Beware of lack of Duty of care of Medical staff on MSC Orchestra

[Janderra]

Hello

My husband (who is a fit 76year old) decided to take our first cruise ever on the MSC Orchestra on 7/10/2011 from Barcelona for 8 days through Italy, Spain and Portugal. It has taken me years to convince my husband to take a cruise but he finally agreed and we were to celebrate my birthday on board.

We had been travelling for 10 weeks prior to the cruise, through Greece and Turkey. My husband got food poisoning in Instanbul 2 days prior to boarding the cruise and after consulting a doctor, he said that my husband was fit enough to fly to Spain to board the cruise.

I thought that once we were aboard the Orchestra he would have good medical care on board (even if he wasnt totally well), with doctors, medical staff and a hospital.

We boarded the Orchestra about 11.00am on 7/10/2011 and the collection of luggage, checking in and boarding went smoothly. We were met on board my a number of the crew with smiling faces and we were taken to our cabin on the 11th deck. It was an outside cabin with a balcony.

We were very pleased with the size and cleaniness of the cabin.

 

As my husband was still not feeling well and having problems eating because of quesiness in the stomach and gastric I immediately asked where the hospital was and was directed to deck 5. I took my husband to the hospital and saw a female doctor who took one look at my husband and said she could see that he was very sick and dehydrated. She took his blood pressure and said it was very low at 50/70 and immediately put him on a drip for 2 hours. After that she said he should eat lightly (rang the maitre d to organise a special diet), all very impressive and gave him tablets to help settle the stomach and the gastric. She said we should return the next day to see her and every day after that until he was completely better.

My husband slept all day and at dinner time wasnt feeling well enough to attend dinner and eat, so I went and ate some dinner and returned and spent the night with him. During this time I was continually giving him fluids and liquids to try and get his body hydrated.

The next morning he was feeling much better so he dressed and we went and had some breakfast (actually ate some food, drank some juice etc).

I said we need to go and visit the doctor again as directed, but he said he felt so much better and didnt need to go. I insisted as I wanted to be sure that he regained 100% of his health so that he could enjoy the cruise.

During the night we had sailed from Barcelona and was now tied up in Genoa Italy where a lot of people were leaving and new passengers boarding the ship.

We arrived at the hospital at 10.15am and saw a different doctor and I explained that we had been there the day before and that the doctor requested we come back so she could check on my husband. The doctor looked at the notes on the computer and took his blood pressure and said it was still low and she wished to put him on a drip again for 2 hours.

At that stage I explained that he had a problem remebering boarding the ship the day before and seemed confused about where he actually was, and thought that we still had to board the ship. She said that was normal in cases of severe dehydration and not to worry as his memory would all come back as soon as he was well again.

She said that they would put him on a drip for 2 hours and to return in 2 hours at `12.30pm. She said I should go away and do other things as there really wasnt anywhere in the hospital for me to wait, and he would be fine. At this stage she was busy having coffee with a nurse (who she introduced as being from the sister MSC ship, tied up alongside). I felt that I was in the way of them having a good chat and social visit.

I said that I would return at 11.30 am to see how my husband was.

I returned at 11.30 am to find my husband with a new litre bag on a drip and no one in sight. After calling out I spoke to a nurse who said come back in 1 hour. 12.30pm.

I thought about waiting around, but as there was no where to sit I went and had coffee. At 12.00pm I thought I will go back, but then thought I will only get chased out again so waited until 12.20pm to return.

At that stage I thought that my husband was safe and in good hands of the doctor and medical staff of the ships hospital. LITTLE DID I KNOW.

 

I had my husbands cruise card and my own cruise card in my handbag, so I knew that he could not leave the ship (at one stage I did briefly think when I saw all the passengers going ashore, I will have to be careful that my husband doesnt leave the ship without me, as he is a bit confused about where he is). However knowing he was safe in the hospital and that I had his cruise card I didnt really give it any consideration.

