Interrogation Room Posted January 27, 2012 #1 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Passengers injured in bus accident this morning on St. Thomas. Passengers from off the Serenade of the Seas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PH8 Posted January 27, 2012 #2 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Oh no:(........do you have a link for this story?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marci22 Posted January 27, 2012 #3 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Dated for today, but few details. http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2012/01/27/13-injured-2-badly-safari-bus-accident#skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace#11 Posted January 27, 2012 #4 Share Posted January 27, 2012 This doesn't say anything about cruise passengers, but this is the news report for a bus accident on St. Thomas this morning from the St. Thomas Source: "13 Injured, 2 Badly, in Safari Bus Accident By Source Staff — January 27, 2012 Two people have been “badly” injured and 11 others hurt in a Safari bus accident on Skyline Drive near Beacon Point overlook. All passengers on the vehicle that ran off the road and into the bush were being transferred to Schneider Regional Medical Center, according to Christine Lett, public information officer for the V.I. Territory Emergency Management Agency. Skyline Drive was closed to traffic between Mafolie Hill and Donoe bypass according to Melody Rames, V.I. Police Department public information officer. Motorists are asked to avoid the area by using Raphune Hill. Rames said the Tourist Oriented Police were at the scene to assist the passengers and to provide a link to the Tourism Department. Rames said along with V.I. Police Department officers, VITEMA, Fire Department and St. Thomas Rescue personnel also responded to the accident." http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2012/01/27/13-injured-2-badly-safari-bus-accident Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interrogation Room Posted January 27, 2012 Author #5 Share Posted January 27, 2012 This doesn't say anything about cruise passengers, but this is the news report for a bus accident on St. Thomas this morning from the St. Thomas Source: "13 Injured, 2 Badly, in Safari Bus Accident By Source Staff — January 27, 2012 Two people have been “badly” injured and 11 others hurt in a Safari bus accident on Skyline Drive near Beacon Point overlook. All passengers on the vehicle that ran off the road and into the bush were being transferred to Schneider Regional Medical Center, according to Christine Lett, public information officer for the V.I. Territory Emergency Management Agency. Skyline Drive was closed to traffic between Mafolie Hill and Donoe bypass according to Melody Rames, V.I. Police Department public information officer. Motorists are asked to avoid the area by using Raphune Hill. Rames said the Tourist Oriented Police were at the scene to assist the passengers and to provide a link to the Tourism Department. Rames said along with V.I. Police Department officers, VITEMA, Fire Department and St. Thomas Rescue personnel also responded to the accident." http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2012/01/27/13-injured-2-badly-safari-bus-accident Any bus that carries passengers on Skyline Drive is carrying tourists from off a cruise ship. I just got word that this was a ship sponsored excursion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NorbertsNiece Posted January 27, 2012 #6 Share Posted January 27, 2012 My thoughts and prayers for those injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdthird Posted January 27, 2012 #7 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Sorry, but calling those things a bus is a real misnomer. They are pickup trucks with the most rudimentary benches in the back where they cram as many people as possible and then drive in the most reckless fashion as they go around curves and up and down hills of the island. We have been on St Thomas twice in the past year and had several white knuckle rides on them...both Royal sponsored excursions and grabbing a "taxi" (they are also called safari taxis) from the port. On our last trip we came back to the ship in a real cab - a Ford Excursion - and the driver told us that St Thomas was in the process of outlawing these Safari Taxis due to the recent death of a tourist who fell out of one and the driver had no idea! You are truly cargo in one of these vehicles! Seat belts??? Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NorbertsNiece Posted January 27, 2012 #8 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Sorry, but calling those things a bus is a real misnomer. They are pickup trucks with the most rudimentary benches in the back where they cram as many people as possible and then drive in the most reckless fashion as they go around curves and up and down hills of the island. We have been on St Thomas twice in the past year and had several white knuckle rides on them...both Royal sponsored excursions and grabbing a "taxi" (they are also called safari taxis) from the port. On our last trip we came back to the ship in a real cab - a Ford Excursion - and the driver told us that St Thomas was in the process of outlawing these Safari Taxis due to the recent death of a tourist who fell out of one and the driver had no idea! You are truly cargo in one of these vehicles! Seat belts??? Ha! Reminds me of an excursion I did on Aruba....not ship organised but a bunch of us hanging on for dear life in the back of a 4X4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marci22 Posted January 27, 2012 #9 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Sorry, but calling those things a bus is a real misnomer. They are pickup trucks with the most rudimentary benches in the back where they cram as many people as possible and then drive in the most reckless fashion as they go around curves and up and down hills of the island. We have been on St Thomas twice in the past year and had several white knuckle rides on them...both Royal sponsored excursions and grabbing a "taxi" (they are also called safari taxis) from the port. On our last trip we came back to the ship in a real cab - a Ford Excursion - and the driver told us that St Thomas was in the process of outlawing these Safari Taxis due to the recent death of a tourist who fell out of one and the driver had no idea! You are truly cargo in one of these vehicles! Seat belts??? Ha! Our taxi driver said the same thing recently. We waited for a closed taxi in St. Thomas because we didn't want to ride the open air ones. He told us that it would probably take someone dying due to an accident for them to get regulations in place. Shortly after, that girl fell out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marci22 Posted January 27, 2012 #10 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Reminds me of an excursion I did on Aruba....not ship organised but a bunch of us hanging on for dear life in the back of a 4X4 It's funny how people will not speak up when they are on vacation. You would probably never stand for that at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Cat Posted January 27, 2012 #11 Share Posted January 27, 2012 From Serenade OTS. Occured near Beacon Point. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_VIRGIN_ISLANDS_TOURIST_BUS_CRASH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-01-27-11-25-24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Cat Posted January 27, 2012 #12 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Though no crash is good; only one broken hip out of the whole crash is lucky considering all those skinny winding roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdthird Posted January 27, 2012 #13 Share Posted January 27, 2012 The second time we were on the Allure in November our family (6 of us) were going to take a cab to Cochi Beach and there was almost a fight in the "taxi" between passengers and the driver as he kept trying to jam as many folks into the "taxi" as possible! A couple of folks were going across the island to a dive trip they'd book independently and were about to miss the boat because of the delay to fill the "taxi". It's a different kind of cab experience when you are trying to get one the morning the Allure docks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted January 27, 2012 #14 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Our taxi driver said the same thing recently. We waited for a closed taxi in St. Thomas because we didn't want to ride the open air ones. He told us that it would probably take someone dying due to an accident for them to get regulations in place. Shortly after, that girl fell out. I had really not given this issue much thought in the past. We have always opted for the open taxis as I prefer to be in fresh air rather than air conditioning. I may be down in the Caribbean next month with a very different attitude than what I have had previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Cat Posted January 27, 2012 #15 Share Posted January 27, 2012 We've done the open air safari truck/bus before on St Thomas before and it was great. The mountain roads can be skinny and steep. Drivers frequently smash their mirrors into each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Boy Posted January 27, 2012 #16 Share Posted January 27, 2012 We've done the open air safari truck/bus before on St Thomas before and it was great. The mountain roads can be skinny and steep. Drivers frequently smash their mirrors into each other. And think nothing of it and keep right on going!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryano Posted January 27, 2012 #17 Share Posted January 27, 2012 So is this the road to the top of the mountain so you can take pics of the ships down below? I REALLY wanted to go up there for at least some photos but I dont want to fear for my life! :eek: I dont think the cable cars are handicap accessible and I dont care for them anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaTraveler Posted January 27, 2012 #18 Share Posted January 27, 2012 It's funny how people will not speak up when they are on vacation. You would probably never stand for that at home. You are so right about this. I have a first grader who I would NEVER let ride at home without a booster seat, and haven't thought twice about putting her in a caribbean taxi (with who knows who driving) without one...and we'll be lucky if the thing has a working seatbelt! What is wrong with me? Do people take boosters along on cruises with them?? Prayers for all involved with the accident on St Thomas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdthird Posted January 27, 2012 #19 Share Posted January 27, 2012 And think nothing of it and keep right on going!:D Apparently even of passengers tumble out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwdnj Posted January 27, 2012 #20 Share Posted January 27, 2012 You are so right about this. I have a first grader who I would NEVER let ride at home without a booster seat, and haven't thought twice about putting her in a caribbean taxi (with who knows who driving) without one...and we'll be lucky if the thing has a working seatbelt! What is wrong with me? Do people take boosters along on cruises with them?? Prayers for all involved with the accident on St Thomas! What good is a booster seat without seatbelts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Cat Posted January 27, 2012 #21 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Ryano, the cable cars only take you part way up toe one side. You need transportation to go all the way up or to the other side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdthird Posted January 27, 2012 #22 Share Posted January 27, 2012 On one Royal excursion we were on one that barely had seats!! I know it had no springs or tread on the tires!!! Oh, and if you think these "taxis" are handcaped accesable, think again. Everyone has trouble climbing up into them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryano Posted January 27, 2012 #23 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Ryano, the cable cars only take you part way up toe one side. You need transportation to go all the way up or to the other side Thanks for the info! :) I just need a regular car taxi...........Do they have those? Oh, and if you think these "taxis" are handcaped accesable, think again. Everyone has trouble climbing up into them! So they dont have just regular car taxis? You couldnt tie me up and drag me on one these "buses" I can transfer into a car with no problem though Surely there is a way for people in wheelchairs to get to the top to take pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
setsail Posted January 27, 2012 #24 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Surely there is a way for people in wheelchairs to get to the top to take pics? http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=STL7&DestinationCode=CARIB&sourcePage=shorexByTypePortDest&ActivityTypeId=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryano Posted January 27, 2012 #25 Share Posted January 27, 2012 http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=STL7&DestinationCode=CARIB&sourcePage=shorexByTypePortDest&ActivityTypeId=1 Perfect :) Thank you so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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