Poor attitude of Celebrity cuise staff toward injured passengers

[rashroff]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

[steve ch]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

 

Sorry to here about the accident. It must have been very distressing.

 

Didn't their travel insurance company provide any assistance? Surely it was their responsibility rather than Celebrity's. Did he call their emergency number? I've always taken out insurance, but fortunately never needed to use it. I'm curious about what actually happens if you do.

[Bo1953]

r - I Am so sorry for your mothers unfortunate fall.. were you with them on this sailing? Sounds like you were not as someone had to fly to Portugal to attend them.

 

Should they have been sailing alone?

 

I can only suggest that this must be an anomaly, as there have been several posts recently, where individuals who have been hurt aboard were taken care of by X in great form.

 

Now, I cannot know how much involvement the travel companions had in getting things in order as well.

 

As stated before, most '3rd party' travel insurance policies have a concierge who assists in such situations including having a translator available.

 

I can only surmize that you just joined CC to complain about X's 'treatment' of your parents, in lieu of reading how others in similar situations have fared. There have been some other nightmares reported, but I believe more often than not, it has been all good.

 

I wish her a good and speedy recovery and your father is able to help with her rehabilitation.

 

bon voyage

[casper106]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

 

Have you addressed your concerns in writing to the Celebrity corporate office and to the insurance provider? This was a bad situation. Perhaps a discussion with a lawyer is something you might consider.

[cruisestitch]

I'm going to go at this from Celebrity's point of view. They do not know what kind of insurance you have, and what kind of hospital coverage there is. They are actually not even responsible for getting passengers to a hospital at all, although they normally do see that the port agent makes all necessary arrangements. Celebrity cannot have their own personnel in every single port they visit -- that is why they contract with the port agent. I think that the OP was expecting too much. I hope their mother is ok. It is a terrible thing to seek treatment away from home, at an advanced age. So many things can go wrong, outside of the control of the cruise line.

[Fish Lover]

Have you addressed your concerns in writing to the Celebrity corporate office and to the insurance provider? This was a bad situation. Perhaps a discussion with a lawyer is something you might consider.

 

Cannot see why they should contact a lawyer, unless Celebrity was negligent and caused her fall.

 

I believe that the passengers involved had a very difficult time of it. I know my father (86 yo) would have be hopeless and difficult to deal with. He is very hard of hearing and on top of that would have been very distraught if my mother were hurt. However, this is all hearsay and I suspect as is normal...not quite the whole story. Celebrity cannot be held responsible for having her taken to the closest hospital, or her treatment once she got there.

 

I traveled to the DR a few years ago. I became very ill and the resort I was staying at called their doctor. They then shuffled me off to a hospital. No one spoke English. Their doctors diagnosed me with everything from Danang fever to congestive heart failure. They still used glass IVs and other equipment well over 50 years behind our medicine here in the states. They had me medicating myself with my usual drugs that I traveled with from home. And they rushed me out (with no complaint from me ) in two days. The nighttime nurses slept in sleeping bags on the floor. When my IV bottle broke, I had to walk out into the hall and wake them up. When I got home I discovered that in addition to pneumonia, I had also picked up a sepsis infection from the hospital. Thank God my son and his wife were traveling with me. I am relating this story because when one travels, one must be prepared for emergencies and be able to deal with them. You can not rely upon the resort, cruise line, or hotel to take on that responsibility.

[Xport]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

 

For the terrible ordeal that your parents experienced following your mother's fall while in Lisbon... I was aboard the same sailing [Equinox, 20 September through 3 October] and would be remiss if I didn't mention my own very favorable experiences with the doctors and nurses who staffed the onboard medical facility when I needed assistance following a rather serious fall--it was my good fortune to have broken nothing and lost no teeth despite all odds--while touring Lisbon on the same first day [26 September, as I recall] of our overnight there...

