cruise cabin toilet question

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

Hi, this is embarrassing to ask, but I've read hundreds of CC reviews over the past few years as I prepare for my first cruise, a Princess to Alaska.  I've seen many reviews that say that the cruise cabin toilet had a urine smell, and that no matter what the staff did the smell remained for the entire cruise.   These were from reviews from a variety of cruise lines. Is this a problem that is so prevalent that I should expect it, or is this rare?  I know that cruise ship toilets aren't like regular toilets on land but I don't know a lot about them.  I've wondered if there are certain placements of cabins that I should avoid to avoid this problem, but I don't know if that would have anything to do with it.

[Shmoo here]

6 minutes ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

Hi, this is embarrassing to ask, but I've read hundreds of CC reviews over the past few years as I prepare for my first cruise, a Princess to Alaska.  I've seen many reviews that say that the cruise cabin toilet had a urine smell, and that no matter what the staff did the smell remained for the entire cruise.   These were from reviews from a variety of cruise lines. Is this a problem that is so prevalent that I should expect it, or is this rare?  I know that cruise ship toilets aren't like regular toilets on land but I don't know a lot about them.  I've wondered if there are certain placements of cabins that I should avoid to avoid this problem, but I don't know if that would have anything to do with it.

We've been on many cruises, various cruise lines.  I've never noticed a constant urine odor.  That said, if the trap dries out, the gases can back up into the toilet (just like at your house).  Solution - you'll find a drain on the floor not far from the toilet - pour a glass of water down it.  Stops the gases from backing up.

 

Toilets on the ship work just like the ones in our houses do.

[zdcatc12]

16 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Toilets on the ship work just like the ones in our houses do.

Uh, I don't think so. At home, if you are sitting on your toilet and flush it, will it pull your insides out? Because the ones on the ships could.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

We've been on many cruises, various cruise lines.  I've never noticed a constant urine odor.  That said, if the trap dries out, the gases can back up into the toilet (just like at your house).  Solution - you'll find a drain on the floor not far from the toilet - pour a glass of water down it.  Stops the gases from backing up.

 

Toilets on the ship work just like the ones in our houses do.

 

I agree with Shmoo.  Never been an issue on any of our cruises.   

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, zdcatc12 said:

Uh, I don't think so. At home, if you are sitting on your toilet and flush it, will it pull your insides out? Because the ones on the ships could.

 

How do you know????  Are your insides now on your outside?

 

DON

Edited October 22, 2021 by donaldsc

[BruceMuzz]

Cruise ship vacuum toilets have 3 challenges that you do not face at home.

1. Every toilet room has a drain in the floor to prevent any floods. This drain empties into a “grey water” tank many decks below. There is not enough space to install an “S trap” like the one you have at home to prevent nasty odors coming up. Instead there is a “bell trap” that uses water to block the odors. If the water in this trap spills out or evaporates, the gases from the grey water tank will come into your cabin, with a urine-like smell.

2. Nearly every section of a cruise ship has controlled air pressure for a number of good reasons - including emergency fire and smoke control. Sometimes the air pressure in the section where the grey water tanks are located goes higher than the air pressure in your cabin, forcing the grey water smells up the pipe into your cabin. (Another good reason to keep your balcony door closed).

3. Most cruise lines use very expensive versions of a Canadian-made cleaning chemical containing activated hydrogen peroxide to prevent virus outbreaks. These are essentially non-chlorine bleach. Properly used, they are sprayed onto a surface and allowed to air dry. One version leaves a milky residue and smells a bit like vomit; the other version is clear, but smells a bit like urine.

[chengkp75]

8 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

We've been on many cruises, various cruise lines.  I've never noticed a constant urine odor.  That said, if the trap dries out, the gases can back up into the toilet (just like at your house).  Solution - you'll find a drain on the floor not far from the toilet - pour a glass of water down it.  Stops the gases from backing up.

 

Toilets on the ship work just like the ones in our houses do.

The floor drain trap is not connected to the toilet at all, until both the gray water and black water systems empty into a common sewage storage tank.  So, if the floor drain trap dries out, the odor will come from that trap, not the toilet.  You are correct in that pouring a glass of water down the trap will stop the odor.  This floor drain is not the shower drain, it is for the bathroom floor outside the shower, and is usually either a "gutter" type drain across the doorway, or a round drain tucked under the toilet.

7 hours ago, zdcatc12 said:

Uh, I don't think so. At home, if you are sitting on your toilet and flush it, will it pull your insides out? Because the ones on the ships could.

Mythbusters.  The vacuum toilet will not suck your insides out if flushed while sitting on the toilet.

 

BruceMuzz's post is very good at explaining the details of what may be causing the smell.  I find it amazing how few crew members, especially cabin stewards do not know about pouring water down the floor drains.  The drains that see water all the time (like the shower drain) do not have this problem, but the bathroom floor drain rarely sees water down it, so the dry air will evaporate the water in the trap.  People who are snowbirds or have summer homes experience this when they return to a home that has been vacant for a while, and the sink traps have all dried out.

[sparks1093]

OP, we've been on a number of cruises and although it is a small sample size given the number of cruises we've never had this issue.