 

When I arrived at the hospital at 12.25pm it was closed with a sign saying hours of business 10am - 12,00noon and 4 - 6pm. and no sign of my husband. I rushed to reception and asked for him to be paged. They checked the computer and said that he had left the ship at 12.20pm.

I said he could not leave the ship as he didnt have a cruise card and they said that someone brought him to the reception and he asked for another cruise card and they issued a new one and he then left the ship.

It seems the hospital may have needed a cruise card for them to bill the cabin for medical fees. I asked that the doctor be contacted to see where my husband was left but all medical staff were uncontactable as they had gone ashore.

As I knew my husband didnt remember boarding the ship and was confused about where he was I realised straight away that he would have paniced at not being able to find me (Why didnt they page me, or keep him there until I returned at 12.30pm as instructed), and possibly went ashore looking for me.

I immediately rushed ashore at 12.35 and started searching for him around the dock area where the ship was docked. I enlisted the help of ground staff and paged him in the check in area. I said we should ring the police but the staff said we should just wait to see if he came back. I knew that would not happen as he didnt know where he was and could not speak any italian.

They then took me to the Guest Relations officer and I explained the problem and she had copies of his photo printed and given to the crew both on the ship and on shore so that they could start searching. I kept insisting we should contact the police to search for him as I knew he was sick and confused.

At 2.30pm the Guest Relations officer organised for an english speaking crew member to accompany me the port police station with copies of his photo and the police then started a search in the port area. A ships agent then arrived and took me and the crew member in his car to drive around the promenade area near where the ship was tied up. I also walked and walked this area, whereever there was seats (knowing he would be tired and need to sit down), praying that I would find him.

 

At 4.00pm they said I needed to return to the ship and pack and leave the cruise as the ship was sailing at 6.00pm. The guest relations officere wanted me to sign a form saying I was leaving the ship because I had changed my mind, which I refused to do and put as much detail about what had happened on this form. She then rang my travel insurance company and the Australian Consulate in Milan and explained the sitiuation.

The ship sailed at 6.00pm leaving me on the wharf in Genoa, speaking almost no italian and with my husband missing. I was so upset and frightened and crying. The ships agent then took me to the police station to file an offical police report, which I did with his help, as the police spoke no english. I also spoke to the Australian Consulate who said that she would also get the Miltary police searching for him.

The ships agent said that he had organised a room in a nice hotel for me and he would take me there and hopefully my husband would be found quickly. He took me to the Helvetia Hotel and checked me in at my cost, and said that he would come to see me the next day to help with any problems I had. When I was taken to the room it was about the size of a broom cupboard with no windows, no bathroom and a matress on the floor.

I was shocked and as I am claustrophic I said I could not stay there and asked that they ring the agent and I spoke to him. He said that I was being fussy and that I should just stay there as there was a shortage of rooms in Genoa because of a boat show. He said if I moved hotels I needed to pay the taxis and just give him a new phone number.

The hotel was very understanding of my situation (as he had explained what had happened to my husband), and they said that normally that room is not let out except to the ships indonesian crew. The receptionist rang around and evenutally found another hotel with a double room available and I took a taxi and went to the Standard Hotel.

 

I eventually slept about 3.00am, after praying that my husband would be found alive. The next morning at 10.00am the reception rang to say the police were arriving to take me to the hospital as my husband had been found. The Australian Consulate rang to say the ships agent would be at the hopital to help with the language problem for me (He never arrived).

 

When I arrived at the hospital my husband was there on a stretcher. His whole face and lips were covered in black sores from dehydration and his clothes were soaked and HE HAD LOST HIS MEMORY. The only thing he could remember was HIS NAME. My worst nightmares began. He remembered that I was his wife but not my name. After extensive tests he was admitted to hospital and 10 days of horror began. He was kept on drips for 10 days and tied to the bed and I had to stay with him and sit beside the bed, to make sure he didnt wander off, as he didnt know where he was or what country he was in or what had happened.

His memory improved slightly over the next 20 days until we could eventually fly him home.