 

As my incident--I fell face first, did substantial damage to my chin, knees, hands, and wrists and was bleeding profusely--occurred just prior to the end of my tour, I elected to return to the ship [recognizing that I might well need to go to a hospital] and seek medical treatment aboard if possible... I was impressed by the prompt, caring, very skilled, and professional assistance that I received to clean up/dress multiple large deep cuts, to suture my chin, and to avoid infection during my initial and follow-up visits to the onboard medical center... I could not have asked for more...

 

I did not require a hospital or dental visit but, as others here have noted, realized that I would be "on my own"--other than for broad-based guidance that might easily be forgotten under such circumstances--if I'd needed to seek land-based assistance [that might well be--I recognized--of different standard than we are accustomed to at home]... I just looked at the "Celebrity Today" dailies that were published on each of the two days we were in Lisbon and can confirm, as is the case in every port, that the Port Agent's contact information--including agent name, address, phone number, and e-mail address--for reference if needed... It is my practice to carry that information with me when I go ashore...

 

Once again, I am sorry for the incident/the related disappointment and pray that your mother is healing well and quickly...

[GOLDENBONNY]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

 

You gotta be kidding . What else cruise line should do? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[dodger1964]

You gotta be kidding . What else cruise line should do? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

I don't know what a "typical" slip/fall case outcome is for cruise ships, but they might want to try to get the best possible outcome, under the circumstances, for a couple of reasons...to be decent human beings and to lessen lawsuit potential. A little kindness can go a long way.

[sandyss]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

 

So sorry to hear about your mother's accident. Hip replacement surgery needs to be dealt with at a hospital with proper facilities. There was not much that could have been done for her onboard. Nevertheless, Celebrity should have been more helpful in dealing with the luggage and arranging for a taxi. Hopefully she is home and doing well now.

 

For the terrible ordeal that your parents experienced following your mother's fall while in Lisbon... I was aboard the same sailing [Equinox, 20 September through 3 October] and would be remiss if I didn't mention my own very favorable experiences with the doctors and nurses who staffed the onboard medical facility when I needed assistance following a rather serious fall--it was my good fortune to have broken nothing and lost no teeth despite all odds--while touring Lisbon on the same first day [26 September, as I recall] of our overnight there...

 

As my incident--I fell face first, did substantial damage to my chin, knees, hands, and wrists and was bleeding profusely--occurred just prior to the end of my tour, I elected to return to the ship [recognizing that I might well need to go to a hospital] and seek medical treatment aboard if possible... I was impressed by the prompt, caring, very skilled, and professional assistance that I received to clean up/dress multiple large deep cuts, to suture my chin, and to avoid infection during my initial and follow-up visits to the onboard medical center... I could not have asked for more...

 

I did not require a hospital or dental visit but, as others here have noted, realized that I would be "on my own"--other than for broad-based guidance that might easily be forgotten under such circumstances--if I'd needed to seek land-based assistance [that might well be--I recognized--of different standard than we are accustomed to at home]... I just looked at the "Celebrity Today" dailies that were published on each of the two days we were in Lisbon and can confirm, as is the case in every port, that the Port Agent's contact information--including agent name, address, phone number, and e-mail address--for reference if needed... It is my practice to carry that information with me when I go ashore...

 

Once again, I am sorry for the incident/the related disappointment and pray that your mother is healing well and quickly...

 

So sorry to hear about your accident. We hope that you are healing well Mike. Lisbon sidewalks can be treacherous.

[Beanb41]

We have witnessed mixed responses to medical misadventure on Celebrity. On the Connie earlier in the year a lady slipped over in Café Bacio. My wife a trained nurse went to her assistance and provided initial first aid and ascertained her vitals. When a ships nurse finally appeared my wife was waved off like a blow fly by the ships nurse as my wife wasn't family. The ships nurse wasn't interested in a triage report. We complained about the attitude and received an apology from the ship's doctor and the Guest relations Manager. On another cruise on the Solstice a similar occurrence occurred but the reaction was completely different. The medical staff included my wife in the triage action until they were able to take the patient away to the medical centre. Whilst we finished our coffee the Accident prevention officer came got a report on what happened. This particular lady injured herself quite bad but we at least were confident she was being looked after.

