Carnival Liberty-"the smell" decks to avoid?

[motheroftwocats814]

Hi All-

We were on the Liberty in 2018 and considering sailing on her again in 2023.

I remember the SMELL (you know the one) but can't remember which decks it was most prominent.

Want to avoid booking my cabin on that deck.

Thank you and happy cruising.

[tidecat]

Any deck with cabins on any ship can have the smell.

 

 

[motheroftwocats814]

56 minutes ago, tidecat said:

Any deck with cabins on any ship can have the smell.

 

 

Carnival is the only one I have experienced that smell on. It is terrible.

[Bostwick girl]

Just off Liberty Monday, we were on deck 8 and our friends were on deck 7. Didn’t notice any smell. Even the casino didn’t smell bad!

 

[Guest BasicSailor]

5 hours ago, motheroftwocats814 said:

Carnival is the only one I have experienced that smell on. It is terrible.

What cruise lines doesn't have the smell?

[motheroftwocats814]

13 hours ago, BasicSailor said:

What cruise lines doesn't have the smell?

I have been on Royal and Norwegain and have never had that SMELL!

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

14 hours ago, Bostwick girl said:

Just off Liberty Monday, we were on deck 8 and our friends were on deck 7. Didn’t notice any smell. Even the casino didn’t smell bad!

 

It happens when there is a problem with the system and it over flows in the cabins. It can happen on ANY ship. Usually caused by passengers tossing items in the toilet that should not be. I am sure Carnival and any cruise line does not want that smell anywhere on the ship. They will certainly cure the problem as fast as they can.

[chengkp75]

48 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

It happens when there is a problem with the system and it over flows in the cabins. It can happen on ANY ship. Usually caused by passengers tossing items in the toilet that should not be. I am sure Carnival and any cruise line does not want that smell anywhere on the ship. They will certainly cure the problem as fast as they can.

Actually, that is the least common cause of the smells. I've responded to 20 times the number of dry trap calls than overflowing toilets. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

13 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Actually, that is the least common cause of the smells. I've responded to 20 times the number of dry trap calls than overflowing toilets. 

Why would a trap be dry?

[PhotoMike]

1 hour ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Why would a trap be dry?

Evaporation due to the air conditioned environment in a cabin.

[Lane Hog]

In addition to evaporation, I know in motorhomes, the motion of the coach can cause enough water to splash out of the traps to let the tank smells in... Can't imagine ships are much less prone to that in rough seas.

[MeganGC1983]

We’ve been on the Liberty several times this year. Noticed the smell is usually on deck 2. We’ve had cabins on 6 and 9 without any smell in the room or hallway. Hope that helps. 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Why would a trap be dry?

There is a drain, with a trap, in the floor of the bathroom (not the shower drain), typically a round drain tucked under the toilet where you don't see it, or a gutter type drain at the bathroom doorway.  These drains see almost no water, unless the shower overflows, and the dry air evaporates the water over time.  Just like when you open a seasonal home, very often there is a "funk" until you run some water in the sinks and showers to refill the traps.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

3 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

There is a drain, with a trap, in the floor of the bathroom (not the shower drain), typically a round drain tucked under the toilet where you don't see it, or a gutter type drain at the bathroom doorway.  These drains see almost no water, unless the shower overflows, and the dry air evaporates the water over time.  Just like when you open a seasonal home, very often there is a "funk" until you run some water in the sinks and showers to refill the traps.

Got it. Yes I know of that drain. Not a very good system is it?

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

5 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

There is a drain, with a trap, in the floor of the bathroom (not the shower drain), typically a round drain tucked under the toilet where you don't see it, or a gutter type drain at the bathroom doorway.  These drains see almost no water, unless the shower overflows, and the dry air evaporates the water over time.  Just like when you open a seasonal home, very often there is a "funk" until you run some water in the sinks and showers to refill the traps.

Why so much of a problem on the Liberty. No other ships are mentioned. Yes were were on a cruise were it did smell, do not remember what ship. Long time ago.

[MeganGC1983]

1 hour ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Why so much of a problem on the Liberty. No other ships are mentioned. Yes were were on a cruise were it did smell, do not remember what ship. Long time ago.

I think it’s so specific because that is what they are booking. I’ve smelt that smell from time to time on every ship. 

[Guest BasicSailor]

3 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Why so much of a problem on the Liberty. No other ships are mentioned. Yes were were on a cruise were it did smell, do not remember what ship. Long time ago.

No other ships are mention as often because there are less people on Cruise Critic now than in the past.

