Warning regarding medical issues

[JackieJ]

I've been thinking about whether or not to post for two months. We are private people and not complainers...I know everyone says that lol! After speaking with my travel buddies, we think it's important to remind others that any crazy thing can happen and we should all be prepared, especially when traveling outside the U.S.

 

1. Always get insurance and bring all of the contact information with you.

2. Bring more cash and credit cards than you think you'll need.

3. If there's a port you are positive you don't want to be stuck in, don't get off the ship.

4. Make sure you are able to make international calls on your own cell phone.

5. Last, but not least...don't expect any help from the port agent hired by Celebrity.

 

There was a communication breakdown from the start and it continued to go from bad to worse, these a the highlights:

 

My husband got sick on a shore excursion (I was on the ship). I was paged to guest relations and told that something went wrong but they had no idea what happened and they didn't even know if he was alive. Seriously, they didn't know. I found out later, the person he was with on his excursion called the ship to get in touch with me and asked that they let her speak to me so she could put him on the phone so I would know he was ok.

 

I was told to get our passports and the documentation officer would escort me to the hospital. The port agent boarded the ship and told her that she wasn't going and he would take me (she seemed surprised). At this point he said my husband was fine and would be getting back on the ship later that day. He walked me to the end of the pier and sent me to the hospital in a taxi alone.

 

The doctor said everything was fine and we could go back to the ship, but often, the ship's doctor will deny boarding so it would be best to stay overnight for observation and fly to the next port in the morning. I had asked the taxi to wait, so was able to return to the ship right away and get what we needed for one night. When I got there I was told that the port agent would make our travel arrangements for the next day to rejoin the cruise.

 

I packed the bag and went to the gangway. They wouldn't let me leave and said I had to wait for the port agent. Well, I waited . . . For over two hours! I tried to ask security if they knew what was going and was told to get back in my seat and wait. I was really getting nervous, all aboard was at 4:45 and it was almost 4:30, so I asked again. The officer called the port agent and handed me the phone. He told me to go back to my cabin, pack all of our bags and we were not getting back on, I had 15 minutes to get off. When I arrived at our cabin, there were 3 housekeeping people that tossed all our things in our bags and escorted me along with security to the gangway like a criminal. One of the housekeeping people argued with security to help me get the bags to the end of the pier. They wanted to just dump me there with 2 weeks worth of luggage.

 

The port agent dropped me off at a hotel and that was the last I saw of him until the day we left. The only help I had the entire time was the owner of the excursion company and a taxi driver.

 

I went back to the hospital and the doctors said that we could travel in the morning and they didn't understand why we were denied boarding. I received a call later that night from the Celebrity care team asking if I looked into flights to the next port of call. I told her what happened, she had no idea we were removed from the ship. She called me back and read the email from the port agent (not a doctor) that my husband was not fit to travel. I find it hard to believe the doctors told him something different than they told us

 

My next call was to the insurance company, because now we needed to figure out how to get home. In order for them to book our flights, there was a form that had to be filled out by a doctor. This is where I needed cash, I had to pay the doctor and the lab tech cash to come in on Good Friday.

 

Many other things went wrong, but trying to keep this as short as possible. Bottom line is our personal physicians feel that my husband was misdiagnosed due to lab values that are calculated differently in other countries but filled out on a U.S. form which led to a series of events including evacuation by air ambulance and unnecessary medical procedures in Miami.

 

I needed extra cash for doctors, labs, taxi, food and water.

 

I needed credit cards for hotels, taxis, food and a plane ticket home for me.

 

Our insurance will cover the evacuation and medical expenses. For my trip interruption it only covers $100/day. The first hotel was over $200/night. Hotel in Miami was $199/night (plus tax), taxi $25/each way to hospital, which worked out to about $300/day.

 

A note about hospitals in underdeveloped countries: while I wouldn't expect it to be like what we are used to in the US, I was surprised that there were no gloves used, no hand washing, you have to provide all of your own necessities including sheets/pillows, water, toilet paper, etc.

