Noordam: Broken Toilet, Cold Showers, and a missed port to save money!

[puli]

 

 

 

 

I am also unreasonable. I expect my cabin to come complete with operational sanitary and comfort systems. If I had to wander around a ship in the middle of the night looking for a "pot to p--- in":eek: I would be very upset. My husband would also be upset, because chances are I would wake him up to escort me through the sleeping ship to locate a toilet. The next morning you would find me camped out at the front desk until someone in authority attended to the problem.

I think the people who are justifying this would be singing a very different tune if they were unable to use their cabin bathroom for 8 days! If you can honestly say you wouldn't be upset and angry, then obviously you have a very different standard of "acceptable" than I do.:(

I don't need data on toilets to know if they work. I've watched them in action for most of my 53 years. If they get rid of what goes in them, they function. If they let it sit there, they're broken.

 

Love it!!!!!

[Hgwells01]

Good grief, the man's toilet didn't work. Period. In that situation nobody is interested in a nit picking analysis.

 

Exactly! I'm on the Noordam soon and I'm hoping I get some hot water and a loo that manages to flush for 22 nights, I will accept an occasional problem with grace and understanding but good grief 8 days, not one person on earth would accept that.

[sapper1]

Exactly! I'm on the Noordam soon and I'm hoping I get some hot water and a loo that manages to flush for 22 nights, I will accept an occasional problem with grace and understanding but good grief 8 days, not one person on earth would accept that.

 

Well there's one person that we know of eh? ;)

 

Seriously I wish you a working toilet and hot water on your cruise. :D

[VinTek]

What I and others have been saying all along: some of us ignore a delay flush and others declare this to be a "non-working" or "broken toilet". I feel there needs to be a distinction made when one says their "toilet is broken" for X number of days.

 

That is too generic a description under the circumstances. Was it a delay flush problem for several hours, or was it a totally non-working toilet for days? You are right, data is important. Which one was it: delay flush or 100% non operational under any circumstances. That is all that is getting asked. Not sure why this is a cause of controversy.

 

Delay flush seems to be a several minutes to several hour phenomenon when it has happened to us. So if one wants to wait it out, fine. If one wants to march to the front desk, demand compensation and then come here to trash HAL ships that is their choice too. That is not my issue.

 

But I do think other readers should at least know there is conflicting "data" when one reads only "broken toilet". Is this clearer now?

Clear enough, although I would not stand for a delay of several hours. If the toilet turns out to be broken, waiting for several hours would simply be a waste of time.

 

I think I would do what I did when I experienced a non-flush situation on another line. After 5 minutes, I'd call the front desk and notify them of the problem, requesting a repair. I feel I have an obligation to notify them so the can ascertain if the problem is localized to me, or if it's affecting multiple cabins. It seems like a simple and reasonable thing to do.

 

However, if the situation happened constantly (such as multiple times a day or over multiple days), I think that I would be somewhat disturbed, as I have never experienced such a thing on my other cruises. A delayed-flush situation can happen to any ship on any line. But I would not want to go so far as to expect it to happen and consider it normal. Certainly the cruise line where it happened to me did not feel that it was expected nor normal; they fixed things in very short order. If they felt that such a thing was worthy of their immediate attention, why shouldn't I feel the same way?

 

Thank you for your clarification. Although I don't fully agree with you, I do appreciate your input and your explanation.

[OlsSalt]

Clear enough, although I would not stand for a delay of several hours. If the toilet turns out to be broken, waiting for several hours would simply be a waste of time.

 

I think I would do what I did when I experienced a non-flush situation on another line. After 5 minutes, I'd call the front desk and notify them of the problem, requesting a repair. I feel I have an obligation to notify them so the can ascertain if the problem is localized to me, or if it's affecting multiple cabins. It seems like a simple and reasonable thing to do.

 

However, if the situation happened constantly (such as multiple times a day or over multiple days), I think that I would be somewhat disturbed, as I have never experienced such a thing on my other cruises. A delayed-flush situation can happen to any ship on any line. But I would not want to go so far as to expect it to happen and consider it normal. Certainly the cruise line where it happened to me did not feel that it was expected nor normal; they fixed things in very short order. If they felt that such a thing was worthy of their immediate attention, why shouldn't I feel the same way?

