What happens when your cabin is damaged?

Savvy travelers know that the first thing to do when renting a car is to check the bumper for existing dings and dents, less they be "dinged" for them when returning their vehicles. But, should passengers exercise the same caution when walking into their cruise cabins on embarkation day?

If you don't, you should probably start -- a lesson Carnival passenger Chris Harvey learned the hard way. According to a blog entry on his company's Web site, squaremouth.com, Harvey and his family were recently detained aboard Carnival Freedom for several hours on disembarkation morning, wrongly accused by their room steward for having scuffed up a desk -- and subsequently banned for life from sailing on any Carnival ship in the future. (Click here for our full story.)

Have you ever been required to pay for damages to a cabin? Do you think Carnival handled Harvey's situation appropriately? How will you avoid a similar fate in the future? Tell us!

Savvy travelers know that the first thing to do when renting a car is to check the bumper for existing dings and dents, less they be "dinged" for them when returning their vehicles. But, should passengers exercise the same caution when walking into their cruise cabins on embarkation day?

 

If you don't, you should probably start -- a lesson Carnival passenger Chris Harvey learned the hard way. According to a blog entry on his company's Web site, squaremouth.com, Harvey and his family were recently detained aboard Carnival Freedom for several hours on disembarkation morning, wrongly accused by their room steward for having scuffed up a desk -- and subsequently banned for life from sailing on any Carnival ship in the future. (Click here for our full story.)

 

Have you ever been required to pay for damages to a cabin? Do you think Carnival handled Harvey's situation appropriately? How will you avoid a similar fate in the future? Tell us!

From what I read and what is being portrayed I think that Carnival handled it 100% wrong. Again we are hearing one side of the story.

That being said I will take a few minutes upon cabin arrival and take some pictures. How sad to even have to think this way.

I take photos and point out any glaring issues to the steward when they introduce themselves and ask for repairs in writing. Sometimes they happen, sometimes they don't, but the point is, I'm covered. I do the same in hotels and with rental cars. I'm always congenial about it so I don't come across as Freddy Fussypants, but it works.

Carnival was wrong, but it is obviously something they wanted done or they wouldn't have had as many participants in on the situation as they did. The fact the pax got an apology and a rescission only proves that Carnival saw really bad press coming and tried to avert it. Were it me, I wouldn't be back at all.

Carnival seems to really be taking it in the shorts here of late with bad press. I've never sailed them, so I can't really say if it is deserved. I know a ton of people here on the boards that swear by them!

I take photos and point out any glaring issues to the steward when they introduce themselves and ask for repairs in writing. Sometimes they happen, sometimes they don't, but the point is, I'm covered. I do the same in hotels and with rental cars. I'm always congenial about it so I don't come across as Freddy Fussypants, but it works.

 

Carnival was wrong, but it is obviously something they wanted done or they wouldn't have had as many participants in on the situation as they did. The fact the pax got an apology and a rescission only proves that Carnival saw really bad press coming and tried to avert it. Were it me, I wouldn't be back at all.

 

Carnival seems to really be taking it in the shorts here of late with bad press. I've never sailed them, so I can't really say if it is deserved. I know a ton of people here on the boards that swear by them!

I've never had a problem with any compay accusing me of causing any damage. That said, I don't see how you are covered by talking to your steward. Rental car companies usually hand you a form to document damage--do so carefully, get an employee to sign off, keep a copy, and you are fairly well covered. A casual, undocumented conversation with a cruiseline employee (possibly with a partial language barrier) is little or no protection if the cruiseline blames you for damage. Of course if the cruiseline wants us to document damage, they should pass out forms on day one. Of course, that would cause people to look for problems, probably not the cruiseline's big goal on day one.

Not sure it is a good thing to reopen this can of worms as the original thread on the Carnival board about the incident got pretty nasty pretty quickly against the Harvey's.:(

We've never found any damage in our cabin but if we did in the past or do in the future we would (will) have it in handwritting and also signed by a crew member acknowledging it was there when we boarded. If we already would do this for a rental car or a hotel room why not a cruiseship cabin? I may not like having to do it, but it is just a normal part of our travel to prevent misunderstanding later on when they can be very difficult to make right when it becomes he said, she said.

Poorly handled by Carnival IMHO. Unfortunate that the room steward did not notice the damage much earlier but very fortuante for the Harvey's that they did find pictures showing the damage was there days before the last night when they were accusing of having caused it.

I was just on the Freedom Aug. 23 - 29 and would just like to point out that the Budweiser and Bud Light cans that they give you do not have screw off tops. When we ordered a bucket of beer by the pool, they had pulled the tops halfway and sometimes not enough to allow us to pull it off the rest of the way...just saying, it's possible that someone tried to pull the top off using the counter...although something metal on the balcony would probably work better!

I've not yet encountered anything wrong in a cabin, but if I did, I'd probably make sure to get the steward there immediately, take pictures (so easy these days with digital cameras!) and get something in writing, to document that it was there. Just makes common sense to me.