 

He has improved health wise and some of his memory has come back, but there is most of the last 20 years of his life missing and he may never gain that back. It has changed our life dramatically as he can not be left on his own for any length of time or else he worries where I am. We will probalby never be able to travel again. He can not go out by himself, drive a car, play golf or do any of the thngs that he normally did before taking that cruise.

 

I just wanted to warn other travellers on this cruise and in fact on any cruise to be very careful when you leave your loved ones in the care of the medical staff or hospital on the MSC Orchestra because from what I can see all they care about is getting ashore for their day off, not looking after their patients.

As there are a number of people on these cruises who are of a more mature age and with health problems it could be a real problem as it was for my husband.

 

There were a number of factors, why did they tell me to come back at 12.30pm when they close the hospital at 12.00pm. Why didnt they wait for me to return to collect me. Why did they take him to reception and get him another cruise card which allowed him to leave the ship, why didnt they page me to come to reception to meet him, especially when I had explained he was confused and didnt remember being on the ship.

 

Finally I am still shocked that all this happened because of the lack of duty of care to their passengers, and that the Cruise company have not been in touch in any way to see if my husband survived or not, since they sailed away and left me in a foreign company at 6.00pm.

 

Do not leave any member of your family on their own in the clinic on this ship as you do not know what will happen. I tried to post this on the cruise review but was told to post on the message board.

I think that everyone thinking about sailing on this ship should be aware of what happpened to us

Janderra

[NJ Fred]

I am so deeply outraged at how you and your husband were treated. It is simply horrible to think that a company the size of MSC could be so apathetic as to virtually abandon you in a foreign port and never muster the compassion to so much as follow up.

 

Needless to say, your beloved husband's health is the primary concern. Than God he has you to love him and be at his side.

 

Never, ever, will my family book passage on an MSC vessel. Based on your horror story and some of the other negatives we have read here I think we will find a cruise line that realizes the safety and comfort of their passengers might require them to go the extra mile and manifest true customer service and compassion.

 

Our prayers go to your husband and you. Godspeed.

[Capricruiser]

I'm very sorry about your husband's experience on the Orchestra. Thankfully he must be fully recovered now because I see from your posts on Trip Advisor that you and he have just recently had a nice holiday on Mykonos and Santorini, and today you have inquired about a trip to the island of Lesvos. Glad to hear that he's fit to travel again.

[All aboard??]

I am glad to hear that he was found safe and sound and that he has recovered to the extent that you guys can continue your globe trotting...........your concern at the time regarding the memory loss indicates that it was not the first time he had lost his memory.......does it happen from time to time?

[MTL=CRUISEFAMILY]

Sorry to hear your about your incident, but nice to see he is alright now.

 

That sort of treatment is not acceptable,

I recently watched a documentary on the FIFTH ESTATE (CANADIAN )

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/12/01/cruise-ship-death-ontario-man.html

 

That featured a similar story but the outcome was much worse, the individual did not make it, it went into detail that ALL cruiselines sort of skimp in this department, as there is no regulations in place. On ship medical staff do not even have to be licenced.

 

The feature indicated that this particular Dr was on 2 previous occasion brought to court for malpracticing yet he was able to work on a cruise ship

 

I feel stronger regulation should be in place given the limited options one has once onboard.

[All aboard??]

I am so deeply outraged at how you and your husband were treated. It is simply horrible to think that a company the size of MSC could be so apathetic as to virtually abandon you in a foreign port and never muster the compassion to so much as follow up.

 

Needless to say, your beloved husband's health is the primary concern. Than God he has you to love him and be at his side.

 

Never, ever, will my family book passage on an MSC vessel. Based on your horror story and some of the other negatives we have read here I think we will find a cruise line that realizes the safety and comfort of their passengers might require them to go the extra mile and manifest true customer service and compassion.

 

Our prayers go to your husband and you. Godspeed.

Just some food for thought:

RCL abandoning half a ship because of a hurricane with no local support is customer service?

 

What would you have expected MSC to do......hold the ship thereby delaying everyone else's vacation?

