sewage smell and leaking fluid
Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review to Europe - Mediterranean
12 Night Adriatic & Western Mediterranean (Venice To Barcelona)
Sail date: October 20, 2013
Ship: Carnival Sunshine
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 7172
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 10 years ago
Review summary
We booked a back to back Europe and transatlantic cruise. On our first morning, our room was flooded (think scene from the Titanic) with a large quantity of sewage smelling fluid along one entire wall. We were actually able to observed the wave of fluid entering the room under the wall and spreading across the carpet. There was so much fluid and the carpet was so saturated, that I caused splashing when I walked on the carpet. I called the guest services telephone number several times and no one answered. (In fact, on several occcasions during both legs of the cruise I attempted to telephone guest services but no one ever answered the telephone.) I next contacted housekeeping and was told the sink next door had overflowed. All I could think was wow, that was some sink! We left when housekeeping arrived to view the damage. When we returned later in the day, there were blowers in our room and outside our door in the hallway in an attempt to dry the carpet. The overpowering foul sewage odor in the room gagged you. We went to guest services and explained the situation. After our complaint was verified, we were given a new room. Since we had originally booked the same room for both trips so that we could unpack only once and based on my multiple conversations with guest services staff, it was our understanding that our room change was for both legs of the voyage. Once we arrived in Barcelona, we were informed that for the transatlasntic leg of the trip, they reassigned us to the original sewage smelling soaked room. Due to personal health issues, I was concerned about the air borne and solid surface contaminants that may be present in the room because I was told by housekeeping staff that the same carpet was in the room and underneath the dresser and closet was not cleaned and disinfected. Based on the information that I received from the housekeeping staff, it was my opinion that the room had not been properly cleaned and disinfected. We went to guest services and requested a room reassignment. We were given a VERY and I mean VERY difficult time when we refused to stay in the room which I believed still contained a biological hazard. I asked to speak to an enviornmental officer regarding my concern about the safety of the room and was told that there was none on board. While the guest services staff was verbally polite, their body language conveyed how annoyed they were that I would not just go away. However, my main concern was the health of my family members and no one was able to assure me that the3 room had been properly cleaned and disinfected. During the cruise we were informed by other passangers that we were not the only room to be flooded by the sewage smelling fluid. Throughout both legs of the cruise, there was a strong sewage smell in various area of the ship and fluid was leaking out of the piping in the ceiling. I cringed in fear of getting hit with some of the fluid knowing what it smelled like. Again, knowing what the fluid that flooded our room smelled like, the multiple leaks outside the 3rd floor dining room were particularly disgusting. There were buckets catching this foul smelling fluid in multiple areas around the boat. Carpeting was stained from this dripping fluid. I observed staff ripping out stained carpeting and replacing it. It struck me as particularly odd to have to replace the carpeting on a newly refurbished ship unless there was a significant reason. I was concerned about health hazards that appeared to be all around us.. Except for the difficulty in the room re-assignment, the staff was lovely and the trip was relaxing. The trips were well executed and very well organized. But I was concerned about the possible toxicity of the leaking fluid that smelled like sewage. While I do not know precisely what fluid was leaking around the ship or that flooded our room because no one told me when I asked, I observed some of the leaking pipes where the ceiling panels had been removed and I certainly know what it smelled like. Until this problem is rectified, I would not recommend a cruise on the Carnival Sunshine.
Ship experiences
Onboard Activities
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ports of call
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy
Monte Carlo, Monaco Did not visit port
Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands