No water for 5 1/2 hours tonight on our cruise ship - How does it work?

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It happened on the Nieuw Statadam as well but only the hot water 

[taxmantoo]

A few days later and no casualties have been reported so far.  It seems everyone survived 

[rervousneck]

42 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

A few days later and no casualties have been reported so far.  It seems everyone survived 

Sounds like everything came out alright.😓

[dot73]

I wish the OP would return and tells us how he managed to get through this first-world catastrophe.  Hopefully,  he will have seen the pictures and videos from the Bahamas and realize that being on a cruise ship with no water for six hours is actually not that bad. 

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, dot73 said:

I wish the OP would return and tells us how he managed to get through this first-world catastrophe.  Hopefully,  he will have seen the pictures and videos from the Bahamas and realize that being on a cruise ship with no water for six hours is actually not that bad. 

And the inability to use his Lanai “deck”, and the lack of HAL listing meetings for his group of preference beyond the third day......😫

[HeinBloed]

1. It was a kind of "weak" communication. The toilets in the public area were not impacted by the maintenance and you could use them - they only forget to tell. But since everyone has different need and I need to see frequently the toilets due to medication. The situation ashore when you have buckets and preparing something at home AND NO vacuum toilet might be different from a situation on a ship at high sea.

 

2. LGBT-Meeting was listed again - but still unsatisfied answer why only two meetings are listed. Understood that Billy W.-meetings follow a different structure. Thanks to everyone who explained me the difference of the two meetings.

 

3. They improved the security measurements by setting barriers of "closed" areas impacted by works so nothing could move anymore from above to the lower promenade deck. By this way: thanks to everyone who were explaining the different areas. Had a chance in St. John's to see it from the pier. But (although port call in St-Pierre et Miquelon was canceled) could see that our section under liferafts are "safe" to use if there is tender operation in port, while other sections were closed in preparation of tendering. So disadvantage of less sunshine vs. potential use during tender operation was one more aspect to double check for next booking.

 

I value all inputs which helps me to make the right decision which ship and which cabin.

 

Regarding the Bahamas:

 

sorry for the loss of lifes.

 

But I feel free to ask. I did not complain but asking how other cruisers handle this situation and regarding to Billy W./LGBT I was wondering why it is so differently handled by HAL compared to other cruise lines.

 

It was the first time I had a Lenai cabin, it was the first time I had problems with the works around my personal space, it was the first time I had such a water-supply-suspension.

 

Sorry to bother everyone who felt the need to answer without helpful answers and thanks to everyone who gave me good answers to estimate the situation and telling what would be the best way to prepare.

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

OP, thank you for coming back for an update.

 

Please, please, it's Bill W, not Billy W. Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization with a long history and deserves the respect of getting the way they name their meetings correct. 

 

 

As for why the LGBT scheduling, ask the CD why they didn't schedule it every day. 

 

 

[TAD2005]

3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

OP, thank you for coming back for an update.

 

Please, please, it's Bill W, not Billy W. Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization with a long history and deserves the respect of getting the way they name their meetings correct. 

 

 

As for why the LGBT scheduling, ask the CD why they didn't schedule it every day. 

 

 

On many cruises, the "Friends of Bill W Meet" meetings are well attended, so they are scheduled every day.  The LGBTQ meetings are initially scheduled daily, but if no one shows up, then they are cancelled for future dates unless requested.   They will not tie up a meeting room for one person or no persons.    You can't just look at the daily program and when these meetings are not scheduled, automatically assume that the ship is being "non-inclusive".   It's simply a matter of supply and demand.   If nobody comes, then no meetings.  If people complain, then they will schedule a room for the meeting.   If attendance is still one or zero, then they cancel again.

Edited September 3, 2019 by TAD2005

[HeinBloed]

8 hours ago, TAD2005 said:

On many cruises, the "Friends of Bill W Meet" meetings are well attended, so they are scheduled every day.  The LGBTQ meetings are initially scheduled daily, but if no one shows up, then they are cancelled for future dates unless requested.   They will not tie up a meeting room for one person or no persons.    You can't just look at the daily program and when these meetings are not scheduled, automatically assume that the ship is being "non-inclusive".   It's simply a matter of supply and demand.   If nobody comes, then no meetings.  If people complain, then they will schedule a room for the meeting.   If attendance is still one or zero, then they cancel again.

