Koningsdam creaking in cabins - how big a problem?

[dfish]

9 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

That's the cruise I was on, in June. I don't recall when it started, but I know it was annoying.

Annoying is right.  It did keep me awake until I switched the bed configuration around.  Keeping my head away from a wall worked.  The creaking was from all the walls.  Earplugs did not help.   I sure hope they have this fixed on the Nieuw Statendam as we are on her for a Midnight Sun cruise in 2020.  

[scubacruiserx2]

We did experience creaking and water dripping all night in the wall of the NS .

 

The door to the veranda had shims which we had never seen before .

 

 

 

When we hit some higher seas the creaking began . It was almost like being on a wooden sailboat .

 

 

 

 

[VMax1700]

We were in 6167 on Koningsdam in March/April and there was a definite creaking in the wall between us and next door.  It was as if the 'plastic pod' that is the room, was rubbing against a support girder between the rooms.

The occupant next door heard it also.  The occupants of 6161 had a similar problem and complained to the front desk and were offered a change of room.

This was during a trans Atlantic and we had a few days with a bit of a sea running.  During the previous week in the Caribbean we had no creaking.

[KroozNut]

19 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Got to say, I rather missed it. I love lively seas.

 

I'm with you here. Creaking noises and ship movement while underway don't bother me at all. In fact I rather enjoy it, as for me it is a pleasant reminder that I'm on a ship at sea. 🙂

[MisterBill99]

5 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

We did experience creaking and water dripping all night in the wall of the NS .

 

The door to the veranda had shims which we had never seen before .

 

Well, that's definitely not good, especially since it was on NS!!!

[Vict0riann]

We are going to be in 4045 on Koningsdam in October, and hope the problem in our neighbouring room doesn't extend to our room.  VMax (thank you very much) inquired about problems when he was on board in the Spring, and evidently the occupants didn't complain of creaking, so I'm hoping for the best!  We were on deck 6 last time on the K, and on deck 10 on the NS.  No problems whatsoever...

[cantdance]

5 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

I'm with you here. Creaking noises and ship movement while underway don't bother me at all. In fact I rather enjoy it, as for me it is a pleasant reminder that I'm on a ship at sea. 🙂

 There is creaking that is normal to a ship and then there is CREAKING. We were on the Westerdam in 2010 in a 5th floor veranda cabin.  The creaking was mind numbing.  We have been on dozens of cruises and like you—love the movement and sounds that come with sailing on a ship but that sound was beyond the norm. I could hardly bear to be in the cabin.  At one point our neighbor accosted us in the hallway and asked if our cabin was as noisy as his. He looked frantic and I could appreciate how he felt. That was our first TA and I wondered if it as due to the open ocean but we have done two since then and never experienced that awful sound. 

[dfish]

6 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

We were in 6167 on Koningsdam in March/April and there was a definite creaking in the wall between us and next door.  It was as if the 'plastic pod' that is the room, was rubbing against a support girder between the rooms.

 

Exactly!!!

[Daisyloo]

We have been on Koningsdam three times and never had a problem with creaking.  We stayed once in 5113, once on deck 6 aft and once on 7 aft.  We are sailing again on Koningsdam this fall - I hope we luck out again and get a quiet cabin!

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, cantdance said:

 There is creaking that is normal to a ship and then there is CREAKING. We were on the Westerdam in 2010 in a 5th floor veranda cabin.  The creaking was mind numbing.  We have been on dozens of cruises and like you—love the movement and sounds that come with sailing on a ship but that sound was beyond the norm. I could hardly bear to be in the cabin.  At one point our neighbor accosted us in the hallway and asked if our cabin was as noisy as his. He looked frantic and I could appreciate how he felt. That was our first TA and I wondered if it as due to the open ocean but we have done two since then and never experienced that awful sound. 

 

Perhaps my experience has something to do with my 24 years in the US Navy sailing on old Navy warships in every type of sea and weather imaginable (including typhoons and 20+ foot swells).

 

I also have sailed for many years on modern cruise ships, and the 'minor' creaking /movement that I have experienced on those ships have been nothing compared to my Navy days.

 

As I mentioned earlier, it's rather pleasant to me and actually helps me sleep in most cases. I honestly do enjoy it!

[*Miss G*]

No creaking in rooms 5016, 7009, and 10006.

[chumley]

We were previously in cabin 7192 on Koningsdam and had no creaking noises at all. The next time on Koningsdam we were in cabin 7195, just a couple of cabins away and we had a TON of creaking noises. It was very annoying. Glad I brought my ear plugs since they were definitely needed.

