Onboard Now, Serious Issue - How to Handle?

[D&L Thomas]

I am currently onboard a ship. In brief, we have experienced a serious issue regarding an emergency phone call from home (involving the imminent death of a family member, which has since occurred). We never received the message. The way the situation has been handled onboard has been abysmal.

 

My immediate question: Should we contact the corporate office now, while we are still onboard? Or wait until we debark? We have been given a "ticket number" documenting the issue. But the onboard staff is basically blaming everything on corporate, and I feel like it could easily get brushed aside once we are off the ship.

 

I am able to post because they did give us permission to use the internet for free as well as to make phone calls - to make funeral arrangements and contact family. That, and a form letter, is how they are handling it onboard.

 

I appreciate any input.

[AussieOmni]

First of all, sorry for your loss, I can't imagine how painful that is. I would get in touch with corporate since they're blaming them, especially since they are letting you call for free. But also make sure you work out what you want from this, obviously you're understandably hurting at the moment, but they can't undo what is done, try and figure out what you want them to do about it. Maybe that's just trying to figure out why what happened happened, but then the other question is if that's worth all the pain you're going to go through for this.

[reedl]

Firstoff, I am sorry for your loss. Having a family member die when you are away from them is awful.

 

The first thing I always think about in cases like this is what difference would it have made if you had gotten the message in a more timely manner? You would have known, but it would not have changed anything.

 

Secondly, to where did the emergency phone call get delivered? Who did the caller call, and with whom did they leave the message? If it was a corporate office, then most likely they are to blame for not getting the message to the ship. I would think that if the message had been delivered to the ship, it would have either been delivered in a paper printout into your cabin, or as a voice mail on your room phone. They would not make an announcement at all since that is not something that would be done. So if you had left your cabin at 10AM, but did not return until 5 PM you would not be able to receive the message. It most certainly is not their job to try and find you on the ship.

 

Third, they are giving you free internet to make arrangements. I think that it is quite nice of them to do this, since they are under no obligation to do so.

 

But this is why I always leave my phone turned on even if I do not have internet. You can receive text messages for free with AT&T and the phone will ring if someone calls you. I know some people 'disconnect' when cruising and are proud to not be accessible at all, but I like to still know what is happening.

 

So in your case, I would find out where did the message get delivered by whoever called the cruise line, and then find out when the ship got the message. Be firm but friendly. You will always get better information if you ask nicely. I know it is a difficult time, but remember that the people who work for the cruise line are people also. Call Corporate now since they are letting you. Follow the messages.

Edited October 14, 2016 by reedl

[Nic6318]

Good morning

 

First sorry for your loss.

 

About the issue as you perceive it, you are not totally clear.

 

I gather there was some miscommunication involved in your not receiving a message. I also gather that some time later you found out.

 

What I am not sure about is, are you upset that you didn't get the initial message? Or is it the handling of the fact that you missed the message?

 

What is it specifically that you wish them to do? They can't undo the past, so are you looking for an apology that is sincere or do you think they have hurt you in a tangible way. You can certainly contact anyone you wish through their corporate process, but you do need be clear what you want from them.

 

Whether you do this now or later is also up to you. You are still on vacation. I personally don't like getting upset on my vacations. You are in a grieving period, take the time to settle your mind. There is already documentation in place about your incident, so you don't have to necessarily have to rush to determine a conclusion, unless you feel that something needs to be done now on the ship. If that is the case then you would have to ask now, not corporate, but with the ships officers.

 

good luck

[luddite]

Send a letter to corporate and let them know that someone dropped the ball.

Then, move on.

[pris993]

I am sorry for you loss.

 

I think you need to think, what would you have done differently if you had gotten the news right away? How did it change things for you that did not happen.

 

Looking at this from a different perspective, I do believe things happen for a reason... maybe the timing of the message was for the best in the long run.

 

May God bless you and your family.

[zqvol]

Certainly a sad situation for the OP but I am still trying to figure out the issue. What harm as caused by not getting the message more quickly? What does OP want the cruise line to do about a delayed message?

[marco]

Also sorry for your loss. One question: Do you know how much time transpired from when the ship recieved the "emergency call" and when you were ultimately notified?

[navybankerteacher]

Sorry for your loss.

 

Of course, prompt delivery of important communications is important. Although it seems that information did come through. Was there simply a delay - and, if so, how long was the delay, and was it understandable - i.e. the recipient coming off duty and a note going astray?

 

Aside from having less time to begin making arrangements, what real damage was done? And what recourse is being sought?

 

If there was real damage done, and if there is reasonable recourse to be pursued, by all means follow up with detailed written communication with corporate ---- otherwise, what is the point?

[LHT28]

Sorry for your loss

 

I would first find out from the person who made the call where they called

Then track down where things went wrong

Could you have gotten off the ship immediately & got a flight home before the person passed?

Are you leaving the ship before the end of the cruise?

Would getting the message a few hrs earlier have made a difference in the outcome?

[D&L Thomas]

To answer some of the questions asked - The call was made to Carnival using the emergency number from their website around 11 a.m. on Monday. We learned of the death when we reached a port where Verizon had coverage - we called the hospital and were informed that the death had occurred.

