The Snootiest Ship in the DAM fleet!!

[mamaofami]

I know, hindsight is 20/20. When the escort did not come, I would have found the elevator provided for accessible use and made my way to the appointed station, getting as close as possible to the door. During either a drill or actual emergency, there would be many crew members to assist me.

 

Candy, the elevators do not run once the drill starts. In fact, they stop running about five minutes before.Is there really an elevator for accessible use? I've never heard or seen it mentioned anywhere. Would really like to know the answer to this.

[durangoscots]

Yes, there is an elevator designated for use by those needing it. I am able to do a number of lights of stairs but on several ships at the boat drill they have tried to send me up by elevator (darned gray hair!!!). Just start a little bit before the drill and ask the staff who will be stationed at the stairs.

 

Susan

[mamaofami]

Yes, there is an elevator designated for use by those needing it. I am able to do a number of lights of stairs but on several ships at the boat drill they have tried to send me up by elevator (darned gray hair!!!). Just start a little bit before the drill and ask the staff who will be stationed at the stairs.

 

Susan

 

Thank you.I believe all the elevators are operational until about ten minutes before the drill.

[earljr]

I will be looking forward to wearing smart casual clothes, (collared shirt/dress slacks) on all formal nights, only dining in either the Lido or Canaletto & being in all public areas about the ship, except for the MDR/PG during the (formal) evenings on my upcoming 20 day cruise! ;)

 

This was our standard dress during our recent 42 day Maasdam

[Christine Frances]

Thank you.I believe all the elevators are operational until about ten minutes before the drill.

 

Is there some sort of notification sent out to people with disabilities who have to use the elevators to go down early?

[sail7seas]

There are at least three loud speaker announcements made by Cruise Director. If you need extra time, you can gauge for yourself how long you should allow. You know how limited your mobility may be. Your Daily Program will state what time life boat drill begins and the CD announcements verify it.

 

[durangoscots]

But, you don't Have to go up (or down depending on where you are) early..... you can check and see which elevator is available for those in wheel chairs or unable to walk the steps. I was headed up from Dophin deck both times after the whistle had sounded and was offered the elevator by the staff who saw me lumbering up the steps. I refused since I could make it easily and felt I sould leave the lift for those really needing it. This may be why some people are delated at the boat stations; they had to wait a bit for that elevator. If I knew I needed it, I would start early ..... but then you really can not start early in a real emergency can you?

 

Susan

 

And of course there is always the problem is power is cut off..... !!!!!

[RuthC]

I believe all the elevators are operational until about ten minutes before the drill.

No, the elevators run at least until the first blasts summoning us to muster sound. I wait until the blasts start before I leave my cabin, and the elevator is always still available.

I do not know if the elevator is shut down at any point during the drill.

[DizzyDallasDi]

. . . What if it were any of you in my situation?? . . .

 

This is probably the first thing I thought about when reading your review and there is no way I would put myself in your situation. Traveling against doctor's advice, with a broken back, combined with a myriad of other debilitating ailments, and no travel companion capable of assisting in case of an emergency is nothing less than crazy IMO.

 

. . . What if it were any of you in my situation?? What if your travel companion was in a different location on the ship at the time of an actual emergency and could not be there to assist you?? WHO THEN would be assisting you??? . . .

 

Sadly, probably no one. :( In an ideal world, a crew member would come around to help but, as we all know, none of us live in an ideal world.

[mariner]

No we don't.

 

We were on Noordam once at the Crow's Nest before dinner. The fire alarm sounded. Thankfully, it was minor. But as much as we wanted to get back to the cabin (me to empty the safe), that wasn't happening because the fire was a few cabins away from us.

 

Both of us know our routes to the boat, although neither of us believe in an emergency that it's where we'll be told to go.

[mamaofami]

Somehow, I missed the part in Joanie's first post about her going on this cruise against her doctor's orders. I can understand that being in a suite and having a veranda and watching the ocean go by is a very nice vacation. But, there is no way I would ever put myself in that position with so many health issues. I would always be worrying about getting ill in some port where they wouldn't be able to take care of me. Her doctor's note would have been an automatic refund of her cruise fare. We had to do that once when DH had pneumonia. It's very easy.

[sail7seas]

Somehow, I missed the part in Joanie's first post about her going on this cruise against her doctor's orders. I can understand that being in a suite and having a veranda and watching the ocean go by is a very nice vacation. But, there is no way I would ever put myself in that position with so many health issues. I would always be worrying about getting ill in some port where they wouldn't be able to take care of me. Her doctor's note would have been an automatic refund of her cruise fare. We had to do that once when DH had pneumonia. It's very easy.

 

 

I think I missed whether she said they had insurance or not. I'm not sure I read whether yes or no.

 

[startwin]

<snip>

I must add here that I went on this cruise against my doctors advice. I have a multitude of health problems that have cropped up on me since May 2012, to include a Compression fracture of the T7 vertebrae (Thoracic spine), which translates to a broken back, Buerger's Disease and 2 major allergies going on that meant taking heavy doses of prednisone over a 6 month time frame, which also caused many more problems, to include forcing me to use oxygen 24/7, which was a good thing because I did not smoke 99.99% of the time. I still am smoking very little and rally do not miss them at all (well rarely).

