Royal Disappointment on Explorer

[constantcruiser]

I think incidents like this are bound to happen more frequently as cruiselines cut services to reduce costs. More cabins per steward obviously means less time spent cleaning each one.

 

On a recent RCI cruise, we found a drawer completely full of the previous passenger's clothes. I called Housekeeping and was told to take the (presumably dirty) clothes to Guest Services! I didn't care to handle someone else's soiled clothing, and frankly didn't consider it my job to gather up the laundry, find something to put it in, carry it down several floors, and then wait in line to explain why I had it! Especially when it meant our cabin steward hadn't even opened the drawer, much less cleaned it.

[PathfinderEss]

How disappointing for you and your family.:(

[Guest maddycat]

I think incidents like this are bound to happen more frequently as cruiselines cut services to reduce costs. More cabins per steward obviously means less time spent cleaning each one.

 

On a recent RCI cruise, we found a drawer completely full of the previous passenger's clothes. I called Housekeeping and was told to take the (presumably dirty) clothes to Guest Services! I didn't care to handle someone else's soiled clothing, and frankly didn't consider it my job to gather up the laundry, find something to put it in, carry it down several floors, and then wait in line to explain why I had it! Especially when it meant our cabin steward hadn't even opened the drawer, much less cleaned it.

 

So, what did you do?

[lovesthebeach2]

That's horrible. When you mentioned your DIL's rash I wondered if it could have been bed bugs?

 

That's exactly what I was thinking and it could explain the blood on the sheets...

[sammee]

If you suspect bedbugs, there are websites that will show you what the bites look like. And if that's the case, this needs to be reported "yesterday".

 

They are not that simple to get rid of.

[JohnGaltny]

Thanks for the idea about bedbugs. What gives me pause is that neither my son nor my granddaughter were affected. That is diagnostically significant.

 

HOWEVER, if you google "Rash after Bermuda" there are an awful lot of stories and a bunch of them are RCI cruises. HMMMMM

[JohnGaltny]

The family and I got off Explorer on May 17th.This was the 3rd.time on the ship.This past time I found the service adaquate at best.Missing was the WOW of past cruises.The Windjammer has declined over the years.The food was not that great.MDR was where we at our meals.Our room also had big stains in the rug.Not what you would expect to see.We are sailing on her again in Sept.We shall see.:confused:

 

We are in agreement. This was the first cruise like that.

 

My friends have always said of NCL "it's fine but it's not Royal". This time, it was.

[ccletzgo]

Don't rule out the desalinated water. I just got back from being on two cruise ships for almost 2 months, and I had skin irritation problems on my face and neck.

 

Also, there is a lot more sun poisoning issues going around with women who are light skinned or have sensitive skin. It's been a problem with going out in the sun after winter non-exposure, even with sunscreen on. I had probems this Spring and have a good friend who had serious problems.

 

I get a full on case of the hives at about the 3d day of constant sun. My last trip I got wise and took prednisone on the 3d night and it was gone in one day. I usually bring it home and suffer with it for a week after the trip. I have always dealt with it, but now while vacationing I see more and more women suffering with it..

[pearlie]

I was recently on Freedom of the seas, when I stretched out on the bed, found lumps. I lifted the mattress up, found 5 folded towels. I removed them, figured someone had a back problem and was trying to get comfey.

I changed into shorts and sandals and went to the muster drill and got bitten alive by, which I know now, noseeums. Little bugs to which I had a severe reaction. They spread over 2 days, my legs looked horrible, so i thought maybe there were bed bugs.

I went on my bedbug search by pulling off all the layers from the mattress, no bugs but a huge disgusting smelly urine stain, one that could never have been missed in million years if they were changing the linens. Must have been an incontinent adult. I called our steward, who called his boss. I asked how could somebody miss this, got shrugs and crickets. I insisted on a new mattress, was told they didn't have "new" one , but they could replace it.

On our way back from a tour that day, stopped at guest services, mentioned my concern of bed bugs, and my disgusting mattress. Alicia at the desk, not helpful, not apologetic, didn't really care. When I returned to the room, found 3 people searching for bedbugs. In the diamond lounge that evening, I met the executive housekeeper by chance. Again I explained my disappointment at finding a urine soaked mattress which solved the mystery of all the towels under the mattress. No response really from anybody. From now on I will be checking my bed very carefully.

