"Legal" to decorate balcony with Xmas lights?

[laura1960]

Someone mentioned that they routinely bring Christmas lights from home and decorate the railings of the balcony with them. I'd love to do this...sitting on the balcony at night with DH, listening to the ocean, with the balcony all aglow in white lights...well, can't get much more romantic than that!!

To those of you who have done this...first of all, are there any warnings from Carnival about doing this? And second of all, how did you do it - bring an extension cord and suction cup hooks, or what?

 

TIA,

 

Laura

[TexasFyre]

If I remember right, there used to be a long rope of lights that were battery operated. I just can't for the world of me remember where i saw them. Maybe someone will be more helpful

[tef43]

You'll receive a visit from a ship's officer directing you to turn them off if you do it.

[Bucky3]

We took garlands to decorate last year but not very successful because of too much wind on the balcony.

[KruznKel]

It has to do with the ships lights at night for navigational purposes with other ships.. red or green means either starboard or port.. can't remember which..

[stlrboo]

port is left and starboard is right, looking toward the pointy end (bow).. :) red is port...

 

Any lights attached to the ship could make it confusing for other ships in the area to decipher the position and direction 'your' ship is sailing.. Certainly don't want any accidents...:rolleyes:

 

Place them in your room, and close the drapes.. still pretty, but not a 'hazard to navigation'!! :D

[born2crooz]

Are you serious??

 

I can't imagine what the ship would look like at night if everyone had lights on their balconies.

 

It would look like a floating campground!!

 

Leave the lights at home.

[cherylandtk]

It would look like a floating campground!! Leave the lights at home.

Valid red/green navigational issues aside, these ships are not exactly stealth vessels; the bright white lights can be seen for miles.

[jollyroger1965]

I don't think it should be a problem really. Especially since the whole ship is lit up anyway. The only cause for concern would be safety issues in case they short and be a fire hazzard. It would be best to ask the Pursers desk if they could have the on board electrician certify them safe to use. I know that occasionally the safety officer has had to deal with crew and passengers using the same sort of lights in their cabins. I don't suppose the battery operated ones should be a problem.

[KruznKel]

I don't think it should be a problem really. Especially since the whole ship is lit up anyway. The only cause for concern would be safety issues in case they short and be a fire hazzard. It would be best to ask the Pursers desk if they could have the on board electrician certify them safe to use. I know that occasionally the safety officer has had to deal with crew and passengers using the same sort of lights in their cabins. I don't suppose the battery operated ones should be a problem.

 

Aren't all the lights on the sides of the ship white? If you go and put up Xmas lights of multi colours I think that is the issue.. It is a navigational issue check with the coast guard to be sure..

[laura1960]

Thanks all,

 

It sounded fun when I first heard about it, but now I see that it could potentially cause a problem, I'll refrain. The lights will stay at home.

Just having the balcony will be romantic enough! Coffee and croissants from room service in the a.m. overlooking an open ocean, here we come!

 

Laura

[Bucket of Coronas]

I could see the cruise line possibly complaining but if anyone else does that is insane. With all the lights on a ship if you put up some white lights What is the difference between that and leaving your cabin lights on. These are the same people who are offended when a manger scene is put in a public place

[sandbag7]

I love the comparison between a cruise ship and a campground, and the posters who get puffed up and indignant if they're not allowed to put up lights on their balconies because of international laws; you'd think it was the ACLU and UN black helicopters threatening their freedom. I think if you want to put up a manger scene on your balcony you should do so, but attach a life vest to the baby Jesus so he doesn't drown.

[myangel]

Can you waer jeans while putting up the Christmas lights?

[BlueHerons]

Nav lights on cruise ships are placed in specific places on the ship so much smaller vessels (sailboats, tuna towers) can judge the how far away the ship is, which way to turn, and how fast the ship is moving.

 

The masthead lights on the cruise ship are on the bow of the boat and placed at a level above water and apart from each other (there are two) and are very distinctive and bright. They are supposed to be visible from six miles away.

