HAL etiquette re: decorating doors/balconies

[2Labs2Many]

On our previous cruise on another line, lots of people decorated their doors and hung lights on their balconies. Is this something that is "done" on HAL or is it going to make us stand out like the Beverly Hillbillies?

[jtl513]

It's done, but not extensively. Many times they're put up for birthday or anniversary celebrations. Just make sure anything you put up can be taken off easily.

 

The doors have a coating on them, so it takes a strong magnet to stick. My Cruise Critic refrigerator magnet never has.

[PennyAgain]

When I cruise at Christmas I decorate my room a great deal. Just bought some of those wonderful battery tea lights! Never have done the door, but do the window or the wall if I have an inside room.

 

If they had more plugs I could decorate more. I hit Big Lots hard and leave most of the stuff behind when the trip is over.

[PROCRUISE]

We've cruised with HAL pre-Christmas and decorated the door and balcony, but very tastefully. We bought a tiny Christmas tree and Nativity for the room. Once our cabin stewart was Christian and when we offered the tree and Nativity to him at the end of the cruise he got tearful in appreciation. Last year our room stewart was Muslum, but he quickly brought a fellow stewart to our room, who was Christian, who again graciously accepted the Christmas decorations with a big smile.

[2Labs2Many]

Many times they're put up for birthday or anniversary celebrations.

 

Score! We're going to have both.

 

It does make the room easier to find when you've had a little too much to drink.

 

DH really liked putting little lights out on our balcony the last time and it's really him that wants to do it. I could live with or without it.

[willowoodf]

We have cruised several times over Halloween, and love to decorate our room! We have lights and little decorations all over the room and door. We've never put lights on the balcony, but it is only because of the limited number of outlets available! We have always left the decorations for the stewards. They seem to really get a kick out of them. One steward was very happy, he said they would be GREAT for crew party coming up.

 

Mary

[Jemima]

I've never seen balcony decorations. A very few people have something on their door, usually birthday or anniversary; but usually something small.

[kakalina]

The one time we placed a decoration on our door it was stolen. Don't bother now.

[serendipity1499]

Last year DH & I were on the Veendam in Alaska for my Birthday week..

Our good Friends, who usually travel with us, were not with us this time...

Instead they ordered balloons & a beautiful flower arrangement for me..When we got to our cabin 3 balloons were attached to our cabin door & the beautiful flower arrangement was waiting for me in our cabin..

 

I had a lovely Birthday, but we missed them..

Betty

[jjb415]

Go for it OP - it always makes people smile. Plus it makes your room very easy to find when you decorate the door. :)

[V and S]

You can find small el-wire (electroluminescent wire), if you want to decorate your room or balcony in style. :) It comes in neon colors and is very thin (wire), and can be bent. Plus, it's powered by a small 9-volt battery pack. This is also great for wearing on Halloween, creatively lighting up a bicycle, wearing on deck at night... You can do lovely things with it. It can be a little pricey, but lasts a long time and 8 or more hours depending on the color (pink uses the most battery power).

[JamesEM]

Last month I was on a Princess ship and was part of a group cruise to AK. We all had items that were placed on the doors of our cabins, and everything was stolen.

[2Labs2Many]

That really stinks about people stealing stuff. We didn't have any problems on our last cruise.

 

I'll have to figure out if I want to let DH do this or if I want to give him a hard time about making me pack light and leave my favorite hair dryer at home yet find space to take decorations. . . .

[dandro]

I had read here on CC before our cruise about decorating the door. I brought some stuff because it was our 25th anniversary, but never put it up because I never saw any other doors decorated. All I managed to put up on our door was a refrigerator magnet of a smiley face.

 

I did put up a sign inside our cabin on the mirror.

[Randyk47]

The one and only time I ever decorated our cabin door was for my wife's birthday. It was a small sign I'd made up on our computer and printed out on our color printer. Absolutely nothing of value and certainly not extravagant but it was taken off the door within an hour of being put up. Obviously not everybody likes door decorations. :confused: I've never tried again and just get flowers for our cabin.

[JimVrhovac]

We decorate the door every cruise. The centerpiece is a pair of slippers and a season appropriate reaf.