 

I am hoping that my experience was a rare misstep by Celebrity and not business as usual. Fortunately, I'm a go with the flow type and able to figure things out. I hate to think what could happen to elderly or people with limited mobility if they are abandoned the way we were.

[royalcruz]

Thank you for sharing your story. There must be a better way for these situations to be handled. I can't begin to imagine what this must have been like for you. What port was this?

[JackieJ]

Thank you for sharing your story. There must be a better way for these situations to be handled. I can't begin to imagine what this must have been like for you. What port was this?

 

Dominica

[chris_kelowna]

Thank you for the advice and for sharing your story with us. It must have been terrible and very frightning for you! Is your husband okay now?

[hopeless holiday booker]

Unfortunately this is not uncommon. My parents were on princess cruises and my dad had pneumonia. While on board they were really good. the doctor rang me to let me know what was happening and kept my dad on the ship until they got to trinidad as there was a better hospital there. My mum and dad both in their 70s. The ambulance came to the port and took them both and their luggage to the hospital and that's where their help stopped. I couldn't believe it. Luckily, as I had notice, I had called the consulate in Trinidad and although that weekend was carnival - I know, can you believe it, they organised a place for my mum to stay. She was there for nearly 2 weeks with no help from princess. It was a nightmare - we had to give our credit card as there one ran out and communication between doctors and insurance had to be done from this end as my mum was just not capable without help of being with my dad and sorting it out. On return, we wrote to princess and got a very standard 'we;re sorry our service fell short of your expectations….' made me even crosser. Insurance paid for phone calls, flights back medical treatment, everything in the end but the experience will never leave my mind.

 

Two main lessons - make sure you buy proper insurance - don't skimp and secondly, always have access to loads of money!

 

I almost feel better for typing. I know you weren't asking for other people to put their experiences but that's what you get sometimes:D

[Grandma Gilly]

On a recent Azamara cruise, a lady fell, broke her shoulder and had to go to hospital in Oman. Azamara sent a junior Officer with her and her husband who accompanied them all the way back to the UK. The captain kept us passengers informed about her progress

Edited June 4, 2015 by Grandma Gilly

[Caribbean Chris]

JackieJ, thank you so much for posting this, and I hope your husband is better.

 

I'm going to take your advice seriously about bringing more cash. We've cruised for 35 years together and never had an incident, so I think we've become a bit too complacent. (We do always have good insurance and carry several credit cards.)

 

I also appreciated the input about cell phones, as I'm planning on a newer one soon.

 

When packing and discussing how much cash to bring, my husband in recent years has suggested less and less, since we always end up bringing 95% of it home. Your story is an example of the unexpected that can and does happen.

[JackieJ]

Thank you for the advice and for sharing your story with us. It must have been terrible and very frightning for you! Is your husband okay now?

 

He is, thank you for asking :)

[JackieJ]

JackieJ, thank you so much for posting this, and I hope your husband is better.

 

I'm going to take your advice seriously about bringing more cash. We've cruised for 35 years together and never had an incident, so I think we've become a bit too complacent. (We do always have good insurance and carry several credit cards.)

 

I also appreciated the input about cell phones, as I'm planning on a newer one soon.

 

When packing and discussing how much cash to bring, my husband in recent years has suggested less and less, since we always end up bringing 95% of it home. Your story is an example of the unexpected that can and does happen.

 

We have also been taking less and less cash every year. The only reason I had enough was because we were celebrating my 50th birthday on this cruise and I received a substantial cash gift before we left. I brought it with me in case I saw anything sparkly I didn't want to leave behind ;)

[JackieJ]

Unfortunately this is not uncommon. My parents were on princess cruises and my dad had pneumonia. While on board they were really good. the doctor rang me to let me know what was happening and kept my dad on the ship until they got to trinidad as there was a better hospital there. My mum and dad both in their 70s. The ambulance came to the port and took them both and their luggage to the hospital and that's where their help stopped. I couldn't believe it. Luckily, as I had notice, I had called the consulate in Trinidad and although that weekend was carnival - I know, can you believe it, they organised a place for my mum to stay. She was there for nearly 2 weeks with no help from princess. It was a nightmare - we had to give our credit card as there one ran out and communication between doctors and insurance had to be done from this end as my mum was just not capable without help of being with my dad and sorting it out. On return, we wrote to princess and got a very standard 'we;re sorry our service fell short of your expectations….' made me even crosser. Insurance paid for phone calls, flights back medical treatment, everything in the end but the experience will never leave my mind.

