Pregnant cruiser

[Gina130284]

Hi- I know this is an RCI board, but my friend is pregnant and having her first cruise with Thomson next month when she will be 27 weeks. Her terms & conditions say you cant sail after 24 weeks.

 

Does anyone know how much this is enforced and why its 24 weeks when she can fly to 28 weeks??

[LuvWilliam]

Because the ship isn't equipped to handle women who go into labor/premie. The chance of delivering early goes up the later into pregnancy you get. They do enforce it and will ask for a doctors note stating how many weeks pregnant she is and that she is not a high risk pregnancy.

[LuvWilliam]

They will deny boarding at the pier. Sorry for your friend!

[Gina130284]

They will deny boarding at the pier. Sorry for your friend!

 

Thanks for a quick reply. She's checked the website which says 28 weeks, which contradicts other info so she's going to call Thomson tomorrow to clarify.

[LuvWilliam]

Oh... I read your OP wrong. RCI doesn't allow past 23 weeks.

[PattyW]

The reasons are as stated above. 24 weeks is generally right on the cusp of viability; a baby born then, with good medical care, has very good survival chances. They don't want to risk being in the middle of the ocean without excellent medical facilities.

 

Now, for enforcement. . . I've sailed pregnant three times. I obtained the proper note all three times. I was never asked for the note. Once I was right on the cusp of 24 weeks, basically as pregnant as you can be and still sail. Per the rules, I literally could not have sailed the next week. It was my third child and I was absolutely 100% pregnant looking. Still . . . no one asked for a note.

[Gina130284]

The reasons are as stated above. 24 weeks is generally right on the cusp of viability; a baby born then, with good medical care, has very good survival chances. They don't want to risk being in the middle of the ocean without excellent medical facilities.

 

Now, for enforcement. . . I've sailed pregnant three times. I obtained the proper note all three times. I was never asked for the note. Once I was right on the cusp of 24 weeks, basically as pregnant as you can be and still sail. Per the rules, I literally could not have sailed the next week. It was my third child and I was absolutely 100% pregnant looking. Still . . . no one asked for a note.

 

Thanks for your reply!!

Her terms and conditions say 24 weeks, but the FAQ's on their website say 28 weeks!

[6rugrats]

Thanks for your reply!!

Her terms and conditions say 24 weeks, but the FAQ's on their website say 28 weeks!

The FAQ are not binding, but the Conditions of Carriage are, and they state:

 

9. Pregnancy

9.1. Women can cruise onboard our ships up to the 24th week of pregnancy without restriction. If you will be more than 24 weeks pregnant at the end of your cruise then you will not be able to sail. The Carrier reserves the right to request a medical certificate at any stage of pregnancy and to refuse passage if the Carrier and/or the Master are not satisfied that the Passenger will be safe during the passage.

 

Your friend will most likely be denied boarding and will lose all her money.

[1025cruise]

Unfortunately, your friend will be denied boarding. The ships simply don't have the facilities to handle a premature birth.

[flhokie]

It does stink that they have conflicting information for passengers, but she will be bound to the contract of carriage. As others have said, it is really about the care they are not able to provide if she were to deliver prematurely. Even though they have every right to enforce full cancellation penalties, hopefully with the conflicting information they have on their own website someone might make some type of exception (credit for a future sailing, etc).

 

We sailed Princess at 14 weeks and had to have a letter from the doctor stating my due date and that I was fit to travel. I had to provided that to the special needs department in advance. I kept a copy with me, but was never asked.

 

I kept the same letter with me as I flew for work through 34 weeks (with doctor's approval), but was never asked for it then either.

[Carnival_Brides]

My sister-in-law was just under 23 weeks on my wedding cruise in January and CCL hounded us for her note. We got a call before the cruise asking us to fax it AND they demanded to see it at the port when we checked in. We had it and she barely squeaked in under the wire, but they were prepared to not let her board. We did mark that she was pregnant on our online check-in.

[boowaaccaa]

I was 24 weeks - first pregnancy - but I looked pregnant and wore pregnancy clothes. I had my note from my doctor - I was not asked for it. I volunteered it.

I bet, she will not be asked, imagine the embarrassment if she claimed she was just fat and not pregnant. People at the gate may be embarrassed to ask.....unless it is pretty obvious. Perhaps your friend can wear a big sweater (in the heat!). BUT you are always running the chance of being on a ship with a premature labour. I don't think a preterm baby will make it if there are problems.

[Cruisin' Chick]

And I would imagine if you do go into labor and god forbid, something goes wrong, the liability will fall on your shoulders if you didn't notify the cruise line ahead of time with info on how far you were along.

 

I went full term (plus a few days) on my one pregnancy, but did go on a cruise (with my OB-GYN's full approval) at 4-1/2 months along. My boss's wife had her baby at about 28 weeks when her water broke prematurely. Her baby was in the NICU for a few weeks as his lungs needed extra help. BTW the mom was in her 20s, and I was in my 40s when we gave birth the same year. So you just never know when you might have problems.

[Lerin]

I don't think a preterm baby will make it if there are problems.

Probably not, which is why it's against the rules.

Planes have the ability to quickly land, which is why you can be further along and still fly.

Even in a hurry, a big ship can only go so far.

