Still, why can't I leave my balcony door open at night?

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I can understand people wanting to sleep out of doors while cruising, but surely the promenade is better than on the balcony.

 

You need the privacy. Last thing one wants is some kids taking a picture of you sleeping ugly and turning it into a viral pic😂.

[Underwatr]

2 hours ago, cb at sea said:

What you are hearing in your cabin is the wind...not the waves.  Even 12-15 ft. seas, you won't hear waves "breaking"...as the ship is plowing thru them....it's not like being on a beach!

One of the reasons I like Deck 5 (or 4, once) forward on QM2 is that you can hear the bow wave breaking when you're on the balcony, or (on occasion) from within the room if the balcony door is open.

Edited August 28, 2019 by Underwatr

[SantaFeFan]

3 hours ago, cb at sea said:

What you are hearing in your cabin is the wind...not the waves.  Even 12-15 ft. seas, you won't hear waves "breaking"...as the ship is plowing thru them....it's not like being on a beach!

 

Nope. You are wrong again.

 

If towards the front of the ship, you can hear the splashing of the waves breaking against the hull as the ship plows through the water, even on higher decks. It is one of the reasons we prefer a balcony cabin towards the front of the ship. My guess is that you never book balcony cabins towards the front of the ship and have never experienced this soothing sound. 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[spookwife]

4 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I can understand people wanting to sleep out of doors while cruising, but surely the promenade is better than on the balcony.

And be accosted by some drunken idiot?!  No thank you

[mom says]

49 minutes ago, spookwife said:

And be accosted by some drunken idiot?!  No thank you

And then there's the issue of the crew pressure washing the deck during the night. Well, at least you wouldn't need to shower when you got up.

[donaldsc]

3 hours ago, Underwatr said:

One of the reasons I like Deck 5 (or 4, once) forward on QM2 is that you can hear the bow wave breaking when you're on the balcony, or (on occasion) from within the room if the balcony door is open.

 

You can get ocean sounds with a white noise app on your cell phone w/o ruining the AC for everyone around you.

 

DON

[Aquahound]

18 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

Some people claim they drag their bed's mattress out there for that very reason. I find it hard to believe, but considering the other dumb things we often see people doing, it just might be true. 

 

Believe it.  I saw this when Jewel of the Seas moored next to us in Cozumel.  These people looked like all kinds of stupid.  Mattress on balcony, door still left open, and apparently they smoked on the balcony right next to that mattress.

 

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

Believe it.  I saw this when Jewel of the Seas moored next to us in Cozumel.  These people looked like all kinds of stupid.  Mattress on balcony, door still left open, and apparently they smoked on the balcony right next to that mattress.

Just when you thought you saw or heard it all. 🙄 They probably removed the gratuities for the stateroom attendant for not making the bed. 😉

Edited August 28, 2019 by davekathy

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

Believe it.  I saw this when Jewel of the Seas moored next to us in Cozumel.  These people looked like all kinds of stupid.  Mattress on balcony, door still left open, and apparently they smoked on the balcony right next to that mattress.

 

must of been an argument, and he lost.

[MicCanberra]

6 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

You need the privacy. Last thing one wants is some kids taking a picture of you sleeping ugly and turning it into a viral pic😂.

Most balconies are still too public and the same could happen, that is why they provide cabins with curtains.

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, spookwife said:

And be accosted by some drunken idiot?!  No thank you

Chances are if you are sleeping out side of the cabin, most would think you to be the drunken idiot.

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

Believe it.  I saw this when Jewel of the Seas moored next to us in Cozumel.  These people looked like all kinds of stupid.  Mattress on balcony, door still left open, and apparently they smoked on the balcony right next to that mattress.

 

Incredibly stupid.

[Donray]

20 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

A truly silly post.  Every line has its own “cruise contract” :  there is no such thing as “the cruise contract”.

 

Different ships have different ways of telling you - some in the manual left on your desk, on a sticker on the door. But they all make it clear: DO NOT LEAVE BALCONY DOOR OPEN (or words to that effect).

So as far as you know there is nothing in any cruise line contract that prohibits keeping the balcony door open.  

 

I have been on 25 plus cruses and have never seen it. 

[mom says]

38 minutes ago, Donray said:

So as far as you know there is nothing in any cruise line contract that prohibits keeping the balcony door open.  

 

I have been on 25 plus cruses and have never seen it. 

Do things need to be in a legally binding contract before you will abide by them? Warning signs on the balcony door are only a suggestion to you? The previous explanations by Chengkp75 didn't sufficiently clarify the reasons for this for you?  I don't believe there is anything in the cruise contract that prohibits you from standing naked in the middle of the OVC and singing O Sole Mio at the top of your lungs.  But I'm pretty sure it's not allowed either.

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, Donray said:

So as far as you know there is nothing in any cruise line contract that prohibits keeping the balcony door open.  

 

I have been on 25 plus cruses and have never seen it. 

 

So you are saying that you are allowed to do anything you like as long as it is not explicitly forbidden in a document that you have signed and agreed to regardless of the fact that you will be annoying a whole lot of people by doing it.  Do I have it right?

