Starboard or Port on Royal

[redwave]

If on a royal cruise out of miami sailing to jamaica and haiti, is there better side of the ship to have a balcony on?

TY

[scottnkim]

If you are going down and back- you'll have the same views, just in different directions.  🙂

[jalves]

There is really no difference on that cruise.  Instead look for which one is more central to the ship (for reduced motion) and higher so there is a better view.  

[renza]

We prefer to be on starboard side because the ship is facing the dock on starboard side most often. We like to see the action of people getting on and off and see port. 

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, renza said:

We prefer to be on starboard side because the ship is facing the dock on starboard side most often. We like to see the action of people getting on and off and see port. 

Sorry...this isn't always true...conditions change. We book where our cabin is based on other factors important to us.

[time4u2go]

2 hours ago, renza said:

We prefer to be on starboard side because the ship is facing the dock on starboard side most often. We like to see the action of people getting on and off and see port. 

Except on oasis class, that's not true. 

[Kathscof]

10 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Sorry...this isn't always true...conditions change. We book where our cabin is based on other factors important to us.

*remembers the reasoning behind the labels port and starboard I just learned this year* HAHAHHAAHHA

[clskinsfan]

Every single cruise we have ever taken, among just about every line, we have always had a starboard cabin. Just because. Plus if you always stay on the same side you always know if you are heading to the bow or stern when walk out of your room. And with the amount of alcohol we consume we need to know that. 🙂

[BirdTravels]

We would pick a port cabin. The only thing that is certain is that you will have great views of Miami if you are on the port side.

[renza]

On 9/6/2022 at 6:54 PM, time4u2go said:

Except on oasis class, that's not true. 

I am always on oasis. 4 this year. Yes starboard side is generally on the port

[renza]

Just a few of this year all oasis class ships all starboard side of ship on the port side

[jcl410]

The reason that the Oasis class ships dock starboard side to is because that side has they an escalator that leads to the   boarding door. That being said,if they need the dock the other way around for maintenance, they will.

 

Aloha,

 

John

[blueslily]

11 hours ago, renza said:

Just a few of this year all oasis class ships all starboard side of ship on the port side

 

Th

 

Thanks for the pictures. Some look like it's a mix of sides. Like, in some, starboard faces the dock, but the pory side faces the actual island. Like the Symphony pictures. Is that right? There is a view on both sides, just a different view. I mention the Symphony just because some of the view is just the ship on the other side versus the actual island. Asking for clarification. Sailing on Symphony in December. Thx. 

[renza]

On 9/11/2022 at 12:01 AM, blueslily said:

 

Thanks for the pictures. Some look like it's a mix of sides. Like, in some, starboard faces the dock, but the pory side faces the actual island. Like the Symphony pictures. Is that right? There is a view on both sides, just a different view. I mention the Symphony just because some of the view is just the ship on the other side versus the actual island. Asking for clarification. Sailing on Symphony in December. Thx. 

No all are on starboard side. Right side of ship at dock. 

[brillohead]

Depends on what you are calling "the port". 

The pier itself is where the ship will dock at..... however, that might not be the side that gives you the best view of the island/coast.  It will depend on the shape of the pier, and the shape of the coast/island that you are wanting to view.

Many piers can accept two ships, one on each side of the pier structure.  So depending on which side of the pier the ship uses will depend on what the view is.  Sometimes the ship backs in, sometimes it noses in.

Plain and simple, if SEEING LAND WHILE IN PORT is your objective, it's a complete and total crapshoot.

 

[brillohead]

35 minutes ago, renza said:

No all are on starboard side. Right side of ship at dock. 

They don't understand that "seeing port" doesn't depend on which side of the ship is used for docking.

[blueslily]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

They don't understand that "seeing port" doesn't depend on which side of the ship is used for docking.

 

I'm not sure if your response was intended for my post that they responded to. If so, I do understand. That was the point of my post. I understand that its not only about which side is on the side of the dock. Thanks 

Edited September 13, 2022 by blueslily

[mac_tlc]

On 9/10/2022 at 11:42 AM, renza said:

I am always on oasis. 4 this year. Yes starboard side is generally on the port

According to Captain Johnny who probably knows more than we do, Oasis class always tries to dock starboard side because that side has the escalator and makes it more convenient to disembark and embark passengers. Biggest exception is when they need to run lifeboat drills on the starboard side, then they will dock port side. 

[J0Y0US]

Who cares what side it docks when the view could be the opposite way.

 

Example that coco cay picture. If you were starboard you would be looking in to someone else's room. 

 

Also missed anything about the OP and specific ship they are on. 

[LEMJMcC]

"Since port and starboard never change, they are unambiguous references that are independent of a mariner’s orientation, and, thus, mariners use these nautical terms instead of left and right to avoid confusion. When looking forward, toward the bow of a ship, port and starboard refer to the left and right sides, respectively.

In the early days of boating, before ships had rudders on their centerlines, boats were controlled using a steering oar. Most sailors were right handed, so the steering oar was placed over or through the right side of the stern. Sailors began calling the right side the steering side, which soon became "starboard" by combining two Old English words: stéor (meaning "steer") and bord (meaning "the side of a boat").

As the size of boats grew, so did the steering oar, making it much easier to tie a boat up to a dock on the side opposite the oar. This side became known as larboard, or "the loading side." Over time, larboard—too easily confused with starboard—was replaced with port. After all, this was the side that faced the port, allowing supplies to be ported aboard by porters."

-NOAA Article

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by LEMJMcC

[Mum2Mercury]

The only differences I can see between port and starboard: 

 

- Public ladies' rooms are usually starboard, and public mens' rooms are usually port.  If you're cruising in a packed room and plan to utilize nearby restrooms, this might matter to you. 

- Outdoor port decks are smoking ... mostly this means Decks 4 and 11.  So if you have a  port-side room and use the closest elevator, you're likely to head to the closest door to the outside -- and on the port side that may mean walking through a cloud of smoke.  Ick -- I genuinely don't understand why smoking is still a thing in our world.  

 

Having said that, other things are much more important in choosing your room: 

- Deck level /Forward, mid-ship or aft.  Positioning yourself near the amenities you are likely to use most often is just smart; for example, many people like a cabin towards the back (aft) so the Windjammer is just a couple stairs up.  

- Surrounding areas.  Most people would rather be near the library or the Next Cruise office rather than above a dance spot or next to the laundry.  

- Availability.  Realistically, unless you've been watching closely and are ready to spring as soon as the dates open, you probably can't choose from every room on the ship.  

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[taglovestocruise]

Makes that Virgin ship look like a out of place tinker toy.

[karena1]

On 9/6/2022 at 11:22 AM, redwave said:

If on a royal cruise out of miami sailing to jamaica and haiti, is there better side of the ship to have a balcony on?

TY

to leave Miami, if you have a balcony, the Port Side as the view is much better.  On the islands, you never know, depends on if the captain goes into the pier  front or back.

[Ride-The-Waves]

POSH, always POSH!

[monorail81]

12 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

According to Captain Johnny who probably knows more than we do, Oasis class always tries to dock starboard side because that side has the escalator and makes it more convenient to disembark and embark passengers. Biggest exception is when they need to run lifeboat drills on the starboard side, then they will dock port side. 

I’m hoping for a lot of starboard lifeboat drills for our upcoming trip. We normally sail starboard just because and had to take a port on Allure. 😂 I like to watch the pier runners at departure…………