 

Thank you for your clarification. Although I don't fully agree with you, I do appreciate your input and your explanation.

 

I agree, for a new cruiser who did not know whether this could be a temporary glitch or a major problem it is very natural appropriate to report it to the front desk. It is good to do a heads-up, no pun intended when something like this happens. Wishing everyone including myself too, trouble-free plumbing while on board.

[kazu]

Well there's one person that we know of eh? ;)

 

Seriously I wish you a working toilet and hot water on your cruise. :D

 

you do realize the Canadian is showing in you with that 'eh' eh?

 

Love it:)

[sapper1]

you do realize the Canadian is showing in you with that 'eh' eh?

 

Love it:)

 

Eh what?:)

[lovetocruise2020]

Now that would be karma for sure. :D:D

I like that curse better than the one about the fleas of a thousand camels and armpits. :D

 

You will very rarely see me post something like that,! I could not help it.

 

But i know because it happened to me! So i curse him, an exploding toilet. On every cruise, forever for his rudeness. :eek:

And at home too!

 

(Spits on ground) and the hand gestures the gypsy's do... Lmao.

[OlsSalt]

You will very rarely see me post something like that,! I could not help it.

 

But i know because it happened to me! So i curse him, an exploding toilet. On every cruise, forever for his rudeness. :eek:

And at home too!

 

(Spits on ground) and the hand gestures the gypsy's do... Lmao.

 

Poor HAL, now they will never be able to get things fixed. Forget Formal wear or even carry on wine, bring braids of garlic, chicken bones and amulets to fight the Curse of the Toilet Zingara. :cool:

[lovetocruise2020]

Poor HAL, now they will never be able to get things fixed. Forget Formal wear or even carry on wine, bring braids of garlic, chicken bones and amulets to fight the Curse of the Toilet Zingara. :cool:

 

Laughing so hard

[jmkennett]

Clear enough, although I would not stand for a delay of several hours. If the toilet turns out to be broken, waiting for several hours would simply be a waste of time.

 

I think I would do what I did when I experienced a non-flush situation on another line. After 5 minutes, I'd call the front desk and notify them of the problem, requesting a repair. I feel I have an obligation to notify them so the can ascertain if the problem is localized to me, or if it's affecting multiple cabins. It seems like a simple and reasonable thing to do.

 

However, if the situation happened constantly (such as multiple times a day or over multiple days), I think that I would be somewhat disturbed, as I have never experienced such a thing on my other cruises. A delayed-flush situation can happen to any ship on any line. But I would not want to go so far as to expect it to happen and consider it normal. Certainly the cruise line where it happened to me did not feel that it was expected nor normal; they fixed things in very short order. If they felt that such a thing was worthy of their immediate attention, why shouldn't I feel the same way?

 

Thank you for your clarification. Although I don't fully agree with you, I do appreciate your input and your explanation.

 

Our toilet, you could say is a delayed flush, for approx 1-4 hours at a time. I consider it a problem when you use it at 8AM and it flushes at noon. It's been a little better. It wouldn't flush yesterday for about two hours in the morning.

 

Still only one working drink machine in the Lido. In Capri today and despite the problems we are having a great time.

[jmkennett]

Accepting the report is the 100% truth is also a judgement. It is a report; but whether it is the truth or not is out of everyone's purview. Coat-tailing an unconfirmed negative report and then using it as a launching pad for attacks on HAL along with laments about the good old days and inferences about "deferred maintenance" is where posts go wrong.

 

A simple cluck, cluck is probably the better response from everyone. Sorry that person had such a bad trip as they reported. Maybe we can better understand why these set off so much uproar? Judgement is occurring on both sides. Recognition of an unconfirmed report for what ever reasons needs to be just that: a report. Investing way too much into this but there is a pattern and those that get dismissed cheerleaders have a valid point to make too. Cluck.

 

I have video, each day, time stamped from the tv, then of me pushing the button, showing it not working. If you need proof, I have it. I'm doing this to send to corporate upon my return.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is just so sad about your toilet.

My DH and I would have major problems -- we both take medications that cause us to frequent the bathroom -- day, and night.

Sometimes we both get up 3 times during the night.

