Ventilation problems on Celebrity ships?

[bcscot]

Having sailed many times over many years, we are fully aware of the necessary cutbacks in recent years, as cruise companies cut costs and prices in a bid to survive in the current economic climate. It seems that the growth in cruising has been so rapid that it has resulted in a glut of cruise ship berths, necessitating further cutbacks. Some of the economy measures, although lamentable, can be understood and accepted (especially when accompanied by lower prices). Some cuts however, in my opinion, are not acceptable. We have sailed a lot with Holland America and over the last 3 years, have found that they reduce the air flow to the cabin during the night. The A/C works well when we go to bed but we awake at about 2 or 3 am feeling like we cannot breath, in a hot and stuffy cabin. This causes a sore throat and stuffed up nose which often leads to a cold or sinus infection. At about 4 or 5 am, we can feel the flow of cool, fresh air resume. No amount of discussion with the front desk or engineering staff makes much difference and a fan only helps a little. Opening the balcony door (if we have one) is no good if it is windy or hot and humid outside.

 

We are convinced that this is a cost cutting measure, although it is denied. Not everyone seems to be sensitive to this problem, but many are and have experienced similar problems. For us, it has happened on 5 cruises in a row and we are fed up with it. It did not happen on a Cunard cruise during this time. We now have three cruises booked with Celebrity and whatever the differences between the two lines, we are really hoping that Celebrity will allow us to breath in our cabin at night and have a good sleep (a requirement for us to enjoy rather than endure, our cruise). Some have suggested that this is now happening on most lines, as a cost cutting measure. We really hope not. Has anyone experienced this problem on a Celebrity ship? Thank you for your feedback. I would be very interested to know.

[Andy]

Hi Bcscot,

 

I've taken countless Celebrity cruises, and I've never experienced any of the exact conditions you've described on other lines, exisiting on Celebrity ships. While there may be an infrequent situation, where temps need to be adjusted, I've always found Celebrity's onboard folks to be quite responsive and helpful. Hopefully, you can breathe easier now :)

 

Hope this helps, and enjoy your cruise !

[Dave85]

Having sailed many times over many years, we are fully aware of the necessary cutbacks in recent years, as cruise companies cut costs and prices in a bid to survive in the current economic climate. It seems that the growth in cruising has been so rapid that it has resulted in a glut of cruise ship berths, necessitating further cutbacks. Some of the economy measures, although lamentable, can be understood and accepted (especially when accompanied by lower prices). Some cuts however, in my opinion, are not acceptable. We have sailed a lot with Holland America and over the last 3 years, have found that they reduce the air flow to the cabin during the night. The A/C works well when we go to bed but we awake at about 2 or 3 am feeling like we cannot breath, in a hot and stuffy cabin. This causes a sore throat and stuffed up nose which often leads to a cold or sinus infection. At about 4 or 5 am, we can feel the flow of cool, fresh air resume. No amount of discussion with the front desk or engineering staff makes much difference and a fan only helps a little. Opening the balcony door (if we have one) is no good if it is windy or hot and humid outside.

 

We are convinced that this is a cost cutting measure, although it is denied. Not everyone seems to be sensitive to this problem, but many are and have experienced similar problems. For us, it has happened on 5 cruises in a row and we are fed up with it. It did not happen on a Cunard cruise during this time. We now have three cruises booked with Celebrity and whatever the differences between the two lines, we are really hoping that Celebrity will allow us to breath in our cabin at night and have a good sleep (a requirement for us to enjoy rather than endure, our cruise). Some have suggested that this is now happening on most lines, as a cost cutting measure. We really hope not. Has anyone experienced this problem on a Celebrity ship? Thank you for your feedback. I would be very interested to know.

