Injured Passenger Left in Turkey (2 Threads Merged)

[cruzmaven]

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/elderly-couple-left-turkey-royal-caribbean-cruise-/nZX32/

 

The story states this happened on an Azamara ship but the photos the TV station used in the story were of RCCL ships. Maybe they don't know the difference.

 

What concerns me is the reported lack of cooperation from Azamara in helping them get transportation through the insurance sold by the cruiseline. I would expect better from Azamara in a sad situation like this. If its true.

[florisdekort]

- no one spoke English

- because of strict cultural rules women weren't allowed inside

- the hospital was dirty

- etc.

 

These people should not be traveling to foreign countries. If you can't handle the obvious differences, stay in the US.

 

Floris

[dln929]

This kind of sensationalistic and sloppily written reporting makes me angry (and I'd say that no matter what cruise line was involved). While it's terrible that that elderly man was injured, in no way was he abandoned by Azamara. They did as much as they could by getting him to a hospital and fulfilling their contractual obligations within the framework of the insurance purchased. What that couple should have bought was Travel Medical Insurance from a party not connected with their travel agent or cruiseline! It was a gross oversight on their part to travel so far from home so inadequately prepared. That's their fault, not Azamara's. The comments about the hospital being dirty and infectious with no one speaking English I could only put down to their distress about their situation. Though it is a bit unfair of the reporter not to name the hospital in question, which deprives it of the chance to defend its reputation. Bad reporting.

[anonymousegirl]

I put the most blame on the travel agent that sold them the cruise line policy. The agent should have clearly outlined what steps would need to be taken in such a case. He/she should have clearly explained what secondary insurance involves and offered a non-affiliated policy from Travel Guard or Travelex, both which offer primary insurance.

[procter]

QUOTE

Travel insurance is serious business..always read the fine print to ensure it will cover you adequately in emergencies...never had to use mine but never travel without it either."

 

Exactly so.

Why people of this age do not check their insurance properly amazes me.

Travel agent should have got them to sign a disclaimer when selling insurance.

In UK you have to actively deny operator insurance.

If people do not read (or ask about) the insurance whose fault is it.

There is always the temptation to blame others.

Remember when you are pointing the finger there are 3 pointing back at you.

Sorry if harsh

[azevedan]

I really feel for the couple in a strange country coping with what happened, they do not need to hear people on a board were posting unkind comments so dismissive of their plight sorry!

 

Amen! I seriously doubt ANYONE has ever been so perfectly vigilant as to have considered every possible contingency or outcome and completely protected against it. Including all the people saying "they should have..."

 

How about a little compassion for their predicament? And, no, I'm not saying that equates to Azamara having done something wrong. (Or everything right, either!)

 

Honestly....this is sounding like the people on that other line's boards.... :rolleyes:

[cat616]

From the article, as written, it is unclear about what the unfortunate couple's problem with the cruise line is. Have they even spoken to the media or has a reporter got wind of a situation and then written his take on the subject.

 

In my experience when getting medical care while abroad, almost always, you pay the expenses yourself and make a claim on your insurance when you get home.

 

I do not see the problem as being about what insurance will cover. I think the problem is that they were left in an unfamiliar country with no one to help them with the situation. Surely this is when the Port Agent is supposed to kick in and provide them with some assistance to navigate the unfamiliar ways of the country. The Consulate for her Country would be the next agency to turn to for help.

 

We able bodied younger folk may have no problem advocating for our spouse, finding accommodation, figuring out how to get the hubby transferred to a better facility and even how to get the both of you home safely to the Western world all while being terrified that our spouse is not receiving adequate care. We may even be fortunate enough to have a high enough credit limit on our Credit Cards to cover the unexpected expenses that all of this will entail. The lady is stranded, does not speak the language, cannot get into the hospital to discuss plans with her husband and probably has no idea how to take care of the situation. My MIL would be at a total loss if this had happened to her. Heck, even I would be terrified in the same situation.

