I hope your M-class bathroom doesn't look like this

My spouse and I have recently returned from the Infinity westbound TA (Harwich to Miami). We had a very enjoyable crossing, met lots of wonderful folks, and can't say enough good things about the staff and crew. Just about everyone went out of his or her way to ensure that people were having a great time. Our servers in the MDR, our sommelier, and our stateroom attendants could not have been better. We enjoyed many of the guest performers and lecturers. We had Halloween and a solar eclipse. And you can't beat seven consecutive sea days! (Except with eight. :))

I must say, though, that having taken our first Celebrity cruise aboard the Eclipse, which I think is a stunning ship, I was a bit apprehensive about sailing on the Infinity, particularly given some of the posts on here stating that the M-class ships are getting a little tired. Overall, however, I thought the Infinity was in good condition (although I think the physical design of the buffet is awful), but I have to make a big exception for our stateroom bathroom.

There are a few places on a ship that absolutely must be fresh, clean and pristine. The galley is one, and bathrooms are another. Unfortunately, the bathroom floor in our cabin was in very bad shape. The grout had visible mildew in the shower (gross!), and there were years of ground-in dirt on the tiles and in the grout on the bathroom floor. There was a rust hole on the outside of the shower (where caulk was missing) through which water mysteriously flowed into the bathroom every now and then, even when the shower wasn't being used.

I can't speak to the condition of any other cabins, but the grout in this bathroom has exceeded its useful life, and desperately needs to be replaced, and the tiles need to be sanded clean. I did report the condition of our bathroom to Guest Relations, and some days later, someone ran a bead of caulk over some of the mildew, the equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig. I realize that was about all they could do while the ship is in use, but Celebrity really needs to address these maintenance issues (and I so noted on our comment card). We did not let this spoil our trip, but it was off-putting (and hardly the "modern luxury" that Celebrity advertises).

You comment that your stateroom attendant could not have been better, but I would consider that a major part of his job is to keep the bathroom clean and I reckon with a bit more regular elbow grease he could have kept those grout lines clean.

You comment that your stateroom attendant could not have been better, but I would consider that a major part of his job is to keep the bathroom clean and I reckon with a bit more regular elbow grease he could have kept those grout lines clean.

I don't blame our stateroom attendant at all (he worked incredibly hard and cleaned very day, more than once). The problem was years in the making, and probably inevitable on a ship. Mildew grows in grout when it's wet, and a shipboard environment is pretty conducive to this. At a certain point (which likely long-preceded our attendant's contract), the mildew took hold in the grout; at that point, no cleaning would remove it. The fault is Celebrity's.

We have done three cruises on Infinity in the last 3 years and not had a bathroom with this kind of mildew.

You can clean this mildew with a good cleaning pad and bleach, but it takes some work.

This is unacceptable.

Please tell us your cabin number. We're booked on the Infinity next year.

Betsy

Hope you wore protective footwear (slippers / flip flops) to prevent toenail fungus

I'm jealous. I would have dreamed of a bathroom like this on my last (and last!) Celebrity cruise this past May on Summit. I don't know how to post photos but we had what you had with the bottom foot of the walls rusted out and covered in layers of rust paint.

There was mold growing in the corners of the stall and actually growing in the light fixture. The ventilation didn't work in the stall.

Ship management was aware of the problem. This and other problems and the company's response led to my self-imposed exile from Celebrity after 33 cruises.

Mine didn't "look" like that, but it smelled like yours looked. Horrible mold/mildew smell. Steward tried to get it out, but it wouldn't leave permanently. No idea the cause. We were on the Summit in 8046 on Oct 5.

It surprises me that a company with generally such a good reputation, has a corporate culture that accepts poor maintenance (in passenger areas) on their older ships. Admittedly our direct experience is limited but this is a repeating theme. I think it is a management issue not a sign of less work by the staff.

Oh my - that is disgusting! I would be very unhappy about having to shower in those conditions. I'm scheduled for 2015 - I'm hoping they spruce her up before then.

My sister and I experienced the same thing on Summit with the mold and mildew so bad that it smelled. We were both on deck 7 and mentioned it to both our steward and guest services. Our polite suggestions were met with basically a "so what" and it was never cleaned. My sister's cabin really smelled very bad of mold and mildew

I feel your pain, with bathrooms as described. I find it unacceptable. I would be right at the customer service counter asking for the HD or head housekeeper. I doubt they would stay in a room like that.

Surprising when housekeeping staff does inspections of cabins.

I would have demanding it be fixed or move me to another cabin.

Otherwise I am glad you had a great time.

Norma

Hello Turtles06,

Also just back from Infinity transatlantic. We could have shaken hands during the solar eclipse as we were out on the other corner same deck. Were you also drinking mimosas @ 7 am?!:)

I count myself lucky for only having rust on the mirror and a couple of dents in the cabin wall after hearing/seeing your story/pics. My cabin stewards were the best I've ever had and I noted that more than once.

