Enchantment of the Seas - Feb 19th - Not starting out well. Key West canned & delays

[kevinandrenay]

You are telling ME to give the guy a break? I asked a simple question as to what hppened. I'm not the one who felt that the mistake was worth posting about on these boards.

 

Ocean boy,

 

My bad I hit quote to elaborate on what the captain said and got carried away. I did not mean for you to give the guy a break. It was meant in general.

[Ocean Boy]

Ocean boy,

 

My bad I hit quote to elaborate on what the captain said and got carried away. I did not mean for you to give the guy a break. It was meant in general.

 

No problem... still friends....;):)

[retiredgram]

We also returned to Baltimore today. We had a great time. This was our 12th RCCL cruise and thought it was one of the better ones. We went for some R & R and accomplished what we set out to do. We thought the crew did an outstanding job under difficult circumstances. Everyone we met on the crew was very friendly.

 

Sorry to hear about your problems. Hopefully the ship gets cleaned up today and you are delayed for the shorter period of time. Be thankful you are staying back for a little while. The wind can play havoc with the ship and seas. It is better to be safe then sorry. When we left we had some " rough seas " around Cape Hatteras, which we did not think was so bad. At the start of the cruise we heard a lot of people complaining about it and many people were not feeling well because of the seas not the Noro. With the winds today the seas would have been much worse and people would have complained because they did not wait to leave.

 

We thought the crew was doing all they could to control the outbreak. Everywhere we went they were cleaning and sanitizing. They took the salt and pepper shakers off the tables. At the buffet, the crew was putting the food on your plate so everyone did not touch the utensils. They had hand sanitizer all over. I can under stand why some windows did not get washed. The crew was working very hard and being pushed to their limit.

 

I also don't think the side walk sale caused the virus. If they stopped all the activities more people would have complained. There were times I was in the bathroom and people would walk out and not wash their hands. I am sure some people were sick and still left their cabin. I don't think it is RCCL's fault people do not have good hygiene and go out when they are sick.

 

We also lost water one night for a short period of time. The ship is aging and they do have to do unscheduled maintenance every now and then ( It even happens on new ships ). They sent out a letter, did it at night, for only a few hours to minimize disruption. Here in Baltimore main pipes have busted and water has been shut off for days.

 

I did not hear about anyone dieing on the previous cruise but unfortunately it does happen. It probably happens more then we know. Also, the news shows the ship a lot. It is possible the helicopter was in the area because the ship leaves during rush hour and they fly up and down 95.

 

Just remember 2000 + people in a confined space. It only takes 1 sick person to start an outbreak. It can happen anywhere large amounts of people are in a confined space.

I think RCCL did and is doing the best they can to make it a safe vacation for everyone.

All of us passengers can also help by doing a few simple things.

Couldn't have said it better. Thank you

[kevinandrenay]

No problem... still friends....;):)

 

Glad to hear. :):) I normally do not write post like have on this thread. I just feel like Enchantment is getting a bad rap. It is like the perfect storm. Everything came together at once. Although it is an older ship we thought it was still in good shape. We thought the crew was one of the best. Our dining room wait staff was excellent. Our cabin steward was very accommodating. There was another cabin steward down the hall that said hi every time we saw him and we were always joking around. The people dishing out food in the windjammer were very nice saying thank you and enjoy your meal. The crew was being pushed to their limit and everyone we saw was being polite and kept a smile. All in all we had a very nice and relaxing cruise which is what we set out to do. The only complaint is that the slots took a lot of our money. :eek: LOL

[mommomof3]

After reading these post all I can think is "this sounds like a bunch of mass hysteria." I am not downgrading the comments, I just think that some of them are based on exaggerated rumors.

 

1. The Captain issue was explained so I don't need to go there.

2. There was ice-cream self service on the ship.

3. The barf bags were place once the virus was off and running. They were not there when we had choppy seas which we did have. They were still there when we exited the ship.

4. Royal Caribbean worked like dogs to keep this virus under control. The staff were completely exhausted and still managed to be polite with a smile on their faces. They did not spread it, the people on the cruise did by not practicing good personal hygiene in an environment that is obviously risky due to the close personal contact of a very large number of people.