 

We had to plan a cruise around my pregnancy in order to make the 24 week deadline. Not that it has anything to do with your question, but it was my least enjoyable cruise ever. I was exhausted, swollen, hot and nauseous most the time. And of course couldn't drink...I will never sail pregnant again.

[gerif]

I sure hope your friend has good insurance.

[boowaaccaa]

Probably not, which is why it's against the rules.

Planes have the ability to quickly land, which is why you can be further along and still fly.

Even in a hurry, a big ship can only go so far.

 

We had to plan a cruise around my pregnancy in order to make the 24 week deadline. Not that it has anything to do with your question, but it was my least enjoyable cruise ever. I was exhausted, swollen, hot and nauseous most the time. And of course couldn't drink...I will never sail pregnant again.

 

I couldn't drink and that part sucked, but otherwise I really enjoyed our cruise. I was tired but I went to bed early and lucky for me never got too hot or nauseous. Overall I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy though. I would absolutely cruise again pregnant.

[Athankfulheart]

I wouldn't recommend bucking the rules, but I did have a similar experience to the other ladies who have posted. I was a week before the deadline for an NCL cruise in 2006. It was my 8th baby and I definitely looked pregnant. I was never asked for my letter at check-in in Oahu, Hawaii. It was kind of annoying since I went to the trouble to get it. I was a prominent belly the entire cruise, including in the passengers hula class/show and nobody ever said a word. Well, except for that I was the first pregnant lady in the show, LOL. I don't recall if there was a box to check for pregnancy at online check in.

[beachchick]

I sure hope your friend has good insurance.

 

The only kind that would work, I think, is the Cancel for Any Reason insurance. Regular policies will not pay if the cancellation is the fault of the passenger.

 

But my other thought is that she should call Thomson and say, "I booked based on the FAQ of your website, which states 28 weeks pregnant as the cutoff. My Cruise Contract, which I did not have immediately, says 24 weeks. This conflicting information has caused a problem for me. Please allow me to cancel (or rebook later or have a cruise credit) because of the confusion caused by your public information." If she is told no way, then she should, IMO, ask to speak to a supervisor and escalate if necessary.

 

Normally, I would say (being the big meanie I am), "Well, that's her problem because she should have known long before now that she would be denied boarding." But in this case, I truly feel that the cruise line is as responsible. Not everyone has a computer (shocking, I know) or uses the internet (can you imagine?) or has access to Cruise Critic (now that's a real tragedy), so how can they expect everyone to decipher their conflicting rules?

 

beachchick

[gerif]

The only kind that would work, I think, is the Cancel for Any Reason insurance. Regular policies will not pay if the cancellation is the fault of the passenger.

 

But my other thought is that she should call Thomson and say, "I booked based on the FAQ of your website, which states 28 weeks pregnant as the cutoff. My Cruise Contract, which I did not have immediately, says 24 weeks. This conflicting information has caused a problem for me. Please allow me to cancel (or rebook later or have a cruise credit) because of the confusion caused by your public information." If she is told no way, then she should, IMO, ask to speak to a supervisor and escalate if necessary.

 

Normally, I would say (being the big meanie I am), "Well, that's her problem because she should have known long before now that she would be denied boarding." But in this case, I truly feel that the cruise line is as responsible. Not everyone has a computer (shocking, I know) or uses the internet (can you imagine?) or has access to Cruise Critic (now that's a real tragedy), so how can they expect everyone to decipher their conflicting rules?

 

beachchick

 

Excellent advice as usual. Using that reasoning, she might just get credit for a future cruise. In any event, she won't be going on this one.

[AlohaPride]

I'm having trouble understanding why your friend would wait until the month before her cruise to start asking these questions. You don't have to pay in full until, at most, 90 days before the cruise. That's 13 weeks. Some lines don't require payment until 75 days before your cruise (11 wks). If she'll be 27 weeks by her cruise, she was 14 weeks at the time of final payment. Did she not know she was pregnant? Why did she wait 2 months before figuring this all out? If she noticed conflict between the website and her contract, she should have called before making final payment. Or, am I missing something?

I had to cancel a cruise because we found out I was pregnant. We booked an earlier cruise in order to avoid being told I couldn't board. Easy as pie. It was a great cruise (aside from the fact that I suffer with hyperemesis gravidarum when pregnant).

[Blk_Amish]

How do they tell if someone is pregnant or simply fat.

'One third of American women 20 and older are considered obese'. That's a lot of women to stop and question about their big belly!

[Prinycesa07]

If they don't refund her (or give her credit), I think she has a pretty strong case to go after them. It's conflicting information on their own page. I would print that out if I were her.

 

And yes, I cruised at 18 weeks and was never asked for a note either.

[SWManiac]

I cruised at 23 weeks and no one asked me for anything. I had my note but no one questioned me. I never really looked pregnant tho. I'm a big girl to start with so people who thought maybe, I was pregnant, were too scared of being wrong!

[Blk_Amish]

I sailed when I was BIG time pregnant, because it was the only way I would be on a cruise ship with a baby. Anything is possible, but if you having a normal pregnancy,the risk of things going wrong is slim. The woman's body is made for this, strong to take babies safely to term. I only found out LONG after my child bearing years that you needed doctor's note to sail pregnant. My stomach is bigger NOW then when I sailed pregnant, yet no one has asked.

 

No I did not, have not, read a cruise contract, in 12 sailings. First cruise pregnant and the baby:-)

 

 

From the front I was pushing load