Disappointing Experience

[NLH Arizona]

 

I do not know the type of scanning equipment that they have on a cruise ship, but I am pretty sure they don't have a CT machine, and without one they haven't any idea where that stone is located and how big it is. He could have gotten sepsis and that is no joke.

No, they don't have a CT machine and that is why the doctor suggested they go to the hospital in Bermuda to get a CT scan, according to the OP.

[Baystate]

I'm sure that's why the doctor told her to take him to the hospital in Bermuda for a scan. They weren't even sure that's what it was. I feel just as sorry for her as you do but when you don't communicate with people they can't read your mind. Had they known it was a continuing situation I'm sure they would have responded.

 

I know that you absolutely know that it is no picnic since you have experienced it, and I do realize from your posts that you do feel sorry for their terrible situation so I'm sorry if it seemed as if I was implying the opposite.

 

I just feel like they dropped the ball on this one. People that have never experienced or have seen a loved one experience a kidney stone don't realize the pain nor that there can be complications, and I just feel like that they could have done a better job than they did. Clearly, this is not a reflection fleet wide nor on everyone on the ship. Just on the people that these poor people dealt with. They definitely could have done better and should have.

[johhnnyt]

Sorry to hear they didn't show more compassion to your situation, just glad health wise things are getting better. In 2016 I met a woman onboard who was going through a like situation and needed to fly home mid cruise from the Canary Islands. She was having difficulties communicating her dilemma to guest relations, and I don't think they (guest relations agent) realized the urgency of the situation involved.

I had met the GRM a day or two before and introduced the passenger to Julie. Julie mobilized the resources needed for her to get a smooth transition off the ship. As well intended as most of the guest relations team is, if it's a serious issue I would ask to speak to the GRM , Assistant Hotel Director, or Hotel Director, they're better trained to deal with these issues, and at least from what I've seen do great with followups with the off ship resources as well.

Just glad he's on the mend.

[dznymom]

First, glad your man is on the way to recovery.

 

As pointed out earlier, it does sound as though he was not well at embarkcation time. How the heck did he get from your cabin to the infirmary without you knowing about it? I know if I felt sick enough to go to the infirmary early in the morning, I would wake my wife and tell her what was happening!

 

Hope you had the travel insurance that included pre-existing conditions in the clauses.

 

As for poor service, Celebrity gave you what you asked for. If you had required or requested an ambulance, it would have been provided.

 

As for myself, I once got injured (dislocated shoulder) while off a Celebrity cruise. The ship actually waited 45 minutes after the port agent called and returned me to the ship from the Cozumel hospital...but I digress.

 

I'm glad that Celebrity responded well when you were injured in Cozumel. That is how it should be.

 

As for 'how the heck' he got to the infirmary without me knowing, it was the same way he gets up quietly to get ready for work every morning. He is the type of person that doesn't like to put anyone out EVER, including me. He is a stubborn old fart. Believe me, he got quite a scolding after this.

 

Since returning home, I have spoken to a number of people that have experienced kidney stones, and apparently it does just come out of the blue. We certainly would not have boarded the ship if the symptoms had started prior to the cruise.

 

I'm not going to address the insurance comment as that has absolutely no bearing on any of this.

 

I did ask for assistance in arranging for a car to take us to the airport, and was told it was not necessary. I would have pursued it further if I knew it would be difficult to find a taxi willing to go to the airport.

 

As I said, I am happy they did a good job in your situation. I know they could have done a better job in our ours.

[dznymom]

It is absolutely horrible that the only one assisting you upon disembarking was your room steward! Where was the port agent? Several years ago I had a tooth abscess and Princess bent over backwards with priority disembarkation and a port agent to meet me with transportation at the dock to the dentist. The ship's med center followed up that evening. My experience with the Summit was VERY sub par in all areas. I will be on the Equinox this weekend giving Celebrity another chance. Hope to have a better experience. I'm sorry you experienced such indifference.

 

I am sorry you had to deal with a tooth abcess on a cruise :( That must have been miserable. It's good to know that Princess responded well. It's when things don't go smoothly that we really learn about a company, rather than when all is well.

 

Indifference is the perfect word for our experience! Thank you, I will use that in my letter to Celebrity :)

[dznymom]

I'm sure that's why the doctor told her to take him to the hospital in Bermuda for a scan. They weren't even sure that's what it was. I feel just as sorry for her as you do but when you don't communicate with people they can't read your mind. Had they known it was a continuing situation I'm sure they would have responded.

 

Well, the doctor diagnosed it as a kidney stone based on his exam, and he was spot on. Since we returned the next day and my husband clearly was not improving, they were well aware of his condition that day. What is so hard about a follow up call?

[Baystate]

I'm glad that Celebrity responded well when you were injured in Cozumel. That is how it should be.

 

As for 'how the heck' he got to the infirmary without me knowing, it was the same way he gets up quietly to get ready for work every morning. He is the type of person that doesn't like to put anyone out EVER, including me. He is a stubborn old fart. Believe me, he got quite a scolding after this.

 

Since returning home, I have spoken to a number of people that have experienced kidney stones, and apparently it does just come out of the blue. We certainly would not have boarded the ship if the symptoms had started prior to the cruise.

