moldy bathroom in suite on carn. paradise

[Love my butler]

To be honest with you the $$ doesnt matter to much to me. Im not rich, but i think it is more of the principal for me. I cant get over the fact that a company that does billions of dollars a year in business would not be a little more concerned that they are chasing away a customer who probably spent 5 times as much as their average customer.

 

Carnival is not too interested in repeat customers. They make all their money on first time cruisers. If they upset a few customers who then refuse to come back Carnival is willing to let it happen.

[Tapi]

I stay at hotels a lot because of my job, and if there's one thing that disgusts me is when I get a moldy bathroom, so I feel your pain.

 

With that said, Paradise is one of Carnival's oldest ships, and the staterooms haven't been updated like on other Fantasy class ships. Personally, I would've not spent an extra dime on a "suite"on this ship. I've seen pictures of moldy tiles on other older Carnival ships before so I don't doubt for one minute that you encountered this.

 

What can you do at this point in time? Unfortunately I don't think you ca do much more. Your options would've been to invoke the Vacation Guarantee as soon as you learned about the problem. Maybe something more drastic would've been done to correct the situation before you actually debarked to fly home. Also, the discount offered is standard (and IMHO fair) for this kind of situation. You still got to enjoy all other aspects of your cruise that have some monetary value, so to expect more of a refund is really not an objective expectation.

 

Moving forward, I honestly believe that the best course of action is to let it go, take this experience and take it into account for future cruise travel plans. Maybe select a newer ship, or shy away from ones that haven't been recently refurbished. Know what your right and options are before you sail. $3,100 can get you on a much nicer and newer ship. I'll take a standard balcony (or two connecting oceanview staterooms) on a better ship or more upscale cruise line than to (IMHO) waste it on an older Carnival ship "suite" that's nothing more than a bigger room with no special perks.

 

 

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Edited December 20, 2014 by Tapi

[loxley]

To be honest with you the $$ doesnt matter to much to me. Im not rich, but i think it is more of the principal for me. I cant get over the fact that a company that does billions of dollars a year in business would not be a little more concerned that they are chasing away a customer who probably spent 5 times as much as their average customer.

 

 

 

I would take the money because that is the best you are going to get. Not to mention it is a pretty fair offer.

 

You pretty much blew your claim of safety concerns when you stayed in the room whatever your reasons were.

[winddawn]

I stay at hotels a lot because of my job, and if there's one thing that disgusts me is when I get a moldy bathroom, so I feel your pain.

 

With that said, Paradise is one of Carnival's oldest ships, and the staterooms haven't been updated like on other Fantasy class ships. Personally, I would've not spent an extra dime on a "suite"on this ship. I've seen pictures of moldy tiles on other older Carnival ships before so I don't doubt for one minute that you encountered this.

 

What can you do at this point in time? Unfortunately I don't think you ca do much more. Your options would've been to invoke the Vacation Guarantee as soon as you learned about the problem. Maybe something more drastic would've been done to correct the situation before you actually debarked to fly home. Also, the discount offered is standard (and IMHO fair) for this kind of situation. You still got to enjoy all other aspects of your cruise that have some monetary value, so to expect more of a refund is really not an objective expectation.

 

Moving forward, I honestly believe that the best course of action is to let it go, take this experience and take it into account for future cruise travel plans. Maybe select a newer ship, or shy away from ones that haven't been recently refurbished. Know what your right and options are before you sail. $3,100 can get you on a much nicer and newer ship. I'll take a standard balcony (or two connecting oceanview staterooms) on a better ship or more upscale cruise line than to (IMHO) waste it on an older Carnival ship "suite" that's nothing more than a bigger room with no special perks.

 

 

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I totally agree with Tapi. Carnival's Fantasy class ships are aging and needing investment IMO if Carnival is going to continue sailing them. Some are worse than others. I cruised on Elation recently and it is really showing its age too. It is also no big secret that a suite on these older Fantasy class ships isn't anything special. As one would expect, these aging ships are more prone to maintenance issues like you had with the plumbing leak causing the problem. The problem on a cruise ship is that when you do encounter a problem like this, it isn't likely that you will be able to be moved to a similar cabin because Carnival often sails full or near full.

 

If I were you, I would choose a newer ship for my next cruise. The older ships can be okay for a quick getaway, but you get what you pay for.

 

I'm sorry that this issue affected your cruise experience. I hope you found some enjoyment in your cruise with your family. If I were you I would accept Carnival's 20% offer and chalk this cruise up to a learning experience.

