Ordered Ashore From Golden Princess

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks ...

 

Unless he plays up this will be the final report on the babysitter , Mrs babysitter has arrived and he has been fed with prawns in scrambled eggs with Parmesan cheese ground black pepper and Sea salt with a dash of a good Cab Sav

 

 

Its a nice goooee prawn and eggs dish thats very easy to make

 

For 3 persons 750 Grams prawns and 9 eggs...cheese and condiments and a slug of extra Virgin Olive oil and 1/2 glass sav blanc

 

 

He finished it off with a chokkie bikke and is now happily ensconced on the couch snoring happily in a state of bliss ... there is ice cream if he should wake ... mrs babysitter just shakes her head ....

 

We head off in the morning to pick up the girls at 9:30am off the ship its a Sunday so traffic should be ok

 

 

Best Regards to all at CC

 

John

Edited January 2, 2016 by VK3DQ

[Hawka]

Hi Folks ...

 

Unless he plays up this will be the final report on the babysitter , Mrs babysitter has arrived and he has been fed with prawns in scrambled eggs with Parmesan cheese ground black pepper and Sea salt with a dash of a good Cab Sav

 

 

Its a nice goooee prawn and eggs dish thats very easy to make

 

For 3 persons 750 Grams prawns and 9 eggs...cheese and condiments and a slug of extra Virgin Olive oil and 1/2 glass sav blanc

 

 

He finished it off with a chokkie bikke and is now happily ensconced on the couch snoring happily in a state of bliss ... there is ice cream if he should wake ... mrs babysitter just shakes her head ....

 

We head off in the morning to pick up the girls at 9:30am off the ship its a Sunday so traffic should be ok

 

 

Best Regards to all at CC

 

John

oooh thats sounds lovely i reckon we all should gate crash that meal ;):D:p:)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Welcome Home..

 

 

 

 

[icat2000]

Thanks for the pictures. I'm getting on the ship today. Now I must finish packing.

[VK3DQ]

Thanks for the pictures. I'm getting on the ship today. Now I must finish packing.

 

Hi Sarah ... enjoy

 

 

Pity I cannot hand you my barely used coffee card One punch hole only !!!

 

 

Regards

 

John :cool:

 

 

PPS

The Babysitter is AWAKE!!!

 

 

Picking Jean and Elsie up at 9:30am

Edited January 2, 2016 by VK3DQ

[icat2000]

Thats okay. I have enough trouble getting through the 2 coffee cards that I cash in for my mini bar today.

 

Save the card for your next Princess cruise. If you decide to cruise with them again.

[VK3DQ]

Thats okay. I have enough trouble getting through the 2 coffee cards that I cash in for my mini bar today.

 

Save the card for your next Princess cruise. If you decide to cruise with them again.

 

Hi Sarah

 

It may be a long wait until the next cruise.. I did 3 mins with the vacuum cleaner this morning .. it nearly killed me ... lousy pain ... I hope my wife is not going to be too upset with me

 

 

Regards

 

John

[Esilef]

Sarah have a great cruise on the golden. I loved that ship.

[VK3DQ]

Hello Folks

 

Got my girls back safe and sound this morning , but not without a minor drama with Babysitter deciding to be unwell just a we arrived at the dock...

 

It never rains.........:eek:

 

Total on board bill was just a shade under $2000-00 it could have been much worse

 

The one item that stands out is a $250-00 administration charge for taking me off the ship....

 

I think they should pay Me not me pay them

 

We have all just received an e-mail survey from Princess .. watch this space :p

 

 

I have just finished the first insurance claim and will get that in the mail tomorrow , we are going along with the medicos that the problem has been caused by a lower back injury...

 

The second claim in respect of my future cruise cancellation fees I will process tomorrow

 

 

Still no words at all from Princess Cruises....

 

They WILL be hearing from me

 

 

Regards to you all

 

John

[Aussieflyer]

So pleased to hear your "girls" as you call them are safely home. Good luck with insurance and give Princess the feedback it deserves.