 

Two main lessons - make sure you buy proper insurance - don't skimp and secondly, always have access to loads of money!

 

I almost feel better for typing. I know you weren't asking for other people to put their experiences but that's what you get sometimes:D

 

I received a similar call & email and had the same reaction. The person I spoked with seemed sympathetic, and truly horrified about the way the entire situation was handled onboard and off. She said she hopes I won't cancel a future cruise I had booked, but then also said there are lots of other cruise lines out there. I thought it was odd. Not the "Modern Luxury" I was expecting.

[JackieJ]

On a recent Azamara cruise, a lady fell, broke her shoulder and had to go to hospital in Oman. Azamara sent a junior Officer with her and her husband who accompanied them all the way back to the UK. The captain kept us passengers informed about her progress

 

Sounds like that situation was handled appropriately.

[hopeless holiday booker]

Not the "Modern Luxury" I was expecting.

 

I know what you mean. Glad your husband was OK.

[Cindy]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your cautionary tale! I'm glad your husband is fine now, and I'm sorry you went through that ordeal!

 

It seems like communication between the different entities (ship - port agent - medical professionals - Miami) was poor, and there's a lot of room for improvement in that area. As frightening as your experience must have been, I would think the lack of communication made things much worse.

[JackieJ]

As frightening as your experience must have been, I would think the lack of communication made things much worse.

 

You are absolutely right! It could have been made far less traumatic!!! Just the fact that they didn't have the person who took the call give me the news as she knew my husband was ok. After getting the whole story I still can't believe they would tell me that they didn't even know if he was alive or not.

 

I also don't understand why the ship's doctor making this type of decision based information from the port agent and not communicating with the doctor.

 

Rather than forcing me to sit in the elevator lobby more than two hours, I could have been packing my own things and not been tossed off at the last minute. The way it happened was extremely stressful. When I was being rushed off, I asked the documentation officer why, she said something must have changed with my husband's condition. Unbelievable!

[CruisingChick]

JackieJ, thank you for posting and sharing your story. This is a valuable lesson for all of us that not only cruise but travel out of the USA.

Edited June 4, 2015 by CruisingChick

[miched]

Thanks for posting.

 

I am of good to great health and always thought that I would be covered if needed by my medical insurance. Also always thought that it would happen to the other guy and have seen enough of it during our cruises.

 

It was while planning for a road trip thru Canada that we were made aware of all of the false securities and ignorance of what we are covered by.

 

We ended up getting Travel Guard as it gives coverage for the whole year, and also protection for other travel including while cruising. It doesn't provide for the loss of cruise fare but that doesn't matter as it was money that I planned on spending and would be "lost" or gone after the cruise was done. It is the big catastrophic expenses that I am concerned about and they can add up real fast.

 

Trip insurance thru the cruise line is very limited and so are other policies. Sometimes you may not even be covered during an excursion depending on what it is. Many policies may exclude any injuries while zip lining, para sailing, and etc.

 

Buyer beware and protect yourself.

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[iMedic]

What was your husband diagnosed with?

[HouseRulz]

This thread is very eye-opening, although I do think that carrying extra cash is a double-edged sword. In some places, pulling out a wad of cash or having a bulging wallet can make one a target for pick-pockets or worse. I think that for folks who like to travel, it is more important to have a very good credit card. One that provides travel assistance and can be used in just about any ATM world wide (do you know the pin # for your credit card?). This allows you to have access to cash without carrying it around, and also provides you with an added source of support in emergencies.

[CanadianDee]

I've been thinking about whether or not to post for two months. We are private people and not complainers...I know everyone says that lol! After speaking with my travel buddies, we think it's important to remind others that any crazy thing can happen and we should all be prepared, especially when traveling outside the U.S.

...

