Ever see a rat onboard...not the passenger type...

[ramidon1]

I love cruising, I love NCL. I don't mean to put any false or inaccurate negativity out there unnecessarily, but.....

 

I sailed the Sky on deck 10 this past weekend. A couple weeks before sailing, 2 non-cruiser friends said they would like to join us....I have been trying to get them to cruise with us for years and was thrilled they were willing to give it a try. Their cabin was on deck 5. The first morning, I was horrified when they told me they swear there were rats running in their ceiling....i tried to pacify them saying i thought it was the ships movement....creaking parts of the ship.....people above them, maybe a dance area....etc. etc.....but by the third night being woke up, there was no more excuses to be had. They said when the lights went out and they stopped moving around, the scurrying started each and every night. They "tested" it by switching the lights on and off and making noise. When they started moving abut the cabin, all activity stopped. We certainly heard nothing like this in my cabin and I have sailed on the lowest deck on the Sky before and never noticed anything like this.

 

After I thought about it, I guess the lower decks would be more susceptible to such a problem......maybe they were over the trash area or kitchen? If it was that apparent, other folks must have had the same experience....what else could it be??? The thought of this creeps me out but won't stop me from cruising for sure but I do think it did my friends in...

[triptolemus]

Never seen or heard rats onboard a ship personally, but I suppose its possible. They do make a fair amount of effort to prevent it -- rat guards on the mooring lines is an example. The rat guards on the Sun are the best...

 

[Aquahound]

Rats are attracted to ships like termites are attracted to houses. That's why they put those guards on the mooring lines. So yes, rats do manage to find their way on to ships. I've never actually seen a rat on a cruise ship, but I've seen rats more than once on the piers at Nassau. I'd say it is very possible rats were what they heard.

[ramidon1]

Never seen or heard rats onboard a ship personally, but I suppose its possible. They do make a fair amount of effort to prevent it -- rat guards on the mooring lines is an example. The rat guards on the Sun are the best...

 

 

That is so funny! I never noticed it before but will surely keep any eye out for those guards!

[hpecorari]

Did they ever report the noise?

 

Harriet

[JohnIreland]

IThe first morning, I was horrified when they told me they swear there were rats running in their ceiling..

 

Sorry, that was me at the buffet.

[ramidon1]

Did they ever report the noise?

 

Harriet

 

I'm pretty sure they did not report it onboard. It was only a 3-nighter and I guess it took the 3rd night to convince them it was not in their head or a "normal" noise. I suggested they contact NCL as that is the only way they will be made aware and can address the issue.

[rbrugler]

Having lived in NYC and being quite familiar with rats, I doubt seriously that is what they heard simply because they would not stop just because a light was turned on or noises were made. I am not saying that rats do not make there way on board.

[happy to be cruising]

What?????? Someone tell me this isn't true!

[mpk218]

On some of the older ships . There are vent holes about the size of a shoe box on the outside of the ship , usually on balcony decks, that allow air to circulate . I have seen these over the balcony door near the ceiling on the outside. As I poked my head up there because I heard something . Guess what ? Birds .. or Rtas with wings . Im not certain as I jumped off the chair and ran screaming like a school girl :D

 

But , being that your friends where on 5 . Id go with rats ;)

[cruzsnooze]

I guess I'll have to label my cat a service animal now so I can bring him on board and potentially save me from rabies. :D

[RickinNYC]

Having lived in NYC and being quite familiar with rats, I doubt seriously that is what they heard simply because they would not stop just because a light was turned on or noises were made. I am not saying that rats do not make there way on board.

 

I do currently live in NYC and we had a rat in (insert screeching horror movie music) OUR APARTMENT. Ugh. And when we would turn on the light in the kitchen, where the little sucker seemed to scurry about the most, that guy did indeed stop his movements. Drove us crazy for a few days until we caught the ugly little sob.

[mpk218]

Also , I have never seen a rat on an NCL ship... for what its worth..;)

[ramidon1]

I vaguely remember seeing something running in the hall corridor once a couple years back on another ship but I just chalked it up to the Mojitos at the time....

[khaide612]

Why would rats in a ceiling stop moving when lights in the cabin went on? It isn't a drop ceiling is it?

 

I've never seen or heard a rat - not saying there aren't any though.

[BOS_CruiseGuy]

While I certainly can't say for sure there were not rats, I would like to have some actual visual evidence of them. I think there are lots of other explanations that might make more sense in this case. Especially considering the report comes from a non-cruiser.

[OCruisers]

I guess I'll have to label my cat a service animal now so I can bring him on board and potentially save me from rabies. :D

 

:D Funny Above!

LuLu

[Seanote]

While I certainly can't say for sure there were not rats, I would like to have some actual visual evidence of them. I think there are lots of other explanations that might make more sense in this case. Especially considering the report comes from a non-cruiser.

 

Indeed! It could have been those giant Florida cockroaches instead. Same size and all.;):D

[SteveH2508]

Dirt in the AC??

[fulfart]

Never in 28 cruises have I seen a rat, but did see a bat on pool deck at night.

[OCruisers]

They do make a fair amount of effort to prevent it -- rat guards on the mooring lines is an example. The rat guards on the Sun are the best...

 

 

Do they seriously really do this? :confused:

LuLu

[mypleasure]

I guess I'll have to label my cat a service animal now so I can bring him on board and potentially save me from rabies. :D

 

Hahaha Is this a good way to get my two onto a cruise with me?

[karinad]

Do they seriously really do this? :confused:

LuLu

I don't know if this is true, but, I got a laugh out of it! I've never seen any rats on our many cruises. Maybe mice???? Those little buggers could get in anywhere!:eek:

[triptolemus]

Rat guards on mooring ropes are a very real thing.

 

The feline-themed ones on the Sun are a little unique, I will admit, but the idea is the same. Our Cruise Critic NCL Forum Sun Experts can chime in and confirm the cats are still hanging on the mooring lines. They were indeed there 10 years ago.

 

Here's a more traditional one:

 

 

[kcwingwalker]

Rats are smart and take advantage of every opportunity. A ship is great environment for a rat so why not go where the living is easy:)

 

Now no one yet has posted that they have actually seen a rat onboard so that tells us that the cruise lines have the rat situation under control and that's not an easy job.