Balcony Etiquette

[greykangaroo]

I am always amused at the attitude of passengers on adjoining balconies. 

Having now sailed on cruises that total almost 500 nights, everyone out on their balcony is reluctant to communicate. It sure is different in the restaurant where one must ask for a table for two to get relief from boring conversations. So what is sacred about balconies and the mandatory silence?

I mean, ever notice the shocked silence or the act they put on that they haven't heard?

When we go out onto our balcony and see the neighbors hanging over their rail we always feel obliged to offer a few words.

It might be " lovely day isn't it?" or  "great view isn't it"? But shock horror, the neighbors spoke!

It is like I said " We are a bit short and wondered if you could spare a fifty"? Or, " Wow, I like your wife, would you like to swap with mine for the night"?

 

[GUT2407]

If someone stuck their head in your front door would you talk.

 

but I always say hi if I see someone on the adjoining balcony.

[possum52]

My husband always manages to strike up a conversation with passengers on other balconies. It may be only hello and sometimes people are happy to talk further. It does surprise me sometimes that people book balconies but you never see them using them. 

 

Leigh

[GUT2407]

50 minutes ago, possum52 said:

My husband always manages to strike up a conversation with passengers on other balconies. It may be only hello and sometimes people are happy to talk further. It does surprise me sometimes that people book balconies but you never see them using them. 

 

Leigh

Maybe they are like me, I don’t book a balcony so much for the balcony as for the floor to ceiling full width window. I have had cruises where I didn’t go on the balcony at all, but then I have had cruises where I hardly left the cabin.

 

[possum52]

3 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Maybe they are like me, I don’t book a balcony so much for the balcony as for the floor to ceiling full width window. I have had cruises where I didn’t go on the balcony at all, but then I have had cruises where I hardly left the cabin.

 

Yes, fair enough Mr GUT, I didn't think of that. Before we went to balconies we booked window cabins. So to us the balcony was to use or we may as well have continued to book window cabins and saved a bit of money.

 

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

When we do have a balcony cabin sometimes I just like to lean on it and enjoy the view, whether it be the port we are in at the time or the waves creaming off the side of the ship when it's in motion, and I enjoy the silence or the sound of the waves. Sure, I'll exchange a greeting with someone nearby, but I'd rather not have conversations. My balcony/cabin is my chill-out space. Cruise ships can be very noisy in places so some quiet is appreciated.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

My husband always manages to strike up a conversation with passengers on other balconies. It may be only hello and sometimes people are happy to talk further. It does surprise me sometimes that people book balconies but you never see them using them. 

 

Leigh

It depends on how comfortable the balcony furniture is or on the itinerary. On the few times we've had a balcony on Princess we hardly used it as the furniture was so uncomfortable, and now we mostly book inside cabins. On Crystal Symphony I really enjoyed sitting out on the balcony as it was very comfortable. On NZ cruises it can be a bit chilly to sit on the balcony for long.

[possum52]

 

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It depends on how comfortable the balcony furniture is or on the itinerary. On the few times we've had a balcony on Princess we hardly used it as the furniture was so uncomfortable, and now we mostly book inside cabins. On Crystal Symphony I really enjoyed sitting out on the balcony as it was very comfortable. On NZ cruises it can be a bit chilly to sit on the balcony for long.

Even on our NZ cruise last November, we used the balcony every day. Even just to stand and look out to sea or watch the ship leave port. Did you find it easy to adjust to an inside cabin after having balconies?

 

Leigh

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

2 hours ago, greykangaroo said:

When we go out onto our balcony and see the neighbors hanging over their rail we always feel obliged to offer a few words.

It might be " lovely day isn't it?" or  "great view isn't it"? But shock horror, the neighbors spoke!

It is like I said  .......

 

 

..... How many rusty screws did they replace on your balcony railing today?

 

..... Is that a hole just above the waterline?

 

..... How long do you think that guy can last without a life jacket?

 

..... Gee I never knew torpedoes went that fast!

 

or other witty ice breakers

 

 

[MicCanberra]

When we book a balcony we use it every day, at the very least each morning and each evening for at least ten minutes. Although most sea days (and some port day) we will spend a decent amount of time out on it during the day as well, especially like an afternoon drink and nibbles out on the balcony. If we see someone, we generally say hi but most times the dividers make this more difficult to even see anyone unless all parties are hanging on the rail.

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, greykangaroo said:

It is like I said  " Wow, I like your wife, would you like to swap with mine for the night"?

 

I am not sure I would like anyone's wife that much, I would think an hour would do.😋

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

Yes, fair enough Mr GUT, I didn't think of that. Before we went to balconies we booked window cabins. So to us the balcony was to use or we may as well have continued to book window cabins and saved a bit of money.

 

Leigh

Not that many ships I’ve sailed on offer those. Especially in an accessible version.

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

When we do have a balcony cabin sometimes I just like to lean on it and enjoy the view, whether it be the port we are in at the time or the waves creaming off the side of the ship when it's in motion, and I enjoy the silence or the sound of the waves. Sure, I'll exchange a greeting with someone nearby, but I'd rather not have conversations. My balcony/cabin is my chill-out space. Cruise ships can be very noisy in places so some quiet is appreciated.

