Diamond Princess Cabin D-741

[craven3]

Wow! I was checking something else out, and for the heck of it looked up Princess on the Better Business Bureau site, http://www.bbb.com My eyes just popped out of my head! I don't want to be accused of misstating anything so I'm just going to cut and paste this report from their site:

 

"Princess Cruises

24844 Avenue Rockefeller

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Contact: George Erengis

Phone: (661) 284-4411

Company Rating: F

Rating Explanation:

The rating the Better Business Bureau assigns a business is determined by our composite score of such factors as its type of business, length of time in business, compliance ...

 

Under the description of a Rating F, "F We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices."

 

"Complaint Experience

Our complaint history for this company shows the company gave proper consideration to some complaints presented by the Bureau.

 

Although in some cases the company failed to respond to complaints.

Some complainants allege general dissatisfaction with services, and accomodations, such as, room service, food quality, cabin size, or location. Other travelers complain of delays in departure or arrival times. he company generally responds to copmlaints by providing explanations of their policies. In cases where cancellation and refunds are an issue, the company explains that insurance can be purchased to ensure refunds should a cancellation become necessary. Other service related complaints are addressed by offering discounts on future cruises, apologies or explanations for delays in departure or arrival times. Several complainants who were unable to complete their cruise were not satisfied with the company's response, explaining the "no refund policy." The company refused to make any monetary adjustments in most cases, and customers generally felt their policies were unfair."

 

Charlotte

[Betty anne]

Craven 3,I forgot to mention that the stench was also in D739, the suite next door to us.

The gentleman and his wife did complain during the cruise,but due to a full ship,their cabin wasn't changed.I don't know whether they were compensated as far as a credit was concerned.However,he did post something on one of the threads regarding the problem.According to him,it was worse than D741,where we were.

My husband stayed in the cabin more than I did,and he adjusted himself to not going out on the balcony,and keeping the doors closed.

It was a great hassle for me to file a suit.even though we stayed in LA for 5 days after the flight from New Zealand.It was an exhausting trip.Should I cruise on the Diamond again,at least I know not to accept D739 or D741 .It was a learning experience,even though an expensive one.

[craven3]

It was sure a shock for me, too. We've twice been on the cabin immediately above D741 on the Star, and there was no smell on the balcony what-so-ever. We love the balconies and practically live out there. When not in port we read and solve puzzles out there--as well as just watching the wake and contemplating the world. We don't go to the casinos at night, and often we've seen the shows two or three times, so in the evenings and at night we sit on our balcony to enjoy a glass of wine or two and enjoy the moon and stars. When we were on the New Zealand/Australia cruise, we took heavy jackets and bundled up out there. We prepared for the Alaska balcony experience by taking heavy jackets, sox and gloves, but it sure didn't work out, and that's the reason for our disappointment.

 

Charlotte

[CamelliaCity]

We just returned Sunday from our Baltics cruise

 

We were in C753 on the Star.

 

It stank:mad: on the balcony and if we opened the balcony door it would come inside our cabin.

 

It wasn't always there, just certain times. I have to say the sewer smell in the aft was very obvious. There were times I had the dry heaves from the smell.

 

Aft was wonderful when the smell was not there and horrid when the smell was there.

 

After reading this thread we changed our cruise on the Sapphire from aft to starboard and I thank God that we did. 31 days with a stinky cabin would have been disgusting.

 

I'm thinking this must be a Princess aft problem. We have been aft on Celebrity and absolutely no problem with smell, just a lot of vibration.

 

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Princess to make improvements. We rated Princess several steps down from Carnival:D

 

Booked a Thanksgiving 2007 cruise yesterday on Carnival out of New Orleans. It will be a lot better than a Princess cruise, I promise:eek:

[kcb]

To update on this, we filed our suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Small Claims Division last week. The Sheriff is going to serve the notice. The trial date is in October. I'll post what happens.

 

Charlotte

 

Charlotte,

 

So, was there ever a resolution in Small Claims Court?

 

My apologies if you've posted the info somewhere else and I've missed it!

 

~Kent

[Host CJSKIDS]

It's been discussed before, but needs to be said again. DON'T BOOK CABIN D-741 ON THE DIAMOND with the thought that you'll have a wonderful aft balcony cabin.

 

Although it's an aft balcony (and a mighty big one, at that) the garbage grinders from the kitchen were vented wrong, and the stench on that balcony is sickening. Truly and really sickening. Smells like a meat locker with a bit of rotting cantaloupe rinds thrown in. The odor is very strong, and you smell it the minute you open the balcony door. If you don't close the balcony door tight, the smell comes into the cabin very quickly.