 

The original posting indicates that MSC supplied support in trying to find the OP husband, so where did they fail in the customer support?

 

Is it the cruise lines responsibility to anticipate that every elderly passenger suffers from dementia or delirium? Does this not boarder on type casting? There was no indication, save for what the OP advised, that her husband needed guardianship.

[All aboard??]

I recently watched a documentary on the FIFTH ESTATE (CANADIAN )

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/12/01/cruise-ship-death-ontario-man.html

 

I feel stronger regulation should be in place given the limited options one has once onboard.

 

:eek: HAL really realises customer safety and comfort......first you have the highest chances of getting norro when you cruise with them and after reading the article that is clearly not enough. When you get sick you need to get treated by a doctor who really shouldn't be practicing........

[Capricruiser]

I became friendly with one of the doctors on the Costa Mediterranea last year who told me that in Italy a physican or a nurse has to be government certified in his or her specialty, and to work aboard a Costa or MSC cruise ship, that is only the first step. A second language is required and they have to take courses in all sorts of maritime matters to become a ship's medical officer. These physicans have an association of members which guarantees the cruise lines medical officers on two month rotating contracts, after which they return to their home practice until they are called up again. I presume they would serve only on one line.

This is basically what he told me, so it appears the Canadian example does not occur on Italian ships (and hopefully not on the other major cruise lines).

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

I'm very sorry about your husband's experience on the Orchestra. Thankfully he must be fully recovered now because I see from your posts on Trip Advisor that you and he have just recently had a nice holiday on Mykonos and Santorini, and today you have inquired about a trip to the island of Lesvos. Glad to hear that he's fit to travel again.

 

I agree. Just to add, cruise lines do say that it is a passenger's responsibility to be in a position to assist themselves in normal activities while onboard. Sure they will help you to climb up the stairs or when in an emergency, however if a passenger knows before boarding that he/she requires special assistance e.g. personal care, bathing, dressing, etc, then it is the passenger's responsibility to ensure that they are accompanied by a companion/aide who is fully capable of taking care of the personal needs of that person.

 

While the OP's situation did appear to become more extreme while on the ship, it does not look like the health problem was caused by the cruise line. I would always treat a ship's medical facility as being "for emergencies only", and if I was the OP I would have disembarked at the very first port of call for more specialized medical care - foreign language country or not.

 

Travel insurance is critical to cover medical risks that could arise, and while it does cost more for seniors, it is available for a reason. My grandma (88) does not travel long distances any more for the reason that it is more risky at her age, even with the fact that she will never admit that she is slowing down a bit (God bless her).

 

Regarding the patient getting a new access card, and then disembarking, he is an adult who would be entitled to demand a replacement, and I'm sure that he sounded pretty lucid when he left the medical facility and when he demanded a replacement card. When my grandma wants something she knows exactly how to demand and get what she wants.

 

This could have been much worse.

[IndyDenise]

Sorry, but I fail to see how MSC is to blame for any of this.

 

The OP should take responsibility. They left their spouse alone..something I would never do if my DH had memory issues. As an adult I do what I think is best, I would have told the medical staff I was staying put. No way would I leave my hubby alone, at a strange place, while he was sick and confused.

 

Plus, they should have never boarded in the first place..since he had food poisioning. He put everyone on board at risk to catch what he had. Does MSC make you fill out the medical form that other lines use? If so, I would have to think the OP and hubby lied on it...or they would not have been allowed to board.

 

The viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause gastroenteritis are often food-borne and are considered to be types of food poisoning. They are contagious, so food poisoning from them is contagious. Food poisoning from Salmonella1, Campylobacter2, E.coli3,and norovirus4 are contagious to other people. When you are sick with one of these illnesses, your vomit and feces are full of the organism and can infect other people.

[vakmom]

I'm very sorry about your husband's experience on the Orchestra. Thankfully he must be fully recovered now because I see from your posts on Trip Advisor that you and he have just recently had a nice holiday on Mykonos and Santorini, and today you have inquired about a trip to the island of Lesvos. Glad to hear that he's fit to travel again.

Where did you see on tripadvisor that she just visited Greece recently? All I can find on tripadvisor is that they visited in September (right before their cruise). Am I doing something wrong in the search??

[PBC29]

My experience with ships medical staff has always made me think they are merely the equivalent of a school nurse sometimes alittle more. As they can give the shot version of motion sickness meds and sell basic over the counter medications.

 

I agree with some above OP should have gotten off at the port with hubby to seek a real hospital not one onboard that has limited capabilities.

 

Also a Question: was OP and hubby not told to keep hydrating between seeing the original doctor who said it was ok to fly and boarding the ship? Doctors always tell me to drink before long flights because it can cause dehydration.

 

I had an extreme case of dehydration once over the summer, ending up in the hospital for similar issues and they wouldn't let me sleep unless I had a large drink first and the drip IV. The nurses still woke me up to have a drink every few hours if I wanted it or not.

[Capricruiser]

Where did you see on tripadvisor that she just visited Greece recently? All I can find on tripadvisor is that they visited in September (right before their cruise). Am I doing something wrong in the search??

All Janderra's TA posts are listed here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-forums/Janderra

See the Mykonos posts on 5 Dec. It appears they also travelled to Melbourne on or around 20 Nov. :cool:

I find it strange that she claimed yesterday that it's probable they could never travel again, nor drive a car, play golf, etc. when it seems that since he was released from the Genoa hospital all they do is travel. Greece is a long flight from Australia. Regardless of what that doctor in Istanbul told them, they probably should have foregone the cruise IMO.

[Duck Creek]

Just to clarify, I looked at Tripadvisor. The Op was giving tips from her trip before the cruise. However she is asking questions about the Med. for planning another trip in July/August 2012 that includes her husband.

Maybe an update from the OP would be appropriate based on the other forum posts.

While it is unfortunate for anybody to become extremely unwell in a foreign country, personal safety and responsibility should come before anything else.

[Janderra]

Hello everyone,

 

An update to all your posts. My reviews on Santorini, Istanbul, Greece etc were all from before the cruise. I was just late posting them.

 

The doctor in Instanbul never suggested that my husband needed to go to hospital or that we could not join the cruise. He said that he was strong man and he would recover quickly if he continued to drink lots of water and eat a bland diet. He did this for the 2 days prior to joining the ship but he still did not feel 100% and that is why I took him straight to the hospital on board when we arrived.

 

For your information my husband has never had any memory problems before, but as I said, I did inform the doctor on the 2nd day, that he had problems remembering boarding the ship the day before and also didnt seem to remember where he was that morning or his cabin number etc. That is why I immediately knew there was a problem when he left the ship. Yes during the 2 days prior to boarding the ship my husband was continually drinking water and fluids and taking tablets to stop the gastric and feel better.

The first doctor we saw on the first day was very helpful with medication, special diet etc and we were only to call in for another check up the next day as she said that she was sure he would improve over the next 2 days and be able to enjoy the cruise.

However the reason for posting was that I thought people should be warned about the problems we encountered.

1. Why did the doctor on the 2nd day tell me to come back at 12.30pm when in fact the clinic shut at 12.00pm (which I only found out later).

Why didnt they get my husband to wait for me there (as I told them that he was very confused that morning about where he was), or page me from reception to meet him.

2. Why did they take him to reception and tell him he needed to ask for another cruise card in the state he was in. He didnt even know what a cruise card was at that stage (just so that they could charge the cabin and go ashore) However he would have done what they told him to do.

3. Why was he just left unattended somewhere on the ship (I suspect somewhere near reception) instead of being returned to my care as I had requested, knowing that he was confused.

My husband almost died during the 24 hours he was missing. In fact our GP in Australia said that he was surprised that he survived what happened at all and about 90% of people his age or even younger would not have. Only that he is such a healthy person normally that he actually did.

We did have have travel insurance, but the days he spent in hospital with no english spoken by the nurses or doctors was a nightmare for both of us. The travel insurance was no help in these circumstances, though they did talk to me on the phone. They had an agent in Italy get reports from the hospital but at no stage was this information passed on to me, so I did not know what was happening, except to see that the hospital had him on a drip, and then said he could "ändata" leave.

 

Yes his health and memory has improved quite a bit since it first happened but as I said he has a gap of about 20 years of his life missing.

Yes we did have a small mini holiday in Melbourne recently with the specialists approval to help us relax and get over all the traumas. "They wanted to test if he could handle it and as they said, at least we were in a country where everyone spoke english and if anything happened and he got lost again he could ask for help. It went well, but I have to say I didnt really relax as I am still worried about him as I know that he is not operating at anywhere near 100%.

My husband is fine if I am with him, but now could not be left on his own anywhere when we are away from home or our house, as he may not remember where he is or where to go, or in fact could get confused and just wander off.

The doctors have said it is not dementia but Loss of memory caused by dehydration, exposure for 24 hours and shock of what happened. They are hoping his memory will return but there is no guarantees.

 

Yes I am starting to plan another trip next year (maybe it is a pipedream that we can actually go), however the specialist said I should start to plan something in case his memory improves over the next 6/7 months and we are able to travel. Also he said it would give my husband something to look forward to and that planning another trip could in fact jog his memory about some of the things that happened prior to the cruise on our last trip, and that could only help.

 

I still think that the ship should have taken more responsibility for his care and not told him to leave the hospital in the confused state he was obviously in, without waiting for me.

I might have been wrong but I thought that having a holiday on a cruiseship with medical staff on call 24 hours a day was the safest holiday anyone could take.

 

I did not expect the ship to wait around, but I did expect that they or their agents would have helped me more in that first 24 hours with decent accomadation and with the language problems, or in fact to check with me later to see if he actually survived at all. I still believe that none of this would have happened if they had not told him to leave the hospital, knowing how disorrientated he was on that morning.

 

For what it is worth, and I know that some of you are saying that I should be held totally responsible for what happened, I just thought that people thinking about cruising on this or any ship should be aware of what happened and that hospital care or doctors on a ship, does not mean the same thing as doctors or hospital as we know it.

 

I just hope that posting what happened might stop something similar happening to another passenger in the future

 

Janderra

[jjdc]

Janderra, I am very sorry about what happened to your husband and you. I think it is helpful that you've provided a warning to others not to assume that onboard ship care would be as responsible as one might expect. I also agree with the point that MTL=CRUISEFAMILY made that this issue is not limited to just MSC, but that many cruise lines seem to skimp in this department. I am glad to hear that your husband has further recovered and hope that he makes a full recovery in time.

[Janderra]

Hello Thank you JDCC and other posters for your good wishes.

 

I just pray that nothing similar ever happens to any othe passengers on this ship or any other cruise ship.

 

I still blame myself every day for leaving my husband in that hospital in the doctors care, and relive the whole nightmare every night.

 

I just hope that none of the readers or previous posters who seem to think that the ship was in no way responsible never have to see their loved ones suddenly in 24 hours have no memory of their previous life, their loved ones, where they are or what has happened.

 

It is very hard to watch a man who is 76, very fit, who walked every day, played golf 3 times a week, and who, as a couple travelled to Europe for 12 weeks of every year, and who has never had any health problems, suddenly not able to drive a car, as he might not remember where he is going. Not able to play golf as he cant remember how. Cant go out on his own without me as he gets confused and sometimes ( not always) doesnt know where he is , what country he is in, where he was going. Sometimes from day to day doesnt remember where he went yesterday etc. Also that he realises that he has these problems now and gets upset and depressed and cant understand how or why this happened in 24 hours.

I truly hope that you never have to never have to go through this or watch a loved one go through this because of someone elses negligence. I know that if I had not left him there (he didnt even want to got to the clinic that day), or that those doctors, nurses had waited for me to come back that this would never had happened and we would be leading a normal life now.

 

Janderra

[Rassa]

Janderra, it was an awful thing to happen to you and the negative comments on this board don't help. The more I read CC, the more I realise, be wary of cruise lines and their staff. It may have been something innocent like they forgot to contact you when your husband was able to leave. There have been many documented negative outcomes on these boards. If we are to learn something from this, it is never to leave one's loved one if they are in the medical centre unwell, no matter what. Thanks for sharing what happened to you. The situation of not knowing where your husband was, in a foreign country, was so scary.

[Janderra]

Thanks Rassa for the kind words.

 

The very worst thing was not knowing for 24 hours if the police would find him, or even find him alive as he was lost in 35 degree weather during the day and pouring rain at night. He and I both thank god every day that he was found alive. It could have been much worse.

When they found him he was very close to being in a coma. Our GP says according to the bloodtests results from the hospital in Italy, when he was found that his muscles were starting to breakdown because of the dehydration, lack of water and lack of food during that 24 hours.

He does not remember anything of what happened when he was missing except he keeps saying he remembers being attacked and robbed by a man (he didnt have a wallet on him, so we dont know). Also that he kept trying to hide under benches to get out of the sun as it was so hot.

He had blood all down one leg where he obviously had a fall do who knows what happened.

I shudder to think how I would cope and survive under those circumstances and I am much younger than he is.

 

The doctors hope that gradually as his body recovers his mind and memory might recover as well. He and I are both trying to be positive but it is very difficult.

That is why we are tentatively planning another holiday next year, however it will be an easy one of perhaps island hopping through Greece if he recovers his memory and we are able to travel. Or maybe somewhere in Australia.

We still have so many places in Europe on our BUCKET LIST and the doctors hope that if we return to some of the places we have already been, that may jog part of his memory and eventually all the small parts will link up and he will remember all of it

 

Janderra

[Janderra]

One last post to IndyDenise

 

Re your comments that we lied on our form that we filled in prior to boarding the cruise. We were never given any form to fill in, that asked about being sick etc so how could we lie about it. In fact I have never heard of such a thing. Then again we were first time cruisers so obviously did not know all the rules, and that you never leave your loved ones in the care of the ship doctors or you might not see them again.

 

Janderra

[GOLDENBONNY]

2. Why did they take him to reception and tell him he needed to ask for another cruise card in the state he was in. He didnt even know what a cruise card was at that stage (just so that they could charge the cabin and go ashore) However he would have done what they told him to do.

3. Why was he just left unattended somewhere on the ship (I suspect somewhere near reception) instead of being returned to my care as I had requested, knowing that he was confused.

 

 

Cruise hospital is not a jail if he wanted to go they would let him go,they don have to worry about lost mamories ,sorry its your problem that you left him and sorry 76 is too old for trips like this .

[GOLDENBONNY]

Janderra, it was an awful thing to happen to you and the negative comments on this board don't help. The more I read CC, the more I realise, be wary of cruise lines and their staff. It may have been something innocent like they forgot to contact you when your husband was able to leave. There have been many documented negative outcomes on these boards. If we are to learn something from this, it is never to leave one's loved one if they are in the medical centre unwell, no matter what. Thanks for sharing what happened to you. The situation of not knowing where your husband was, in a foreign country, was so scary.

 

Why they have to contact her??? he is 76 ,not 6 .if he would say he is ok to leave they would let him go.

[Capricruiser]

The medical form that Indydenise is referring to is either EU mandated or a international requirement that must be filled out and signed by passengers at check-in, before they let you board. I've had to sign one before every MSC cruise I've taken in the last few years. It's very doubtful that Janderra could have boarded without doing it.

[cruisingcanadian]

Your both comments are very inconsidered,cruel and unhelpful to the OP.

Nobody had taught you if you don't have something nice to say,don't say anything?:eek:

[Wimpinthewater35]

76 is too old for trips like this .

 

At what age should the limit be for trips like this?