 

I'm not going to address the insurance comment as that has absolutely no bearing on any of this.

 

I did ask for assistance in arranging for a car to take us to the airport, and was told it was not necessary. I would have pursued it further if I knew it would be difficult to find a taxi willing to go to the airport.

 

As I said, I am happy they did a good job in your situation. I know they could have done a better job in our ours.

 

At least in my husband's case, it has come out of the blue. He wakes up not feeling right, and then it slowly progresses to the point where he becomes incapacitated. He has had four kidney stones and he was hospitalized for the last two. His doctor at Mass General said that most people don't realize how incredibly painful they are, and I believe him after seeing my husband go through it. And, just as an aside, my husband never complains about pain. He popped his own shoulder back in after it partially dislocated twice.

[dznymom]

Sorry, I am trying very hard not to sound defensive but I probably do. It was just a rough few days for us, and I felt very alone. And I am a pretty tough old broad.

 

But as I said, all is well now. I stand by my statement that Celebrity could have, and should have, done a better job.

 

And I wish we had a 'like' feature on this forum so I could like most of the posts here :)

[serendipity1499]

I am sorry you had to deal with a tooth abcess on a cruise :( That must have been miserable. It's good to know that Princess responded well. It's when things don't go smoothly that we really learn about a company, rather than when all is well.

 

Indifference is the perfect word for our experience! Thank you, I will use that in my letter to Celebrity :)

 

I'm so sorry that you had such indifference to your DH's condition..I once had gravel in my Kidney's which passed but I was on the floor of my apartment in terrible pain..Agree it's no picnic..I would bet that the front desk never even mentioned your problem to their boss, but why the Medical Dept. staff didn't follow up is a good question & shows terrible service..

 

When I was ill on a HAL cruise the Medical Dept confined me to quarters for three days & constantly followed up with my DH.. They even sent stewards to our cabin to give us clean sheets & towels.. The Stewards wore a mask & were very sweet.. The Nurse on duty called DH & me twice a day to see if we needed anything & showed a lot of compassion.. They sent food up to us as DH stayed in the cabin with me..

 

I agree with you, that Celebrity dropped the ball on this one!:(Happy to hear that your DH is on the mend!

[Mr. Click]

Wow, I am pretty surprised that the ship's staff was not more accomdating and caring. Having dealt with kidney stones twice now I know just how debilitating the pain is and how scary the whole event is. The good news is he is well again. Absolutly contact customer service, write them and call them. We have had a couple of medical issues on cruises and in both cases the ship's staff could not do enough for us. Thankfully is was nothing as bad as a kidney stone, I just cannot imagine dealing with that on a ship.

[Arzeena]

OP, glad that your husband is doing well.

Hope you too have recovered from this stressful ordeal.

[Fish Lover]

I'm sorry you had this experience. It has been my experience, when traveling anywhere, that unless your condition is unmanageable onsite then you must be prepared to fend for yourself.

 

I am not defending the fact that Celebrity failed to follow-up as a courtesy, however even though in pain, his condition was not an emergency.

 

You didn't have to keep going to the buffet for food. You could have ordered from room service any time. You can also do so from your cabin tv. You can also order meals from the MDR during meal hours. While you most certainly could not turn this into a good vacation, you could have made yourselves more comfortable. You also had the option of going to the hospital while in Bermuda and then finding out whether you needed to fly home (probably not very comfortable) or could sail home in better comfort.

 

As to going to the health station and allowing non-doctors to treat your husband.. This should not have happened either. You should have put your foot down and demanded better. There are wheel chairs all over the ship and one should have been given to you for your 24 hr use while still on the ship. You must be your own best advocate. I also would not have settled for the doctor not being there. I realize they have published hours, but they can (and will) make exceptions.

[OCruisers]

Luckily I am pretty independent and was able to handle things on my own. Had we stayed on the ship for a week with no support, it would have been much, much worse. I was never so glad to get home.

 

So agree you needed to get him home.

Disappointed in the lack of concern by Celebrity. I would certainly have expected more from them. :(

Just glad he's doing fine now.

[sarahuk]

Sorry, I am trying very hard not to sound defensive but I probably do. It was just a rough few days for us, and I felt very alone. And I am a pretty tough old broad.

 

But as I said, all is well now. I stand by my statement that Celebrity could have, and should have, done a better job.

 

And I wish we had a 'like' feature on this forum so I could like most of the posts here :)

 

Hi , I am so sorry you and your husband had to go through this and am glad all is OK now.

I can understand how alone you must have felt as I had to leave the ship in a hurry once when we had news that my mother had been taken to hospital and was informed that she may not live very long. I was lucky that I had my husband to support me but it was still a difficult time and scary so be having to do all arrangements on your own as well as looking after your husband must have been awful.

We were on the Eclipse in the Caribbean and had to get back to the UK. We went to guest services to ask to use the phone to book flights home and to tell them we needed to leave the cruise. The staff were very sympathetic and helpful and when I asked about a taxi to the airport they said they would arrange it all.

When we docked next day the staff took us off the ship first and took us to the waiting private car that they had arranged and had also paid for.