 

There was an incidence last year where a passenger was landed for medical reasons in Wellington off a Princess ship and the cruise line was abysmal about passing on info to the man's wife who was still on board the ship. He was eventually medivacced back to Australia.

 

It reinforces the need to have quality travel insurance with good medical cover as one never knows when it may be called upon

[Fish Lover]

I don't know what a "typical" slip/fall case outcome is for cruise ships, but they might want to try to get the best possible outcome, under the circumstances, for a couple of reasons...to be decent human beings and to lessen lawsuit potential. A little kindness can go a long way.

 

We live in a very litigious society. Most people think you can sue for anything. You cannot. In order to file suit the passenger would have had to fall as a result of some sort of negligence on the part of Celebrity. Even if someone slipped on a puddle of water or a loose step, they would have to prove that Celebrity knew about the hazard and had ample time in which to correct it.From the information the Op provided, there is nothing to indicate there are any grounds for a suit.

[Tiggertastic]

A very good example of why it's our responsibility to take out good insurance.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Fish Lover]

We have witnessed mixed responses to medical misadventure on Celebrity. On the Connie earlier in the year a lady slipped over in Café Bacio. My wife a trained nurse went to her assistance and provided initial first aid and ascertained her vitals. When a ships nurse finally appeared my wife was waved off like a blow fly by the ships nurse as my wife wasn't family. The ships nurse wasn't interested in a triage report. We complained about the attitude and received an apology from the ship's doctor and the Guest relations Manager. On another cruise on the Solstice a similar occurrence occurred but the reaction was completely different. The medical staff included my wife in the triage action until they were able to take the patient away to the medical centre. Whilst we finished our coffee the Accident prevention officer came got a report on what happened. This particular lady injured herself quite bad but we at least were confident she was being looked after.

 

There was an incidence last year where a passenger was landed for medical reasons in Wellington off a Princess ship and the cruise line was abysmal about passing on info to the man's wife who was still on board the ship. He was eventually medivacced back to Australia.

 

It reinforces the need to have quality travel insurance with good medical cover as one never knows when it may be called upon

 

Princess is my second choice of cruise line in terms of the usual passenger experience. However, that said, my experience with Princess's medical services and security are horrible.

 

My experience, though limited on Celebrity, has been much better. I think your experience with the nurse on Connie was atypical. She should have recognized that your wife was a professional and listened to her, unless the passenger was not stable.

[dodger1964]

We live in a very litigious society. Most people think you can sue for anything. You cannot. In order to file suit the passenger would have had to fall as a result of some sort of negligence on the part of Celebrity. Even if someone slipped on a puddle of water or a loose step, they would have to prove that Celebrity knew about the hazard and had ample time in which to correct it.From the information the Op provided, there is nothing to indicate there are any grounds for a suit.

 

You can file a lawsuit for anything(at least i think so...i'm not a lawyer)...it might get thrown out, or you might not win...the OP didn't really say what caused the fall...we can only speculate. I'm not sure how hard it is to sue a cruise line...i'm guessing it's pretty difficult.

[anniebea]

A very good example of why it's our responsibility to take out good insurance.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

And dare I say it be prepared so you know what to do should something go wrong especially the assistance numbers and who to contact for help when it is needed.

[Lastdance]

I am very sorry for your mom having such an awful experience. Traveling, as one gets up in age, is a reason to get strong and have great insurance coving a multitude of things that could happen.

We were once on a trip and talked with 80 year olds who trained in a gym for almost a year because they still wanted to travel and enjoy life. Even so, they carried very expensive health insurance. Falling is a major cause of breaking something, especially if your bones are not strong. As for your experience with Celebrity, I can't comment. Not everyone realizes that elderly parents need family unless they are seasoned travelers. Insurance is so important to have that covers a variety of things, along with understanding that traveling itself is hard on your body; age just adds to this. Furthermore, anything can happen to anyone in the blink of an eye!

I hope you can get past this...

 

Again, I do understand how you feel, especially being so far away and feeling helpless...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited November 9, 2016 by Lastdance

[GUT2407]

More worried about C.Y.A. than the passengers well being.

