Soot problem

[Truro001]

Spirit of Adventure - Venice and the Treasures of the Adriatic (22nts)

Both the Spirit of Adventure and the Spirit of Discovery seem to emit a significant amount of soot which is something we have not experienced with other cruise ships. On this cruise the situation has been particularly bad. Sooty deposits from the funnel are clearly visible on the decks to the rear of the ship with deck 13 being the worst affected.The crew do an admirable job of washing down the decks and cleaning the handrails and customer services seem quite willing to arrange for clothing soiled by the soot to be be cleaned at no cost.  However,  there have been numerable occasions where we have decided that it was simply too unpleasant to sit out at the rear of the ship. When on the terrace we have noticed sooty particulates falling into our glasses and onto food and have often come away with blackened hands and sooty deposits on our clothing. Surely this must constitute a health and safety hazard. If sooty deposits are getting onto food and drinks they are being ingested and this must surely have medical implications. Sadly no solution to this problem appears to be forthcoming.

[Tothesunset]

40 minutes ago, Truro001 said:

f sooty deposits are getting onto food and drinks they are being ingested and this must surely have medical implications. 

You may well be correct. But the deposits are mainly carbon so, at the very least, they'll have the effect of an internal deodorant if you break wind! 😎

[NorbertsNiece]

Did you attend the Officer's Talk?

[Truro001]

We have been to several talks given by officers in which this particular problem has been raised by concerned passengers. We have variously been told that the problem is due to the poor quality of the fuel when the ship was last refuelled, the internal design of the funnel, incorrect computer settings and also adverse atmospheric conditions. Plausible answers but still no solution. 

[Truro001]

1 hour ago, NorbertsNiece said:

Did you attend the Officer's Talk?

[Medeba]

I thought Saga had got on top of this problem.. Obviously not.

[NorbertsNiece]

They're trying.

[Denarius]

1 hour ago, Truro001 said:

We have been to several talks given by officers in which this particular problem has been raised by concerned passengers. We have variously been told that the problem is due to the poor quality of the fuel when the ship was last refuelled, the internal design of the funnel, incorrect computer settings and also adverse atmospheric conditions. Plausible answers but still no solution. 

Whilst I am a recent convert to Saga and have only been on 3 cruises - two on SofD and one on SofA - I have never noticed a problem despite eating on the Verranda many times. Perhaps I have been lucky. But my hunch is that it largely depends on the relative speeds and directions of the wind and the ship; whether the soot is carried clear of the ship or deposited back on it.

[JMMKUK]

It was bad on our balcony but not as bad as it was on the same balcony back in Dec 21/ Jan 22.

[bbtablet]

On 11/14/2023 at 8:31 PM, twotravellersLondon said:

 

"Obviously never  had the fun of buying fresh roast chestnuts on the streets of London".

 

That brought back a distant memory of buying hot roast chestnuts from the man on the bike with a brazier outside Highbury when Arsenal were playing at home back in the 50's and 60's!

 

 

 

 

[chengkp75]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:47 AM, Spence55 said:

This seems to be an ongoing problem. Bizarrely many seem more concerned about soot on their clothes than what they might be getting into their lungs. 

The exhaust fumes tend to rise, and also be carried away by the wind created by the ship moving, so little is "getting into their lungs".  I've worked ships for 46 years, and have excellent pulmonary function, tested every year.  The soot that deposits on the after areas of the ship are large flakes that couldn't be inhaled, and are caused by cleaning the turbochargers of the engines.

[balliso3]

Hi  from Bruce  (cruised P&O Arcadia, RC Brilliance of the Seas, Viking Sea, Cunard QE).

My first post on Cruise Critic for some years, but can't resist adding my ha'pennyworth.  Thanks to chengkp75 just above this post we now have a realistic technical reason proposed for sooty smut deposits on aft areas of some cruise ships like Saga's newest. Last month we were on Spirit of Discovery (the Biscay storm Nov 4th accident trip - got our full fare refund, as did all passengers we believe) and prior to Biscay we noticed no particular smuts around the Verandah terrace near the stern, but did see plenty of sooty smuts in the sofas area and deck game courts relaxation zone high up on deck 14(?) just aft of the funnel.    She's nevertheless overall a lovely ship with a fantastic crew base of Philipino's.    

 

Case proven.  Cure still awaited.    

[chengkp75]

51 minutes ago, balliso3 said:

Case proven.  Cure still awaited.

This is endemic to nearly all cruise ships.  Cleaning of the diesel engine turbochargers and the boilers will lead to soot.  When I worked for NCL, we made sure that before we did this cleaning, we called the bridge to see what direction the wind was blowing, and even had them turn if needed, to put the wind on one side or the other, as the soot would carry over the side quicker than over the stern.  This, or changing to another fuel like LNG is the only cure for this.

[JMMKUK]

3 hours ago, balliso3 said:

Hi  from Bruce  (cruised P&O Arcadia, RC Brilliance of the Seas, Viking Sea, Cunard QE).

My first post on Cruise Critic for some years, but can't resist adding my ha'pennyworth.  Thanks to chengkp75 just above this post we now have a realistic technical reason proposed for sooty smut deposits on aft areas of some cruise ships like Saga's newest. Last month we were on Spirit of Discovery (the Biscay storm Nov 4th accident trip - got our full fare refund, as did all passengers we believe) and prior to Biscay we noticed no particular smuts around the Verandah terrace near the stern, but did see plenty of sooty smuts in the sofas area and deck game courts relaxation zone high up on deck 14(?) just aft of the funnel.    She's nevertheless overall a lovely ship with a fantastic crew base of Philipino's.    

 

Case proven.  Cure still awaited.    

I'm so sorry you were in that terrible storm. Thank you for your insight & such positivity about Saga after such an event. Although I'm a #Gold I'm not sure how I would feel about another cruise after that storm.

[twotravellersLondon]

4 hours ago, JMMKUK said:

I'm so sorry you were in that terrible storm. Thank you for your insight & such positivity about Saga after such an event. Although I'm a #Gold I'm not sure how I would feel about another cruise after that storm.

 

Other ships wherein the same storm. It seems that the Balmoral again had windows blown in, cabins flooded and people injured.... result 50% off a future cruise if booked within 12 months. We have booked 4 weeks on the Discovery... no problem.

 

We have watched sea-water flooding into the Balmoral's Neptune Lounge... not our idea of fun!