 

DON

Edited August 29, 2019 by donaldsc

[AmazedByCruising]

14 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

It would be more like 30-50 cabins inconvenienced, not 6-8.

 

As I've explained to you before, this would require a motorized damper at each cabin on the fresh air ductwork that would shut off the fresh air supply when the balcony door is opened.  Then you would need a variable speed drive for the supply air fan, because when you shut a damper on one cabin, you increase the pressure to the rest of the cabins, so you would need to slow the fan down slightly when each damper is closed, and speed it up again, when a damper opens.  So, several thousand dampers (one for each cabin), 30-40 variable speed drive units in the 50-60kw range, and all the control system (wiring, pressure sensors, controllers), would probably run in the neighborhood of $300-400k in capital cost, and the addition of another Refrigeration Engineer at $40-50k per year to handle maintenance, plus parts.  Could the cruise line increase fares to cover this?  Sure, but they look at cost/reward, and say, why bother, the system works fine now.

 

And that's not even mentioning the maintenance costs of having warm, moist sea air in the cabins for extended periods causing corrosion to metal and swelling to wooden items.

 

Yes you did explain before, but I wanted to know the actual cost and how that relates to my fare.  

 

So the costs are 400K in capital, 50K/yr for an extra engineer, let's say 20K/yr for parts, and of course the engineer would like a berth and food as well, 80K extra. That's 400K at an almost zero interest at the bank, but let's say shareholders want 10%. Then it's 190K/year extra, $520 per night for 2500 passengers, $0.20 a night. I have no idea about what the extra maintenance costs for the inside of a cabin would be. There's also a shower in the cabin..  Another $0.05? 25 cents per night, 50 for a couple, $7 for a two week cruise.

 

What needs to be subtracted: complaints and the cost that goes with those. I can totally see a Benny Hill situation happening at 3 AM. Cabin 6010 calls that their a/c isn't working. It will turn out 6044 is listening to the waves. While someone is walking to 6010, 6050 has been pressing the buttons long enough to decide the a/c simply doesn't work. They're nice enough not to wake up an engineer to come fix it now, for now using the footstool to keep the door open will get them through the night. 6042 decides to call.

 

There are certainly savings in the form of not having crew handling a/c complaints and arguing with passengers who "paid for their cruise, and it's their door now, and none of your business", not having complaints about the a/c failure and no reviews saying "we paid for a balcony but don't expect to be able to listen to the sea".

 

The reviews are hard to measure, you won't know who's not coming back expecting a more relaxed ship at another line, maybe Guest Relations won't be able to cut 1 crew member when there are no a/c problems because they always need 2 persons anyway, but these are costs. 

 

Now, the rewards. If there are only a few ships, or even selected cabins that would allow an open door, it's something TAs will mention. They literally list a footstool on your balcony and a free scoop of ice cream as notable perks sailing Concierge Class on X. 

 

"One special feature of this ship is a specially designed a/c system that allows every passenger on Deck 7 to enjoy the Full  Ocean Experience (TM) from the comfort of their very own cabin. Listen to the waves crashing, hear the seagulls, feel the wind. Smell the healthy air from the oceans! *" 

 

To me, that sounds much better than a complimentary footstool. It also appeals to the fact that a cruise is not a normal vacation but one at sea, making it extra special. I'm convinced some people would be willing to pay $0.50, $5 or even more to be guilt-free when they open the door. For me at least, after spending thousands for a 14 day cruise, of which I'd spend 10 hours a day in my cabin, $5/night is really peanuts.

 

(* there are scientific reports about how healthy "sea air" is, this wouldn't be false advertising)

 

[Donald]

Amazed,

Don't quit your day job.

Most mass market cruisers do not pay "thousands for a 14 day cruise" in a balcony cabin.

Most pay hundreds (industry average is around $650) for a 7 day cruise in a balcony cabin.

When it comes to many mass market cruisers, $5 extra per day is a serious deal breaker.

Mass market lines would never even consider such a thing.

 

There are also numerous scientific reports about diesel fumes being carcinogenic. One of the best ways to breathe them is through an open balcony door when the wind is just right.

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, Donray said:

So as far as you know there is nothing in any cruise line contract that prohibits keeping the balcony door open.  

 

I have been on 25 plus cruses and have never seen it. 

You need to read the cruise contract.  This is from the Holland Contract but other cruise lines have similar wording:

You shall be responsible for complying with the requirements of all immigration, port, health, customs, and police authorities, and all other laws and regulations of each country or state from or to which You will travel, as well as this Cruise Contract. You must at all times obey all the rules, regulations and orders of the ship, Carrier and the Captain. You shall not solicit other Guests for commercial purposes or advertise goods or services without Carrier's prior written permission. You may be disembarked without liability for refund, payment, compensation or credit of any kind if You or any Guest for whom You are responsible violate any of these requirements, and You agree to assume and/or reimburse Carrier for any expenses or fines that may be incurred as a result of such noncompliance.

 

You'll notice that you must obey all the rules, regulations, and orders of the ship.

You'll notice that you may be disembarked without liability if you violate any of these requirements.