 

Per the Guest Services Assistant Manager, corporate didn't code the call correctly. The email was received on the ship within an hour of the call on Monday, but as of Thursday morning the email was in "unread" status. They will not provide us with a copy of the email.

 

So at this point I would like to caution other cruisers not to rely on the emergency number published on the cruise ship's website. To me, any call that comes in on that number should be treated as urgent.

 

What would have been a different outcome? We could have been a part of the decision that was made to remove life support. It probably would have been the same decision, but at least we would have had some input and would have been a part of the process.

 

I am not looking for anything from the cruise line except for this to not to happen to anyone else.

[sail7seas]

I am sorry for you loss qand that you hce this added streww.

 

in 3fforet to ansxser your quewtiN, i think one neess to know wt you wqntfrom HAL. You now hqce the sad infdormation you needed do whaqt do you esnyg from them?

 

Their (presumedcx) failure to getthe message go you in a timely manner caused you sgreeet b ug ewhagt elsed? Whatg arfe your losses? What can they do to restore you to whole?

 

What are you seeking?

 

Are you on youf way home soon to atend fun eral, be with fqmily etggc o r arffeyou remaining on ghe ship?

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Inexcusable of Carnival's part. Whomever dropped the ball needs to be disciplined (IMO fired) I think the best you'll get is an apology, maybe a phone call. I don't think you're looking for a payday and I'd be pissed too.

[LHT28]

It may have been better to sign up for email or at least check your email when ashore than rely on the ship to get intouch with you

We always leave our email with the house sitter in case of emergencies

Yes a letter to Corporate would be a good call so that maybe it will not happen again

 

Was this a sudden accident or was the person already ill?

[philsmum1]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

I was on a cruise eleven years ago when I was informed of the unexpected death of my mother. It was possibly the worst moment of my life.

 

For a message received via an emergency phone line to remain unread for three days is unforgivable and shows real failings in the company's processes. It is also a shame that neither the hospital nor your relatives tried a second time to contact you. A different staff member dealing with this either landside or on board might have had a different outcome.

 

I agree this should be taken up with the company for the reason you suggest, so that it does not happen to anyone else but, at the moment, there are more important things for you to spend your energies on. I remember being very angry with everyone, not least of all my mother for leaving me. Anger and blame are all part of the grieving process but don't let it divert you from the real issue here that you have lost a loved one.

 

Nothing any of us can say will ease your pain or take away the sense of helplessness that you feel but my comments (and I'm sure others') are meant in a spirit of compassion and sympathy for your loss.

 

I wish you long life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[wwcruisers]

I feel badly for the OP -- that's a really helpless feeling to have. Years ago, I found myself in a similar situation. I got an early morning long-distance phone call that my FIL had unexpectedly passed away. My DH was across the country at a business conference. His company's meetings were being held in the hotel where he was staying. I called his room, and left a message. Immediately, I called his cell-phone (relatively new technology, back then), but it went straight to v/m. Turns out, the conference chair had asked that all phones be turned off. By this time, my in-laws are calling me, asking when they can expect to hear from my DH. So, I called the hotel front desk, and told them what had happened -- and that it was urgent that someone get a message to my DH. The desk clerk walked all the way down to the conference center, and told the person sitting outside at the registration desk. Well, I didn't hear from my DH until hours later, when the conference adjourned -- and he was finally able to turn his phone back on. Turns out, nobody ever gave him my message. He called the airport and got the first flight out, to join the rest of his family.

 

My DH was very upset by how this was handled -- and I was livid! I still can't understand why nobody at that conference would even take the time to pass my DH a note, telling him to call home. But, short of getting a half-hearted apology from the folks who were running the conference, there was really nothing to be done.

 

I think that the OP has a good point: that the cruise line in question needs to know that their published "emergency contact" number had an epic fail, in this situation. Maybe they can remedy that deficit, so that nobody else has to go through this.

[sail7seas]

Most of us have figuredd out there is little the cruise line can do now except pay.

 

this is a " howmuch is enough tto make them go away, situation..........

UIMO

 

With OP posting while still on the ship and is not headed home, says to them, this is a how much $$$ circumstance.

 

Sadly Fm ily medmbef c annogt be xda edc. Whart does OP ewxpect cruis sline can do but Pay? Such devastation bbeing apart fcrom the family now would seem to indicagte, they would have levvt the ship first opp[ortunity. If the EMOTIONS ARE so painful L, WHY are THEY still on ghe ship and n HEQDE3D HOME bvut are poswting on the internet?

Edited October 14, 2016 by sail7seas

[Donray]

Inexcusable of Carnival's part. Whomever dropped the ball needs to be disciplined (IMO fired) I think the best you'll get is an apology, maybe a phone call. I don't think you're looking for a payday and I'd be pissed too.

 

So you would fire someone over a mistake that did not involve a life and death matter?

 

You I hope never made a mistake in your life.

[navybankerteacher]

Most of us have figuredd out there is little the cruise line can do now except pay.

 

this is a " howmuch is enough tto make them go away, situation..........