 

We tend to go to the extreme with cartoons on the door.

 

Only once has anything been taken. A bell at Christmas time. We have had a lot of people ask for copies of the cartoons we post. One young lady went out of her was to tract us down to borrow one of the cartoons as they were on the cruise with her parents and it was his birthday. We gave her several cartoons for her dad. She sent us a nice thankyou note.

 

Mama Lou wanted several of our cartoons so last cruise on the Veendam she got all the cartons when we left.

 

Get sticky putty and use that to hold things up. It does not leave any residue and does a great job. Door reaf holders work to hold heavier objects.

 

 

Here are some pictuires of our dooor. Last one is inside the room.

 

Ruth & Jim

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

I just cannot imagine that the people who cruise on Holland are theives. :eek: They do not seem to be of that mindset. I wonder if decorations are taken from the doors because it is against ship policy to decorate doors. Has anyone ever checked onboard before putting items up to see if door decorations are allowed?

[jetstorm]

I could really use some door decoration ideas for our Christmas/New Years cruise. Most of it will be after Christmas so I guess more New Years would be appropriate.

[JimVrhovac]

There is no policy restricting door decorations as long as they are in good taste.

 

IDEAS:

 

Start with a cheap seasonal reaf and go from there...

 

Ruth & Jim

[ekerr19]

I'm not sure if lights on the balcony are allowed... I thought they interfered with ships' navigation system at night.

 

I'd check before stringing up lights on the balcony railings.

 

We see door decorations all the time. In fact, the Concierge staff on Oosterdam put on up on our door for our Anniversary a couple year's ago. :)

[catl331]

On our Dec. cruise last yr on the Noordam there already was Xmas decor on all the doors with fancier ones on the more expensive rooms. The whole ship was beautifully decorated with Xmas trees and garlands. Sometimes it is quite windy out there on the balconies and I know I have read about not putting things on the rails--even towels and wet bathing suits. Also on the top deck there were two decorations that lit up at night. Noticed that the Zuiderdam did not have these for Xmas on their top deck. Go Noordam!! Hopefully they will continue this decor this Dec.

[dandro]

We decorate the door every cruise. The centerpiece is a pair of slippers and a season appropriate reaf.

 

We tend to go to the extreme with cartoons on the door.

 

Only once has anything been taken. A bell at Christmas time. We have had a lot of people ask for copies of the cartoons we post. One young lady went out of her was to tract us down to borrow one of the cartoons as they were on the cruise with her parents and it was his birthday. We gave her several cartoons for her dad. She sent us a nice thankyou note.

 

Get sticky putty and use that to hold things up. It does not leave any residue and does a great job. Door reaf holders work to hold heavier objects.

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Ruth, I assume you mean a "wreath"? Does a wreath holder interfere in any way with the door closing properly?

[lazey1]

Last year we had our 50th anniversary aboard and had preordered the Happy Anniversary bouquet. When we arrived at our room our steward had already decorated the door with the balloons and a sign and the flowers were in the cabin. The balloons are quite strong and were still inflated when we had to leave the cruise after 20 + days.

Everyone in our corridor seemed to enjoy this very much.

[2Labs2Many]

That's nice that the steward decorated your room for a special occasion. It kind of reminds me (in a happier way) about the nursing facility that my dad was in - they always decorated the patients' doors on their birthdays or for special occasions like Veteran's Day.

 

Wow Dandro (Jim) - what a lot of slippers! Is there a story behind them? I'm having trouble getting my DH to agree for me to bring my own hair dryer!

[Juanita462]

When we were on a Christmas cruise there were many doors decorated - one even had the whole door wrapped in gift wrap with bows. The only time we had anything stolen was the CC logo magnet - I think most people did have them taken - whether by other people or staff - who knows?

 

I always take something small to tie to the railing just by the door - for easy id of our room - better than looking at the numbers every time. Usually it is a small plastic boat.

 

On one cruise I attended the crafts class and hung everything on the door that we made - nothing was taken.

 

I know some people think it is tacky but I really enjoy seeing what other people hang on their doors - it relieves the monotony of walking that long corridor to the elevators or stairs.