No Compensation for Moldy Stateroom Stench

[happybeachbum]

I read the other day about someone who was on the Eclipse and her luggage got erroneously delivered to the wrong floor. She discovered this herself after some self-sleuthing. She was compensated by a "generous" onboard credit and bottle of champagne.

 

Well, we booked adjoining balcony rooms on the 10-nt. X-mas sailing of the Equinox. For 2 days as soon as you entered our adjoining vestibule, the smell of mold/mildew was noticeable and then was especially strong in our bathroom. We had treatment after treatment and visit after visit from the Chief of Housekeeping, etc., and numerous calls, to no avail. They were coming again to treat/fix the problem after we left for dinner on our second night. When we returned, the stench was gone, and only once in a great while did we get a minor whiff of mildew.

 

I was surprised that after 2 days of being subjected to this odor (I unfortunately get an immune response from mold so this was more than an annoyance) all we got were concerned calls from the front desk. I thought it would be customary to receive some type of compensation for having a cabin stench for 2 days. After all, this is a newer Celebrity ship!!

[richsea]

Exactly what is it that you think you are entitled to? A 2 day credit? $50? $100? A free drink? Why do you think that they should give you anything? It's not like that ignored your problem.

 

Sorry, but I don't think that you are entitled to any compensation.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Tough call, IMO. I think what OP is saying is that, if they're willing to offer a "generous" OBC and a bottle of bubbly as compensation for misdirected luggage, why would they not offer something for something that was more of a health issue that took two days to resolve? I've dealt with mold, and you can get sick. It apparently was more than a passing problem if it took them two days to eradicate it.

 

On the other hand, things don't always go perfectly, and/or the OP may have had a higher-than-average sensitivity. It may have been something that the average person may have noticed and asked to have rectified, but was not something that would have caused an undue burden or distress. One might take issue with how thoroughly the room steward was doing his/her job and decrease the gratuity a bit if it seemed as though the fault lay there, but I don't know about OBC. What would the OP considered as just compensation?

[ORV]

Whatever you do don't ever book The Paul Gauguin.

[Orator]

Remember the old school insurance policies that listed exactly what compensation you would receive if you lost a hand, or leg, or combinations of various appendages? Think that the cruise lines need to adopt a similar list indicating what ones gets if things are less than perfect. For example: melted ice in ice bucket would be worth a free non alcoholic drink. If you wait more than 30 seconds for an elevator you would receive a 1/2 hour Spa treatment. A "mistake" steak would entitle one to a free lunch at Bistro on 5 (if S Class ship or newly remodeled M Class). Standardizing compensation would remove questions and conflict for most. Obviously some would still feel that any error deserves at the minimum a free cruise.

[Booyakasha]

I would like to see the post of the person who got a generous OBC credit for misdirected luggage. I can see the bubbly but $$....? that seems above and beyond.

 

Please post the link.

 

B.

[Jade13]

Whatever you do don't ever book The Paul Gauguin.

 

Really. Please tell me more because we have been wanting to book that trip.

[ORV]

Really. Please tell me more because we have been wanting to book that trip.

 

 

While it is a great ship in a wonderful part of the world it tends to have a moldy smell, especially in the lower areas as you get closer to the marina platform.

 

At least it did when we were on it a couple of years ago.

 

That was directed to the OP or anyone that might be sensitive to moldy smells. It certainly didn't affect our trip.

[Lois R]

Personally, I think neither item is "compensabtle"...is that a word?

Their luggage was delivered to the wrong place? Compensation?:eek:

Just deliver it to the right place.

 

After the 2nd day of the bad odor, if the cabin attendant had not

accomplished cleaning it to your satisfaction, I would have talked to the

Asst Chief Housekeeper (your attendant's supervisor) about a deodorizer.

