Solstice Vibrations

[Ciref]

Just boarded the Solstice today for an Alaskan cruise. We noticed a steady vibration while sitting by the pool and then again at lunch at the buffet. I asked ship personal about the and was told this vibration is normal for all Solstice class ships when docked. I am wondering if this is true? Anyone know what this vibration is?

[astro36r]

We were on the Solstice for the Alaska July 8 cruise. Noticed the vibration the entire time. Other ships we have gone on have done the same. Mostly RCCL. As for what it is? Engines? [emoji41]

 

 

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[Ciref]

Astro,

 

Thanks for replying. We just arrived in Ketchiken and I have cellular service again. This is the strangest thing. We first noticed the vibrations when we boarded and were sitting on Deck 12 by the pool. The ship was docked and not departing for 4 hours. The vibration was very noticeable. We asked ship personnel about it and we're told that once we were underway it would stop.

 

The next time we noticed it was at muster on Deck 5. It was limited to a small area and could be felt through the floor and wall. It was pretty strong and we again asked crew personnel and was told it stops when we leave the dock.

 

We got underway and I felt the vibration in our cabin. We are in 6276. I was resting in our cabin and I felt shuddering through the bed and headboard. Further inspection showed several spots with significant vibrations including just outside our cabin where the floor was heavily vibrating and a loud whooshing sound could be heard coming from a some sort of riser. I called our room steward and asked him about this and he acknowledged severe vibration and called maintenance.

 

Now here is where it really got strange. We were told this is normal but would stop when we exited the channel. He told us all Solstice class ships do this.

 

Well it did not stop and we went to dinner and got back to the cabin late. The heavy vibration was gone. Now I want to be clear. I understand some vibration is normal on a cruise ship. When the ship is underway if you concentrate and search for it you can usually detect some undercurrent of vibration. You can tell the engines are running. This vibration is much more. So we enjoyed a good nights sleep in our cabin happily thinking the issue was resolved.

 

Unfortunately this was not to be the case. The next morning at 9:00 am, the vibrations started again and continued throughout the day which was a sea day. We were also up in the buffet on Deck 14 in the late afternoon and sat at a table that was experiencing the same severe vibration. We moved over three tables and felt no vibration. I believe this table, our muster station and our cabin are roughly in the same vertical line. However the area we first experienced the vibration by the pool was much more forward and on the opposite side of the ship. In the evening the vibrations were above the normal threshold in our cabin but not as bad as earlier in the day.

 

This morning I when I woke up they were gone as we approached the dock in Ketchikan. We are docked now and there is no vibration whatsoever.

 

I have been told by guest relations that the vibrations are coming from the engines, that this normal and is so for all Solstice class ships.

 

I want to be clear. This is my 10th cruise. I have never complained about vibrations before and I understand that there are huge engines powering the ship and providing electrical service. I am not an engineer or familiar with the structure of the ship so I cannot form any educated guess what may be causing these intermittent vibrations. My uneducated guess is that some dampeners have deteriorated and are allowing these vibrations to be transmitted to the ship. The ship was running the first night after 10 PM with no vibrations and then they occurred at a lower intensity all day yesterday which was a sea day. They were intense when we were docked in Seattle and they are totally gone now at dock in Ketchikan. I am mystified.

 

I do not believe that I should be able to feel my head vibrating when I am sitting in bed with my head resting on a pillow propped against the headboard. Yesterday I noticed an HDMI cable that was not plugged in. It was suspended from behind the tv and was exposed below the screen. It was actually visibly vibrating.

 

So this is what is occurring. Has Celebrity built an entire class of ships with a design flaw or is there some problem on the Solstice that they do not wish to acknowledge? The staff is telling me this is what the ship does. I just find it hard to believe.

 

Eric

Edited August 7, 2016 by Ciref
Typos

[WEGL81]

I was on the Equinox this past spring and never felt vibration except maybe when we were maneuvering into or away from the dock when the side thrusters were running. I'm usually pretty sensitive to vibrations so I'm sure I would've felt some if there were any.

 

My guess is it is something they can't do anything about and so everyone has their story the same. But it is not the same on all Solstice class ships.

[Chicogirl]

I was just on the Solstice 3 weeks ago, there were some vibrations, but nothing bad. There were a couple of times the bar glasses in my room would clink, but mostly that was form waves not vibration. We were on penthouse deck. They might have had to use the stabilizers more on your trip.

