Starboard or Port?

[ne1travel]

On a 15 day cruise LA to FLL Panama Canal cruise what do you prefer Starboard or Port side.

Looking at Dolphin Balcony.

Thanks

 

 

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[skynight]

On a 15 day cruise LA to FLL Panama Canal cruise what do you prefer Starboard or Port side.

Looking at Dolphin Balcony.

Thanks

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Starboard will get you afternoon sun going south to Panama and mostly all day sun going east from Panama to Ft Lauderdale. During the Panama Canal transit the morning sun will be on the starboard side, but for viewing the canal port or starboard makes no difference. The best views are from the upper open decks where you can move around and get 360 degree views and not from your balcony.

[Colo Cruiser]

IMO it does not really matter.

We have sailed the canal many times and we don't really worry about which side our cabin is overlooking. Cover on the balcony and direction you are transiting play into it as it's scorching hot there especially if you are getting full sun.

The locks assigned will not be until the vessel is actually on approach depending on traffic.

It's best to move all around the ship during the transit to get different perspectives.

[cb at sea]

Side of the ship really doesn't matter. Yes, thru the canal, you do NOT want to be stuck on your balcony...you must roam about...there are things to see from ALL sides! And, try different deck levels...things look totally different from the upper deck down to the promenade deck! As far as your other ports, they generally switch up which side is facing port (when possible)...so that everyone gets a look! At any rate, you'll be in a harbor, so there's plenty of scenery!

[BillB48]

To the OP...the answer is... it depends;)! At the Canal I would give an edge to the starboard side in the direction you are going. This doesn't mean the port side is a wasteland and not something worth seeing, because there is a lot to see on the port side as well! So the advice to be where you can take it all in is the best. Don't homestead your balcony for the entire transit, even though is sounds like a good idea.

 

Now I prefer the port side for the trip down from LA to the Canal. I would rather have morning sun as opposed to afternoon sun. After the Canal it's kind of a mixed bag as to where the sun will be... no real preference.

[ne1travel]

Thanks to you all

 

 

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[tailspintom]

On a 15 day cruise LA to FLL Panama Canal cruise what do you prefer Starboard or Port side.

Looking at Dolphin Balcony.

Thanks

 

 

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I usually plot out the course, look up the sunrise and sunset each day, determine the hours that I am likely to be on the ship, and then do an algibraic equation to discern the ratio of sunny days to cloudy days.... Just kidding, we have done this trip from San Diego with friends on the either side of the ship and there really is no advantage to one side or the other.

 

Try to get the best cabin for you and your family and enjoy a very interesting cruise. Try to find a comfortable spot for the transit, we like the forward sections since you can view port and starboard easily. But then, the aft sections can likewise give interesting views. It is all about seeing this thousands of year old technology of lifting incredibly heavy and large objects with water that is so fascinating.

[Corfe Mixture]

Let me put it this way. We have just booked our fifth full transit, this time on Coral.

 

We always book a suite, of which there are only 16 on Coral and we very much prefer the South American side (starboard on your cruise).

We also prefer the midship suites of which there are only 4.

 

When I booked, it was almost 550 days before the cruise departs, and this is what I observed.

 

1. There was only one of the four midship suites available but that was on the North American side.

2. Of the suites towards the aft of C and D decks, all six on the North American side were available, BUT only two were available on the South American side.

 

So, some 550 days before departure, of the 16 suites all but two on the South American side were gone whereas only one, a midship suite, on the North American side had been taken, so I am clearly, at least amongst the suite dwellers, not in the minority with my preference.

 

There are many reasons why we prefer the South American side, but the principal one is that the transit takes most of the day, you can't spend all day walking around the ship and, particularly in the canalised section as opposed to Lake Gatun, there is much more to see from your balcony whilst enjoying your Gin and Tonic, on your balcony.

FWIW, I took the penultimate suite on the South American side in preference to the midship suite on the port side, so there is now ONLY ONE suite available on the South American side whereas only one has been taken on the North American side.

IMHO, those statistics say it all. Book your balcony stateroom on the Starboard / South American side.

If you wish to check the above, try making a dummy booking on Coral's Christmas 2018 / New Year 2019 cruise, but remember, my cruise is going in the opposite direction and for us the South American side is Port

 

 

 

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Edited June 26, 2017 by Corfe Mixture