Ships I have had the displeasure of fighting the smell (Half the fleet) and one epicuticular story.

 

Years ago we had to wait for a ship to leave one of the smaller ports before we could dock.  So I noticed the ship would sway from the left then to the right. Looking at the map I noticed the Captain was doing a figure eight while waiting on the ship to leave .  Ten minutes into this figure eight pattern and the smell was into high hell. Worse, people were getting sick in the halls and around the ship.

 

Never had that er, experience again, never want to smell it again either.

Edited June 12, 2022 by BasicSailor

[AmazedByCruising]

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

There is a drain, with a trap, in the floor of the bathroom (not the shower drain), typically a round drain tucked under the toilet where you don't see it, or a gutter type drain at the bathroom doorway.  These drains see almost no water, unless the shower overflows, and the dry air evaporates the water over time.  Just like when you open a seasonal home, very often there is a "funk" until you run some water in the sinks and showers to refill the traps.

 

Why is "put some water in the drain" not standard procedure on turn around days? I've read the same problem, and really easy solution so many times now.

[shellster1]

Coincidentally, the FB group on the Liberty right now has reported a burst pipe on deck 2. They were delayed Friday, departing from Port Canaveral. Didn't leave til around 7 or 8. They also are still reporting a bad sewage odor all around the ship. They have also reported moving some guests who were on deck 2 to other cabins.

[Ilovesailaway]

Anyone experience this problem on non Carnival ships? I guess I'm lucky, I haven't had the displeasure of the smell.

 

[BearsBeets]

Experienced the smell on RC Mariner & Carnival Mardi Gras, inside the bathroom. I can't remember much from Mariner but on Mardi Gras I only remember the smell on embarkation day. Either it went away or I just got used to it. It was a faint odor so it wasn't a big deal.

[chengkp75]

13 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Got it. Yes I know of that drain. Not a very good system is it?

No worse than drain traps everywhere else in the world.  As I said, if you've ever opened a seasonal home that has been shut up for several months, the smell will be there as well.

13 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Why so much of a problem on the Liberty. No other ships are mentioned. Yes were were on a cruise were it did smell, do not remember what ship. Long time ago.

At one time or another, I've noticed the smell on every ship I've ever been on, cruise ship or cargo.

9 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

Why is "put some water in the drain" not standard procedure on turn around days? I've read the same problem, and really easy solution so many times now.

Couldn't tell you.  I've explained this to cabin stewards, housekeeping supervisors, Executive Housekeepers, and Hotel Directors, with generally mixed results.  My plumbers were always told to respond to a "smell" issue with a gallon jug of water in hand.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

5 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

No worse than drain traps everywhere else in the world.  As I said, if you've ever opened a seasonal home that has been shut up for several months, the smell will be there as well.

At one time or another, I've noticed the smell on every ship I've ever been on, cruise ship or cargo.

Couldn't tell you.  I've explained this to cabin stewards, housekeeping supervisors, Executive Housekeepers, and Hotel Directors, with generally mixed results.  My plumbers were always told to respond to a "smell" issue with a gallon jug of water in hand.

How long does the water to evaporate out of the trap? I read where the Mardi Gras had that problem. That is a fairly new ship. Never had the toilet trap evaporate even after 6 months of non use. Must be a small tap. You would think by now that problem would ahve been solved.

[chengkp75]

55 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

How long does the water to evaporate out of the trap? I read where the Mardi Gras had that problem. That is a fairly new ship. Never had the toilet trap evaporate even after 6 months of non use. Must be a small tap. You would think by now that problem would ahve been solved.

If your environment is humid, it takes longer to dry out the trap.    Your toilet holds at least a gallon, look at the trap under your sink, that is the size of the floor drain traps.  Maybe a pint.  It can take about a month or two, especially if the ship has been rolling a lot.  I've never had a toilet dry out in our summer house either, but the sink and shower traps will be bone dry.  The problem with new ships is that the crew does not know the location of all the various traps in the mechanical lockers, etc, and those can be hard to track down sometimes, much more so than cabins, and they have never been filled.

 

Unlike your drain system at home, on a ship, the gray water drains (sinks, showers, laundry, galley) are totally separate from the black water (toilets), until they get to the holding tank.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by chengkp75

[Lane Hog]

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Unlike your drain system at home, on a ship, the gray water drains (sinks, showers, laundry, galley) are totally separate from the black water (toilets), until they get to the holding tank.

That was my next question...  Grey water can get just as nasty as a black tank over time.