Last straw!

[PathfinderEss]

Had it happen once on a Hal ship and we were not happy. Like many people I can't sleep if it is to hot. :(

[mame42]

Noticed this on Princess too. I bet many cruise lines do this. Anything to save a buck...........

 

I experienced the same problem on the NCL Sun this January.

[Linda&Vern]

Are there any HVAC experts on this board? Here's my question. When leaving home for any length of time, we always turn our air in the summer to a higher temp than we like. In the winter we turn it to a lower heat setting than we like. We always regret it when we return home because (1) in the summer it takes hours of the AC running to return the house to our normal temp or (2) it takes hours of the Heat running to return the house to our normal temp in the winter.

 

So my questions is - Wouldn't this work the same on a cruise ship? Isn't the system going to have to work longer and harder at great expense to bring the cabins back to normal temps? The theory of ships doing this type of "energy conservation" to save money makes no sense to me. Sorry.

[AlohaPride]

The fan was essential, otherwise we couldn't have slept in the cabin. Because of our past experiences, ordering a fan from the front desk was our first priority after boarding the ship. Unfortunately they did not deliver it until the second day (saying that there was not one available!), by which time, we had had a miserable night and had started to get sick.

 

With space such a commodity, I'd hate to have to waste square footage on a fan when there is supposed to be air conditioning. I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences!

[zelker]

Have never experienced a lack of air flow at night on any cruise ship. We just finished a 10 night Sunfarer on the Zuiderdam which had been reported to be having A/C issues. Not only were there no issues, but we could hear the air in our cabin 24/7 AND it got so cold at night that we had to actually turn the thermostat a little into the red zone (or sometimes I was too lazy to get up so I'd just throw my robe over the top of the comforter).

[Taxguy77]

The fan was essential, otherwise we couldn't have slept in the cabin. Because of our past experiences, ordering a fan from the front desk was our first priority after boarding the ship. Unfortunately they did not deliver it until the second day (saying that there was not one available!), by which time, we had had a miserable night and had started to get sick.

 

"Not available"? They expect you to believe they went to a store on your first stop and bought one???

That'l be the day.

[FoxyTerrier]

I've seen his in hotels and I think it's controlled by a motion sensor. If I get hot I just wave my hands in the air and it senses the room is not empty.

 

I'm not sure that is the same on HAL or other ships that might be the issue.

[1teach53]

We have just reached 4 star Mariner status, but all celebrations have been cancelled! We are cancelling our booked Zaandam Antarctic cruise and are not making any plans to sail with HAL again in the near future. Why?

For the 5th HAL cruise in a row, we have had our cruise experience spoiled by their recent habit of cutting the cabin airflow during the night. The A/C is working well when we go to bed. We then awake at about 2 or 3 AM, in a hot, stuffy cabin, feeling like we cannot breath, throats sore and noses stuffed up. Between 4 and 5 AM, we can feel the flow of cool air resume. No amount of complaint or discussion makes any difference. Many people are not sensitive to this problem, so it does not matter to them. It does to us, but presumably there are few enough of us that HAL think that our loss as customers is worth the savings from this policy.

We are convinced that this is a cost saving measure, even though HAL deny it. We discussed it recently with a friend who is an international shipping expert, who agreed that this is probably what is going on. Well we have had enough. We have just returned from an Oosterdam cruise to New Zealand, which was to be HAL's last chance. They failed. We had uncomfortable nights, poor sleep and developed sinus and chest infections. We have sailed with HAL for 11 years, but have only experienced this with them during the last 3 years. We have not experienced this on other cruise lines during that time.

If you are not sensitive to this problem, then you can happily continue to sail with HAL. They are otherwise a great cruise line and we will miss them. If you are sensitive to this, then consider carefully. I wanted to share our experiences and feelings with you before we go. I have also written another letter to Mr Cruse's office. I have now given vent to my feelings on the subject and will close the door quietly on my way out. I hope that other cruise lines will allow us to breath well at night and sleep peacefully.

 

Just read your post. I have complained to my DH about this & he is not sensitive & not noticed this over the last few yeare on HAL!! This situation along with the many other cut backs on HAL has caused us to stop future cruise plans on HAL.

Our August 14 day to Alaska on Amsterdam will be our last! We just completed our 3rd cruise on Regent Seven Seas & continue to be VERY impressed. At first glance the price looks high but when considering ALL that is included this price & was only $200-$300 more than HAL, & there is NO comparison in quality of food & service, cabins are huge even in the lowest & a walk in closet!!

Thanks for your post, now I know I am not crazy!!!

Ps. AND on our last RSS cruise we had FREE WIFI !!!!!!

Edited March 4, 2014 by 1teach53
Add info

[George C]

We usually ask for a fan for our room, it helps to keep the room comfortable, especially if the air is not working well.

