Changes in Rules about opening connecting door between two balconies? SOLAS & Oceania

Hello:

We're on an Oceania Cruise. First time on Oceania. We booked adjoining cabins with another couple we travel with often. We've been on Celebrity multiple times as well as Princess with the same couple. We always book suites with connecting balconies. On Princess and Celebrity, we've just requested that the door between the balconies be opened and they've been happy to comply. We really enjoy sitting outside together.

Oceania is refusing to open the door citing recent changes in SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations. Then they came back and said essentially "well, why do you want that open?" and we were honest that we enjoyed being outside together. They then told us that if there were a 'good reason' such as children located in the next room, or older adults with special needs then they'd consider it. Then a different person said it was a change in 'corporate policy.'

It's not worth pushing any more on this cruise, but the rationale seems to be in flux and changing.

Does anyone know if there were any recent changes in SOLAS or other maritime laws that impact opening the outside connections between state rooms? I can't find anything, but I recognize there are a lot of regulations that cover cruise ships. Just trying to figure out if this is a thing affecting all cruise ships, or whether it's a cruise line by cruise line decision.

Thanks.

As you suggest, I have always understood on ships where the doors could be opened it was at the Captain's discretion at the request of the two stateroom's passengers. I have not heard of any recent change in this with RCI or Celebrity, so perhaps it is an individual cruise line change in policy? Maybe someone - as you suggest - with knowledge of any recent change in SOLAS regulations can confirm.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

I suggest you post this on the Oceania board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=51 where lots of Oceania cruisers will see it.

I don't cruise on Oceania but will be interested to follow the discussion on whether it is a SOLAS requirement since on most of our cruises we travel with anywhere from 2 to 6 more family members and always have connecting balconies.

Thanks for the info. I actually did try several searches before posting but apparently didn't use the right search terms. Fire door never even occured to me as something to search on.

Deleted - misread response.

jbluther

Thanks for asking the question! There's no way I would have seen that 2-year-old post from the Chief, nor known to search, before encountering the situation.

Now would I?

The Star Princess balcony fire was 2006 and SOLAS amendments were introduced in 2008, so these changes could not be deemed as new. Basically the amendments required everything on the balcony, including the dividers to be non-combustible, or a fixed fire-fighting system must be installed.

With respect to the OP, I am not aware of any SOLAS changes that would dictate the opening/closing of balcony dividers. Sadly, it happens all to often when crew are untrained in marine matters (most hotel crew fit this category) they will use SOLAS changes as an excuse not to action a different request.

I have been retired for 6-years and don't follow changes as closely as I used to, but as a retired Captain, I can see no safety issues in permitting your balcony divider to be open.

There have been no changes with regards to opening balcony dividers, but know that the dividers were not made to be opened for passenger convenience, just for access by fire teams in an emergency. It has always been up to the cruise line and/or the Captain as to whether or not dividers could be opened for passengers, and how many in total, and how many in a row. In many instances, crew will tell a passenger that a "new regulation" prohibits them from doing something that the passenger wants, just to avoid being blamed for not doing what the passenger wants, and to shift that blame on the "faceless international regulation".

Cap, I view opening balcony dividers the same as leaving fire doors open. The divider, even though it generally does not completely fill the balcony area between balconies, does act as a fire break, placing a slab of non-combustible material across the wind tunnel down the ship's side. Then there are the dividers that separate cabins that are in different fire zones, and since the Star Princess fire, the definition of the vertical fire zones on passenger ships extends out onto the balconies, so these dividers in particular should never be opened, as this breaches the fire zone boundary.

The cruise lines' policies on this are based on their insurance underwriter's requirements for structural fire protection, the line's ISM code, and the individual Captain's personal risk level.