customer service?

[SUSANITA]

This is horrible, and I'm so sorry that it happened to you. My friends basement family room recently flooded, soaked the carpet, so I have some idea of the awful STENCH that you are referring to. Yuck, Yuck, Yuck!! :(

 

Do you guys know if RCI has a written rule that candles are forbidden? I don't recall seeing it anywhere. This would be a good time for them to add this to their docs!

 

I hope that they compensate you for your lousy experience.

[nosnobunny]

I would also keep mentioning about your sister's asthma. Is she feeling OK? If she is not, I would be calling RCCL and tell them she is sick from this. It sounds as if you both were exposed to mold and I would make sure to let RCCL know that you intend to make them liable for any for any medical espenses because of this. I don't know if they would but I sure would tell them they were!

 

I don't think "enhancing" the situation will help your position. Lord knows reality was bad enough. I'd stick to the truth.

 

Beth

[madelinerose]

Sorry for your nightmare cruise. The carpet must have been filthy if it smelled that bad! :eek:

 

Your sister should contact her doctor asap to get something in writing regarding how the mildew, mold and smell affected her asthma. :eek:

 

They should have thrown the "candle people" overboard. :rolleyes:

[Sea Island Lady]

I would doubt that mildew and mold would grow that fast. Mildew maybe after a few days. More than likely, it was the jute on the back of the carpet that smelled so bad. It can smell like strong cat pee pee when wet. Yuck!

 

More than likely, the smoke from a candle reached the smoke detectors.

 

Maybe they set the sheets on fire and had to call

in the fire dept!

Stretch

Stretch - You continue to crack me up! :D

[pd933]

Smoke will not set off the sprinkler system.

 

The sprinkler did it job, it put out the fire!!! Thats why its there!!

[barbarajoy]

What a cruise! It sounds really yukky and I hope you do get another cruise and an official apology.

 

The "dancing kids" thing sounds like fun. My kids are still too young (not quite four) and still do not follow directions too well, so they are not in dance class. But I would love to see some kids tapping up a storm on stage on my next cruise!

 

Best of luck - keep all of us posted on further developments!

 

Barbara

[hstrybuf]

How awful! I would have been sick if this had happened. A friend had a similar experience with their room flooding on another cruiseline and now her husband refuses to set foot on any of that lines ships ever again.

 

Keep pushing! For an experience like this you deserve a lot more than what they've offered so far!

[tapdancemom]

Thanks for all the advice. My sister has a lawyer friend who will write a letter for us. I may contact the tv consumer advocate also. I'll let you know what happens.

[mohavemommy]

mohavemommy this is off the subject...the gif in your signature is so cute! Where did you get it? I showed my son Sammy and he loved it...:)

Found it here:

http://www.skrewedrecords.com/forum/avatars/Penguin.gif

[mohavemommy]

Here's yet another thread entitled "IRONS/CANDLES vs. CIGARETTES" that is a good topic to follow......... :rolleyes:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=75020

[shipknotshore]

that's horrible!!! I'm wondering if the carpet wasn't replaced until you were back in port because they had no carpet on board?? If that were the case they should have been upfront with you and told you that it couldn't be replaced until they docked and then offered you full compensation for your ruined cruise and trouble. There is no excuse for the lack of compassion they had for you as passengers.

I'm sure no one reading this will ever consider taking candles with them. They must have had quite a few lit - I've never heard of sprinklers going off in a cabin just from a little smoke - or the cigarette smokers wouldn't be able to light up in their cabins without them going off too.

I get the Conde' Nast Traveler Magazine and there is a really good column for people that have had travel related problems. So.....if you cannot get any resolve of the issue with RCI you could try contacting:

Ombudsman, Conde' Nast Traveler, 4 Times Square, New York, N.Y. 10036.

You have to include documentation and any relevant photos. Correspondence must be typed and must include a daytime phone #.

Ombudsman offers a free service of advice and mediation. Because of the volume of letters they receive they cannot act in all cases.

(I got this info. from their column.)

Anyway, good luck to you.

[debscruise]

to babysam, I had the same reaction with those peguins that I copied it on my disk

[colette5479]

I don't think "enhancing" the situation will help your position. Lord knows reality was bad enough. I'd stick to the truth.

 

Beth

My statement above is not suggesting "enhancing" the situation. As an asthmatic myself, mold exposure can be very dangerous. If she is having ill effects, it is IMPORTANT for her to let RCCI know this. It was not her fault in the least that she was forced to sleep in these conditions for a few nights. If she is not ill whatsoever and would tell RCCI that she was, that would be "enhancing the situation".

[colette5479]

I would doubt that mildew and mold would grow that fast. Mildew maybe after a few days. More than likely, it was the jute on the back of the carpet that smelled so bad. It can smell like strong cat pee pee when wet. Yuck!

 

More than likely, the smoke from a candle reached the smoke detectors.

 

Stretch - You continue to crack me up! :D

Mold and mildew can grow under the carpet and padding and I am sure this happens more that we would like to believe on ships. I work in a medical clinic and I have heard of patients who had to rip the carpets out of their houses because of the mold spores that were growing underneath. Can you imagine if you had to do this in your home??? :eek: That would cost $$$.

 

Wet carpet smell is disgusting. I still cannot get over that the OP was forced to be in those conditions.

[MrsPete]

Several very random thoughts:

 

1. How can it be that they didn't have more empty cabins? I thought they kept some "emergency cabins" for such events, or in case someone had to be quarantined.

 

2. If additional cabins weren't available, they could have done SOMETHING else. For example, most ships have conference rooms that are rarely used. They could have moved your beds to one of those. Granted, the bathrooms would've still been a problem, but at least you could've slept without the smell. There's always SOMETHING CREATIVE that could've been done. It sounds like someone didn't want to help you. I'd rather sleep in the brig (do ships still have them?) or in the medical facilities rather than in the room you described!

 

3. A big fan of passive resistance, I like the idea of moving some lounge chairs to the customer service desk and WAITING with a sign saying "My cabin is flooded and I am waiting for alternative housing". I'd have done it in a minute. In fact, I'd have gone downstairs in my pajamas during dinner (assuming the customer service area is near the dining room), and I'd have wrapped up in my blanket.

 

4. Repeating what another poster said, I hope you have pictures. That could make or break your case.

 

5. How could this thing have started? I don't question that a candle is stupid on a ship, but it puts off less smoke than a cigarette -- and I'm sure that many people have smoked in the cabins (regardless of the rules) without setting off the sprinklers.

 

6. I wouldn't fault RCCL for the first day's problems. It sounds like they were TRYING to fix the situation with the fans; however, once the mess continued into the night and it became apparent that you were going to have to sleep in the stench, THEN they should've moved you.

 

6. Most stories like this seem far-fetched and whiney (like, my room wasn't cleaned one day and the family suffered emotional trauma, or I didn't get any creme brulee' and my cruise was simply ruined -- refund, refund, refund!); however, your case seems very different. I completely agree that you should receive a complete refund or a replacement cruise.

[abridalmaven]

I am so sorry for you. Too bad there is no way to also punish the couple that did it. And as for the smoke causing it, I am sure it was the HEAT. ANd maybe they had a nunber of candles, some candle people are nuts about them.

When we took a tour of the bridge ( pre 9/11) of the Nordic Empress, the safety officer says they know when the room is over steamed from the shower or if someone used an iron and left it on. They ususally send someone to check or call if the heat sensor records such things, but I am sure if it was warm enough, the sprinklers would go off. Also there are other chemicals in the smoke from a flame that differ from cigarette smoke. My home detector at the top of the stairs used to go off when my oven was on, it was that sensitive because the heat would rise. It would not go off when someone smoked.

[Merion_Mom]

tapdancemom:

I have to chime in now with my personal message of support. How horrid! I know how much you and the children were looking forward to this cruise.

I, too, cannot IMAGINE that the ship's management gave the NEW cabin to the CULPRITS and left YOU innocents to suffer in THEIR mess!

I think that you should HIGHLIGHT that set of facts in your letter(s) to Royal Caribbean.

PLEASE keep us all informed about future developments.

Carol

[bUU]

There is an implicit promise of fitness for use in any transaction, so as-described there clearly was a gap there. However, so many folks learned that squeaky wheels get the grease that many companies can no longer provide some of the most generous compensation without being prompted to by more formal means, such as a formal complaint. Photos of the damage you were subjected to would almost surely have a positive impact on the response you get.

[BabySam99]

[quote name='debscruise']to babysam, I had the same reaction with those peguins that I copied it on my disk[/QUOTE]Isn't that hilarous?...I love penquins...go to our local zoo all the time with my son to see the new penguin exhibit...we are members and donate to the zoo I was even an adoptive parent for one of the penguins...gees I sound like a psycho cruise addict addicted to penguins....;) I'll shut up now.

[Sea Island Lady]

[QUOTE]the safety officer says they know when the room is over steamed from the shower or if someone used an iron and left it on. They ususally send someone to check or call if the heat sensor records such things, but I am sure if it was warm enough, the sprinklers would go off. Also there are other chemicals in the smoke from a flame that differ from cigarette smoke. My home detector at the top of the stairs used to go off when my oven was on, it was that sensitive because the heat would rise. It would not go off when someone smoked.[/QUOTE]
That's very interesting about leaving an iron on. If this is the case, why don't the heat sensors go off when you leave your balcony doors open? In port, leaving your door open could heat up the stateroom much hotter than an iron. I wonder what else they can tell is going on in your stateoom? Not disputing what you have said, mind you...just curious.

I use to have a smoke detector that would go off everytime my oven was on, but it wasn't from the heat. It was from the food I burned...smoke. There are two different types of detectors. One detects heat and the other smoke. I don't know what sets off the sprinklers, but I just thought that the stateroom's were set off by smoke that gets near the detector. Perhaps the guilty passengers were just testing the sprinkler system to see if it worked. I've known dumber! :D

[xpcdoojk]

It would be highly interesting to know if the candles started a small fire or exactly what set the sprinklers off. I can not imagine just a couple of candles setting off the sprinklers.

If anyone knows what actually caused it please let us know.

jc

[tapdancemom]

We're sending a letter to customer service, the CEO and anyone else I can find an address for. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Linda/Ohio]

You might want to try posting a letter at Planet Feedback. I got a good response there after a period of no response from RCCL. Be aware that due to the hurricaine--RCCL offices are probably not running at full steam this weekend. Be patient and persistent.


Linda