[elainmir]

I feel really bad for you. I as well would be very upset. I'm a clean freak and would've had them cleaning it immediately. You do not get mold like that in a day or week...that filth has been there for some time. That room steward should be fired or have serious retraining. Hubby used to laugh at me for re-cleaning our hotel suites or cabins on cruise until he saw the filth I cleaned that the housekeepers had not. Maybe I have OCD :D Sadly I think they are not going to do anything more than the 20%. They should but I don't think they will. I do think you did absolutely the right thing by photographing everything. And while it may do you no good what so ever I'd still print everything and send a certified letter to Carnival's CEO. I did this once when I had the same type situation at a "upscale" hotel and was profusely thanked by their CEO who said I count on others under me to handle these things and I will get them more involved as this is unacceptable. The issue was resolved to my satisfaction and I continue to use that hotel chain as I feel they really care. I don't think you are complaining over nothing. Good Luck

[PAPERBKWRITER]

While I think you have pictures as proof of the unclean conditions of your bathroom I think that 20% is a fair compensation.

 

Think of it the way I am. Your cruise fare also paid for the beds you slept in, the food you ate, the free lemonade, ice-tea and water you drank, the entertainment you watch and probably the kids programs your children took advantage of. Not to mention the ports-of-call the ship transported you to.

 

Don't give up on cruising all together. Give it another try, on a different ship, so at least you have something to compare this cruise against.

 

 

OP would have gotten that booking inside. IMO take the 20% refund. When complaining you need to tell the offending party what you expect and go from there. Never saw that. By the time CDC or any land based agency investigates (if they do) the bathroom will have been cleaned... SUE? that's the American way.

[travler27]

To be honest with you the $$ doesnt matter to much to me. Im not rich, but i think it is more of the principal for me. I cant get over the fact that a company that does billions of dollars a year in business would not be a little more concerned that they are chasing away a customer who probably spent 5 times as much as their average customer.

 

I agree the mold is unacceptable. However, Americans now days seem to think any mold is the health equivalent of radioactive cyanide. That is a bit of an over reaction. Having said that, I always place towels on the entire bathroom floor.

 

What I don't understand is just exactly you think would be an acceptable resolution to the problem? They offered the best room substitutions that were available, financial compensation and I suppose they attempted (unsuccessfully) to clean the bathroom to your satisfaction. They also have a standing offer to refund all your money and fly you home (at no cost to you) from the first port of call. You rejected all of those solutions.

 

What would you like Carnival to do?

 

And $3100 for a 5 day cruise for 5 sounds pretty reasonable to me. We spend that amount (on Carnival) and there are only 2 of us.

Edited December 20, 2014 by travler27

[lido deck larry]

That is disgusting. Carnival can do better than that. I'd be p-d too.

[LSEA]

Gross. Unacceptable to have that in any bathroom on the ship. Inside to suite. You paid a lot and I understand your disappointment. You should be compensated. Only you can determine the appropriate amount. You are a clean freak. So am I. That means I'm often disappointed by the cleanliness of my accommodations. I am trying to change because I don't like being disappointed. But there is a limit to how low I'm willing to lower my standards. Honestly, if I were you and they called me back, I would take anything above 20%. Maybe that's not enough but how much time and emotional energy are you willing to invest in this? Take what they offer you and chalk it up as a mediocre experience. Carnival isn't for everyone, cruising isn't for everyone, and it's not realistic to expect a fantastic experience on every adventure we take in life.

Edited December 20, 2014 by LSEA

[katiel53]

I would have never found the situation in your cabin acceptable. You complained, told Carnival about how bad things were, but opted to stay in that cabin. If I had kids traveling with me and needed to be switched to two cabins and DH and kids in one and me and others in another, I would do it. Obviously, you don't think that it's enough of a problem to inconvenience yourself. I then would write about how I had to be moved etc. You made the choice yourself to stay in a cabin that you felt was disgusting . Your offer of 20% seems fair to me. Had I been moved, I'd seek more, but you agreed to staying in that cabin.

 

By the way, your price for that suite is NOT 5x what I pay for a cruise, so sorry that you feel that way. I think you need a reality check.

Edited December 21, 2014 by katiel53

[cb at sea]

Mildew...happens in any damp space.

[INCHARGE]

I do not understand the attitudes that this is ok. It is NOT ok to have that nasty bathroom. I can't figure out how people stay in it every week. The OP has every right to expect a clean bathroom, regardless of how much they paid for it. I would love to know if anyone else has complained about it, because they should. I think it is BS to suggest that the OP should have just taken the Vacation Guarantee, and gone home. So is that what the recipients of this suite supposed to do each week? You can not tell me they did not know about this situation before the OP mentioned it. They knew, and are just not planning to get that mess cleaned up. It is more that the room steward can do. They need chemicals for that. I wish the OP the best on this one, because you are not alone.

[Cruising4]

The pictures look gross. It's unacceptable in any cabin - from the cheapest to the most expensive.

