Port side or Starboard? Which do you prefer and why?

[GottaKnowWhen]

Fair question. It's my understanding that POSH was coined by departing New York transatlantic passengers. That way their staterooms would always be facing North both when leaving NY and later when returning home from South Hampton. My guess would be that it would be a bit cooler and therefore more comfortable if your stateroom was facing north because black hulls absorbed sunlight and sent that heat into your stateroom. Keep in mind that back then you could actually open your port holes and get some much needed cooler fresh air into your stateroom. Every bit of cooling, be it summer or winter, helped because those liners didn't have refrigerated air conditioning yet.

 

 

I thought it was from UK to India. And in those latitudes the sun's direction becomes more critical. But the same logic applies.

 

For me, I'll pay attention to direction of the sun and the coast line. So either port or starboard. Close to aft or forward to ensure plenty of exercise every time we leave the cabin, plus those locations provide more of the rocking/rolling feel of being aboard.

[tip]

The only time we prefer the port side is when we sail out of Fort Lauderdale. We do enjoy waving to the folks along the beach and the condos as well as waving to our grandchildren who are watching the webcam. They get a boot out of seeing the big ship on which "Nona" and "Bumpa" are sailing!:D

[Jacaluke]

Which is the sunny side on an eastbound TA from NYC to Southhampton?

[GottaKnowWhen]

Which is the sunny side on an eastbound TA from NYC to Southhampton?

Starboard (right side looking forward).

[bob brown]

On one way coastal cruises, I used to think that being on the "land" side, would give better views....

In some cases that's true, but not always....most of the time, you are out of sight of the coast, and when you do turn towards land to sail in to your next port, the opposite side will sometimes actually have the better view.

 

As mentioned, ships docking do not always face the same direction. Sometimes they alternate so that touch-up painting of the hull or lifeboat maintenance can be accomplished.

 

When choosing your cabin, you should try to avoid being directly above or below any venue that has the potential of creating noise....better to be between other cabin decks, or at least on the 'quieter side'...

 

Midship gives the smoothest ride. For viewing, aft is nice, as you can see both sides, but forward is better, as it is nicer to see where you're going, rather than where you've been...however foreward gives the roughest ride in rough seas....

 

Lots of things to consider....:)

[Sekhmet]

I thought it was from UK to India. And in those latitudes the sun's direction becomes more critical. But the same logic applies.quote]

 

This story crops up regularly enough for me to have kept a copy of the following:

 

 

"Sadly, nice though the story is, it doesn't appear to be true. Lots of references can be read; this one is from Merriam-Webster - note the last sentence:

 

The Story Won't Float

 

The most elaborate version of the story associates the practice with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which from 1842 to 1970 was the major steamship carrier of passengers and mail between England and India.The P. & O. route went through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. The cabins on the port side on the way to India got the morning sun and had the rest of the day to cool off, while starboard ones got the afternoon sun, and were still quite hot at bedtime. On the return trip, the opposite was true. The cooler cabins, therefore, were the more desirable and were reserved for the most important and richest travelers. Their tickets were stamped P.O.S.H. to indicate these accommodations–in large violet letters, according to one recollection. This account of the origin of posh was even used in advertisingby the P. & O. in the 1960s.

 

But the story won't float. The first appearance of the acronymic origin in print that we know of was a letter to the editor of the London Times Literary Supplement of 17 October 1935. The writer, an Englishman, wanted to enlighten the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary Supplement, who had marked its origin 'obscure'; he identified port out, starboard home as "an Americanshipping term describing the best cabins." Why this phrase described the best cabins he does not say. The earliest association of the acronym with the P. & O. seems to come from 'A Hundred Year History of the P. & O.', by Boyd Cable, which was published in 1937. The author calls it a "tale." And as late as 1962 the librarian of the P. & O. was unable to find any evidence that P.O.S.H. was actually stamped on anything."

Edited October 26, 2017 by Sekhmet
Typo

[GUT2407]

We have always booked on port side and the only reason for this is because the first time we sailed the couple we were with booked there. So not really a reason lol

We just booked on the Vista and so I am curious. Do you prefer one side over another??

 

 

Same.

[geoherb]

We usually book guarantee cabins and take whichever side they assign us to. I thought about switching from starboard to port for our upcoming cruise on the Royal Princess since we're leaving from Port Everglades and could be on the webcam from our balcony. We'll go to a public outside deck for sailaway instead so that our mothers can look for us.

[cruisegoal100]

We prefer shady side on a transatlantic.

[Anthomaniac]

We have always booked on port side and the only reason for this is because the first time we sailed the couple we were with booked there. So not really a reason lol

We just booked on the Vista and so I am curious. Do you prefer one side over another??

I book the side that will be shady on the return route to the home port. Keeps our room much cooler the second half of the cruise.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

[rmf11699]

Interesting how an 18 month old thread came back to life!

[jocap]

We've never thought about it... until this week, when we were booking a clockwise cruise around Iceland, and starboard seemed the obvious choice. Other than than, we take what's offered at the last minute, or go for aft.

[h_blond2]

Doesn't make a difference to me.

[navybankerteacher]

We prefer shady side on a transatlantic.

On a westbound T/A - most of which are repositionings and take place in October or November - the port side is distinctly better because it is the sunny side -- making the balcony much more comfortable as the shady side is pretty chilly.

[iancal]

We only care on a coastal cruise or a TA cruise. We want to view the coast on the former, we want to be on afternoon sun side for the latter.

[julie3fan]

It makes no difference to me. I can see where it would make a difference if I'm ever in a balcony on a TA. However, I've booked 3 different B2B's, and had to switch cabins on 2 of them. Those 2 changes put me on the opposite side of the ship. For the entire second week, I found myself turning the wrong way off the elevator. Every. Single. Time. So now I'll pay attention if I ever book a B2B with a cabin change!