Sleepless on Ventura

Arrived back today from a 6 night trip on Ventura calling at La Rochelle, Bilbao and St Peter Port Guernsey.

I regret to say that I was not at all impressed by the scheduling on P&O's part!!

The stop at La Rochelle was on a Monday, when everything is closed until 2 pm.

Our second stop should have been Santander but when we arrived on board we were given a note saying the stop had been changed because there was a problem with the allocated berth. I fully appreciate that sometimes destinations change but not letting us know until we arrived at the port strikes me as a cynical ploy to prevent those who like to organise our own excursions from making alternative arrangements. My DH had spent considerable time planning our day.

I am happy to report that we had a delightful day in St Peter Port and for once P&O actually managed an efficient tender service.

The icing on the cake was the events of the early hours today. At 2 am there was a shipwide announcement calling emergency teams to the medical centre. At 3 am there was another announcement that a helicopter was coming and we should stay off our balconies and keep the door shut.

At 4 am we were taken out of our cabins and sent to the theatre for safeties sake whilst the helicopter action was taking place. Again I have no complaint about being kept safe but would it have killed them to at least offer us a drink?

By the time we returned to our cabin I was beyond sleep although my DH, who fortunately was doing the driving, managed to catch a little more. Frightening to think of lots of sleep deprived people making their way home.

The helicopter crew were unable to evacuate the sick passenger but I am happy to report that he was still alive when he was finally disembarked at Southampton. I hope that continues to be the case.

I have to say that I have very little sympathy with you on either count,

1. You should have researched your ports in advance if you wanted to go shopping.

2. The helicopter evacuation is not within P&Os control would you be complaining if it had been for a member of your family.

We were on this same cruise and yes, it was disappointing not to call at Santander, but we understand the reason. However, I would have thought P and O would have known about the problem well in advance and not on the day of sailing and could have advised us well before we checked in.

The medical emergency and helicopter operation was unfortunate, but a fellow passenger was critically ill and needed urgent help. The whole operation was very professionally handled by the crew and we were kept fully informed throughout. I would have thought that whilst dealing with a medical emergency and a medevac by helicopter at 4.00 am, putting the kettle on for 300 people evacuated to the theatre would have been the least of the crew's concerns.

Why did you all need to leave your cabins? Obviously they felt there was an increased H&S risk and that and the patient's safety has to come first. We had a ship to air evacuation on Aurora coming back from the Caribbean. We were informed it would happen overnight at a certain time. If we were awake we were not to go onto our balconies. We had no frequent announcements overnight as far as I remember, and we slept through it.

Re the port swap, sadly it's fairly common for P&O. Last year our ports were swapped round from North first to South first. Meant few tours available at some ports.

Why did you all need to leave your cabins? Obviously they felt there was an increased H&S risk and that and the patient's safety has to come first. We had a ship to air evacuation on Aurora coming back from the Caribbean. We were informed it would happen overnight at a certain time. If we were awake we were not to go onto our balconies. We had no frequent announcements overnight as far as I remember, and we slept through it.

 

 

 

Re the port swap, sadly it's fairly common for P&O. Last year our ports were swapped round from North first to South first. Meant few tours available at some ports.

Sorry not that common. Once for us in 30+ so not common. But it does happen occasionally.

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Sorry not that common. Once for us in 30+ so not common. But it does happen occasionally.

 

 

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We've obviously been unlucky, twice in four cruises. Or you've been lucky...

We've obviously been unlucky, twice in four cruises. Or you've been lucky...

Were you talking about ports swapped or the whole itinerary swapped? We have had the latter once. Ports swaps about 4 times all weather related. We also had a non weather related one our only Princess cruise.

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I make no complaint about the efforts take to save the life of a fellow passenger, I only suggest that as the crew of Ventura knew at least an hour before the event that passengers would be required to leave their cabins it would have been kind to offer stunned people dragged from their beds a mouthful of water

I think what some of you are forgetting in your unsympathetic replies is this the OP booked a holiday. A holiday is to get away, relax and be stress free - and you should generally get what you booked and paid for.

Port changes are becoming more common, Dai you have obviously been lucky, but read these boards and it is becoming a more frequent issue and is avoidable eg not weather related.

I make no complaint about the efforts take to save the life of a fellow passenger, I only suggest that as the crew of Ventura knew at least an hour before the event that passengers would be required to leave their cabins it would have been kind to offer stunned people dragged from their beds a mouthful of water

Having re read your post I can see that you are still concerned about the welfare of the person who was ill. Have to say, that I was surprised about the need to leave cabins and would expect someone to explain what was going on. Was it a call to Muster Stations or something? Only asking as we had something like that one evening on Britannia and it freaked us out.

I think what some of you are forgetting in your unsympathetic replies is this the OP booked a holiday. A holiday is to get away, relax and be stress free - and you should generally get what you booked and paid for.

 

 

 

Port changes are becoming more common, Dai you have obviously been lucky, but read these boards and it is becoming a more frequent issue and is avoidable eg not weather related.

Sorry no we hear about the odd one which is changed we do not hear about the many which are not. Changes for other than weather are still rare.

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Did they FORCE you to leave cabins - i.e. knocking on doors telling you that you need to leave, or asking people over PA to go to the theatre?

Dan

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Did they FORCE you to leave cabins - i.e. knocking on doors telling you that you need to leave, or asking people over PA to go to the theatre?

 

Dan

 

 

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I would imagine on a ship that nothing is optional - if the Captain tells you to leave your cabin you leave. If they knock on the door to say leave you leave and go to the theatre. I'd do what they told me to do whether I liked it or not!

I would imagine on a ship that nothing is optional - if the Captain tells you to leave your cabin you leave. If they knock on the door to say leave you leave and go to the theatre. I'd do what they told me to do whether I liked it or not!

I definitely could've worded that better. I meant if they had asked/recommended pax to go or enforced and said that pax must go by door knocking etc.

I can see your point and agree that people should listen to the officers/captains, however if it was the former, my opposing view would be that if you stayed in your cabin with balcony doors shut, you would be just as safe as in the theatre (even more safe if in an inside cabin).

Dan

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I definitely could've worded that better. I meant if they had asked/recommended pax to go or enforced and said that pax must go by door knocking etc.

 

I can see your point and agree that people should listen to the officers/captains, however if it was the former, my opposing view would be that if you stayed in your cabin with balcony doors shut, you would be just as safe as in the theatre (even more safe if in an inside cabin).

 

Dan

 

 

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Get where you are coming from. We can't understand the request to go to the theatre - but I suppose the Captain did. I suppose we need the full story here from the bridge crew who have all necessary information

I suppose the good thing is that the passenger was ok when they disembarked and hope he / she is doing well tonight.

Sorry no we hear about the odd one which is changed we do not hear about the many which are not. Changes for other than weather are still rare.

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But why should we hear about the many that are not changed, they have simply provided what people booked and paid for which is as it should be. Any cruise which is changed as a result of something which is avoidable (eg not bad weather, engine failure etc) is of interest as that is simply poor administration, planning and management.

Why should customers suffer because P&O change a port due to an avoidable issue?

But why should we hear about the many that are not changed, they have simply provided what people booked and paid for which is as it should be. Any cruise which is changed as a result of something which is avoidable (eg not bad weather, engine failure etc) is of interest as that is simply poor administration, planning and management.

 

 

 

 

 

Why should customers suffer because P&O change a port due to an avoidable issue?

Well what are they you are just giving generalisations for things which are rare. Do you know why any changes have been made? We had a non weather change on Crown Princess. No reason was every given for it.

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Well what are they you are just giving generalisations for things which are rare. Do you know why any changes have been made? We had a non weather change on Crown Princess. No reason was every given for it.

 

 

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Then you should have asked for one.

As I have said on other posts the port authorities are more than happy to provide the real reasons, dates and time scales for cancellations etc.

We had a helicopter evac on Arcadia some years ago. The captain explained everything over the intercom - a bit unnerving in the middle of the night. Our friends in the aft cabins were evacuated to one of the lounges in their nightwear. It seems they didn't want to risk decapitating any passengers if the helicopter landing went wrong.

Common sense tells you why cabins need to be vacated especially balcony ones, a medivac during the night is a perilous operation at the best of times and the safety of other guests on board is the captains priority.

I would imagine on a ship that nothing is optional - if the Captain tells you to leave your cabin you leave. If they knock on the door to say leave you leave and go to the theatre. I'd do what they told me to do whether I liked it or not!

Me too.

Common sense tells you why cabins need to be vacated especially balcony ones, a medivac during the night is a perilous operation at the best of times and the safety of other guests on board is the captains priority.

Not necessarily. In April we had a medical evacuation on the first night of our cruise, the captain simply asked those with balconies to refrain from going on them and asked passengers not to use open decks until the evac was over, which was about 10 minutes. That was it.

Re. the theatre, I really cannot understand this venue choice. While very large, it can only seat around 850 passengers (I believe) while the ship carries 3,000+. And during a medical evacuation, IMO having 2,000+ passengers floating around the theatre and public areas is more interruptive of the evacuation than letting them stay and sleep in their cabins out of the way. Because most passengers were asleep at this time anyway, a quick announcement to stay off balconies and open decks would've easily sufficed. Knowing what I know currently about the situation from the information I have, I personally believe if anything, the move to evac all pax from cabins was illogical. Just my 2 cents.

Dan

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Not necessarily. In April we had a medical evacuation on the first night of our cruise, the captain simply asked those with balconies to refrain from going on them and asked passengers not to use open decks until the evac was over, which was about 10 minutes. That was it.

 

 

Re. the theatre, I really cannot understand this venue choice. While very large, it can only seat around 850 passengers (I believe) while the ship carries 3,000+. And during a medical evacuation, IMO having 2,000+ passengers floating around the theatre and public areas is more interruptive of the evacuation than letting them stay and sleep in their cabins out of the way. Because most passengers were asleep at this time anyway, a quick announcement to stay off balconies and open decks would've easily sufficed. Knowing what I know currently about the situation from the information I have, I personally believe if anything, the move to evac all pax from cabins was illogical. Just my 2 cents.

 

Dan

 

 

 

 

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It would make more sense to stay in cabins and seems unusual to disrupt everyone like this.

I was on this cruise. First we had a tannoy announcement about the issue, asking people not to go on the upper decks and not to go on port side balconies.

Shortly after, crew knocked on our door to say evacuate cabin immediately. We were on the Riviera deck midships starboard.

In the theatre, we were told it was in case the helicopter hit the side of the ship.

I have some sympathy with the OP on this one. As someone else said, a holiday is for rest and relaxation, both of which were severely disrupted by this. Clearly the need to medically evacuate a passenger by helicopter is not taken lightly, but if the arrival of a helicopter was genuinely so potentially dangerous that it could have smashed into the side of the ship, then they shouldn't be doing it. Perhaps that seems harsh in a potentially life threatening situation, but a helicopter wouldn't have less than two crew and the death toll if it slammed in to the ship would have been greater. So, if it was genuinely that dangerous then the helicopter shouldn't have flown. And if, as I suspect, it wasn't that dangerous and was a bit of an over reaction, then passengers shouldn't have experienced that level of disruption. As often is the case, I suspect that this stems from the confidence of the Captain. I suspect that others would have handled the evacuation in a different way. I've heard of a number of helicopter evacuations from cruise ships, but never this level of disruption.