Noordam: Broken Toilet, Cold Showers, and a missed port to save money!

[Taxguy77]

Sheeesh! The ship toilets do this all the time! Delayed flush can be a bit disconcerting the first few times because you think, "eek, it won't (ever) flush". But it does! Usually takes anywhere from 2 minutes to half an hour to work when this problem rears its ugly head.

.

 

That said, the staff on the Noordam have not distinguished themselves with the (much delayed) handling of this particular problem. Pax should never have to spend so much time and effort to get the appropriate work done, when it appears to have been an easy and quick fix!

 

You've gone on the wrong ships!

We've been on 10 cruise, about 5 cruise lines, new to older stretched ships, and never had a toilet malfunction.

Of all the friends we made on board, only one ever complained of the problem.

[kazu]

You've gone on the wrong ships!

We've been on 10 cruise, about 5 cruise lines, new to older stretched ships, and never had a toilet malfunction.

Of all the friends we made on board, only one ever complained of the problem.

 

I have been on the oldest ship in the fleet and there were no issues at all with the toilets.

 

I have been on NCL and there was an issue - it wasn't pleasant and fans were running for two days and they did clean our suitcases, BUT they did attend to the problem promptly and we didn't wait 8 days.

 

We have had 'delayed flush' and concerns on two ships in the fleet overall. One was the newest one in the fleet at the time. I would have to say that the attitude on the N.A. was far more casual than the one I had experienced previously.

 

In any case, this stuff can happen on any ship - what counts is how fast they attend to it and how much empathy and concern you see.

 

I don't think the op has been seeing too much - that's the real concern IMO

[vbmom87]

I hate to complain, really do. I'm not that kind of person, and never sweat the small stuff, but this is becoming almost comical. If only someone cared!

 

This is what I have noticed as I read about people's experiences on HAL. When there are problems the staff just doesn't seem to care. It seems like the front desk staff is trained to give certain responses only. They don't seem to have the authority to truly try to solve a problem. If they do care, they aren't allowed to show it. From all I have read, HAL has some major work to do with customer service.

[VinTek]

You are quite right, maybe it happens all the time on HAL. And maybe the HAL customer service in this respect is not as good as that of the cruiseline on which you had similar problems.

 

So, I conclude, you have found the reason you should not sail HAL. Mission accomplished for you.

Based the track record of your past conclusions, I don't think your latest one carries much weight with me.

[OlsSalt]

I think if I was having to go to different decks just to use the bathroom for 8 days I would be protesting too.

 

Has not been established if this was only a delay flush toilet, or one marked and roped off as totally out of commission.

[kazu]

Has not been established if this was only a delay flush toilet, or one marked and roped off as totally out of commission.

 

It doesn't matter what has been 'established'. If they have to use a pubic washroom for 8 days, then it sounds like there is a big issue to me. I certainly wouldn't be using one if there was anyway I could use mine in my stateroom

[iancal]

I cannot imagine not being able to use the shower or the toilet in our stateroom for eight days.

 

This situation may be acceptable to some HAL cheerleaders however I do not think the majority of cruisers would be so understanding.

 

I suspect that some of the cheerleaders who appear so understanding and forgiving of HAL would not be so understanding if it happened to them. They would probably be the first to yell and scream.

 

And I do not think that many people really care how the shipboard toilets operate. They only care if it is working-or not. The rest is up to the cruise line.

[VinTek]

I would hope for a non-delay flush but because we have run into this on several cruises, we found it a quirk only and not a necessarily broken deal. Broken, fully non-operational and flooding toilets are an entirely different matter.

Ah, but that's the point of my question. At what point does a quirk become unacceptable? The reason I ask is because it's sensible to establish a baseline and then measure data (the OP's experience) to determine how it measures against that baseline. Surely, there is a point where a delay is undesirable and impractical. If we had statistical data, we would look at the average delay for all flushes and then draw a line where, say, a delay of 25% over the average would be considered unacceptable. But since we don't have that kind of objective data, we have to rely on something more subjective. Given that you've had considerable experience on HAL, I'm curious as to where you'd draw that line of where the delay would be unacceptable. At what point of waiting for a toilet to flush would you call for service? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? Something longer?

 

Using your line in the sand, a reader could determine if this kind of expectation is something he or she would want to be subject to. Remember, this issue is not the do-all or be-all of HAL. But it is a viable data point to consider when choosing among vacation options. Isn't that what we're all here for? To share information and make choices based on the information we receive?

