Need help with dialysis please. Leaving on Majesty June 27th

[wild0826]

We are a group of 35 leaving on majesty June 27th. It's for a family reunion. One person in our party has to have dialysis. We've been planning this trip since August 2015. After booking she found out she needed to do dialysis and was told to talk to the Special Needs department to accommodate her. She began dialysis in January. She contacted the department and was told she could be accommodated. She called today to verify and to find out the room where this takes place etc. the person then asked how long has she been doing it. She told them since January and the person said she has to have been doing it a year. She told them she was never told that info and she said the person said that she doesn't believe her that no one told her this info. She has never cruises before and doesn't know where to turn. Does anyone have experience with this. Should she call back? Should we call the group department ? Resolutions? If anyone knows it will be a great help. Also if you have the numbers to call. We are a few weeks from sailing and hotels are booked , as well as flights .

[wild0826]

Spoke to someone else in same department and they said they won't let her board with the dialysis without the documents stating she's been doing it a year. They have no record of who she initially spoke to. Am at a loss. I feel so bad for her. Any help or suggestions please. At this point I don't know what could be done.

[BlueSkySailing]

You may want to reach out to the special needs department. I had no idea that ship had a dialysis machine on board. I hope this works out for you all. And I hope for her and you all can enjoy the cruise together.

[BlueSkySailing]

Spoke to someone else in same department and they said they won't let her board with the dialysis without the documents stating she's been doing it a year. They have no record of who she initially spoke to. Am at a loss. I feel so bad for her. Any help or suggestions please. At this point I don't know what could be done.

 

Ask the doctor to write a note saying she been in treatment for a year. If I may ask. Why a year. Why does it matter?

[setsail]

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/otherNeeds.do

 

 

CALL for policy

[wild0826]

Ask the doctor to write a note saying she been in treatment for a year. If I may ask. Why a year. Why does it matter?

 

She has portable dialysis . So she administers it herself. She did initially contact special needs department, and that is who told her today about the 1 year rule. She would bring her own equipment. Her 20 year old daughter helps her. They both have been trained by her doctor. Royal requires a year of use to make sure one is properly trained to self administer . She understands the rules, but is upset because no one initially told her . If they had she would have decided to cancel because it was before final payment and before booking flights, hotel etc. Now everything is booked and paid for and we are 20 days out.

[wolfcathorse]

sorry to hear she's being punished for being honest. I know on the newer larger ships the dialysis room is down on the same deck as Medical (Deck 1 or 2). I've seen the sign on Freedom while exiting to go ashore and I've seen it on Quantum too. 1) Could she call back and if she gets a different person, tell them she's been doing it for over a year, or 2) since she's doing it herself, just board with her equipment, do her dialysis, and just take whatever needs to be thrown away to Medical? Of course, if she does option 2, make sure she does it once the ship sails!

Edited June 7, 2016 by wolfcathorse

[wild0826]

My sister who is the group booking leader called on her behalf and spoke to someone else in the special needs department. This person said the same thing. The person said if she doesn't have proper documents showing she's been doing it a year or more she won't be able to board and they don't know who she initially spoke to, how convenient . Now I don't know how true it is. Don't know if the security checks for the letter or not. Cause we know how people say one thing and another actually happens with Royal. She called me in tears because she was traveling with her 2 children who were looking forward to the trip also. She tried to call resolutions but they were in a meeting so she is awaiting a call back. I would like to know if anyone has boarded with the home hemo equipment to know if the security checks for the letter. I really don't know what else I can do to help her. Just sucks that no one told her this info beforehand. She was initially going to cancel since it was before final payment because she found out she needed dialysis and assumed she couldn't go. She was told about the accommodations by the special needs department and spoke with them and was excited because she was told she could go and they would accommodate . They unfortunately left out the fact that she needed to be doing it a year by herself. They dropped the ball and now is basically saying too bad , you can't go. They will refund her money for the cruise, but she already has flights and hotel for 3 people that's paid for.

[MrsKC08]

First, let me say how sorry I am that you are having to go through this, especially so close to your cruise date. This is the time everyone should be so excited and ready to spend a wonderful time together at sea.

 

Is there any chance she can speak with her doctor and see if they would write a statement that she has been this for over a year? I'm sure if she explained to her doctor the circumstances, and if the doctor was confident in her ability to do the treatments herself, I don't think they would have any issue in this.