[JohnGaltny]

CC, diagnostically, these symptoms do not fit sun exposure.

 

I was recently on Freedom of the seas, when I stretched out on the bed, found lumps. I lifted the mattress up, found 5 folded towels. I removed them, figured someone had a back problem and was trying to get comfey.

I changed into shorts and sandals and went to the muster drill and got bitten alive by, which I know now, noseeums. Little bugs to which I had a severe reaction. They spread over 2 days, my legs looked horrible, so i thought maybe there were bed bugs.

I went on my bedbug search by pulling off all the layers from the mattress, no bugs but a huge disgusting smelly urine stain, one that could never have been missed in million years if they were changing the linens. Must have been an incontinent adult. I called our steward, who called his boss. I asked how could somebody miss this, got shrugs and crickets. I insisted on a new mattress, was told they didn't have "new" one , but they could replace it.

On our way back from a tour that day, stopped at guest services, mentioned my concern of bed bugs, and my disgusting mattress. Alicia at the desk, not helpful, not apologetic, didn't really care. When I returned to the room, found 3 people searching for bedbugs. In the diamond lounge that evening, I met the executive housekeeper by chance. Again I explained my disappointment at finding a urine soaked mattress which solved the mystery of all the towels under the mattress. No response really from anybody. From now on I will be checking my bed very carefully.

 

This type of thing concerns me. As I said, Royal has been my "go to" for years. I'll be back but the QA issues are a serious concern.

[psupa]

The family and I got off Explorer on May 17th.This was the 3rd.time on the ship.This past time I found the service adaquate at best.Missing was the WOW of past cruises.The Windjammer has declined over the years.The food was not that great.MDR was where we at our meals.Our room also had big stains in the rug.Not what you would expect to see.We are sailing on her again in Sept.We shall see.:confused:

 

The Explorer is our favorite ship and used to have a wonderful crew. On our last cruise we noticed a difference too. It seems there were many new faces. I agree about the food in the WJ and we eat mostly in the MD. We have 2 more cruises on her before she repositions. I will be checking the bedding from now on too.

Edited May 24, 2014 by psupa

[Coralc]

I changed into shorts and sandals and went to the muster drill and got bitten alive by, which I know now, noseeums. Little bugs to which I had a severe reaction. They spread over 2 days, my legs looked horrible, so i thought maybe there were bed bugs.

 

OMG :eek: No-see-ums are awful biting midges found on the islands and in Florida. (Not found on the ship) The bites sometimes take a long time, even several days to "express" themselves to furious itching.

 

The first time I was attacked in the Outer Banks, NC at our vacation rental, I was sure it was bedbugs. After about the fifth incident, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, etc., etc...Louisiana, and the worst ever incident in Florida. We finally realized after research, that it was no-see-ums, Ceratopogonidae .

 

It wouldn't explain the disgusting condition of the sheets, unless it was due to scratching. People do eventually (supposedly) build up a tolerance and "non-reaction" to the bites...if you are in one location long enough to do so.

[JamesEM]

Wow! :eek: Next cruise I am pulling the the covers all the way back for inspection. I have a friend whose wife takes their own linen to hotels when they are staying in one!

 

One thing I do take to hotels and on cruises is a pool tester kit to check the water before I will get in the pool, so that I know that there are enogh chemicals in it.

 

And I thought that I was the only that brought strips with me to test the pools.

[djjoe]

We also got off the Explorer on the 17th. As an NJ resident, the bulk of our cruises in the last 10 years were aboard her. Yes, food quality in the Windjammer has gone down. They used to have some very good Asian and Indian food at lunch. It appears to be gone. Replaced by an entire station devoted to hamburger, hot dog, and sandwich fixings. This was the first time that we ate lunch mostly in the MDR. The pool towel policy is not enforced. Several times there were no towels available at the station on deck 11. I walked into the solarium and noticed many towels lying about on chairs, tables and along side the hot tub. I removed dirty towels myself. I found clean ones in the gym for my wife and I to use. I mentioned this to staff at the towel station, still no own came in the solarium to remove towels. We are returning in September and the final cruise in November. I agree that some areas and services on the ship have already left for Florida.

[marci22]

I went on my bedbug search by pulling off all the layers from the mattress, no bugs but a huge disgusting smelly urine stain, one that could never have been missed in million years if they were changing the linens. Must have been an incontinent adult. I called our steward, who called his boss. I asked how could somebody miss this, got shrugs and crickets. I insisted on a new mattress, was told they didn't have "new" one , but they could replace it.

