In an Emergency, Celebrity Shows Its Strength

[hughdm]

Great to hear, hope all is well, but by the same token, most, if not all, lines would have done the same.

This is not necessarily true. My mother and step-father were dumped in Valparaiso, Chile at a hospital with no help whatsoever. A nice English-speaking person at the hospital helped my mother (about 78 at the time) get a hotel room. She was whatever the top loyalty tier was at the time and Cunard did NOTHING for them.

[SPacificbound]

So happy your husband did not need surgery. Thank for coming back with a positive report.

[TeaBag]

So glad everything turned out well for you. Kudos to Celebrity.

 

Get yourselves a set or two of packing cubes. Lots of companies offer these. We get ours from eBags. These keep your suitcase very organized even after TSA has pawed through it. When you arrive at your destination, the bags can be transferred to drawers intact. They make packing and unpacking very easy. Hope you never have to pack in a hurry again.:)

[k9x8]

Great to hear, hope all is well, but by the same token, most, if not all, lines would have done the same.

 

Don't count on it. When I left NCL Epic via ambulance, I was told they'd do all that. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I received the same consideration as someone dumped in port for bad behavior. (Livorno)

 

Thank goodness for our insurance company "concierge", who handled every detail with the hospital, as well as staying in touch with my husband.

 

Glad all turned out well for the OP. There surely is more to choosing a cruise line than food, entertainment, and the cabin.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Wow, what a nice report! I hope your DH is all heeled now and doing better than ever. As a sometimes solo passenger, it's especially good to know they'll take care of you when you're anxious, scared and need their assistance the most. Thanks for posting a positive experience! :)

[Tom47]

Kudos to Celebrity, which is our favorite cruise line.:)

[broberts]

Great to hear, hope all is well, but by the same token, most, if not all, lines would have done the same.

 

It is heartening to read about the things that are done right.

 

Sadly, a search of these forums will turn up a number of reports that suggest many cruise lines would not have been as attentive. Two incidents in the last year on NCL come immediately to mind. But if memory serves there was also a Princess thread a few months ago.

[NordicPrince]

Great to hear, hope all is well, but by the same token, most, if not all, lines would have done the same.

 

I'm sure your opinion comes from verifiable personal experience and not just a conjecture of what might happen.

 

OP happy that this potential disaster was able to be handled so professionally.

[Florida_cruisers]

Glad that it turned out okay. It was so refreshing to read your comment as so many people use this platform to complain. Bravo for Celebrity!

[fantasy51]

I'm going to use the suitcase packing devices for over the bed. It will make unpacking easy and repacking even easier.

 

Beth

 

Hi Beth. What are these? I'm always happy to hear of easier ways to pack and unpack.

[tybeelucy2]

Glad your husband is OK. I'd suggest packing cubes also. They come in multiple sizes and colors.

 

 

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[Andy]

Hi Beth,

 

Thank you for sharing with us. I'm so happy to hear that your husband's injury wasn't too serious, and it didn't ruin your cruise. I'm thrilled to hear that Celebrity took care of you during a very stressful time. In all honesty, I'm not surprised at all. Way to go Celebrity !

 

All my very best to you, and your DH.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you for sharing; they did an excellent job caring for your hubby! I'm so glad he's ok!

 

 

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[bbappel]

Hi Beth. What are these? I'm always happy to hear of easier ways to pack and unpack.

 

It is a little off-topic but then again, it fits into the "what if" category. I use some Eagle Creek packing "cubes"

 

There is also a "hanging thing" that simplifies packing. I tried to find a link to it and failed. I'm not even sure where I saw this but I remember the video and it looked very organized. You take clothing on hangers and put it in this "thing" and then remove it from your suitcase and hang it in the closet.

 

I do not believe I can become the person who travels with a carry-on only because I get bored with only one color or even two. I am going to make the effort to become a bit more organized in my checked bag, and resist stuffing one more thing in the corners. By writing this here, I hope I will more committed to doing it.

