Couple left in Honduras because of monkey bite.

[purplekisses]

My bosses father and mother were on a Holland America cruise that returned on the 27th without them. Their cruise visited Key West, Roatan and 2 other ports, but they were escorted off the ship because his mother was bite by a monkey. The bite was bleeding. She went to see the ship doctor and he promptly had them escorted off the ship. Now they are out over $4000 in airfare and hotel costs. Is this the usual when bitten on a shore excursion?

[Boytjie]

I would think that the medical team decided that they could not appropriately treat the wound and had them sent to a medical facility on land.

[hvsteve1]

The argument for travel insurance; medical care, hotels, airfare home.

[world~citizen]

The argument for travel insurance; medical care, hotels, airfare home.

 

You nailed it.

[Mary Ellen]

I hope things work out for them - and that they both had passports.

[1025cruise]

Probably the medical staff decided it was better for a shore side facility to handle this.

However, if this were a HAL excursion, I think they might have a chance to get some money back. Hopefully, they had travel insurance.

[PathfinderEss]

Animal bites can be quite serious and this person might have had to go thru rabies shots. I can understand why the ships medical staff though it was better for the passenger to get treatment on shore. I would doubt very much that Hal carry's rabies shots.

[mamaofami]

Melodie is correct.

Monkey bites can be very serious.

Google monkey bites and you can read all about it.

 

 

I hope the lady gets good care quickly.

[sail7seas]

Monkey bites can carry awful disease. Some of those diseases are not serious to the monkeys but very serious to humans.

 

I agree with the others who say they hope this couple had medical travel insurance.

 

From the few facts given here and taken at face value, I don't see that HAL did anything wrong. The doctor made a medical decision and I am in no position to second guess it.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ships only have facilities to handle so many medical emergencies.

They are not a Hospital.

I imagine that they felt she needed serious medical help right away -- certain drugs which the ship doesn't carry. They probably had no choice but to get her to a hospital.

I sure hope they had medical insurance and passports.

Too many people think that when sailing a closed loop cruise they do not need a passport and they never consider medical emergencies like this one.

[mamaofami]

I often wonder whether when people say someone has been put off a ship, they mean they were just left at the pier or transported to the local hospital.:confused:

[sail7seas]

I often wonder whether when people say someone has been put off a ship, they mean they were just left at the pier or transported to the local hospital.:confused:

 

 

Yes.

Good point.

[kazu]

I often wonder whether when people say someone has been put off a ship, they mean they were just left at the pier or transported to the local hospital.:confused:

 

I can only go by two experiences I have actually seen. Both times the passenger and their better half were taken to the hospital - HAL arranged a hotel for the significant other and the steward packed up their luggage.

 

Frankly I was quite impressed.

 

these were people on our roll call and they emailed me later to let me know they were well (thank heavens) and these are their first hand accounts to me (although we were told the same on board by the staff).

[mamaofami]

That's good to know. I too have seen people waiting to be transported to a hospital.I can't imagine that HAL would just abandon someone at the pier who was in need of medical attention.

[Carolin]

I've decided to never go on those tours involving monkeys. This is the third thread over the years where people have been bitten by monkeys on tours.

[catl331]

one wonders of the value of Med. treatment in Honduras. Maybe the Dr. felt it better that they head back to the states asap. Certainly the poster did not tell us all that went on.

[George C]

Need to get my trip insurance this week, was lucky and traveled without it for 50 cruises, do not want to push my luck. Also will stay away from monkies.

[Sea42]

I've decided to never go on those tours involving monkeys. This is the third thread over the years where people have been bitten by monkeys on tours.

Very wise choice. Although we don't know what happened here, it's a good idea to avoid any tour that allows interaction with wildlife. Monkeys can become very aggressive especially if feeding is involved. I've never understood the people who feel the need to interact rather than observe wildlife. I've seen people post photos of their children hand feeding monkeys. Totally clueless to the diseases that can be transferred.

[jbhcw]

On our first Hal cruise a trained monkey...jumped on my husband's shoulders...we were either in St. Kitts or Domminca...cannot remember...I thought he would have a heart attack!! He was raised in the rural south in the forties and fifties when stray animals and rabies were common...and has always been very leery of animals he does not know...I am the opposite and will head to any cat I see:eek: Thankfully he was not scratched or bitten but he headed straight away from the guy with the monkey:D

 

That being said....Monkeys are scary to me...how awful for the poor lady...she is much better off the ship receiving medical treatment or flying home.

 

We were involved in a MVA in St. Thomas many years ago...sailing Carnival...the Port authority folks drove us around...helped us find a hotel...took us back to the ship to pack...to a TA to get plane tickets home and to the airport the next day.....a traveling friend was seriously hurt and flown back to the states that night after having surgery...we stayed with them...and flew home the next day...the port authority people did eveything for us and were very helpful. I always make sure I have the emergency numbers with me anytime we get off the ship...and of course ALWAYS insurance...especially emergency transport back to the states.

[sail7seas]

We cruised with two other couples on a great itinerary from Pireaus (Athens) that included a call in Gibraltar. They all wanted to do the monkey excursion but I am a little freaked by them and excused DH and me from going with them. They decided not to go and sure enough didn't we hear about monkey bites and monkies stealing pocketbooks, cameras and other things from people on the tour. Imagine!!! I was happy we chose to enjoy other areas of that interesting port.

[alwaysfrantic]

Wasn't one of the pandemic books written about a disease that infected humans transmitted by a monkey bite.......

[sail7seas]

Yes, I remember that.

I think Robin Cook wrote a medical thriller that was based on monkeys.

 

[Sea42]

Wasn't one of the pandemic books written about a disease that infected humans transmitted by a monkey bite.......

There have been several I believe. Herpes and hepatitis are just two of the diseases that can be transmitted along with salmonella, intestinal parasites.

[mamaofami]

OK. This thread is enough for me to change my tour plans in St. Kitts that involved monkeys and get a day pass to the Marriott Hotel there. Decision made.

[sail7seas]

Good idea, Carol.

 

Skip the monkeys. Really, stay away from them. IMO