[cantdance]

22 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

Perhaps my experience has something to do with my 24 years in the US Navy sailing on old Navy warships in every type of sea and weather imaginable (including typhoons and 20+ foot swells).

 

I also have sailed for many years on modern cruise ships, and the 'minor' creaking /movement that I have experienced on those ships have been nothing compared to my Navy days.

 

As I mentioned earlier, it's rather pleasant to me and actually helps me sleep in most cases. I honestly do enjoy it!

My husband is also a Navy guy and clearly nothing we experienced topped some of his Navy cruises.  That being said, I doubt any of us who are not being paid to tough it out by the Navy, would like paying for a room that made us miserable for weeks on end. 

 

We had a friend who unwisely chose to use styrofoam to insulate his sailboat. On a trip back from the Dry Tortugas we hit some rough weather. That boat was torquing in every direction causing the styrofoam to see-saw and make an earsplitting noise.  Our cabin on that TA made a similar sound.  Not a great experience.

[KroozNut]

7 hours ago, cantdance said:

My husband is also a Navy guy and clearly nothing we experienced topped some of his Navy cruises.  That being said, I doubt any of us who are not being paid to tough it out by the Navy, would like paying for a room that made us miserable for weeks on end. 

 

We had a friend who unwisely chose to use styrofoam to insulate his sailboat. On a trip back from the Dry Tortugas we hit some rough weather. That boat was torquing in every direction causing the styrofoam to see-saw and make an earsplitting noise.  Our cabin on that TA made a similar sound.  Not a great experience.

 

Curious as to your husband's take on modern cruise ship movement and 'creaking'.. 🤔

[MisterBill99]

I got my cabin assignment and am in 5189, which is towards the aft just past the elevators. Hopefully we will not hear any creaking, although I notice it's in the same general area as 6193 mentioned earlier (although that is an inside cabin). I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Edited May 29, 2019 by MisterBill99

[mekongsailor]

Believe it on not, all ships bend and probably twist.  I would hate to think of the ride if they did not.  It would be unbearable pounding.  World War II destroyers had 12 inch rubber expansion joints in the deck house at two locations on an 300 + foot ship to absorb the bending.  At sea you could see the deck house coming together and pulling apart when at sea.  It was an intentional part of the design.  

 

Ships might like look your local Marriott on the side view, but they are not on terra firma and do flex when at sea.  The rougher the weather the more flex you can expect.  Expect to hear creaking and gowning noises when at sea.  It is part of the charm and the experience of being at sea.  If sensitive to it the noise, try earplugs.  Old salts get accustomed to the noise after a few days.

[dfish]

37 minutes ago, mekongsailor said:

Expect to hear creaking and gowning noises when at sea.  It is part of the charm and the experience of being at sea.  If sensitive to it the noise, try earplugs.  Old salts get accustomed to the noise after a few days.

That isn't the type of creaking I experienced.  It was more like the described styrofoam creak that can't dance described.   Ear plugs did nothing to help and I did try them.  

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, mekongsailor said:

Ships might like look your local Marriott on the side view, but they are not on terra firma and do flex when at sea.  The rougher the weather the more flex you can expect.  Expect to hear creaking and gowning noises when at sea.  It is part of the charm and the experience of being at sea.  If sensitive to it the noise, try earplugs.  Old salts get accustomed to the noise after a few days.

 

I've been on over a dozen cruises and I'd hazard a guess and say that many others commenting about the situation here have been on as many or more. This was not the usual knocking you hear on other ships. The only thing worse I've experienced is a cabin on the old Celebrity Galaxy which had some sort of a sliding door underneath it that would open and close in the middle of the night (and that was discussed here on CC but which Celebrity always denied was an issue) But that wasn't structural.

Edited May 29, 2019 by MisterBill99

[mekongsailor]

Yep, if doors and other items in neighboring cabins are not properly closed, that can create annoying noises at sea.  Remember being in the navy and one of the officers had a set of dumb bells in his stateroom and they were not "secured".  All night long it was roll, roll, roll, thump,. . roll, roll, thump.  You get the picture.

 

That aside, I believe ship builders have difficulty predicting all the bending / twisting configurations that a ship can endure in various sea states, so planning tolerances, insulation, etc is a major challenge.  

 

I remember that Eurodam had complaints of vibration and experienced it, but it was isolated to certain situations.  It was not constant.  Ships are complex.  Not sure there is a full proof answer to these issues.