Just returned from the Carnival Glory – Proceed with caution

[Sarah@Sea]

On our behind the fun tour they told us the ship cannot sail without a doctor.

 

True, they have to have a doctor to treat the employees, not the passengers. I did a research paper for my health law class on cruise ships...because I put it off and it was due the day I got back from my second cruise...so onboard research. ;)

[Sarah@Sea]

First the lady was called a big one. Not a cow but big. Haqe no idea if she is 25 pounds overweight or 300.

Second when someone makes all of the negative comments the OP did, I will take what she said with a grain of salt.

 

Third according to the CC rules you cannot engage in "hyperbole" here as 47% of the posters here will not know the meaning of the word.

 

Fat is fat...big could be fat or TALL? Just saying... :p

[Ryancoke]

I never read all the posts but there is one more thing you could add to the 'good' category: Your friend went to a Canadian hospital and actually received an x-ray and managed to get back to the ship in one day. Makes one wonder whether this story is made up. Assuming they deboarded at 8:00 am and had to get back by 5:30pm that's only 9 and a half hours (less travel time). Surely a modern day record. Where I'm from the average wait in emerg is 12 hrs and no broken bone would rate special treatment unless you're a celebrity, politician, resident in a federal penitentiary or an animal at a vet clinic. Those in the States who would like to emulate another country's system may consider taking note.

[drosphot]

Slippery floor signs doesn't correct the problem. If there is a problem it should be corrected.

 

Problem is lots of people don't think they have any responsibility whatsoever anymore.

I don't know a solution that would be popular to those that are the problem...

[AMZB]

Fat is fat...big could be fat or TALL? Just saying... :p

 

And in some cultures is not an insult. It could have been a compliment, depending who was saying it.

[Sarah@Sea]

And in some cultures is not an insult. It could have been a compliment, depending who was saying it.

 

Yep, I'm moving to Ghana where women go into "fat huts" in preparation for marriage. :D

[elcuchio24]

What if you have medical through Carnival? Is anything charged to you at all if something happens and you need to be seen? I am confused. I thought that is what we paid a good bit of money to Carnival for.. :(

 

wrong. No medical treatment is covered on the ship.

[Aknot]

And in some cultures is not an insult. It could have been a compliment, depending who was saying it.

 

 

Wait... so I wasn't really insulting my exwife?

[Sarah@Sea]

I never read all the posts but there is one more thing you could add to the 'good' category: Your friend went to a Canadian hospital and actually received an x-ray and managed to get back to the ship in one day. Makes one wonder whether this story is made up. Assuming they deboarded at 8:00 am and had to get back by 5:30pm that's only 9 and a half hours (less travel time). Surely a modern day record. Where I'm from the average wait in emerg is 12 hrs and no broken bone would rate special treatment unless you're a celebrity, politician, resident in a federal penitentiary or an animal at a vet clinic. Those in the States who would like to emulate another country's system may consider taking note.

 

I know for staff cruise lines call ahead and make sure they are seen as soon as possible since they need to be treated during "port" hours. Of course they have a system in place if that doesn't happen. But I'm sure there were some arrangements made for her since the ship required her to go.

 

Might not be celeb but I've seen places step it up for visitors...there was just a tourist from VA hit by a car on South Beach, the area vistors organization is covering the cost of her family members to fly down while she is in the hospital.

 

And not sure about the comment about us in the states...we often wait 12+ in the ER also.

[golfadj]

Wait... so I wasn't really insulting my exwife?

 

You can if you want to.

 

63% of the members of cc believe that is ok.

[LHP]

Scary.. My DH had a heart attack in December.. I am a bit scared now..For some reason I thought they had an extensive medical team on the ships... :confused:

 

I would not describe their medical team as extensive.

 

They are more like a "minor med" . They are not set up for surgeries...etc.

 

(for example, if someone has an attack of appendicitis...they give antibiotics via an IV until the patient can be transported to a medical facility).

 

I would think between the Coast Guard and ports...ships are usually close enough to a place to get additional assistance.

