Can You Sleep With the Balcony Door Open on a Cruise?

Falling asleep to the sound of the ocean and getting plenty of fresh sea air sounds like one of the best parts of having a balcony cabin.

But can you actually leave the balcony door open all night on a cruise ship?

The answer is that, yes, you physically can, but there are a few reasons it may not be a good idea…

In this article, we look at why that is.

Can You Sleep With Your Cruise Ship Balcony Door Open?

If you are staying in a traditional balcony cabin, you can open the balcony door and could technically leave it open all night.

However, rules and cabin designs vary between cruise lines and cruise ships.

Most balcony cabins have sliding patio-type doors, but I have stayed in a few with a single-opening door out onto the balcony.

Some ships may have doors that naturally close or are difficult to secure fully open.

Will the Air Conditioning Work With the Balcony Door Open?

On most newer cruise ships, opening the balcony door will switch off the air conditioning in the cabin straight away, and in hot or humid countries, the mirrors inside will steam up, and it will get very hot very quickly.

If you are on an older ship and the air conditioning doesn’t automatically shut off, the cabin’s air conditioning efficiency will be much less effective.

In hot or humid destinations, the cabin could quickly become uncomfortable. Humidity entering the room could also make bedding, clothes and surfaces feel damp.

You could check with the cabin steward if there are any rules or regulations on your particular cruise line regarding leaving balcony doors open, to be on the safe side.

Is It Noisy Sleeping With the Balcony Door Open?

You might find the ocean can be much louder than you expect, particularly while the ship is sailing at speed or if your cabin is on a lower deck.

Wind noise can also be significant, and it may disturb your sleep.

Neighbouring guests going out and talking on their balconies may be clearly heard.

Depending on cabin location, you might hear people up on the top decks; they often have bands playing and parties going on late into the evening.

You might be disturbed by crew activity, or activity on the dockside if you are arriving into port early in the morning – think forklift trucks reversing, cargo being moved, or dockworkers shouting instructions to each other. It probably won’t be as tranquil as you might think!

What Happens If You Open the Cabin Door Too?

A strong draught can be created when both the balcony door and the main cabin door are open.

If your cabinmate comes in through the main cabin door while the balcony door is wide open you might find that paper and lightweight belongings blow around the cabin.

Doors may slam suddenly. This can be surprising and potentially dangerous if fingers are anywhere near the door.

I recently heard of someone who this happened to, and the glass in the balcony door shattered, and they had to move cabins.

The experience may turn out to be less “gentle waves” and more “unexpected wind tunnel”!

A good practical tip is to close the balcony door before opening the main cabin door.

What About Rain and Bad Weather?

Weather can change overnight. Rain, sea spray or strong winds could enter the cabin.

Cruise lines may restrict balcony or window use during certain weather or operational conditions.

If conditions are rough, leaving the door open overnight is particularly unwise.

What About Infinite Veranda Cabins?

On the newer Celebrity ships, they have “Infinite Veranda” cabins, not traditional balcony cabins.

Instead of stepping through a door onto a separate balcony area, part of the cabin becomes the balcony when a large window is lowered.

This gives the ship a sleek look, as there are no visible balconies on the side.

Opening the window switched off the cabin’s air conditioning immediately when I sailed on Celebrity Edge.

All the cabin mirrors steamed up, and the room became very uncomfortable.

The windows that are lowered to convert the cabin area into a balcony are not fully controlled by the cabin guests.

The crew can shut all the windows remotely, due to bad weather or operational reasons.

When I was on Celebrity Edge, the Infinite Veranda windows were all locked shut on a sea day – and the weather wasn’t even particularly bad. It felt like we had booked an oceanview cabin.

Sleeping with the Infinite Veranda window may not even be an option, as you might find all the windows are shut remotely by the crew at night and you have no control over them!

Have a closer look at these unusual infinite veranda cabins in the video below:

Should You Sleep With Your Cruise Ship Balcony Door Open?

You may, technically, be able to, but leaving it open all night isn’t always the best idea.

• The main drawbacks of doing so:
  • The cabin can become hot and humid.
  • Air conditioning in the cabin may stop working or be less efficient.
  • Noise and wind can disturb your sleep.
  • The weather can change overnight.
  • If the ship is berthed, you will hear noise from the dockside.

I would normally enjoy the balcony door open while relaxing or lying on the bed. Then I would close it before going to sleep. If it is hot outside, I would keep the balcony door shut, and I will be relying on the air conditioning to keep the cabin cool.

Guests should always follow any instructions given by their specific cruise line or ship, I wouldn’t want to break any cruise ship rules!

I often sit out on my balcony and enjoy the sound of the waves when I return to my cabin last thing at night.

Then I come in and shut the balcony door, as I prefer to sleep in a dark room with the air conditioning running.

This allows me to have the room at the perfect sleeping temperature for me.

Before You Go

Leaving the balcony door open overnight might break the cruise lines’ rules. Find out about some far more risky rules I’ve seen broken here:

Risky Rules I’ve Seen Guests Break on Cruise Ships (Dangerous,

Find out why I sleep far better in a cruise ship cabin than I do at home here:

Why I Sleep Better On A Cruise Than At Home