 

The amount paid is irrelevant.

 

Sorry, OP that you had a gross bathroom. I hope your kids had a great time - best wishes for your next cruise.

[kona_wahine]

I don't think anyone thinks the bathroom was acceptable. But, if they cleaned it and it was just stained that's different. The op had options, and refused them all. She has stated its not about the money. I guess I don't understand what she wants. :confused: I think since carnival offered to move them carnival already agreed the bathroom was unacceptable. I believe carnival did what they could do. Op had the options: get off at first port of it was that bad; move to two rooms; get 20% back. What more should they do??

[tropicaledrink]

While I don't deny that mildew and/or mold is a possibility to be in the bathroom, there are a few things here that make me question. If she was in suite, her room should have been ready as soon as she boarded? That's a suite "perk" right?

 

I've never sailed in a suite, but the pictures don't seem to clearly define that it is for sure on the ship either.

 

We have had some grout discoloration, especially on the Elation, but nothing that ever bothered us. We've always found the bathrooms to be clean and tidy.I personally would have moved, even if it meant splitting up the family, if I was that concerned about it.

 

It always amazes me when people don't know their rights when they board. People read your cruise contracts and know what you can do - if I had been you, I would have either switched cabins or invoked the vacation guarantee.

[loxley]

While I don't deny that mildew and/or mold is a possibility to be in the bathroom, there are a few things here that make me question. If she was in suite, her room should have been ready as soon as she boarded? That's a suite "perk" right?

 

I've never sailed in a suite, but the pictures don't seem to clearly define that it is for sure on the ship either.

 

We have had some grout discoloration, especially on the Elation, but nothing that ever bothered us. We've always found the bathrooms to be clean and tidy.I personally would have moved, even if it meant splitting up the family, if I was that concerned about it.

 

It always amazes me when people don't know their rights when they board. People read your cruise contracts and know what you can do - if I had been you, I would have either switched cabins or invoked the vacation guarantee.

 

No it is not.

[lappy22]

The first pic is too dark to determine if there is mold. Could be. I guess your test will determine that. The shower scum looks like stains. I've seen it before on both Carnival and Royal.

 

 

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Edited December 21, 2014 by lappy22

[gtonda]

It is pretty nasty. Being that it was most likely not a health hazard, I would try to get a 50% refund, and settle for 30%-ish.

 

What did it look like after they cleaned it? I think that's the bigger question. They did attempt to remedy it, so what did it look like after? (Don't think that was mentioned in the original post, but not going to read 1 giant paragraph again to double check. Lol)

 

We did a suite on the Ecstasy over Thanksgiving because we got a pretty good upgrade offer. I was a little disappointed. The curtains we so gaudy and just dirty looking. It reminded me of like a Holiday Inn from the 1980's.

 

I chalked it up to that just must be the fact of life regarding these older non-refurbished ships.

 

I now know not to waste money on a suite upgrade ever again, no matter the cost. At least on any ship over 5 years old.

[ldlewis45]

To be completely honest, this comes across as a money grab to me. To make it very clear, I'm NOT saying that mold is acceptable. My feeling, though, is that the OP clearly did not think this was too much of a health hazard at the time, since they declined to be moved from the cabin. Again, mold is unacceptable, but you DO have a few options. First, demand that the mold is cleaned. If the cleaning is unacceptable, you either move cabins or you leave. Period. Staying in the "unacceptable" cabin and then demanding compensation because you chose to stay there is just, well, a money grab. It's like having an unacceptable meal at a restaurant. If it's truly unacceptable, you don't continue to eat it and then demand your money back after you finish.

 

Carnival did not force the OP to accept the mold. The OP admitted that Carnival attempted to clean it and weren't successful (likely due to staining and the inability to remove the sink). Carnival offered to move them to new cabins, and they're offering compensation. OP, you would likely have had a better chance at getting more compensation had you actually accepted their offer of new cabins.

[Orison]

To be completely honest, this comes across as a money grab to me. To make it very clear, I'm NOT saying that mold is acceptable. My feeling, though, is that the OP clearly did not think this was too much of a health hazard at the time, since they declined to be moved from the cabin. Again, mold is unacceptable, but you DO have a few options. First, demand that the mold is cleaned. If the cleaning is unacceptable, you either move cabins or you leave. Period. Staying in the "unacceptable" cabin and then demanding compensation because you chose to stay there is just, well, a money grab. It's like having an unacceptable meal at a restaurant. If it's truly unacceptable, you don't continue to eat it and then demand your money back after you finish.

 

Carnival did not force the OP to accept the mold. The OP admitted that Carnival attempted to clean it and weren't successful (likely due to staining and the inability to remove the sink). Carnival offered to move them to new cabins, and they're offering compensation. OP, you would likely have had a better chance at getting more compensation had you actually accepted their offer of new cabins.

