Port/Starboard ? for western Panama Canal cruise

[n2cruisin2]

We are planning to sail on a western Panama Canal cruise next year with stops in Mexico--Acupulco, Cabo San Lucas, etc.-- and wanted to know which side of the ship would be best for a balcony cabin.

 

If we do the starboard side, we will be have the northern view leaving Florida and the eastern view once we are on the Pacific side, and of course, the opposite views (southern/western) for the port side.

 

Which side gets the view of the land when docking at the ports? Does anyone know? Should I even care? This will be our first long cruise and we were just curious.

 

Thank you all in advance for any any and all answers.

[cruiserking]

We always book the port side when possible. With a balcony cabin on the port side you will always have an ever changing view of land and the port of call you are arriving at.

 

You don't mention whether you stop at Panama, if you do it is very memorable with dancers and musicians playing while the ship pulls up alongside the pier.

 

A mid-ship port side cabin would be my recommendation for the best scenic views on your Panama Canal Voyage.

 

Jonathan

[cb at sea]

Port means "left"! That's not always the side the ship docks on!!!! Sometimes, the ship will "back" into it's slip--sometimes, it pulls in, head first! Sometimes, it's just docked alongside the pier!

Pick the best located cabin and don't worry about which side of the ship it's on!

As far as the Panama Canal goes, if you're planning to stay on your balcony for the transit, you will be missing too much! You have to roam about the ship and see the locks from all points of view! Different sides, different levels! DO NOT stay in you room for this part of the trip!

[n2cruisin2]

I've heard so much about this canal trip, I just wanted to be on the best side for viewing especially at the other ports of call. I imagine I will be topside for the canal passing--that will be the best part of the trip and I want to be able to see it all.:)

 

BTW...how is the weather for either spring sailings or fall sailings? I believe the cruise lines I'm checking have San Francisco or San Diego ports on the west side and Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and San Juan on the east side. We are most likely going to try and take the Spring cruise '09, which is a western cruise and begins in Florida and ends in California.

[parody]

As cb at sea points out there is no way to ascertain, in advance, which side of the ship is dock-side or goes through the locks on the right or left side. I think the only thing you can count on with certainty is that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. So, as a matter of personal preference, you can decide whether from your balcony you prefer the morning sun or the afternoon sun.

[kitty9]

I've done three Panama Canal cruises and it makes absolutely no difference what side of the ship you're on. You never know how the captain will pull into the ports, so it's just a flip of a coin. When you're in Cabo, it's a tender port, so cabin location makes no difference. In Acapulco, you'll see land from either side of the ship.

[cb at sea]

You said you will be topside during the canal passage--please don't stay there for the entire trip! Go down to the 4th or 5th deck--being alongside the actual canal is really neat, and a totally different perspective! Wander!

Hopefully, another large ship will be in the adjacent canal (there are 2 side by side!) That's an experience! Man, those cargo ships are HUGE!!!!!!

[parody]

Man, those cargo ships are HUGE!!!!!!

 

And, it doesn't need to be cargo ships. About 10 years ago I was on an RCCI ship transiting the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Over the ship's loudspeakers it was announced that we would soon be passing a sister RCCI ship transiting the Canal in the opposite direction from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The passing was scheduled to happen somewhere in the middle of the Canal. As the ships approached each other, each sounded their horns in rhythmic signals for the much anticipated greeting. Because of the advanced warning, passengers on both ships were crowded along the deck railings waving and hollering frantically as the passing was done in very close quarters. An extremely memorable event made rarer by the fact that this type of cruise itinerary has changed over the years.

[Cuizer2]

We are planning to sail on a western Panama Canal cruise next year with stops in Mexico--Acupulco, Cabo San Lucas, etc.-- and wanted to know which side of the ship would be best for a balcony cabin.

 

If we do the starboard side, we will be have the northern view leaving Florida and the eastern view once we are on the Pacific side, and of course, the opposite views (southern/western) for the port side.

 

Which side gets the view of the land when docking at the ports? Does anyone know? Should I even care? This will be our first long cruise and we were just curious.

 

Thank you all in advance for any any and all answers.

I just did a Panama Canal crossing in February. I was in a forward facing balcony cabin. Here is a link to my review ...

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=38933

 

The review is fairly long, so skip to day nine if you want.

 

I also have a about 198 photos in Webshots from that one day. Here is a link to the album ...

 

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562720921fzjepy

 

Between the review and the photos hopefully you will get an idea of what a Panama Canal cruise is like.