This is why you need insurance !

[PurpleDog]

I was on the Paradise out of Tampa that sailed on November 10th, 2014.

My wife and I sailed with my sister and sister in law.

We had 2 cabins on the Empress deck.

On Wednesday November 12th, my wife and I returned to the Paradise at about 2 pm after visiting downtown Georgetown.

We heard a page requesting that my sister and sister in law contact guest services.

We went down to guest services and were of course shocked to hear that my sister had fallen up on the Lido deck, that she was down in the medical area, and “was going to be taken off the ship.”

My sister was tendered over to Georgetown, put into an ambulance, and was taken immediately to the hospital.

My wife and I [who went back on the tender to the ship] were given 15 minutes to pack up and leave the ship.

My sister was in tremendous pain and was later that evening [after several CT scans] was diagnosed with some cracked vertebrae.

She was given pain and inflammation meds via IV, and was told she would remain in bed until she could walk with no pain.

My sister was received what I consider to be excellent care in the hospital. She was in the hospital for about 30 hours.

The hospital bill, which had to [of course] had to be paid before being discharged from the hospital and being allowed to leave the country, was $4789.44 US.

The doctor bill, which was separate from the hospital bill, was about $700.00 US.

My wife and I stayed on the island until Saturday, when all 3 of us flew back to the US.

The total amount that was spent on the hospital, doctor, accommodations, food, & transportation was be close to $8000.00 US.

 

I like to mention that we were helped immensely by Carnivals dock agent in Grand Cayman.

 

My point in writing this post is to encourage everyone to purchase some type of travel insurance that would pay for at least some of your expenses if this was to ever happen to you.

 

I’d like to ask the Cruise Critic community a few questions:

If you were on this cruise, and happened to witness this accident, please contact me.

And also, I also was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to view your Sign and Sail account AFTER your cruise.

Edited November 17, 2014 by PurpleDog

[LWiening]

So many people think nothing will happen to them. Not only for medical but what if you were a pier runner. The cost to get to the next island they may not have.

 

Another scenerio what if you can't get out because of the weather.

 

There are so many reason. I always say do not be a fool be prepared..

 

Sorry to hear what happened to your sister in law. Hope all is well now..

[sparks1093]

I was on the Paradise out of Tampa that sailed on November 10th, 2014.

My wife and I sailed with my sister and sister in law.

We had 2 cabins on the Empress deck.

On Wednesday November 12th, my wife and I returned to the Paradise at about 2 pm after visiting downtown Georgetown.

We heard a page requesting that my sister and sister in law contact guest services.

We went down to guest services and were of course shocked to hear that my sister had fallen up on the Lido deck, that she was down in the medical area, and “was going to be taken off the ship.”

My sister was tendered over to Georgetown, put into an ambulance, and was taken immediately to the hospital.

My wife and I [who went back on the tender to the ship] were given 15 minutes to pack up and leave the ship.

My sister was in tremendous pain and was later that evening [after several CT scans] was diagnosed with some cracked vertebrae.

She was given pain and inflammation meds via IV, and was told she would remain in bed until she could walk with no pain.

My sister was received what I consider to be excellent care in the hospital. She was in the hospital for about 30 hours.

The hospital bill, which had to [of course] had to be paid before being discharged from the hospital and being allowed to leave the country, was $4789.44 US.

The doctor bill, which was separate from the hospital bill, was about $700.00 US.

My wife and I stayed on the island until Saturday, when all 3 of us flew back to the US.

The total amount that was spent on the hospital, doctor, accommodations, food, & transportation was be close to $8000.00 US.

 

I like to mention that we were helped immensely by Carnivals dock agent in Grand Cayman.

 

My point in writing this post is to encourage everyone to purchase some type of travel insurance that would pay for at least some of your expenses if this was to ever happen to you.

 

I’d like to ask the Cruise Critic community a few questions:

If you were on this cruise, and happened to witness this accident, please contact me.

And also, I also was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to view your Sign and Sail account AFTER your cruise.

 

Hope your sister is mending well. Did you happen to check to see how much it would have been to medevac her back?

[hannahouse]

I know I'm not the norm, but out of 11 cruises I have had 3 accidents requiring medical attention. One was serious enough the ships Dr recommended I debark in Cozumel and receive attention there, but I was more comfortable waiting until we got back to the US (it was an orthopaedic issue).

Obviously I'm a big proponent of insurance - it should be factored into everyones budget as a cost of travel, imo.