 

I've never experienced that on any of the three cruise lines I've sailed -- Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, or Carnival. Actually, if anything, I usually find myself turning down the A/C in the evening because it gets too darn cold. That was the case on my last cruise, on Celebrity Silhouette. I should note that I'm generally a "warm" person.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Dave85

[Gonzo70]

Having sailed many times over many years, we are fully aware of the necessary cutbacks in recent years, as cruise companies cut costs and prices in a bid to survive in the current economic climate. It seems that the growth in cruising has been so rapid that it has resulted in a glut of cruise ship berths, necessitating further cutbacks. Some of the economy measures, although lamentable, can be understood and accepted (especially when accompanied by lower prices). Some cuts however, in my opinion, are not acceptable. We have sailed a lot with Holland America and over the last 3 years, have found that they reduce the air flow to the cabin during the night. The A/C works well when we go to bed but we awake at about 2 or 3 am feeling like we cannot breath, in a hot and stuffy cabin. This causes a sore throat and stuffed up nose which often leads to a cold or sinus infection. At about 4 or 5 am, we can feel the flow of cool, fresh air resume. No amount of discussion with the front desk or engineering staff makes much difference and a fan only helps a little. Opening the balcony door (if we have one) is no good if it is windy or hot and humid outside.

 

We are convinced that this is a cost cutting measure, although it is denied. Not everyone seems to be sensitive to this problem, but many are and have experienced similar problems. For us, it has happened on 5 cruises in a row and we are fed up with it. It did not happen on a Cunard cruise during this time. We now have three cruises booked with Celebrity and whatever the differences between the two lines, we are really hoping that Celebrity will allow us to breath in our cabin at night and have a good sleep (a requirement for us to enjoy rather than endure, our cruise). Some have suggested that this is now happening on most lines, as a cost cutting measure. We really hope not. Has anyone experienced this problem on a Celebrity ship? Thank you for your feedback. I would be very interested to know.

 

It is not possible to catch a cold or sinus infection from this. Aside from that, this seems very conspiracy theory-ish to me and I doubt there is any veracity to this. If your a/c is not working properly at night, report the issue the next morning so that the maintenance problem can be rectified.

[Christine Frances]

It is not possible to catch a cold or sinus infection from this. Aside from that, this seems very conspiracy theory-ish to me and I doubt there is any veracity to this. If your a/c is not working properly at night, report the issue the next morning so that the maintenance problem can be rectified.

 

Unhappy to report that this is true from first hand knowledge from the ships doctor on my just completed Millie Asia cruise. ($400 worth of chest xrays, blood work and meds) Many, many people were suffering from bad coughs and congestion. The variations of +35C heat outside, to 20C inside the ship caused a lot of people to suffer from Upper Respiratory Infections on the Indonesia cruise.

 

My problems did not result from A/C temperature fluctuations in the cabin mentioned by OP but rather from outdoor/indoor fluctuations. And OP, our A/C worked perfectly:)

 

http://www.essortment.com/air-conditioning-health-15668.html

Edited March 3, 2014 by Christine Frances

[Gonzo70]

Unhappy to report that this is true from first hand knowledge from the ships doctor on my just completed Millie Asia cruise. ($400 worth of chest xrays, blood work and meds) Many, many people were suffering from bad coughs and congestion. The variations of +35C heat outside, to 20C inside the ship caused a lot of people to suffer from Upper Respiratory Infections on the Indonesia cruise.

 

My problems did not result from A/C temperature fluctuations in the cabin mentioned by OP but rather from outdoor/indoor fluctuations. And OP, our A/C worked perfectly:)

 

http://www.essortment.com/air-conditioning-health-15668.html

 

Temperature fluctuations cannot make you sick - that is impossible. If the ship doctor truly told you that he is either a quack or was pulling your leg. :rolleyes:

[takemewithyou]

We have sailed a lot with Holland America and over the last 3 years, have found that they reduce the air flow to the cabin during the night. The A/C works well when we go to bed but we awake at about 2 or 3 am feeling like we cannot breath, in a hot and stuffy cabin. This causes a sore throat and stuffed up nose which often leads to a cold or sinus infection. At about 4 or 5 am, we can feel the flow of cool, fresh air resume. .

