regards

Koch

[ 08-31-2005: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

As Balconys bring in the (big) dollars for shipping firms................ there here to stay and be part of the modern look of vessels.

[ 08-31-2005: Message edited by: Clad ]

As a side note, one benefit to having a balcony, even if you're not going to be outside using it, is the additional light admitted into the cabin, giving it a sense of spaciousness. On most ships, balcony cabins have pretty much an entire wall of glass, which makes a huge difference from having a porthole or smallish, rectangular window. I sailed several times in the NORWAY's Sky Deck cabins, which, even though they did not have balconies, had a wall of glass, making the room seem huge and giving great views from wherever you were sitting.

One's own bit of deck, can also be noisier, smokier and contain more rubbish than on the main decks, depending on one's neighbours!! Each morning once, I had to kick back the ashtray, and roll the beer cans along

[ 08-31-2005: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originaly posted by Ernst :
I would also prefere cabins with a big window or a verandah - has anyone got informations why there are no cabins with windows which can be opened? I heard fire regulations are not allowing that. (why?)old thread

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I don't have any information about that but I try to imagine:
A balcony door is only opened when people go from the cabin to the balcony and "vice-versa"(is that understandable in English ?). It must represent only 2 or 3 minutes in an entire day. Of course you can block the door with a chair or something like that but most of people don't do that because it's not practical.
But what's the point of having a simple window if you can't keep it opened during long periods to breath the fresh air or to enjoy the view whithout being disturbed by a glass?

Just imagine someone who forget to close his cabin window and that a problem occur, a fire in the vicinity of the cabin for example. The fire will be feed by the fresh air entering through this window and will be much harder to extinguish.

Many cruise passengers like them and they are willing to pay a premium for them. They generate extra income so they are here to stay.

[ 08-31-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

The only problem I see is that there is no "barrier" to the cabin with all the furniture, carpetes etc. this would also be mantainance problem - more rain or spray would make it into the cabin - but then there are the Seabourn ships with these "french balconies" - is this just to go around regulations, which do not allow a window to be opened but a door?

To return to the main topic, I think that balconies really ehance a cruise experience : having your breakfast in the fresh air when you approach the coast line without dressing,without climbing steps and taking corridors, after just having walked a few step to sit on a comfortable chair enjoying the view
is a unique sensation. I often wake up during the night : what a pleasure to go barefoot in underwear on your balcony. And in the day, you can enjoy both an outside space and your privacy...

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Originally posted by Linerdan:
If i recall correctly some of the German liners from the 1920-30's had bay windows on the upper decks for the cabins.You could see forward and aft as well as the normal straight out.They were not hugh , but appeared to let in lot more light and had a better view then offered by other liners at the time.
Linerdan .........

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The NORWEGIAN CROWN (ex.CROWN ODYSSEY) has quite a few staterooms with these bay windows, actually 3-sided. I sailed in one once, and it was almost like having a glass-enclosed balcony.

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Ernst wrote:
Obviously it is very important for many to have a balcony for a cruise where scenery is important - like the Panama canal or Alaska. For me the contrary is the case: I have not even been close to my cabin during the whole canal transit or when passing by some glaciers.

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Let me guess, you were either on a promenade deck or an upper deck with friends, or in an observation lounge. Who needs a balcony?

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My husband had almost died from a rare autoimmune disease earlier in the year and was doing well so I talked to his doctor about going on a cruise. She said it was a great idea. So with my best friend we surprised him with the suite. He loved the balcony. So we have either had a suite or balcony cabin on almost every cruise we have been on since then. (if we get a great deal) He says he used to hand me his wallet and wave goodbye when I cruised with my best friend. Now he gets to go since he can no longer work. He'd rather be working but it's not a bad trade-off.

Now for the story. Here we are in our suite on the Inspiration(the three musketeers). My husband spent a lot time sitting out on the balcony and most of the time he fell asleep. If we couldn't find him we out to the balcony. He and I went to sleep in our beds one night and I woke up in the middle of the night to discover my husband was missing. I just figured he'd gone to the bathroom. I waited for quite awhile for him to come back to bed then I tried calling for him. No answer now I'm worried. I woke my friend up (I can't get out of those stupid beds without some assistance) and she goes to the bathroom door and no Joe. Now we are really worried. Where could he have gone? Then by chance she she spots his head sticking up in the chaise lounge on the balcony. He had gone out to the balcony in the middle of the night and had fallen asleep. He had a blanket and was just snoozing away. She woke him up and he came back back to bed. I told him not to ever do that again unless he woke me up and told me.(he hasn't)

The missing husband on the RCL ship reminded me of this story. It can be possible for a spouse to slip out of bed or the cabin without the other person knowing(In our case we had the beds separated for ease of getting me out of them). Fortunately, my husband was being an inconsiderate idiot by not letting me know he was going out on the balcony and not involved in some horrible incident. At least I missed him right away when I awoke. Ever since then I have warned him not to cross over the line of inconsideration. I also told him that I'll get a homing device for him if he ever does anything like that again. He says he's gotten the message. I think he has.