Liberty of the seas - huge disappointment

[grammyandpoppy]

Legionnaire's disease is caused by the bacteria Legionella. It loves moist environments and grows well in water that is between room temperature and about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This includes normal pool and spa temperatures. A thorough cleaning and DRYING is necessary to get rid of the bacteria in places that were contaminated. If a pax was on the ship, then they would assume that ALL of these common pools were contaminated.

 

Legionnaire's has a high rate of fatalities. It's unfortunate that this happened on your cruise, but the ship would have been unwise and liable if they hadn't shut down the spas and H2O zone.

 

I totally agree and understand. My question relates to people on the 11/1 sailing saying they were told the outbreak was on the previous weeks sailing - Oct 23 or so. Seems this went on for well over two weeks. What was interesting was that the regular pools were open.

 

Just wish RC would have been honest and upfront. I remember the huge outbreak in Pennsylvania quite a few years ago and I don't believe any water was involved.

[Nolefan95]

grammyandpoppy,

 

I was on the 11/1 cruise and received a letter that if I remember correctly stated that the disease occurred months ago and they had tested for it over 90 times and all came back negative but that they wanted to be sure so they closed it for cleaning. This was a huge disappointment for my 4 year old daughter. If you would like, I can email you a copy of the letter we received and request that you would do the same for me. I am definitely going to be contacting RCCL custemer service about this as the H20 Zone was the main reason we picked this ship.

[grammyandpoppy]

grammyandpoppy,

 

I was on the 11/1 cruise and received a letter that if I remember correctly stated that the disease occurred months ago and they had tested for it over 90 times and all came back negative but that they wanted to be sure so they closed it for cleaning. This was a huge disappointment for my 4 year old daughter. If you would like, I can email you a copy of the letter we received and request that you would do the same for me. I am definitely going to be contacting RCCL custemer service about this as the H20 Zone was the main reason we picked this ship.

 

I would certainly appreciate your e-mailing me at doloresandjeff@yahoo.com

 

I am sorry that your daughter was also disappointed and can understand since the H20 zone was the main reason we also booked this ship. I think the bottom line was malfunctioning or broken equipment and RC didn't want to admit to this and so instilled fear of the disease and acted as if our well fare was the main reason for the closing.

 

My son-in-law is extremely upset as both his wife and son had so look forwarded to the Liberty and guest relations acted as if we should accept what they told us and offered not even an apology.

[cruizeblues]

I completely understand your disappointment. I booked the Freedom over a year ago because we are bringing the kids and my 13 year old son really wants to try the flowrider. He is so excited...I would be so bummed out for him if he wasn't able to use it when we get there. Also, I have had a picture of the Solarium hot tub (looking out to sea) on my computer desktop for the past 10 months. Every time I log on to the computer I tell myself that I will be soaking in that beautiful tub in (fill in the blank) months (days now :D) I would have booked an entirely different ship if it wasn't for these two features!

[Nolefan95]

I would certainly appreciate your e-mailing me at doloresandjeff@yahoo.com

 

I am sorry that your daughter was also disappointed and can understand since the H20 zone was the main reason we also booked this ship. I think the bottom line was malfunctioning or broken equipment and RC didn't want to admit to this and so instilled fear of the disease and acted as if our well fare was the main reason for the closing.

 

My son-in-law is extremely upset as both his wife and son had so look forwarded to the Liberty and guest relations acted as if we should accept what they told us and offered not even an apology.

 

 

I will definitely send it to you tonight. If they did indeed test for it over 90 times, then closing it for the past two weeks would have definitely been a planned event in which case they should have notified us beforehand to give us the option to change the date of our sailing which I would have definitely done - you are probably right, it was more than likely a mechanical problem that they didn't want to admit to for whatever reason. The remaining pools were freezing. Too cold for us to enjoy.

[dual]

So has anyone been on Liberty in the last week or so ....are the hot tubs still closed? I sail on her this coming Sunday :(

[Nolefan95]

So has anyone been on Liberty in the last week or so ....are the hot tubs still closed? I sail on her this coming Sunday :(

 

grammyandpoppy just got off LOS this past Sunday. You probably won't hear anything regarding whether they are open this week without calling RCCL directly.

[CruisinManiac]

Maybe you can tell me all the inventive ideas you have for amusing children on sea days with the anticipated H20 zone closed.

 

Maybe if your 38 your old daughter had endured surgery and treatments for cancer and her body ached from the necessary drugs you could understand the importance of hot tubs.

 

 

 

I am so sorry for your disappointment, and that your daughter didn't get the relaxation she needed. :(

 

Outside of the closed hot tub and youth zone, how was the rest of the cruise?

 

Did your grandson participate in the children's programs? On ships without the H2 Zone, the kids always seem to be kept very busy with other activities. ;)

 

I feel for your daughter, but am quite surprised that she would have been allowed to get in a hot tub during an illness. My father has a low immunity, and has been told by doctors to stay away from hot tubs because they are a breeding ground for germs.

 

How about the steam or sauna rooms in the spa? Did your daughter use those for her pain? That's where my dad loved to spend time. He'd put towels down on the benches, and enjoy a few minutes of intense heat. ;)

 

I do hope that RCCL will come through and offer some sort of compensation for your family. I am really surprised that no onboard credit was given, though. :)

[grand isle joe]

Maybe you can tell me all the inventive ideas you have for amusing children on sea days with the anticipated H20 zone closed.

 

Maybe if your 38 your old daughter had endured surgery and treatments for cancer and her body ached from the necessary drugs you could understand the importance of hot tubs.

 

This is our 26th cruise and made us Diamond on Royal Caribbean. We are not novices and were offended at Royal's handling of this situation.

 

We don't live in New Jersey and it would be only a 2 hour trip home. We could have taken any ship any time and yes - we probably might have said this is not what we contracted for and returned home.

 

Small bananas to you - big deal to me.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your horrible cruise. As a cancer surviver I pray for your daughter and hope the good Lord spares some of her pain. Some on these boards are insensitive to others' plights and will defend RCCL to the very end. I hope your daughter recoops and can enjoy another cruise in the future under better circumstances.

[grammyandpoppy]

I am so sorry for your disappointment, and that your daughter didn't get the relaxation she needed. :(

 

Outside of the closed hot tub and youth zone, how was the rest of the cruise?

 

Did your grandson participate in the children's programs? On ships without the H2 Zone, the kids always seem to be kept very busy with other activities. ;)

 

I feel for your daughter, but am quite surprised that she would have been allowed to get in a hot tub during an illness. My father has a low immunity, and has been told by doctors to stay away from hot tubs because they are a breeding ground for germs.

 

How about the steam or sauna rooms in the spa? Did your daughter use those for her pain? That's where my dad loved to spend time. He'd put towels down on the benches, and enjoy a few minutes of intense heat. ;)

 

 

 

I have posted a review of our cruise here on Cruise Critic. The children's program - only 23 kids in his age group and there were only one or two children at the few activities they had for the group. We certainly would have appreciated activities for the children in view of the water feature being closed especially on sea days.

 

My daughter was diagnosed in September 2009 and thanks to great medical care and her healthful living and eating, her immune system is way back up. Her docs have recommended that she use hot tubs for the joint pain. Dry heat does not seem to help her pain. She wanted to sit in the hot tubs and gaze out at the sea as she faces reconstruction surgery Dec 3.

 

The whole thing was truly disappointing from delay in embarkation, to wheels broken off luggage, etc. However, the staff members (with the exception of guest relations) were outstanding.

[nellydean]

In the grand scale of things, it was disappointing but not the end of the world. Losing your daughter would have been. Be grateful she is still with you, and look forward to many more years together

 

ps I'm with the poster who talked about them being breeding grounds for germs - never go in them myself, nor the pools

[grammyandpoppy]

In the grand scale of things, it was disappointing but not the end of the world. Losing your daughter would have been. Be grateful she is still with you, and look forward to many more years together

 

ps I'm with the poster who talked about them being breeding grounds for germs - never go in them myself, nor the pools

 

We are truly grateful that our daughter is ok today and doing well. Being disappointed has nothing to do with our being grateful. She has been thru hell with surgery, chemo and radiation and faces reconstructive surgery Dec 3rd. Being diagnosed when her son was only 18 months old was a huge blow but I am so proud of how she handled her diagnosis and treatment. This was to be a celebration of sorts and we have all been sucking it up for the last 14 months and this was just one more thing we were being told to suck up.

[Nessa1dc]

First of all, I'm so glad that your daughter is doing better. I hope you all realize how blessed you are to have each other.