5. One person died on the previous sailing. It was an elderly woman who had a heart attack in her stateroom. Her husband was by her side.

 

I don't understand how people want Royal Caribbean to repay them for things that are completely out of their (RC) control...weather, viruses etc. If people keep this up one day, large cruise ships will cease to operate due to the liability and loss of money. I have seen Royal Caribbean take responsibility and compensate for issues that were not their responsibility in the least (hurricane Katrina) Still then, people were complaining it was not good enough.

 

There are three points I totally agree with.

1.The ship did not alert us to the severity of the virus until it was beyond controlling. I asked several times how bad it was however it was obvious the crew had been instructed to be closed mouthed when asked. I carried sanitary wipes and used them constantly on my hands and anything I touched (casino). I washed my hands constantly. I was diligent about not touching my face. Not touching faucets, door knobs, elevator buttons, hand rails .... but to no avail, I already had the virus once I heard it was very serious so I spent my last three sailing days ill.

2.The food in the windjammer was mediocre (but the dining room had some very tasty choices.)

3.Being a predominantly elderly population on this sailing, the wheelchairs were in abundance and made moving around very difficult. I am sure this comment will be horribly politically incorrect but there are situations where there need to be limits. Some we accept (pregnant women beyond a certain gestation, no heart patients or children in the whirlpool etc) these rules are necessary for the safety of self and others. Some ships are just too old and small to accommodate a large number of wheelchairs. I had my feet run over and crushed many times. I had been practically knocked off my chair in the casino by somebody trying to wheel by to play a machine. I believe the rights and privileges of minorities should always be respected but I don't believe that the rights and privileges of the remaining population should be discarded in the process. Possibly, they should think about capping off the number of wheelchairs allowed.

 

I know there are things that Royal Caribbean should compensate for (plumbing, sewage EWW!) but I just can't help but think we have become of a society who wants somebody to be responsible for everything that puts us out or makes us uncomfortable. Stuff happens!

 

If I want a pristine new looking ship I would not book on an old ship. Be careful of keeping your hands clean in the casino, I believe a lot of the virus was spread there.

 

We had a great cruse! I am a seasoned cruiser and I will tell you, this was the best vacation I have ever had!

 

It will be what you make of it (in most circumstances)

 

I hope you all have a wonderful cruise!

[thelion]

A few words of advise for everyone:

 

When there are delays like this, Royal uses a phone number from the booking itself. If you book online, make sure your profile (Mycruises - NOT CAS) is up to date. If you book over the phone, insist on giving them a good phone number you can be reached on as you travel to the pier. If you book with a TA, INSIST the TA list your phone number as well - but remember Royal often only calls the TA on TA bookings so also be sure your TA is open 7 days a week and will respond in a timely fashion.

 

The cleaning delays are terrible, but remember Royal cannot bring on outside crew that quickly to help clean. There are serious customs and legal requirements for even doing contract work onboard. Plus background checks. That cannot be completed quickly and it would be prohibitively expensive to keep them on standby. It would be nice, however.

 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[RozWazowski]

While this thread may be starting to veer off it's intended direction, I do want to thank those who have posted "reasonably" (for lack of a better word) to this thread. This Noro outbreak has us terrified and we're scheduled for the ship in October. This has made me feel a little safer about our upcoming journey :)

[Donut23]

I'm so sorry your trip has not started off well.

 

I WILL say, you have a very-very wise Captain. You see, we live about 30 minutes from Baltimore - on the water - and the winds yesterday were simply awful. He made the right choice to stay in port - even with the loss of a stop in Key West.

 

We woke this morning to find parts of our roof on the ground but even worse, the winds yesterday were SOOOO bad it actually snapped the giant National Christmas Tree at the base of the trunk and it is now on the ground. (Washington is close to Baltimore for those unfamiliar).

 

Way too crazy for a Captain to be moving a ship in tight quarters unless he absoltuely has to.

[starlake]

While this thread may be starting to veer off it's intended direction, I do want to thank those who have posted "reasonably" (for lack of a better word) to this thread. This Noro outbreak has us terrified and we're scheduled for the ship in October. This has made me feel a little safer about our upcoming journey :)

 

Roz,

Please don't be terrified of the Noro virus, it is what it is, a virus. It happens everywhere, it occurs in daycares, hospitals, any place that could be more or less confined. If I would not have cruised on the the ships that had the noro, a few cruises before ours and two while we were on the ship, we would have missed 7 cruises. I go with the idea that things will be fine and if something happens while I am on board, I am still on vacation.