 

The same thing happened to us on Freedom. There is *no way* anyone could have missed the huge and yes, smelly, stains that were on this mattress. They did switch it out that night They probably gave it to someone else :rolleyes: That is probably the only time I wrote a complaint to RC and I did not hear anything back.

 

Terrible.

[sharod]

Thanks for the idea about bedbugs. What gives me pause is that neither my son nor my granddaughter were affected. That is diagnostically significant.

 

HOWEVER, if you google "Rash after Bermuda" there are an awful lot of stories and a bunch of them are RCI cruises. HMMMMM

 

Hot tub follliculitis maybe???

 

http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/folliculitis_picture/picture.htm

 

http://dermatology.about.com/od/infectionbacteria/a/htfolliculitis.htm

 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/illnesses/hot-tub-rash.html

 

ETA: Love the Explorer, had a great cruise on her last year. We were on the Grandeur in March. There were crumbs near the nightstand beside the bed from the previous cabin occupants for the whole cruise. And there was beads, off a gown maybe????, laying on the floor in the closet. I didn't say anything the 8 days we were on-board. I wanted to see if they would be vacuumed up. Nope!!!!

Edited May 24, 2014 by sharod

[hillstcrew]

Bed bug check.

Before unpacking. Fill a large ziplock bag with Hot water.

Put under the covers for a half hour or so.

The heat will draw them out if they are there.

[marci22]

Bed bug check.

Before unpacking. Fill a large ziplock bag with Hot water.

Put under the covers for a half hour or so.

The heat will draw them out if they are there.

 

Interesting.

[JohnGaltny]

I've seen it 100 times on this board and cannot find one now (of course) but can someone give me the proper addresses for Mr. Goldstein and/or other department I should send this letter to? Email is probably OK too.

 

Thanks.

[Clarea]

I've seen it 100 times on this board and cannot find one now (of course) but can someone give me the proper addresses for Mr. Goldstein and/or other department I should send this letter to? Email is probably OK too.

 

Thanks.

agoldstein@rccl.com.

 

 

Letters should be sent to:

Corporate Guest Relations

1050 Caribbean Way

Miami, FL 33132

[berylde]

On Vision this May

On entering our OS for the first time, found dirty t-shirt and a glass of water with cig butt in it on the balcony deck.

 

Doesn't even begin to compare to your "sheets", but a sign of the times

[JohnGaltny]

agoldstein@rccl.com.

 

 

Letters should be sent to:

Corporate Guest Relations

1050 Caribbean Way

Miami, FL 33132

 

Dank U beddy much

[cruzeluvr]

Again, I cannot definitively diagnose the causative process but I can't rule out the bedding either. It's enough to make me think long and hard about the RCI staff cutbacks and standards.

 

We were on the same cruise, and we commented in the survey they emailed to us about the evident understaffing. Other than the diamond breakfast and the concierge lounge, the understaffing was very obvious to those who have sailed a lot with Royal Caribbean. If this had been our first cruise, I would have been impressed with the service. However, with our long history with RCCL we know how it used to be.

[JohnGaltny]

We were on the same cruise, and we commented in the survey they emailed to us about the evident understaffing. Other than the diamond breakfast and the concierge lounge, the understaffing was very obvious to those who have sailed a lot with Royal Caribbean. If this had been our first cruise, I would have been impressed with the service. However, with our long history with RCCL we know how it used to be.

 

My point exactly. It wasn't a bad cruise but it was not Royal standards.

 

I am old enough to remember when GM cars were the gold standard. In my teens and 20s they were all I owned. Then the bean counters saved $0.05 per car cheapening the gas cap. Who'd know? Then the distributor cap. Who'll know? Then the ignition wires, etc, etc, etc until my Chevy Citation almost killed me with a cheap ( and faulty) brake proportioner valve. I haven't looked at a GM since and wouldn't take one if I won it on a game show. There is a lesson there if Royal cares to hear it.

Edited May 24, 2014 by JohnGaltny

[beej]

we had the same kind of problem on the Allure, but it was the mattress that was filthy (maid short sheeted the bed because she was annoyed she had to separate it. The deck supervisor pulled off the sheets and nearly barfed at the sight of the mattress. Everything was brand new very quickly, but you better believe everything gets checked from now on