 

I'm so sorry about your experience. I also believe that RCCL was being very cautious, and to be honest...I would want them to be. Lord forbid that someone get sick because RCCL didn't take the proper precautions. I hope that you don't let this be the reason that you all don't cruise RCCL again. I too would send them a letter. I think they could accommodate those that were without this service for the week. $100 off the next cruise would be fair.

 

Take care and God bless.

[hylasgirl]

Our family booked the 11/8 sailing of the Liberty largely for the H2O Zone and hot tubs extending over the side of the ship. This has been a rough year as my 37 year old daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer - had radiation, chemo, a double masectomy and is taking Femara which does causes joint pain. This was to be a cruise for relaxation for this family. Her son was so looking forward to the H2O Zone. Are you ready for this - both the H2O and the hot tubs were closed 6 days out of 7. Yes - you read that right. We learned that the H2O zone had also been closed for the entire week on the 11/1 sailing.

This cruise started off horrible as we were told there had been two cases of Legionnaire's disease on the 11/1 sailing and that Customs was also checking the entire ship and we did not get to board until 2:30 pm. We were given varying answers in regard to why things were closed which ranged from - Legionnaire's, not enough children, contamination of the zone and hot tubs, etc. etc. Only on the next to last night of the cruise did we learn the truth - equipment failure. Royal Caribbean knew this when it boarded the 4000 passengers. No additional activities were offered for the children which normally would have used the Zone. If you wanted to use the hot tubs - you were SOOL - go soak in the cold pool. This was not our first cruise on RC. However - this may be our last. If RC had been honest and said it was the equipment we would not have wasted our time going to guest relations every day to inquire when things would open. I am starting to believe that customer satisfaction is second to revenue for Royal Caribbean.

 

 

Yeah, that would probably be a deal breaker for me too. That is too bad.

[MIcruiser99]

I am so sorry to hear of your problems on your cruise.

 

I totally understand your disappointment. We booked a hotel and specifically chose the one with a pool but when we arrived the pool was closed for the week for maintenance. When you are on a land vacation, you can pick up and move out. Not so when you board a cruise ship. If we had no pool or hot tubs for a week of cruising, we would also be very disappointed. That is one thing we enjoy on a vacation.

[petesweet]

[quote name='grammyandpoppy']All hot tubs were closed - not just one or two. Those in the solarium and the family pool area were closed. If you wanted a soak - forget about it![/quote]

That doesn't sound like equipment failure, then, does it? It sounds more like contamination issues, so that means the ship personnel were looking out for the safety of the passengers. Sometimes the "facts" we get from various staff members are just rumors.

I'm sorry your family was so disappointed. Please try another cruise.

Kathy

[petesweet]

[quote name='amybeth4']I also can't imagine some crew member would just blurt out a completely different story than "the official" one.[/quote]

You can't???

[mommabean]

[quote name='Nessa1dc']First of all, I'm so glad that your daughter is doing better. I hope you all realize how blessed you are to have each other.

I'm so sorry about your experience. I also believe that RCCL was being very cautious, and to be honest...I would want them to be. Lord forbid that someone get sick because RCCL didn't take the proper precautions. I hope that you don't let this be the reason that you all don't cruise RCCL again. I too would send them a letter. I think they could accommodate those that were without this service for the week. [COLOR="Red"]$100 off the next cruise would be fair.[/COLOR]

Take care and God bless.[/QUOTE]

Fair, only as long as it's allowed to be combined with other discounts or coupons. :rolleyes: ;)

Gina

[mommabean]

[quote name='petesweet']You can't???[/QUOTE]

Now, why ever would you say that? :rolleyes: LOL :)

Gina

[DC2OC]

[quote name='mommabean']Fair, only as long as it's allowed to be combined with other discounts or coupons. :rolleyes: ;)

Gina[/quote]

Ain't that the truth

[01Sweetpea]

Sorry to hear about your daughter's cancer and your disappointment on your cruise. It is certainly understandable!

We board on Sunday and I hope they have taken care of the situation.

[mommabean]

[quote name='DC2OC']Ain't that the truth[/QUOTE]

You knew I wasn't kidding. How could you tell? :D

Gina

[beastiemom]

[quote name='Nessa1dc']First of all, I'm so glad that your daughter is doing better. I hope you all realize how blessed you are to have each other.

