Balcony Partitions

[Losingcontrol36]

We just returned from a cruise with Oceania.  We went on this cruise with another couple and we had adjoining balcony cabins.

When we asked Oceania personal to open the balcony partition, we were told that they could not do that because of maritime regulations.

We have been on Princess and Azamara cruises, and have requested that the partition between our cabin balconies to be opened, and they complied with our request.

We enjoy sharing coffee or drinks on the balcony with our friends.  This year, we went on a Princess cruise with five other couples and we had all of our balcony partitions opened.

We also saw a Viking cruise ship with opened balcony partitions.  

I am trying to get information about opening balcony partitions.

We do not know if this is a legitimate concern, or did Oceania not want to be bothered.

We would like to know about the rules on other cruise lines.

[mef_57]

There are fire concerns and the partitions provide a safety factor as well as privacy, so it is at the discretion of the cruise ship.  Other threads about this may provide further insight.  A google search provided this report

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c706ae5274a4290000097/Star_Princess.pdf

that clearly lead to a number of industry changes (and explains to me why 'no towels or clothing allowed on balconies), and as well as changing out the partitions to non flammable material it might explain why some want the partitions closed.

[1025cruise]

Oceania might just have a policy that they don't open balconies. 

[paul929207]

It is probably Oceania prohibiting and the person you talked to just gave you an excuse to get out of any further discussion

[mef_57]

the article I cited names Oceania specifically as instating a stringent smoking policy that sees you set off on the next port for non-compliance, so they play hard ball.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Fire wall

[cb at sea]

Yes, it could have been at a firewall area....or the dividers were not meant to be opened.  Were there hinges or bolts?  Some ships, the dividers are simply part of the structure of the ship.

[chengkp75]

Balcony partitions that are openable have only been required for ships built after the Star Princess fire in 2006.  Four of Oceania's six ships were built before 2006, so they likely don't even have openable partitions.  The partitions were made openable not for passenger convenience, but to allow fire teams to proceed from one balcony to the next to fight a cabin fire from both the passageway and the balcony.

 

As for allowing or not allowing them to be opened, as noted above, some partitions are at a fire boundary, with adjacent cabins in two different fire zones (separated by the doors in the passageway), and those partitions should never be opened.  Other partitions are at the cruise line or Captain's discretion as to whether or not some are allowed open, how many in total at any one time, and how many in a row.  The partitions act as a fire break slowing the spread of fire from one cabin to another, especially with the wind generated by the ship's movement.  Each cruise line has an insurance club it belongs to, and these clubs, and the cruise lines themselves, have different risk tolerances, and allowing balcony dividers open falls under a risk/reward area that insurance clubs look at.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Balcony partitions that are openable have only been required for ships built after the Star Princess fire in 2006.  Four of Oceania's six ships were built before 2006, so they likely don't even have openable partitions.  The partitions were made openable not for passenger convenience, but to allow fire teams to proceed from one balcony to the next to fight a cabin fire from both the passageway and the balcony.

 

As for allowing or not allowing them to be opened, as noted above, some partitions are at a fire boundary, with adjacent cabins in two different fire zones (separated by the doors in the passageway), and those partitions should never be opened.  Other partitions are at the cruise line or Captain's discretion as to whether or not some are allowed open, how many in total at any one time, and how many in a row.  The partitions act as a fire break slowing the spread of fire from one cabin to another, especially with the wind generated by the ship's movement.  Each cruise line has an insurance club it belongs to, and these clubs, and the cruise lines themselves, have different risk tolerances, and allowing balcony dividers open falls under a risk/reward area that insurance clubs look at.

We're currently on Sirena, one of the smaller "R" (originally Renaissance) ships. Sirena was formerly the Ocean Princess acquired from Princess several years ago and upgraded to the tune of $40 million.

I'm staring out of our balcony door right now and our forward "divider" (cabin 6075) is an actual structural bulkhead. Our aft "divider" is a hinged door and would require a nut driver to unlock the catch. 

My understanding is that Oceania only opens them when necessary for repairs/maintenance.

[chengkp75]

5 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

We're currently on Sirena, one of the smaller "R" (originally Renaissance) ships. Sirena was formerly the Ocean Princess acquired from Princess several years ago and upgraded to the tune of $40 million.

I'm staring out of our balcony door right now and our forward "divider" (cabin 6075) is an actual structural bulkhead. Our aft "divider" is a hinged door and would require a nut driver to unlock the catch. 

My understanding is that Oceania only opens them when necessary for repairs/maintenance.

I looked at the deck plan, and I see small dashed lines in the balconies at various locations, your cabin being one, so I suspect that these are the fire zone boundaries.  Is there a passageway door forward of your cabin?

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

I looked at the deck plan, and I see small dashed lines in the balconies at various locations, your cabin being one, so I suspect that these are the fire zone boundaries.  Is there a passageway door forward of your cabin?

Fire door in passageway is seven cabins forward. However, across from cabin just forward of us is the crew door to their elevator/stairs stack.

[Losingcontrol36]

We are not on boat.  Your explanation sounds reasonable.