 

You shouln't have to need a fan on a cruise

[scamper]

Wow! I hate to hear this and sorry you're leaving HAL. This a/c issue certainly wasn't a problem on my last cruise. I took my nephew to the Caribbean for his high school graduation gift and this kid had the a/c at it's lowest setting for the entire trip. I live for a/c in summer (miserable in the heat), but I was FREEZING at night! Child's a weirdo! :0)

[frankc98376]

I've seen his in hotels and I think it's controlled by a motion sensor. If I get hot I just wave my hands in the air and it senses the room is not empty.

 

I'm not sure that is the same on HAL or other ships that might be the issue.

 

I notice what appeared to be a sensor next to the door on the Vistas. Has an on off switch and what looks like a motion sensor. I have no idea how they work but I have had the same experience in a hotel where a wave of my arm from the bed reactivated the A/C at night. Perhaps if no motion is detected for a set amount of time it cuts back the A/C? Any marine HVAC folks around here?

[CowPrincess]

bcscot, I'm so sorry you had those same issues again. I completely understand why you'll be looking for another cruise line :( Sad when one gets to the "breaking point" and says "that's it, they've had all the chances they are going to get". It seems more and more people are feeling that way about HAL.

[Cruising-along]

(So far) we have had the opposite problem, the cabin is too cold at night. That said, I would rather have it too cold than too hot and stuffy. I'm so sorry you've had that experience so many times. I'd be moving on too!

[Viesczy]

Haven't been on an HAL float since the fall of '12, but that cruise on the Westy the AC kep things at about .00003 Kelvin at all times. Had no worries about it being too stuffy, the biggest worry was warming up (and we were in the South Pacific).

 

FWIW I've fallen asleep on a ladder. Don't engage my mind, I can sleep through/on/in anything.

 

I hope you find a better place to spend your $ and enjoy spending that $. No reason to be :mad: when there are so many options to us now! No reason to be miserable.

 

Derek

[chrispb]

What a terrible experience.

 

But do ships really save much money by turning down air-con? Just curious, as I would think it's a negligible amount of extra oil?

[Fargo55]

Just came off the Noordam and we experienced the same thing. A few years a go found a great fan that runs off electricity or batteries and fits flat in the bottom of our luggage. Sometimes we use it and other times don't have to. It was a saver on this cruise as many times it seemed our cabin was not very cool when we returned from shore. At night the air conditioner seemed to come and go. I agree we shouldn't need to do this but it is a minor inconvenience to stay comfortable.

[PCruzer]

I'm so glad that you posted this. My husband and I have experienced this on many different HAL ships. We are both very sensitive to sleeping in a warm, stuffy room. We found that around 2 am in the morning we would wake up feeling extremely warm...like the AC level was reduced. We at first thought it was just us, but cruise after cruise on different HAL ships brought more of the same warm cabins in the middle of the night. I am sure that it is being done as a cost-cutting measure. This is exactly the reason we no longer cruise HAL in warm climates!

[doublebzz]

I wish an a/c expert or mechanical engineer would chime in on this thread and provide some technical reasons why this is happening. I don't buy the reasoning that HAL lowers the a/c to economize. I often experience the same problem in my home and its due to the fact that the outside temperature is generally the coolest between 2 and 5 in the morning sometimes reaching the thermostat level which reduces the efficiency of the a/c system.

[jwh]

I was on Zaandam with a group of 24 on the Antarctica sailing in January. Our cabins were scattered on different decks, categories etc. I chose a balcony cabin which was close to the laundry - or at least according to the deck plan it was close to the laundry. However not so.... the laundry and whatever space was alongside, had been converted to cabins. A physical check found only 1 laundry on board on a lower deck and 2 ironing tables to service the entire passenger contingent. Didn't matter in the scheme of things as the HAL laundry bag deal must be one of the best at sea and we were very happy with that.

 

However, and much more to the point of this thread.... How on earth can the air-conditioning which was designed to service 'x' number of cabins, be expected to efficiently function when the cabin numbers and subsequent passengers being accommodated, have been increased. I had been forewarned through this board about the air con problems. They are most definitely not exaggerated. We had ours adjusted from too hot, and then it became too cold. The technicians arrive with a thermometer which displayed a pleasant temperature but they had no option but to agree it was sweltering.

 

In addition the aircon absolutely, most definitely, is turned off - not by us - during the night. A survey of the rest of my group found that theirs was also turned off mysteriously during the night. Most of them were suffering with too hot or too cold rooms after the adjustments. The poor service mechanics were operating round the clock trying to keep up with demand. We kept our drapes closed during the day and balcony door open at night as there was absolutely no other option other than pass out!. I am an experienced traveller both on land and sea and have to say the situation on board with regards to the air-conditioning situation on Zaandam was absolutely appalling. I understand with the OP position.

