J708 - Current Arcadia cruise-what's going on!?

[Selbourne]

Looking at this from the other side of the equation there is of course an element of personal responsibility that we all have not to travel if we are aware that we are not fit to do so.

 

Before people shout me down I know that things can and do just happen with no prior knowledge (heart attacks, burst appendix etc etc) however think about all the noro cases that the ships blame on passengers falsifying the information they put on their medical forms? They travel when they know doing so will affect the health and convenience of others.

 

It feels like people are more selfish in this day and age. As an example we were on a flight where an older gentleman took a bad turn and everyone on the plane was sympathetic with the resultant diversion and inconvenience until we found out that he had travelled against medical advice and had recently been discharged from hospital.

 

While quite correctly this made no difference to what the crew did to assist a sick man, it did materially change the attitude of those on the plane!

 

You make a very good point. People are very quick to jump to the moral high ground and, of course, it's desperately sad and terribly worrying for those involved, but it does materially and adversely affect the enjoyment of others holidays and, IMHO, it is not unreasonable for people to expect something by way of compensation if they are dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night, whatever the reason and however justified it might be. We are not talking about compensation directly from the affected passenger, simply a small gesture from the operator for the disruption to those passengers who were directly and adversely affected by the incident. That's just good business sense. Frankly, good companies will do something without being asked. If you stay in a Premier Inn (hardly a prestigious brand) and your nights sleep is disrupted, you get a 100% refund - no questions asked. It's called their Good Night's Sleep Guarantee. Us Brits can be a bit too understanding on occasion. Anyway, that's just my view, which I am entitled to have. Others are equally entitled to feel differently.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

My in laws are on this cruise, it's the last port tomorrow before returning to Southampton but it's been eventful! They've had 3 known medical emergencies, 2 which have required a helicopter to airlift a crew member and a passenger. They have an aft suite and both times had to vacate their cabin for safety. The first time was at 2am, they had to go to the belvedere restaurant where phones were banned and the flood/fire doors shut! They were out until about 3am. They've had it again tonight but went to the show as their cabin was out of bounds. They saw the other emergency taken off by ambulance. Sadly too they've also seen someone taken off the ship who didn't make it. It's been quite a cruise! They have been on many cruises and never known so many emergencies!

 

I was on the preceding cruise to the Baltics on Arcadia, and there were at least three announced medical emergencies, one helicopter evacuation, and another passenger driven away by an ambulance in port. I attribute the high numbers to the relatively advanced age of my fellow passengers.

[HikingPete]

My in-laws are on the same cruise. It sounds like the have been four incidents... Two helicopters, one injured dancer, and one bodybag.

 

Compensation hadn't crossed their minds, just empathy for the people involved. Personally I'm actually a little disgusted that some people think that they might be due something because of the misfortune of others.

[Josy1953]

I was on the preceding cruise to the Baltics on Arcadia, and there were at least three announced medical emergencies, one helicopter evacuation, and another passenger driven away by an ambulance in port. I attribute the high numbers to the relatively advanced age of my fellow passengers.

You are probably right about age of passengers being a factor. We have seen a lot more medical emergencies on cruises since we retired and started to cruise at times that are slightly earlier or later in the year than when we worked and there are definitely a higher number of older and infirm on these cruises. Having said that we have seen 2 helivacs at night on family ships in school holidays.

[the english lady]

I don't recollect people stating that occupants in the stern cabins were dragged from their beds. They were asked to vacate, for safety reasons. If one is thinking of compensation for being asked to move for safety reasons, can one also ask for compo if one has a bumpy night, and spends it sliding down the bed, and up the bed etc... Also why should it just be the people being asked to move who get compo..surely other people would have heard the helicopter and had their sleep disturbed, even if they were not asked to vacate their cabin. Agree with everyone else..would not even have entered my head beyond thoughts for the person it was happening to.

[Eglesbrech]

My in-laws are on the same cruise. It sounds like the have been four incidents... Two helicopters, one injured dancer, and one bodybag.

 

Compensation hadn't crossed their minds, just empathy for the people involved. Personally I'm actually a little disgusted that some people think that they might be due something because of the misfortune of others.

 

I have personally not commented on the issue of compensation on this thread but for those who have I think that the word "disgusted" is a strong one to use. People are entitled to a different opinion.

 

What I would say is that on the plane journey I described above we had booked the extra leg room seats. When the emergency occurred this was the area that was used to treat the passenger who had decided to travel for his own selfish reasons and in spite of medical advice. I know all of this as all the conversations with his wife took place literally at my feet. He was lucky that there was a Doctor on the plane, one who was equally irked by such a stupid course of action.

 

As a result of his selfish decision instead of having extra space (that I had paid for) I had less, there was no food or bar service to the area, passengers were not allowed to use the forward toilets causing congestion at the rear, we all had a much longer journey, arriving late.

