marina promenade deck???

[Jacques O]

I'm booked on the new Marina (15 July, Northern Knights round Britain). Looking forward to the cruise.

Have been studying the deck plan and photos. it seems that there is no promenade deck open to passengers on deck 6. I believe the deck area where the tenders stand is a 'safety zone' not open to the public. however, further forward, high up, there is an 'open' promenade'. it is for passengers' use?

So, where can we go for a stroll on deck, apart from the upper decks? I like walking on decks to take the fresh air!

 

Jacques O, in Paris.

[JimandStan]

You are correct, Marina does not have a traditional "under the lifeboats" Promenade Deck.

 

 

The closest thing that you will find, is Deck 14, where i the center portion forms a gallery overlooking the pool deck.

There is also an additional area, aft on deck 15, around the base of the funnel, which is used as a jogging track, but that is more for exercise than for strolling

[PurpleCow]

I think that the traditional promenade decks have fallen victim to the ever more desirable veranda cabins.

[no fuss travel]

The only problem with walking around the pool deck is that you will get a whiff of cigarette/cigar smoke every time you pass the smokers corner. Not pleasant. I learned quickly which way to turn when I got off the elevators so that I could bypass the smoker's corner. Now if Oceania would just ban cigars.........

[JimandStan]

I think that the traditional promenade decks have fallen victim to the ever more desirable veranda cabins.

 

You are probably right, I'm always reminded of the John Maxton Graham quote:

 

"those blocks of cabin verandas, which stretch Leavenworth like, along the sides of modern cruise ships"

[orchestrapal]

The only problem with walking around the pool deck is that you will get a whiff of cigarette/cigar smoke every time you pass the smokers corner. Not pleasant. I learned quickly which way to turn when I got off the elevators so that I could bypass the smoker's corner. Now if Oceania would just ban cigars.........

 

It is surely time to say "no cigars or pipes"... Maybe we'll be lucky, one day, and Oceania will follow Azamara in having only one outdoor smoking area and none indoors. :D

[LHT28]

When walking around the deck overlooking the pool you do not get the smoke smell.

The smoking section on Marina seemed to be much smaller than on the R-ships & tucked further under the stairs/upper deck

I barely saw it there

 

Lyn

[orchestrapal]

When walking around the deck overlooking the pool you do not get the smoke smell.

The smoking section on Marina seemed to be much smaller than on the R-ships & tucked further under the stairs/upper deck

I barely saw it there

 

Lyn

 

Thanks Lyn, that's really good to hear. We have learned to walk the ship and totally avoid the outdoor section. It's The Horizon lounge which allows the smoke to drift into the stairway on the R ships. I hope that will be better

on Marina.

[potterhill]

We are nonsmokers and my husband has asthma, quite severe at times. We have never had a problem with the smoking areas on Oceania.

 

In fact one of the many reasons we have never sailed with another cruiseline is that we are afraid to get a room that has hosted a smoker.

 

We sailed with a friend who smokes a pipe and he had no problem with the outside area. I sat with him there several times. Sometimes I think the smokers have more fun as they always seem to be having a great time!

 

The only criticism I have is that it is so close to the doors and thereby in the main traffic lanes, so to speak. Surely there must be another place that is a little more out of the way. But perhaps not. Another solution would be to install glass walls as they did in coffee shops before smoking was banned inside altogether. I think this would also be a good solution to the inside smokers den.

 

Mo

[JimandStan]

Thanks Lyn, that's really good to hear. We have learned to walk the ship and totally avoid the outdoor section. It's The Horizon lounge which allows the smoke to drift into the stairway on the R ships. I hope that will be better

on Marina.

 

On Marina, there is a wall of glass which separates the smoking area from the rest of the room.

[no fuss travel]

The wall of glass on the Marina did not stop the smell from spreading into the rest of the lounge unfortunately. Maybe on the last day they had turned off the air in the lounge, but the one and only smoker managed to share their cigarettes with the other passengers waiting to disembark.

[LHT28]

The wall of glass on the Marina did not stop the smell from spreading into the rest of the lounge unfortunately. Maybe on the last day they had turned off the air in the lounge, but the one and only smoker managed to share their cigarettes with the other passengers waiting to disembark.

That may have been the case

I walked by the space by accident & did not notice anything until I was at the opening to the smoking section

It was not very strong either so maybe the fans were working well...there were a few people in there at the time

 

Lyn

[Oceans&Rivers]

On Marina, there is a wall of glass which separates the smoking area from the rest of the room.

 

Is there a ceiling and a door, i.e. is the smoking area more like a smoking room?

[Jacques O]

Hi Jimanstan

thanks for your reply.

so, even the raised forward section (forward of the life boats) on deck 6, is not even open to the public?

