San Francisco-Star Princess today

[Calgon1]

Once she cast off from the dock, if she returns (even for a medical emergency) the cruise line incurs significant port fees. In a busy harbor, like San Francisco/Oakland/Alemeda/Redwood City multiplex, a ship cannot just stop, unless docked or anchored. To do so would constitute a significant hazard to navigation. Plus, currents in the bay are tricky. By remaining underway, she maintains steerage.

 

So it would be safer and cheaper to do a little jaunt around the bay and transfer while underway . . .

[elliair]

Given the average age of Princess passengers and the (sometimes extremely) "portly" condition of many of them as well, I'm sure this happens quite often. I'd guess that heart attacks are fairly frequent occurrences and also that deaths onboard are actually a pretty regular occurrence as well. Princess isn't likely to advertise the death rate of passengers but I feel sure it happens far more than most of us realize. There actually is a morgue on the ship...

 

It certainly sounds like a lousy start to a cruise but it's great that Princess has the trained medical staff and facilities to deal with most issues and, if it was going to happen at all, it's good that it happened while in port where access to ambulance transportation and a full-service hospital was only a short distance away.

 

It does happen a lot! The day we returned to San Francisco from Alaska, there was a man laid out in the hallway on Baja deck and the medical crew was trying to resuscitate him. Don't know the out come. We've been on plenty of cruises where stuff just happens to people.

[satxdiver]

Given the average age of Princess passengers and the (sometimes extremely) "portly" condition of many of them as well, I'm sure this happens quite often. I'd guess that heart attacks are fairly frequent occurrences and also that deaths onboard are actually a pretty regular occurrence as well. Princess isn't likely to advertise the death rate of passengers but I feel sure it happens far more than most of us realize. There actually is a morgue on the ship...

 

It certainly sounds like a lousy start to a cruise but it's great that Princess has the trained medical staff and facilities to deal with most issues and, if it was going to happen at all, it's good that it happened while in port where access to ambulance transportation and a full-service hospital was only a short distance away.

 

Are you mocking our most senior seniors? ;)

 

There is a morgue aboard most if not all cruise ships that does occasionallly get used unfortunately. The stress of initial bording can be the cause of a heart attack even by someone who never had one before or suspected they were at risk.

 

So my question is if you die while at sea and they put you in the ship morgue, when you return to the US do you have to show your passport to reenter the country? :D