 

We have experienced this recently on two different hotel stays....exactly as you say.....in the middle of the night we are running to try to adjust the air and we turn it all the way up because we are so hot, and nothing happens because there is obviously a master control that is overriding our individual control. It is not fun when you need the A/C.

 

We have never experienced this on X....yet! Our last cruise was 12/2012.

[bcscot]

It is not possible to catch a cold or sinus infection from this. Aside from that, this seems very conspiracy theory-ish to me and I doubt there is any veracity to this. If your a/c is not working properly at night, report the issue the next morning so that the maintenance problem can be rectified.

 

I suggest that you may mean that YOU do not believe that one can get an infection from this. This is a very controversial subject, however, I believe it from experience. Why is it so hard to accept that if one's throat and nasal passages are inflamed, swollen and blocked from being in a hot and airless cabin (if one is sensitive to this) that one would not therefore be prone to developing a secondary infection?

 

We recently discussed this problem with a friend who is an international shipping expert and he concurred that this was probably an unacceptable cost cutting measure. I am just putting two and two together from our repeated experiences and coming to a conclusion. I am interested, however, in other people's experiences and opinions on the subject. Thank you for yours. :)

[bcscot]

Unhappy to report that this is true from first hand knowledge from the ships doctor on my just completed Millie Asia cruise. ($400 worth of chest xrays, blood work and meds) Many, many people were suffering from bad coughs and congestion. The variations of +35C heat outside, to 20C inside the ship caused a lot of people to suffer from Upper Respiratory Infections on the Indonesia cruise.

 

My problems did not result from A/C temperature fluctuations in the cabin mentioned by OP but rather from outdoor/indoor fluctuations. And OP, our A/C worked perfectly:)

 

http://www.essortment.com/air-conditioning-health-15668.html

 

One of the problems that we have had is in explaining to people that we are not talking about a temperature problem, but a ventilation one. Yes, the cabin gets hot, but the main problem is one of poor ventilation. Good ventilation is required for a comfortable room, requiring the provision of fresh air (with oxygen) and the removal of stale air (with carbon dioxide). The cabin can be too hot, too cold or just right, however the air can still be stale and of poor quality due to poor ventilation. This has been our problem at night on HAL ships. We are very sensitive to this, as are many others, however, possibly the majority of people are not (so HAL are getting away with it).

[azevedan]

I've come across it in hotels (the a/c is hooked up to a motion detection, so it shuts off when you sleep during the night). Haven't come across it in on cruise ships. Sailing on Celebrity for the first time this month.

[bcscot]

We have experienced this recently on two different hotel stays....exactly as you say.....in the middle of the night we are running to try to adjust the air and we turn it all the way up because we are so hot, and nothing happens because there is obviously a master control that is overriding our individual control. It is not fun when you need the A/C.

 

We have never experienced this on X....yet! Our last cruise was 12/2012.

 

Yes, we have also had this problem in many, often very good quality, hotels. It is a constant problem when you are sensitive to this and dependent on someone else providing you with your air! We prefer an open window (unless it is tropical outside).

 

I am very glad to hear that you have not experienced this problem on Celebrity ships. Thank you.

[takemewithyou]

Yes, we have also had this problem in many, often very good quality, hotels. It is a constant problem when you are sensitive to this and dependent on someone else providing you with your air! We prefer an open window (unless it is tropical outside).

 

I am very glad to hear that you have not experienced this problem on Celebrity ships. Thank you.

 

Also, forgot to say that we used to sail with HAL and we, too, noticed that this happened in the middle of the night in their cabins. let's hope this doesn't start happening with X. :)

[Gonzo70]

I suggest that you may mean that YOU do not believe that one can get an infection from this. This is a very controversial subject, however, I believe it from experience. Why is it so hard to accept that if one's throat and nasal passages are inflamed, swollen and blocked from being in a hot and airless cabin (if one is sensitive to this) that one would not therefore be prone to developing a secondary infection?

 

We recently discussed this problem with a friend who is an international shipping expert and he concurred that this was probably an unacceptable cost cutting measure. I am just putting two and two together from our repeated experiences and coming to a conclusion. I am interested, however, in other people's experiences and opinions on the subject. Thank you for yours. :)

 

No, it is a FACT that you cannot catch a virus or infection from dry air or temperature fluctuations - no controversy unless one is misinformed or chooses to ignore facts. Dry air can irritate one's sinuses, but it cannot make you sick.

[BostonBoatBoy]

. We have sailed a lot with Holland America and over the last 3 years, have found that they reduce the air flow to the cabin during the night. The A/C works well when we go to bed but we awake at about 2 or 3 am feeling like we cannot breath, in a hot and stuffy cabin. . At about 4 or 5 am, we can feel the flow of cool, fresh air resume. No amount of discussion with the front desk or engineering staff makes much difference and a fan only helps a little.

Has anyone experienced this problem on a Celebrity ship? Thank you for your feedback. I would be very interested to know.

 

BCSCOT. I feel the same way you do on the late night ventilation shut down. We have taken 13 Celebrity cruises on 8 different ships. We find more often than not that the air flow is greatly reduced in the approx. 2:00am - 5:00am range. The cabin gets stuffy and dry. Then the airflow picks back up and airflow returns to that cabins "normal". You are not alone in feeling this and I think you will find it on Celebrity as we have. We just keep extra water by the bed and stay hydrated!! Enjoy your cruise!!

[bigeagle12]

No, it is a FACT that you cannot catch a virus or infection from dry air or temperature fluctuations - no controversy unless one is misinformed or chooses to ignore facts. Dry air can irritate one's sinuses, but it cannot make you sick.

 

I agree. As a frequent sufferer of sinus infections .. Neither temperature change or lack of ventilation can cause a sinus infection. Now the allergens and other crap in the ventilation systems can cause them. Hotels, airplanes, cruise ships, etc are good for recirculating all the allergens and germs from person to person.

 

The article referenced above does not say the temperature changes or ventilation cause infections .. just congestion.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[keithm]

Having sailed many times over many years, we are fully aware of the necessary cutbacks in recent years, as cruise companies cut costs and prices in a bid to survive in the current economic climate. It seems that the growth in cruising has been so rapid that it has resulted in a glut of cruise ship berths, necessitating further cutbacks. Some of the economy measures, although lamentable, can be understood and accepted (especially when accompanied by lower prices). Some cuts however, in my opinion, are not acceptable. We have sailed a lot with Holland America and over the last 3 years, have found that they reduce the air flow to the cabin during the night. The A/C works well when we go to bed but we awake at about 2 or 3 am feeling like we cannot breath, in a hot and stuffy cabin. This causes a sore throat and stuffed up nose which often leads to a cold or sinus infection. At about 4 or 5 am, we can feel the flow of cool, fresh air resume. No amount of discussion with the front desk or engineering staff makes much difference and a fan only helps a little. Opening the balcony door (if we have one) is no good if it is windy or hot and humid outside.

 

We are convinced that this is a cost cutting measure, although it is denied. Not everyone seems to be sensitive to this problem, but many are and have experienced similar problems. For us, it has happened on 5 cruises in a row and we are fed up with it. It did not happen on a Cunard cruise during this time. We now have three cruises booked with Celebrity and whatever the differences between the two lines, we are really hoping that Celebrity will allow us to breath in our cabin at night and have a good sleep (a requirement for us to enjoy rather than endure, our cruise). Some have suggested that this is now happening on most lines, as a cost cutting measure. We really hope not. Has anyone experienced this problem on a Celebrity ship? Thank you for your feedback. I would be very interested to know.

We did find the temps. on Eclipse to be rather high when dining. Some pax said it was because of the elderly pax prefer to be "warmer". I didn't buy that, as Cunard had the same age range & we never felt the temp. was too high.

[jackdiamond]

Would not this situation be resolved if you simple turned off the A/C and opened the balcony door which would provide fresh air and humidity?