Hum... I hope the top promenade is not too crowed.... so, after dinner, one has to go up several deck to go for a stroll, then!

 

Jacques

[LHT28]

Is there a ceiling and a door, i.e. is the smoking area more like a smoking room?

Of course there is a ceiling :rolleyes:

There is no door just the entry way the glass wall separates the area from the rest of the lounge

[LHT28]

Hi Jimanstan

thanks for your reply.

so, even the raised forward section (forward of the life boats) on deck 6, is not even open to the public?

It is a crew only area

Hum... I hope the top promenade is not too crowed.... so, after dinner, one has to go up several deck to go for a stroll, then!

 

Jacques

 

The walking track may get a bit busy during the day but otherwise not much crowding on the decks in the evening unless they have something going on outside ..then you may find more people there

 

Lyn

[no fuss travel]

There is no door and the opening for the smokers to enter is much larger than a regular door. If you don't smoke just make sure you enter the Horizon Lounge on the starboard side, then you can avoid the smoke.

[JimandStan]

Hi Jimanstan

thanks for your reply.

so, even the raised forward section (forward of the life boats) on deck 6, is not even open to the public?

Hum... I hope the top promenade is not too crowed.... so, after dinner, one has to go up several deck to go for a stroll, then!

 

Jacques

 

The area forward of the life boats, on Deck 6, shown as a blank space on the deck plans, are the Crew Quarters. They are totally enclosed:

In the photograph below, you can see the emergency exit/door which leads from the Crew accomodations onto the lifeboat deck. It is just to the left of the name of the ship.

[Oceans&Rivers]

Of course there is a ceiling :rolleyes:

There is no door just the entry way the glass wall separates the area from the rest of the lounge

 

By ceiling, I of course was questioning if the wall of glass extends all the way to the ceiling, and is not just a decorative wall or divider over which smoke could escape.

 

Here are some examples of glass walls that do not go all the way to the ceiling:

 

 

http://www.accentbuildingproducts.com/images/mainpages/glassblk_walls.jpg

 

http://newsfromtheblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Curved-glass-block-shower-enclosure-wall1-300x300.jpg

[JimandStan]

The glass division, or "wall" between the smoking area in Horizons and the rest of the room, runs from ceiling to floor, but has an "open doorway" to the rest of the room, in that there is no door to close.

In the enlarged photograph below, part of the wall in question can be seen, just to the right of the computer monitor that is on the bar:

[LHT28]

By ceiling, I of course was questioning if the wall of glass extends all the way to the ceiling, and is not just a decorative wall or divider over which smoke could escape.

 

Sorry my psychic abilities are on the fritz these days ;)

[peapod2]

The area forward of the life boats, on Deck 6, shown as a blank space on the deck plans, are the Crew Quarters. They are totally enclosed:

In the photograph below, you can see the emergency exit/door which leads from the Crew accomodations onto the lifeboat deck. It is just to the left of the name of the ship.

 

I'm not trying to make trouble or invite hostility to what I am about to say here, but if that single, narrow doorway onto the lifeboat deck is how a thousand-plus people are supposed to reach the lifeboats in the event of an emergency, it sure seems like a potentially dangerous bottleneck to me. I've been wondering about this feature of the ship's design for some time, and so far I'm not feeling particularly reassured. Other than that one doorway from the crew's quarters on each side of the ship, are there any other doorways through which access to the lifeboats can be accomplished?

[JimandStan]

I'm not trying to make trouble or invite hostility to what I am about to say here, but if that single, narrow doorway onto the lifeboat deck is how a thousand-plus people are supposed to reach the lifeboats in the event of an emergency, it sure seems like a potentially dangerous bottleneck to me. I've been wondering about this feature of the ship's design for some time, and so far I'm not feeling particularly reassured. Other than that one doorway from the crew's quarters on each side of the ship, are there any other doorways through which access to the lifeboats can be accomplished?

 

Yes, there are a number of doors "to the lifeboats".

 

The forward and aft Elevator Lobbies each have two sets of double doors (one set port and one set starboard) which lead onto the lifeboat deck, and there are doors similar to the one in my photo, which give access from either side of the Grand Dining Room.

There are also "Emergency Exit" signs over some of the oversized windows in Martini's which make me think that they can be "released" somehow in the event of an emergency.

 

I cant help but wish, however, that none of us ever has to worry about such a thing. ;)

[peapod2]

JimandStan, thank you for replying so promptly with this reassuring information.

 

peapod2

[LHT28]

I cant help but wish, however, that none of us ever has to worry about such a thing. ;)

I second that!!!

 

PEAPOD

I cannot imagine any ship would pass inspection if they did not have multiple access points to the life boats :eek:

 

 

Lyn