 

Had this been some unfortunate soul who had suddenly taken ill none of the above would have concerned me in the slightest, there but for the grace of God. As I knew perfectly well that it was caused by someone else's selfishness it did really annoy me.

 

How empathetic would others be in these types of circumstances?

 

Back to a cruise ship, how many of these now numerous emergencies are a genuine emergency and how many are related to passengers who travel when they are very well aware that their health is not sufficiently robust to do so?

[kruzseeka]

My in-laws are on the same cruise. It sounds like the have been four incidents... Two helicopters, one injured dancer and one bodybag.

 

Compensation hadn't crossed their minds, just empathy for the people involved. Personally I'm actually a little disgusted that some people think that they might be due something because of the misfortune of others.

 

And a second performer (or perhaps the same one again) suffered an injury during the first show last night so they were unable to do the second show though a cobbled together programme from the Orchestra and guest acts stepped up to provide a performance.

 

On the issue of the 2am medi-alert, the announcement was ship wide though only aft cabins had to evacuate. Other passengers were asked to stay off balconies and decks, not to video, take photos or video events!! (Sad that it was even necessary to ask!)

 

Whilst understanding the inconvenience for those who had to vacate there cabins, it seemed to me that the situation must have been very very serious to necessitate evacuation in the middle of the night and as such the over-riding sentiment from passengers was of concern and sympathy.

 

We felt the Captain did what was necessary and explained his actions such that none of the passengers we met (including a couple who were required to leave their cabin) showed anything other than concern for the health of the lady officer who was airlifted off the ship.

 

I just felt very grateful that it wasn't us who required emergency treatment and that the response from the ship for those who did was in the passengers' best interests.

[Vickitoria10]

That's a worry. Where other aft passengers evacuated in the middle of the night or just them? It sounds like a security issue to me.

 

 

 

All aft passengers were moved in the middle of the night. It was to allow the helicopter to land safely

 

 

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[Clodia]

As I sleep naked and lock my door at night, I don't think they would have been able to get in to get me out of bed!

[jeanlyon]

I can't see that any compensation would be due at all. Just sorry for the poor people who were ill. On Arcadia on States and Canada, we didn't have a helivac, but 3 ambulances at Boston, 2 at New York and another at Quebec.

[kruzseeka]

All aft passengers were moved in the middle of the night. It was to allow the helicopter to land safely

 

 

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The helicopter didn't land. The patient was winched up on a stretcher. I believe the evacuation was a safety precaution in the event of a terrible accident and the helicopter or rotor blades made contact with the ship. Removing all personnel from any area at risk was the issue as I understood the situation.

[Tacu]

There do appear to be many, many more of these heli evacuations than there were in the past. Now it seems to be virtually every other cruise (Dai you need to avoid the cruises I go on as well:))

Maybe part of it these days is down to the compensation culture. Whereas before Granny would have been taken ill on her cruise and the ship would have pulled in at the next port, these days they do a medevac to avoid the grandchildren suing for mental distress or worse?

[wowzz]

Damned if they do, and damned if they don't. These days you have to go over the top to ensure there are no law suits.

[Green Cathedral]

We were on board and, medically speaking, it was indeed eventful. Yes, one helicopter evacuation in the early hours of the morning and aft cabins were cleared as a safety precaution. The second was round 8 or 9pm, we were in the Belvedere finishing dinner when the announcement was made and again aft cabins were cleared as was the Belvedere. Let's not pretend these weren't inconvenient events, but it was all after all for our own safety, really didn't impact on enjoyment of the cruise dramatically and all nothing compared to the inconvenience and distress of those being evacuated and their friends/ relatives on board. There was also a crew member taken by ambulance just prior to leaving port one day and at least one death as someone mentioned earlier.

 

I understand the Ship's Doctor mentioned it had been a particularly busy cruise what with these emergencies and a higher than usual number of visits to the Medical Centre.

 

As I say, it was a wonderful cruise overall, none of these things altered that a jot and I would never consider compensation for something that's occurred from medical necessity (that I would hope would be available to me should I need it) and in the interest of safety. I do hope those who needed medical attention are recovering well and sympathies to the friends and family who lost a loved one.

[Cruise Puss]

We were on this cruise. It was one of the best Norway cruises we've taken.

 

It did not enter our heads, or anyone we spoke to, to even consider 'compensation'.

 

The first evacuation was a critically ill crew member; the second a critically ill passenger. Everyone, bar none, was extremely concerned for the individuals and nothing else.

 

Each ship is divided into fire zones. Whenever there is a helicopter evacuation, which is an extremely dangerous manoeuvre at sea, the section where it will be is evacuated. This is in case of an accident. The helicopter does NOT land, it hovers above the deck. A fire crew are on stand by as a precaution. We were told all of this by a high ranking Officer.

 

We knew people who were evacuated and they were well looked after and, under the circumstances, did not have a problem with it.

 

We have been on many cruises and would rather be on a cruise line with a high level of care towards their passengers and crew than end up on one that does not. Islands, and ships hitting them, spring to mind!