starboard for sail-ins. No way of predicting which way you'd face when docked but Starboard looks to be the best for arrival. (No way of saying for sure - just my guesses bases on my experiences)

Edited July 8, 2016 by summersigh

[catl331]

In Istanbul, my relatives were facing the land and people and we were facing all the boat traffic. I sat out there day and night totally entranced. Ships were heading up to the Black Sea and others from one side of the port to the other. Just like a dance routine that was well coordinated. Also the night before entering Malta, the captain told us to be up early for our entrance. Beautiful.

Most of the entries into a port are early in the morn. Best to be up outside the Lido or higher to get the real effect. Didn't matter to us in Alaska for two trips--either fog or rain.:)

 

Of course, out at sea it is best to be out of the wind!

[ski ww]

Doesn't matter to us as we always book an inside and man the deck for sail aways & return to port, for the best views. You can always go with POSH, port out, starboard home.

Allan

[kazu]

Normally we like port side but we always have to look at each individual cruise to determine the "right" place to be.

 

We look at the itinerary and where the possible views may be but if it is a Transatlantic, then we also have to consider the sun.

 

for Caribbean and such sailings,I don't think it makes a huge difference? There is no guarantee what sees where. :)

[Boytjie]

You can always go with POSH, port out, starboard home.

 

That is pretty much meaningless for a round trip cruise. :)

[Howiehal]

Thanks for your replies. After all that, I think I will just ask for the cheapest one that has the glass siding, not the metal. I think that all those on deck 4 have the metal siding. The glass starts on deck 5.

Thanks.

[catl331]

I think that all those on deck 4 have the metal siding. The glass starts on deck 5.

Thanks.

No. Only 4001 to 4042 have the steel-wall railings. Everything else, including the rest of deck 4, have plexiglas.

[Heartgrove]

Another consideration is which side the Pilot boat comes alongside in the early AM. Some have plenty of horsepower (Halifax) so can be loud. On our Canada NE cruise, we had a Vista Suite on the port side which was the side used. For our Alaska cruise, our NS was on the starboard side with both the Tracy Arm excursion and Park Rangers using that side. I didn't mind as they both presented additional photo opportunities.

 

Do the different HAL classes favor one side to the other for boarding the pilot, or is it due to sea-state? Our Canada NE cruise was on an "S" class, and the Alaska cruise was on a "Signature" class.

[CruiserBruce]

Another consideration is which side the Pilot boat comes alongside in the early AM. Some have plenty of horsepower (Halifax) so can be loud. On our Canada NE cruise, we had a Vista Suite on the port side which was the side used. For our Alaska cruise, our NS was on the starboard side with both the Tracy Arm excursion and Park Rangers using that side. I didn't mind as they both presented additional photo opportunities.

 

Do the different HAL classes favor one side to the other for boarding the pilot, or is it due to sea-state? Our Canada NE cruise was on an "S" class, and the Alaska cruise was on a "Signature" class.

 

Which side the pilot comes on will depend on wind and current. There no one side the pilot comes on.

[Heartgrove]

Which side the pilot comes on will depend on wind and current. There no one side the pilot comes on.

 

I felt that would be the case. It was just that the Canada NE cruise always used the port side, no matter the current and wind. The Halifax boarding was done on the windward side for example.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Heartgrove

[navybankerteacher]

I felt that would be the case. It was just that the Canada NE cruise always used the port side, no matter the current and wind. The Halifax boarding was done on the windward side for example.

 

Unusual that a small boat would be brought alongside on the windward side - usually (and especially there are seas of any sort) the pilot boat would come alngside in the lee created by the ship.

[sandij]

I don't remember any one side being better, but the best we've ever had was a aft balcony while in Istanbul. we had gone out to hear the evening prayer call and all of a sudden a group of limos came down the dock and stopped at a yacht docked behind us. Out of the car emerged Queen Elizabeth and she walked onto the yacht. It was exciting and yes she does carry that purse.