Noordam-balcony door?

[bepsf]

Hi Cruisers,

 

We all book our choice of staterooms for different reasons, I book a balcony room to be able to open the door for fresh air. When I open the door the ac goes off. Yes, there is a sign in the room about keeping the door closed. Let's face it, you cannot easily open the front door with the balcony door open.

 

My DH and I have asthma and use our AC year round. Believe it or not, on a cruise we have less problems with asthma. However, I feel that with AC I need to refresh our room with clean, fresh air. We are early risers and like to spend time on our balcony. While I'm out there, I'm not closing the door. On a cruise, how long are you in your room during the day. Not long with all the things to do on a ship. At night before bed is another favorite time to spend on the balcony, except for rough seas. At night I like the door open for air, but in the am when I wake the balcony door is closed, so it must have been my DH or a HAL gremlin who closed it.

 

Like a lot of women, when I curl my hair I can't have the balcony door open. So all in all my balcony door isn't open that much. My door to my stateroom gets open more times during the day than my balcony door between DH and I, room steward, breakfast delivery, tea time delivery, laundry delivery, etc., etc.

 

Fireflygal

 

Are you assuming that because the door is open that the AC shuts itself off (it doesn't) or do you crank up the thermostat in the room when the door is open so that the AC is off (the heaters then crank up - an incredible waste of energy.)

The climate control is always on, and fresh/filtered air is pulled into the rooms 24/7. By leaving the doors open, you are, in effect, heating and cooling the exterior air around the ship, thereby putting un-necessary strains on the climate systems aboard ship and increasing not only the wear of the machinery and the likelihood of a climate control mechanical failure, but also increasing fuel costs and air pollution (which causes asthma, etc).

One of the reasons you have fewer problems w/ asthma aboard ship is not just the ocean breezes, but the shipboard AC ductwork/filters are cleaned/replaced on a contunious basis - these are some of the things that the CDC inspect on a regular basis (whereas many folks filters and ductwork in their homes are woefully neglected.)

Lastly, you are presenting yourself and others with a safety risk. Rough seas are not necessary for rogue waves to occur, and ships are particularly susceptable to theri effects when they pull into shallower waters near ports in the early am's. Should a tsunami/rogue wave unexpectedly broadside the ship while you remain asleep with the door opened, you could end up drowned in your own bed, and put the lives of those around you at risk.

I sincerely hope that you reconsider your actions on your future cruises.

[Seago2]

Brian- your point is well taken. I take issue with one teeny thing, though- the waste of energy. Are cruise ships not just floating environmental nightmares on many levels?? Ever stand in front of the sliding doors on a sweltering Lido deck and feel the cold air almost knock you over when the doors slide open? All we do, all 2,000+ of us, is walk in and out of those sliding doors all day and night. The whole cruise ship thing is man's folly at it's most extreme- eating gluttonous amounts of food, churning over coral reefs, wasting whatever we feel like, skating on ice rinks in the Caribbean in August, dumping grey and brown water wherever we want (ok, not so much any more, but it still happens), being served by people who make 6 bucks a day, using towels for five minutes and walking away from them, oohing and aaahing at ice sculptures and yet more fattening food at midnight... am I leaving anything out here? So while I agree with everything you say, and actually thought about the condensation/raining thing you wrote while I was at work today, I have to say: please. Gimme a break on the wasting of energy thing ;) .

[RuthC]

Carla, I understand what you're saying, but I think the question becomes "why make it worse?" There are some people who honestly don't know the impact their actions have, and others who have now learned there are unintended consequences.

Now we are left with the "It's my vacation and I'll do as I want" group. Perhaps if enough reasons are given one will have a positive effect.

[Spender Nui]

I'll get off the "open or shut" subject and just say I much prefer the sliders to the open out doors that HAL uses.

 

The only reason the Prinsendam doors slide is that they were built for someone other than HAL.

 

I've never understood the reason for open out (cost? ... I doubt it). If you have a regular cabin with a small balcony the door actually becomes offensive. Can't get in or out because the door swath takes up a lot of space.

[PRINSENDAM]

 

I've never understood the reason for open out (cost? ... I doubt it).

 

 

Quite simple reason actually. When you get wind and rain it pushes against the door and helps to make a better seal thus preventing wet carpets and the annoying sound of the wind whistling into the cabin.

 

Keeping the doors closed is also a big safety issue. A cigarette end carelessly thrown overboard could could enter cabin and start a fire. If you think it can't happen, just take a look at the Princess ship that caught fire last year and that was just a cigarette landing on the balcony! Something like 80 cabins were destroyed. And guess what, modern day sprinklers work on a 'fog' principle. If your door is open, and a fire starts in the cabin, the sprinklers won't work!

 

Stephen

[PRINSENDAM]

 

I've never understood the reason for open out (cost? ... I doubt it).

