Verandah Door Locks?

[lorimay]

We just booked a November cruise on the Oosterdam. We have cruised several times before but never on HAL. Usually we book two connecting cabins (we have two children ages 9 and 11), but no connecting cabins were available. We have two VA aft cabins (4174 and 4176) and I understand that we can open the door between the two verandahs so we can privately go between rooms.

 

Here's my question - my 11-year-old is a sleepwalker. We are concerned about that he might somehow open the door to the verandah and go over the rail. I know it's irrational (at home he usually just gets out of bed and comes and finds me ad he's never even tried to go outside), but it's terrifying to think he might get outside. Can we lock the door to the verandah so he can't get outside? Any suggestions would be appreciated. If necessary one of us can sleep in the cabin with him.

 

We did consider getting an inside cabin across from a verandah, but that way we wouldn't be connecting at all and we would have no idea what he was doing.

 

Thanks for the information on the door locks.

[Marie321]

We just finished a cruise on the Westerdam in aft cabin 4169. We were also concerned since our son is a sleep walker. The door to the balcony is a heavy glass door. It has a heavy duty lock and can be locked and unlocked with a key. We locked the door each night and removed the key. Hope this helps relieve your anxiety!

[duck tune]

Every HAL ship we've been on has had the key in the lock to the balcony so feel secure in knowing you can control the environment!

[ESLO]

We just booked a November cruise on the Oosterdam. We have cruised several times before but never on HAL. Usually we book two connecting cabins (we have two children ages 9 and 11), but no connecting cabins were available. We have two VA aft cabins (4174 and 4176) and I understand that we can open the door between the two verandahs so we can privately go between rooms.

 

Here's my question - my 11-year-old is a sleepwalker. We are concerned about that he might somehow open the door to the verandah and go over the rail. I know it's irrational (at home he usually just gets out of bed and comes and finds me ad he's never even tried to go outside), but it's terrifying to think he might get outside. Can we lock the door to the verandah so he can't get outside? Any suggestions would be appreciated. If necessary one of us can sleep in the cabin with him.

 

We did consider getting an inside cabin across from a verandah, but that way we wouldn't be connecting at all and we would have no idea what he was doing.

 

Thanks for the information on the door locks.

 

Hi lorimay,

Though it is not the same ship, we sailed several times on the Rotterdam and also a Cunard ship with a Verandah. On both of the vessels we did have a key that when the door lock is open - the key remains in the lock and is unremovable. When the lock is closed - the key may be removed completely. Maybe you can lock it at night and put it under your pillow?

The Verandah Wall Door outside between cabins are opened by the Room Steward at the beginning of a cruise by request.

 

I hope this information will help you. You may also call HAL Ship Services for additional information about safety features for the cabin.

 

Wishing you a safe and healthy voyage.

 

Regards,

:) ESLO

(Ed & Bev)

[CruisinGrams]

Why not actually just share the room. We had 3 adults and a young child in a balcony room and we were not crowded. That would solve any worries or concern for safety. There are locks but I thought you wanted them to have access to you via the balcony. As a Grandparent and a parent, I would want them in the same room, just to be safe.

[serendipity1499]

IMHO..Even if the balcony door does lock, I would never leave two children that age alone in a cabin if it was not a connecting room with the door left open..

 

For safety sake I would want to be in the same room with them..Crews have keys to stateroom doors & could walk into the cabin at any time.. Also what happens if there is an emergency on the ship..Someone should be in their room to get life jackets on those children..I also believe that HAL books these rooms with the understanding that an adult would be in the same room..

 

By the same token I would never leave the children on a ship & go touring without the children, even if they are in the care of HAL..What would happen to them if there was an emergency & I could not get back to the ship?

 

I'm a grandmother & might be paranoid, but to me it's better to be safe than sorry..

[KAYEF]

We sailed on the O and had a verandah and the keys are IN the lock. You can, as mentioned, lock the door and remove the key.

WE got locked OUT when leaving Seattle; the lock just "clicked." Thank goodness "everyone" was out on their verandahs as well, so we shouted and asked someone to call for help for us. A steward came immediately and said, "This happens often. Just remove the key when you go outside and it shouldn't click locked." Just to be safe, when I was out there to watch the foam in the middle of the night, I pulled the heavy drape into the door opening!

AND, I too, believe there's a rule that each cabin MUST have an adult.....

at least 16 in the cabin...............no children are allowed alone.

[peaches from georgia]

 

I'm a grandmother & might be paranoid, but to me it's better to be safe than sorry..

You are NOT paranoid. It blows my mind that people will bring very young children on a cruise because they can't bear to be separated for a week and then leave them on the ship when they are wandering around a port. How many times do we read of pax getting left when the ship sails without them.

[CruisinGrams]

Peaches and Serendipity, glad to know I am not the only paranoid grandmother.

[lorimay]

I just want to reassure everyone that we are not neglectful parents and really are not trying to get on board the ship and then abandon our kids. We have taken our kids on several cruises (and NOT because we can't bear to leave them behind - but because cruising is a great family vacation). We have never left the ship at a port and left them in any kids program and we spend most of the time on the ship together and ALL of our time off the ship together. You won't meet any more caring and "paranoid" parents than us.

 

Unfortunately, there are no connecting cabins available on this cruise and this is the only sailing we can take. There are also no rooms that accomodate four people (there are, but the ship is near capacity and they won't book four to a room). Side-by-side cabins was our only choice, and with the balconies connecting it's almost the same as having connecting cabins.

 

As I said in my original post, we are concerned about my son sleepwalking (and of course the kids being alone in the room without us having access) and were just wondering about the lock to the balcony. Since we have always in the past had either connecting cabins or all four in a room or suite, this is all new to us.

 

We will probably just end up with one of us sleeping in the cabin with the kids to make sure.

 

BTW, we are booked correctly - one adult and one child per cabin, but the cruise line could care less who actually sleeps in which room.

 

Thanks to all of you for the informative answers and I hope the rest of you are satisfied that my children will be looked after carefully.

[Copper10-8]

Have a great cruise with your family, Lorimay!:)

[sail7seas]

Wishing you a great cruise. Hope you all have a wonderful vacation, Lorimay.