[RuthC]

Has not been established if this was only a delay flush toilet, or one marked and roped off as totally out of commission.

Just how long is the time lag before a "delay flush" becomes "broken"? 5 minutes? 5 hours? 5 days???

It would be helpful to know, since we would know to wait that long before calling to report a "broken" toilet.

[RuthC]

Sorry, VinTek. We were typing at the same time.

[Boatdrill]

The captain said on the noon report that they looked into other Italian port (Portofino, etc.), but that the wind could be too much for the bow thrusters and we would have to get a tug instead. More bottom line from HAL. Can‘t pay for a tug and give us a beautiful evening in Portofino? For the missed stop in Monaco, we are getting a free glass of wine! Just wonderful! How insulting!

 

 

Sorry to hear of your bad luck on the Noordam. I'm curious about Portofino....isn't it a tender port ?

[Steirisch]

This sounds a bit like our cruise on the Prinsendam last year. When we finally did get hot water, then the air conditioning went out and our cabin was hot. We're going back to Crystal for this year's cruise.

[OlsSalt]

This sounds a bit like our cruise on the Prinsendam last year. When we finally did get hot water, then the air conditioning went out and our cabin was hot. We're going back to Crystal for this year's cruise.

 

Be sure and get a cabin away from the droning exhaust noise and funky smells on the Promenade deck, if you go on the Crystal Symphony.

[OlsSalt]

It doesn't matter what has been 'established'. If they have to use a pubic washroom for 8 days, then it sounds like there is a big issue to me. I certainly wouldn't be using one if there was anyway I could use mine in my stateroom

 

It does matter, if their choice was an over-reaction or even an exaggeration of a delay flush toilet. I would like to hear HAL's side of this story.

[Hlitner]

What I think is really "rude" are those (Cheerleaders and Trolls) who have an attitude that since they have never had a problem...nobody really has problems and should never complain. We have spent more then 3 years on cruise ships (with many different lines) and probably 95% of the time have no issues. But bad things can happen on any ship...and lately it seems like HA has more then their share (some think its due to deferred maintenance). On our HA cruises in just the past 4 years (about 170 days on several ships) we have had numerous plumbing problems, A/C problems, and a Prinsendam cabin where the area around our porthole was rusting and corroded and the heavy night light structure literally fell off the headboard (they came and welded it and it fell again). So we are very sympathetic to the OPs plight and would not have been as understanding if it happened to us.

 

Hank

[kazu]

What I think is really "rude" are those (Cheerleaders and Trolls) who have an attitude that since they have never had a problem...nobody really has problems and should never complain. We have spent more then 3 years on cruise ships (with many different lines) and probably 95% of the time have no issues. But bad things can happen on any ship...and lately it seems like HA has more then their share (some think its due to deferred maintenance). On our HA cruises in just the past 4 years (about 170 days on several ships) we have had numerous plumbing problems, A/C problems, and a Prinsendam cabin where the area around our porthole was rusting and corroded and the heavy night light structure literally fell off the headboard (they came and welded it and it fell again). So we are very sympathetic to the OPs plight and would not have been as understanding if it happened to us.

 

Hank

 

I so agree with this marvelous post.

 

there is no like button - but....

[OlsSalt]

What I think is really "rude" are those (Cheerleaders and Trolls) who have an attitude that since they have never had a problem...nobody really has problems and should never complain. We have spent more then 3 years on cruise ships (with many different lines) and probably 95% of the time have no issues. But bad things can happen on any ship...and lately it seems like HA has more then their share (some think its due to deferred maintenance). On our HA cruises in just the past 4 years (about 170 days on several ships) we have had numerous plumbing problems, A/C problems, and a Prinsendam cabin where the area around our porthole was rusting and corroded and the heavy night light structure literally fell off the headboard (they came and welded it and it fell again). So we are very sympathetic to the OPs plight and would not have been as understanding if it happened to us.

 

Hank

 

I think those who you dismiss as "trolls or cheerleaders" just have a higher tolerance for the types of things that can be amiss on any of these older cruise ships, particularly when they still want the choice of the smaller ships over the larger but more modern ones.

 

Things happen but when they do we actually felt that HAL responded with gracious courtesies whenever they could. We too had a rusted window in our last OV cabin - not pretty, but well within our own tolerance levels for any ship on the high seas. We have run into delay flush toilets, occasional lukewarm showers and some overflows in other cabins on our decks - these things happen.