[Gracie115]

Temperature fluctuations cannot make you sick - that is impossible. If the ship doctor truly told you that he is either a quack or was pulling your leg. :rolleyes:

 

Gonzo is right....my DH is a microbiologist and is constantly telling people this...but they will believe what they choose...you cannot get sick from changes in temperature......:eek:

[Christine Frances]

Gonzo is right....my DH is a microbiologist and is constantly telling people this...but they will believe what they choose...you cannot get sick from changes in temperature......:eek:

 

Of course I know my cold/flu was caused by a virus:rolleyes: but the medical staff dealt with a lot of people on this cruise (crew & pax) who had an upper RI. As was explained to me, the fluctuating temps (95-100F outside to 70F inside) wreak havoc on your airways, bronchial and nasal, making them much more susceptible to any virus going around (circulating through the A/C eg) On one of our tours, 4 of the 10 people had it.

[Gracie115]

Of course I know my cold/flu was caused by a virus:rolleyes: but the medical staff dealt with a lot of people on this cruise (crew & pax) who had an upper RI. As was explained to me, the fluctuating temps (95-100F outside to 70F inside) wreak havoc on your airways, bronchial and nasal, making them much more susceptible to any virus going around (circulating through the A/C eg) On one of our tours, 4 of the 10 people had it.

 

Which mostly means that there was a virus going around....probably would have gotten it no matter what the temps inside/outside were....and YES you are right about some viruses spreading through a closed AC system....that's how Legionnaires spreads....

Edited March 3, 2014 by Gracie115

[bcscot]

Oooh........ an interesting range of responses. Thank you for your input. I personally, find FACTS to be rather subjective. So called 'scientifically proven' facts seem to change with remarkable frequency and I find that if you ask six different 'experts' for an opinion, you get six different answers. Anyhow, the point is that we have been very uncomfortable in our cabins at night, recently, on HAL and I was hoping that we might be more comfortable on Celebrity. I suppose that I will just have to wait and see. :)

[Christine Frances]

Which mostly means that there was a virus going around....probably would have gotten it no matter what the temps inside/outside were....and YES you are right about some viruses spreading through a closed AC system....that's how Legionnaires spreads....

 

Totally agree! And a lot of us got it due to our comprised immune system:(

 

Last post on this topic = just relating what was told to us by Guest Relations, Medical Centre and of course the highest authority, our room steward, who said that a lot of crew were sick and it happens every time they go to hot humid countries.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Christine Frances

[jackdiamond]

Totally agree! And a lot of us got it due to our comprised immune system:(

 

Last post on this topic = just relating what was told to us by Guest Relations, Medical Centre and of course the highest authority, our room steward, who said that a lot of crew were sick and it happens every time they go to hot humid countries.

Interesting, since it is proven that humidity is very efficacious for the skin and sinuses, but is dangerous for the lungs.

[TLCOhio]

Just came back last month from two weeks on the Celebrity Solstice as noted and detailed below on my live/blog. Had also been on the Solstice in June 2011 in the Med. Neither time did we sense personally or hear from the six other Central Ohio couples in our group about any such ventilation problems.

 

Ours was a busy, active cruise and I cannot claim to have monitored every area, every hour of the day. But, if it had been "bad", I am sure I would have noticed or heard about it. We also had a large and active Cruise Critic group from our roll call. No problems this way that I heard about.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at over 39,000 views for this fun posting.

[Gonzo70]

Oooh........ an interesting range of responses. Thank you for your input. I personally, find FACTS to be rather subjective. So called 'scientifically proven' facts seem to change with remarkable frequency and I find that if you ask six different 'experts' for an opinion, you get six different answers. Anyhow, the point is that we have been very uncomfortable in our cabins at night, recently, on HAL and I was hoping that we might be more comfortable on Celebrity. I suppose that I will just have to wait and see. :)

 

Bingo! My initial hypotheses that your original post sounded rather conspiracy theory-ish was spot on! Never let wacky theories and wild conjecturing be tamed by facts, science and expert opinions. :rolleyes: