My Crown Princess Christmas Cruise Misadventure

[junglejane]

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone. When he got home on Saturday, DH went on-line to request the form to initiate the insurance claim. We still haven't received that form, and that's just the form to open the claim! I'm sure this will all take a long time (both to recover and to process the claim). I was very lucky that my fracture was a closed fracture, or I don't think I could've traveled home for surgery. I've read through the Princess Vacation Protection brochure, and it mentions coverage of medical expenses up to one year after the injury. My hospital expenses at my local hospital will probably be fully covered by my Blue Cross plan after payment of a $150 ER fee, and we will have to submit the Mazatlan hospital bill and Princess Medical Center bill to Blue Cross. But on 1/1/15 I start a new calendar year deductible of $2600 so hopefully the Princess insurance will eventually cover the charges that are applied to my 2015 deductible. Even assuming no complications, I'm definitely going to be needing lots of physical therapy. I also definitely plan to sign up for Medjet Assist before our Baltic cruise. I would not want to be stuck somewhere far from home trying to go through this. And I may look into alternative insurance to the Princess insurance, because I can see the advantage to something that is primary instead of secondary.

[szubieta]

Prayers for a speedy recovery! So sorry it happened, but so very happy to hear your home and doing well. Good luck with all the paperwork!

[Colo Cruiser]

Get well soon. :)

[Cruisin' Chick]

So sorry to hear that you had to cut short your cruise under pain. I hope you have a full and quick recovery...and that the insurance claim process ends up well too.

 

My two MR cruises both had the same result -- my hay fever kicked in after the Puerto Vallerta stops, so I must be allergic to something there. But at least that just meant bed rest for me.

 

That's surprising about the lack of activities for your oldest daughter. You would think that a holiday time cruise would have plenty of 18-to-20s.

[Loucat]

I am so sorry to read what happened to you!

Thanks however for sharing as we can all learn from your experience.

Many take cruise insurance lightly but your post demonstrates how important it is when out of the country. Please let us know how you do and wishes for a speedy recovery.

Princess sounds like they handled this well.

[yndygo]

Oh my gosh!! Reading that made me wince in sympathy so many times!!

So glad you got home okay and that you are on the mend.

No more Christmas cruises for you!! Strictly relaxing and non-health-jeopardizing ones!!

Hope your Baltic is awesome!! :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

Jane, I am SO sorry it had to end like this for you! As someone who has experienced a very serious accident while on a Princess tour, I totally understand how scared you must've been on that ride down the hill.

 

I hope your recovery goes well and that from now on, you go for New Year's cruises instead of Christmas ones! Your luck has got to be better! ;)

[dobiemom]

Best wishes for a quick and full recovery!

[cvpends]

I find that a lot of people wear "tennis shoes" or "sneakers" or "cross trainers" or... Pick your name for them. I find those to be quite slippery on the type of terrain you are speaking of and I have sandals that really grip nicely. I'm much safer and more secure in good sandals than I am in that type of shoe. For hiking around I will wear my boots or my sandals but hardly ever the sneakers if the terrain is going to be uncertain.

 

I am taking the same tour that OP took tomorrow, and my ticket says "no sandals," which is disturbing since my sandals are my best walking shoes :confused:

[kruisey]

Have only just read about your misfortune.

Hope you heal quickly so that you can enjoy your Baltic cruise.Best wishes....Kruisey:)

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone. When he got home on Saturday, DH went on-line to request the form to initiate the insurance claim. We still haven't received that form, and that's just the form to open the claim! I'm sure this will all take a long time (both to recover and to process the claim). I was very lucky that my fracture was a closed fracture, or I don't think I could've traveled home for surgery. I've read through the Princess Vacation Protection brochure, and it mentions coverage of medical expenses up to one year after the injury. My hospital expenses at my local hospital will probably be fully covered by my Blue Cross plan after payment of a $150 ER fee, and we will have to submit the Mazatlan hospital bill and Princess Medical Center bill to Blue Cross. But on 1/1/15 I start a new calendar year deductible of $2600 so hopefully the Princess insurance will eventually cover the charges that are applied to my 2015 deductible. Even assuming no complications, I'm definitely going to be needing lots of physical therapy. I also definitely plan to sign up for Medjet Assist before our Baltic cruise. I would not want to be stuck somewhere far from home trying to go through this. And I may look into alternative insurance to the Princess insurance, because I can see the advantage to something that is primary instead of secondary.

 

Hi Jane,

 

I was I on the same cruise. So sorry to hear of your adventure. But what a positive attitude.

 

I just got "accident" insurance through my employer. It gives money up front for medical bills and doesn't wait for insurance to cover things first. It also covers out of country. It was very reasonable.

 

Hope you have a great recovery.

 

Grace

[DavyJoneses]

Oh my gosh! I wish you a speedy recovery! You're whole family will never forget that vacation.

 

My thoughts exactly!

[RDC1]

You seem to be taking an accident of that magnitude very well. Good luck on your recovery.

 

I do a lot of hiking and backpacking. I would not wear tennis shoes on any kind of a steep hike, especially where there is lose sand and pebbles. While they are good on many surfaces, they tend to slip on exactly the kind of surfaces you described. They tend to have a fairly flat tread pattern. I have witnessed numerous accidents of the type you described happening to people going downhill in tennis shoes. A little sand or pebbles on top of a rock surface and it will feel like you are on ice.

 

A good hiking shoe, or trail running shoe, even lightweight, should be used. Shoes with a raised tread pattern, designed to grab on the trail surface, are much better, a vibram soled hiking shoe is the best.

[AZPam]

Also want to express my wishes for a speedy recovery from one Zonie to another. This is a great reminder for me to get my travel insurance. I prefer to get it thru insuremytrip.com and make sure I get one that is in first position so we hopefully wouldn't have to deal with making claims with our own insurance first.

 

On another note, there is a thread here on CC that a bunch of us Arizona types chat on regular. Come join us! It's under the Friends of Cruise Critic, and title Arizona Cruisers

Edited December 31, 2014 by AZPam

[srpilo]

Lowsy luck...

 

 

Glad to hear you're on the mend

Srpilo

[junglejane]

Still waiting for the form to initiate the insurance claim. We requested it from the travel insurance website on Saturday 12/27 but still nothing. Seems like it should be an automatic email of the form.

[Alli Cruiser]

So sorry to hear of your injury. I met you on the British Isles cruise. It's great that you are still able to cruise as a family. Our two kids are both in college now on different coasts making the logistics of any family time difficult with school and work.

 

Happy New Year to you and your family. We did the Baltic cruise a few years ago with the whole family and it was wonderful.

[junglejane]

Thanks Alli Cruiser, I remember you as well. The Baltic cruise will be the last cruise before DD#1 starts college so I think it will be the last one the whole family can take for the near future. So I hope I'll be ready for it. Right now my frustration is waiting for the insurance company that handles the Princess Vacation Protection to send me the form to initiate the claim. It seems like they try to set up obstacles right away to make it hard to assert a claim. I don't see why you can't just download the claim form from the insurance company website. Instead they make you request the claim form and then they ignore your request! I'll probably do a separate thread later about my insurance claims process.

[RDC1]

Thanks Alli Cruiser, I remember you as well. The Baltic cruise will be the last cruise before DD#1 starts college so I think it will be the last one the whole family can take for the near future. So I hope I'll be ready for it. Right now my frustration is waiting for the insurance company that handles the Princess Vacation Protection to send me the form to initiate the claim. It seems like they try to set up obstacles right away to make it hard to assert a claim. I don't see why you can't just download the claim form from the insurance company website. Instead they make you request the claim form and then they ignore your request! I'll probably do a separate thread later about my insurance claims process.

 

The holiday period might be impacting the response time. I would expect that they are rather short staffed between Christmas and New Year.

 

When you get the form check and see if it is just a blank form (could have made available on their web site) or if they have opened a case and have sent you a form that has information on it specific to the case. If the former then no reason for the delay, if the later then probably impacted by the holidays.

Edited January 1, 2015 by RDC1

[nana541]

I too think that the Holidays have impacted the ability to provide the service and information you need.

 

 

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[junglejane]

The holiday period might be impacting the response time. I would expect that they are rather short staffed between Christmas and New Year.

 

When you get the form check and see if it is just a blank form (could have made available on their web site) or if they have opened a case and have sent you a form that has information on it specific to the case. If the former then no reason for the delay, if the later then probably impacted by the holidays.

 

Hopefully you're right!

[jagsfan]

Attitude has so much to do with healing, and you certainly have an admirable one. I hope you heal well and quickly. Your Baltic cruise will be so wonderful, it will wipe out any lingering bad memories.

BTW, my husband pushed me around St Petersburg for two days in a wheelchair. I could never have seen so much if he hadn't! Good move on my part to arrange to rent it.

 

 

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[Gallivanting Souls]

I Hope you are feeling better with each day and find some time to relax and plan for your next cruise. Sounds like fun!

 

We plan on doing the same hike. I have trail shoes, but plan on being extra careful and think of you!

[searoses]

So glad to hear you were safely removed from the scene and are recovering well...I have had 2 events where I thought I might die before I reached safety...one on and one off the ship during a tour...it is so hard to have to rely on strangers when you have no idea if they are properly trained.....I lucked out both times and did not fall off a cliff in a wheelchair in mexico!......happy new year to you and your family...

[cvpends]

Jane,

 

Cristobal says to say hello to you, and he wishes you a speedy recovery. He pointed out the place where you slipped, and said that every time he looks at it the hair on his arms stands on end. He was really concerned about you! It was a good tour, and I am so sorry you were injured.