 

The sticker on the door telling you not to leave it open would constitute notification of rules, regulations, and orders of the ship.

 

Any more questions?

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, Donray said:

So as far as you know there is nothing in any cruise line contract that prohibits keeping the balcony door open.  

 

I have been on 25 plus cruses and have never seen it. 

So do you leave your balcony door open? 

[akcruz]

43 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

Yes you did explain before, but I wanted to know the actual cost and how that relates to my fare.  

 

So the costs are 400K in capital, 50K/yr for an extra engineer, let's say 20K/yr for parts, and of course the engineer would like a berth and food as well, 80K extra. That's 400K at an almost zero interest at the bank, but let's say shareholders want 10%. Then it's 190K/year extra, $520 per night for 2500 passengers, $0.20 a night. I have no idea about what the extra maintenance costs for the inside of a cabin would be. There's also a shower in the cabin..  Another $0.05? 25 cents per night, 50 for a couple, $7 for a two week cruise.

 

What needs to be subtracted: complaints and the cost that goes with those. I can totally see a Benny Hill situation happening at 3 AM. Cabin 6010 calls that their a/c isn't working. It will turn out 6044 is listening to the waves. While someone is walking to 6010, 6050 has been pressing the buttons long enough to decide the a/c simply doesn't work. They're nice enough not to wake up an engineer to come fix it now, for now using the footstool to keep the door open will get them through the night. 6042 decides to call.

 

There are certainly savings in the form of not having crew handling a/c complaints and arguing with passengers who "paid for their cruise, and it's their door now, and none of your business", not having complaints about the a/c failure and no reviews saying "we paid for a balcony but don't expect to be able to listen to the sea".

 

The reviews are hard to measure, you won't know who's not coming back expecting a more relaxed ship at another line, maybe Guest Relations won't be able to cut 1 crew member when there are no a/c problems because they always need 2 persons anyway, but these are costs. 

 

Now, the rewards. If there are only a few ships, or even selected cabins that would allow an open door, it's something TAs will mention. They literally list a footstool on your balcony and a free scoop of ice cream as notable perks sailing Concierge Class on X. 

 

"One special feature of this ship is a specially designed a/c system that allows every passenger on Deck 7 to enjoy the Full  Ocean Experience (TM) from the comfort of their very own cabin. Listen to the waves crashing, hear the seagulls, feel the wind. Smell the healthy air from the oceans! *" 

 

To me, that sounds much better than a complimentary footstool. It also appeals to the fact that a cruise is not a normal vacation but one at sea, making it extra special. I'm convinced some people would be willing to pay $0.50, $5 or even more to be guilt-free when they open the door. For me at least, after spending thousands for a 14 day cruise, of which I'd spend 10 hours a day in my cabin, $5/night is really peanuts.

 

(* there are scientific reports about how healthy "sea air" is, this wouldn't be false advertising)

 

 

But per your calculations it's $5 a night if all contribute, I personally have no desire to pay for thus "service".  If you are one of a few supporting it the cost skyrockets.  While I very much enjoy sitting on my balcony I do so with the door closed.  When I am inside the cabin the door is also closed with, depending on where and when we are cruising, the a/c on.  While I am sleeping I can't hear the ocean, wind or whatever it is that's making the noise so no need to have the door open, especially in the more humid environments.

 

If you want to sleep outside or with the doors open maybe it's time for a smaller ship, or personal vessel where you can do so without inconveniencing your fellow passengers??  If you are sailing on a mass market ship time to conform and follow the rules. Can't believe with the explanations from a ship engineer you are still pressing the issue. SMH.

Edited August 29, 2019 by akcruz

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Donray said:

So as far as you know there is nothing in any cruise line contract that prohibits keeping the balcony door open.  

 

I have been on 25 plus cruses and have never seen it. 

FRIENDLY WARNING:

 

If you keep posting comments like this, people might think you are just trying to be (or actually are) stupid.

[SantaFeFan]

26 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

FRIENDLY WARNING:

 

If you keep posting comments like this, people might think you are just trying to be (or actually are) stupid.

 

Can you imagine what it must be like when his wife says "Not tonight, honey."🤣

 

Him: "What to do you mean, not tonight. Where is it in our marriage contract that it states you can refuse my needs if you don't feel like it?"

Edited August 29, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, mom says said:

Do things need to be in a legally binding contract before you will abide by them? Warning signs on the balcony door are only a suggestion to you? The previous explanations by Chengkp75 didn't sufficiently clarify the reasons for this for you?  I don't believe there is anything in the cruise contract that prohibits you from standing naked in the middle of the OVC and singing O Sole Mio at the top of your lungs.  But I'm pretty sure it's not allowed either.

I am not sure anyone needs to see that.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Can you imagine what it must be like when his wife says "Not tonight, honey."🤣

 

Him: "What to do you mean, not tonight. Where is it in our marriage contract that it states you can refuse my needs if you don't feel like it?"

you are assuming they are married.

[SantaFeFan]

32 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

you are assuming they are married.

 

Yeah, you're right. They probably aren't anymore. 😉