[lawskool10]

I've found that there are flip flops and there are flip flops. I had a pair that seemed to have no grip and got rid of them. Check the bottoms of them and find a pair that will touch the floor when stepped in and not hydroplane on water. I have found some areas of the deck around the Lido to be a little slippery and hard to see water on them. We watched people slip and slide for hours around the pool on the Dream while we played cards. Just have to be extra careful.

 

I'm the person who trips over the raised edge between balcony and room, outside decks and inside, so I am always trying to be extra careful.

 

I wear Reefs and never had a problem with slipping.

 

Those raised edges can get you, though. We were in the International lounge on the Freedom a couple of weeks ago. I watched my mom and a few other people trip. One lady fell.

 

We all need to be extra cautious....

[Dave0311]

Good to know that they paid. I asuume you bought the insurance they offer?

 

Now what were to happen if someone started having a heart attack or a stroke God forbid? Is the medical team onboard equipt to handle something of that magnitude?

My uncle went to the infirmary back in 2003 on the Legend, complaining of indigestion. Turns out he was having a heart attack. The medical team on the Legend were able to diagnose it and keep him stable until they arrived back in NYC the next day.

[Pee-ah]

I never read all the posts but there is one more thing you could add to the 'good' category: Your friend went to a Canadian hospital and actually received an x-ray and managed to get back to the ship in one day. Makes one wonder whether this story is made up. Assuming they deboarded at 8:00 am and had to get back by 5:30pm that's only 9 and a half hours (less travel time). Surely a modern day record. Where I'm from the average wait in emerg is 12 hrs and no broken bone would rate special treatment unless you're a celebrity, politician, resident in a federal penitentiary or an animal at a vet clinic. Those in the States who would like to emulate another country's system may consider taking note.

 

I never even thought that this was exceptional, as when i thought that i had broken my wrist, I went to a walkin clinic at 10... was instructed to go to the x-ray lab for 10:45 and was out of there by 11:15. Dr called in the afternoon to say bad sprain but no breaks.

 

We here complain about our system.. but i guess it goes to show that no one has it perfect!

 

In regards to being called "Big" the term is relative. The person doing the x-rays could have been 89lbs wet... so to them everyone is "Big"

[comeon530]

Just returned from the Carnival Glory – Proceed with caution

 

 

One person in my party had the misfortune of slipping on the Lido deck in an area located near dining tables. There were no caution signs or barriers placed to indicate that the area was wet and when my friend went to medical services, she treated with inadequate medical care and extremely rudely by a member of the medical staff. The person who was on call told her it was her fault because she was wearing flip flops (I didn't realize the pool was a no flip flop zone) and was told "my you are big" when this person attempted to take an x-ray. She was also told that if she refused to go the hospital in Halifax she would be put off the ship and if she did go, and if she didn't return by 5:30 pm, the ship would sail without her and she'd have to find her own way home. She also was forced to sign a document stating that she was responsible for the cost of medical incurred before they would call an ambulance to take her for evaluation which is another story. The Halifax hospital took one x-ray - hardly enough for a potential fracture.

 

We fully intend to complain to Carnival and my friend is contemplating a possible law suit if she is presented with a bill. We subsequently found out that two additional people slipped on this deck. Certainly this is something that Carnival has to address.

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate this cruise experience a 7.

 

One xray can be completely sufficient in determining a fracture. Did she have a fracture? Did the xray show it? Are they going to sue the Halifax hospital as well?? Medical care is not free. If she signed a paper saying she was responsible, then how does she expect to NOT be responsible?

 

The 'my you are big' comment was rude and unprofessional. It's a fact though, that it can be difficult to obtain adequate films on large people, especially with limited equipment.

 

The lido deck tends to almost always have wet spots. It's near the pool! Would your friend not have walked there if there was a sign? Funny how we never care about the signs until we trip or fall. Then we look for one. I hope your friend is doing ok and didn't break anything.