Savvy travelers know that the first thing to do when renting a car is to check the bumper for existing dings and dents, less they be "dinged" for them when returning their vehicles. But, should passengers exercise the same caution when walking into their cruise cabins on embarkation day?

 

If you don't, you should probably start -- a lesson Carnival passenger Chris Harvey learned the hard way. According to a blog entry on his company's Web site, squaremouth.com, Harvey and his family were recently detained aboard Carnival Freedom for several hours on disembarkation morning, wrongly accused by their room steward for having scuffed up a desk -- and subsequently banned for life from sailing on any Carnival ship in the future. (Click here for our full story.)

 

Have you ever been required to pay for damages to a cabin? Do you think Carnival handled Harvey's situation appropriately? How will you avoid a similar fate in the future? Tell us!

As the editor, shouldn't you really be responsible enough to tell the complete story.

Carnival has investigated and admitted that the customer was wrongly accused and have thus lifted the "ban for life".

I'm sure there were also some apoligies and parting gifts but cannot verify.

While I admit that the steward and Carnival handled this completely wrong from the outset, they did finally step up to the plate.

Hi. We absolutely did report that Carnival lifted the ban and issued the apology. A link to the full story is included above and here as well: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3431

As the editor, shouldn't you really be responsible enough to tell the complete story.

Carnival has investigated and admitted that the customer was wrongly accused and have thus lifted the "ban for life".

I'm sure there were also some apoligies and parting gifts but cannot verify.

 

While I admit that the steward and Carnival handled this completely wrong from the outset, they did finally step up to the plate.

Hi. We absolutely did report that Carnival lifted the ban and issued the apology. A link to the full story is included above and here as well: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3431

This is just my opinion

While you are correct in that the full story is inside that attached link, I find your individual typed message to have been distorted. You captured our attention with flair, but hid "the rest of the story" buried in a link.

I think most cruise critic people have concerns with journalistic integrity. We cringe when we hear stories of the dreaded cruise virus better known as norovirus. We cringe whenever there is a reported jumper. Why? because we all know that there is more to the story than what is being reported. The headlines report one side of the story, while the rest of the story is buried within a link if reported at all.

I just expected more transparency from Cruise Critic.

As the editor, shouldn't you really be responsible enough to tell the complete story.

Carnival has investigated and admitted that the customer was wrongly accused and have thus lifted the "ban for life".

I'm sure there were also some apoligies and parting gifts but cannot verify.

 

While I admit that the steward and Carnival handled this completely wrong from the outset, they did finally step up to the plate.

Actually the OP handled the post very well. Her purpose was obviously not to debate the right or wrong of the event, but rather to pose the question of do you or should you document damage. She provided enough information to illustrate the possible consequences of doing neither. She also provided the link to the entire story. I think it raises a very interesting question, one which I am sure very few passengers have ever considered. Bottom line....how Carnival handled this issue is not the point of conversation here....rather the issue is should you as a passenger consider taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen to you.

This is just my opinion

 

While you are correct in that the full story is inside that attached link, I find your individual typed message to have been distorted. You captured our attention with flair, but hid "the rest of the story" buried in a link.

 

I think most cruise critic people have concerns with journalistic integrity. We cringe when we hear stories of the dreaded cruise virus better known as norovirus. We cringe whenever there is a reported jumper. Why? because we all know that there is more to the story than what is being reported. The headlines report one side of the story, while the rest of the story is buried within a link if reported at all.

 

I just expected more transparency from Cruise Critic.

Oh, good grief - this isn't the New York Times. The OP did, indeed, supply a link to the full story for all to read.

Having said that, it would never occur to me to check for damage in a cabin. I do, however, carefully check hotel rooms for damage as I usually travel with a cat and do not want to be accused of allowing it to have done any damage.

Frankly, I haven't ever been in a room or cabin WITHOUT a little nick or ding or chip someplace. That said, I guess now I shall make note of everything! Sheesh....that could take a LONNNNGGG time. (We do report big issues, like a broken drawer or phone or lamp...)

I was in a hotel over the weekend...it was a suite type, extended stay hotel, with 2 bedrooms and a living area. One of the TVs was missing. Wound up changing to another room due to other issues...also a TV missing. I reported both to the supervisor who was not aware that one of the TVs was M.I.A. Sooo, I both covered my seat and got them to bring a TV from another room (that was off market for maintenence.)

Seems that some people trashed 2 rooms a week ago...must have paid cash, left no ID and were never heard from again.

I think CCL was really off base. And since they reversed their decision, someone must have thought the "punishment" was excessive. They (CCL) was not going to be able to prove that the guest caused the damage. Sounds like an overzealous manager....(IIRC, the Master of the ship did NOT sign the letter, the hotel director did....I didn't think the hotel director had that much power....)

I stayed in a hotel in China which had a list of the price you will be charged if you removed anything from the room. I seriously considered taking the Do Not Disturb/Please Clean Room sign, because it had some funny renderings of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

But also on the list, were the mattress and box spring.

Now...

How in the world could you get a full size mattress out of a 20 story hotel? Put it in the elevator and walk out of the lobby?

Come on now.