 

 

Quite simple reason actually. When you get wind and rain it pushes against the door and helps to make a better seal thus preventing wet carpets and the annoying sound of the wind whistling into the cabin.

 

Keeping the doors closed is also a big safety issue. A cigarette end carelessly thrown overboard could could enter cabin and start a fire. If you think it can't happen, just take a look at the Princess ship that caught fire last year and that was just a cigarette landing on the balcony! Something like 80 cabins were destroyed. And guess what, modern day sprinklers work on a 'fog' principle. If your door is open, and a fire starts in the cabin, the sprinklers won't work!

 

Stephen

[bepsf]

Brian- your point is well taken. I take issue with one teeny thing, though- the waste of energy. Are cruise ships not just floating environmental nightmares on many levels?? Ever stand in front of the sliding doors on a sweltering Lido deck and feel the cold air almost knock you over when the doors slide open? All we do, all 2,000+ of us, is walk in and out of those sliding doors all day and night. The whole cruise ship thing is man's folly at it's most extreme- eating gluttonous amounts of food, churning over coral reefs, wasting whatever we feel like, skating on ice rinks in the Caribbean in August, dumping grey and brown water wherever we want (ok, not so much any more, but it still happens), being served by people who make 6 bucks a day, using towels for five minutes and walking away from them, oohing and aaahing at ice sculptures and yet more fattening food at midnight... am I leaving anything out here? So while I agree with everything you say, and actually thought about the condensation/raining thing you wrote while I was at work today, I have to say: please. Gimme a break on the wasting of energy thing ;) .

 

Carla, I agree w/ you on so many levels - Cruising absolutely is an environmental nightmare and waste of valuable resources.* I have a difficult time with that myself...

 

...but as Ruth says - Why go out of our way to make a bad thing that much worse?

[Seago2]

Carla, I agree w/ you on so many levels - Cruising absolutely is an environmental nightmare and waste of valuable resources.* I have a difficult time with that myself...

 

...but as Ruth says - Why go out of our way to make a bad thing that much worse?

 

TRUE!

 

I should start a thread a long the lines of... "What's the most wasteful thing you've ever seen while cruising?" Wonder if it would go anywhere. Probably depends upon which board I decide to lynch myself on.

 

I just remember showing up late for a Caribbean late night party on the Spirit, just in time to watch about twenty Philipino waiters (the same ones from breakfast and poolside) dumping literally massive amounts of pineapples in trash cans. I've never seen so many pineapples amassed in one place! They were the drink special.

 

I know a tiny bit about the industry as I used to practice maritime law before I moved on to the disastrous law I practice now. I really long for maritime! There just is no way to make a go of it here any more (as I remember, Brian, you are from SF- that's the place to be for it). I have always had a love of ships as my Dad was a naval architect. So even though I know what can go wrong, and what the environmental impact is, and what it says about who we are, in a way, I love cruising and don't think I will ever stop.

 

A cool book to read is Devils on the Deep Blue Sea. It blocks out Carnivalization in a very clear way and also gets into crewmember issues. I won't go into them here as I was flamed pretty badly for saying we should tip them extra. It's just not worth the bad vibes and to each his own. Anyway, it's a very good read for those of us who like to look beyond duct tape and over the door shoe holders.

 

OK, very late, just want to say that I enjoy your posts and I really like the HAL board. Thanks for having me.

[Seago2]

Yo, Brian, are you on the cruise before us???

[Spender Nui]

Quite simple reason actually. When you get wind and rain it pushes against the door and helps to make a better seal thus preventing wet carpets and the annoying sound of the wind whistling into the cabin.

 

Keeping the doors closed is also a big safety issue. A cigarette end carelessly thrown overboard could could enter cabin and start a fire. If you think it can't happen, just take a look at the Princess ship that caught fire last year and that was just a cigarette landing on the balcony! Something like 80 cabins were destroyed. And guess what, modern day sprinklers work on a 'fog' principle. If your door is open, and a fire starts in the cabin, the sprinklers won't work!

 

Stephen

 

I've had wind and rain with sliders and never whistling or wet carpets.

 

I agree doors are best left closed ... but if they aren't the consequence is the same regardless of how the door opens.

 

Also, if what you are saying is so I'd think that all the new ships would have hinged doors but most seem to have sliders.

[Tinknock50]

I've had wind and rain with sliders and never whistling or wet carpets.

 

I agree doors are best left closed ... but if they aren't the consequence is the same regardless of how the door opens.

 

Also, if what you are saying is so I'd think that all the new ships would have hinged doors but most seem to have sliders.

 

The ships that have sliders also close automatically with no type of locking device to keep them closing.

 

For the people who like to refresh your air, you will notice a big rush of air going out. So basically you are just drawing air from the vast recesses of the ship and just sucking more air through your A/C duct and filters.

 

If you really feel you are clearing your cabin of "stale" air, just opening your balcony door occasionally would accomplish that without having it stand open. You are not drawing in fresh air, that would be impossible at the velocity that the air rushes out. You might "feel" it as fresh air because the air will be rushing over you. The "fresh" air you feel is ship air.

 

On my last cruise on the Oosterdam, a gentleman had one of those large aft balconies and he actually slept out there. (He did mention he had a light layer of soot on him in the morning, but thats more a hazard on an aft balcony than it would be on a balcony on other areas of the ship)

If your balcony is big enough, why not have the steward bring in a deck lounger (one from the pool area that folds out flat) and camp out there?....atleast part of the night.

 

I took daytime naps on my smallish balcony that was big enough for one of those wooden deck chairs, but it would have been even better if I had a fold flat one.

 

You truly will have fresh air all night.....without the interior air of the ship being sucked past you in the cabin.

[PRINSENDAM]

I've had wind and rain with sliders and never whistling or wet carpets.

 

I agree doors are best left closed ... but if they aren't the consequence is the same regardless of how the door opens.

 

Also, if what you are saying is so I'd think that all the new ships would have hinged doors but most seem to have sliders.

 

 

 

Actually what I meant was that where the choice of the ship owner is to have hinged doors then you will find that they open outwards rather than inwards. And the reason for this is to make a better seal against the weather.

 

BTW... all of the Vita class ships have sliding doors... on their penthouse balconies.

 

Stephen

[JDRMYS]

We are taking our first HAL cruise on the Noordam in 2 weeks. On the ships that we take most often (Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn) the balcony doors slide open and can be locked in the open position. The cabins also have individual climate controls so that you can turn the air conditioning off completely in your own cabin. This has no impact on the climate control in other cabins. In warm weather, we sleep with the balcony door open and the A/C off. For us, this is one of the biggest pleasures of being at sea. I'm somewhat shocked to learn that we can't do this on a HAL ship without its having a negative impact on our neighbors' cabin temperatures. If we'd known this, we probably would not have booked this cruise!

[Seago2]

We are taking our first HAL cruise on the Noordam in 2 weeks.

 

Are you on the 1/17 cruise? If so, have you gone to the Roll Call? I don't remember you and I would definitely have remembered a fellow FI'er (BTW, did you see the special on the Pines on LOGO last week? It was great.).

 

Hope to see you on that cruise!

[JDRMYS]

carlalena1,

 

Yes we are on the 1/17 cruise. We have seen Crayton Robey's film several times. The first version was shown at the Pines Community Center 2 or 3 years ago. There were a number of changes and additions made before the current (final?) version was finished. Where on FI do you live?

[jtl513]

I'm somewhat shocked to learn that we can't do this on a HAL ship without its having a negative impact on our neighbors' cabin temperatures. If we'd known this, we probably would not have booked this cruise!

 

Sadly, it's not possible to turn off the a/c on the Vista ships ... at least not in the two VA cabins we've had. In order to keep cold air from blowing on our heads all night we had to tape a cardboard baffle on the vent to send the constant air stream in another direction.

[Seago2]

JDRMYS:

 

Grew up summers in Seaview in a house we still have in the family (1909 house) and lived year round in Ocean Beach for five years. I have a cousin with a house in the Grove and have spent a lot of time in the Pines as well, but not in a long time. Loved the special- brought tears to my eyes. All those tea dances and hello- if you missed the last water taxi you would be walking home right on through the meat rack. GOOD TIMES! I miss those old days like you would not believe. Still go back twice a year, almost always in the off season- which I prefer. I have always loved the Pines- OH! Loved the part about how the Invasion began- never really knew how it started. Funny to think how growing up there you would just go watch the Invasion, or my kids would, and it was part of life. Now I'm on CC weighing in on whether people should wear jeans to dinner or order two entrees OR whether there should be a topless deck. Like, Hello?

 

OK, now that I've gone totally OT and bored everyone, are you on our roll call? If not, go and post. We have a great, very cool group of people going on this cruise. Can't wait!

[Seago2]

Sorry for the double post- the WSOD strikes again.

[bepsf]

Yo, Brian, are you on the cruise before us???

 

Yes, Ma'am!

:D

[PRINSENDAM]

 

Lastly, you are presenting yourself and others with a safety risk. Rough seas are not necessary for rogue waves to occur, and ships are particularly susceptable to theri effects when they pull into shallower waters near ports in the early am's. Should a tsunami/rogue wave unexpectedly broadside the ship while you remain asleep with the door opened, you could end up drowned in your own bed, and put the lives of those around you at risk.

 

I sincerely hope that you reconsider your actions on your future cruises.

 

 

 

Brian,

 

Have we been watching a few too many Poseidon movies lately?:eek:

 

Stephen

[Seago2]

Brian, have fun, and try to resist the temptation NOT to post on board. If you bring your laptop you can hurriedly sign on and copy everything, then sign off, write your long and helpful post, then sign on, copy and paste. Voila! two minutes of internet time, plus 6 for the WSOD.

 

Do it!