<snip>

This is what Joanie actually wrote about going against doctors advice. But no mention of insurance.

 

Now we all know Joanie's zest for cruising, her enthusiasm and tendency to exaggerate just a bit, but it's time we stopped giving her such a hard time. I think she and everyone else gets the point now.

 

Merry Christmas!

[whogo]

The mandatory emergency drill fiasco is all Holland America's fault. The OP did her part by notifying HAL, upon receipt of the cruise contract as required, that she was on oxygen, in a wheel chair, had a broken back, and was traveling against doctor's orders. Holland America should have taken better care of her.

[santa fe]

The mandatory emergency drill fiasco is all Holland America's fault. The OP did her part by notifying HAL, upon receipt of the cruise contract as required, that she was on oxygen, in a wheel chair, had a broken back, and was traveling against doctor's orders. Holland America should have taken better care of her.

 

Was HAL notified that she was travelling against doctor's order ???

 

Not sure HAL would have permit her to get on board if they were advise, specially that her companion was not able to take care of her since he had mobility problems himself.

 

I have talk to a private nurse on the last Prinsendam TATL, she was taking care of an elderly couple who had the same kind of problems, I think that its the way to go.

[whogo]

Was HAL notified that she was travelling against doctor's order ???

 

I guess I don't know. I assumed she complying with the cruise contract which requires notification.

 

This quote from the Holland America website makes it sound like the emergency drill is optional:

 

Every day aboard a Holland America cruise ship brings a wealth of cruise activities and indulgences, along with the freedom to partake in as many — or as few — as you please. On a Holland America Line cruise, you do what you want, when you want. You can do everything or absolutely nothing. It's your choice. We recommend that you explore our wide-range of activities to find those that appeal to you.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=New+to+Cruising# "Do I have to participate in the activities?"

[santa fe]

Safety drill is not optional, you could be remove from the ship if you don't attend.

[Boytjie]

This quote from the Holland America website makes it sound like the emergency drill is optional:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=New+to+Cruising# "Do I have to participate in the activities?"

 

That's a stretch...

[Wakepatrol]

I guess I don't know. I assumed she complying with the cruise contract which requires notification.

 

This quote from the Holland America website makes it sound like the emergency drill is optional:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=New+to+Cruising# "Do I have to participate in the activities?"

 

 

Let's hope you're not an attorney:eek:

[innlady1]

I guess I don't know. I assumed she complying with the cruise contract which requires notification.

 

This quote from the Holland America website makes it sound like the emergency drill is optional:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=New+to+Cruising# "Do I have to participate in the activities?"

 

 

The emergency drill is not optional...

[whogo]

Every day aboard a Holland America cruise ship brings a wealth of cruise activities and indulgences, along with the freedom to partake in as many — or as few — as you please. On a Holland America Line cruise, you do what you want, when you want. You can do everything or absolutely nothing. It's your choice. We recommend that you explore our wide-range of activities to find those that appeal to you.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=New+to+Cruising#

 

 

 

Safety drill is not optional, you could be remove from the ship if you don't attend.

 

The emergency drill is not optional...

 

Then you are saying that the Holland America website is wrong and cruisers do not have the freedom to partake in as many - or as few - activities as they please and can not do what they want when they want. They can not do absolutely nothing.

 

Anyone know who to contact about the Holland America website error?

[Candy]

whogo: Since you are so concerned with the specifics of the contract itself, here's a quote from page 2 of the cruise contract:

Prior to the beginning of our cruise, we will be conducting a passenger emergency drill that will give all of our guests an opportunity to become more familiar with these procedures. Holland America Line believes that it is critical that you know what to do in an emergency – both for your own safety and that of your fellow guests. For this reason, guests who are unwilling to participate in the drill will be disembarked.

The lifeboat drill, safety drill, passenger emergency drill, or whatever else you want to call it, is not an activity. If you follow your own link in post 196 you will not find this drill on the activity list. An example of 'activity' would be trivia, bingo, Digital Workshop, golf putting or a hairy legs contest. Surely you know the difference?

[PeeGee Cruiser]

IMHO any disabled person who boards this or any other cruise ship, puts them self at a greater risk of danger or personal injury than an able bodied one. Everyone who sails with HAL knows that there will be a mandatory lifeboat drill before sail away, with plenty of prior warning. There are always plenty of crew members on every landing and doorways leading to the lifeboat stations. This whole exercise it certainly a very casual affair, not sure if this would be the case in a real emergency! Remember that the ship is still tied to the dock, so not too much chance of a real event! I can't imagine someone on a scooter, in rough weather trying to make it down to the muster station and into a lifeboat. The pics. of the Concordia should be a warning to all about the potential dangers, what would or could you do?

[solocanadian]

Let's hope you're not an attorney:eek:

You got that right! It's about time this thread got closed down. :rolleyes:

[solocanadian]

whogo: Since you are so concerned with the specifics of the contract itself, here's a quote from page 2 of the cruise contract:The lifeboat drill, safety drill, passenger emergency drill, or whatever else you want to call it, is not an activity. If you follow your own link in post 196 you will not find this drill on the activity list. An example of 'activity' would be trivia, bingo, Digital Workshop, golf putting or a hairy legs contest. Surely you know the difference?

Thank you, Candy!