Port or Starboard on the Riviera?

[muddsmom]

Is there a preferred cabin side on the Riviera for entering ports or cruising? Port vs. Starboard?

[bbwex]

There really is no answer to this question. Sometimes the ship will dock port side to and other times it will dock starboard side to. It depends on which dock or wharf they are put on, and a bunch of other factors. In essence the same ship can come into the same port and same dock, and potentially not have the same side to the dock. Plus cruise lines do not select the dock, the harbormasters assign that.

 

Then there is the question of where you are going into and out of. In one port, perhaps one side is better than the other, but rarely is it the same side in multiple ports in succession. Of course, you can always go out on deck while you enter or leave port, or on Oceania ships, you can go to Horizons and watch from there.

 

As you steam along the coast, you are rarely going to be close enough for long enough for it to make a difference.

 

You will get lots of opinions, but over time, you will get lots for either side, so if you give it time, you will know even less! Even in Alaska, where we were told that the port side would have been better (we were on the starboard side), we had a great view, and I have zero regrets.

[muddsmom]

Thank you. We are planning the Aegean Gems cruise. Our last cruise was back in 1998 and as we sailed along the Italian coast at night, I remember seeing all the lights and it was so beautiful.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thank you. We are planning the Aegean Gems cruise. Our last cruise was back in 1998 and as we sailed along the Italian coast at night, I remember seeing all the lights and it was so beautiful.

 

Well then think about your general itinerary, and what side you'd be likely to see that coast from. I agree that many times the coast is too far away to see, but if you study the route, you might be able to guess which side would be best.

[muddsmom]

Well then think about your general itinerary, and what side you'd be likely to see that coast from. I agree that many times the coast is too far away to see, but if you study the route, you might be able to guess which side would be best.

 

Yes, looking at the travel route and since the ship mainly travels at night, it appears that leaving Venice heading down along the Dalmatian Coast on to the Greek Islands, our best view of the lights and towns, would be on the Port side. Thank you.

[bbwex]

Bearing in mind where you are going, the port side will have a better view of land while you are steaming, at least until you get to Monemvasia, after which it might not make a whole lot of difference. Whether the course is close enough to see the lights from shore is a question for someone who has been on that cruise before, or for you to tell us upon your return.

 

This also gets into questions of how close you are, how high up your cabin is and how high the lights are on the shore, which all gets more complicated than you likely want to get. There are 'height of eye" tables that will tell you how far the horizon is for a given height above the water.