[adriennerm]

I'm sorry to hear what happened to your sister in law. I totally agree with you about travel insurance. We took a land vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico last June. Something bit me on my calf. At first I thought it was a simple bug bite. As the day went on my calf became hard, swollen and purple.

 

I was going to a clinic but the hotel had an on-call doctor they recommended. He was affordable so I didn't use my insurance but it was comforting knowing I had the option if he recommended a hospital or clinic visit.

[bingomamma19]

I was on the Paradise out of Tampa that sailed on November 10th, 2014.

My wife and I sailed with my sister and sister in law.

We had 2 cabins on the Empress deck.

On Wednesday November 12th, my wife and I returned to the Paradise at about 2 pm after visiting downtown Georgetown.

We heard a page requesting that my sister and sister in law contact guest services.

We went down to guest services and were of course shocked to hear that my sister had fallen up on the Lido deck, that she was down in the medical area, and “was going to be taken off the ship.”

My sister was tendered over to Georgetown, put into an ambulance, and was taken immediately to the hospital.

My wife and I [who went back on the tender to the ship] were given 15 minutes to pack up and leave the ship.

My sister was in tremendous pain and was later that evening [after several CT scans] was diagnosed with some cracked vertebrae.

She was given pain and inflammation meds via IV, and was told she would remain in bed until she could walk with no pain.

My sister was received what I consider to be excellent care in the hospital. She was in the hospital for about 30 hours.

The hospital bill, which had to [of course] had to be paid before being discharged from the hospital and being allowed to leave the country, was $4789.44 US.

The doctor bill, which was separate from the hospital bill, was about $700.00 US.

My wife and I stayed on the island until Saturday, when all 3 of us flew back to the US.

The total amount that was spent on the hospital, doctor, accommodations, food, & transportation was be close to $8000.00 US.

 

I like to mention that we were helped immensely by Carnivals dock agent in Grand Cayman.

 

My point in writing this post is to encourage everyone to purchase some type of travel insurance that would pay for at least some of your expenses if this was to ever happen to you.

 

I’d like to ask the Cruise Critic community a few questions:

If you were on this cruise, and happened to witness this accident, please contact me.

And also, I also was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to view your Sign and Sail account AFTER your cruise.

 

 

Very sorry to hear of this--I do have regular medical insurance that covers out of country medical care, but still do take travelers insurance becuase of the other expenses it takes care of (hotels, transportation, change of air etc.)

 

I cant tell from your post--did you all have travelors insurance? And you said all 3 off you flew back, what happened to the 4th person? Did one of the sisters stay on the ship to go home?

[PurpleDog]

Thanks everyone.

None of us had any travelers insurance.

I will make sure that I purchase insurance anytime my wife and I travel outside the US in the future.

 

My wife and I ended up staying on the island with my sister.

My sister in law elected to just continue on with the cruise by herself.

My sister works for a hospital outside of Boston, and has great medical insurance.

She is beginning the process of submitting everything to her insurance company.

Hopefully she can get back some or most of the medical expenses.

I don't think however, that any expenses for accommodations, food, or transportation will be covered. =(

 

Grand Cayman is a beautiful island; I saw a lot of it, but is is VERY expensive as compared to other Caribbean islands I have stayed in.

 

Does anyone know if you can view your sign and sail account after the cruise is over ?

My wife and I have $70.00+ on my sign and sail card that we won playing slots.

Edited November 17, 2014 by PurpleDog

[JaneyLynn]

Sorry to hear about your experience. We carry travel insurance because one of us has diabetes

 

I know the answer to the money left on your card from the slots, they'll mail you a check. My son left $23 on his last year and a check arrived about 3 weeks after we got back.

[adferg]

You can call Carnival and ask for Guest Care or follow the prompts given for guests who have "already sailed" to ask about your sign and sail account. If you had an overage, they should mail you a check within 7 days.

[susie8862]

Thanks everyone.

None of us had any travelers insurance.

I will make sure that I purchase insurance anytime my wife and I travel outside the US in the future.

 

My wife and I ended up staying on the island with my sister.

My sister in law elected to just continue on with the cruise by herself.

My sister works for a hospital outside of Boston, and has great medical insurance.

She is beginning the process of submitting everything to her insurance company.

Hopefully she can get back some or most of the medical expenses.

