Joseph’s four-day Carnival cruise was tainted by a sewage stench that steamed through his stateroom. Carnival’s only advice was to “shut the bathroom door and close the air vents,” an ineffective solution that forced Joseph and his girlfriend above deck. Now he wants Carnival to clean up their mess.

He writes:

Hello Consumerist, I have been a reader for the past few months maybe even over a year now. I have seen the horror stories and feared the same happening to me. I have seen the tips and saved. Now after a year I have something that has disgruntled me enough to write in.

Several months back I booked a cruise for my girlfriend’s college graduation that happened May 3rd. We saved and cut back for the last year knowing we would go on a cruise to Cozumel, what we got in actuality was a cruise down the sewers of New York.

The first day and night was great, not a displeasure in the world other than wishing that people would stop taking the buffet food to their plates and putting it back. The second day is when the occasional sewage smell would waft up into the hallway and room lasting maybe 30 seconds to a minute and happening randomly. Sometimes once an hour, sometimes five times an hour. Third day we noticed it towards the night again but it was much more pungent than it had been and made the call in to the information desk. Nothing was resolved, only suggestions and rudeness, most likely from others calling of the same smell throughout the deck. Fourth day was more of the same, with us trying to stay out on deck in the air as much as possible.

I can say it left a lasting taste in my mouth and scent in my nose. If consumerist could please point me to the right customer service contacts I would greatly appreciate it.

“I am saddened and dismayed that our first cruise would cause us to feel very negative about Carnival Cruise Lines, the ship Fascination and two of the crew members. I was very displeased with the resolution provided by the two crew members of the Carnival Fascination, cruising may 12th-16th 2008 from Miami, about a rather unpleasant sewage like odor throughout R deck and my state room. The information desk’s solution was to shut the bathroom door, close the air vents and call them if we experience the smell again. Two calls and 90 minutes later two crew members came to inspect, asked several questions but offered no more solutions or even apology for the inconvenience. In fact they are visibly annoyed at being called down and spent most of the time conversing between themselves in a language we could not understand. I found this to be exceptionally rude. The 2 crew members spent all of 5 minutes in the room before leaving and telling us to call again if we should smell something. I was suggested to try Carnival by my parents and my grandparents as a good starter cruise for young couples to enjoy with people of our age. I hate to say, that if I am asked I will tell others of our poor experience on the Carnival Fascination due to a minor situation that SHOULD HAVE been acknowledge, not ignored by the crew members.”

This letter is a good start, but you need to clearly state your expected resolution from Carnival. With this letter, you’re cruising for a discount on a future trip, but you may instead be interested in a partial refund. If Carnival doesn’t respond, track down their executive officers’ email addresses and loose the air purifying Executive Email Carpet Bomb.

(Photo: mre770)

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