It was disheartening to hear all the issues with cabins from fellow guests and CC'ers on our cruise. Maybe some from our roll call will chime in but you were not alone with unacceptable bathrooms.

Back to Solstice class ships for me. We found select dining very challenging on Infinity but that's a whole different topic.

Happy sails!:cool:

My sister and I experienced the same thing on Summit with the mold and mildew so bad that it smelled. We were both on deck 7 and mentioned it to both our steward and guest services. Our polite suggestions were met with basically a "so what" and it was never cleaned. My sister's cabin really smelled very bad of mold and mildew

Yikes the cabin smelled too? We kept the bathroom door shut and that contained the stench, thankfully. We weren't met with "so what" but they also didn't do much to resolve it. It was for several cabins along my hallway in that area, so it was believed to be a line problem, not just our cabin.

Were you forward/starboard side on deck 7? Just wondering if it's a certain side of the ship now as i was on the slant forward near the fwd elevator bank.

Yikes the cabin smelled too? We kept the bathroom door shut and that contained the stench, thankfully. We weren't met with "so what" but they also didn't do much to resolve it. It was for several cabins along my hallway in that area, so it was believed to be a line problem, not just our cabin.

 

Were you forward/starboard side on deck 7? Just wondering if it's a certain side of the ship now as i was on the slant forward near the fwd elevator bank.

Chiming back in, there was no ventilation/exhaust in any of the deck 7 aft verandas.

Same here ... everyone acknowledged the problem but no solutions were forthcoming on a sold-out sailing. I have also traveled enough not to let something like this ruin my vacation. But ... based on the response that I got on the ship and afterwards, I'm certainly not returning anytime soon.

The sad thing was knowing that the people getting on the cabin right after us were going to have the same problems.

Funny...I had the same problem with the Summit in 2007...spent 4 weeks in that cabin, with the room steward bleaching it every other day.

Obviously, the maintenance on this 'older' ships is lacking, and has been for some time :(

Ugh! I'm sure the ships are using professional-strength cleansers which are more powerful than household cleaners. When I notice any mildew problems on our grout, all I do is squirt 1 part bleach to 3 parts water solution directly onto the grout. I walk away, let it dry, and presto! Mildew gone. Not sure why the problem was allowed to get that bad in this cabin, but it's disgusting to say the least.

Glad we're sailing on Reflection for a return to Celebrity.

yuck. this makes me sad, since when we sailed on the Infinity she was only four months old and so beautiful

Yikes the cabin smelled too? We kept the bathroom door shut and that contained the stench, thankfully. We weren't met with "so what" but they also didn't do much to resolve it. It was for several cabins along my hallway in that area, so it was believed to be a line problem, not just our cabin.

 

Were you forward/starboard side on deck 7? Just wondering if it's a certain side of the ship now as i was on the slant forward near the fwd elevator bank.

We were mid ship, port, deck 7. I was the first cabin after the mid ship elevators and my sister was 5 cabins down.

Am I the only one that doesn't think this is a major deal? It's disappointing, yes, but it wouldn't ruin my cruise.

Then again, I can't see without my glasses. For all I know, my bathroom on the Summit 2 weeks ago was similar.

Hi, we were on the same cruise and also had mildew grout , but not as bad as your' cabin! That is just unacceptable.

btw, thanks again for the glasses for the eclipse viewing!!!! It was an amazing morning.

I hope by the time we reboard her next year they add bleach to their shopping cart, but we had a worse case on a HAL ship. Just wanted you'll to know the problem is not just a Celebrity issue. HAL's stewards had 9 more cabins and suites on our deck than any Celebrity crew I am aware of. That didn't make the mildew any better and it sure never eliminated the dust bunnies that sailed the entire time with us.

Must have been rough being unable to shower for the length of their cruise due to a little discoloration in the shower.

I have experience with shower tile grout problems from building homes for about 15 years. It Seems X has not been maintaining their grout. It is very likely that the tile was sealed when the ship was built. Soap, Shampoo and other things cause the seal to break down. At home one should reseal their grout about every 3 years. If you do not it is very likely you will have the same problem that Turtles 6 had on her cruise.

It appears that the problem in the Eclipse shower has advanced beyond the point that just bleach will help with the appearence. bleach will help kill mold though. X needs to remove the existing grout and replace it with new grout. Then they need to seal it. I suspect that if the grout were resealed every year or two this problem would not exist.

OTOH, I don't know how X can seal the grout without not allowing the use of the shower for a day or two. They may be very aware of the problem, but are waiting for a dry dock to correct it. I know people like tile, but it seems to me that acrylic would a better material to use for shower floors.

oh dear messy tiles, what a shame

Disappointing after what we pay for the cabins but it happens and shouldn't let it ruin your trip