 

The situation is quite unfortunate but the fact is that no one is to blame. Doo doo occurs. Sometimes life sucks. Blaming others does not solve the situation, it actually wastes precious time that is better spent figuring out how to get yourself out of the doo doo.

 

What can I learn from this? Medical situations do happen while traveling. Cruise ships are not equipped to handle major medical issues. Cruise Lines are not responsible for me once they have deposited me into an on shore health care situation. Do not take maxed out Credit Cards on a trip. Carry an extra Credit Card with a zero balance for unexpected expenses. Download simple language phrases for the countries that I am going to visit just in case I am stranded. Take responsibility for myself and my problems. Don't blame others for random trouble.

 

One more thing - It is all part of the adventure that is life. We travel to experience life in other parts of the world. Life comes with good and bad!

[English Tim]

I think many people are far too quick to judge.

 

What a horrendous situation it appeared to be for this elderly couple.

 

Yes, they should have made sure they had adequate cover, but even if they did, it would still have been very frightening and often in such circumstances people forget the obvious.

 

I hope none of the critics ever find themselves in such a situation.

[uktog]

I think many people are far too quick to judge.

 

What a horrendous situation it appeared to be for this elderly couple.

 

Yes, they should have made sure they had adequate cover, but even if they did, it would still have been very frightening and often in such circumstances people forget the obvious.

 

I hope none of the critics ever find themselves in such a situation.

 

Well said

[Member123]

Sorry, but I'm going to take another side to this... or, at least, stand on the same side as the Tampa woman. Yes, she is a mature age, but that doesn't mean that she's experiencing any kind of inability to cope with the circumstances that life presented her. She's not acting of feeble mind.

 

Reading the article carefully, I would say that she did exactly what I would have been trying to do when faced with a situation where I was considered a person with less rights. Being an American, I have been fortunate to live my life with an abundance of freedom and rights. I can't even begin to think what international incident I may have created by being refused entrance into a hospital that held my husband. Are you kidding me?!?

 

I have lost all semblance of respect for journalism in this country. I don't believe anything that I read, especially quoted material. So, I don't put a bunch of stock in quoting her comments about the hospital's condition, especially if she wasn't allowed entrance.

 

OMG. I agree that Royal Caribbean needs to pay attention to its international ports of call. We all need to be made aware of the problems that we might encounter. This goes way beyond the concept of insurance, or insurance reimbursement. We need to understand the rights that we would have in some of these countries that we "think" we would love to visit; what would have happened if it had been the wife who had the hip fracture? Where is the hospital that she could have entered and what conditions would have been found there? Why would Azamara have discharged this man from a ship where the "doctors were being praised" to this horrific situation?

 

I have to be honest in saying that I never, ever considered this type of problem. And, I repeat, it goes way beyond insurance coverage! Am I under the mistaken impression that land agents for the cruise line (whether Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Azamara) would speak English? Where was the land agent in this situation?

 

I find this to be extremely upsetting. And worthy of much more thought.

[Brucen]

Sorry, but I'm going to take another side to this... or, at least, stand on the same side as the Tampa woman. Yes, she is a mature age, but that doesn't mean that she's experiencing any kind of inability to cope with the circumstances that life presented her. She's not acting of feeble mind.

 

Reading the article carefully, I would say that she did exactly what I would have been trying to do when faced with a situation where I was considered a person with less rights. Being an American, I have been fortunate to live my life with an abundance of freedom and rights. I can't even begin to think what international incident I may have created by being refused entrance into a hospital that held my husband. Are you kidding me?!?

 

I have lost all semblance of respect for journalism in this country. I don't believe anything that I read, especially quoted material. So, I don't put a bunch of stock in quoting her comments about the hospital's condition, especially if she wasn't allowed entrance.

 

OMG. I agree that Royal Caribbean needs to pay attention to its international ports of call. We all need to be made aware of the problems that we might encounter. This goes way beyond the concept of insurance, or insurance reimbursement. We need to understand the rights that we would have in some of these countries that we "think" we would love to visit; what would have happened if it had been the wife who had the hip fracture? Where is the hospital that she could have entered and what conditions would have been found there? Why would Azamara have discharged this man from a ship where the "doctors were being praised" to this horrific situation?

