Port or starboard ? sailing from Rome

[Acmcho]

Hi! I’m trying to decide if port or starboard is better for this sailing on NCL EPIC leaving from Rome I’ve added pictures of the sailing map and the itinerary. From what I could see I think port side you see: Rome, Florence, Messina, Valleta, Mykonos and Athens (not in that order) and with starboard you see Naples, corfu and Santorini.. am I right? What do you think is better? Thank you! 

[Hlitner]

Some will disagree, but we never care about, which side, in terms of ports.  Keep in mind that ships do not cruise near the shore line (they are normally well out to sea) and you do not often see land, much less specific places on land.  One exception on this route would be cruising into Malta, where one could debate which side offers the more interesting view (both sides view parts of the city).  And whatever side you see going into a port, you will get the opposite side when you depart :).  Even in an anchor port like Santorini, you can never be sure since a ship will "swing" on its anchor chain (assuming it is in the location where they can drop an anchor) depending on the winds.  But on most of our cruises, I do think the Starboard side offers better odds of a view of both Oia and Fira.

 

When we do care about choosing sides, it is primarily based on the sun and whether we want sun or shade at breakfast (and perhaps sunsets).  But this is more about sea days than ports.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

I agree with Hank. You won't see much land at all while the ship is sailing. The exception to that is when you'll sail through the narrow strait between Sicily and mainland Italy, where you will likely be able to see Mt. Etna (in Sicily) fairly close up. And it looks like from your itinerary that you pass through it both going and returning, although one of the passages may be at night.

 

This transit is usually mentioned onboard with approximate viewing times given. Even then, IMO, it's much better to be up on an open deck, with broad views than in your cabin, where you'll have less of a 360 perspective.

 

Also -- sorry, I can't resist adding -- you would have a difficult time seeing either Rome or Florence from any side of a ship as they are both many dozens of miles inland.

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by cruisemom42

[marazul]

The entry into Malta and the transit of the Messina strait are best seen from an open deck.  

Other than that, it makes no difference because the ship could approach the port from different directions.  If the ship is at anchor, the direction of the ship will depend on the prevailing winds.

 

And good luck seeing Rome and Florence from the ship.

[ninjacat123]

I was upsold to a balcony overlooking the wake of the ship.  Hope my views are great with a glass of wine in my hand.  Soooo excited😃

[Over from NZ]

Heck. If you overthink things to that degree.. you'll never get on the ship. Toss a coin.. 🙂 

[cruisinpoler]

I can't answer to which side for many of the reasons mentioned above. But let me recommend that you are up and on an open deck at the front of the ship well in advance of porting in Malta. Sailing into this port is a wonderful experience! I see that you arrive there in the afternoon so you won't be there for sunrise, but I think it will still be beautiful. 

[edinburgher]

1 hour ago, cruisinpoler said:

but I think it will still be beautiful. 

Absolutely. Iit isn't called "The Grand Harbour" for no reason.  And definitely be out on deck  in a spot where you can move easily from one side to the other as you will be able to see both sides as well as forward.

[bison2013]

We choose side for morning vs afternoon sun on our balcony.

Not sure when you are sailing, but in warm weather we want afternoon shade...

[marazul]

13 minutes ago, bison2013 said:

We choose side for morning vs afternoon sun on our balcony.

Not sure when you are sailing, but in warm weather we want afternoon shade...

That works if you are sailing on a straight north to south line.

[bison2013]

2 minutes ago, marazul said:

That works if you are sailing on a straight north to south line.

also when sailing on an angle.. latitude matters as well as time of year.

[marazul]

40 minutes ago, bison2013 said:

also when sailing on an angle.. latitude matters as well as time of year.

Won't work in most Med cruises, except in Adriatic.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, marazul said:

That works if you are sailing on a straight north to south line.

And, it doesn't work on a round trip cruise.

[Over from NZ]

On 10/1/2023 at 6:40 AM, marazul said:

That works if you are sailing on a straight north to south line.

Exactly. Jesus.. You wonder how some people ever get away with the amount if time they spend pondering the minute and irrelevant details hahaha. 

[Acmcho]

👍

Edited October 3, 2023 by Acmcho
Meant as quote

[d9704011]

Take the starboard side for best views of Valletta from your (exterior) cabin when entering port.

[CruiserBruce]

13 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Take the starboard side for best views of Valletta from your (exterior) cabin when entering port.

The OP is sailing into Valleta at 1:30pm! I would think they would be up by then, and perhaps watching from the open deck. Or from the restaurant with great views.

[d9704011]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

The OP is sailing into Valleta at 1:30pm! I would think they would be up by then, and perhaps watching from the open deck. Or from the restaurant with great views.

Yeah, I know.  Take the starboard side to see things from an exterior cabin; me, I'd go on deck to do this but that wasn't an element of the OP's original question.

[kessdarln]

Have you done this cruise yet? I'm seeking this answer for the Greek Islands ❤️ 

Edited February 14 by kessdarln

[Acmcho]

Hi!  Not yet, my sailing is in May but I decided on doing port side after looking at the map and speaking with some representatives from NCL. I will definitely come back here and post my review when I get back 

[WisRiver]

When you sail from Rome to Messina, you will sail by the island of Stromboli.  The Stromboli volcano has been in almost continuous eruption for the last 2000-3000 years.  In 2018 we sailed from Messina to Rome and we could see the erupting volcano from our starboard balcony.  Assuming the captain takes the same course, the volcano should be visible from the port side.

[BunnyHutt]

On 2/14/2024 at 2:35 PM, Acmcho said:

Hi!  Not yet, my sailing is in May but I decided on doing port side after looking at the map and speaking with some representatives from NCL. I will definitely come back here and post my review when I get back 

I look forward to your feedback! Bestie and I are doing this itinerary (or very similar) in late October on Prima. We’ve got a port side balcony booked but now I’m more concerned with paying attention to sunset times when considering excursions… will enjoy lesser crowds, cooler temps and lower prices, but that comes with less daylight. 

Edited March 4 by BunnyHutt