Does Princess lock balcony doors when sailing?

[luvthis]

This sounds like a stupid question, but I just spoke with a friend that just returned from a cruise on Princess. She stayed in an ocean view room. She was told that balcony doors are automatically locked when at sea and that's why she didn't pay for a balcony room. I have enjoyed being in a balcony cabin twice on Celebrity in recent years. DH & I spent many hours on our balcony on sea days.

 

Does Princess really lock balcony doors so people cannot utilize them while the ship is moving at sea?

 

We are cruising on the Sun Princess in a few weeks, but are in an inside cabin. We had to keep our costs down so we could afford to sail for 17 nights...ha! The last time we sailed on Princess was in 1997 and it was probably our most memorable cruise ever. It was the Hawaii-Tahiti cruise and we chose to spend an extra week in Moorea after the cruise ended. What a beautiful part of the world Tahiti is! This voyage will be our 8th on a Princess ship. I just can't believe they lock people out of their balconies on sea days. That just doesn't sound right, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

 

Thanks!

--Jean

[Steelersngators]

No. The doors are not locked. We used our balcony every night.

[beachurgh]

Hi, just returned from cruise on Star Princess, they do not lock the balcony doors. We had ours open at nite all the time. And part of the reason anyone would book and pay for a balcony cabin is to sit out on it when sailing...

[JLC@SD]

This sounds like a stupid question, but I just spoke with a friend that just returned from a cruise on Princess. She stayed in an ocean view room. She was told that balcony doors are automatically locked when at sea and that's why she didn't pay for a balcony room. I have enjoyed being in a balcony cabin twice on Celebrity in recent years. DH & I spent many hours on our balcony on sea days.

 

Does Princess really lock balcony doors so people cannot utilize them while the ship is moving at sea?

 

We are cruising on the Sun Princess in a few weeks, but are in an inside cabin. We had to keep our costs down so we could afford to sail for 17 nights...ha! The last time we sailed on Princess was in 1997 and it was probably our most memorable cruise ever. It was the Hawaii-Tahiti cruise and we chose to spend an extra week in Moorea after the cruise ended. What a beautiful part of the world Tahiti is! This voyage will be our 8th on a Princess ship. I just can't believe they lock people out of their balconies on sea days. That just doesn't sound right, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

 

Thanks!

--Jean

 

.....if this is true.....how did the couple fall from their balcony on the Grand Princess........which was at sea at the time they fell / jumped......:)

[LARGIN]

Princess does not lock balcony doors..

[stoneharborlady]

Unless perhaps your friend stayed in one of the most forward cabins? I have read of that one having its balcony door locked while the ship is moving, and its extremely windy.

 

Karen

 

 

 

This sounds like a stupid question, but I just spoke with a friend that just returned from a cruise on Princess. She stayed in an ocean view room. She was told that balcony doors are automatically locked when at sea and that's why she didn't pay for a balcony room. I have enjoyed being in a balcony cabin twice on Celebrity in recent years. DH & I spent many hours on our balcony on sea days.

 

Does Princess really lock balcony doors so people cannot utilize them while the ship is moving at sea?

 

We are cruising on the Sun Princess in a few weeks, but are in an inside cabin. We had to keep our costs down so we could afford to sail for 17 nights...ha! The last time we sailed on Princess was in 1997 and it was probably our most memorable cruise ever. It was the Hawaii-Tahiti cruise and we chose to spend an extra week in Moorea after the cruise ended. What a beautiful part of the world Tahiti is! This voyage will be our 8th on a Princess ship. I just can't believe they lock people out of their balconies on sea days. That just doesn't sound right, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

 

Thanks!

--Jean

[mii]

Normally Princess does not lock the balcony doors but for example on the Sapphire/Diamond ships if you have suites on the front of the ships that wrap around to the front then those balcony doors are locked during sea days. We had one one the Sapphire B104. If you look at the diagram of the ship those on the Aloha, Baja, and caribe have suites that the balconies wrap around toward the front. Maybe that is what she meant. Your balcony door can be opened from your suite but the door that is wrapped around to the front is locked while at sea.

 

Marilyn

[JohnLauben]

If I recall correctly, there are some balcony cabins on the DIAMOND and SAPPHIRE PRINCESSes which face forward (i.e., not on the aft, port or starboard sides of the ship). Due to winds while the ship is in motion, I believe that the balcony doors for these cabins only are locked while the ship is in motion.

