Warning Cabin A434 Crown

[Duffysmom]

We spent 25 days in cabin A434 and were unable to use the balcony most days.  We experiended a continuous extremely loud banging noise outside on the balcony (imagine someone banging on a pipe with a sledge hammer)  and complained several times.  Several maintenance workers came and went over time and finally an engineer told us it was a structural problem (he said metal bending?) and nothing could be done about it. It appeared to me the noise happened when the ship was rolling somewhat and since we were in the Atlantic crossing to Ft. Lauderdale the noise was continuous.  The cabins around ours also complained about the noise but to no avail well that is not entirely true since they sent us four tiny chocolates on a tiny plate.   This may not be a problem in the Caribbean since the seas are much calmer but that is only a guess.   LOVED THE CREW!!!

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Duffysmom

[antsp]

We sailed on the Transatlantic with you, that 1st week the ship was really rocking around 

[getting older slowly]

After looking a deck plan, wonder if it had anything to go do with the elevator counter-balance weights as I noticed you were close to them. When on the Golden a grand class ship in rough seas round the elevators you could hear a lot of banging..... personally I doubt the idea of metal bending, after a while it would crack and fall apart, So I would say he didn't have any idea. 

 

Yes I do agree on all our princess cruises the Crew have been friendly and helpful, couldn't ask for more

 

Cheers Don  

[neverbeenhere]

Bending metal... now that would be a concern. The "engineer" should have gone with Gremlins, instead.  

 

 

Enjoy your next cruise and Christmas.  🎅

[Colo Cruiser]

This needs to go in the Princess cabin reviews at the top of the main Princess boards page.

[elliair]

9 hours ago, Duffysmom said:

  The cabins around ours also complained about the noise but to no avail well that is not entirely true since they sent us four tiny chocolates on a tiny plate.  

 

Now that was funny!  Some chocolates to take your troubles away.  We had the same problem on a cruise, except the noise was coming from the window washer every morning around 1:00 am.

9 hours ago, Duffysmom said:

 

 

[chengkp75]

This sounds like a fairly common problem.  The deck drains (outside areas like pool decks and balconies) drain directly to the sea.  These drain lines go down to below the waterline, and are equipped with a "storm valve" which is a check valve to keep sea water from entering the drain line but allows the drain water out.  This valve uses a bronze "flapper" to close the valve in one direction.  As the ship rolls, the valve flapper flaps open and closed as the relative water levels in the pipe and in the sea change heights.  A constant banging noise is indicative that the valve flap is worn out and the valve needs replacement.  This in no way affects the safety of the ship, but cannot be done without either divers to temporarily plug the drain opening to the sea, or time in a drydock.

[rocklinmom]

Wow thank you this is good to know!  We are sailing on the Crown in June and I had considered upgrading to that exact cabin.  Currently the one next to it is available but I definitely wouldn't want it now.  And yes please post this on the Princess cabin reviews thread, it is valuable information.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, rocklinmom said:

Wow thank you this is good to know!  We are sailing on the Crown in June and I had considered upgrading to that exact cabin.  Currently the one next to it is available but I definitely wouldn't want it now.  And yes please post this on the Princess cabin reviews thread, it is valuable information.

The noise can be mitigated to some extent if they turn down the blocking mechanism on the valve (becomes more of a rattle than a bang).  Ask them to do this, and they will be amazed at your knowledge of ships.

[cruise209]

We were also on the Transatlantic, cabin C201, had experienced the same banging noise.  We asked the steward if he new what it was and all he said was "it was not me"...also speaking of the gift chocolates that you received, my wife found a live earwig (pincher bug) in her salad from the buffet we informed a server who informed her manager and for our trouble a small plate of chocolates were delivered to our cabin needles to say we inspected everything we ate from then on.   Staff was great but chocolates for live bugs in your food?????

[Richjoxyz]

Is there any way to know if the same problem existed on the other side of the ship?  We leave soon and will be in C431, almost directly across form your cabin.

[chengkp75]

4 hours ago, Richjoxyz said:

Is there any way to know if the same problem existed on the other side of the ship?  We leave soon and will be in C431, almost directly across form your cabin.

Not unless you hear from someone in that cabin or area.  It is most likely that the valve flapper hinge pins are worn out, which causes the banging, so there is no way to say whether the other valve has worn out or not.

[Sea4sea]

Hi there, I know what the noise was!!!! We were in that cabin for a week this past September in the Med. The weather was great and so there was no noise  until one evening it got breezy and the noise you described started. It wasn't constant and of course when I'd go out to check it wouldn't happen. So I went out the next morning and checked everything I could think of and low and behold I discovered it was the access door that divides the deck from the next cabin forward. The locking tab fit loosely and when the wind catches it just right it bangs back an forth in the slot. I folded up some cardboard and jammed it in and no more noise!!! I guess someone removed it or it eventually fell out.

[getting older slowly]

And here I thought it could have been Gremlins with Hammers trying to dismantle part of the Ship.

( Note Gremlins are mainly active between 18.00 and 4.00 hours )

 

PS there isn't a rattle or wobble which can't be fixed with folded up cardboard.

Cheers Don

 

We have had issue with freely swinging access balcony doors, used the Stewart's door wedge, it was fixed the following day 

Edited December 15, 2018 by getting older slowly
added stuff

[Duffysmom]

13 hours ago, Sea4sea said:

Hi there, I know what the noise was!!!! We were in that cabin for a week this past September in the Med. The weather was great and so there was no noise  until one evening it got breezy and the noise you described started. It wasn't constant and of course when I'd go out to check it wouldn't happen. So I went out the next morning and checked everything I could think of and low and behold I discovered it was the access door that divides the deck from the next cabin forward. The locking tab fit loosely and when the wind catches it just right it bangs back an forth in the slot. I folded up some cardboard and jammed it in and no more noise!!! I guess someone removed it or it eventually fell out.

 

Believe me it was not the access door, we had maintenance crew all over the deck and it was the chief (?) engineer who knew what it was (it was banging while they were there) and said it was not something they could fix, I do believe

Chengkp75 got it right once again.  I always sit up and take notice when Chengkp posts, he truly know his stuff.👊