Hope you are continuing on the mend and there will be no setbacks.

[VK3DQ]

So pleased to hear your "girls" as you call them are safely home. Good luck with insurance and give Princess the feedback it deserves.

Hope you are continuing on the mend and there will be no setbacks.

 

Hi

 

Yes things are getting back to normal .... I had to get up early and make her tea in bed.....

 

Some back pain but a couple of woppie pills fixed it.. trying to see the quack this week but he is on holidays... Ohhheeepggrr "Cristmas BAR HUMBUG!" :D

 

There will not be a moment's rest now I can tell you :D

 

Off to take the car in for service as my mechanic is back from Holiday today.. and we had an issue with brakes just as we left for the cruise.. so I just parked the car ,as I could not get it fixed before we went away.....

 

Oh well here we go again......:p

 

Regards

John

[KiwiFunCruiser]

Hello Folks

 

Got my girls back safe and sound this morning , but not without a minor drama with Babysitter deciding to be unwell just a we arrived at the dock...

 

It never rains.........:eek:

 

Total on board bill was just a shade under $2000-00 it could have been much worse

 

The one item that stands out is a $250-00 administration charge for taking me off the ship....

 

I think they should pay Me not me pay them

 

We have all just received an e-mail survey from Princess .. watch this space :p

 

 

I have just finished the first insurance claim and will get that in the mail tomorrow , we are going along with the medicos that the problem has been caused by a lower back injury...

 

The second claim in respect of my future cruise cancellation fees I will process tomorrow

 

 

Still no words at all from Princess Cruises....

 

They WILL be hearing from me

 

 

Regards to you all

 

John

 

I'm glad the girls are back, you make sure you rest. I'm pleased you will be following up with princess, isn't always the way that everyone has to charge a fee. Take care, hopefully you will be fussed over now.:D

[MargoK]

Thanks for the update Margo. Nice to know that CC'ers on board are on the job.

Looks like you have a bit of rain in Port Chalmers, Dunedin today.

Heres a grab from 11.30 am local time.

 

 

 

David I see you spotted the rain we had in Dunedin. When the heavens opened I was sitting in the Free Wi-Fi tent. Peter had returned to the ship to put on warmer clothes. When disembarking for a second time it started to pour! :mad:

 

Once back to the tent we decided to give the walk into Port Chalmers a miss and I scootered back to the ship in the rain!

 

By about 3pm the rain had gone and the sun was out - bugger!

[Aus Traveller]

I have just finished the first insurance claim and will get that in the mail tomorrow , we are going along with the medicos that the problem has been caused by a lower back injury... John

I hope the insurance company doesn't say that your medical problem was from a pre-existing condition that was not covered by the policy. :( I hope all goes well.

[VK3DQ]

I hope the insurance company doesn't say that your medical problem was from a pre-existing condition that was not covered by the policy. :( I hope all goes well.

 

Hi

 

Well I have a couple of things that are on their list that you dont have to worry about.. but I have never had any issues with my back ..The doctors say that the original thoughts re kidney stones or any other issues were wrong and all the tests blood and X=ray Ct Scans find nothing wrong at all .. so The only thing they says is causing the pain is the issue with my spine / back

 

I really dont have a clue what happened ..

 

But I dare say the insurance company will find something somewhere if they try hard enough .. I need a "Cynic" button

 

Still NO contact what so ever from Princess Lines head office in reply to E-mails and telephone calls .. despite the local care team saying they had seen my e-mails .. they are totally ignoring me...

 

 

 

As for me now .. still getting the odd twinge but nothing too bad .. walking any distance is a bit hard.

 

I dare say I will live , the wife says I have to live to pay for her cruises :D

 

It looks like we shall run back to Celebrity with our tail between our legs , Looking at Solstice in October 2016 .. I should be well enough to travel by then .

