Oh yes - I've been the person with a good sense of direction, amongst people with a fair sense of direction - that is I favor such directions mentioning North, South, East, West by specific streets, specific landmarks, places, etc.
I have difficulties asking for directions, and spoken directions can prove diffcult to understand.
Before GPS systems, we always had (old-school) maps handy - that is planning ahead. We've gotten into the habit of planning ahead (computer directions are helpful) before venturing to unfamilliar locations.
For the familliar regions, that sixth sense can also prove helpful.