Another blow to RCCL

[biensur]

When a ship lands a passenger for a medical debark, they always advise the port agent, especially in a foreign port (local immigration usually needs to know, because passengers arriving on a ship are cleared for entry and exit according to the ship's schedule). They don't usually send a crew member with the family, unless the Passenger Services Director (Purser) and the Senior Doctor agree this is absolutely necessary.

 

The port agent usually follows up with the medical facility and tries to get in touch with the passenger to offer assistance if needed. Many passengers check out of hospitals and never contact the port agent to tell them their plans, then they complain that no one helped them. Port agents will always contact the ship if the passenger plans to reboard in another port, and gives flight details so the ship can contact the port agent in the boarding port to help get the passenger to the ship on time.

 

It doesn't sound like there was the usual communication between passenger and port agent. Otherwise he likely would not have missed the ship in its first port of call after Aruba.

 

Absolute rule of thumb: Always have the port agent's info with you. If anything happens to even possibly affect your boarding of the ship in time, this is the first call to make.

[south1246]

There is a departure time posted. If you read the compass they will give you this time. My wife and I have a tradition of standing on the deck watching the idiots run for the ship. On more than one occasion we have raised a toast and waived to people who missed the ship. If you don't feel well and know you are running late, go back to the ship and try again at the next port. HA HA

[rcicruiser]

I think the George Smith thing was a blow to them, but mostly because his wife hasn't met a tv camera she doesn't love and the cable networks seem to have time to fill now that the Aruba thing is dying down. The media has really playe that one out and now, we do notice that folks ask if we think cruising is safe, where before they were just envious of the trip

 

 

the George Smith case was not a blow to them, they where just getting the correct facts out to the public, to counter the famliy's lies. They have had no decrease in bookings. I think it is actually helping. I work in a Travel Agency and we have not seen any decrease in bookings and we book alot of Royal Caribbean.

 

Must people who cruise are not even paying attention to the case or say, it was his fault for getting drunk. They also say the smith's are just after money.

[Schplinky]

rci,

 

I'm glad to hear that. We've been speculating whether they would swap Brilliance for the Jewel this summer but I doubt they will. Ms. Smith seems to want everyone else to have answers for a period of time she "cannot" recall and for which she does not hold herself accountable. I also agree that most of her quest for knowledge has been about incriminating RCL and I'm oddly proud of my favourite cruiseline that they have acted with such dignity.