Balcony Hacks?

[jocap]

19 hours ago, codeyell0 said:

do you remember the cruise line?  I know carnival does it in the Havana rooms but they are not balconies, now if carnival would make them balconies i would be all over them but instead you have people walking by your outdoor area 

It was an Aida cruise line ship.

 

[jwattle]

Delete

Edited March 9, 2021 by jwattle

[jwattle]

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You may want to peruse the 2009 amendments to SOLAS Chapter II-2 which are aimed at ensuring that existing regulations - 4.4 (Primary deck coverings), 5.3.1.2 (Ceilings and linings), 5.3.2 (Use of combustible materials) and 6 (Smoke generation potential and toxicity) - are also applied to cabin balconies on new passenger ships.

For existing passenger ships, relevant provisions require furniture on cabin balconies to be of restricted fire risk unless fixed water spraying systems, fixed fire detection and fire alarm systems are fitted, also that partitions separating balconies should be constructed of non-combustible materials, similar to the provisions for new passenger ships.

Scarlet Lady (Virgin Cruises) has hammocks on all of their balconies...

[Flatbush Flyer]

27 minutes ago, jwattle said:

Scarlet Lady (Virgin Cruises) has hammocks on all of their balconies...

Would be interesting to see how they were viewed during inspection for SOLAS compliance. 
Nonetheless, still a gimmick that poses a potential safety hazard.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, jwattle said:

Scarlet Lady (Virgin Cruises) has hammocks on all of their balconies...

An upscale line might provide hammocks (which I still think is unlikely)---which would necessarily include having sturdy mounting arrangements.   Just do not expect to be able to sling a hammock on a Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Cunard, HAL, Princess, etc, etc, etc mass market ship

[navybankerteacher]

16 hours ago, jwattle said:

Scarlet Lady (Virgin Cruises) has hammocks on all of their balconies...

Of course, she has yet to sail with passengers - originally scheduled to start in February 2020, initial sailings were serially postponed - now looking to start this coming July - so hammocks may or may not be available.

[Flatbush Flyer]

43 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Of course, she has yet to sail with passengers - originally scheduled to start in February 2020, initial sailings were serially postponed - now looking to start this coming July - so hammocks may or may not be available.

Like I said- hammocks are a gimmick and will not withstand an inspection for SOLAS compliance unless they’re fireproof and/or there’s qualifying fire suppression on that balcony.

[mom says]

23 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Like I said- hammocks are a gimmick and will not withstand an inspection for SOLAS compliance unless they’re fireproof and/or there’s qualifying fire suppression on that balcony.

To be fair, I doubt that the line was stupid enough to use inappropriate materials in the hammocks; just as they wouldn't use inappropriate materials on the soft furnishings inside the cabins. And from the photos I saw, it appears that the hammocks are hung from purpose built fixtures in the balcony ceiling. Which begs the question on all of the other lines - even if you had the room, how would you securely and safely hang them without causing damage?

[ATC cruiser]

There is another thread about hammocks

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

24 minutes ago, mom says said:

To be fair, I doubt that the line was stupid enough to use inappropriate materials in the hammocks; just as they wouldn't use inappropriate materials on the soft furnishings inside the cabins. And from the photos I saw, it appears that the hammocks are hung from purpose built fixtures in the balcony ceiling. Which begs the question on all of the other lines - even if you had the room, how would you securely and safely hang them without causing damage?

From what I can see in a video I found on Google, they’ve used two standard Stainless Steel swivel eyes which, of course, are only as strong as the hammock material affixed to them. Their hammock company webpage says “cotton” though Virgin may have specified something else. 
In any case, a short span two-point hammock attachment (which will be very difficult for many folks to manage without injury) plus the limits on space when you add the two standard chairs on a typical small cruise ship veranda is a bad idea that has Virgin shouting out “sue me.”

 

[c-boy]

18 hours ago, jwattle said:

Scarlet Lady (Virgin Cruises) has hammocks on all of their balconies...

those look relaxing, we should book a cruise and test it out ... 😉

[navybankerteacher]

 

2 hours ago, c-boy said:

those look relaxing, we should book a cruise and test it out ... 😉

It’s really more of a swing than a hammock - but I suppose it meets the definition.  I do not think it would be comfortable for any length of time - either sitting up or lying flat tightly held by the sides .

 

Yes - it is an idea whose time seems to have come - but I suspect it will be gone in fairly short order.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Like I said- hammocks are a gimmick and will not withstand an inspection for SOLAS compliance unless they’re fireproof and/or there’s qualifying fire suppression on that balcony.