 

 

Regards

 

John

[Aus Traveller]

Well I have a couple of things that are on their list that you dont have to worry about.. but I have never had any issues with my back ..The doctors say that the original thoughts re kidney stones or any other issues were wrong and all the tests blood and X=ray Ct Scans find nothing wrong at all .. so The only thing they says is causing the pain is the issue with my spine / back

Your doctor might have to go to bat for you and provide your medical file showing where you had not in the past consulted him/her regarding a back problem.

 

The other point is that, from what you have said, the initial diagnosis on the ship was kidney stones and that was why you were disembarked. Your costs on board and ashore were incurred with that diagnosis in mind. It later turned out that you did not have kidney stones, but you didn't have a crystal ball to know that the initial diagnosis was wrong. The action the ship took in disembarking you (not how it was done!) and your later actions in seeking medical treatment in NZ, then a flight home, were a reasonable course of action after the initial diagnosis from a qualified doctor.

 

Maybe I am pushing the 'cynic' button as well, but it is a good idea to be prepared to answer the insurance company is they claim 'pre-existing' regarding a back problem. That said, I have often found if I am expecting a big fight over an issue, it usually goes through OK. It is the occasions where I am not looking for trouble, that a problem arises.:D

 

All the best. :)

Edited January 5, 2016 by Aus Traveller

[Tara Jane]

Not being a medico here but just wondering if you could have passed the kidney stone and so all good now? Did the dr on board the ship take an xray or ultrasound?

I'm a nurse of the 4 legged variety and xrays/ultrasounds show up stones.

Not wanting to say you are a dog, just curious as to if it is possible!!!! perhaps the composition of the stone is different if indeed there was a stone. If not then I guess you have an incorrect diagnosis from the dr on board princess.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Tara Jane

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks

 

I had a telephone call today from Jodie Graham who is the customer relations manager for Princess Cruises Australia.

 

She had been requested to contact me my Jan Swartz office.

 

 

We had a long an pleasant conversation in which she listened to my tale of wow and agreed that this should not have happened and agreed to pass the details to Jan Swartz office in the USA so that measures to ensure it does not happen again are implemented...

 

I was pleased with her attitude and willingness to listen to what I had to say.

 

I told her this was not a matter of money , but she kindly said that If I had issues with my insurance company I was to contact her.

 

She also said that I should contact her if I wanted to make a future booking.

 

 

So all in all a reasonable result even if it took a little time :D

 

 

We are now considering our options , we have a new Grandson to visit in Hervey Bay , we were thinking of going later in the year about June , there are a few opening on the May sailing on Sun Princess a 23 day trip thoughts of doing this and then stopping off at Hervey bay on the way home .. could be worth considering ....

 

 

Regards

John

[Bodogbodog]

...I told her this was not a matter of money , but she kindly said that If I had issues with my insurance company I was to contact her.

She also said that I should contact her if I wanted to make a future booking.

 

Good to hear you are feeling a bit better

 

About time they got back to you...

 

So what was her reaction to the fact that they are charging you a hefty penalty for cancelling your planned cruise in the next month or so?

Any indication that might review that? - or maybe they are expecting the travel insurance to cover that?

 

Time certainly seems to be a healer if you're now considering taking another cruise with them in June

[MargoK]

Hello Folks

 

Got my girls back safe and sound this morning , but not without a minor drama with Babysitter deciding to be unwell just a we arrived at the dock...

 

It never rains.........:eek:

 

Total on board bill was just a shade under $2000-00 it could have been much worse

 

The one item that stands out is a $250-00 administration charge for taking me off the ship....

 

I think they should pay Me not me pay them

 

We have all just received an e-mail survey from Princess .. watch this space :p

 

 

I have just finished the first insurance claim and will get that in the mail tomorrow , we are going along with the medicos that the problem has been caused by a lower back injury...

 

The second claim in respect of my future cruise cancellation fees I will process tomorrow

 

 

Still no words at all from Princess Cruises....

 

They WILL be hearing from me

 

 

Regards to you all

 

John

 

Hi John

 

So pleased you have been reunited with Jean and Elsie.

 

Also please to hear you have finally had some contact from Princess - albeit rather late. Do hope the Insurance claims are sorted out pronto too.