[PRH]

Had similar experience on the Eclipse this spring. Our cabin was on deck 12 and the vibrations were substantial but like your experience, they were inconsistent in their starting and stopping. Almost sounded like someone running a carpet cleaning machine over the same spot over and over. We complained to guest services several times. We were told it was due to garbage grinding and the vibrations were in the stack and transferred to the walls. By mid-way through the cruise and after multiple visits from engineering, housekeeping and guest services, the vibrations suddenly stopped. Not sure what happened but we were thankful that something had been done.

[chengkp75]

I don't believe there is a "design flaw", nor that anything has deteriorated.

 

While reviewing your second post to write this response, I see that you are reporting vibrations in certain very specific locations and not in others. This tells me that this is not an engine problem, though it is certainly caused by the engine. What is happening is that the engine is operating at a certain speed, which it always does, and that certain areas of the ship have a harmonic frequency that is in tune with the natural frequency of the engine. This harmonic frequency of certain areas is based on their structure, and can be affected by things like the temperature of the ship (expansion of the steel plating, and temperature effects on energy absorption), the particular hull stresses on those days (how much fuel and water, and where, that the ship has onboard), and ship speed, as the friction of the ship through the water induces a vibration that can interact with the engine vibration.

 

Virtually every ship I've been on for 40 years will have a few spots that vibrate more than others, and in some cases, on certain days, will feel like your teeth are coming out.

 

So, yes, that is what the ship does. And if you were to take the next cruise on that ship, you might very likely find that those areas of vibration have changed to others.

[Ciref]

Thanks for the responses l, they are more helpful then what I am bent told here. We are leaving Ketchikan now and again no overt vibrations. So far they have not effected our sleep so I will keep my fingers crossed. When it isn't vibrating our cabin is really nice and I am otherwise enjoying the cruise.

 

Eric

[cruzqueen518]

I love the ship vibrations :D...we are actually sailing on the Solstice this Friday 8/12 I am interested to see if we feel the vibrations as well. The Carnival Pride is one of my favorite ships partially becasue it vibrates me to sleep at night, lol. I guess everyone is different, what one person likes another person hates.

 

On another topic, how is the weather? Do I really need all the layers everyone is telling me to bring?

 

 

Thanks & Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

 

AO

Edited August 9, 2016 by cruzqueen518

[chemmo]

Thanks for the responses l, they are more helpful then what I am bent told here. We are leaving Ketchikan now and again no overt vibrations. So far they have not effected our sleep so I will keep my fingers crossed. When it isn't vibrating our cabin is really nice and I am otherwise enjoying the cruise.

 

Eric

 

So glad your cruise is not being spoiled by the vibrations....I do think some people are more sensitive to this than others, just as some guests may find a cabin noisy and others have no issues...

 

Have to say on the two times we have cruised Solstice all we have felt is "Good Vibrations". Hope you have a great cruise!

[lyndarra]

We were on the cruise before the OPer. We noticed some mild vibration in Oceanview a couple of times while docked but never anywhere else. We were in 3144 and didn't feel any vibration at any time.

[Holly g]

Just boarded the Solstice today for an Alaskan cruise. We noticed a steady vibration while sitting by the pool and then again at lunch at the buffet. I asked ship personal about the and was told this vibration is normal for all Solstice class ships when docked. I am wondering if this is true? Anyone know what this vibration is?

 

What cabin are you in? We have only sailed S class and I don't recall having vibration problems, at least not enough to be really annoying. We always choose mid ship so maybe that is why? Pool and buffet are at either end if I remember correctly. We are thinking of Hawaii next year on the Solstice so I'm interested in this problem.

[nekzaadvakil]

Cruised thrice on the sister ship Silhouette and never felt anything. Thinking of the Solstice as an alternate for the over priced Ovation of the Seas for an Australia-NZ cruise so very interested to know if there is a genuine problem or not. Although I am sure they would fix it if there was.

[BecciBoo]

Deck 8 hump on Reflection, never noticed a thing...but on RCCL Liberty of the Seas in April, my DIL was extremely sensitive to the vibrations in her cabin and they had to move them. I went to sit on their bed and just felt a slight calvitation vibration, they were in a fairly aft cabin so pretty much on top of the azipods.

 

I expect more vibration from our aft Concierge next week...but can certainly tell you nothing is wrong with Solstice. These ships are maintained like nothing else but planes perhaps. I am not worried a spec about it. And there have been some heavy vibrations we have weathered in the aft before, especially during heavy seas.