Don't worry about something that you can't control, especially since you will not be going until Oct. Have a great cruise.

[publicpersona]

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the Welcome Aboard show?

[Clancy14]

You use your own code on the safes, which are at eye level, unlike some that are in a corner near the floor!

 

 

We were in an Oceanview Cabin on Deck 4 on the January 29th sailing, and our safe opened and only worked with a swipe of our SeaPass Card. Only the card that swiped it, could open it, not either of them from the same cabin.

 

Hope this helps! - Miriam

[publicpersona]

We were in an Oceanview Cabin on Deck 4 on the January 29th sailing, and our safe opened and only worked with a swipe of our SeaPass Card. Only the card that swiped it, could open it, not either of them from the same cabin.

The newer safes on RC use 4-digit codes so you don't have to carry it with you. The older ones use the data on the mag stripe of almost any card - credit card, debit card, some loyalty cards, etc. They specifically advise you not to use your SeaPass card as it means that anyone who takes or finds your SeaPass card will have all they need - access to your cabin and to your safe. [The stateroom number is somewhat coded on the card, but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out.]

[hansolosmom]

I felt really bad your trip is starting this way until you said this

 

Hoping things will get better, we'll get out of here tonight at midnight, and really hoping RCI gives us some type of compensation for the mess of today, past a 'sorry' and 'better luck next time' per se.

 

I don't understand what you need to be compensated for.

[cruisinfanatic]

Hoping things will get better, we'll get out of here tonight at midnight, and really hoping RCI gives us some type of compensation for the mess of today, past a 'sorry' and 'better luck next time' per se.

 

 

Wow, what do you think you should get?

Noro and weather are not in the control of the cruiseline. You are delayed for your safety.

[Ninababy88]

Our room was 2544. The smell was from the bathroom drain. It would get so strong it wake us up at night

I have to tell you when I was in the doctors area it was packed with sick people and we had 3 elderly with broken ankles. This was only the third day at sea of a 12 day cruise. I am guessing the virus was on the ship before we got on.

[thelion]

Our room was 2544. The smell was from the bathroom drain. It would get so strong it wake us up at night

I have to tell you when I was in the doctors area it was packed with sick people and we had 3 elderly with broken ankles. This was only the third day at sea of a 12 day cruise. I am guessing the virus was on the ship before we got on.

 

Actually, it most likely was not. Having worked on ships I am quite intimate with how that virus spreads and it is almost always spread by poor hygiene practices by passengers. I wont get into the details here because it is particularly nasty but it can often be traced back to a passenger.

[Bothofus]

I know when they changed the exits on 95 at 695, I was always in the wrong lane because of habit. Kevin

 

OMG - this change STILL drives me nuts!

 

Rachel

[kurtp13]

There are at least two posts blaming the spread of the virus on passengers. I believe this could possibly be the case. I am always disappointed when I see other men walk out of the restroom without washing their hands. And the level of apparent hygiene from their dress doesn't seem to matter at all. I have seen all levels of dress go without washing. I am especially disappointed when they have young children that they are teaching this habit. I saw one well dressed man walk out with his children after making a huge mess. Disgusting and hard to believe he would leave that for anyone else to clean up.

 

But beyond all that, how are some so confident that the passengers are to blame. Have there been previous investigations in other outbreaks, or just observations like I have had?

 

You can bet where I normally don't say anything to the poor hygiene folks normally, I will be more outspoken on my upcoming cruise.

[Coralc]

Ummm. Because viruses are spread by people? Noro is really virulent and very contagious. It comes on really fast too. When I had it (land based) I went to work at 8AM, and felt absolutely fine. I threw up the first time at 10, the second time about 10:30 and went home for the day. The other part of Noro started about noon in addition to the continuous vomiting and by 3PM I was in the ER for dehydration. 4 hours of receiving fluids and I went home and stayed in bed for 2 more days.

