Problems on the Queen Victoria?

[majortom10]

We had repeated flushing problems at the aft of the ship and after repeated call outs, one as late as 1130pm.  We were told by one technician that the problem was affecting over 30 cabins.

[majortom10]

There were occasional sewage smells around the ship on our cruise. The most noticeable was when entering the theatre and was there every evening  prior to late show.

[Pushpit]

The delayed flush issue has been around for years, so you press the flush, nothing happens. Then without any further action it then flushes seconds, minutes, hours later. There is a technical reason behind this, the flush is registered but only happens if there is a clear route down to the relevant tank. If there is a blockage - or too many people flushing - it waits until the system is back in sync and suction pressure is available.

 

For this case, it sounds different, presumably the flush was working. I think it's best to give Cunard a day to fix it, but from past experience of similar things, there comes a point where you just have to ask for another stateroom even if it's well below the category you bought. What I know they can do is offer say an unused indoor stateroom for sleep purposes and you keep the original stateroom for storage etc. If you are Europe based there is legislative protections for loss of enjoyment but it helps to go through due process and give Cunard the good opportunity to fix problems.

[swjumbo]

We were in an aft suite just over a year ago and there was the most awful smell in the corridor. The same smell was in different areas around the ship and near the hot tubs was just revolving.

Some shabby walls in the corridors too made it not much better than a North Sea ferry tbh! Actually, any ferries I’ve been on are in better condition.

Edited January 12 by swjumbo

[Victoria2]

We spent four weeks last year on Victoria on two separate occasions, 6&7 aft and had no vestige of a smell at all, cabin or corridor.

Edited January 12 by Victoria2
added 'last year'

[corporate services]

58 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

We were in an aft suite just over a year ago and there was the most awful smell in the corridor. The same smell was in different areas around the ship and near the hot tubs was just revolving.

Some shabby walls in the corridors too made it not much better than a North Sea ferry tbh! Actually, any ferries I’ve been on are in better condition.

I can probably go along with your comment about the smell, although I never noticed any smell, but the bit about the North sea ferry being in better condition than QV - really?

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, corporate services said:

I can probably go along with your comment about the smell, although I never noticed any smell, but the bit about the North sea ferry being in better condition than QV - really?

Well, Stena Line Ferries are supposed to be very good. But QV always looks fine to me.  Mind you, now the rust on QM2 has apparently been dealt with, QV must be next in line for criticism.  And they really should get to grips with the, obviously intermittent, smell. Nothing could be more off putting.

[D&N]

We were on P&O Arcadia when she had only been in service for 8 months.

Our cabin was the equivalent of 4063 on Queen Victoria.

There were intermittent problems with the flush not working or a lengthy delay to the flush.

The technical folk put it down to being near the end of that vacuum circuit and pressures requiring adjustment.

[Wordzz]

We're on QV now. Thankfully haven't noticed any unpleasant smells. The ship also seems to be in very good nick as far as I can see, apart from rust on the lifeboat davits.

 

There is however significant vibration at the back of Britannia, upper level. We were seated on the starboard side, so don't know if it affects both sides. It was significant enough that we will ask to be moved if it doesn't improve.

 

Other than that, so far so very good!

[Pushpit]

1 hour ago, Wordzz said:

There is however significant vibration at the back of Britannia, upper level. We were seated on the starboard side, so don't know if it affects both sides. It was significant enough that we will ask to be moved if it doesn't improve.

 

That I think is what it is, it will be like that if the ship is going at pace through heavy seas. You are mid Atlantic and though Victoria has some attributes of a liner, she isn't QM2. You may find it easier away from the stern, or when you get to calmer seas.

 

As for unpleasant odours, I was on QV a few days ago, and didn't notice anything untoward, I was a deck above the OP and mid ship, and have a really good sense of smell, but I didn't notice anything.

[Wagtail adventures]

We also had a lot of vibration at the back of Britannia (lower level) in September 23. No smells.

[NE John]

4 hours ago, D&N said:

P&O Arcadia

Wasn’t the Arcadia originally slotted to become QV then Cunard rejected that design and created a Vista more inline with Cunard specs? And voila the QV?

[D&N]

10 minutes ago, NE John said:

Wasn’t the Arcadia originally slotted to become QV then Cunard rejected that design and created a Vista more inline with Cunard specs? And voila the QV?

Exactly. Both still Vista hulls though and cabins E63 and 4063 appear to be in exactly the same place.

[WantedOnVoyage]

Actually ARCADIA is QV without the provision of the Grills decks/PG accommodation block amidships that was designed for her from the onset. I think it was just a matter of market demand to complete a Vista for P&O before one for Cunard.  Any Vista for Cunard was going to have grill accommodation and facilities. 

 

If you've been on one, you can make your way around all of these Vistas, regardless of their name, line or "heritage" without missing a beat.  I personally this it the best overall cruise ship design in the last 25 years in terms of overall use of space, layout and ease of getting around.  NIEUW AMSTERDAM/EURODAM were favourites before HAL went headlong into mediocrity. We were right next to COSTA DELIZIOSA (good grief, these names!) at Santorini aboard QUEEN VICTORIA and it was like looking at a mirror image. 

Edited January 12 by WantedOnVoyage

[NE John]

27 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Actually ARCADIA is QV without the provision of the Grills decks/PG accommodation block amidships that was designed for her from the onset. I think it was just a matter of market demand to complete a Vista for P&O before one for Cunard.  Any Vista for Cunard was going to have grill accommodation and facilities. 

 

If you've been on one, you can make your way around all of these Vistas, regardless of their name, line or "heritage" without missing a beat.  I personally this it the best overall cruise ship design in the last 25 years in terms of overall use of space, layout and ease of getting around.  NIEUW AMSTERDAM/EURODAM were favourites before HAL went headlong into mediocrity. We were right next to COSTA DELIZIOSA (good grief, these names!) at Santorini aboard QUEEN VICTORIA and it was like looking at a mirror image. 

I’ve been on QE before and first-time in PG in Alaska this summer. Haven’t been on QV yet as it rarely makes its way to US. In agreement that the QE is easy to get around and I love the Art Deco decor onboard. There’s still something about Mary though!

[rog747]

The Vacuum loo systems on cruise ships can be a nightmare for the Engineers.
As ships get older the issues can increase.

Thankfully on my Cunard Voyages on only had 1 or 2 times were it was out of action (someone had ''blocked it'' with a foreign object LOL) 
So I never had any ''bad drain'' smell issues in the cabins, nor the corridors.
Only now and again near the Loos by the MDR and the Pools on a few occasions, I think on QE?.

The only nasty whiffs in a few of my cabins has been those on QV and QE on decks 7 and 8 Aft in some rooms where the cooking smells get sucked in from the Lido and Pool Deck Galleys.
I really do not like my clothes nor my room smelling of chips and burgers!
 

[Lindagop]

11 hours ago, rog747 said:

The Vacuum loo systems on cruise ships can be a nightmare for the Engineers.
As ships get older the issues can increase.

Thankfully on my Cunard Voyages on only had 1 or 2 times were it was out of action (someone had ''blocked it'' with a foreign object LOL) 
So I never had any ''bad drain'' smell issues in the cabins, nor the corridors.
Only now and again near the Loos by the MDR and the Pools on a few occasions, I think on QE?.

The only nasty whiffs in a few of my cabins has been those on QV and QE on decks 7 and 8 Aft in some rooms where the cooking smells get sucked in from the Lido and Pool Deck Galleys.
I really do not like my clothes nor my room smelling of chips and burger.                
 

Had it only been the smell of food that would have been a luxury - not  and nowhere near what our room 8172 on deck 8 situation for 12 days - so much so that this is the first time in years of cruising that we could not wait for our cruise to be over - something we really feel sad about - hopefully they start understanding this is under no circumstances acceptable that any guest should have to deal or “live” with . 

[Victoria2]

17 minutes ago, Lindagop said:

Had it only been the smell of food that would have been a luxury - not  and nowhere near what our room 8172 on deck 8 situation for 12 days - so much so that this is the first time in years of cruising that we could not wait for our cruise to be over - something we really feel sad about - hopefully they start understanding this is under no circumstances acceptable that any guest should have to deal or “live” with . 

This has already been asked but no reply so I ask too. Did you ask or better still, demand to be moved to another cabin?

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

This has already been asked but no reply so I ask too. Did you ask or better still, demand to be moved to another cabin?

Indeed, but I can’t help feeling that, in these circumstances, one shouldn’t have to ask.

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Indeed, but I can’t help feeling that, in these circumstances, one shouldn’t have to ask.

Of course not but there is no way anyone should pay good money for a smelly cabin and if a replacement isn't offered, then one should demand one or get the Captain to come down and experience the smell for him/herself and demand action.

[Lindagop]

When we went down on boarding day and and were asked by the officer whilst waiting at customer service we said that this was not acceptable and we would need another cabin  with the smell he said there were non available and the problem would be corrected. . We every time we saw our cabin attendant that this was still a problem  -  - all history now. But it does for the first time ever leave us with not wanting to go back, gush about the amazing experience and the comment “It was an experience “ whilst the elegance, the amazing Diningroom service team are a plus - the rest is Just not worth it especially taking into account the pre and post cruise hotels, transfers to and from LHR and the long flight cost from Western Canada. As mentioned in my post above - we sincerely hope no one else is forced to deal with the same.

[Pushpit]

I think it's unlikely there wasn't a single un-taken stateroom on board. There may well not have been a similar or same grade stateroom though. There's usually a few unused staterooms, partly for this sort of incident.

 

The reality is that making a single complaint to one staff member at the Purser's Desk is not sufficient, something like this needs a fair bit of assertion, and the steward is too far down the chain of command to do much either. It won't happen to you again, and it's really regrettable it happened at all. But for anyone else reading, if this happens, go back to the Purser's Desk repeatedly and ask to escalate. If nothing else you would be in a stronger position to get a refund on your fare if you had a clear log of complaints. 

[majortom10]

When we had problems with noise, vibration and intermittent issues with our toilet and reported to reception was told initially there were no other staterooms were available. Day or so later was told there was an inside cabin we could use to sleep in and keep our Q5 suite for day use. When told I wasn't happy with that half way through cruise received phone call from Reception Manager and was told we were going to be moved to a Q2 suite. Don't know why that suite became available halfway through cruise but we did move and had a great time for rest of cruise.

Edited January 13 by majortom10

[jaypo63]

Just off of QV after enjoying the Christmas & New Year cruise. We always opt for an aft suite and never have we had any problems with vibration or noise,although we do enjoy the noise of the propellers cutting through the water. We have experienced "the smells" which yes,is pretty awful but not much can be done about it but they should be honest with people,and not say......we'll check this out,as I'm pretty sure they've had hundreds of complaints over the years.

[babs135]

A week after we've returned from our Christmas cruise I'm slightly surprised to note that this thread is still up and running.  Re the smell/toilet flushing, I'm relieved to say that we had no problems with these.  Our cabin was on deck 1 and I wouldn't hesitate to book this deck again.  However, vibration if you are sitting to the rear of the MDR is very noticeable and I was very happy that our evening table was on deck 3 towards the front.

The only grumble I might have is how cold the Winter Gardens was. During the day it wasn't too bad, but by evening time.....  In fact, the temperature within the ship fluctuated greatly, I'm not surprised that towards the end of the cruise the 'Cunard Cough' was very much in evidence.

Nevertheless, we had a great time and the weather (including the Bay of Biscay) was very kind to us, compared to back home!