I stayed in a hotel in China which had a list of the price you will be charged if you removed anything from the room. I seriously considered taking the Do Not Disturb/Please Clean Room sign, because it had some funny renderings of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

I know it's off topic but I just had to reply to this. Do you suppose this Hotel in China paid royalties to Disney for the images of Mickey and Donald? Funny how those who are thieves themselves are so worried about others stealing from them!

I have never had a cabin with damage but if I did I would phone and ask for the Hotel Manager or his assistant to come and have a look at the damage with me.

This is just my opinion

 

While you are correct in that the full story is inside that attached link, I find your individual typed message to have been distorted. You captured our attention with flair, but hid "the rest of the story" buried in a link.

 

I think most cruise critic people have concerns with journalistic integrity. We cringe when we hear stories of the dreaded cruise virus better known as norovirus. We cringe whenever there is a reported jumper. Why? because we all know that there is more to the story than what is being reported. The headlines report one side of the story, while the rest of the story is buried within a link if reported at all.

 

I just expected more transparency from Cruise Critic.

News Flash: Cruise Critic is not CNN or MSNBC and I feel they do a great job at reporting things. Just like someone needs to check out the cabin prior to taking ownership the reader (thats you) needs to read the whole story and not make assumptions.

Thank You and Happy Cruising!

I stayed in a hotel in China which had a list of the price you will be charged if you removed anything from the room. I seriously considered taking the Do Not Disturb/Please Clean Room sign, because it had some funny renderings of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

 

But also on the list, were the mattress and box spring.

 

Now...

 

How in the world could you get a full size mattress out of a 20 story hotel? Put it in the elevator and walk out of the lobby?

 

Come on now.

I did this twice in college, once with someone sleeping on the bed. :D But alas I do not remember cause I was drunk out of my mind.

I think from now on, we'll take photos of the cabin on embarkation day and then immediately before we disembark. That might be helpful if we are accused of something, but I suppose that we might be accused of taking the photos and then damaging something 2 minutes later on our way out the door...

beachchick

With digital technology readily available it is easy to take pictures on arrival and departure .When I was on Spirit the dryer broke down and all my clothes were soaked .I took pictures of the dryer,the sign and my pile of wet clothes as I was going to claim them .Well our cabin steward spoke to someone and my clothes were dried and folded by the ship laundry the next day ...I did laundry at night

With this story I will take pictures before and after ...you never know

Also thanks to this story I warned a girlfriend of mine who rented my MIL

S party room in her building to take photos of everything beforehand because the custodian had told her he had repaired tables,cleaned carpets,fixed chairs prior to her party.

I feel sorry these people went thru this ordeal esp. with 2 young children .I'm not sure what recourse they have but I REALLY believe something more then an apology is warranted here.

But my digital will be ready the moment we step in

Michele

This article has given us all food for thought. I think now I will carefully examine my cabin before the ship even leaves the port and if I find any damage I will document it not only by taking a photo with my digital camera but by making sure I have the ship's daily showing in the photo. And each day a new photo will be taken with the new ship's daily. This way the ship's personnel won't be able to say I changed the date on my camera.

Having never damaged a cabin, no.

It's second nature to me to look around when I first enter a hotel room or a cabin on a ship. I look for anything out of sorts...more for my own comfort than for liability.

As for the incident quoted....I have no thoughts one way or the other. The only thing I might say is why would Carnival all of a sudden become nasty and accusatory and single out a passenger for such grief?

I think there's much more to the story....as usual....and we'll never learn the whole truth. It's just another headline.

I have sailed on some much older ships and, while I don't recall specific examples, I'm sure there was some normal wear cabin damage that I just chalked up to the age of the ship and disregarded. In the future, I'll be more observant and photograph any such damage to cover myself. I would not have thought anything like that necessary, but apparently it is. Sad...

Having been on the Tahitian Princess with the closet door hinge screws stripped from the framework I know about major room defects on Day-1. Of course, we reported the problem and in a few days a repairman showed up and said the frame was too damaged. I wonder if I might not have been in the Harvey's shoe's if I didn't report the problem. I'm sure we have all been in hotel rooms that had nicked up furniture. We don't call the front desk for a different room because we know that these are rented rooms used by hundreds of people and we Don't expect the hotel or cruiseline in this case to replace furniture for every little ding. A ding in a rental car is different because it could drop the resale value by hundreds of dollars. What's the resale value of a desk with the quality used by cruiselines? Did the cruiseline freak because the desk was unusable or maybe because some picky cruiser would demand a different stateroom, with upgrade. Or is this the real reason: The room steward would get the charges for a new desk deducted from his wages. Remember that they are responsible for everything in the stateroom. Maybe if the cruiselines didn't have that kind of employee policy the steward never would have mentioned it.

I was on vacation last month and rented my first car and I was not aware that I was supposed to check for damage. The car rental people just handed me the keys and papers and we took off. When we reached the hotel and I walked around the car I noticed some scratches and dents on the trunk of the car.

I did worry the whole vacation that I would be accused of damaging the car, we did take pictures of the damage right away. Nothing was said when the car was returned but lessen learned I will make a note of damages when renting a car or room.