That would mean we would have to stay dressed all the time to go and use a restroom.

[jmkennett]

I'd love to know the cabin number the OP is in, im on the Noordam in a couple of weeks and if the upsell fairy visits me with THAT cabin no I will know its not really a gift from above.

 

4169. Sorry for the delay.

[Hgwells01]

4169. Sorry for the delay.

 

Thank you, I'm expecting cabin allocation for our 26 Aug Noordam cruise, if I get that one I will be sending this thread to my TA and saying get me outta there. I hope the rest of your cruise improves, and I sincerely wish you many happy flushes for the rest of the trip.

[hypercafe]

This reads like a review of my last trip on the Zuiderdam, 3/12, that was also the last trip I will ever take on HAL. There are so many other lines and even some that are not part of Carnival I just do not see the point in gambling my vacation time and money on the never ending saga of overworked crew, toilets and AC not working.

[vbmom87]

I haven't read every post here, but enough to get the different points of view. I, for one, understand that stuff happens, be it on a cruise ship, in a hotel room, on an airplane, at a restaurant, at a resort, etc. However, how the resolution is handled is what makes the difference.

 

Last year we went to an out of town funeral and the morning of the funeral the whole hotel had no hot water. :eek: Was it the end of the world? No!! However, it was inconvenient and as others mentioned, we paid for a room that we expected to be clean, have functioning heat, toilets and showers. I fully understand that at times things can go wrong and we dealt with the situation. Things could have been much worse, and we knew that. What annoyed me was this fairly large hotel had no one available to fix the problem. It was going to take several hours (after we we needed to be long gone) to get someone to even come in to fix the problem. It just seemed to me that a hotel would have maintenance people more readily available.

 

Anyway, the next morning, I stopped at the desk and had a nice conversation with an assistant manager. I never asked for anything. I just expressed the disappointment I felt that we were unable to use the showers that morning, since we had a funeral to go to. I also expressed, most politely, that it seemed odd that no one from maintenance could get there quicker. After our conversation, he refunded me one night each on the two rooms I had booked. This is what I mean about how a resolution is handled. I honestly would have been happy with a 25-50% reduction in the cost of the room. To me they went above and beyond what they needed to offer me. However, the point is, they did not ignore the inconvenience and they tried to make the customer happy.

 

From reading these boards, I get the feeling HAL ignores way more than they should. Customer service is very lacking. In this situation, it should not have taken more than two days to fix the toilet situation. If they couldn't fix it, then another cabin should have been offered if one was available. With how long it took, there should have been sincere apologies from the staff on the ship, and a partial refund for the inconvenience they had to deal with. This was totally unacceptable.

[cruisin'girl]

I haven't read every post here, but enough to get the different points of view. I, for one, understand that stuff happens, be it on a cruise ship, in a hotel room, on an airplane, at a restaurant, at a resort, etc. However, how the resolution is handled is what makes the difference.

 

 

......... After our conversation, he refunded me one night each on the two rooms I had booked. This is what I mean about how a resolution is handled. I honestly would have been happy with a 25-50% reduction in the cost of the room. To me they went above and beyond what they needed to offer me. However, the point is, they did not ignore the inconvenience and they tried to make the customer happy.

 

From reading these boards, I get the feeling HAL ignores way more than they should. Customer service is very lacking. In this situation, it should not have taken more than two days to fix the toilet situation. If they couldn't fix it, then another cabin should have been offered if one was available. With how long it took, there should have been sincere apologies from the staff on the ship, and a partial refund for the inconvenience they had to deal with. This was totally unacceptable.

 

 

You mean the hotel didn't limit its financial remedy for your inconvenience to an adjustment on a FUTURE stay at their hotel?? You didn't have to agree to stay with them again and pay for more days there to get a partial refund on your current stay where the problem actually occurred? Immediate hotel credits (and we have received the same at a Hampton Inn without even asking for it) sure beats a Future Cruise Credit when it comes to good and fair customer service.

[VinTek]

Our toilet, you could say is a delayed flush, for approx 1-4 hours at a time. I consider it a problem when you use it at 8AM and it flushes at noon. It's been a little better. It wouldn't flush yesterday for about two hours in the morning.

 

Still only one working drink machine in the Lido. In Capri today and despite the problems we are having a great time.

