Best room on right side or left side of ship.?

Question

I am going to reserve a room with a balcony on a cruise ship. Which side of the ship is better? Right side or left, center, rear or front?

Answer 1

I have been on many cruises and lately always get a balcony cabin.  In some cases the right or left side can make a difference and in others it does not.  I was advised by an agent to pick the left side for one cruise because I would always be on the side facing land.  But many times the land is so far away that it makes not much difference.  Still, if you have binoculars its nice to have.  

Some agents say stay on the port side because you can see what's going on on shore while you are docked.  But then if that happens to be the sunny side of the ship while in port it may be too hot to sit on the balcony and enjoy, vs being on the opposite side where it is shaded and cooler, and there is less noise.

I would not want a balcony cabin facing the front because of the wind.  You would get the normal wind, plus the breeze from the ship moving.  I would not want to be on a back facing cabin/balcony because of the noise, from the water churning, plus air conditioners and other machinery.

Since most ships now have automatic stabilizers the need to get a cabin mid-ship and low is no longer much of an issue to limit motion.  Ships these days do not rock like they did in times past.  On most cruises you do not even know you are moving unless you pay close attention.

I always try to pick a cabin near midship and also near (but not in) a stairway/elevator bay.  Things on cruise ship are really spread out.  Generally the main dining is in the rear of the ship and the casual dining will be either front or back, depending on the ship.  So the walk to get something to eat can be long if you are very front or very back.  After a few days it seems longer. The showrooms and gym are generally on the front of the ship.  Bars, lounges, the purser and tour desks, and the casino are generally mid ship.  

So the answer depends upon what is important to you and how much walking you want to do on ship.  But you cannot go wrong with closer to mid ship.

Answer 2

Better for what?  As to right (starboard) or left (port) side it does not make any difference.  

If you are worried about the motion of the ocean, then low and mid ship is best.  

Most ships only have ocean view cabins in the front, like this one (of the Freedom of the Seas) ...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/Z...

However, a few have forward facing balconies like this one (Norwegian Star) ...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/Z...

http://s18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/Z...

Forward facing balconies give you the same view as the captain has, but can get windy.

Aft facing balconies offer a great view of the wake, as these two photos show ...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/Z...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/Z...

If you want to be close to the outdoor action, then the higher cabins will get you closer to the pool and sun decks.  

The quietest cabins are the ones that have other passenger cabins above and below.

Answer 3

it doesn't really matter,

there are certain cruises that its nice to have one side or another. For instance the west coast cruises down the  coast its nice to "See the coast" so depending on going north or south you would choose.  Good luck with your choice. Have a good time.

Answer 4

I would suggest you to go to www.cruisecritic.com it actually tells you how to choose your stateroom. Choosing your room depends on where you are going, do you get motionsickness, and how you toloerate noise. However I am going on my first cruise and I am getting lots of info from this website..

Have fun

Answer 5

There really is no difference between the port/left and starboard/right cabins.  The cabins themselves are prebuilt and put into place, so they are exactly the same.

Depending on where your cruise is traveling may help you decide based on your views.  My wife & I are taking a cruise in September from Vancouver, Canada to Los Angeles, CA.  Since the ship will have the coast to it's port for the bulk of the trip we chose to reserve a port side cabin so that when we are nearing land we can watch it pass by.  We know that most of the time at sea we wont see the land, but sometimes we will.  And at night we could catch occasional glimpses of the light from land.  So, you might think about that.

The other thing to look at when selecting your cabin is what is nearby, above, and below your cabin.  If you want it mainly quiet then you don't want one of the ship clibs right next, above, or below your cabin.

Good Luck on your trip!

Answer 6

Defintley the right side :]

Answer 7

doesnt matter,

i am usually on RC and it is best to have a room closer to the middle as that is the best spot for a room, as you dont feel the waves as badly.

Anyway, i am usually on the left side of the ship, i believe on RC that is the even number rooms.  Also i am one the top deck,  which is about 10.  i like to be at the top and in the middle.

But it doesnt really matter.

Answer 8

oh this is a simple question.....it all depends on where you are going. (perfect example)=== i went on a 14 day Hawaii cruise and got a balcony on the left side because i was told that at all of the port of call the left side is the side that will be facing all the islands.

Now although i did something as simple as request the Left side of the ship to have my balcony, we had all the best views and got to see all of the Hawaiian island front row.

defiantly ask your travel agent how the ship stops at the ports of call and from that you can decided which side to pick your stateroom.