[Redbird54]

As I was not there, I can't say for certain that my friend, who was in pain, may have not being fully cooperative and made the situation worse. She told me that the medical staff was inpatient with her since she couldn't make a decision on how to proceed. But in all fairness, she had a minor child on the cruise with her and could not reach any of us as we were off the ship at the time. The message I received in my cabin when I returned later that day was from said they were my "mother" (they didn't know the patients name) was injured and in the medical office.

 

It's possible this was an isolated incident but there were also smaller incidents that guests onboard relayed to me about staff being rude or unhelpful to them or their children that week. Maybe it's just that these people are overworked and in need of time off.

[MiddleAgedBroad]

And in some cultures is not an insult. It could have been a compliment, depending who was saying it.

 

Good point. In Jamaica, "fat" is just a descriptive term, with no judgment associated with it. (One of the reasons I love Jamaica!)

 

Being called "big" by medical staff isn't limited to cruise ship personnel. You don't even have to be all THAT big to have doctors telling you, no matter what you're seeing them for, to lose weight. Hangnail? Lose weight. Mole that changed colors? Lose weight. You can walk 2-1/2 miles in 40 minutes with a 30-degree hill at the end of it and your blood pressure is 120/70 and your LDL is 130 and your HDL is 75? Lose weight.

 

There are ambulance chaser lawyers who will agree to handle any slip and fall case, no matter how trivial. But I think it's a waste of time.

 

Question to the original poster: When politicians talk about "tort reform", are you in favor of that? Do you realize it's inconsistent with what you want to do?

 

It's one thing if the ship is truly negligent -- a wet pool area seems hardly negligent. (And note to self -- don't take the flip-flops.....in fact, I think I'll take run to Marty's Shoes this Saturday and try to get something with like a snow tire on the bottom.)

[Hunwolf]

Just an editor's note here:

 

Don't do a search for phrases including the word "fat" at the urban dictionary site. Trust me...:eek:

[skylock]

As I was not there, I can't say for certain that my friend, who was in pain, may have not being fully cooperative and made the situation worse. She told me that the medical staff was inpatient with her since she couldn't make a decision on how to proceed. But in all fairness, she had a minor child on the cruise with her and could not reach any of us as we were off the ship at the time. The message I received in my cabin when I returned later that day was from said they were my "mother" (they didn't know the patients name) was injured and in the medical office.

 

It's possible this was an isolated incident but there were also smaller incidents that guests onboard relayed to me about staff being rude or unhelpful to them or their children that week. Maybe it's just that these people are overworked and in need of time off.

 

So now we get more details. Imagine the staff being impatient because a person presents themselves for threatment from a fall and they are unable to provide the treatment so the person is referred to another place for treatment and the ship will be leaving soon, but that person can't decide what to do.

 

I guess they should have suspended the leaving of the port until your friend could make up her mind and decided what she needed to do. I am sure noone else would have minded at all.

 

Let's face it, your friend slipped on a floor she should have known or realized could be slippery assuming she is an adult with a fully functioning brain. She was too big for the xray equipment on the ship, therefore she had to go to the local hospital. Who's fault was that? To top that off, obviously she did not have travel insurance to take care of her medical bills, again, who's fault was that? And now she is thinking of sueing if she receives the bill for the treatment she sought out and received because she thinks the staff was "rude" and it had to be someone elses fault because she fell while on a sip because the floor on the lido deck was maybe wet.

 

She needs to pay that bill and chalk it up as apparently some much needed life experience. I bet she will never not pay attention while walking on the lido deck again and hopefully she can pass that wisdom (common knowledge in my neck of the woods) on to her minor child.

[CRZCRAZY]

To CRZCAZY . WOW I want to be like you. You cruise so often. How do you do it? Are you retired? What do I need to do now to be just like you ?

Retired Federal employee, and I buy insurance when I cruise :D

[Redbird54]

Retired Federal employee, and I buy insurance when I cruise :D

 

Actually she does have ship insurance from Carnival. Is medical covered under it?

 

I always buy insurance as well but I booked elsewhere.