 

We'd booked the cabin because we had the twin cabin twice on the Star and thought it was wonderful. However, we were sorely disappointed on our recently completed D-741 on the Diamond.

 

Here's the deal. On other Grand Class ships the smell is vented out the vents on the Prominade Deck; that's the odor you get on the Grand and Star when youre overlooking the wake at the stern on the Prominade. On the Diamond, however, the vent is piped so that odor blows directly into the balcony of cabin D-741. The fan does not just blow the stench out the back of the ship, instead it blows the stench directly into the balcony and straight toward the sliding door of cabin D-741.

 

We talked to the Purser's Desk and Customer Service, and they sent both staff and crew up to investigate. Finally they said that Princess has been aware of the problem for some time and that only the Legal Department can make adjustments on this problem to make sure that all who complain are compensated the same to be fair. After three days of talking to them, they offered to move us into another cabin for one night, but we'd have to move back the next day because a new entertainer was coming onboard who was going to be in the other room. Because of shore excursions, we decided not to take them up on the offer to move ourselves twice; we take cruises so we don't have to pack up and move every night!

 

You might think that it's a small thing, but if you pay extra for a balcony and the weather cooperates, you should be able to use the balcony. The balcony also has a wide post that obscures the view from the room. We feel that we should receive an adjustment for at least the difference between what we paid and what they charged for an obstructed view ocean view cabin. However, that doesn't begin to compensate for the disappointment of not having the use of a balcony that we paid for. I didn't see the previous post about Diamond cabin D-741 until February, but by then it was too late to change without additional charge, I was told.

 

Our biggest problem is that Princess has known about that problem for quite a while and still rents out the room. Customer Service and a crew member told us that it will take one week of the cabin being empty to tear everything apart and re-pipe the vent. However, as long as travel agents offer it and as long as people book the cabin, that won't happen.

 

So, if you have the cabin booked, I'd sure advise you to call you TA and switch to another, even if it means a side balcony. If they are all booked, switch to an ocean view because that's in reality what you'll have with cabin D-741 on the Diamond.

 

Charlotte

 

Okay, this is the exact problem we had with our suite on the Crown last week and it was gross. I still can't believe that I spent so much money to be back there and could not use our balcony or leave the door open at all. We could feel the heat from the vent blowing on us when we attempted to sit down on the lounge chairs that they placed on that side of the balcony. I hated the fact that in order to get fresh air we had to go up on deck and could not enjoy our suite's balcony.

I did go down to the purser's desk but it was a completely full sailing and there were no other cabins available. I have mailed Princess a letter so it should be very interesting to see if they bother to send me a response.

[racepoint]

WOW!! I think this is the only lengthy thread I can recall reading in its entirety, from beginning to end. I, too, am curious how the suit v. Princess was resolved. What a scam!! I wonder how many other cruisers are out there that have booked this cabin (or adjacent cabins) that don't post on Cruise Critic. We'll never hear what they have to say. (You gotta love the Internet!) I'll bet Princess has received a bunch of written complaints from unhappy cruisers, though. $50.00/pp credit on a FUTURE cruise is an insult. People book a balcony cabin with the reasonable expectation of being able to use the balcony. After being subjected to the restrictions and inadequacies of this "balcony" cabin, the request for compensation in an amount equal to the difference between the fare for a balcony v. the fare for an oceanview cabin is totally reasonable and, in my humble opinion, considering all the planning, expense and anticipation that go into a cruise, a very generous offer of compromise on the passengers' part. For all the grief Princess has received from unhappy passengers in regard to this issue, you'd think that a one-week shut down (or two or three) of this particular cabin would be no big deal in order to rectify the situation. I have to admit that close to the end of the thread, my interest turned personal as there was mention of this problem on other Princess ships' aft cabins. I have booked two aft cabins (Baja deck) on Caribbean Princess, which ship was not specifically mentioned, but the big vent pipe is obviously right next to my cabin (B757). I've read here that the vent is loud - and I can handle that - but not the smell. Can anyone offer me a personal assurance that I shouldn't be switching cabins now?

[kcb]

To update on this, we filed our suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Small Claims Division last week. The Sheriff is going to serve the notice. The trial date is in October. I'll post what happens.

 

Charlotte

 

 

Charlotte / Craven,

 

What happened in Small Claims Court???

 

Please let us know!

[beloitjayhawk]

Charlotte / Craven,

 

What happened in Small Claims Court???

 

Please let us know!

 

We're still wondering how your small claims court action went

Let us know!:confused:

[saddlebrooke]

OH NO:eek:

 

We have D-740 Sapphire for 29 days April 2007 with tons of sea days.