As for compensation? A clean smelling room would be just fine, thanks:)

[keels81]

A person having to go find their OWN lost luggage is worth compensation -- clearly, the staff aboard Celebrity made a mistake and didn't rectify it on their own, so compensation was awarded.

 

In this case, you being sensitive to a mold smell that the staff was continuously working on is not deserving of additional compensation. Sorry, but it's not the line's fault that their repeated efforts at making the room better were not up to your sensitivities.

 

That said, if you have a strong aversion to musty smells, I think cruise travel is not truly for you. You realize that these are boats? On the water? Out in the elements for years at a time? A certain amount of mustiness is to be expected, no matter what line.

[Druke I]

I don't believe there is any call or need for compensation for the problem, as outlined.

 

I do think some people have an unreasonable sense of "entitlement".

[rjp6902]

I don't believe there is any call or need for compensation for the problem, as outlined.

 

I do think some people have an unreasonable sense of "entitlement".

 

+1

 

Agree 100%

[wander]

I also question folks who claim to have received a "generous onboard credit" most of the time.

[2SeaWithMe]

I'm personally pretty allergic to mold and probably wouldn't have been able to stay in the room. I understand how this could have been a big deal for the OP.

 

I don't think cruising and musty odors go hand and hand, but I will agree it's a risk you run.

[taxjam]

Happy Beachbum - did you ask for compensation?

 

Most everyone else - I disagree - Happy Beachbum should have been immediately moved or if nothing was available compensated. Who would want to be in a musty, mildewed room?

[ccletzgo]

I would like to see the post of the person who got a generous OBC credit for misdirected luggage. I can see the bubbly but $$....? that seems above and beyond.

 

Please post the link.

 

B.

 

Yea me too. I believe the bottle of wine, but the OBC ? Humm:rolleyes:

[jackdiamond]

On our Christmas cruise, the folks had a bit of a problem finding our booze on the last night, but after a visit to guest relations it was finally received before 10:00 P.M. I do not believe that our situation warranted compensation, only the receipt of the booze.

No, Lois, that is not a proper word.

[Lois R]

On our Christmas cruise, the folks had a bit of a problem finding our booze on the last night, but after a visit to guest relations it was finally received before 10:00 P.M. I do not believe that our situation warranted compensation, only the receipt of the booze.

No, Lois, that is not a proper word.

 

Thanks Jack, I knew it wasn't. I made it up.

[bighairtexan]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/compensatable

compensatable

English

 

Adjective

compensatable (comparative more compensatable, superlative most compensatable)

For which compensation is payable.

[lastmin]

I agree with happybeachbum; she deserved something. If I had been in that room for 2 days of my vacation I would have wanted something to make up for the negative experience, also. You go on vacation to relax; if you can't breathe properly you can't enjoy your vacation. I was on a Princess cruise last December and spent 3 days next to a chain smoker who never left his room. He would get up at 3 am every morning and begin smoking, and immediately we would wake up. (There was something wrong with the ventilation and it spewed the smoke directly into our room.) The first 3 days of our cruise were miserable. I complained and complained and they refused to move us until my husband finally insisted they do something. It was so bad we would have to get up and leave our cabin around 5 am and try to sleep on a deck chair. (And I don't normally get up at 5 am, even when I'm not on vacation.) Even the cabin steward mentioned how bad it was, but he was afraid to say anything because he didn't want to get in trouble. But he told us he could barely breathe when he cleaned the room and the entire hallway reeked of smoke.

 

Princess's lack of concern for our situation and the amount of time they took to correct it really turned me off. If they had offered us something, anything, it may have changed our feeling toward the whole cruise. But I was left feeling the first half of my vacation was ruined, and I was bitter that I had to pay for such a torturous experience. I think if it's a matter where your health and well-being are affected you are entitled to some compensation. You took time and spent money to get some peace and relaxation and you've been given the opposite of what you were promised.

 

(And before everyone tells me that smoking is allowed on Princess, I know that, I'd cruised Princess many times before but this is the only time I've ever had this experience. That's why we thought there was something wrong with the ventilation.)