I don't think however, that any expenses for accommodations, food, or transportation will be covered. =(

 

Grand Cayman is a beautiful island; I saw a lot of it, but is is VERY expensive as compared to other Caribbean islands I have stayed in.

 

Does anyone know if you can view your sign and sail account after the cruise is over ?

My wife and I have $70.00+ on my sign and sail card that we won playing slots.

Call the 800 Carnival number. Hit the prompt for "Just returned from a cruise and need to speak with someone?" They will be glad to help. Have your folio # available just in case. Good luck to you.

[missdebi]

A friend of ours fell on Lido on the Breeze this past spring, it happened in the waters outside of Jamaica. They were scrubbing the deck in the evening and did not have wet floor signs out. The medical staff stabilized his shoulder and arm gave him pain meds and he waited until returning to US to continue treatment. The travel insurance will not cover his surgery or any other cost because it was done after he returned home. Carnival did remove all medical cost from his S&S only after his wife had numerous "discussions". He has been in communication with Carnival but their offer to settle was an 1/8 of his medical bills so far. He has hired a lawyer but his lawyer had to hire a Jamaican lawyer because that is where it occurred. It has been a mess to say the least. I have travel insurance that we pay a yearly premium on but this case has certainly enlightened me.

[Elaine515]

Does anyone know if you can view your sign and sail account after the cruise is over ?

My wife and I have $70.00+ on my sign and sail card that we won playing slots.

 

 

If you have any money left on your Sign n Sail account you will be receiving a check in the mail in a couple of weeks... My sister and I both had "leftover" money from the casino on our sign n sail card and both of us got a check from Carnival..

 

Sure hope your sister is feeling better and her insurance covers most of the amount...

[Butterbean1000]

We always purchase trip insurance. It's well worth the extra $. Knock on wood, we have never had to use it.

 

Enjoy your cruise. :cool:

[kelkel2]

So, I like to live on the edge. I've never paid for insurance. Call me crazy, but I think we really should. I mean we typically cruise in January and we live in snow filled Illinois. I told you l liked to live on the edge right?

Does the Carnival insurance cover expenses like the OP had here? Or if my DH and I missed our flight due to bad weather and had to book a super expensive last minute one to florida. It pays the difference right?

Have never really done my homework. I know Carnival's insurance isn't the cheapest option out there, but that's not what's important to me. I'm wanting to make sure what's supposed to be covered is.

[PurpleDog]

Thanks for all the information folks !

 

I did talk with Carnival and the balance that I had on my Sign and Sail card from the casino is totally and completely separate from everything else on the Sign and Sail card like drinks,

gift shop purchases, prepaid gratuities, etc etc.

The Carnival customer service woman advised me that I will be receiving a check for the $$$ I had won playing slots and had "banked" on my S & S card.

But, she also said that they are "way behind" and I should not expect that check for "about 12 weeks" !

 

Keep in mind folks that if you do get sick or have an accident on board, Carnival gets to decide if you stay on the ship or not.

The decision by the ships captain is final.

Although we would of gotten off the ship to seek medical attention, we were not given a choice.

And they do not allow anyone to get off the ship without someone to accompany the sick or injured person.

 

Does anyone in CC land have a good recommendation for travel insurance other than the Carnival version ?

 

When its all said and done, my sister will end up paying about $5500 in medical expenses and another $2500-$3000 for a hotel, travel on Grand Cayman, food, and miscellaneous expenses.

 

I will want to purchase a policy that will cover medical expenses and all of the non medical expenses as well.

Edited November 17, 2014 by PurpleDog

[floridabum]

we always go through Insuremytrip.com There are many options to choose from.... you have to read all the fine print and exclusions but they will have whatever you need.

Edited November 17, 2014 by floridabum

[fireofficer5]

Never brought it, never will.

 

42 years of cruising.

[serene56]

check the roll call for your sailing

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2046967

Edited November 17, 2014 by serene56

[dickinson]

Never brought it, never will.

 

42 years of cruising.

 

Not a very helpful post so not sure why you bothered. I wish you continued good health especially while cruising in a 3rd world country. Otherwise…. good luck.

[UpstateCruizer]

Thanks for all the information folks !

 

I did talk with Carnival and the balance that I had on my Sign and Sail card from the casino is totally and completely separate from everything else on the Sign and Sail card like drinks,

gift shop purchases, prepaid gratuities, etc etc.

The Carnival customer service woman advised me that I will be receiving a check for the $$$ I had won playing slots and had "banked" on my S & S card.

