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Connecting multiple balconies


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On the last few RC cruises we’ve been on, we’ve had six or seven balconies in a row and have had the room steward/maintenance tech open the baffles between all rooms so that we can access them all via one, connected balcony. The last cruise we took was on NCL, and this practice was prohibited. Were we just lucky on our previous cruises or have others been able to connect their balconies on RC? (We’re on Allure at the end of May.)

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6 minutes ago, Peter D said:

It's a very common practice.  If the balconies can be physically connected, then you'll be able to open them up.  perhaps NCL prohibited it due to covid protocols.

That's what Im afraid of, but then again, I dont sail until September:)

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It's very common on those Royal ships where it is physically possible to open the partitions and connect the balconies.  There are some Royal ships where this is NOT possible due to the design.  (Generally, the newer the more likely).  It's possible NCL either has a different policy (Covid or other reason) or it just can't be done on that particular ship.

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In 2006 the Star Princess experienced a fire that started on a balcony thought to be caused by a cigarette being thrown from a higher balcony.  Her balcony dividers did not open.  One of the findings from the investigation was that fire fighting activities were hindered because the crew could not move from balcony to balcony, they had to fight the fire from within each cabin onto that specific balcony.  Had they been able to move laterally from balcony to balcony they could have put out the fire much faster.

As a result balcony dividers that can be opened became a new requirement when building a passenger ship.    Ships built after the Star Princess event have balcony dividers can be opened, at least for crew movement, if not for the pleasure of groups with multiple cabins.

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4 hours ago, Spang1974 said:

I am hoping to this on my sailing in September!

It makes all of the difference. We usually get a connecting room for the kids, and the setup didn’t work for us to have an interior connecting door for our upcoming trip. We only proceeded with these rooms because of the connecting balconies. We tend to cruise with a lot of friends/family, and being able to access each other and through our “back doors” helps us all keep tabs on each other and more easily meet up to go to breakfast, head off the ship, etc. 

 

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4 hours ago, Peter D said:

It's a very common practice.  If the balconies can be physically connected, then you'll be able to open them up.  perhaps NCL prohibited it due to covid protocols.

Our NCL cruise was the last week before the world shut down - disembarked March 7, 2020. (I recall the ship head doc saying COVID is nothing to worry about.) 😬 I asked multiple people - room steward, guest services and anyone walking around with a tool pouch - hoping someone would give me a different answer. Said it was a safety issue and not allowed on any NCL ships. Not to sound dramatic, but it really made staying connected with our group more challenging.

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23 minutes ago, Cub said:

We are in an aft cabin on Radiance in July. Does anyone know if those dividers open?

Thanks

Radiance class balconies in general do not open with a caveat.  Some aft dividers do open, but it may be just for crew access purposes.  Some of the middle aft balcony dividers are solid pieces that don't open.

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