[lastmin]

By the way, I didn't expect compensation; just a different room. I'm just saying had they offered me something it would have mitigated some of my ill-feeling. Now I'm switching to Celebrity because of their non-smoking policy and because I'm still bitter about my last Princess cruise. My entire family wanted to do Princess again (we all are Platinum or higher Captain Circle members) and I convinced them to try Celebrity b/c of that experience. I don't know; maybe compensation wouldn't have made any difference, but if Princess had handled it differently they wouldn't have lost all of our business.

[elena7seas]

Personally, I think neither item is "compensabtle"...is that a word?

Their luggage was delivered to the wrong place? Compensation?:eek:

Just deliver it to the right place.

 

After the 2nd day of the bad odor, if the cabin attendant had not

accomplished cleaning it to your satisfaction, I would have talked to the

Asst Chief Housekeeper (your attendant's supervisor) about a deodorizer.

As for compensation? A clean smelling room would be just fine, thanks:)

 

Hi Lois: I think what you intended to type was "compensable", right? That is a bonafide word.

 

"Compensable" is defined in both Oxford Dictionaries and Merriam-Webster on line (and in my home dictionaries). Compensatable is not included in either.

 

From Oxforddictionaries.com

 

compensable (com¦pen|sable)

 

Pronunciation:/kəmˈpɛnsəb(ə)l/

adjective

 

• (of a loss or hardship) for which compensation can be obtained.
  

Happy New Year to you!

[2SeaWithMe]

I understand where you are coming from. Our only cruise on RCCL was somewhat similar. The cruise before us they had waves that crested the 9th deck, and rugs all over the ship were soaked. The dining room was crazy...you squished when you walked on the carpet, it was so wet. Right up until the last day of the cruise.

 

Around the third day they had fans everywhere, but the musty/moldy smell was pretty unbearable. We were really fortunate to have a table away from the windows, they had to move other tables from that area because people were sneezing so much! The hallways where the rooms were, always had wet carpet as water had come over the balconys and just seeped along the carpet pads into the rooms. I guess the doors weren't watertight? Because of the ship design, you could either take an elevator upstairs to go outside and walk across the length of the ship from our room, than another one downstairs to go to dinner, walk through the wet hallway, or walk through the smoky casino.

 

To make matters worse, the CDC had come on the ship the week before because of a Legionnaires' outbreak, and the hot tubs were closed the entire cruise, and the pool only opened the last day.

 

We laughed about it at the time, and now, but it didn't make it any better. My husband was angrier than I was, because he thought at least ONE wet/dry vac could have done more than the fans they put everywhere.

 

All in all, any vacation was better than no vacation, but it has always bothered me that RCCL didn't offer even a free drink to all the people who couldn't even eat dinner in the MDR.

[happybeachbum]

I would have been happy with a bottle of champagne, but wouldn't have been surprised if something else were offered. Champagne would have cost them, what, maybe 5 bucks minimum and gone a long way in customer relations. We spent thousands upon thousands for 5 of us to cruise. The smell was unacceptable. Period. No paying guest of Celebrity should have to endure obnoxious moldy odors. The source of the stench should have been eradicated at the onset, whenever that was - but long before we moved in. Everyone who came into the room to inspect immediately understood.

 

Thank you so so so so much for the heads up on the Paul Gauguin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just a few moments ago looking at their mailer I received today! And contemplating the various schedules & dates for 2011!!

[happybeachbum]

I would like to see the post of the person who got a generous OBC credit for misdirected luggage. I can see the bubbly but $$....? that seems above and beyond.

 

Please post the link.

 

B.

 

Found it. It's under Member reviews. The Eclipse 12/10 sailing. Member name: 25N80W The heading is: Well Appointed Ship......

 

Also, no, I didn't ask for compensation. I just thought they might provide it at some point.