port or starboard side preferrable for Austsralia/New Zealand cruise?

For the planning of our Australia/New Zealand cruise is a cabin on the port or starboard side preferrable. We generally enjoy watching the docking process.

Impossible to say because ships dock on either side depending on the port, wharf, weather, etc. If you are doing a circumnavigation of either Australia or NZ then obviously pick the side closest to the coastline if you want any kind of view, so clockwise = starboard (right) side and counterclockwise = port (left) side.

More information please - On what ship and where from to ? will assist in answering your original question more accurately .

We will be cruising from Sydney to Auckland navigating counter-clockwise around New Zealand with Celebrity Century Jan. 2012. Our thoughts are to reserve the port side cabin in order to see most of coastline, and to secure a midship cabin in case of rough seas.

I noticed that you have sailed Celebrity and Princess. We have been with HAL, Princess, NCL and Royal Caribean. Is Celebrity a good choice for Australia and New Zealand as far as food, entertainment, choices of specialty restaurants? Thank you so much for your time.

I am interested, too as to which side is better - was told that port side (Aust-NZ) and starboard (NZ-Aust)were the way to go, but would like to hear from sometime who did and why.

Thanks!

I have done this cruise (on Celelbrity) and honestly cannot understand the question. The ship will sail too far out for viewing except in the Milford sound with equal acess. Likewise if taking in White Island the ship will swing around for everyone. Otherwise it is difficult to be sure of which way the ship will dock-and only Port Chalmers IMHO is pretty enough to make a difference. (and there either side will have a view though obviously not of the guys throwing off the ropes)

Moyaroo, Thank you for your helpful response. I look forward to Port Chalmers as well as so many sights that I have read about.

Along the east coast starboard will get the morning sun and Port will get the afternoon sun.

Thats how I like to choose my side of the cruise ship

Along the east coast starboard will get the morning sun and Port will get the afternoon sun.

Thats how I like to choose my side of the cruise ship

All depends where you are sailing to and from! Auckland to Australia or visa versa.

My TA just laughed when I posed the question!

Now based on your advice sailing anti clockwise up from Milford Sound towards Auckland in the North Island . If you go for a Stateroom on the PORT side you will be able to see the Coastline most of the way . In Summer the seas should be fairly smooth in the Tasman Sea , but a cabin mid-ships also is a smart choice .

So far we have sailed with Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Princess . We are booked with Celebrity for next March, 2011.

We have found all the lines good, and based on reviews elsewhere your choice of Celebrity should also be a good one also .

Kuldalai, Thank you for your comments. What you suggested has helped me so much. Have a Wonderful!! time on your upcoming cruise.

We are encouraged by your response, b/c we had no other choice but to book on the starboard side for a north-bound cruise to New Zealand. However, we love the visual feast of "sailing into" the port each day and regret that we will miss this treat in NZ without getting out of our cabin early each morning. We will also miss sunsets each evening from the cabin. We are on a waitlist for the Port side of the ship, but in our category cruisers are veterans and will likely not be reliquishing those cabins. Do you have any other positive experiences for one sailing starboard, north on the NZ coast?

I have done this cruise (on Celelbrity) and honestly cannot understand the question. The ship will sail too far out for viewing except in the Milford sound with equal acess. Likewise if taking in White Island the ship will swing around for everyone. Otherwise it is difficult to be sure of which way the ship will dock-and only Port Chalmers IMHO is pretty enough to make a difference. (and there either side will have a view though obviously not of the guys throwing off the ropes)

I agree.

I have done Australia to NZ and it is immaterial which side your cabin is on. You won't sail close enough to land to get a view as you sail. Milford Sound and the other Sounds, and White Island - your ship will turn around, so all get a view.

The best view is up on deck, anyway.

I've also sailed around South America - same applies.

This question always bothers me. Large ships tend to stay a safe distance off-shore for safety reasons, so you seldom get a view of the coastline for long periods while you are sailing - unless you were on the Costa Concordia!

We will be cruising from Sydney to Auckland navigating counter-clockwise around New Zealand with Celebrity Century Jan. 2012. Our thoughts are to reserve the port side cabin in order to see most of coastline, and to secure a midship cabin in case of rough seas.

I noticed that you have sailed Celebrity and Princess. We have been with HAL, Princess, NCL and Royal Caribean. Is Celebrity a good choice for Australia and New Zealand as far as food, entertainment, choices of specialty restaurants? Thank you so much for your time.

We sailed on the Solstice in the Caribbean. Food was very good, especially in the specialty restaurants. Entertainment was excellent. So I think Celebrity would be fine if you like large ships. (We are doing NZ and Australia on a much smaller ship, the Silver Shadow.)

We have just got off the Solstice sailing from Sydney to Auckland and were in a starboard cabin.

Sydney- we faced the Opera house but most ships berth the other way.

so starboard on most ships would face the wharf.

Melbourne - docked facing the wharf.

Dunedin- docked facing the wharf.

Akaroa- anchored in the harbour but our side faced the township

Wellington - docked opposite to the wharf.

Tauranga- docked facing the wharf.

Auckland- got off so early I didn't pay attention but think opposite to the wharf. The view on our side was pretty nice anyway.

So for us who liked to watch the docking process, our starboard cabin was perfect.

Thanks for sharing the info... Guess a general rule of thumb will be to look at the map and see which side is facing the shoreline and which is facing the ocean when choosing which side??!! :)

We have just got off the Solstice sailing from Sydney to Auckland and were in a starboard cabin.

 

Sydney- we faced the Opera house but most ships berth the other way.

so starboard on most ships would face the wharf.

Melbourne - docked facing the wharf.

Dunedin- docked facing the wharf.

Akaroa- anchored in the harbour but our side faced the township

Wellington - docked opposite to the wharf.

Tauranga- docked facing the wharf.

Auckland- got off so early I didn't pay attention but think opposite to the wharf. The view on our side was pretty nice anyway.

So for us who liked to watch the docking process, our starboard cabin was perfect.

We are going on the Solstice in Feb 2014 and at this stage on the port side (same as we had on Diamond Princess and Celebrity Century) so it will be interesting to compare.

Sides can be variable depending on tides, winds and other vessels so it is not something to get to focused on.