 

LGBTQ-Meetings are normally not set up in a meeting room like the Bill W.-Meetings.

 

From Cunard:

 

 

You have this sign in the corner of the Commodore Club (similar to Crow's nest) in one corner (similar to Captain's Corner) and if none is showing up, they just remove the sign and open it to the public for other guests...

 

But other guests who are sitting here before the meeting starts should not wonder if it become very male, gay and you can direct their attention to this sign, if they ask you to move away because they were already here all day...

 

Here, onboard of VEENDAM, it worked with the very first two days only and to my surprise: somebody of the Entertainment Department showed up and hosted. We had this only before on NORWEGIAN JADE and the host was gay himself and we got a lot of giveaways etc.

 

But after the two days, I was only surprised that it did not show anymore on the When and Where and the Hotel Director told me "Guideline from Seattle" - and all I was asking here was: does somebody know why there is a guideline like this.

 

They set it up again on my request but the new time and place was not convenient for everyone since it was squeezed between set-sail, event in the bar, trivia etc.

 

On the first day, it was great since we could sit up in the bar and wait "neutrally" (since there was no sign).

 

The first time I had my rainbow lanyard around me and other men just showed up around me... and next time I would discretely put this sign on:

 

 

The second I was wondering and try to find out here:

 

Again: according to guideline to HAL Seattle: no officer should show up for Meet & Greet of cruisecritic.com, and I was wondering on other HAL-cruises they did or on any other cruise lines they are doing more for US cruisecritic.com-members?

 

And all I was interested to know: did cruisecritic.com becomes an "enemy" of HAL or what for would be the guideline for officers to attend to a meeting. I met here a lot of nice fellow-cruisers, but I also like to meet the senior officers around like I used from previous meetings or with other cruise lines.

 

I did what I usually did: speaking with the Hotel Director and there were too many guidelines...

 

no more peppermill

no more snacks

 

etc. etc.

 

But after the talk, I got at least a few items back: so there is now a pepper mill around me... and I must not ask for peanuts anymore when I am buying a drink... and my favorite bar has now cucumber around that I can order "Cool as a Cucumber" immediately.

 

I suggested the Hotel Director to mark his box "Dear Hotel Director" appropriately and to be more "open" and "inviting" guests to contact him and they did promptly:

 

 

So far, I am still "complaining" that I cannot buy a Future Cruise Deposit, without having an appointment: a box to dispose but no blank forms. For me, I do not see a need to show up at their opening hours and to ask for something which should be in a rack on most ships (no matter which cruise line) and you can order at any time a Future Cruise Deposit.

[HeinBloed]

12 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

OP, thank you for coming back for an update.

 

Please, please, it's Bill W, not Billy W. Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization with a long history and deserves the respect of getting the way they name their meetings correct. 

 

 

As for why the LGBT scheduling, ask the CD why they didn't schedule it every day. 

 

 

 

I am not drinking alcohol and in my surrounding I do not know ACTIVELY one who is impacted of alcohol problems. So I am not familiar.

 

When I did the very first cruise on an American cruise ship in 2007, I found on the daily program

 

Friends of Dorothy

Friends of Bill W

(and there was third one, which I did not see again or very rarely on a few cruise ships).

 

I asked someone from the front desk and was told

 

Gays

Anonymous Alcohol

(and the third group, I forgot)

 

As said: since I was not impacted of Alcohol-problems, I did not follow up what is behind Bill W.

 

Just here onboard, I was wondering that after two meetings, Bill W. continued to be shown on the When and Where and LGBTQ not anymore and asking.

 

But as said: guideline from Seattle

[ksmaxey]

I am on the same cruise - a few observations:

The water being off wasn't a problem for us and was way less time than indicated.

 

The New York Pizza was closed the first 3 days as they re-tiled the cooking area.  Now it is only open 11-2:30 though the online navigator shows that it is available for dinner.  we miss getting a pizza late in the evening like on other ships with the pizza.

 

We had to ask for a future cruise deposit form.  EVERY HAL cruise prior has had one delivered to our stateroom without asking.

