Can you open connecting balconies?

On Independence of the Seas, if we have connecting balcony rooms, can the actual balconies be opened too?

-Chris

Past

Jan 2006 Mariner of the Seas

Dec 2013 Freedom of the Seas

Apr 2014 Enchantment of the Seas

Future

Nov 2014 Oasis of the Seas

Mar 2015 Independence of the Seas

Im sorry I have never cruised that particular ship - If they have connecting balconies it would be strictly up to the captain. Wouldn't hurt to ask your cabin steward

Im sorry I have never cruised that particular ship - If they have connecting balconies it would be strictly up to the captain. Wouldn't hurt to ask your cabin steward

I've never been on Indy either, but I'm beginning to think this statement about it being up to the Captain is urban legend. I would THINK the captain has more to worry about than this. I would think this falls more under the Hotel Manager. That said, it does seem to vary ship by ship and year to year. The only time I had connecting cabins as Naviagator 2009 and that was no. As this person said, ask your cabin stewart.

The room steward should open the balconies doors for you if you request from them

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I've never been on Indy either, but I'm beginning to think this statement about it being up to the Captain is urban legend. I would THINK the captain has more to worry about than this. I would think this falls more under the Hotel Manager. That said, it does seem to vary ship by ship and year to year. The only time I had connecting cabins as Naviagator 2009 and that was no. As this person said, ask your cabin stewart.

While it IS the Captain's discretion to allow dividers to be opened, generally the request doesn't get that far. It isn't the HD who decides, either, as the decision to allow/disallow is a safety question. The Captain will have delegated the decision making to the Staff Captain, Chief Officer, or Safety Officer. Permission is generally based on number of requests, location of open dividers (how many in a given area), and the prevailing weather. As I always state, when two cabins are divided by a fire zone boundary (those pesky doors in the passageway), the dividers will not be allowed to be opened. But, connecting cabins are always in the same fire zone (the door is not sufficient fire boundary), so generally these are okay for opening. When you ask the cabin attendant, he will call housekeeping, and they will contact the appropriate officer on that ship for permission.

We have done this before and the answer is yes they can. The room steward cannot open them though. Instead, make the request to the room steward who will then have to put in a written request for their supervisor to open it for the week. We made this request immediately the first day to our steward and I believe they were opened up around 8 that evening.

We asked the cabin steward, and when we came back to the cabin both the door and the balcony divider were opened.

You can see the result in this short video from 1.0 minutes - from our legend cruise:

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