UIMO

 

With OP posting while still on the ship and is not headed home, says to them, this is a how much $$$ circumstance.

 

Sadly Fm ily medmbef c annogt be xda edc. Whart does OP ewxpect cruis sline can do but Pay? Such devastation bbeing apart fcrom the family now would seem to indicagte, they would have levvt the ship first opp[ortunity. If the EMOTIONS ARE so painful L, WHY are THEY still on ghe ship and n HEQDE3D HOME bvut are poswting on the internet?

 

 

I think you are correct. Obviously there was a break in the line of communications: indicating that perhaps whoever was in overall charge (the CEO) should be disciplined; it being very unlikely that the person receiving the initial call was totally to blame - nor was the person on the ship who should, had everything been done right, have contacted OP.

 

So, either a witch hunt should be undertaken to nail some low level intermediary - or the the CEO should be nailed.

[cherylandtk]

So you would fire someone over a mistake that did not involve a life and death matter?

 

You I hope never made a mistake in your life.

Actually, I think this WAS a life and death matter...

 

OP is not looking for a payout, but is looking for Carnival to rethink their procedures and re-instruct employees on how to handle such emergency notices. That is a reasonable request; but I agree with others that it can be taken up with corporate at a later date.

 

OP-So very sorry for your loss and the insensitive way Carnival dealt with it. If you want some sort of immediate attention to this matter, try posting on Carnival's Facebook page. They respond to those quickly. Keep it short, just state your family needed to contact you via Carnival's published emergency number for a life and death matter, and Carnival failed to notify you, at all. State clearly you don't want money, just a better system in the future and re-training for all involved.

[Blondilu]

I worked for years at an answering service. Our job was to take and deliver messages. Some of them were emergencies, others could wait. Some we were told were emergencies when they weren't, it was just someone wanting something right away and they weren't willing to wait.

 

We had procedures for everything, trained and re-trained our employees. Stuff still went wrong.

 

A message can be miscoded. Numbers and names can be recorded incorrectly. The person taking the call can misunderstand the seriousness of the call. People make mistakes, that is the unfortunate truth of all things. Sometimes those mistakes amount to nothing much and then there are ones like this that have caused so much hurt.

 

To me, it's not that something went wrong (awful as it it), but how it is handled. At the very least, a personal apology would be in order. This could come from the head of the call center, or even higher up. It would be the decent thing to do.

 

You can tell a lot about a company by how they handle the really tough issues. Come on, Carnival. Step up.

 

To the OP: I wish you all the best in this tough time and hope it is resolved to your satisfaction.

[celle]

To the OP, I am sorry for your loss. I'm also sorry that you weren't notified in a timely fashion.

However, I don't think there is any future in pursuing a complaint. Obviously, the ball was dropped somewhere along the line, but it will be very difficult to found out whose fault it was.

 

When we travel, we always make sure that we have roaming on our mobile phone. Although we don't have the phone turned on while the ship is at sea, we turn it on as soon as we get close enough to shore to reach the local phone services.

We also sign up to receive internet on the ship and in hotels. We check our email at least twice a day.

Thus, we can be contacted either by phone (on land) or email (at sea) within a few hours.

 

Before going away, we tell our family to contact us via text message or email, or both, should an emergency occur.

We don't rely on a third party, such as the cruise line, to relay urgent messages.

 

I know that some people prefer to switch off while on holiday, but we feel safer doing what we do.

[Ashland]

This is one of the many reason's why we prefer to purchase a cruise package or International plan from our cell phone provider (AT&T) and keep my cell phone on...My family knows when I travel I'm only a text or phone call directly away....night or day regardless of where I am....I can respond immediately...no middleman or 3rd party involved. Just something that the many of you that insist in keeping your real only (cell phone) direct line of communication open with family is turned off...Hopefully this will give you a reason to reconsider your options...JMHO and how we prefer to travel.

 

So very sorry this has happened to the OP but something that could happen to any of us....so please reconsider turning that cell phone off.

[blueinspades]

So sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine that the ship staff did not page you to contact guest services. It was an emergency.

 

My son and his wife were in the middle of a 7-day Mediterranean cruise round trip out of Barcelona, a few years ago, when my husband suddenly passed away. I tried reaching them myself thru the emergency number, but got the run around. It took my local police department calling and telling everyone he was transferred to that he was Officer ___ from the ___ Police Department and demanded to be connected directly to my son’s cabin. It worked. When my DIL picked up the phone in their cabin, I told her the sad news. The ship was headed into a scheduled port in Italy. They got off the ship, when it docked, to fly home immediately. The only problem was the airfare since their return tickets were for a different date, country, airline and non-refundable. Their credit cards were not accepting a foreign transaction of the airfare and they did not have enough credit on the one card that was accepted. They did have cruise insurance but it only reimbursed them after they got home and sent in a death certificate. Somehow, they did get enough emergency credit to fly home. I suggest travelers register credit cards for the country(s) the ship will visit and check available credit to be able to fly home in an emergency.

[Keith1010]

I too am sorry for your loss.

 

If it was me, I would wait until I get home. I would think it all through.

 

Keith