No more lounge chairs on balcony??

[melbur]

Actually, they're going to charge to use the stairs and call it part of the Vitality program.:p

 

 

 

I would bet that 90% of the people who hear that immediately drop the subject. Had I been in your shoes, I would have escalated to Guest Services, cornered the HD at the C&A party and generally made a pest of myself just for sport;). Heck, I might even have gone to the Captain's Chat (or whatever they call it) and ask about it. They're always looking for something new to talk about there...

 

I have another theory. (I love theories!) RCI would love to have us all booking full suites, which get faux wicker furniture - chairs, full tables, loungers, etc. So they've been taking away little things from the regular cabins - chocolates, Q-tips, nice towels (and I believe that the suites don't have to go to the pool deck to check out pool towels), now perhaps loungers. But the full suites still get them. Of course, people are more likely to go to another cruise line or just suffer and complain about it, but it's possible that they're trying the make the suites more attractive not by adding anything but by taking away from the lesser categories.

 

The full suites do not automatically get them, at least on the Serenade. We were in a GS and had to request one, which arrived within the hour.

On turnaround day when I went looking for our cabin steward, I wandered down the hall where the rear stairwell was and there was a huge stack of loungers in there. Our steward told us they were there to handle the various lounger requests.

[FloridaKeysCruiser]

Still no one checking in from the Navigator?:cool:

 

First time in oversized aft balcony and you better believe it will have a lounger by the time I leave. ;)

 

We were on the Navigator 2/12 - 2/17 in cabin 1388 a D1 corner aft balcony.

 

We had 2 loungers, 2 chairs and a small table.:)

[cadburysmom]

We were on the Navigator 2/12 - 2/17 in cabin 1388 a D1 corner aft balcony.

 

We had 2 loungers, 2 chairs and a small table.:)

Great news...what a relief.

 

Thanks for posting! :)

[FOXTROT]

Last week on the Serenade we had one. Usually a 10.00 bill & a please will get you 2 loungers.:rolleyes:

[critterchick]

Jean, suites don't automatically get a lounger. I had to ask for one just a couple of weeks ago.

 

The full suites do not automatically get them, at least on the Serenade. We were in a GS and had to request one, which arrived within the hour.

On turnaround day when I went looking for our cabin steward, I wandered down the hall where the rear stairwell was and there was a huge stack of loungers in there. Our steward told us they were there to handle the various lounger requests.

 

Interesting. The ships I've been in the last year on all have upgraded furniture on the full suite balconies = faux wicker chairs and loungers.

[shash]

We just got back from Voyager of the Seas in a Junior Suite. The balcony had 2 chairs, a table and a lounger. :cool:

 

DH and I just got off of LOS in a JS and also had 2 chairs, table and a lounger.

[brmoqueen]

Yeah... calm down there... ask your steward for a lounger and s/he will most likely accomodate you. We did that on Oasis, no problem.

 

Sorry, but we did ask attendent AND the supervisor....and upwards on the chain of command...NO GO

 

They said it was a new ruling

[critterchick]

Sorry, but we did ask attendent AND the supervisor....and upwards on the chain of command...NO GO

 

They said it was a new ruling

 

Ruling from where? Onboard the ship or Miami, I wonder?

[brmoqueen]

Wonder how Julie th OP made out. We havn't heard back from her. Hope she got a lounger eventually. Knowing her as I do I'm sure she joined the "Midnight Requisition Club" or the "Early Morning Coffee Club" if she had to.:D

 

No Sheila, I didnt do it....no lounger...

 

Two weeks with a nice big balcony and no lounger....

 

We tried everything, even concierges couldnt do anything.

 

But next cruise is on Carnival with a 65ft balcony AND loungers!!!! Cant wait!

[bajathree]

Just off Allure 2 weeks ago...I was on deck 11 right at the end where the public deck is.....I grabbed a lounger from that deck area very first night and put it on my Boardwalk balcony....never heard a word of complaint.....I also put it back myself last night of the sailing.

[Puffinater]

Recently off the Adventure. Had 2 loungers, 2 chairs and a small table. We were in an aft E1.

[amickeyfriend]

We were also on the Allure and told that we could not have a lounger. My answer was to put towels and a pillow on the deck. Then the window washers came through on the above floor without notice and all was wet. Guess a chair would have saved them some clean-up work. I know of four different cabins with different room stewards that were all told the same thing. I think we just need to voice our concerns (PS the chocolates were back on the pillow)

[cruisenfever]

We were also on the Allure and told that we could not have a lounger. My answer was to put towels and a pillow on the deck. Then the window washers came through on the above floor without notice and all was wet. Guess a chair would have saved them some clean-up work. I know of four different cabins with different room stewards that were all told the same thing. I think we just need to voice our concerns (PS the chocolates were back on the pillow)

That's only happening on Oasis and Allure.

[Ashland]

Just off the 8 night Liberty eastern caribbean at the height of spring break (as some had previously posted that no lounge chairs on the balcony because of this :confused: not true for us) and our JS had two lounge chairs, two chairs and a table...

[cruzingduo]

I was also on the Allure b2b with brmoqueen & amickeyfriend. We had a JS with an large balcony. Had the same cabin last year on the Oasis. On the Allure we did not have a lounge chair, so on boarding day when we met the steward we requested one. She said she couldn't get me one but would have her supervisor come to discuss it with us. Her supervisor comes and it's the same guy we had last month on the Liberty (where our cabin didn't have a lounge chair either). However, on the Liberty after requesting one we were given one. Now the same fellow is on the Allure and when we requested 1 lounge chair he said it was policy that we could not have one. I never got to lay out on the balcony. I was tempted to take the sofa pillows outside, but never did. It was not a problem finding a lounge chair on the ship, but I paid extra for the larger balcony and was not happy that I could not have a chair and enjoy it more.

 

Last year on the Oasis, we requested a lounge chair and had no problem getting one. So this policy must be new. We also asked the LA and got no where. Being the top cruiser onboard the 2nd week didn't matter. The answer was still no.

[koterry]

This is our second cruise this year in an oversized balcony and we can't get a lounge chair from RCL anymore....

 

WHY?????

 

First response was it's a fire hazard...ummmm, the chairs that are with the table are made with the same material...bad excuse!!!

 

Ridiculous!! I can't personally believe that when you have JS or an aft balcony with a LARGE balcony that you can't have a lounge chair...

 

I'll be coming up with another answer...guess it's one more item to travel with!! There are lounge chairs out there that are smaller and collapsible...

 

Wonder what RCL will think when everyone starts bringing their own!! LOL

 

We were told it's a new rule this year from RCL...

 

Anyone else with the same experience/???

 

We're on Allure now.....and NO lounge even in the JS with a HUGE balcony...

 

jul

I'll fix them I'll bring my own lounge chair!!!....Really???? Give me a break, ask your cabin steward and relax, sheesh:rolleyes:

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

I'll fix them I'll bring my own lounge chair!!!....Really???? Give me a break, ask your cabin steward and relax, sheesh:rolleyes:

 

If you read back a bit you'll find that she did ask her room steward several times as did many others who have posted here. sheesh:rolleyes:

[TiredOl6]

IF this is applied fleet-wide as it appears it will be unless the apparent new policy is reversed, I would suspect this will have a definite impact on people who book very early to get the choice cabins with the large balconies with the lounge chairs!

 

Just one more reason for those already considering waiting until close to the cruise date for price cuts to book later than they might otherwise - not the reason just one more to consider.

 

Result - Less upfront revenue in the form of deposits and more empty cabins later into the marketting cycle for a given cruise.

 

Just a thought.

 

Tiredol6

[IrishCC]

Just off the 8 night Liberty eastern caribbean at the height of spring break (as some had previously posted that no lounge chairs on the balcony because of this :confused: not true for us) and our JS had two lounge chairs, two chairs and a table...

We were on the same cruise and had two loungers on an aft balcony

[kernow]

Just to update ,we are curently on Liberty TA in 1402 deck 10 aft and arrived to find 2 loungers on the balcony. Cabins both sides also have loungers. We mentioned this thread to our room steward and she said all the loungers were taken away a few weeks ago but they had so many complaints they have gradually given them back when asked.

 

Julie

[CleoPat]

I wonder if that only pertains to aft cabins. Or maybe they have been reading Cruise Critic:D

[oldandslow]

Sailed on Liberty on 3-13 in an aft JS. Plenty of room for lounge and kind of expected one since always try to book aft balconies.

Asked the cabin attendant and was told no - fire regulations Ask the floor supervisor and was told no for the same reason.

Went to customer service and was told no. Asked to talk to a supervisor and we were sent behind the customer service desk to talk to the customer service manager (can't remember the exact title).

She said that after a recent inspection/safety audit (possibly during dry-dock) that they removed all lounge chairs from all balconies that were JS or below. She said that there is a fire fighting danger, and that only balconies that were equipped with fire suppression equipment (sprinklers) could have lounge chairs. We grudgingly accepted this and enjoyed the rest of the cruise.

During our meet and mingle we talked to someone else who had a hump JS. They asked their cabin attendant for a couple of lounge chairs and had them in 30 minutes. So it does appear to be policy (at least on Liberty) and enforced up the food chain. But it also looks like if you get the right cabin attendant you could luck out.

 

Was on Liberty 2/19/11 and had a JS on the stern. There was one lounge chair on the balcony. I asked the room steward for a second one as there is more than enough room for 4 of them. She said that they were not supposed to be any out there. I let her know that I intended so show immediate gratification and she said she just couldn't do it. I asked about talking to her supervisor and she said she would be glad to get him , but that was the safety officer's policy. I next took it up with the concierge from the diamond lounge and she told me that what the room steward was saying was the ship's policy and the room steward could be reprimanded or worse for putting lounge chairs on the balcony, only OS and higher were now allowed lounge chairs - on the LOS. Next I went to guest services and they gave the same answer - safety officer's rules because of fire hazard. One of the guest service officers that I have had the pleasure of sailing with a few times encouraged me to write to Miami about this as their hands were tied. Also I had sailed with the DL concierge a few times and she has always been very accommodating. Last in this long piece was in St. Thomas - we were stern to stern with the Explorer and on her there were lounge chairs on the stern on E1, D1 (or 2), and JS. So to me it seemed to be a Liberty thing.

[dixieva]

Just off Enchantment of the Seas and we had lounge chairs on our aft balcony.

[Palmetto Pilot]

I just got off of the Liberty Mar 27 to Apr 2 sailing and I had a table and 2 chairs along with 2 lounge chairs on my JS balcony.

[GrandmaDi]

Great to hear they are putting them back! Too bad they would not give me one, but maybe with my complaints, letter and survey along with others that complained helped set it right again. I also mentioned that i was a cruisecritic fan. :)