[Fish Lover]

You can file a lawsuit for anything(at least i think so...i'm not a lawyer)...it might get thrown out, or you might not win...the OP didn't really say what caused the fall...we can only speculate. I'm not sure how hard it is to sue a cruise line...i'm guessing it's pretty difficult.

 

Actually, I am a lawyer and you can't file a lawsuit about just anything. Lawyers now have to attest to the fact that the lawsuit is not frivolous otherwise they face sanctions. There has to be a good faith belief that the suit has merit. Now, some people can file a suit prose, but it is very difficult and they are in general very unlikely to prevail. Further, they still have to pay for court costs in all but very exceptional cases. A cruise line has liability insurance and a team of lawyers in-house as well as the deep pockets to hire outside counsel if necessary. The only way some people get away with frivolous suits is because they settle for far less than the cost of litigating.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Fish Lover

[dodger1964]

Actually, I am a lawyer and you can't file a lawsuit about just anything. Lawyers now have to attest to the fact that the lawsuit is not frivolous otherwise they face sanctions. There has to be a good faith belief that the suit has merit. Now, some people can file a suit prose, but it is very difficult and they are in general very unlikely to prevail. Further, they still have to pay for court costs in all but very exceptional cases. A cruise line has liability insurance and a team of lawyers in-house as well as the deep pockets to hire outside counsel if necessary. The only way some people get away with frivolous suits is because they settle for far less than the cost of litigating.

 

Thanks for info.

 

I probably should of specified, in a case like this, "If someone falls, they can sue".

 

Then the court can judge if it fall was due to the defendants neglect (Or whatever legal reason they can use).

 

I'm sure deep pockets will be hard to overcome.

[cachouonacruise]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

 

 

I am sorry to hear about the experience encountered by your parents and I sure hope they are doing well now.

 

People on these boards have commented about liability, responsibility etc. This is not my concern.

 

One thing is not clear for me throughout all this and your post is not explicit on this issue either. As a passenger, it is my responsibility to ensure that I have, what I believe to be required health coverage for whatever unforeseen circumstances that may occur. I accept this.

 

This said, I have not had the privilege to go in every country, to learn everything about a place where I may plan to spend only a few hours. So my knowledge deficit could play against me, especially in circumstances, where I could be vulnerable.

 

Celebrity has been everywhere, in every port of calls many times, and carried thousands of passengers to and from these ports times and times again. They know or should know how the hospital system works in countries they serve, and in each port of call.

 

The OP's post suggests that parents were not offered any options. Just disembarked and led to a hospital.

 

if something unexpected happens to me, my DW or travel companion, Am I expecting too much from Celebrity or other cruise lines, to have their personnel readily available to explain to me what my options are, given my condition, insurance coverage, etc. And then to help me choose/facilitate the execution of my choice of best option?

 

In my opinion it would be good business to do so and relatively inexpensive. This would demonstrate that Celebrity is a good/reliable corporate citizen.

 

If this is not the case, I understand why people feel disappointed! I would too.

 

I look forward to read more on this issue.

 

 

 

 

p

 

p

 

 

RCL Sovereign of the seas (1992), RCL Enchantment of the seas (2010), HAL Rotterdam (2014), HAL Maasdam (2015), Celebrity (2017)

[riclop]

My 78 yr old mother fell down in the ship during the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in September 2016 on the Celebrity cruise ship when the ship was docked in Lisbon and had a hip joint fracture which needed a hip replacement urgently.. The ship staff just bundled her off to some public hospital with poor healthcare facility where she was not given a proper bed or food for more than 48 hours even though our insurance covered good private hospitals. The bags were removed and the ship staff did not even bother to get him a taxi to take the baggage out of the port area. None of the helpline numbers given by the ship staff of Celebrity cruises were of any use. My 85 yr old father had to run around alone trying to locate a good doctor and hospital in Lisbon. There was no local representative available for any help. It was only after a relative flew to Lisbon that they were able to get the surgery done.I wish Celebrity would provide some local assistance to senior citizens with injuries or medical emergencies encountered during the cruise.

Hope you had insurance.