 

The pool has been closed for the last 3 days for repairs to the tile.  With the removal of the rear pool there is no back up option and with the unplanned sea day the pool was missed by a fair number of people.  (not me to be honest)

 

The food has been great and the cabin stewards on this cruise are amazing.

 

The smoke from the casino has spread more than on previous cruises and most of the key public spaces have smoke smell.  (Ocean bar, Mix and Adagio area outside the Pinnacle)

 

 

[HeinBloed]

11 hours ago, ksmaxey said:

We had to ask for a future cruise deposit form.  EVERY HAL cruise prior has had one delivered to our stateroom without asking.

 

Meanwhile I requested another one and it was delivered to my room and NOW after talking with Guest Services they have some of the forms on their desk when they are present. So no need to speak with them anymore. But still none is in the rack to help yourself and drop into the box when they are not present.

[Peckishpixie]

I just have to ask, if they didn't give you a note would you have even known the water was off between midnight and 3, possibly 6 am? Why? Why are you complaining about them fixing something? Should they have left it broken? Maybe done it smack dab in the middle of the day? What? What on earth could have made you happy in this situation 

[kevingastreich]

Who's Dorothy?

[catl331]

5 hours ago, kevingastreich said:

Who's Dorothy?

The girl in the Wizard of Oz.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Getting back to the original theme...

 

The last thread I read that involved a water shut down was the result of some moron pax who had flushed a wash cloth down the toilet.  Most of these shut downs are from stupid pax flushing the wrong things into the system.  

[kazu]

24 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Getting back to the original theme...

 

The last thread I read that involved a water shut down was the result of some moron pax who had flushed a wash cloth down the toilet.  Most of these shut downs are from stupid pax flushing the wrong things into the system.  

 

Yup, have to say, I was on the Westerdam a few years ago and their access was close to my room.  They had to shut off the water to purge.

OMG, the stuff I saw coming out would literally scare you to death.  No wonder there can be problems 😞. From the biggest thing you can imagine to bottle caps. 

 

What I saw coming out would not be in any toilet here so why the heck would you put it down on a cruise line????

[awhcruiser]

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

The girl in the Wizard of Oz.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy

LOL

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Getting back to the original theme...

 

The last thread I read that involved a water shut down was the result of some moron pax who had flushed a wash cloth down the toilet.  Most of these shut downs are from stupid pax flushing the wrong things into the system.  

Potable water shut downs would have absolutely nothing to do with a vacuum toilet system problem.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Potable water shut downs would have absolutely nothing to do with a vacuum toilet system problem.

 

No one here has mentioned anything about potable water.  The theme of this thread is the shutdown of the vacuum toilets.

[Hlitner]

On 9/1/2019 at 6:31 AM, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

My DH and I are among those that have to use the toilet a lot -- certain medications make us always go.

Thanks for sharing that :).

 

Hank

[kevingastreich]

5 hours ago, catl331 said:

The girl in the Wizard of Oz.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy

I read it. Interesting.  Thanks  You learn something new everyday.

[chengkp75]

8 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 

No one here has mentioned anything about potable water.  The theme of this thread is the shutdown of the vacuum toilets.

Uh, no, the OP posted that the water system would be shut down overnight.  The potable water system is the same system as the water supply to the toilets, so the problem the OP was worried about is that you would get the one flush, and then the bowl would not refill, and at that point, any slight leaks in the discharge valve of any toilets would not have water to seal it, and you would lose vacuum around the ship.

 

The thread morphed into focusing on vacuum toilets being shut down, but the root cause of the OP's complaint was no water supply, and several of the early posters understood this and discussed ways to save drinking water for use when the water was off.

 

And, the post I quoted said that the thread they were referring to, was about a water shutdown that "was the result of someone flushing" something down the toilet.  The water supply to your cabin toilet branches off somewhere between your shower cold water and your sink cold water.

Edited September 7, 2019 by chengkp75

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We just got off the same cruise.  The letter we received stated the water in our section would be off from 12:30 am until 6:00 am for routine maintenance.  We were on the ship for 67 days, and another section had their water shutdown on a different segment.

 

On several cruises over the past few years, we have experienced these shutdowns without it causing us a problem.  All mechanical systems, whether at sea or on land require routine maintenance.  In order to keep the ship working at optimum efficiency, maintenance cannot be deferred until the periodic drydocks.