 

We did miss you cheeky face on board, and all CCers were constantly checking your progress etc.

 

I have completed the survey too! (took me over an hour!) A few niggling complaints but not deal breakers, except for the poor embarkation and disembarkation arrangements in Melbourne. Think the folks responsible for this should visit Sydney and see how it is done there. $60 taxi bill was twice what it should be, but being in a power chair with extra baggage due to my needs we had no choice.

 

I am not sure how this will be resolved, although I do think the private cars should be somehow discouraged from the port area, especially on embarkation. Disembarkation showed that most people were perfectly capable of walking off the ship :rolleyes:, although the traffic jam once off the pier was terrible. The queue for taxis was rather long, however as we required a Maxi Taxi, there was a different queue, and we only had to wait a few minutes.

 

Also the on ship disembarkation was very badly controlled - no one was checking if those in the queue should have been there, so anyone could walk off, although thier luggage would not have been shore side. Strange system with Immigration, Customs etc. Handed a man our arrival cards and that was it???? :confused: :eek:

[VK3DQ]

Hi John

 

S Strange system with Immigration, Customs etc. Handed a man our arrival cards and that was it???? :confused: :eek:

 

Ahhhhhhh BUt ....

 

 

I had warned them about YOU MargoK :D:D:D:D:

 

 

I will tell you a real horror story about what happened at station pier .. just drop me an e-mail vk3dq@optusnet.com.au I wont publish it here

 

 

 

Regards

 

John

[VK3DQ]

Good to hear you are feeling a bit better

 

About time they got back to you...

 

So what was her reaction to the fact that they are charging you a hefty penalty for cancelling your planned cruise in the next month or so?

Any indication that might review that? - or maybe they are expecting the travel insurance to cover that?

 

Time certainly seems to be a healer if you're now considering taking another cruise with them in June

 

I'm not sure if it will happen , to be honest I feel torn apart about it... I think I've in some ways lost my nerve and cruising might be a thing of the past for me....

 

Ok that sounds emotional and daft for a 69 Y/o who adores sea travel to say...

 

 

But .... .. I suppose its far to early to get back on the bike so to speak whilst still rubbing scraped knees :p

 

 

 

Regards

 

John

Edited January 5, 2016 by VK3DQ

[shipcation]

Hi John,

 

I've just caught up on all you went through and am sorry everything was handled so poorly. I spoke to Jean and Elsie several times on board and the relief Jean felt when she was finally able to speak with you was clear to see.

 

My best wishes to you for continued improvement in your health.

 

Regards,

Sharon

[VK3DQ]

Hi John,

 

I've just caught up on all you went through and am sorry everything was handled so poorly. I spoke to Jean and Elsie several times on board and the relief Jean felt when she was finally able to speak with you was clear to see.

 

My best wishes to you for continued improvement in your health.

 

Regards,

Sharon

 

Hi Sharon

 

Thanks for that .. I think we made a nice group our little CC gathering!!

 

Dont get me wrong I like the ship , not too much wrong with it ..but boy did I feel sick ......

 

Darn ......

 

Still taking the whoopie pills and have to go for x-rays and then to the quack , but staggering from one disaster to another ..but let me think home cured silverside of beef with new spuds and peas with a white sauce is what I cooked ... they eat it all up ....

 

:D

 

Best Regards

 

John

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks

 

 

I think I've at least for the moment lost my nerve ,,,, I was unable to place a booking yesterday despite finding two options allowing me plenty of recovery time (5 -- 6 Months) prior to travel...

 

 

Not only that one option was in the Grand Suite on board Explorer of the Seas, and the other no less than a 24 Day sail on Sun Princess

 

 

Totally lost my nerve ....:confused:

 

There is also the little matter of the 50th Wedding bash to be addressed ... and a proposed group cruise in March 2017 with over 20 people having expressed a wish to come along......

 

 

Hopefully in a couple of weeks time I will be able to come to terms with my doubts and fears...

 

 

This is Stupid!

 

 

Regards

 

John