Yep I like to do that too.

[GUT2407]

Now I’d never swap Mrs Gut, now as for give her away.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

 

Even on our NZ cruise last November, we used the balcony every day. Even just to stand and look out to sea or watch the ship leave port. Did you find it easy to adjust to an inside cabin after having balconies?

 

Leigh

No, we switch between the two regularly. It depends on the itinerary and the cruise line. We mostly cruise on Princess and have inside cabins then spend some of the savings on afternoons in the Sanctuary when there are a lot of sea days. For more port intensive itineraries (including NZ) we might choose a balcony.

[GUT2407]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

No, we switch between the two regularly. It depends on the itinerary and the cruise line. We mostly cruise on Princess and have inside cabins then spend some of the savings on afternoons in the Sanctuary when there are a lot of sea days. For more port intensive itineraries (including NZ) we might choose a balcony.

I’m one who can’t stand an inside, even just visiting but then I am a bit claustrophobic, however after the great dishwasher flood and becoming empty nesters we changed our bedroom to an inside room, though it had six rooms opening off it each of which has windows and the doors to 5hose rooms are normally open.

 

next year we are taking the kids on a cruise and sonny Jim and his missus asked for an inside, so it will be interesting to see how I go when I visit them. 

[mum and son]

I would say hello to my neighbour if we were both leaning out on the balcony at the same time. I'm a bit creeped out when someone pops their head around the divider to have a chat though 😮. But I can't even recall the last time I saw a neighbour on a cruise. I never see many people on their balconies!

 

I usually travel with family so there are more than 2 of us in the cabin so I use the balcony as an extra room. I'll get ready for dinner early and sit on the balcony so others can have space in the cabin to get ready. It works for us.

[possum52]

35 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Not that many ships I’ve sailed on offer those. Especially in an accessible version.

I did say window cabins but meant ocean view (bit of a senior moment). Are there only accessible cabins with balconies?

 

Leigh

[mum and son]

2 hours ago, possum52 said:

Did you find it easy to adjust to an inside cabin after having balconies?

 

I shop on price when it comes to cruises so I have been in just about every cabin type from interior to a 2 bed/2 bath Haven Villa with swipe card access to a private floor and pool with retractable roof on NCL (by calling NCL and offering them $900 to upsell myself).

 

Some people on this forum may even remember me from a few years ago when I took advantage of a "dropped digit" price error for 8 family members and we enjoyed 4 aft-facing full suites on the Emerald Princess for 12 nights at a total saving of more than $48,000 off the price at the time. My next Princess cruise was in an inside triple. 

 

My preference is to at least have an oceanview cabin, but in January I'm sailing 11 nights to PNG in an inside cabin because the price was too good to resist. Any day on a ship is better than a day at work for me 😁, and I quite like my job.

 

 

[possum52]

27 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

No, we switch between the two regularly. It depends on the itinerary and the cruise line. We mostly cruise on Princess and have inside cabins then spend some of the savings on afternoons in the Sanctuary when there are a lot of sea days. For more port intensive itineraries (including NZ) we might choose a balcony.

 

Thanks, I'm not sure I could do, say a NZ cruise in an interior but possibly a short one. Like Mr GUT I can suffer from claustrophobia.

 

Leigh

 

 

[GUT2407]

Just now, possum52 said:

I did say window cabins but meant ocean view (bit of a senior moment). Are there only accessible cabins with balconies?

 

Leigh

Ok I though you meant the Window suites that have floor to ceiling windows. Mostvships have accessible cabins in most categories, but in limited numbers.

 

classic example zsun and Sea Princess actually don’t have accessible balcony cabins, in the USA they offer an accessible Mini Suite for the same price as a balcony, it’s a bit hit and miss here if they offer that or not, we eventually were offered the Mini Suite at the privacy if a balcony on our Hawaii cruise, but the medical men said I shouldn’t go.

[possum52]

2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Ok I though you meant the Window suites that have floor to ceiling windows. Mostvships have accessible cabins in most categories, but in limited numbers.

 

classic example zsun and Sea Princess actually don’t have accessible balcony cabins, in the USA they offer an accessible Mini Suite for the same price as a balcony, it’s a bit hit and miss here if they offer that or not, we eventually were offered the Mini Suite at the privacy if a balcony on our Hawaii cruise, but the medical men said I shouldn’t go.

 

Thanks Mr GUT, that explains it well. Hopefully we won't need an accessible cabin for a while at least. Although we haven't sailed HAL because of the shower over the bath because DH has a bad hip so can't risk climbing into a bath and I refuse to do so!

 

Leigh

[possum52]

11 minutes ago, mum and son said:

. Any day on a ship is better than a day at work for me 😁, and I quite like my job.

 

 

I agree but still not sure about an inside cabin. 😃

 

Leigh

[Hawka]

i always bumped into my neighbour as they were leaving or entering their room had chats often usually they had seen the whales and dolphins where as i missed them all the time

 

[mum and son]

14 minutes ago, possum52 said:

I agree but still not sure about an inside cabin. 😃

 

Leigh

Haha, hopefully everyone else's disdain might get me a couple of extra cheapies each year 😄.