Air quality on a cruise ship deck could be worse than world’s most polluted cities

An undercover investigation reveals air quality on a cruise ship deck could be worse than the world’s most polluted cities.

How true is this for Carnival ships?

My understanding is some ship lines are installing cleaners on their smokestacks, specifically P&O who the story is mainly about. Made me wonder about other cruise lines, especially since we will be on our first aft balcony on the Valor in a few months and I already have asthma.

The article is at the link below:

http://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-ship-decks-air-quality-worse-than-most-polluted-cities-2017-10

We did a 48 day B2B2B in an ocean view on Splendor in 2013. Everyone in an inside or sealed room came down with the cruds. a lung and breathing coughing condition. The balconys, not so much. I'll never cruise in a sealed cabin again.

The A/C was checked etc. We were told it was from lack of vitamins. :eek::evilsmile:

We did a 48 day B2B2B in an ocean view on Splendor in 2013. Everyone in an inside or sealed room came down with the cruds. a lung and breathing coughing condition. The balconys, not so much. I'll never cruise in a sealed cabin again.

 

The A/C was checked etc. We were told it was from lack of vitamins. :eek::evilsmile:

DW often comes home with some ailment but we have always figured it was because she cannot help herself from touch bannisters, elevator buttons etc.

Would be interesting if there was another reason

DW often comes home with some ailment but we have always figured it was because she cannot help herself from touch bannisters' date=' elevator buttons etc.

 

Would be interesting if there was another reason[/quote']

Our CC roll call was enormous, maybe 400 hundred members. Most of us got the cruds. My DH was a HVAC Engineer. and was appalled by their quality control with air handler systems. He learned his trade on Naval ships, even offered to help with the problem,,,,,,,,,,but were told there was no problem.:') It took me a month to get rid of it.

Our CC roll call was enormous, maybe 400 hundred members. Most of us got the cruds. My DH was a HVAC Engineer. and was appalled by their quality control with air handler systems. He learned his trade on Naval ships, even offered to help with the problem,,,,,,,,,,but were told there was no problem.:') It took me a month to get rid of it.

How was your DH allowed to see their air handling system? I was an HVAC tech for 25 years, with that said, I have always wanted to see the ships HVAC system, but they would not allow it.

How was your DH allowed to see their air handling system? I was an HVAC tech for 25 years, with that said, I have always wanted to see the ships HVAC system, but they would not allow it.

He was able to talk his way. They kept sending green techs to solve our problem, we also had little to no a/c. The way the techs were checking things was not up to DH'S standards. We actually had three techs and three Carnival engineers ( Stripes) in our cabin arguing. They relented and gave him a brief tour.

Very interesting article. Have to avoid those area for my asthma.

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Good thing I stay in the casino where the air is just fine.

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You can of course see the particles from the smokestacks but really not many are outside or getting directly blasted by them - the stacks are way too high on the ship. I haven't heard many complaints about anything from those with aft balconies and that is who would be affected most by it.

"An undercover investigation reveals air quality on a cruise ship deck could be worse than the world’s most polluted cities."

Can you provide your source? The ship is moving 20Kts. The smoke stacks are 100' above the deck. What the hell are you talking about? How did this thread sway from pollution on the deck to A/C systems and illnesses?

"An undercover investigation reveals air quality on a cruise ship deck could be worse than the world’s most polluted cities."

 

 

 

 

Can you provide your source? The ship is moving 20Kts. The smoke stacks are 100' above the deck. What the hell are you talking about? How did this thread sway from pollution on the deck to A/C systems and illnesses?

Looks like the OP did provide a link for the source in his message. Read it all the way through.

I can remember when the aft decks got ashes from the stacks. Pre low sulpher diesal fuels, the exhaust was always black.

He was able to talk his way. They kept sending green techs to solve our problem, we also had little to no a/c. The way the techs were checking things was not up to DH'S standards. We actually had three techs and three Carnival engineers ( Stripes) in our cabin arguing. They relented and gave him a brief tour.

Good for him. I like people that are persistent in finding answers.

"An undercover investigation reveals air quality on a cruise ship deck could be worse than the world’s most polluted cities."

 

 

 

 

Can you provide your source? The ship is moving 20Kts. The smoke stacks are 100' above the deck. What the hell are you talking about? How did this thread sway from pollution on the deck to A/C systems and illnesses?

