Locked bulkhead-Dawn Penthouse 10000

[NH Cruisers]

I will be sailing on the DAWN out of Boston on May 30th. We booked fwd Penthouse suite 10000 after touring a similar stateroom on the GEM.

 

Does anyone know if the bulkhead door to the balcony will be closed while at sea? I could understand if the seas are rough, but in calm weather?

 

Just curious. It would be nice if we could use it on a nice sea day. When we toured the identicle stateroom on the GEM we were at sea and the balcony was availiable to use.

 

 

Jon

[genman36]

My wife and I had 10500 on the Dawn last year and loved the room. The exterior bulkhead door was usually closed by the steward at night. I just opened it when I wanted to go outside. It is a little heavy but easily manageable. It's usually open durimng the day. I would open it in the morning and leave it open. During our cruise, the weather never was bad. During the day it's a little breezy while sailing if you are standing up outside but if you are sitting or laying on the loungers, the wind is shielded and it's fine. You can't beat the view when sailing into a port.

 

Keep in mind, they want the curtains closed at night if your lights are on as the rooms are under the bridge. We left them closed until we went to bed and opened them after the lights were out with only the TV on.

 

You will love it!

 

Enjoy the cruise

[russianmom]

We were just in 10500 on Jewel. We pretty much left it open until we went to sleep at night. We had very calm seas and little wind so we were out on the balcony a lot

[DevCruise]

My parents were in a forward penthouse on the Pearl for an Alaska cruise. They just opened the inside door and then the outside door. Wasn't an issue. We never thought to leave the outside door open.

[garycarla]

...Does anyone know if the bulkhead door to the balcony will be closed while at sea?...

 

.. When we toured the identicle stateroom on the GEM we were at sea and the balcony was availiable to use....

 

As mentioned, it is normally available to use at sea. Color me confused.

Edited March 7, 2014 by garycarla

[time2cruise1]

The only time you should not open the bulkhead door is when the men show up in your cabin to bolt the steel plate over the window. :eek::eek:

[Sam The Cat]

I was on the Dawn serveral years ago in 9500 A month after the rough wave hit thr Dawn About the 3rd day an officer came in shut the bulk head door and posted a sign not to open the door which I did not till we got to clamer weather We did have waves hitting the bulk head door

[NH Cruisers]

As mentioned, it is normally available to use at sea. Color me confused.

I saw in another post a sign on the door stating to keep the bulkhead door closed while a sea. Didn't know if it was for rough weather only.

[maxshadoe]

Try not to open the cabin door and the balcony door at the same time. It creates a wind tunnel, papers everywhere, lol.

[DCP]

There IS a sign saying the door should be closed when under way, but that is a suggestion, they do not enforce it. It seemed every night either the Butler or Steward would shut it about 7 - 8 pm. We just opened it if we wanted to go out on the balcony. It was windy a couple of nights for us when we were under way, but we still loved it!

[VideoTech]

We have sailed in many forward penthouses (our favorite cabins in the penthouse category) and have always used the balcony while at sea.

 

As mentioned, the cabin steward will usually close the steel outer door when he makes up the room at night. On some nights we'd open it again, other nights we'd leave it shut. We did find that when it's open, and the wind & speed of the ship are just so, there's often a whistling sound from air leaking around the inner door. We'd close the outer door which would stop that.

 

Obviously, there's some common sense involved here. If the weather is bad & the seas are rough, you probably won't be out on the balcony anyway, and the outer door should probably be closed. If the seas get rough enough, the crew will instruct you to leave it closed. If it gets rough enough for them to come put the steel plate over the window, you're not going to be doing much beyond just hanging on!

 

By the way, if you open the steel outer door yourself, be sure you fasten it open with the catch on the side wall of the balcony. That door is heavy, and you do not want it swinging shut on your arm or leg when you don't expect it.

 

The wind tunnel effect mentioned in a post above happens if you have both balcony doors open, and someone opens the door to the hallway. Everything goes flying!

[NH Cruisers]

 

By the way, if you open the steel outer door yourself, be sure you fasten it open with the catch on the side wall of the balcony. That door is heavy, and you do not want it swinging shut on your arm or leg when you don't expect it.

 

Thank you for the heads up.