 

Oh, also, my husband has improved so much you can't even tell his eye looked like a bloody mess.

 

Beth

[travelpeon]

Glad he's improving so rapidly!

 

My thoughts - Yes to the packing cubes. No to the hanging thing/packable drawer as it is probably heavy and takes up valuable space where you can wedge one more thing.

 

Packing cubes make it fairly quick to re-pack. Eagle creek makes a few two sided wet/dry or clean/dirty packing cubes or use two cubes. Or even put your important things in packing cube & pop it in the safe so nothing gets hidden against a wall or below a felt mat. You can also use a hanging toiletry bag for meds & misc. They come in a lot of different sizes and configurations

http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/pack-it-flat-toiletry-kit/54638?productid=10150317

https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/classic-toiletry-kit

https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/hanging-toiletry-bag

https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/travel-shower-caddy

I use a small hanging toiletry case to store memory cards, usb cables, plug converters, camera battery charger, spare battery and usb chargers. It makes packing up after 1 night hotel stays pretty easy. I can even leave it hanging off the side of a desk and put my phone in it while charging so I don't forget to pack the cable & charger. It is an older model of this one (pretty small so I am not tempted to overpack heavier electronics)

http://www.muji.us/store/paraglider-cloth-hanging-travel-case-s-gray-11x17x6cm.html

Edited September 25, 2016 by travelpeon

[fantasy51]

It is a little off-topic but then again, it fits into the "what if" category. I use some Eagle Creek packing "cubes"

Beth

 

Thanks Beth. Years ago I used to pack in plastic bags. I remember a coach trip to Canada, different hotel every night, where it only took me about 5 minutes to pack in the morning because I only had to replace the layer of plastic bags (underwear and shoes) on top of the clothes. In the last few years I have been introduced to packing cubes and love them. The plastic bags did the same job but don't look as good! Besides, many packing cubes have a mesh panel so you can see what is inside. Mine come from either Kathmandu or ebags. My hanging toiletry kit is also from Kathmandu, though I unpack it on a cruise as it makes life easier.

 

You have certainly made me think about packing in a hurry. I think I could do it. On my last cruise I did most of the packing in less than 45 minutes, and that included putting clothes carefully in my case with layers of tissue paper between them.

[bbappel]

One other thing that would have made our lives easier and I could kick myself that we hadn't done and will do now.

Find out before you leave what your credit cards will do to help. The card you use to pay for your cruise may have benefits that would have included the translator/interpreter that Celebrity provided for those who find themselves having to stay longer, since I'm not sure how long we were "given" our translator. If he had been hospitalized, I have no clue what could have happened. I'm reviewing credit card information right now, since it isn't something one can do while leaving the ship and hopping in a cab. In the future, we will include this information, as well as some other pro forma health information so we have it handy. Ken had a 3x5 card with his medications listed so it was easy to tell the doctors. I don't think I do, so I have to fix that. And other "what if" stuff. I'm even wondering if I should research hotels in each port so I know where I would want to go if necessary. That is probably my OCD kicking in and is a step too far. It is just that I know I was not thinking clearly and it seems ridiculous in hindsight because all turned out so well, but we had already "lost" one of our Roll Call to a medical emergency in our first port and I think that contributed to the "panic" factor. I think he is doing well also, though he wasn't enjoying the non-air-conditioned hospital the first few nights.

 

Maybe we need a new thread, "What you need in a medical emergency on a cruise" and someone who is good at handling this stuff could start it, since I am certainly not an authority.

 

One thing I think I'm going to look into are the light weight zipper totes. My mind would have been more at ease if the stuff that was thrown into the Celebrity bags had been zipped closed. I am sure I can find these, and they would be good for toting stuff around the ship or on shore - and wouldn't advertise that you were on a cruise like the X bags do. I have one really good X bag, maybe from our Concierge class cruise. It folds into a pouch which becomes an inside pocket and is plain navy with leather trim. It is sturdy too. It is a little heavier than I'm considering though. Every ounce counts.

 

Thanks for all the comments.

 

Beth