 

You don't know. This is all speculation.

 

All I do know I was unhappy one cruise where, being there were so many tweens on board, they closed the speakeasy bar and made it a temporary club.

 

I simply spoke my displeasure, and for those words, I was offered 20%.

 

So if 20% was worth one sentence, I would expect much more for unsatisfactory quarters. Hell, look at those cruisers on the Ebola cruise, who got a full refund, each and every one of them, because they missed a port. That usually only gets you $20.

[ldlewis45]

You don't know. This is all speculation.

 

All I do know I was unhappy one cruise where, being there were so many tweens on board, they closed the speakeasy bar and made it a temporary club.

 

I simply spoke my displeasure, and for those words, I was offered 20%.

 

So if 20% was worth one sentence, I would expect much more for unsatisfactory quarters. Hell, look at those cruisers on the Ebola cruise, who got a full refund, each and every one of them, because they missed a port. That usually only gets you $20.

Here's the rub, though: The quarters weren't unsatisfactory to the OP, or else they would not have stayed in the room. That's exactly what Carnival will say, too, and rightfully so. If you refuse the business the opportunity to make something right (in this case by moving you to new cabins), you lose the right (in my opinion) to complain about it later. The OP can cry, "Health hazard!" all they want, but apparently they didn't think it was enough of a hazard for them to remove their children from the room. Carnival tried to rectify the issue on board, but the OP didn't allow it.

[Orison]

Here's the rub, though: The quarters weren't unsatisfactory to the OP, or else they would not have stayed in the room. That's exactly what Carnival will say, too, and rightfully so. If you refuse the business the opportunity to make something right (in this case by moving you to new cabins), you lose the right (in my opinion) to complain about it later. The OP can cry, "Health hazard!" all they want, but apparently they didn't think it was enough of a hazard for them to remove their children from the room. Carnival tried to rectify the issue on board, but the OP didn't allow it.

 

Again, I disagree. I had quarters where the air conditioning wasn't working right. The cabin was specifically chosen as it was the cabin we spent our honeymoon in, and friends we had met on that cruise were in the cabin next door.

 

We didn't move. Our choice. But the cabin was still unsatisfactory. Again, my choice. I got my $$.

[ldlewis45]

Again, I disagree. I had quarters where the air conditioning wasn't working right. The cabin was specifically chosen as it was the cabin we spent our honeymoon in, and friends we had met on that cruise were in the cabin next door.

 

We didn't move. Our choice. But the cabin was still unsatisfactory. Again, my choice. I got my $$.

And Carnival is offering the OP theirs, too. Like I said in my first post, if you're at a restaurant and the meal is unacceptable, you don't continue to eat it and then demand your money back. Either it's unacceptable, or it's not. It can't be both. I'm sorry, but I feel that if a room is satisfactory enough that you continue to reside in it even though you are offered alternatives, you shouldn't get all or even a majority of your money back.

 

The OP could have:

 

1. moved rooms

2. enacted the vacation guarantee, gaining them their money back and transportation home

 

By accepting the room that they were given, the OP deemed the rooms acceptable.

 

I guess I just don't understand why the OP didn't accept the new rooms when offered the opportunity to go from one supposedly "unacceptable" room to TWO presumably acceptable ones. Put one parent in each room (because you surely weren't going to have "alone time" in a room with small children, anyway), and split the kids between rooms. Cleaner AND less crowded, and probably with a 20% reward for being inconvenienced.

[brfan]

To be completely honest, this comes across as a money grab to me. To make it very clear, I'm NOT saying that mold is acceptable. My feeling, though, is that the OP clearly did not think this was too much of a health hazard at the time, since they declined to be moved from the cabin. Again, mold is unacceptable, but you DO have a few options. First, demand that the mold is cleaned. If the cleaning is unacceptable, you either move cabins or you leave. Period. Staying in the "unacceptable" cabin and then demanding compensation because you chose to stay there is just, well, a money grab. It's like having an unacceptable meal at a restaurant. If it's truly unacceptable, you don't continue to eat it and then demand your money back after you finish.

 

Carnival did not force the OP to accept the mold. The OP admitted that Carnival attempted to clean it and weren't successful (likely due to staining and the inability to remove the sink). Carnival offered to move them to new cabins, and they're offering compensation. OP, you would likely have had a better chance at getting more compensation had you actually accepted their offer of new cabins.

 

To be fair the OP did mention his wife suffers from MS and might require some care during parts of the day, such as getting up in the morning. Also the OP didn't say where the new rooms were, were they on different decks a long distance apart or close together? If his wife does require help then being in separate rooms, especially if they are far apart might not have worked out very well.