[capriccio]

OP - we have over 25 cruises on Princess and a handful on other lines and have never had this problem nor have I read about it on the Princess boards.  I don't think you have anything to worry about but I'm glad you asked and Bruce and the Chief responded.  You learn something new everyday!

[zdcatc12]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Mythbusters.  The vacuum toilet will not suck your insides out if flushed while sitting on the toilet.

I know. I was slightly exaggerating. I wasn't exactly sure how they worked, but I knew that they don't work anywhere close to the same way that your home toilet does.

[mammajamma2013]

I've been on ten cruises, which is small number compared to some CC members, but I've never had that problem. Half those have been on Princess.

 

Edited to add: I hope I don't sound snarky, but hundreds of reviews are a handful out of thousands (and thousands?) of cruises taken. iMO, people tend to vocalize bad experiences, but seldom good and I've never seen a review stating that the toilets didn't smell bad. 😃

Edited October 22, 2021 by mammajamma2013
Add a though

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

I've never seen a review stating that the toilets didn't smell bad. 😃

 

If my toilet "smelled bad", it was because of the person that made a "deposit" in it.  😁

 

Excellent explanations from others as to this situation, one which I have not experienced.  Thank you for doing so.  

[shipgeeks]

40+ cruises; never had this problem.

Re getting sucked in.....it is virtually impossible to reach the flush button while seated.  In fact, the lid has to be down to reach the button, so it's also unlikely that your scarf or jewelry will be sucked in while you operate it, lol.

[SteveH2508]

Probably more important for a 'newbie' to know is what not to put down the sucking thunderbox.

 

Only human waste and the supplied toilet paper go down that noisy hole - nothing else.

 

Chengkp75 has many dits about the odd things found clogging up the plumbing (and that would be a whole bunch of rooms affected).

[Nebr.cruiser]

I have never noticed this problem in over 40 cruises and have never seen it mentioned in a review--I don't read many reviews though.

 

  Sometimes toilets do give trouble, just as at home, but we've been lucky to never have problems.

[dolittle]

We have something like 24 cruises and this did happen once . It  was a problem and we called they fixed it once It was good for a couple days but came back . They tried again and it was better ,it was not just inside the cabin bit the hallway also. This was the X Constellation they were nice about it and sent a bottle of sparkling wine . I got the feeling they were used to people saying something . We were back on that ship a year latter and had no Problem.

[whogo]

I thought the rocking of the ship sloshed the water out of the floor drain trap.

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, whogo said:

I thought the rocking of the ship sloshed the water out of the floor drain trap.

It can, but not the "normal" motion, just when there is severe weather.  Mostly it is drains that don't get "refilled" all the time, and the dry air conditioned air evaporates the water.

[John Bull]

On 10/22/2021 at 4:29 AM, zdcatc12 said:

Uh, I don't think so. At home, if you are sitting on your toilet and flush it, will it pull your insides out? Because the ones on the ships could.

 

Agreed.

But most stories of small children being sucked down the pan, never to be seen again, are probably  untrue 🙃

 

JB 🙂

[navybankerteacher]

It may not always be because of a dry floor drain trap - but that is the most obvious cause —— easily cured by pouring some water down it every day.

[Cheesepleese]

If the bathroom gets a little smelly, it's usually because of a few too extra helpings at the Windjammer!

[cb at sea]

Ships drain pipes are moving with the ship...that means the "traps" will sometimes "dry out".   Pouring water down the floor drain and shower drain, and keeping the sink  plug closed  can help.  This DOES happen on ships from time to time....and it's more of a "sewer" odor than a "urine" smell.....perhaps someone had an accident in the cabin and they didn't get it cleaned properly??

 

The "sewer" smell can happen anywhere on the ship......hopefully, it won't happen on your next cruise.

 

[SmoothFlying]

1 hour ago, cb at sea said:

Ships drain pipes are moving with the ship...that means the "traps" will sometimes "dry out".   Pouring water down the floor drain and shower drain, and keeping the sink  plug closed  can help.  This DOES happen on ships from time to time....and it's more of a "sewer" odor than a "urine" smell.....perhaps someone had an accident in the cabin and they didn't get it cleaned properly??

 

The "sewer" smell can happen anywhere on the ship......hopefully, it won't happen on your next cruise.

 

WOW !! If that happened ( a uncleaned accident) you think the room steward, after the occupant left the room, would notice that 'unmistakable' odor and clean it. That most certainly would get an irate phone call to the service desk by the new occupants !

 

Mac

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, SmoothFlying said:

WOW !! If that happened ( a uncleaned accident) you think the room steward, after the occupant left the room, would notice that 'unmistakable' odor and clean it. That most certainly would get an irate phone call to the service desk by the new occupants !

 

Mac

 

This is what cb at Sea said - "perhaps someone had an accident in the cabin and they didn't get it cleaned properly??".  He didn't say that it had ever happened to him and I seriously doubt that a would have left the remains of an accident on the bathroom floor.  The cabin attendants are too well trained to allow remains of an accident to be on the cabin floor.  

 

DON

[George C]

Been on 70 cruises that was never a issue.