 

I'll address this problem with Princess and see if they respond.

 

I have a horribly super sensitive 'smelling' system. I can literally throw up smelling onions.

 

We choose our cruises for sea days and spend absolutely a ton of our time on the balcony.

 

Thanks for the info.

Hi:

Just wondered if you got a response from Princess. We booked D-741 on the Sapphire and now am concerned about what I hear about the smell.

Please let us know what you find out asap. Our email is tjbrowneller1 at wbhsi.com (take out the spaces and put an @ sign in place of the word "at").

Terry and Judy

[alanmal]

Crave3 is still posting on other boards. So probably went to court or settled out of court with A GAG ORDER. That why have not heard what happened.

 

Al :p

[alanmal]

Craven3 probably got a settlement with a gag order

 

Al

[BTfan]

Craven3 probably got a settlement with a gag order

 

Al

 

a GAG order....how appropriate...LOL That's hilarious.

[kcb]

Crave3 is still posting on other boards.

 

 

So noted, some time ago.

 

But, didn't feel it necessary to chase her down in other threads for her answer!

[ocean.queen]

The decision was in her favor and she recieved what she asked for!

[ladysail2]

To update on this, we filed our suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Small Claims Division last week. The Sheriff is going to serve the notice. The trial date is in October. I'll post what happens.

 

Charlotte

 

from kcb-----> But, didn't feel it necessary to chase her down in other threads for her answer!

 

True, no need to chase her down...but she did promise to 'post what happens'.....and she didn't.

If she did receive a 'gag' order...then she could have been respectful enough to those who gave her moral support to at least post that much information.

JMHO :D

[BTfan]

I probably would be afraid to post even that much info..would stating you had a gag order violate the gag order?

[ladysail2]

No...it is revealed all the time..in the newspapers. 'No comment..under authority of a gag order'

 

It just would have been a courtesy...not knowing the facts or the people involved...but she did come here to complain about her situation...it would have been nice to have been kept informed...even if only to say that she couldn't reveal the outcome.

 

Not a criticism...just an opinion. :D

[kcb]

The decision was in her favor and she recieved what she asked for!

 

 

Could you enlighten us with any further info???

 

Clearly, inquiring minds would desperately like to know...

 

Some of us, myself included, have had similar "experiences" aboard Princess ships, and have found that Small Claims Court is our only recourse. I think we would all like to know about the actual experience in court.

 

I have little interest in the actual award, as each individual case merits a different outcome. There is no reason to get into another discussion on the boards with everyone's input as to whether or not her compensation is fair. Only Charlotte should determine if she feels she was vindicated, which, by your response, appears that she does. Bravo Charlotte!

 

~Kent

[PAULNJILL]

We are most concerned to hear of these problems and our thoughts go out to you who have suffered with these smells.

We have booked Emerald E733 can anyone advise if there is a problem with this cabin re the smells

 

RgdsJill n Paul

[Tinwoman]

Wow! I was checking something else out, and for the heck of it looked up Princess on the Better Business Bureau site, www.bbb.com My eyes just popped out of my head! I don't want to be accused of misstating anything so I'm just going to cut and paste this report from their site:

 

"Princess Cruises

24844 Avenue Rockefeller

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Contact: George Erengis

Phone: (661) 284-4411

Company Rating: F

Rating Explanation:

The rating the Better Business Bureau assigns a business is determined by our composite score of such factors as its type of business, length of time in business, compliance ...

 

Under the description of a Rating F, "F We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices."

 

"Complaint Experience

Our complaint history for this company shows the company gave proper consideration to some complaints presented by the Bureau.

 

Although in some cases the company failed to respond to complaints.

Some complainants allege general dissatisfaction with services, and accomodations, such as, room service, food quality, cabin size, or location. Other travelers complain of delays in departure or arrival times. he company generally responds to copmlaints by providing explanations of their policies. In cases where cancellation and refunds are an issue, the company explains that insurance can be purchased to ensure refunds should a cancellation become necessary. Other service related complaints are addressed by offering discounts on future cruises, apologies or explanations for delays in departure or arrival times. Several complainants who were unable to complete their cruise were not satisfied with the company's response, explaining the "no refund policy." The company refused to make any monetary adjustments in most cases, and customers generally felt their policies were unfair."

 

Charlotte

 

Oh my goodness this is unbelievable!!!!:eek:

We are booked on our first cruise on Princess soon,(sixth cruise overall) and I was having second thoughts over the elderly lady on the Alaskan cruise thingie.

Then to hear of Princesses horrible rating, very discouraging.

I hope everything goes ok on our cruise.:rolleyes:

I am going over to the BBB site now to check other cruise lines.