 

There are also white lights on the stern of the boat. Red is on the port side and green on starboard.

 

Any lights that would possibly interfer with the nav lights would place the boat in violation of international navigational rules.

 

While it is easy to assume that a cruise ship is already lit up like a Christmas tree and another strand of lights couldn't possibly make a difference, it is an incorrect assumption.

[zydecocruiser]

That must be why my balcony light worked at night, every night ?

 

[BlueHerons]

Notice how the balcony light is blacked out on top and situated the the back corner of the balcony? From a distance this will give out a soft glow instead of a glaring beacon.

[racephoto]

I would personally not really like it if the balcony railing next to mine had lights on it. I think I would find the glow distracting and one of the things I enjoy most about cruising is getting in a little stargazing. If they have their cabin lights on and drapes open that's behind me and not so much in my field of view. Just my .02.

[Capt_BJ]

While the discussion of a ship's navigation lights are for the most part true, based on years of experience at sea in the heart of cruise ship country, I can assure you they are already lit up like a Christmas tree! It is virtually impossible to find the navigation lights on a cruise ship at night from the glare of the other 1,974,639 lights (two are burned out). Other than the side lights (red = port; green = starboard) it is virtually impossible to discern the navigation lights on the average cruise ship; certainly so far as to make them useful for determining the ship's 'aspect' as is done by knowing that the forward mast head light is lower than the aft masthead light. Or determining than the ship is turning because the apparent seperation of the two mast headlights is changing (getting larger = turning away, smaller = turning towards) or in line with red and green visible too (heading towards). Fortunately it is VERY EASY to see them with all those lights and since they are so lit, it is easy to see which way they are going too....

 

But every liner I've been on asked that you not hang things on the balc.

Why? They blow off and can hit other balc' or people. They land in the water & people get unhappy about things they lost. And about lights - oh please don't run extension cords thru the door....then pinch the cord and cause an electrical short....bad thing at home - worse on a ship. And attached how? My painters LOVE duct tape residue.

 

The ship has enough lights.

 

(technical point with regard to masthead lights. They work best when the seperation both horizontal and vertical is as large as it can be. So one is 'foreward' and one 'aft', and the after one is higher than the forward one (ever notice the after mast is usually taller than the for'd one?)

[BlueHerons]

While the discussion of a ship's navigation lights are for the most part true, based on years of experience at sea in the heart of cruise ship country, I can assure you they are already lit up like a Christmas tree! It is virtually impossible to find the navigation lights on a cruise ship at night from the glare of the other 1,974,639 lights (two are burned out). Other than the side lights (red = port; green = starboard) it is virtually impossible to discern the navigation lights on the average cruise ship; certainly so far as to make them useful for determining the ship's 'aspect' as is done by knowing that the forward mast head light is lower than the aft masthead light. Or determining than the ship is turning because the apparent seperation of the two mast headlights is changing (getting larger = turning away, smaller = turning towards) or in line with red and green visible too (heading towards). Fortunately it is VERY EASY to see them with all those lights and since they are so lit, it is easy to see which way they are going too....

 

But every liner I've been on asked that you not hang things on the balc.

Why? They blow off and can hit other balc' or people. They land in the water & people get unhappy about things they lost. And about lights - oh please don't run extension cords thru the door....then pinch the cord and cause an electrical short....bad thing at home - worse on a ship. And attached how? My painters LOVE duct tape residue.

 

The ship has enough lights.

 

(technical point with regard to masthead lights. They work best when the seperation both horizontal and vertical is as large as it can be. So one is 'foreward' and one 'aft', and the after one is higher than the forward one (ever notice the after mast is usually taller than the for'd one?)

 

My experience with ships nav lights is limited to tankers seen from the deck of Beneteau's being delivered for Moorings! Never saw many cruise ships but those tankers sure scared the crap out of me.