 

When dealing with Flag and/or Class Inspectors/Surveyors, it isn't as cut and dried as you think. When building, or retro-fitting ships, if we didn't have sprinklers or high-fog systems the requirements were not zero combustibles - we had to limit the contents and calculate the fire loading.

 

Provided the fire loading was below the requirement for that space, we did not require sprinklers/high-fog. This will be the same for balconies.

 

Calculating the fire load was way above my pay grade, as our Naval Architects worked with Flag/Class. However, if a cruise line wishes to have hammocks on the balcony, they will have to ensure the hammocks have Flag/Class approval and complete the fire loading exercise. If it is below the max for those spaces, no fixed fire supression is required.

 

This type of information is available in Class Rules and guidelines for Inspectors/Surveyors. 

[c-boy]

29 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

It’s really more of a swing than a hammock - but I suppose it meets the definition.  I do not think it would be comfortable for any length of time - either sitting up or lying flat tightly held by the sides .

 

Yes - it is an idea whose time seems to have come - but I suspect it will be gone in fairly short order.

listen Wesley, ever since you retired ..... 

[Flatbush Flyer]

25 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

When dealing with Flag and/or Class Inspectors/Surveyors, it isn't as cut and dried as you think. When building, or retro-fitting ships, if we didn't have sprinklers or high-fog systems the requirements were not zero combustibles - we had to limit the contents and calculate the fire loading.

 

Provided the fire loading was below the requirement for that space, we did not require sprinklers/high-fog. This will be the same for balconies.

 

Calculating the fire load was way above my pay grade, as our Naval Architects worked with Flag/Class. However, if a cruise line wishes to have hammocks on the balcony, they will have to ensure the hammocks have Flag/Class approval and complete the fire loading exercise. If it is below the max for those spaces, no fixed fire supression is required.

 

This type of information is available in Class Rules and guidelines for Inspectors/Surveyors. 

Thanks for the more specific statement of what I was trying to get across: I.e., you just can’t hang a hammock without meeting rules or allowable exceptions.

Still, IMO, hammocks are a very bad idea for all of the obvious reasons.

[getting older slowly]

Hammocks.... next we will be saying garden gnome are allow......

 

With the current trend of newer mass market ships.. the size on the balcony, has gotten rather small, to the point ultra small table and small chairs.... so there is no room except for two average people....    So with so little space.. there is little flexibly on what you can do.. it is either stand or sit..that it about it.

[Gabriele73]

On 3/9/2021 at 10:10 PM, jocap said:

It was an Aida cruise line ship.

 

AIDA does have Hammocks on their balconies. 
 

We have been on AIDA Prima and Perla and used the Hammock often. 

[KreinKrunker]

Don't need a hammock, but do need a Daiquiri Whacker.

 

The Daiquiri Whacker Gas Powered Portable Blender (gasblender.com)

[codeyell0]

I think the Hammock portion has gotten away from the main agenda of this topic.
I wanted to see what else people have done.

 

Think outside the box

 

[Lois R]

On 3/7/2021 at 11:41 AM, evandbob said:

We had a 15 ft deep balcony located on the "hump" of a Celebrity ship  Always had shade and sun!

Which ship? Years ago I had an AFT balcony on Summit..........that was a BIG balcony!

[Gabriele73]

On 3/9/2021 at 2:35 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

No ship would/should pass out hammocks. Huge safety hazard.

AIDA does.

They have hammocks on every balcony.

I have cruised with AIDA 3 times. The hammocks are great. 
There are also 2 chairs and a little table on the balconies.

Edited May 1, 2021 by Gabriele73

[Lunesse]

On 3/7/2021 at 8:44 AM, c-boy said:

In my earlier years, that mini sofa slash hide a bed would be on the balcony after 6 pm.

Rebel! Love it.

[Joebucks]

My balcony hack is saving $500-$1000 by buying an interior and using the free balconies all over the ship, that are way more fun.

[cb at sea]

On 3/7/2021 at 2:42 PM, neverbeenhere said:

 

With the forementioned towel clips

Or...hang your DAMP (not dripping wet) clothes on a hanger and hang that from the air vent in your cabin.  It will dry faster, and won't gather the salt from the ocean air.

 

[zekekelso]

Most ship balconies are big enough for a pac n play, for when the little one has gone to sleep and mom and dad want to stay up and talk, watch tv or whatever.