I'm so sorry about your experience. I also believe that RCCL was being very cautious, and to be honest...I would want them to be. Lord forbid that someone get sick because RCCL didn't take the proper precautions. I hope that you don't let this be the reason that you all don't cruise RCCL again. I too would send them a letter. I think they could accommodate those that were without this service for the week. $100 off the next cruise would be fair.

Take care and God bless.[/quote]

If I were in OP's shoes, $100.00 would not be okay with me. THE primary reason they booked this cruise was for the H2O zone and the hot tubs. For almost the entire vacation neither was working. The children's program was minimal because of the small amount of children on board. Their vacation was well over $5000.00. I would expect a REFUND, not credit towards a future cruise of at least 20% of my cruise-in this case $1,000.

RCI promised a product. They knew at the time of boarding that they could not provide the product that they advertised (at least-a primary part of what they advertised). They should have advised up front.

Now, before I get flamed, let me be clear on several things. If in fact it was something like Legionarre's, which is serious, they can't be faulted for taking appropriate steps for controlling the outbreak. However, they can be held responsible for their response to the problem. First, they should have been notified immediately upon check-in that there was a problem. They clearly had to have known they weren't going to open the pools because they were roped off as soon as they boarded and there had been a problem with the prior cruise. I think the OP is entitled to a detailed explanation and honest explanation as to what happened once she inquired. There were mulitiple stories received. Whoever is in charge of the pools should have notified Guest Relations, etc. what the true problem was, what was being done to fix the problem and the lenght expected (which could have been, we don't know-BUT SAY THAT). Moreover, her party was affected by both issues, the hot tubs and the H2O zone. If it was just my husband and I traveling without our kids, I don't think I should be compensated as much as if I was traveling with kids, as the H2O zone is primarily for, and marketed in all their literature, towards kids.

And for those who have attempted to downplay their disappointment with reminders as to how fortunate she is to have her daughter, those are two completely separate issues. Just because one has suffered a stressful and life-changing illness, does not mean one has to accept any bad service because they should be grateful to be alive. Really??

[grand isle joe]

[quote name='beastiemom']If I were in OP's shoes, $100.00 would not be okay with me. THE primary reason they booked this cruise was for the H2O zone and the hot tubs. For almost the entire vacation neither was working. The children's program was minimal because of the small amount of children on board. Their vacation was well over $5000.00. I would expect a REFUND, not credit towards a future cruise of at least 20% of my cruise-in this case $1,000.

RCI promised a product. They knew at the time of boarding that they could not provide the product that they advertised (at least-a primary part of what they advertised). They should have advised up front.

Now, before I get flamed, let me be clear on several things. If in fact it was something like Legionarre's, which is serious, they can't be faulted for taking appropriate steps for controlling the outbreak. However, they can be held responsible for their response to the problem. First, they should have been notified immediately upon check-in that there was a problem. They clearly had to have known they weren't going to open the pools because they were roped off as soon as they boarded and there had been a problem with the prior cruise. I think the OP is entitled to a detailed explanation and honest explanation as to what happened once she inquired. There were mulitiple stories received. Whoever is in charge of the pools should have notified Guest Relations, etc. what the true problem was, what was being done to fix the problem and the lenght expected (which could have been, we don't know-BUT SAY THAT). Moreover, her party was affected by both issues, the hot tubs and the H2O zone. If it was just my husband and I traveling without our kids, I don't think I should be compensated as much as if I was traveling with kids, as the H2O zone is primarily for, and marketed in all their literature, towards kids.

And for those who have attempted to downplay their disappointment with reminders as to how fortunate she is to have her daughter, those are two completely separate issues. Just because one has suffered a stressful and life-changing illness, does not mean one has to accept any bad service because they should be grateful to be alive. Really??[/quote]

Great post!

[EVALUATOR]

It is very possible it was an equipment malfunction. Filters, pumps, heaters and chlorinators are used for the pools, spas, water slides, etc. A malfunction in any of those systems could effect all the above items.

As for cruising and it's healing effects for cancer patients and survivors, we know first hand as to the benefits. With all the stress of dealing with the illness, "small bananas" to some are big deals to others. I am the worst critic of service when I see the quality of service effect Mrs. E. If I feel the service is not up to par, and Mrs. E. says it was OK I let it be. But if Mrs. E. is vocally upset about the service... look out.

Sometimes I want and expect service at a level 12 on a scale of 1-10 for her. Don't hesitate to expect the best level of service for your loved ones.