But, she also said that they are "way behind" and I should not expect that check for "about 12 weeks" !

 

Keep in mind folks that if you do get sick or have an accident on board, Carnival gets to decide if you stay on the ship or not.

The decision by the ships captain is final.

Although we would of gotten off the ship to seek medical attention, we were not given a choice.

And they do not allow anyone to get off the ship without someone to accompany the sick or injured person.

 

Does anyone in CC land have a good recommendation for travel insurance other than the Carnival version ?

 

When its all said and done, my sister will end up paying about $5500 in medical expenses and another $2500-$3000 for a hotel, travel on Grand Cayman, food, and miscellaneous expenses.

 

I will want to purchase a policy that will cover medical expenses and all of the non medical expenses as well.

 

Sorry to hear that your sister was injured. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I've cruised 16 times and have had insurance for all of them. I want to make sure I understand your situation so are you saying that your insurance won't pay for any of your expenses while you had to remain on the island or your return home costs? Since your sister couldn't be left alone during her medical crisis I'd think you should be able to submit to your insurance? This type of information will be helpful when choosing future insurance plans. What about the trip delay or trip interruption part of the insurance?

[Ken076]

A friend of ours fell on Lido on the Breeze this past spring, it happened in the waters outside of Jamaica. They were scrubbing the deck in the evening and did not have wet floor signs out. The medical staff stabilized his shoulder and arm gave him pain meds and he waited until returning to US to continue treatment. The travel insurance will not cover his surgery or any other cost because it was done after he returned home. Carnival did remove all medical cost from his S&S only after his wife had numerous "discussions". He has been in communication with Carnival but their offer to settle was an 1/8 of his medical bills so far. He has hired a lawyer but his lawyer had to hire a Jamaican lawyer because that is where it occurred. It has been a mess to say the least. I have travel insurance that we pay a yearly premium on but this case has certainly enlightened me.

 

For others -- Another criteria to watch for when purchasing Travel Insurance is whether the Medical covers only expenses during the trip or whether the medical has "continuing coverage" usually for 6 - 12 months after the trip. I believe Carnival's insurance is actually 51 weeks. Ken

[sparks1093]

So, I like to live on the edge. I've never paid for insurance. Call me crazy, but I think we really should. I mean we typically cruise in January and we live in snow filled Illinois. I told you l liked to live on the edge right?

Does the Carnival insurance cover expenses like the OP had here? Or if my DH and I missed our flight due to bad weather and had to book a super expensive last minute one to florida. It pays the difference right?

Have never really done my homework. I know Carnival's insurance isn't the cheapest option out there, but that's not what's important to me. I'm wanting to make sure what's supposed to be covered is.

 

Of course this all comes down to the specific terms and conditions of the policy, but one can usually find more robust coverage for less at http://www.insuremytrip.com.

[kelkel2]

Of course this all comes down to the specific terms and conditions of the policy, but one can usually find more robust coverage for less at http://www.insuremytrip.com.

 

Thank you.

This post has been an eye opener to say the least.

Not to mention my Grandma and her husband were traveling in Italy this past month and she was reaching for something in a store and fell. She fell hard and hit her head. She takes blood thinners due to a heart condition and they could not get the bleeding to stop and so she was rushed by ambulance to the nearest hospital. Where THEY KEPT HER PASSPORT until the balance was paid. Now tell me how messed up that is. Is it legal? Who knows? But I sure wouldn't want to have to pay for that bill. I guess they kept the passport to ensure they would get paid before she fled the country. But geesh...

[NCTribeFan]

There's an entire board on Cruise Critic devoted to trip insurance - where to buy, what's covered, types of coverage, etc.

 

I also buy insurance. Used to purchase through Carnival, but that was in my pre-CC days. Now I purchase through the site noted earlier.

 

So, what if I get hurt when I'm sailing solo? Not everyone on a cruise has someone with them. If I need hospitalization, I would hope I'd be taken to a hospital, even if I were alone.

[dickinson]

Sorry to hear that your sister was injured. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I've cruised 16 times and have had insurance for all of them. I want to make sure I understand your situation so are you saying that your insurance won't pay for any of your expenses while you had to remain on the island or your return home costs? Since your sister couldn't be left alone during her medical crisis I'd think you should be able to submit to your insurance? This type of information will be helpful when choosing future insurance plans. What about the trip delay or trip interruption part of the insurance?

 

Previously the OP said none of them had travel insurance.