[luvthis]

I can certainly understand the need to lock the balconies in severe weather or, as suggested, at the way forward cabins if the balcony faces the wind.

 

I figured my friend had to be confused. And I thought the same thing about "how did those 2 passengers fall into the sea from their balcony if the the doors were locked".

 

Although Bob & I really love the verandas, this trip we settled for "just get us in the ship". Since our cabin is near the aft of the ship, I have researched the layout and if we walk up one deck and back about 6 cabins, there is a door that leads out to a nice deck that I can sit and read and enjoy the wake of the ship. Ah...can hardly wait!

 

Recently, there was a thread about the Sun Princess not having enough scheduled activities and that the passengers were older and went to bed by 10:00 p.m.

 

Well, DH & I are in our 50's and I am truly looking forward to the many days at sea, fewer children, and the the many older passengers we will be fortunate enough to meet and visit with. In recent years, we have been going to Puerto Vallarta and staying at an adults-only all-inclusive resort on the beach. Lying on the beach or sitting on my balcony with a good book is my favorite activity when vacationing there. I enjoy "people watching" as the younger adults play tequila volley-ball, beach volleyball, and other scheduled pool games. I have fun going to the evening show and watching the young crowd get involved and then stay and dance.

 

This time, I will be relaxing on an open deck, reading a book while the ocean breeze surrounds me. DH & I will take in an evening show; maybe listen to some lounge music; give some money to the casino; heck...we might even check out the disco. If no one is there, that's a-okay, too.

 

Cruising affords each of us the opportunity to vacation the way we each choose to. As I race through these next few weeks getting ready for our adventure, the anticipation for our cruise builds & builds.

 

Maybe our next cruise we'll be able to afford a veranda again. However, this time, the inside cabin will be just perfect!

 

--Jean

[Druke I]

The forward facing balcony cabins on Diamond and Sapphire do have the doors locked, due to high winds across the bow.

 

Cabins B102, B100, B101, B103, B105, C102, C100, C101, C103, & C105 all have the balconies "blacked out" on the deck plans, and are usually sold as Category CC Deluxe Oceanview.

 

When first in service, the balcony doors had a lot of damage from furniture being blown into them while underway.

 

Often, in port, a friendly steward will unlock them upon request.

[luvthis]

Thanks for the info, Druke. That makes sense. My friend must have only heard part of the story regarding locked balcony doors. Last year when we went to Alaska, DH & I spent a lot of time on our veranda. The view was spectacular and I just made sure I had plenty of clothing on and a wool blanket to wrap around me for extra protection.

 

Lucky are all of you that are cruising soon and have a room with a veranda! It's hard to step back to the "inside" world of cruising, but I'm not complaining. All I have to do is step outside on one of the decks and I can enjoy the same view...just without the privacy this time.

 

Can't wait...can't wait...can't wait!

 

--Jean

[Mbouck1]

We had one of them rooms on the Diamond inaugural cruise. They did not tell us they will be locking the doors during sea days until we got to the room. We could not get another room either since the ship was full. Princess did compensate us very well though when we returned from the cruise.

[Princess Chatterer]

Does Princess really lock balcony doors so people cannot utilize them while the ship is moving at sea?

 

 

Of course Princess doesn't lock balcony doors on most cabins so people can't use them. Some doors are very heavy and hard to open but the locking handle is totally controlled by the passenger except in the very few cabins mentioned above.

[cjh]

The only time I close mine is when it gets cold at night. It's open from the time I get up in the morning until I get cold. I love the sound of the ocean.

[Coral]

The forward facing balcony cabins on Diamond and Sapphire do have the doors locked, due to high winds across the bow.

 

Cabins B102, B100, B101, B103, B105, C102, C100, C101, C103, & C105 all have the balconies "blacked out" on the deck plans, and are usually sold as Category CC Deluxe Oceanview.

 

When first in service, the balcony doors had a lot of damage from furniture being blown into them while underway.

 

Often, in port, a friendly steward will unlock them upon request.

 

Just to add what Druke is saying.

 

These cabins were originally balcony cabins. Due to the wind (as others have stated), they were re-classified as oceanview cabins because the balcony is unusable when the ship is moving. Thus, they really couldn't sell them as full balcony cabins because people can't use the balcony all the time.

 

Your friend must have misunderstood the reason for locking of the doors. It is due to the wind, not because she only paid for an ocean view cabin.

 

I hear that these cabins are open except for when the ship is sailing.