Re: Zaandam Odors

[shoppern]

We were on the Zaandam Alaska cruise June 30-July 6, 2008. We had a balcony, because we were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and our first cruise. The room was fine, plenty of room for the two of us. When we first came into our room, I noticed a sewer odor in the room and on the balcony, combined with a heavy spicy cooking odor. Even when we were moving, the odors remained, so I reported this to the front desk. The hallway smelled, too. This was the starboard side. The port side hallway did NOT smell. The sewage odor was taken of fairly quickly, but the cooking odor came and went--and not just at mealtimes. When we arrived home and began unpacking, one of my suitcases smelled so strongly of the cooking that I had to air everything out even before I washed it because it was making our hallway at home smell bad!!! Overall, the cruise was lovely, and the land tour great (and exhausting) but I never expected to have an odor issue ON a verandah at sea! Has anyone else had this problem? By the way, we were midway in the hall, V6163. Thanks for your comments.

[mr green]

I never noticed any odors on Zaandam, but this does not mean that they can't occur. I have been on a few ships that have had reports of strange smells, but when my wife and I cruised on those ships there were no signs of any problems.

WE DID have problems years ago on the Norwegian Wind, [no pun intended], and every ship that we have sailed on have odors of tobbaco smoke in some areas.

To sum up, I do not believe that any ship has a real problem, by creating nocuous fumes, BUT, all ships may be capable of giving off odors for short periods of time.

 

john

[Juanita462]

We were on the Statendam to Hawaii when we experienced a heavy sewer smell through a lot of the ship. It was so bad on one side that people were not sitting on that side on the Lido deck. It was particularly bad in our cabin area as we were on the lowest deck. The smell lasted from day one and for 11 days of the 17 day cruise. We were not far out after leaving Hawaii when the smell disappeared. I read in the Hawaiin papers that the ship discharged the sewage before they were out of Hawaiin waters.

 

anyway - we later found out what happened from a member of the crew who was on that cruise - we were told repeatedly that they didn't know what it was but were working on it - yes, they did know because it was a valve in the sewer line that broke and spewed sewage all over the crew quarters. No wonder there was so much smell.

 

We wrote to HAL about the problem and were sent a letter of apology and $500 towards our next cruise which we felt was fair enough. Of course that was under Lanterman. We have never had any compensation for problems since Kruse took over.

 

Still, it wouldn't hurt to write and mention your problem to HAL. Never heard of heavy cooking odors in the cabins before - it must have been coming in through the air system somehow - maybe a vent from the kitchen that was misdirected. When you read the sanitation reports on things they do behind the scenes - like putting a pan of cooked king crab legs right beside 2 pans of raw fish in the cooler - no backflow valve protection in many areas to stop dirty water from entering the general water system.

You have to read the details about why they get points taken off, not the overall score. I am amazed that they take off as few as they do for glaring offences.

 

We still cruise but are very careful with hand washing and checking cups and cutlery on the Lido deck - have found many cups with lipstick, cocoa dregs and just plain dirty - at dinner when they removed our plates there was a dirty ring on the tablecloth, not once but several times - where on earth had those plates been before being brought to us. We no longer sail on that ship.

 

If you still have odor problems with your suitcase - baking soda works well - you can get flow through packages and just leave one inside for a while.

[medfordgirl]

the only odor we have ever encountered was in the bathroom and it was coming from the pipes, nothing could be done. Since then I always bring an air freshener for the bathroom. usually those pearls, by Glade? They are pretty strong and smell good.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome Home!!

 

Glad you had a great Alaskan cruise on the Zaandam -- she is one of our favorite ships.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critics.

 

So sorry about the smells you encountered.

[kenish]

We were on the same cruise as the OP. We may be talking about different things, but on the last night (College Fjord) there was a very strong chemical / diesel odor on the LP deck and below. It sent many people to the Lido to sleep on the poolside chaises.

 

I mentioned the problem in a review just posted on this board. Does this match your experience?