I am hoping that my experience was a rare misstep by Celebrity and not business as usual. Fortunately, I'm a go with the flow type and able to figure things out. I hate to think what could happen to elderly or people with limited mobility if they are abandoned the way we were.

 

Jackie, thanks so much for your post. And thank you for the factual, clear way you laid the situation out. You don't sound like a complainer at all, although your situation is certainly one where you're entitled!

 

I can't imagine how terrified you must have been, not knowing if your husband was alive, in unfamiliar territory.

 

Thanks again for the post. You sound so calm about it ... pretty sure I would still be freaking out, even months later. :)

Edited June 4, 2015 by CanadianDee

[Flafun888]

I can't imagine how horrible that must have been... alone in another country with your husband sick and no one to help. I really admire how you handled everything and dealt with the situation. Unfortunately I don't think I would have fared as well and probably panicked. Thank you so much for posting...I'm sure it really helps a lot of people prepare better. I know I'll be thinking about it before our next cruise.

[JackieJ]

Jackie, thanks so much for your post. And thank you for the factual, clear way you laid the situation out. You don't sound like a complainer at all, although your situation is certainly one where you're entitled!

 

I can't imagine how terrified you must have been, not knowing if your husband was alive, in unfamiliar territory.

 

Thanks again for the post. You sound so calm about it ... pretty sure I would still be freaking out, even months later. :)

 

Not much I could do, but keep going. My husband said if it was the other way around he would have lost it! It seemed like there was a new problem every 2 hours! My cell phone bill was over $1,000.

 

If it wasn't for the taxi driver, I would have lost it for sure! He was with me or a phone call away the entire time and made sure I was safe. I think the whole town knew there was an incident and that I was alone. Everywhere I went people were whispering "that's the lady." :eek: He had me stay with my husband and would come in and escort me out to the car and to the hotel lobby. The day we were supposed to leave, the plane couldn't land in the dark, but they didn't tell us til after 11pm so I had to call him back. He even brought water, which we were out of.

[Langley Cruisers]

Thank you Jackie. How frightening and awful this must have been for you both. Glad to hear he is better now and God bless you!

[CanadianDee]

Not much I could do, but keep going. My husband said if it was the other way around he would have lost it! It seemed like there was a new problem every 2 hours! My cell phone bill was over $1,000.

 

If it wasn't for the taxi driver, I would have lost it for sure! He was with me or a phone call away the entire time and made sure I was safe. I think the whole town knew there was an incident and that I was alone. Everywhere I went people were whispering "that's the lady." :eek: He had me stay with my husband and would come in and escort me out to the car and to the hotel lobby. The day we were supposed to leave, the plane couldn't land in the dark, but they didn't tell us til after 11pm so I had to call him back. He even brought water, which we were out of.

 

:) There. You did it again. Spent a line on your $1,000 cell phone problem, then a paragraph about the kindness of the taxi driver.

 

I suspect you'll underplay this compliment, but you're exactly the kind of person one loves to meet on vacation.

 

May all your future vacations be filled good surprises.

[hypercafe]

What country dis this take place in?

 

Sent from my SM-T320 using Forums mobile app

[Hlitner]

What an awful experience and we sure would not want to be in a hospital on that particular island. But we do not think this is about Celebrity but rather about the cruise industry. The reality is that if somebody becomes ill or gets injured the cruise line's responsibility ends once they get you off the ship. Port agents come in all different flavors and some are more helpful then others. Keep in mind that these agents are not on the cruise line's payroll, but rather work for private land-based companies.

 

The OP was actually somewhat lucky in that she was on an island where English is widely spoken. Imagine a similar (or worse scenario) in a place like Tunesia, Senagal, Colombia, etc. But the reality is that we are responsible for ourselves, even when traveling.

 

As to the mis-communication between cruise line, agent, passenger, physician....welcome to the world of emergencies. Unfortunately this is all too common and when things go well it is a pleasant surprise. From the Captain's point of view he/she is concerned with keeping to the schedule. If there is any doubt about the health of a passenger the ship prefers to get them off the ship while in port rather then face further medical problems when out to sea.

 

Hank