Open balcony door

[alidor]

Our trip was on the Mariner in late November - early December in Africa. It was a great trip but something has me bothered and I thought I would question it.

 

My husband and I like to sleep with the balcony door open and we did so until half way through the cruise when someone is knocking on our door at 2:30 AM asking us to close our door - it was interfering with something?? We complied but then reopened it a few nights later. Once again, they called this time in the middle of the night and asked us to close our door.

 

Does anyone have a clue what this was about? And, if we like to sleep with the door open, why should it matter? Being woken up in the middle of the night was hardly welcomed and kind of a very poor service.

[captjohn]

There is a sign on or near the door asking that the door remain closed as if open will interfere with the operation of the A/C system.

I was just wondering how they new it was the door in your cabin ? Do they have a camera in the room- just asking!!

[Keith1010]

All cruise lines ask that you not open the balcony door.

 

Why?

 

Because it impacts that A/C system not just for you but for other rooms.

 

Think about your home or your car? Would you keep the door open with the AC on? No.

 

Personally I don't like it when people have their doors open because it can create a howling noise which can be bothersome to those next to you.

 

And I would worry what might fly into my room with the door open as well.

 

Keith

[alidor]

I have no idea how they knew it was our room!

 

There was no howling noise at all. We were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean s I wasn't all that concerned of something flying in.

[Keith1010]

When you are in the room you will not know there is a holding noise.

 

When you are walking in the hallway or in an adjacent room you will know.

 

I am an early riser.

 

I've sailed around the world many times including the Pacific Ocean.

 

And I can tell which rooms have their balcony door open.

 

Why?

 

Because it does howl.

 

And there is a reason that all cruise lines ask you to keep the door closed.

 

Do you really keep your window open in your car or at your home with the AC on? I doubt it. And it is no different on a cruise ship except it does make a howling noise.

 

And you asked in your post why they care. And I am telling you why they do. You might not like the answer. But you did ask.

 

And to the poster who asked how they knew. It is very obvious. It makes a howling noise.

 

Keith

Edited March 14, 2016 by Keith1010

[the english lady]

I have no idea how they knew it was our room!

 

There was no howling noise at all. We were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean s I wasn't all that concerned of something flying in.

 

They would have known it was your room as out in the corridor there would have been a howling noise.

Try it when you are both in the cabin next time. One in the cabin, and one in the corridor, then open the balcony door.

Yes it does impact on other peoples A/C by you opening your door.

It is called being thoughtful for other guests. Maybe you are not thoughtful though.

[Keith1010]

They would have known it was your room as out in the corridor there would have been a howling noise.

Try it when you are both in the cabin next time. One in the cabin, and one in the corridor, then open the balcony door.

Yes it does impact on other peoples A/C by you opening your door.

It is called being thoughtful for other guests. Maybe you are not thoughtful though.

 

You got it.

 

I am up very early on cruise ships. And I know exactly what rooms have their balcony doors open as I make my way early in the morning to a fitness center. Was just on Silversea ship in January and each day as I walked from our room to the fitness center I heard the howling from several rooms.

 

And once in awhile we have been next door to a room where they have the door open and I can hear it in the middle of the night.

 

They can't because they are in the room.

 

Keith

[poss]

My goodness: I wonder why the nastiness. OP asked for information. It could be that neither she nor husband noticed the sign on the door. That's certainly forgivable. Forgivable too is the fact that they didn't understand that the howling was heard outside the room, even when not heard inside. As well, it's perfectly possible that when they left the balcony door open, they, in fact, did not use the a.c. Perhaps the a.c. is automatically always on in rooms? I wouldn't have known or thought that.

 

In short, the suggestion that these people are maybe "not thoughful" seems gratuitously cruel. I feel sorry that an essentially innocent question was treated with such unfriendliness.. And I do agree with OP that middle of the night seems an awfully strange time to bother someone in a non-emergency situation. Even if the Regent person actually explained to the folks what someone explained here, it's easy to imagine that info delivered in the middle of the night might be forgotten.

[Keith1010]

My goodness: I wonder why the nastiness. OP asked for information. It could be that neither she nor husband noticed the sign on the door. That's certainly forgivable. Forgivable too is the fact that they didn't understand that the howling was heard outside the room, even when not heard inside. As well, it's perfectly possible that when they left the balcony door open, they, in fact, did not use the a.c. Perhaps the a.c. is automatically always on in rooms? I wouldn't have known or thought that.

 

In short, the suggestion that these people are maybe "not thoughful" seems gratuitously cruel. I feel sorry that an essentially innocent question was treated with such unfriendliness.. And I do agree with OP that middle of the night seems an awfully strange time to bother someone in a non-emergency situation. Even if the Regent person actually explained to the folks what someone explained here, it's easy to imagine that info delivered in the middle of the night might be forgotten.

 

I am not a nasty person but since I've posted a few times I guess you think I am being nasty.

 

Sorry if you felt that way. That was not my intention.

 

I was just trying to answer a question.

 

I can only guess that Regent contacted them in the middle of the night because the howling noise was bothering those who were located next to them.

 

Again, I was trying to answer the question in a thoughtful manner as I do on many threads.

 

Keith

Edited March 14, 2016 by Keith1010

[alidor]

Yes, the fact that someone says we are not thoughtful was really very rude. We did not know that it caused howling outside our cabin - never even knew that was a possibility.

 

I just questioned Regent's handling this at 2:30 in the morning - really?? That was unnecessary.

[the english lady]

Yes, the fact that someone says we are not thoughtful was really very rude. We did not know that it caused howling outside our cabin - never even knew that was a possibility.

 

I just questioned Regent's handling this at 2:30 in the morning - really?? That was unnecessary.

 

You asked why it should matter if you had your door open or not. everyone tried to explain why it mattered.

You complain about being woken in the middle of the night and asked to close it--having already being asked to keep it closed once before.

Maybe the people in the cabin next to you could hear the howling noise.

The a/c is on all the time in cruise ships.

[the english lady]

I apologise if I caused offence.

Reading your post I read it as I want my balcony door open. Why are other complaining about it.

You obviously did not know the effect.

Sorry.

[DachshundsRule]

Can't you turn the A/C off in individual cabins?

[Travelcat2]

Not that Keith needs anyone to defend him but I do want to comment that I have followed his posts for years and rarely find anyone to be as kind or helpful as he has been to thousands of posters. I cannot imagine there was the slightest bit of nastiness meant in his post. I do understand that the written word can be misunderstood and believe that this is the case here. I also follow poss' posts and appreciate her input as well.

 

In terms of the open door, it would have been nice if someone on the ship had explained why they were waking up the OP in the middle of the night to ask them to close the door. A simple explanation would have been helpful. I understand that it is nice to feel the ocean breeze but also understand that the doors need to be closed. I'm sure that the OP gets the message now.

[alidor]

I just spoke to my husband about this and he mentioned something I had forgotten about. He asked why we were woken up and it was told it messed up with their fire alarm system because of the humidity and that's what set off the fire alarm.

[Travelcat2]

I just spoke to my husband about this and he mentioned something I had forgotten about. He asked why we were woken up and it was told it messed up with their fire alarm system because of the humidity and that's what set off the fire alarm.

 

Thanks so much for the explanation:)

[BBfromCA]

I was guilty of keeping the sliding door ajar on my first cruise (South Pacific). My cabin's fire alarm went off at 2AM. Had to call down to the front desk to find out what to do. They had me pull down the alarm and take the battery out for the evening. It was the humidity. Who knew?

A few days later there were daily mentions in the "Passages" asking to keep the outside doors closed. I was not the only one.

[Keith1010]

Jacky, thank you very much.

 

alidor, sounds like you have answered your own question.

 

Keith

[the english lady]

Can't you turn the A/C off in individual cabins?

 

You may be able to adjust, but no you cannot turn the a/c off in cabins.

[Keith1010]

You may be able to adjust, but no you cannot turn the a/c off in cabins.

 

That's correct.

 

On all ships we have sailed you cannot turn off the a/c

 

Keith

[poss]

Nice to see the civility and graciousness. Hooray for reason and good cheer-- and for all the excellent help that's offered.

[Suite Travels]

Keith and others are correct about the AC being on but you can adjust the temperature to your liking. One other reason the AC remains on is to keep the damaging salt humid air out of the stateroom which damages fabrics and can cause rust or worse yet mildew.

 

One other thing you may not know every time you leave or enter your room your room key will record times you entered and left and that includes crew master keys. On some cruises this information was valuable for solving legal cases.

 

Back to the OP's question/comment....if I could not sleep because of howling winds from the stateroom next to me or any other loud noises emanating, I would call reception and complain and I have done this in hotels a few times when we are trying to sleep at night.

[witt's end]

We are also balcony door open sleepers and I will now reconsider the impact that it has on our neighbours. We usually sail with our friends beside us and they have never commented on it howling.

The A/C in the room goes off as soon as the balcony door is open on most ships though. That said, there is no defense against humidity with it off. I certainly don't want the fire alarm going off at any time!

Thank you for the valuable thread!

[Keith1010]

I would urge anyone who does sleep with the door open to reconsider. I knew it through the AC off but hadn't realized about the humidity.

 

I suspect that those who keep the balcony open do not realize the noise it creates to those in nearby rooms.

 

And when you walk down the hallway you can really hear the noise too.

 

I am a very early riser so I am out in the hallways very early in the morning for workouts at the Fitness Center when we sail and you just would not believe the noise coming from those rooms.

 

Personally I also would worry about what might come into your room too but that is just another reason in my mind to keep them closed.

 

Keith

[shuguley]

My wife and I were cruising the Amazon on Mariner on a beautiful day so she left the sliding door open to enjoy the weather. Shortly thereafter our butler appeared and ask her to close it saying the outside air was interfering with the fire alarm system. This is how they knew exactly which suite was involved.