 

I still don't understand why there must be a time limit of a year. I could see if they were just diagnosed and started treatment last month and aren't fully capable yet to do this on their own, but certainly after several months she knows how to give herself the treatments she requires.

 

I would assume that she has travel insurance, given her health. Maybe her insurance will refund the price of the hotels and flights due to the reason for canceling?

 

And maybe, just maybe she would be able to just check in and not even mention anything about the dialysis, but then again they might have pinged her account with these conversations and they would inquire more.

[wild0826]

Thank you so much for your concern. She did speak with her doctor and her doctor unfortunately doesn't want to risk her license and write the letter saying it's been a year. She did get insurance through Royal I believe. I am unfamiliar with what they reimburse you for.

 

Yes we were all super excited since this is the first cruise for all my family with the exception of my 2 sisters and myself and husband and son. Still awaiting for resolutions dept to call her back . They seem like a last resort . I hope they can make an exception or have her full outside release form. I really don't know since I have no experience whatsoever. And this is her first cruise so she has no idea either. We are blind in this situation.

[BlueSkySailing]

I would keep going up the chain until I was talking to the CEO. His email is floating around here on these boards somewhere! If her doctor can write a letter saying she is fully capable of doing this on her own. That should be good enough for RCCL. This is not a child. She is an adult and has been doing this long enough to know what to do. Just MHO! Please keep us posted on how it turns out. Best of luck and pray you ALL have a great vacation!!!

[wild0826]

Thank you. I will try to search for that email address for her. I will keep you posted if there are any changes. I have to speak to her to see if she got in contact with resolutions department. I've been so busy all day. I pray that it works out for her. I don't want this experience to put her off of cruising.

[wild0826]

I would keep going up the chain until I was talking to the CEO. His email is floating around here on these boards somewhere! If her doctor can write a letter saying she is fully capable of doing this on her own. That should be good enough for RCCL. This is not a child. She is an adult and has been doing this long enough to know what to do. Just MHO! Please keep us posted on how it turns out. Best of luck and pray you ALL have a great vacation!!!

 

My cousin talked to resolutions yesterday as well as a supervisor and was told that the policy stands and they cannot make an exception. They said she has to have been doing the home hemo a year or more or she will not be able to sail. She is absolutely livid at this point since it wasn't told to her when she inquired in the first place. At this point she is just disappointed. I did find the email of the CEO and gave it to her so she could write an email. Do not know if it will do anything, but right now it can't hurt.

[BlueSkySailing]

Very sorry to hear this. It's a shame RCCL failed to inform her of the regulations they have in place. But if her doctors can give her a letter saying that she is fully trained. I don't see how RCCL could say no. Who's to say a person that has done it for a year would know more then your sister. I say, if the doctor clears her for the cruise then RCCL should knowledge that a medical doctor is saying she is qualified to handle her own care. This time table is irrelevant.

[wsyrob]

I am sure it has something to do with insurance liability. Perhaps a lawyer could draw up a wavier she could sign releasing RCI from liability should something happen.

[setsail]

I think you should email CC and ask them to insert " with dialysis" after help in your title. People that might help could be skipping over your thread because of a general title or start a new thread

Edited June 8, 2016 by setsail

[hazence]

I haven't posted on this Board in years, since we moved on to land based vacations, but I do read here out of curiosity from time to time. Lately I've been wondering when and if the paying customer will ever start delivering to RCCL for the heinous, poorly trained, and often ignorant-of-their-job...so called "customer service?" Just in the past days, there have been threads where a customer planned a group Birthday cruise and just prior to leaving received a call that his cruise was cancelled. Lo and behold, upon arrival at the port, his room is actually available! What if he had stayed home! Would he have been considered a "no show" and penalized? This type of mixup is not harmless.

 

The Birthday celebration of another customer for her son...who checked and double checked...and did everything but have the directions tattooed on her forehead to remind them...and yet...absolutely dropped the ball.

 

Now THIS. How nice for RCCL that they can penalize others for not following rules, ruin their vacations, cost them money...but no penalty ever accrues to them for their mistakes, poor training, and slip chop management.

 

So sorry to read this thread. Who of the rest of you will be next?