 

Completely agreed that such a period is intolerable. My objective in the earlier line of questioning was to establish some reasonable standards against which to measure. I would certainly not have stood for a delay of 1 hour, never mind 4. Where I work, a failure is considered anything that does not perform to design standards. Clearly this meets that standard.

 

I'm sorry for all you problems but am very glad that you're have a great time regardless.

 

Best wishes to you,

-V

[OlsSalt]

I have video, each day, time stamped from the tv, then of me pushing the button, showing it not working. If you need proof, I have it. I'm doing this to send to corporate upon my return.

 

Assuming your video also has audio? If this issue is "delay flush" do you also have audio/video of when it finally completes its cycle? However, I do support you bringing this proof to the attention of HAL management because it obviously is causing a lot of ill will among HAL passengers. Nice to hear you are enjoying the rest of your trip. Yes, randomly balky drink machines are also part of the backdrop too on other HAL ships. And the occasional elevators that are out of commission. Don't overlook those too. Life is treacherous on the high seas. :cool:

[Wakepatrol]

Assuming your video also has audio? If this issue is "delay flush" do you also have audio/video of when it finally completes its cycle? However, I do support you bringing this proof to the attention of HAL management because it obviously is causing a lot of ill will among HAL passengers. Nice to hear you are enjoying the rest of your trip. Yes, randomly balky drink machines are also part of the backdrop too on other HAL ships. And the occasional elevators that are out of commission. Don't overlook those too. Life is treacherous on the high seas. :cool:

 

 

I wonder how many hits this video will get on youtube :confused:

[OlsSalt]

......

From reading these boards, I get the feeling HAL ignores way more than they should. Customer service is very lacking. In this situation, it should not have taken more than two days to fix the toilet situation. If they couldn't fix it, then another cabin should have been offered if one was available. With how long it took, there should have been sincere apologies from the staff on the ship, and a partial refund for the inconvenience they had to deal with. This was totally unacceptable.

 

That is why others who have had wonderful service and recognition and remediation of any issues on HAL ships find many of these reports here disconcerting: the impression that no one on HA ships care. That simply has not been our case at all. Just the opposite. HAL has often cared more than we even expected them to care.

 

Which is why the stories here are never complete until one hears all sides of it. Sorry you got this impression about HAL ships.

 

Once we arrived to find out cabin carpet had been soaked due to a balcony door being left open when the ship was getting washed from the outside. Fans were blowing near the balcony door, and while it was an inconvenience it was not fatal to anything we were doing at the time.

 

HAL then needed to arrange a fuller carpet cleaning after it had dried and asked us what times were convenient to carry this out. We adjusted around this. They then followed up with a complimentary Pinnacle dinner and the ubiquitous plate of chocolates as well.

 

Our first reaction was things happen, it was promptly taken care of, we worked about HAL's schedule to make things work out for all concerned and were pleasantly surprised when HAL went the extra step of the additional bonus treats.

[puli]

Assuming your video also has audio? If this issue is "delay flush" do you also have audio/video of when it finally completes its cycle? However, I do support you bringing this proof to the attention of HAL management because it obviously is causing a lot of ill will among HAL passengers. Nice to hear you are enjoying the rest of your trip. Yes, randomly balky drink machines are also part of the backdrop too on other HAL ships. And the occasional elevators that are out of commission. Don't overlook those too. Life is treacherous on the high seas. :cool:

 

You are trying to be amusing ...right?????

I hope so but I doubt the OP ( and perhaps many of us) appreciate your humor!

[OlsSalt]

I wonder how many hits this video will get on youtube :confused:

 

It may give the one watching paint dry a real run for it. :cool:

[OlsSalt]

......

Me, I'd rather pay a bit more for a cabin with a functioning toilet, hot water, towels and sheets that aren't threadbare, furniture and port holes in good condition, etc. But I guess that's just a silly little idiosyncrasy of mine. :rolleyes:

 

.....

 

Because there are plenty of other opportunities already out there to pay more i, I am glad HAL has held the line and is still offering a solid travel bargain.

 

So yes, count us among those who don't mind the occasional glitches as part of the price we pay for still being able to sail HAL ships to their wonderful choices of ports and small size ships.