Captain Ricky

14 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Near the top  of the opening page, right hand side after you log on is a blue boxed  "start new topic" button.   You could title it 'What I learned from my own Zuiderdam medical evacuation". 

 

BTW: we had an overnight in Mauritius on another cruise line's Indian Ocean itinerary- shared one of those port days with the former HAL Amsterdam on her world cruise.  We left port at the same time, but after few minutes out the Amsterdam headed one way, and we another - tooting greetings as we two ships passed each other..... on into the night.

 

A wonderful low key port  with many nice surprises, including the only remaining skeleton of a Dodo bird in their museum, a lovely outdoor French restaurant near the embassy district, a vine-draped tropical central park for people watching, and one of the most expensive postage stamps in the world, protected behind heavy security glass. 

 

Happy to hear they provided you with excellent care. 

 

 

 

We really enjoyed Mauritius once out of the HDU and given the day furloughs from the hospital.  We also had a delightful lunch in French restaurant but ours was on a northern beach. Also enjoyed people watching.  I had a nice window by my bed overlooking a park.  Thanks for the suggestion on posting.

14 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Consider the Insurance forum, in that case. Other general forums you suggested would also be good. 
Perhaps you could ask a moderator for advice as to which forum would be most appropriate to reach the best audience. 

I have read every post to your blog and enjoyed it very much. I am sorry for what happened to you, of course, but glad you were able to get to a port when you could get the help you did. A unique experience for any patient, to be sure! 

I wish you well on your current recovery, and wonder if you will ever want to take a World Cruise again. 
Thank you for the advice you gave in your post to this thread. It was helpful. 

Oh, absolutely I want to do it again.  If I get an OK from the docs I will give it another try.  Right now we are booked for the 2024 but are looking seriously at the 2025 Pole to Pole just announced.  If we do that we may drop the 2024.  On the other hand I am not getting any younger.

5 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

This is such a valuable report - one for all of us to print out and keep in our own travel files.

 

Would you consider creating a new thread on just this topic, so more people can learn your valuable, and hard fought lessons?  Thanks.

How would you recommend that I start it?  Under Holland America or as a general forum under Cruise Discussion Topics or Cruise Conversations.   I have only started one string before and that was a roll call.   I am willing to do it I just want to put it where it will help the most people 

If you are caught up in a situation where you are disembarked for health reasons my experience may be helpful for you.  Please click on the link to my blog post.

https://rich.mcclear.net/2023/04/20/a-coda-of-sorts-lessons-learned/

12 hours ago, rsbrocco said:

My grandfather was on the ms Zuiderdam and took ill. They provided some medical care on board, but they forced him to get off the ship in Luanda, Angola on March 21. They sent him to a clinic in Angola and refused to let him back on board the ship. My family has spent the last week trying to get him medically evacuated from Angola and flown home for adequate medical care. 

 

He passed away yesterday, March 29, alone in a hospital in Angola. We are now beginning the arduous process of repatriating his remains. 

 

My family is looking for any guidance you might have in navigating this terrible situation. We’ve been in contact with the generic HAL support lines, insurance companies, and the embassy - all to little avail. 

 

Thank you. 

First of all I want to offer my sincere condolences.  I was on the same cruise, had internal bleeding on the Indian Ocean crossing and was put off the ship in Mauritius.  The ship's hospital has limited facilities, basically designed to stabilize a patient until they can be off loaded to a bigger facility.

I was in the hospital in Mauritius for two weeks.  Carefree kept in constant contact and arranged for my medical evacuation when I was "fit to fly."  I may have liked to go home earlier but the decision of the doctors and Carefree was to wait until they were sure I would survive the repatriation.  They handled the reservations, made sure I had wheelchairs in Dubai and Seattle where I changed planes.  

I am sorry your experience was far worse.  But I trust the medical department of HAL.  They did what they could (and kept me alive) until they could get me off the ship. They found a good clinic and both HAL and Carefree were on the phone with me almost immediately.  The Embassy should be able to help you get the remains repatriated.  But the suggestion that you involve a member of Congress, offered above, is not a bad one.

Take Care and be strong.  I know the bureaucracy you have to deal with is frustrating.  

5 hours ago, Wakepatrol said:

I never understood why HAL leaves Ft Lauderdale in April goes to Alaska and gets $299 for a 7 day cruise. What they can’t get $299 in Lauderdale and save all that fuel? I thought once that Covid protocols were  changed the ships would be packed because I kept reading. “I Won’t Cruise With The Covid Protocols In Place” now they’ve disappeared and the ships still aren’t full. I went on the Caribbean Princess this summer out of Lauderdale and the ship was full almost every trip?

It might be that HAL owns a lot of the ground infrastructure in Alaska, hotels, restaurants, Westours, rail cars on the Alaska Railroad, White Pass and Yukon Route.  They hope to make their money on the tours companies they own and the ground packages they offer when they own the infrastructure.

I have been on only one cruise since the pandemic, a small expedition ship in Alaska (I live here and they have special rates to fill last minute vacancies.)  I loved it but am looking forward to being back on HAL for the Grand World in January.  I realize that it may not be what I am used to (I am a 5* so have some experience with the line.) But then I am not paying a whole lot because of the "bonus" FCCs I got when the world was interrupted in 2020 and other credits from 4 canceled cruises between then and now as compensation FCCs for the cancelations.  (Two were COVID related, one because they sold the ship and one because they used the ship for Ukrainian refugees, no complaints on my part about that.  Highest and best use.)   HAL will probably not be getting a lot of revenue from this sailing. I expect to notice it.  I also expect to enjoy the experience a lot.

8 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I'm just trying to show not everyone likes the same thing.  I've heard about 10 times in the last few days about the "tent cities" and how terrible they are.  People need to realize that they bring in money to what was a hot area with basically no shade but that doesn't matter.  Because they don't like it its useless and horrible.  Honestly I really don't care if there are casinos on a ship.  I can avoid it.  I just want some to get a taste of their own medicine.  People love libraries too.  I can tell you for sure I've never said it's a huge waste of money and they should be gone.  I don't use them either.

I can avoid the casino but can't avoid the drifting smoke on some ships.  It would be nice if the casino's either banned smoking, were enclosed or had MUCH better exhaust fans.

Looking to the future a lot is going to have to change because of the industry's pledge to go carbon neutral and because of pollution concerns.  For instance.  While I love towel animals think of the environmental costs.  The ship has to generate the electricity to desalinate the water used to wash the extra towels, power the washers and driers to clean and dry them and then dispose of that much more water with detergent.  Lots of little things like that add up when it comes to carbon, fuel costs and discharge into the ocean.  My guess is that we will be seeing several changes that will reduce electric consumption, for instance.

5 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

Crisis on Carnival....no more 24/7 ice cream....LOL.....those cutbacks continue........LOL....only can get ice cream from 11am to midnight....the horror of it all....LOL.

 

Next thing you know, HAL will not put a peppermint patty on my pillow.....yikes...  end of times....LOL.

I like ice cream on my morning oatmeal. Milk and sugar together! 

54 minutes ago, ldpetrillo said:

Viking is losing a ton of money on this WC. I believe that the only reason Viking is running this WC is for the PR value. They can brag about keeping us safe and Covid free. However, the downside is that we are basically prisoners in our “bubble”. We can not associate with anyone nor can we go off on our own. Only time will tell if we as passengers made the right decision to stay on board. Right now, I agree with the people who got off or cancelled. We stayed on board because we were curious on what would happen. So far, the lockdown is a huge negative. 

On the other hand they are keeping the ship going and protecting their capital investment.  An idle ship deteriorates, a moving ship is healthier.  My guess is that they are losing money overall but when you consider the capital investment and depreciation running the cruise has advantages aside from the PR value and customer loyalty, which is also a consideration.  Anyone reading this string and the blog posts coming from this cruise is bound to come away with a favorable view of Viking.  I am an HAL world cruiser, obviously sitting it out this year, but this string has me thinking about Viking.

On 12/31/2021 at 2:30 PM, Captain Ricky said:

This means that every time some passenger is offloaded in Sitka (where I live) for medical reasons, and it happens a couple of times a year, that the line is fined if the ship originated in Seattle and made a stop in Victoria?

What about runners.  Every season we have several people who miss the boat, pier runners as the ship pulls out.  Do they pay the fine or does the cruise line?  Curious.

19 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Any ship going from Seattle to Whittier must be US Flag. The cruise lines received a relaxation of the US PVSA, but only for R/T cruises from Seattle.

 

Victoria, BC does not meet the US PVSA definition of the "Distant Foreign Port", as it excludes all ports in:

• Canada,
• Mexico
• Central America,
• Bermuda
• Caribbean (except ABC Islands)

This means that every time some passenger is offloaded in Sitka (where I live) for medical reasons, and it happens a couple of times a year, that the line is fined if the ship originated in Seattle and made a stop in Victoria?

On 12/28/2021 at 6:36 PM, njhorseman said:

The itinerary examples you gave when you said " US cruises do this all the time" are closed loop cruises, which only require a call at any foreign port, so the stops at Mexico and Canada fulfill the requirements. The cruise you're on is not closed loop, and for those cruises the PVSA requires a port call at what is defined as a "distant foreign port". Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama do not qualify as distant foreign ports, but Cartagena does because it's in South America. Without the Cartagena call and no other distant port being on the itinerary for passengers who embarked in Fort Lauderdale and disembark in Los Angeles the cruise will violate the PVSA.

Are you sure?  Cruises that go from Seattle to Whittier, Alaska are not closed loop and I believe they use Victoria BC as a "distant foreign port."   (If I could delete this I would because reading more on the PVSA I find that I was wrong.)

FYI

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/holland-america-president-orlando-ashford-to-depart-after-five-years.html

11 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is not an Orlando Ashford caused problem.  Chair hogs have been with us on many cruise lines for a very long time.

Of course it isn't but the lack of comfortable chairs overall, including the eliminating the library.

4 hours ago, mrtrthompson said:

 

We flew to FLL from Atlanta, so it might be possible that it was for "flying" passengers, but we could drive just as easily.  I tried to look at the survey again, but was denied access. It did not have anything to do with our cruise.

 

4 hours ago, mrtrthompson said:

 

We flew to FLL from Atlanta, so it might be possible that it was for "flying" passengers, but we could drive just as easily.  I tried to look at the survey again, but was denied access. It did not have anything to do with our cruise.

 

I  tried the link and it didn't work.  Probably expired.  Thanks for trying.

4 hours ago, mrtrthompson said:

 

Did you get an email from HAL that it was posted, or did you find out when you looked at your CC balance?  I was informed by my bank (BOA) when asked about a big credit balance being posted soon, they said do NOT attempt to move it to your back account because it would generate a trigger for a cash advance. Just what I was told, may not be the case for others.

Nothing from HAL, we were checking our AMEX account and found we had a huge positive balance.

3 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Amazing!  You have never nodded off for a bit during a "down time" of your day?

 

As for only "the elderly" being responsible, I have observed many who were much younger than me nodding off.

The main problem is really people putting things on the chairs and going to get lunch making me sit in one of the barrel chairs.  Don't get me started on internet.  If Orlando had delivered on that all would probably beforgiven.  

17 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

You may have just put your finger on a crucial point. If the comfortable lounges hadn’t been replaced with ones resembling a dental office waiting room, a reduction in reading material would probably have slipped on by with less notice.

And while all things change and evolve, gleaming and uncomfortable Internet cafes are a complete waste of space when they don’t include that key ingredient - functional internet!

If a new president brought functional, affordable internet to the table, it would be a valuable contribution!

We didn't start cruising until 2015 so I don't know much about the 'old" HAL but I do care about comfortable chairs.  The Library has comfortable chairs.  Some in the Crow's Nest are as well, although I find the barrel chairs do not provide the lumbar support I need.  I love the library for that reason.  But most of the new chairs are terrible.  I like the idea of the music walk that has been added.  I also like the teams from destinations,  I don't know if that is an Orlando innovation or not. I am concerned about the elimination of the self service laundry, although I am about to tip over to a star level so that may not concern me for long.  The fact that self service laundry did not come up in the conversation leads me to believe that the posters are mostly 4 or 5 star.  I don't like the loss of location guides on most cruises.  They were a big help and I have written asking that they come back.   I don't know if Orlando should have gone or not.  But I do hope that HAL listens to our plea for comfortable chairs and keeping the washing machines, and restoring location guides.

.  

2 hours ago, REOVA said:

Rich, Did you get travel/flight reimbursed? (and don't forget still need our luggage back after they get to Malaysia. )

We did not apply for the travel/flight because we had First Class tickets from FLL to Sitka which Alaska Airlines refunded promptly.  The amount refunded was actually slightly more than we paid economy for Emirates from Perth to Sitka.  (The cost from Seattle to Sitka was much higher in May than it was in March, that was the difference, we didn't believe it at first.)  From reading this we are thinking of putting in for the hotel, meals and taxi in Perth.  

53 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Haven't you read the other posts? There are no refunds; they are just holding the money before they go bankrupt. The only way is to involve the credit card company by contesting the charges.

Well, we got a refund, money credited back to our account, and over the last couple of days several other people got refunds. It took just under 60 days for our refund.  Ours was substantial.  It was the third refund we have gotten. The first,  a little over a week ago, was the port fees, the second, a day later, was the amount for pre-paid tours, and this weekend's was for the cruise fare.    If they go bankrupt they will not owe us any money.

We got our refund from HAL today on our credit card within the 60 days.

The credit for our refund appeared in our credit card account today.  Holland America was good at it's word, within 60 days.

On 5/22/2020 at 3:14 AM, TJR_0323 said:

We all had the opportunity to complete a 2022 GWV survey while onboard this year's world cruise. It included four possible itineraries, and several questions related to preferred ports, etc.

I filled out that survey but things have changed since then.   I think, for instance, a world cruise that picks up on both coasts may be an innovation they want to consider., or add on cruises that can carry us to and from the west coast on both ends. 

Also, with several ports I wanted to visit canceled I have a different wish list for 2020 that I had when I filled in the survey and assumed I would see places and things that we missed.  So, yeah, I want the new survey.