[wild0826]

I think you should email CC and ask them to insert " with dialysis" after help in your title. People that might help could be skipping over your thread because of a general title or start a new thread

 

Thank you. I will email them to see if they can insert those words. Didn't think of that . And to others she did ask about a doctors note saying she's capable . They said the doctors note has to say it's been a year or no dice and her doctor won't do that because it's not true. Don't know about the lawyer idea. I told her to write to Michael Bayley, but we will see if it does any good. She said they aren't budging at all. Will see if the email will do anything. Maybe someone can override the decision . I would assume her taking responsibility would suffice. I'm not familiar with the dialysis process so I do not know why the 1 yr requirement is a factor. This is just something I have not encountered on a personal basis. My cousin is the first person I know personally that needs it.

[pkexton]

How about reaching out on your roll call to see if there is someone trained (for the year) on this procedure that is going that can stand up for her.

 

Pat

[wild0826]

How about reaching out on your roll call to see if there is someone trained (for the year) on this procedure that is going that can stand up for her.

 

Pat

 

Not sure if Royal will allow this. They did tell her there aren't any exceptions . It's worth a try. I will let her call again and ask. At this point she has nothing to lose . Anyone else have any suggestions or experience with this situation.

[subeat]

I have no cruise experience as of yet (our first is coming up in August) but spent almost 2 years on dialysis before transplant. My suggestion would be to have her speak to the social worker at the dialysis center she is based at. Even with home hemo, there should still be a center she is associated with where she received her training, gets labs, etc.

 

I had several land based trips while I was on dialysis and the SW was able to help with arrangements to receive treatment wherever I might be. Maybe she could get treatment at a center early before boarding, somewhere mid cruise, and the afternoon she returns? Or possibly do her own dialysis pre and post if her machine could be brought on board or stored for the cruise?

[Paul65]

Does she know the date and approximate time of her initial call to Special Needs? I believe most calls are recorded, so if they know where to look, they may be able to go back and review the call. If that confirms that she was not told about the 1 year requirement at that time, it may at least convince them to refund her cruise fare.

 

I doubt they would waive the policy, as it is probably an insurance/liability issue that the legal department would insist upon.

 

If you haven't done so already, though, I would ask resolutions to track down a recording of the original conversation, rather than just accept that they "don't know who she spoke to" originally.

[Spurschick]

How about reaching out on your roll call to see if there is someone trained (for the year) on this procedure that is going that can stand up for her.

 

Pat

 

Not sure if Royal will allow this. They did tell her there aren't any exceptions . It's worth a try. I will let her call again and ask. At this point she has nothing to lose . Anyone else have any suggestions or experience with this situation.

 

We were on a cruise once where we met a qualified nurse that was traveling with a group of people that needed dialysis to do all their administration.

 

I know this may be an expensive route to go, but it may be worth seeing if RC will allow her to travel with a registered nurse to do the dialysis. I am sure with 35 in the family traveling if everyone contributed a little, this may be an option

 

Good luck, I hope everything works out

[wild0826]

I have no cruise experience as of yet (our first is coming up in August) but spent almost 2 years on dialysis before transplant. My suggestion would be to have her speak to the social worker at the dialysis center she is based at. Even with home hemo, there should still be a center she is associated with where she received her training, gets labs, etc.

 

I had several land based trips while I was on dialysis and the SW was able to help with arrangements to receive treatment wherever I might be. Maybe she could get treatment at a center early before boarding, somewhere mid cruise, and the afternoon she returns? Or possibly do her own dialysis pre and post if her machine could be brought on board or stored for the cruise?

 

Thank you. I will tell her to look into this . She was planning to fly down to Florida a couple days before the cruise . It's only a 4 day and the stops are Nassau and coco cay . Nassau would be the only option for her to get treatment. I do not know her schedule but I can ask if that is something that is possible for her.

[wild0826]

Does she know the date and approximate time of her initial call to Special Needs? I believe most calls are recorded, so if they know where to look, they may be able to go back and review the call. If that confirms that she was not told about the 1 year requirement at that time, it may at least convince them to refund her cruise fare.

 

I doubt they would waive the policy, as it is probably an insurance/liability issue that the legal department would insist upon.

 

If you haven't done so already, though, I would ask resolutions to track down a recording of the original conversation, rather than just accept that they "don't know who she spoke to" originally.

 

She does not know the exact date and time and that is the problem. She is upset at the fact that the lady on the phone she talked to recently had an attitude and did not believe her when she said that no one told her the 1 yr requirement . She does have insurance so I think she can get a full refund. Will have to see how everything works out.