I am not the one that wrote the article. Go back to the article and ask the author. I was simply sharing an article I though was of interest. Again, I am not "talking about" anything. I have never said I have verified the story or even if I believe in it. Just wanted opinions of what others thought about this. I appreciate the fact that you shared your opinion, but to make me out as the author of the article is just silly, and could lead some to believe you may have climbed the smokestack and had your head down inside it for a while:D

I see with as many post as you have made that you should be well aware that many threads stray from the original post in most cases.

And these "studies" continue to proliferate. I thought originally this was based on the measurements a German environmental group had done that has been linked here on CC. My question is, what were the atmospheric conditions at the time the measurements were taken, where was the ship, and how fast was it going? Just like the German "study", this appears to be a "one time" measurement, which begs the question of whether the "investigators" were looking for the "perfect storm" of conditions to make their observations.

The biggest thing is that burning diesel fuel, there is very little particulate matter, particularly for newer "Tier II" and "Tier III" engines (their international emissions ratings). However, when a ship like a P&O ship is outside of a European port, or outside of the North Sea ECA (Emissions Control Area), they are free to burn high sulfur residual fuel oil. This is one of the flaws in a "report" I've seen linked on CC to a study in Southampton, but it doesn't take into account that the ship is burning diesel fuel while in port.

All ships operating within an ECA (North America, North Sea, Baltic) must burn low sulfur diesel fuel, or install an exhaust gas scrubber, which allows the ship to continue to burn higher sulfur residual fuel while still exhausting the same quality of exhaust gas as when burning diesel fuel.

Also, heavy humidity can dampen the rise of exhaust, causing the higher accumulations of particulate matter. My next question is, what was the particulate count forward of the stack, to act as a control for the measurement aft of the stack. Could it be that a baseline environmental level of high particulates was present when the measurements were taken?

Upper respiratory ailments from cruise ships are most generally caused by the low humidity of the A/C causing the mucus membranes of the nose to dry out, allowing viruses and bacteria a way into the body.

I can't speak for Carnival ships, or the one oceandancer was on, but in my experience, the air handlers are kept to very high standards, and are subject to USPH/CDC inspection, and are required to have sanitizer pads in the air handlers to keep things from growing in the moisture dropped there from the cooling of the air.

Ash on back decks and balconies is much less with ships burning more diesel fuel, but it typically wasn't continually from the engine running, and I can't recall seeing any cruise ship with "constant black smoke". When a diesel engine starts, the turbocharger is not getting enough energy from the exhaust to provide the necessary air to ensure complete combustion, hence the black cloud when an engine starts, or when a truck or bus accelerates from a stop sign. But most of the soot was from cleaning, done at night. The boilers will accumulate soot on the heat generating surfaces of the boiler, and these need to be cleaned off to maintain efficiency, so they "soot blow" steam up the boiler, which removes the soot and it goes out the exhaust. Also, the diesel engines burning residual fuel tend to build soot on the turbocharger blades, again reducing efficiency, so this gets blasted off nightly as well, most typically using ground walnut shells as a "sand blasting" medium, and the burnt shells and soot go up the stack. If possible, the ship will note the wind direction and the ship's course, and make a short deviation to allow the wind to blow to one side or the other, rather than straight back, to minimize the chance of soot getting on the ship. Not always possible.

Low humidity and an over abundance of perfume causes my sinus and upper respiratory infections.

Thank you Chief, as always!

I was the one who someone thinks diverted the thread. The word Asthma was in OP'S question.

In the Target travel section I found a travel humidifier that should work well. Also saw others in the Magellan catalogue a few years ago.

Kind of ironic worrying about low humidity on the ocean.

In the Target travel section I found a travel humidifier that should work well. Also saw others in the Magellan catalogue a few years ago.

 

Kind of ironic worrying about low humidity on the ocean.

It may also depend on the location of your cabin, The one I mentioned, we were 2nd cabin from aft on deck 1........air had a long way to go.

Not sure if they will allow humidifiers, you may need a Doctor's note at least.

Smoke detectors are being replaced in the casino per this article . And wearing mask while in your cabin could help.

The air is probably worse on the plane you’re flying to get to the cruise.

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The air is probably worse on the plane you’re flying to get to the cruise.

 

 

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We were only on the plane for 6 hours direct to LA............we were in our cabin for 12 hours each day at sea, and 10 hours at port. Breathing that air was awful for 48 days. I could have used Bo's mask from above!!!

And again, it was rampart on the ship.

Thank you for sharing this article.

Keith

We were only on the plane for 6 hours direct to LA............we were in our cabin for 12 hours each day at sea, and 10 hours at port. Breathing that air was awful for 48 days. I could have used Bo's mask from above!!!

 

And again, it was rampart on the ship.

I do know and agree in what you said.