[Fish Lover]

I am sorry to hear about the experience encountered by your parents and I sure hope they are doing well now.

 

People on these boards have commented about liability, responsibility etc. This is not my concern.

 

One thing is not clear for me throughout all this and your post is not explicit on this issue either. As a passenger, it is my responsibility to ensure that I have, what I believe to be required health coverage for whatever unforeseen circumstances that may occur. I accept this.

 

This said, I have not had the privilege to go in every country, to learn everything about a place where I may plan to spend only a few hours. So my knowledge deficit could play against me, especially in circumstances, where I could be vulnerable.

 

Celebrity has been everywhere, in every port of calls many times, and carried thousands of passengers to and from these ports times and times again. They know or should know how the hospital system works in countries they serve, and in each port of call.

 

The OP's post suggests that parents were not offered any options. Just disembarked and led to a hospital.

 

if something unexpected happens to me, my DW or travel companion, Am I expecting too much from Celebrity or other cruise lines, to have their personnel readily available to explain to me what my options are, given my condition, insurance coverage, etc. And then to help me choose/facilitate the execution of my choice of best option?

 

In my opinion it would be good business to do so and relatively inexpensive. This would demonstrate that Celebrity is a good/reliable corporate citizen.

 

If this is not the case, I understand why people feel disappointed! I would too.

 

I look forward to read more on this issue.

 

 

 

 

p

 

p

 

 

RCL Sovereign of the seas (1992), RCL Enchantment of the seas (2010), HAL Rotterdam (2014), HAL Maasdam (2015), Celebrity (2017)

 

I think you are expecting far too much from the cruise line. And, I do think taking on an advisory role such as you describe would in fact create a significant liability issue.

[kitty9]

I'm going to go at this from Celebrity's point of view. They do not know what kind of insurance you have, and what kind of hospital coverage there is. They are actually not even responsible for getting passengers to a hospital at all, although they normally do see that the port agent makes all necessary arrangements. Celebrity cannot have their own personnel in every single port they visit -- that is why they contract with the port agent. I think that the OP was expecting too much. I hope their mother is ok. It is a terrible thing to seek treatment away from home, at an advanced age. So many things can go wrong, outside of the control of the cruise line.

 

I totally disagree with you, as we went through a very similar thing with our mom who was hit by a swinging door on board the ship and she was thrown to the floor and broke her hip. The first thing the ship's Doctor did was ask if we had medical coverage, what kind it was and all the rest. To say that the treatment we received, and that mom received, from the medical center was good, is definitely not true. When we told the doctor that we wanted mom evacuated back to our home town for surgery, the doctor said Miami wouldn't allow it. We had to go to either FLL or Miami, period!!!!! We nearly begged for the med evac jet to fly her home, but it wasn't allowed, and we never did get an explanation as to why. When we got to the hospital in FLL, the emergency room doctor was appalled by the treatment, or lack thereof, mom got in he medical center. And I won't go into the whole story, but suffice it to say that once mom was in the ambulance to go to the airport, I was basically left on the dock and left to fend for myself to get to FLL on a commercial flight.

 

So don't poo-poo the OP's experience unless you've gone through something similar, like our family did.

[florisdekort]

First, I feel sorry for your parents that this happened to them.

 

Second, unless your parent's fall was Celebrity's fault, I would not expect them to do anything more than they have done: deliver to hospital, transfer personal belongings and hand-over to the local port agent.

 

For everything else there is travel insurance.

 

A friend of mine got very sick on a flight from London to Hong Kong. The Captain landed the plane in Moscow at 3 am local time where he was taken to hospital. Would you expect the Captain or flight attendants to accompany him and make local arrangements? He was all by himself the moment he was in the ambulance. The plane was back in the air 45 minutes later.

 

I don't understand why people assume that when they travel all their personal responsibilities end and the cruise line will take care of anything and everything. It won't and shouldn't.

 

If you've reached the age where you can't take care of yourself anymore when something goes wrong, don't travel, or don't travel without family or friends around you.

 

Floris

Edited November 10, 2016 by florisdekort