 

Passengers or crew doesn't really matter, the only difference (I think) is that crew & staff members are more vigilant about quarantining themselves because THEY'RE not losing vacation time. :) It is not surprising to me that people could board the ship and not know that they were about to become deathly ill. :eek:

[kurtp13]

My point was that posters blamed it on passengers as opposed to the crew.

 

If a ship continued to be 'sick' even after being scrubbed down that could imply that the crew continues to have the sickness and infects new passengers. They (and the equipment/furniture) are the constants in the equation. Just a thought. Also, are some of the crew reluctant to quarantine themselves due to lost income.

[Coralc]

My point was that posters blamed it on passengers as opposed to the crew.

 

If a ship continued to be 'sick' even after being scrubbed down that could imply that the crew continues to have the sickness and infects new passengers. They (and the equipment/furniture) are the constants in the equation. Just a thought. Also, are some of the crew reluctant to quarantine themselves due to lost income.

 

It probably goes back and forth for a few weeks (or less, hopefully), if you think about the numbers of passengers and crew members. If you look at some of the websites, it is very common...shipboard reported this time of year.

 

We did a west bound Panama canal cruise one year. And being late night partiers, we saw the "Bleach People" out at night. The ship was in Code Red for Noro, but it was not advertised, no announcement. There are crew opinions about what sort of demographic may spread it.

 

The passengers after our cruise were angry about the delayed boarding. I don't blame them. And apparently the problem persisted for several cruises after ours.

[CruisinGerman]

We did the Colón-Colón 7 night sailing on Enchantment Easter 2009.

 

Water broke down mid-cruise. They sent a letter to the cabin that on three nights all water would be shut-off at 2:00 a.m. for repairs.

 

They made the repairs on nights when they also had all night deck parties.

 

The cruise was 99% occupied by people from Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica who stay up very late. So no showers after the all-night dancing parties.

 

To make matters worse, they didn't even stick to their promise of 2:00 a.m., and they actually shut the water off at 1:00 a.m.

 

Their promise was that the water would be turned on by 7:00 a.m. the next morning. Water was not turned on until about 10:00 a.m. -- so no shower before going to bed and no shower before having breakfast. On one of the days the water never went back on and we were all day without water.

 

We all got a future cruise certificate for the 100% value of our cruise, so this post is not meant to complain, but rather alert you folks that the problem with the water on Enchantment is nothing new and has been going on for several years.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Clancy14]

The newer safes on RC use 4-digit codes so you don't have to carry it with you. The older ones use the data on the mag stripe of almost any card - credit card, debit card, some loyalty cards, etc. They specifically advise you not to use your SeaPass card as it means that anyone who takes or finds your SeaPass card will have all they need - access to your cabin and to your safe. [The stateroom number is somewhat coded on the card, but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out.]

 

They absolutely did not specially advise you to NOT use your SeaPass card. One of the cards belonging to the cabin WAS THE ONLY ONE that would work. I did actually grab another card by accident to close it the safe the first time. When it did not work, I saw that I had used my American Express Gold Card. I then used my SeaPass and it worked fine. My husband's SeaPass would not open the safe, if my SeaPass was the one that closed it.

 

Hope this helps. - Miriam

[BND]

They absolutely did not specially advise you to NOT use your SeaPass card. One of the cards belonging to the cabin WAS THE ONLY ONE that would work. I did actually grab another card by accident to close it the safe the first time. When it did not work, I saw that I had used my American Express Gold Card. I then used my SeaPass and it worked fine. My husband's SeaPass would not open the safe, if my SeaPass was the one that closed it.

 

Hope this helps. - Miriam

 

They most certainly do advise you to NOT use your seapass card. We've done a couple of cruises on ships with safes that have to have cards swiped and I remember reading it. It's not a good idea for the reasons posted above anyway. I always take a grocery store card with me, that doesn't have my name on it and it works absolutely fine. There are many other threads addressing this and in every one of them people are told not to use their Seapass cards and to take an expired gift card or a grocery store card, or something completely unassociated with the person like that.

[dixieva]

I have to agree with this. I think it's even on the front of the safe not to use your sea pass card to program the opening. Not saying you can't-just that's it's not a good idea.

 

I always use an expired MC or Visa or my grocery store card. Anthing with a magnetic strip will work.