Foul Smell in Parts of Carnival Ecstasy

[ForeverExceptional]

Hey All,

 

I enjoyed a cruise I took on the Carnival Ecstasy and had a very good time. The main thing of concern I encountered was a foul smell that permeated the area at the entrance to the Wind Star dinning room, the rear outside of the Wind Star by the elevators, the front of the scheduled dinning room (Wind Song?), the entrance to the Society Bar (the one with an oval mural on the ceiling), and randomly throughout the ship. I also picked up on the same scent or essence in the cloth napkins used to wrap the silverware and sometimes on the food (like the hotdogs from the grill by the Lido pool deck).

 

The odor was a distinct and unpleasant one and it seemed to have a chemical twinge to it, although, I have never smelt anything like it before so I'm not sure. I've read about people experiencing sewage smells around the ship, although, I have never directly smelt sewage and it didn't smell like excrement to me so I am not sure if this would be the source.

 

I asked one of the greeters at the entrance to the Wind Star if she smelt anything and she looked at me like I was crazy and denied. I also asked one of the people that runs the various events on board and she said that on the last day after coming into port they do some type of cleaning and that I could have smelled that. However, I smelt it everyday of the cruise and not just on the last day so I do not believe that is the case. She told me she would let someone know about it and they would look into it.

 

I'm curious as to what in the world that smell could have been and if I should call Carnival and report it. Thanks in advance!

Edited May 11, 2015 by ForeverExceptional

[riclop]

Try a newer ship. Old is old..

[RuthlessBoss]

You need to apply for a job somewhere as a professional sniffer:D

[StolidCruiser]

Unless there was a metal refinery or fish hatchery on board, I doubt you smelt anything.

[SkyMaster]

I recently sailed "Ecstasy", and I never experienced any foul odors, other than the old guy at the Taco Bar. (Just kidding) ;) No problems at all.

 

"SKY"

[Bobblefrog]

When we smelled the sewage smell on the Fantasy - a few years back, only the one sailing we found it was in the stairwell we used and then up by the mini golf. It's not a chemical smell, that's for sure, so I don't think that was what you noticed. And we never smelled it in our cabin or in table napkins or anything like that. Just kind of held your breath/avoided those areas.

 

You didn't say if anyone you were with noticed it as well? I would have thought maybe you were sensitive to a cleaning smell, but then you said on food as well?!

[CJHAN]

We sailed the Ecstasy a few years ago and had a similar smell in the rear of the ship. It smelled like an RV toilet and likely for the same reason. Its an old ship and likely harder to keep sewage system clean.

[Cruise-Crazy]

I was on there in April, no foul smells...

[fuddrules]

Never smelt anything like that. Perhaps you have a sensitive smelter?

[sjn911]

Second professional sniffer job idea...

[Cruise-Crazy]

I do like Smelt eggs on Sushi though :D

[RuthlessBoss]

I do like Smelt eggs on Sushi though :D

 

Oh, yuk. Anyhooo, smelt is a small fish, or smelt means to melt or fuse. Past tense of smell is smelled, not smelt.

[leedm]

Did the smell seem to follow you around the ship. Hmmmm

[SkyMaster]

Did the smell seem to follow you around the ship. Hmmmm

 

Sorry OP,,,,but THAT'S FUNNY! I don't care who you are,,,,that's funny! :D

 

"SKY"

[fuddrules]

Did the smell seem to follow you around the ship. Hmmmm

 

What's the old saying?:

 

"If you smelt it you dealt it"

[StolidCruiser]

What's the old saying?:

 

"If you smelt it you dealt it"

 

My recollection of this is "He who smelt it dealt it." Pretty much the same thing. If it follows you around, that's pretty powerful!

[Bobblefrog]

OP - I expect you are smart enough not to take the above posts personally, but just in case you do - don't pay them any attention. My dad thinks the same sort of humor is funny and nobody but his wife laughs at his jokes.

 

It helps to remember every village has to have its idiot :D

[YubaSutter]

Oh, yuk. Anyhooo, smelt is a small fish, or smelt means to melt or fuse. Past tense of smell is smelled, not smelt.

 

I don't think you get it. Everyone , but the OP, knows this.

[jkneern]

Just got off Friday....no smells! Great ship and very clean

[kelkel2]

We sailed the Ecstasy in 2010 and I remember smelling funky smells from time to time. But it was our first cruise and honestly I just thought it was part of being on a ship. I've smelled it on other ships too. I mean it does happen.

[FTLCruiseGal]

Hey All,

 

I enjoyed a cruise I took on the Carnival Ecstasy and had a very good time. The main thing of concern I encountered was a foul smell that permeated the area at the entrance to the Wind Star dinning room, the rear outside of the Wind Star by the elevators, the front of the scheduled dinning room (Wind Song?), the entrance to the Society Bar (the one with an oval mural on the ceiling), and randomly throughout the ship. I also picked up on the same scent or essence in the cloth napkins used to wrap the silverware and sometimes on the food (like the hotdogs from the grill by the Lido pool deck).

 

The odor was a distinct and unpleasant one and it seemed to have a chemical twinge to it, although, I have never smelt anything like it before so I'm not sure. I've read about people experiencing sewage smells around the ship, although, I have never directly smelt sewage and it didn't smell like excrement to me so I am not sure if this would be the source.

 

I asked one of the greeters at the entrance to the Wind Star if she smelt anything and she looked at me like I was crazy and denied. I also asked one of the people that runs the various events on board and she said that on the last day after coming into port they do some type of cleaning and that I could have smelled that. However, I smelt it everyday of the cruise and not just on the last day so I do not believe that is the case. She told me she would let someone know about it and they would look into it.

 

I'm curious as to what in the world that smell could have been and if I should call Carnival and report it. Thanks in advance!

 

As you describe the smell to have a "chemical twinge" to it and it was mostly in the areas where food is served, it was most likely the "smell" of the laundry detergent that they use to clean the linens. Sometimes, it can have a very strong chemical odor, especially to those that have a heightened sense of smell. You said that you smelled it on the hot dogs; however, were you holding a silverware roll-up when you smelled it?

 

Stay at hotels, and you will smell the same thing on the towels and robes in the room.

[ForeverExceptional]

Thanks for the responses everyone! Yes, I don't take things too seriously or personally. You guys on here found my error and ran with it so no harm done lol :D.

 

It was my first cruise and I will say that my friend noticed it as well. Based on the responses here it doesn't seem to be serious. It was definitely not me though lol. I do have a sensitive nose as well as my friend so that's probably why it stood out to us.

 

So far I think the likely sources or causes are the ship being old and/or the laundry detergent as mentioned by CruiseGal (thanks for the very interesting perspective). I think the laundry detergent is an interesting theory as it would explain why the smell was around the food areas and why I smelled it on my hot dog (I did unroll the silverware to use the cloth before eating it). Every time I ate throughout the cruise I touched the cloth napkin so it makes sense that I could have been picking up that smell the whole time. At the front and rear of the Wind Star they have these large golden curtains and there is a positive air pressure so they are blown outward and there is a bit of wind. If these curtains are washed with the same detergent then their scent could be caught in the draft which would explain why we smelled it mainly on the outside and not so much once inside and seated. I didn't smell it on the bedsheets and didn't remember it on the towels in the cabin so perhaps they use a different detergent or stronger dose on items originating from the dinning areas.

[cruisinmisstee]

Just returned from the Ecstasy and didn't notice any weird odors in the common areas. Our toilet did have an odor which I kept closed and sprayed. But throughout the ship, no issues.

[Gryffindor55]

Try a newer ship. Old is old..

 

Ever hear of the infamous Carnival Dream sewage smell that plagued its inaugural year... and then some?

Edited June 7, 2015 by Gryffindor55

[bobsfamily]

Every ship at some point has a "smell"... new, old, whatever. It's the system used to take care of the sewage onboard. It's gotta go somewhere and sometimes it don't go where it's supposed to!