 

I have to be honest in saying that I never, ever considered this type of problem. And, I repeat, it goes way beyond insurance coverage! Am I under the mistaken impression that land agents for the cruise line (whether Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Azamara) would speak English? Where was the land agent in this situation?

 

I find this to be extremely upsetting. And worthy of much more thought.

 

 

Well said and right on!

 

Many on these boards are experienced, sophisticated travelers where they understand the potential issues for a situation like the one described. I think it is important to keep in mind that many people choose to cruise exactly because they do not have to be experienced, sophisticated travelers yet they can still get a flavor of exotic, out of the way places. The cruise line takes care of you.... unpack once and let them see to all of your needs. This is how cruises are marketed and it is a reasonable assumption that most passengers on these cruises have not thought through the ramifications of an incident like the one described. I have no actual knowledge but I would guess at least 75% of the people on board would have been no better prepared than the people in the article.

 

I would have expected the port agent to provide more assistance than it looks like happened in this case. Could it be a liability issue??

 

I wold guess this is also the kind of problem that cruise lines do not like highlighted and that is why you do not generally hear more about it.

 

I would love to hear from Bill Lieber about this kind of situation. I can understand how he might not be able to comment about this specific case but he should be able to provide some insights about the Azamara policy in such cases and how passengers could be better prepared to deal with situations like the one described from the company perspective. If the article was wrong and it was not an Azamara passenger, what would be a reasonable expectation for an Azamara passenger to have in a situation like the one described?

 

 

Best,

Bruce

[Jade13]

What I read into the report indicates a financial issue because it sounds like the couple was trying to get transferred to another hospital and trying to get someone at the insurance company (Berkely) in the US to pick up the charges rather than paying for the transfer and filing a claim for reimbursement as soon as they were able.

 

"Jill Melkonian said Kutlu has been a savior. She said he called the US Embassy and got help transferring Dodge from Bartin to Istanbul, a six-hour trip.

 

Once again, Jill Melkonian said they reached out to the cruise line.

"He (Kutlu) tried to arrange transport yesterday, but Royal Caribbean insurance company told them to cancel it," she said."

 

My comments have nothing to do with not being compassionate (I do feel bad for them - not sure if any of the comments were directed at me or not), but it clearly sounds like this couple had no idea how the policy that they purchased worked.

 

Berkely is just the agent handling the claims on behalf of the cruise lines policy and they are not going to set a precedent and start sending advance payments. The article, which I agree is not well written, doesn't state if there were any family members back in the States who could help, as it seems at issue here was the payment for transport to another/better hospital.

 

Like some others have mentioned, our agent requires us to sign off that we are not purchasing insurance (from the agent).

 

There is very little medical coverage. For those who want more information, they can call. This is from the Azamara web site,

 

CruiseCare Contact Information

 

For a summary of the program terms, conditions, exclusions and program sponsors, please contact the CruiseCare program administrator (Berkely) at 1-800-797-4516 or 1-516-342-2720. The CruiseCare Travel Insurance Program is provided in addition to other applicable indemnity or insurance programs, where permitted by law, and shall apply only after other benefits have been paid.

This plan provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

 

This program was designed and is administered by Aon Affinity Berkely Travel. Aon Affinity is the brand name for the brokerage and program administration operations of Affinity Insurance Services, Inc.; (AR 244489); in CA, MN & OK, AIS Affinity Insurance Agency, Inc. (CA 0796465); in CA, Aon Affinity Insurance Services, Inc., (0G94493), Aon Direct Insurance Administrators and Berkely Insurance Agency and in NY and NH, AIS Affinity Insurance Agency. Affinity Insurance Services is acting as a Managing General Agent as that term is defined in section 626.015(14) of the Florida Insurance Code. As an MGA we are acting on behalf of our carrier partner.

