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When HAL answered my first email and said they would increase the $600 fcc to a $1000 fcc I answered back telling them that I had no use of a fcc because I actually do have another cruise scheduled with HAL and to use the fcc within a year was impossible for us. What I did say I would accept in order to just put this whole thing behind us was a $3300 HAL gift card. We figured it was some compensation and for HAL they would be guaranteed that that amount would go right back to them. That is when they stopped responding to me! So for all of you that are asking what do I want, That's what I want and I think that is more than fair!

My original post was disgusting but it was not unnecessary! I want to be sure everyone understands what we dealt with! if you think looking at a picture is bad just think about being there and smelling that multiple times a day! My wife was nauseous every time she stepped into the bathroom!

Yes, the toilet would flush and then sometimes within 10 minutes sometimes within a few hours it would fill back up again, I think it had to do with when other rooms flushed. But make no mistake it was multiple times a day and every morning when we woke up and every afternoon when we went back to the cabin.

If you read the original post I clearly said we paid $9600 for the cruise!

As far as leaving the ship, We had paid for airfare from Rome that was non refundable and had multiple excursions most with Viator that were not refundable. The staff also kept assuring us that they would get the problem fixed. So yes we had to make a decision to spend thousands more for last minute air and forgo everything we had already paid for with Viator. We chose to stay with the assurances from HAL that we would be compensated. We did not learn of the offered compensation until day10 of a 12 day cruise. By then we were stuck!

We booked direct with HAL

I guess you are correct but I could have written 10 pages on what took place. I was trying to consolidate the information as I did not think anyone would read 10 pages!

Not yet, I was hoping HAL would do the right thing and stand behind their product! But I guess that is always an option!

Just to be more specific maintenance was in our cabin every day they took the toilet apart multiple times and they claim they replaced everything there was to replace! When that did not resolve the problem they went outside to the balcony and accessed some piping out there and carried many buckets of waste water through our cabin. That also did not resolve the issue. For those of you that claim I am ranting We were patient for 10 days of the cruise all the while being promised they would compensate us for the problem. When that compensation turned out to be an insult that's when I started to really complain and when Holland America just decided to ignore me completely that when I started to "rant" if you want to call it that. For all of you that don't believe this happened or keep defending HAL just think if it happened to you! we are not new cruisers. MY wife and I have been on over a dozen cruises (and yes we know how to use a cruise ship toilet) most with Celebrity where we enjoy Elite status! We took an Alaskan cruise with HAL in 2022 and loved it, that's why we decided to forgo our perks with Celebrity and cruise with HAL again. That turned out to be a big mistake.

Many of you have asked how many times this happened. Or was it an ongoing problem? We had raw sewage filling our toilet multiple times a day every day! I also want to reiterate this was not a backed up toilet , This was raw sewage filling our toilet from some other cabins. The excrement in the pictures was not ours!!!

Sambamama, Just to clarify. The issue was not a backed up toilet. That was not our sewage filling the toilet it was filling up from other cabins every time somebody else flushed!

I don't care if HAL reads these posts their customers do! With all the choices out there for your travel dollar I think it is important for everyone to know how HAL treats its guests! That way everyone can make a more informed choice!

Badtwin, The final offer from HAL was $1000 pp future cruise credit that has to be used within one year. That is worthless to me. They have stopped responding to me so this is where we are!

Kazu, We did go to the Neptune concierge, He kept telling us they would fix the problem and when they could not he referred me to the guest services front desk manager and then I went and found the assistant hotel manager (the hotel manager was not to be found) They all told me they could not help me and to contact Seattle when I arrived home. I followed their instructions and quickly found out that there is no authority figure that could help me and I was instructed to send an email. I received a response from the office of the President with a paltry offer of future cruise credits. I responded to that email telling them that that was not adequate. That was almost a month ago and they have refused to respond further. So what did honey get me? Nothing that's why I am posting this all over social media to get the attention of HAL!

No we were on the ship July 14-26 2023