 

I have yet to see any proof of "deferred maintenance"... as compared to what standards? I think these are very complex structures to keep operating at 100% maximum efficiencies under the circumstances. HAL still works for us, even when it does not work. :cool:

[kazu]

It does matter, if their choice was an over-reaction or even an exaggeration of a delay flush toilet. I would like to hear HAL's side of this story.

 

You never ever will:( so, you can either accept the report - or don't judge. HAL will never come on here and respond.

[chrispb]

I think those who you dismiss as "trolls or cheerleaders" just have a higher tolerance for the types of things that can be amiss on any of these older cruise ships, particularly when they still want the choice of the smaller ships over the larger but more modern ones.

 

:cool:

 

Higher tolerance or lower standards?

 

I don't think I'd be very happy traipsing about the ship at 2 or 3 am looking for a public loo, would you?

[iancal]

Call me unreasonable.

 

I expect to get what I pay for. No excuses, no ifs ands or buts. I am what they call a consumer.

 

When I pay for a cruise, I expect my cabin to be in good working order.

 

That does not mean that I do not tolerate the occasional issue that occurs and is fixed. That does NOT however include day after day of malfunctioning HVAC or plumbing systems.

 

And if I did experience day after day of a malfunctioning toilet, I certainly would not care about what anyone else says about the construction or operation of the ships sewage system. I would not care. It would only serve to distract me from my real issue......a malfunctioning toilet for eight days.

 

If anyone feels that this is acceptable, then my only hope is that you never reach a position of responsibility in the hospitality or cruise business.

[arewethereyet]

The persistent smell of human excrement over an extended period of time might be considered the "canary in the coal mine" when determining whether a toilet is flushing or not.

 

Several years ago, a friend of mine was shot outside of a grocery store by a fleeing robber. My friend was wounded in the leg. He was not an expert at gunshot wounds, but was still able to determine what it was by the personal experience. No one had to "establish" that he had been shot. He sort of figured it out by himself.

[Wakepatrol]

Floating off of Monaco and spending $2 a minute on the internet,to get the advice of wannabe plumbers and engineers on cruise critic.

 

That Larry David is hilarious

[selma]

What I think is really "rude" are those (Cheerleaders and Trolls) who have an attitude that since they have never had a problem...nobody really has problems and should never complain. We have spent more then 3 years on cruise ships (with many different lines) and probably 95% of the time have no issues. But bad things can happen on any ship...and lately it seems like HA has more then their share (some think its due to deferred maintenance). On our HA cruises in just the past 4 years (about 170 days on several ships) we have had numerous plumbing problems, A/C problems, and a Prinsendam cabin where the area around our porthole was rusting and corroded and the heavy night light structure literally fell off the headboard (they came and welded it and it fell again). So we are very sympathetic to the OPs plight and would not have been as understanding if it happened to us.

 

Hank

 

 

Amen! And that's coming from someone who never utters that word, so says quite a lot.

 

With such "friends" HAL definately needs no "enemies". Sjeez. You would almost hope HAL has a system that keeps track of guests online comments, so they can distribute those staterooms known to have certain issues to those guest with "higher tolerance" levels.

[cruzeluver]

Hope my standards never become so low that a non-working toilet and no hot water for 8 days would be considered an "inconvenience". :rolleyes:

[blueboro]

I think those who you dismiss as "trolls or cheerleaders" just have a higher tolerance for the types of things that can be amiss on any of these older cruise ships, particularly when they still want the choice of the smaller ships over the larger but more modern ones.

 

Things happen but when they do we actually felt that HAL responded with gracious courtesies whenever they could. We too had a rusted window in our last OV cabin - not pretty, but well within our own tolerance levels for any ship on the high seas. We have run into delay flush toilets, occasional lukewarm showers and some overflows in other cabins on our decks - these things happen.

 

I have yet to see any proof of "deferred maintenance"... as compared to what standards? I think these are very complex structures to keep operating at 100% maximum efficiencies under the circumstances. HAL still works for us, even when it does not work. :cool:

 

But I do feel a non-working toilet whether for 10 minutes or 10 hours for 8 solid days is a little different than a rusted window. Again, my suggestion is to squat at the service desk and then you will be GUARANTEED to get in front of someone with some authority.