 

Carrier and Form Number Information: The CruiseCare Travel Insurance Program is underwritten by Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company, a Transamerica company, Columbus, Ohio; NAIC # 10952 (all states except as otherwise noted) under Policy/Certificate Form series TAHC5000. In CA, HI, NE, NH, PA, TN and TX Policy/Certificate Form series TAHC5100 and TAHC5200. In IL, IN, KS, LA, OR, OH, VT, WA and WY Policy Form #'s TAHC5100IPS and TAHC5200IPS. Certain coverages are under series TAHC6000 and TAHC7000.

[Ithikan]

This has been a sobering thread. My 89 yr old dad recently broke his hip, it was terrifying for the entire family and we were all within driving distance! I am imagining the OP's experience, and from it, learning I should carefully check insurance coverage. :(

[piscean]

10 years ago I was put off a cruise ship (Swan Hellenic ) in Antalya,Turkey. I was dealt with great care by Swan but once I required hospital treatment I was handed over to the Port Agent after I had paid the charges on-board.

However well covered or prepared you might think you are when you are in a strange country with no translator, needing surgery and trying to contact your insurance company it is highly stressful not something you can pre-arrange!

I had good travel insurance but my insurance tried to blame a pre-existing condition (declared) and after many stressful phone calls with this company (whilst attached to drips/drains) it took me almost a year to recover my costs!

This couple have my sympathy .....give a little of yours!

[xrvlcruiser]

One more travel insurance suggestion: MedJet which will fly you to the hospital of your choice. Worth looking in to.

[kathy9]

Any place you travel, before you go, you need to get adequate trip insurance. Perhaps the most important part of buying a policy is to read what is and is not covered. Don't just buy the cheapest insurance because as we all know ...you get what you pay for.

Hopefully this couple has some family that can go and help them but I don't think it is the cruise line responsibility.

Kathy

[Jade13]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/elderly-couple-cruise-line-left-turkey-face-medical/story?id=20025642

 

According to the article/video on abcnews their trip was free since on their last cruise the ship caught on fire (was this on Quest?), but they still want Azamara/RCCL to pay for their medical and reimburse them for the trip. I assume they mean they want the cruise line insurance to pay. It only has $10,000 in medical coverage and $25,000 in medical evacuation assuming they purchased the cruise lines protection plan.

[ragen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQD1uFUb2ug

[PH8]

Heres more about it

 

http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/331691/250/Royal-Caribbean-in-hot-water-over-couples-cruise-medical-ordeal

[boulders]

Why do these people think that RCI is responsible for them? The husband had an unfortunate accident and he was evacuated to the nearest hospital. No one in the hospital spoke English. Um, yeah, you're not in an English speaking country. The senator thinks they should be made financially whole - why? By whom? If you were broke your hip on a plane, in a hotel, etc, would you expect someone from corporate to stay with you, pay your medical expenses etc?

[dreamer976]

I just purchased a trip insurance policy from a very well-known insurer earlier this morning for a transatlantic cruise next May. One of the options, which I have taken before, is an upgrade of "emergency evacuation coverage". For $5.00 US it doubles the dollar amount AND includes "choice of hospital".

 

Travelers need to know what they're purchasing. I know many have been pleased with their coverage/claims when using insurance purchased with the cruise line, although I have never bought it.

[voyager70]

Why do these people think that RCI is responsible for them? The husband had an unfortunate accident and he was evacuated to the nearest hospital. No one in the hospital spoke English. Um, yeah, you're not in an English speaking country. The senator thinks they should be made financially whole - why? By whom? If you were broke your hip on a plane, in a hotel, etc, would you expect someone from corporate to stay with you, pay your medical expenses etc?

 

My thoughts exactly.

[CanadaDeb]

I agree....RCCL simply does not have to hold their hands the whole way through. I feel sorry for their ordeal but at the end of the day, they are responsible for their choices. When people travel they have to think about the possibility of accidents and things going wrong.

[Debitoo]

It's an unfortunate accident but I think RCI did everything they should. I think the insurance company could have stepped up a bit more.

[bouhunter]

RCCL took care of them on the ship and got them to a hospital. They shouldn't expect any more.

 

 

Moron politician getting involved - ridiculous.:rolleyes: