Jump to content

Tell me your favorite thing about your balcony...


scrotser
 Share

Recommended Posts

We are cruising in 5 days and we are finally in a balcony! What is your favorite thing to do on yours (keep it PG! ;p ) I'm envisioning sipping morning coffee out there, asking for a cheese plate to go from MDR and nibbling it with a nice drink in the evening... Watching us come into and leave ports... Reading a good book out there... What else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest maddycat
Leaving the door ajar overnight and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.

 

On Oasis and Quantum class ships this will turn off your cabin's AC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Front row views for sunrises and sunsets, getting into and leaving ports! Just got back from the Mediterranean and while leaving Santorini we had the most incredible view of the entire island. Other ports were also quite impressive. This all depends on what side of the ship you're on but that evens out at some point.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enjoying outdoor space with peace and quiet. I don't enjoy crowds (I'm not panicked by them, but like most people, don't love being swept up in them), but am an introvert, so the quiet space to myself is especially appreciated. And there is nothing like a little afternoon nap on your balcony to make you fully appreciate where you are!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a good way to make your room hot, humid, and uncomfortable. On some ships it will also cut off your A/C.

It also makes other rooms in the vicinity warm. I cannot remember the reason, something about the pressure change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything everyone has mentioned. Great place for a sail away beverage with your significant other.

 

On a different note, if you are on the port side, you can watch the "runners" who almost miss the ship!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

The port side is the left side of the ship when you are facing the bow which may not always be the side facing the port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of our favorite things to do is have breakfast out on the balcony! Although now there is the $7.95 charge, some people in our group just go up to the windjammer and bring back breakfast. There's something so special about some peace and quiet with the ocean before the days activities start.

 

We also usually travel in groups, so it's nice and night we usually have 3 or 4 connecting balconies, where we sit out and talk about the day or what to try the next day while eating cookies and milk. It's nice to have your "own" little outdoor space. Some people are against balconies, but we can't cruise without one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After cruising a number of times with inside and ocean view, we splurged for the balcony for the first time last month. Our kids were across the hall in inside cabins, and we thought everyone would love using the balcony. Honestly, we would go out there in the morning and watch the mooring crew do their thing, and we would step out there for a few minutes before going to bed just to take a look, and that was about it. The kids didn't come over much at all either. We decided that we'd probably skip the balcony next time and spend our money on other things. I know I'm in the minority, but it just isn't that special to us. Maybe it is because we are more social and big people watchers. I'd much rather read a book or watch us leaving ports from the upper decks than from my balcony.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It makes my " small" cabin feel twice as large! My husband and I could sit outside and relax while our young son got his much needed sleep in the morning, when he was little-and a place for one of us to go-while the other was getting ready for dinner. There is not much floor space in most cabins-so the balcony was wonderful with 3-4 people in a cabin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It also makes other rooms in the vicinity warm. I cannot remember the reason, something about the pressure change.

Chengkp75 posted this some time ago:

"All modern cruise ships are designed with many fire safety features to save your life in case there is a fire onboard.

One of those features is air pressure.

 

Cruise ship cabins are designed to have a slightly higher air pressure inside the cabin than outside the cabin. If there is a fire outside your cabin, the over-pressure inside will cause smoke and flames to move away from your cabin rather than move into it.

 

This system works great until you or your neighbors open the balcony door.

 

With the balcony door open, the air pressure drops in your cabin. The A/C system is designed to compensate for the lower air pressure by pulling air pressure from your neighbors' cabins into yours. This also pulls the cool air from their cabins into yours. And if your neighbors are smokers, it also pulls their smoke into your cabin.

 

The problem is that with your balcony door open, the A/C system never is able to compensate for the lower pressure. It keeps pulling more and more air from your neighbors, trying to compensate for your cabin. That's when all your neighbors start calling the front desk to complain that their A/C is not working properly.

 

A few cruise lines tried to counteract this problem by installing magnetic switches on the balcony doors.These magnetic switches automatically turned off ventilation to the cabins that left their doors open, making it safer and more comfortable for those smart enough to read and follow the signs on the door asking them to keep it closed.

 

Then some genius found a way to circumvent the system by placing a small magnet near the magnetic switch on the door,making his neighbors uncomfortable and less safe, but ensuring he could leave his balcony door open and have A/C at the same time.

 

The cruise lines gave up and removed the magnetic switches. Now you can leave your door open and ruin your neighbors' cruise without the help of the magnet."

Imagine leaving your front door open in your home for extended periods and what that would do to your A/C system and its ability to cool. That's essentially what you're doing when you leave the balcony door open.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...