Scenic Oceanview...uh not so "scenic"

[travelplus]

If I were in your situation you could be most certain that I would be down at Guest Services in a New York Minute and ask nicely but firmly for the Hotel Manager and tell him/her what the problem is and to send someone to check it out.

 

Once they confirm the problem I would ask for another room of the same or higher level. If they could not give me the room I would tell them I expect extra Onboard Credit and a 50 percent Future Cruise Credit along with champagne etc.

 

You see if you wait until after the cruise it may be hard to get anymore compensation. Had you tried going down to Guest Services the moment you noticed it?

 

I was once at a hotel and checkin time was delayed and they promised me to get a room on a high floor. The agent assigned me a room on a lower floor so I asked nicely that we had requested a specific view on a high floor. This kind agent called her supervisor and said we were at the hotel for our birthdays and they upgraded us to a 1 bedroom Penthouse Suite.

 

I always ask to see the room and check out any problems and right away deal with them rather than wait. I know they are busy with first day issues but I specifically wanted a Panoramic Oceanview and the window has a crack which could potentially turn into a broken window and safety hazard.

[Sue Do-Over]

The narrow walkway outside this window may only be accessible using special equipment. Not only when the ship is at port, but maybe only by swinging down a worker in a rappelling harness. At the very least, someone trained to work in a harness like that (safety regs require special training for anyone wearing or securing that equipment).

 

Those tasks are regularly scheduled (like once a week), because the setup takes time, and more then one crew member. Since those crew members rotate through a series of tasks -- some for safety, some inspection/repair and some strictly cosmetic, disrupting their schedule to improve your view could keep them from doing an important safety check or repair.

 

While it was certainly a disappointment that your view was (partially) obstructed, it didn't impact your safety, damage any of your belongings, or interfere with the ships operations. Nor was it something that the crew could have prevented (like failing to close a hatch that allowed rain in).

 

I, personally, would not expect that an entire service/maintenance crew be dispatched to clean a single window out of schedule. Let's put it in perspective.

[cruizinisthebest]

The narrow walkway outside this window may only be accessible using special equipment. Not only when the ship is at port, but maybe only by swinging down a worker in a rappelling harness. At the very least, someone trained to work in a harness like that (safety regs require special training for anyone wearing or securing that equipment).

 

Those tasks are regularly scheduled (like once a week), because the setup takes time, and more then one crew member. Since those crew members rotate through a series of tasks -- some for safety, some inspection/repair and some strictly cosmetic, disrupting their schedule to improve your view could keep them from doing an important safety check or repair.

 

While it was certainly a disappointment that your view was (partially) obstructed, it didn't impact your safety, damage any of your belongings, or interfere with the ships operations. Nor was it something that the crew could have prevented (like failing to close a hatch that allowed rain in).

 

I, personally, would not expect that an entire service/maintenance crew be dispatched to clean a single window out of schedule. Let's put it in perspective.

 

I don't think the OP expected the entire maintenance crew be dispatched. And if it couldn't have been cleaned at any point during the cruise, the appropriate thing to do was tell her flat out. The window was said to be cracked all the way across, which in my view absolutely does pose a potential safety issue as these windows are huge. That would have bothered me more than the bird crap. A strong wind or something hitting it and it could have broken all together.

 

As I said before, I think the 10% was appropriate given the type of room it was.

[sandij]

it was still a lovely view

[auggies]

We had an oceanview room on the Carnival Imagination and the window was disgusting the whole time. I was hoping they were going to clean it while we spent the day in Nassau but they didn't.

I have photos on my blog

http://www.frontporchreviews.com/2014/01/carnival-imagination-miami-fl-to-nassau-bahamas-review/

[kelson21167]

I have room 9199 on the conquest April 27th I hope I read your original post as being on the Valor. Can you please clarify thanks

[Pellaz]

The OP does not deserve 10% compensation because there was bird-poop on the "scenic" oceanview window. Birds poo. It happens.

 

The OP DOES, however, deserve 10% compensation -- which they have NOT received; that was someone else in the thread -- because Carnival promised several times to send someone with Windex, or a cleaning crew, or an entire battalion, or a maid-brigade, to clean the window...AND THEY DID NOT.

It doesn't matter WHAT resources the cleaning would require; the fact is that they promised to have it cleaned, presumably knowing the resources required for such a task (rappelling gear? helicopter? Some dude with a rag?), and yet they failed. Several times.

 

OP should be awarded reasonable compensation.

10% is, IMO, reasonable.

[sjn911]

Understood Jimbo. Isn't it said to be good luck if a bird poops on your head? lol. I think I got that one from my grandmother. ;)

 

To date (and sadlyI have had multiple occurences of this on a cruise) my experience has been....not so much (in the increased luck department).:confused:

LOL..the lucky bird poop thread...Leaving on a 10 PM flight from Kona, Hawaii back to Montana from Christmas 2009 and parent's 50th..outdoor waiting area under a tree and YUP..right on the top of my head...thank heaven for time to use the hand soap, sink and hand dryer in public rest room before climbing those plane steps and what turned out to be 24 more hrs to home.

 

If I am really open and grateful minded..I have been lucky....LOL..but still would love some of the big dreams,,LOL...Sarah

 

I think you pay extra for the scenic OV and that should come with what..at least 3 weekly cleanings if pooped on...Sarah

 

Good luck OP with some reasonable satisfaction and maybe fixing protocol for those rooms in the future and so very sorry for your loss...just have grieved my mom horribly, so many parts of it...can't imagine a child..Sarah

Edited April 13, 2014 by sjn911

[t1adams]

We did get compensation for this unsightly view. And yes it was unsightly. It's so easy to judge when something doesn't happen to you. I won't discuss how much compensation it was, but it was very very fair. ;) So fair in fact, we already booked our cruise for next spring break. We were actually shopping different cruiselines just to experience something different and decided to book again with Carnival due to the discount. This time we aren't taking chances and are booking a balcony room. If anything drops on our window, I can just clean it myself, no problem, lol. I'll just feel more right at home anyway, right? :o

 

A big "thank you" to all of you who have expressed empathy for this situation (and sympathy for our life situation which was irrelevant to this but I happened to mention in a post). It means a lot to me, and it reminds me how important it is to see situations through the eyes of the op.

Edited May 5, 2014 by t1adams

[LaurieHoffman]

We did get compensation for this unsightly view. And yes it was unsightly. It's so easy to judge when something doesn't happen to you. I won't discuss how much compensation it was, but it was very very fair. ;) So fair in fact, we already booked our cruise for next spring break. We were actually shopping different cruiselines just to experience something different and decided to book again with Carnival due to the discount. This time we aren't taking chances and are booking a balcony room. If anything drops on our window, I can just clean it myself, no problem, lol. I'll just feel more right at home anyway, right? :o

 

A big "thank you" to all of you who have expressed empathy for this situation (and sympathy for our life situation which was irrelevant to this but I happened to mention in a post). It means a lot to me, and it reminds me how important it is to see situations through the eyes of the op.

 

Glad Carnival made this right by you. I do love Carnival and while some things may go wrong overall they are a fun cruise line.