It’s embarkation day, and your cruise ship is about to set sail. Where do you go to enjoy the sailaway experience? There are tons of options for watching the land disappear into horizon on your first day of the voyage.
Whether you want to relax and enjoy the views or celebrate the start of a vacation, there’s a place for everyone on a ship if you know where to look.
We recently asked our readers, “Where is the best place on a cruise ship to enjoy sailaway?”. And in this article we will look at some of the top responses to help you decide where to be on the cruise ship as you’re saying goodbye to land.
Cabin Balcony
For a simple and relaxing sailaway it’s hard to beat a private balcony just outside your stateroom. I particularly enjoy sailaways when I have an aft balcony booked. That view of the wake and sound of white noise is the perfect way to ease into a vacation from work. And it’s usually nice and quiet back there as well.
If you have a balcony on the side of the ship your views will depend on what port you’re sailing out of and whether you’re on the port or starboard side. Some have a more industrial feel as you’re sailing to open water. I love sailaways out of Miami as all the highrise apartments on the port side of the ship are full of people waving and wishing you a marvelous journey.
A cabin balcony sailaway is best enjoyed with a refreshing cold beverage and a few snacks nearby. This was one of the most common places readers said they enjoyed for sailaway.
Related: True cost difference between an balcony and inside cabin on a cruise
Highest Outdoor Deck Available
If you want to get great pictures and views as your ship departs you should go as high as you can on your cruise ship. Readers said they enjoyed these top decks so they wouldn’t miss a thing as it provides 360-degree views.
Some ships only allow access to top decks towards the front for suite guests or for a certain stateroom category. It’s a good idea to study your ships deck plans ahead of time so you know which parts of the ship you will have access to.
Keep in mind it might be a little windy and you will get baked in the sun as you enjoy sailaway so grab a beverage ahead of time.
Aft Pool
I love aft pools on cruise ships. They are usually pretty busy during sailaway though. But if your cruise ship has an infinity pool and has ample space you can enjoy sailaway while keeping cool and refreshed. Plus, you get to enjoy those same aft views I mentioned in aft balconies.
There’s the added benefit of food and drinks being readily available near the aft pool as well.
On some ships there are aft pools only available to guests with certain cabins. For instance, the Havana Pool on Vista-class Carnival ships are reserved for Havana guests. This means the pool won’t be as crowded and is a great place for sailaway if you booked one of these exclusive cabins. Also, keep in mind that some aft pools are for adults only.
Buffet with a Window Seat
Some readers said they enjoyed sailaway on their cruises from the comforts of the buffet area. On a hot summer day I can’t say I blame them. You get all the food you can possibly eat, and you can enjoy the passing views without sweating or getting sun-burnt.
If this is your plan you should try to get there a tad before sailaway time as the seats next to the windows can fill up quickly on certain cruises.
Related: 10 reasons to eat at the buffet on a cruise ship
Observation Lounge
Another relaxing option that allows you to stay in a climate-controlled atmosphere is the ship’s observation lounge. Norwegian Cruise Line has some great lounges like this on some of their ships. They offer 180-degree views from deck 15 right at the front of the ship, so you won’t miss a thing. You can usually enjoy some live music and relaxing ambiance as your ship begins its journey. The observation lounge is a great location for some cruisers.
Lido Deck
The busiest and most entertaining area of the ship on sailaway is of course the Lido Deck. This is where the sailaway parties take place, and it’s always abuzz on embarkation day. There’s usually lots of music and dancing and it lasts long after land is no longer visible. The lido deck pool is usually pretty busy during sailaway but it’s a fun-vibe to enjoy the start of your vacation at sea.
The Bridge
And of course, some readers said the bridge was the best place to enjoy sailaway, not that it’s actually accessible to us common folk. But I’m sure the captain and the crew have an excellent view from the bridge. They just can’t enjoy it too much because they are too busy keeping us all safe onboard.
I’ve had a few bridge tours before though, and it’s such a cool place to check out if you ever have the chance.
What about you?
Where do you like to enjoy sailaway on a cruise ship? Let us know in the comments below. But if it’s a secret location that you don’t want anyone else to know about we understand you keeping it low key.
