Hi Oficserv:

As you have requested letters about travel, I thought you would like to see this one.

My husband and I had been on numerous cruises. This time we selected a smaller ship, which we were informed would be able to land at the smaller islands in the Caribbean.

When we were home again I eventually wrote this letter to the cruise line:-

Re: Cruise 1994

It really bothers me to have to write this letter. I have thought about it for the past three weeks. However, I do think you should know we have several complaints about this cruise:

On boarding the ship we were initially delighted. Perfect weather, comfortable clean cabin, reasonable size ship "obviously" well maintained.

However, when we went to get a snack on the pool deck we immediately noticed a terrible odour! This turned out to be many bags of garbage, stacked right beside the smorgasbord. It was several feet high and appeared to cover the deck beneath the pool deck and came up the steps to the pool deck. For the entire cruise we could not use the poolside eating area because of this dreadful smell. I spoke to other people about it .. Without exception the only ones who used that deck did not have any sense of smell! I would have thought this could be a serious health hazard.

As soon as bedtime came and the ship began to move we knew we had made a horrible mistake. The noise of the engine and the vibration was almost unbearable. One of the brass handrails in the corridor had come loose and rang loudly like a large bell in time with the engine. It took two nights complaining before anyone came to fasten it as no-one seemed to understand English. I usually carry E.A.R. earplugs when travelling, but my husband, who is not normally a fussy person, was forced to buy himself some earplugs as soon as we reached St. Thomas.

After a terrible cruise, with little sleep for the noise and vibration, I needed some rest when I got home .. but we have our own manufacturing business, so had to get straight back to work. Of course, I caught the flu shortly.

I wondered whether, because of the smaller size of the ship, all the cabins were so noisy. We have been on eight cruises. Usually the crew are "bright eyed and bushy tailed". However, on this ship I thought they all looked exhausted. Of course, if they had scarcely any sleep and their rest deck was taken up with garbage, they wouldn't be very well or happy.

We usually use the poolside self-serve almost exclusively. (I always find restaurants serve me too much food. My husband is diabetic, so he prefers to help himself). However, when we went to use the breakfast smorgasbord it was not self-serve. The people behind the counter could not speak English. There was very little variety. After that we went down to the restaurant. Here again, the waiters did not speak English very well and in small things this is annoying . For example, I never eat white bread. They didn't understand "wholewheat", even though it was on the menu. I don't have any meal without water. I could not get them to bring me a glass of water at breakfast or lunch.

If it is considered the least bit unsafe for a person to walk alone at a particular port, I would expect to be warned. At. St. Lucia, on the way to the market, I was approached by a couple of men selling wares .. and fortunately a limousine with a local dignitary stopped and told them to leave me alone, in no uncertain terms. It was probably my own fault, I have been told before not to walk alone. Particularly for people who have not cruised previously I think you should always tell everyone about this hazard.

We like to exercise when on a cruise, as we always do so at home. The exercise room was tiny and did not have a treadmill. (All the machines did work and were well maintained). The promenade deck was not much good for walking (and jogging was forbidden). I walked around numerous times and proved for myself that even at a stroll it was dangerously slippery. I fell in a small puddle - had I been old would have broken a wrist.

As I said at the beginning, I am very sorry to write this to you, but I think you should know. Altogether we returned home exhausted, bloated and miserable. I would have paid $1,500 not to go on this particular cruise.

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