[exphyle]

We figured we had scored when we landed E735 on the Diamond for 2/10/09, Auckland to Sydney. Now I'm concerned. Is anyone aware whether this cabin, directly below D741, has a similar problem? Craven, even if you can't talk about what happened to your case, perhaps you could comment on other cabins???

[Princess Chatterer]

What about decks Emerald (below) and Caribe (above).

 

cabins E732, E735 and C748,C753

 

are they close enough for the smell also?

 

Thanks

 

I would REALLY like to know that answer for C748 and C753 on the Diamond.

[Trash Queen]

OK.. I used to be called Craven3, but now am Trash Queen because the system would not let me change my e-mail address when my server changed. However, this is Charlotte, the person who originally posted to start this thread.

 

I apologize to all who have read this in the meantime; I had no idea that this thread was still being read. Here's what happened, and here's what I've learned. First, what I've learned.

 

Although it appears to many that the Star, Grand, Golden, Caribbean, Sapphire, Diamond, Crown and Emerald are all basically the same design, they are not. The back, stearn, aft portion of the Star, Grand, Tolden, and Caribbean are all the same, in that the SkyWalker Nightclub is at the stearn of the ship that they have that "spoiler" thing up there shading the pool near the Horizon Court bar and pool area.

 

However, the SkyWalker NightClub is midships on the Diamond, Sapphire, Crown and Emerald. And I believe the new Ruby, but am not sure about that. At any rate, the design also affected the entire shape of the stearn. Look at the deck plans, at the ship outline of the aft portion of the ships and you'll see what I mean. Somehow in the re-design, they managed to screw up where the vents went in that filter room that is in the center of the aft balcony cabins.

 

Now for what happened. When we filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, we had to serve notice of the suit with a third party in downtown Los Angles, not directly to Princess headquarters in Santa Clarita. We paid the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department $30 or $35 to serve notice of the suit. A few days after that one of Princess' attorneys called me and asked if I was still willing to settle for the amount originally requested. I said yes. He sent me a form for signature, which required that I not tell anybody how much they settled for, which I signed and FAXed back. Shortly after that they settled for the agreed upon amount. In addition to that he informed me that the $50 per person onboard credit for a future cruise had already been credited to our account, which, he said, would cover my court filing costs and gas between my home and Santa Clarita, where I filed the case.

 

So, to end the story, I am obligated not to tell you how much I got, but since they paid what I asked, you can figure it out by reading my earlier posts.

 

Charlotte

[exphyle]

Thank you Charlotte for the update. This is one of the most interesting threads on CC I ever have followed. Attached is the letter we emailed to Princess today (cc to our travel agent), hoping for some clarity from them about whether the stench from the aft vent affects the stateroom we have booked.

 

-- Phil

 

Dear Princess Customer Relations,

 

We are booked on the Diamond Princess, Auckland-Sydney, for Feb. 10, 2009. Our booking number is XXXXXX. We are assigned to E735, an aft balcony stateroom in the BB category. We have asked NOT to be placed on an upgrade list because we DO NOT WANT TO SWITCH from this stateroom assuming that the problem discussed below has been addressed.

 

As you are no doubt aware, a lawsuit against Princess Cruises was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2006 by Mr. and Mrs. Craven because of their experience in stateroom D741 on the Diamond Princess and the initial refusal of Princess to offer more than $100 in onboard credit as compensation. The problem was that the stench from the ship's aft vent was so bad in D741 that the Cravens could not even open the door to their balcony and thus were effectively consigned to a very expensive oceanview aft stateroom. I know you are aware of this problem because I have seen the correspondence from Megan Small, a specialist in your Passenger Relations department, in which the issue was discussed. These were posted on Cruise Critic's message board back in 2006. Moreover, Mrs. Craven has recently recounted her experience on the Cruise Critic message board.

 

A settlement was apparently made with Mr. and Mrs. Craven, although the terms required that the amount of the settlement could not be revealed. Mrs. Craven did not discuss the amount of her settlement and we are not interested in knowing the details. We would simply like your assurance that the problem of the malodorous vent has been fixed and that you can assure us that we will not be confronted with this problem in E735, which is directly below D741 on the Diamond.

 

Again, we DO NOT at this time want to be moved from E735 as we have heard good things about this particular aft stateroom and are quite content with our assignment (unless you'd care to upgrade us to an aft suite). We just want your assurance that the problem with the aft vent has been fixed and that we will not suffer from the kind of stench that gave rise to the Cravens' lawsuit and subsequent settlement over D741.

 

Thank you for your prompt attention.

 

Phil and Deborah Trounstine

Aptos, CA