Edited March 6, 2014 by jwh

[bcscot]

I was on Zaandam with a group of 24 on the Antarctica sailing in January. Our cabins were scattered on different decks, categories etc. I chose a balcony cabin which was close to the laundry - or at least according to the deck plan it was close to the laundry. However not so.... the laundry and whatever space was alongside, had been converted to cabins. A physical check found only 1 laundry on board on a lower deck and 2 ironing tables to service the entire passenger contingent. Didn't matter in the scheme of things as the HAL laundry bag deal must be one of the best at sea and we were very happy with that.

 

However, and much more to the point of this thread.... How on earth can the air-conditioning which was designed to service 'x' number of cabins, be expected to efficiently function when the cabin numbers and subsequent passengers being accommodated, have been increased. I had been forewarned through this board about the air con problems. They are most definitely not exaggerated. We had ours adjusted from too hot, and then it became too cold. The technicians arrive with a thermometer which displayed a pleasant temperature but they had no option but to agree it was sweltering.

 

In addition the aircon absolutely, most definitely, is turned off - not by us - during the night. A survey of the rest of my group found that theirs was also turned off mysteriously during the night. Most of them were suffering with too hot or too cold rooms after the adjustments. The poor service mechanics were operating round the clock trying to keep up with demand. We kept our drapes closed during the day and balcony door open at night as there was absolutely no other option other than pass out!. I am an experienced traveller both on land and sea and have to say the situation on board with regards to the air-conditioning situation on Zaandam was absolutely appalling. I understand with the OP position.

 

We had our first experience of this problem, three years ago on the Zaandam while on a cruise to Hawaii. We had been sailing with HAL for eight years, including Zaandam, Rotterdam and Oosterdam, but never experienced this. Since then, it has been every cruise, including all those ships. We just cancelled our Zaandam Antarctic cruise for next year as we really don't want to have that experience again. It happens whether it is hot or cold outside.

[Iwant2BatC]

I have been seriously considering buying a small portable air purifier for my next cruise. I, too, am tired of the respiratory stuff and the hot middle of the night sweats. Has anyone tried this? I know on the Antarctica cruise one couple put a portable humidifier in their room. The humidity is so low in the Antarctic that we draped wet washcloths over the a/c vents so we could get moisture in the air

[geoherb]

Having a cabin too hot has never been a problem for us. We had the opposite problem on a Carnival ship. Our cabin steward came and closed off our vent. It's a shame that HAL can't fix the problem that easily for those who like it cold.

[bcscot]

I have been seriously considering buying a small portable air purifier for my next cruise. I, too, am tired of the respiratory stuff and the hot middle of the night sweats. Has anyone tried this? I know on the Antarctica cruise one couple put a portable humidifier in their room. The humidity is so low in the Antarctic that we draped wet washcloths over the a/c vents so we could get moisture in the air

 

From my perspective, this is not a problem of temperature, humidity levels, impurities in the air etc, but simply one of no fresh air. Ventilation can be independent of temperature, humidity and impurities, simply requiring the provision of fresh air to a room (with the oxygen we need to breath) and the removal of stale air (with the carbon dioxide that is a waste product from us breathing). Reducing the temperature, adding humidity and filtering impurities, allergens etc, can help to reduce the discomfort from those problems, but it still doesn't give us the fresh air we need to breath. Opening the balcony door (if you have one) helps, but only if it is not hot, humid or windy outside and also may incur the wrath of your neighbours, the crew and a few legalists on this board! ;) :)

[doncarlos]

I have noticed this as well. It is about $. Cut back on air circulation saves electricity which saves how many diesels you need run which saves on sky rocking fuel costs which give captains and enginers gold stars back in Seattle. Same deal as cutting speed and setting up itens that don't require 18.5 knot runs overnight .

[GeriatricNurse]

Oh my -- this is terrible.

 

I am so sorry that you had such terrible sleeping conditions and ended up getting sick.

 

This is horrible to read. Both of us need a very cold room to sleep in. DH takes one medication that causes him to have "Hot Flashes". If I am not cool enough to sleep, I tend to get Bronchitis -- which is horrible. I get it quite often when our temperatures go up and down too quickly.

 

I hope this is not going to be the norm on all HAL ships -- otherwise -- we will be leaving HAL as well.

 

KK, on my recent Ryndam cruise, being located in an interior stateroom, the temperature of my s/r, upon boarding, (as taken by my small digital pocket thermometer reader), was 63F! As the cruise processed, the temperature gradually rose to 70F & remained constant at this temperature 24/7, even with my thermostat being set at maximum low! :( Thankfully, the temperature didn't rise any higher as it would have become too uncomfortable for me! :eek: I much prefer 63F 24/7! The temperature of my s/r was the highest of any HAL cruise yet taken! :(