Sewage smell/problem

We are looking at trying HAL for the first time so I have been researching it. Seems like I hear the complaint of sewage problems/smells come up frequently enough to concern me. Is it a frequent problem?? We really like Celebrity and I have never seen that complaint on any post for Celebrity, or any other line for that matter. But Celebrity doesn't do the Mex. Riv. anymore :( and I like the smaller ships so I'm not really considering the other lines that do go there.

I have read similar posts at various times on these boards but have never personally encountered the problem on the three different HAL ships that I have been on between Oct.'07-Jan.'09. (Volendam, Maasdam & Veendam)

I have an upcoming cruise in November on the Westerndam and hopefully sewage smells will continue to be a non-issue. That could really ruin a vacation.:eek:

We are looking at trying HAL for the first time so I have been researching it. Seems like I hear the complaint of sewage problems/smells come up frequently enough to concern me. Is it a frequent problem?? We really like Celebrity and I have never seen that complaint on any post for Celebrity, or any other line for that matter. But Celebrity doesn't do the Mex. Riv. anymore :( and I like the smaller ships so I'm not really considering the other lines that do go there.

Its a real crap shoot on weather your going to smell poo................:(

Just got off the Veendam two weeks ago. No smell. Cabin was fine. All public areas were fine.

We are looking at trying HAL for the first time so I have been researching it. Seems like I hear the complaint of sewage problems/smells come up frequently enough to concern me. Is it a frequent problem?? We really like Celebrity and I have never seen that complaint on any post for Celebrity, or any other line for that matter. But Celebrity doesn't do the Mex. Riv. anymore :( and I like the smaller ships so I'm not really considering the other lines that do go there.

We sailed on the Celebrity Millennium in May of this year. We didn't have a "sewage smell", but did have a "sewage problem". Everytime we flushed the toilet, it leaked all over the bathroom floor. This was in a Royal Suite. Haven't had this sort of problem on HAL...

The main difference between the two lines is the smoking policy...

Good luck!

B

I have never experienced unpleasant odors of any kind on HAL ships.

We had a small sewage smell problem on the Statendam - odors from the tub drain. Remembering to keep the stopper in the closed position except when showering fixed it.

We never smelled anything anywhere else on the ship - or on the Veendam or Amsterdam either.

One other odd thing on the Statendam - it was a time-delay flush! We had to wait anywhere from 5 to maybe 30 seconds after pushing the button before it would flush. It seemed to be longer when we were in port. Maybe the vacuum was worse then.

who could that be?

I've never smelled anything like that on any cruise ship. Kind of gross, huh? I've heard of it happening, and certainly people complain about it, so it must happen but call me crazy, but never to me.:) I must be careful here. I am sure it happens, just not to me. I don't want to be flamed here.;)

There was a *slight* sewer type odor emanating from the toilet area on the Westerdam a few times on our cruise, but it wasn't bad enough to complain about. I've smelled worse in our bathrooms at home after the DH & DS used them. :D

Also when our septic tank failed. Yuck.

I cruise all mass market cruise lines and do a tremendous amount of walking, while onboard. Keep on walking and sooner or later, chances are, one is going to find a stink spot, any cruise line, any ship, any age. When that happens, just keep on walking.

All plumbing, everywhere, eventually has issues. Hotel and cruise line plumbing has more issues than the typical home because guests/passengers put all sorts of things in the loo.

I think that the Oosterdam is used primary for the Mexican cruises. I know that there were some complaints on the "S classes",but not the Vista class.

We book OV cabins on the lower decks & have occasionally smelled sewage in the hallways when they are pumping out the ships holding tank in port, on HAL & other cruise lines....But it usually does not last & can't be helped, since your toilet & bathroom water is not pumped overboard..All waste goes into special Holding tanks..When our own boat holding tank was pumped out, there was always an odor..

Once had a leak in our cabin from a broken pipe down the line, but HAL took care of it immediately..

As Hammy says all ships occasionally have sewage smells..We've never smelled it in a Hotel though...

Betty

I guess it depends on how many times you've cruised as if, or when you'll run into the sewage smell. We unfortunately have noticed it on two different HAL ships. the first time on the Statendam. It seemed to be only on two decks and mostly in the aft sections. On the Ryndam it was all over the ship. The staff in the front office hated the sewage smell as much as the passengers. It lasted about four days. We have cruised many other times on the Statendam and Ryndam and they have been sewage smell free. We have never had the sewage smell on the other HAL ships. Maybe we we're lucky. Take care.

Had it once on the Zuiderdam on deck 3 near the main stairs...it lasted for 5 days of a 7-day cruise, but was mild, not overwhelming, and pretty much isolated to a 20-foot section of the starboard hall as you passed the public restroom. The next time I cruised on Zuiderdam, it wasn't there anymore, nor was it on Noordam last year. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.

We've only had one instance of a sewer problem on a cruise and that was on the Ryndam. She was, at that time, only on her fourth cruise and they were still working out some problems. They literally tore our bathroom apart to get to a leaking pipe and we had no problems after that. I don't recall any other significant problem.

All modern cruise ships have the same sewage system and all cruise ships have the same problem. It does not matter if the ship is new or old. Someone always seems to try to flush a phone book down the toilet and then wonders why the system does not want to work. The problem exists on all cruise lines.

Had it once on the Zuiderdam on deck 3 near the main stairs...it lasted for 5 days of a 7-day cruise, but was mild, not overwhelming, and pretty much isolated to a 20-foot section of the starboard hall as you passed the public restroom. The next time I cruised on Zuiderdam, it wasn't there anymore, nor was it on Noordam last year. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.

zackiwdawg got a question for you. Can you send me photos of your cabin(s) They would be used on the following link to show what the staterooms/cabins look like. http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/ IF yes, send them to my email below.