The service from everyone was totally supportive and we had never had to ask or tell them we needed help.

I feel Celebrity let you down big time. The medical team obviously knew your husband had problems and should have followed it up the next day with at least a phone call. As for Guest Relations they should have been more proactive in their support without being asked. The fact that you have to request to leave a ship would surely prompt them to ask if there was a problem or if your are OK. I'm sure the letter we had to sign had to give the reason we wished to leave early.

Don't listen to the harsh posts on here that always start with something like I sympathise with you but........

and then go on to the likes of you should have communicated that you needed help or demanded to see the doctor. It's not your fault and in times of acute stress you just go into auto pilot and cannot always think straight. Please do write to Celebrity and tell them what happened. I hope this was a one off as surely most people working in a customer based position would realise when a person is in a stressful situation and could simply ask if everything is alright and do they need any assistance.

[richnorto]

You may not be getting the most dedicated doctors on cruise ships. I have a friend whose husband is a doctor. They choose a cruise each Christmas with HAL to sail. He is the "ship doctor" and the entire family sails free. I'm fairly certain he is not doing "on call" unless someone goes to finds him with a life/death situation.

I've never had a situation on a ship, but I will make an effort after reading this thread to make a stink if I ever do! I think it is reprehensible to not follow up with a patient with such a sever issue! Customer service obviously had an 18 year old mind set as well!

[caribill]

Well, the doctor diagnosed it as a kidney stone based on his exam, and he was spot on. Since we returned the next day and my husband clearly was not improving, they were well aware of his condition that day. What is so hard about a follow up call?

 

Yes, the Med Center should have followed up.

 

You indicated that the doctor was not there when you visited for the second time. Possibly the staff that did see your husband did not inform the doctor about that visit.

[Mr. Click]

For those of you who have never had to deal with a kidney stone, think about going 15 rounds with Ali and every blow landed right there in that one spot......and it just never stops.

[LindaKB]

I'm sorry you had this experience. It has been my experience, when traveling anywhere, that unless your condition is unmanageable onsite then you must be prepared to fend for yourself.

 

I am not defending the fact that Celebrity failed to follow-up as a courtesy, however even though in pain, his condition was not an emergency.

 

You didn't have to keep going to the buffet for food. You could have ordered from room service any time. You can also do so from your cabin tv. You can also order meals from the MDR during meal hours. While you most certainly could not turn this into a good vacation, you could have made yourselves more comfortable. You also had the option of going to the hospital while in Bermuda and then finding out whether you needed to fly home (probably not very comfortable) or could sail home in better comfort.

 

As to going to the health station and allowing non-doctors to treat your husband.. This should not have happened either. You should have put your foot down and demanded better. There are wheel chairs all over the ship and one should have been given to you for your 24 hr use while still on the ship. You must be your own best advocate. I also would not have settled for the doctor not being there. I realize they have published hours, but they can (and will) make exceptions.

Ditto I have to agree with this and Wren, if you want help, don't expect it, ask for it. Demand it. Yes, I know from experience kidney stones. A very close friend of mine went through passing one and it was horrible. He could have been staying in the Taj Mahal and it wouldn't have made it any easier. Some times it's up to you, not others, to take charge and make things happen. As for luggage, make it happen.In all my cruises, if luggage is too much, there's always someone who will help. Be confident, loud and The Boss. Lack of compassion? No one can read your mind. Some times you gotta take matters into your own strong hands. This may sound tough, but I'm the type who would have asked for the Captain if I felt I needed action.

[dznymom]

1. The medical staff knew of our situation.

 

2. Guest Relations knew that we were disembarking due to a medical situation.

 

3. Someone in authority knew of our situation because the Guest Relations staff member made a phone call to someone (a supervisor I believe) while I was at the desk to ask a question.

 

4. Someone in authority sent us a letter with instructions on when and where to go for immigration when we docked in Bermuda.

 

So the fact that my husband was ill was well documented.

 

I said I was disappointed and that I expected more from Celebrity. I never said I wasn't capable of handling the situation without their assistance, as obviously I did just that. I made sure my husband was fed and had plenty of fluids. I monitored his blood pressure and blood levels and made sure he was as comfortable as possible. I asked the Room Steward to assist us in getting off the ship, and he did so to the best of his ability.

 

Clearly, I didn't NEED to demand anything other than a wheelchair which was absolutely necessary. Beyond that, with some help from our steward, I managed.

 

Again, I said I was disappointed. I don't think that is a very strong word, and I think it conveys what I feel. I just wanted to share what happened, and get some perspective.

 

I do want to thank WrenB for the great visual of me (ala Kathy Bates in Misery) with my husband chained to the bed while I ran back and forth to the buffet slowly but surely losing my grip on reality :D

[richsea]

I am glad that everthing worked out in the end and that your husband is feeling well. Someone surly dropped the ball in aiding you, and you should let Celebrity know, if only so they can take sreps to help prevent this in the future. From what others have said from experience, this is not the norm for Celebrity.

 

And also, just disregard the "perfect" people, and consider the source.

[Orator]

1. The medical staff knew of our situation.

 

2. Guest Relations knew that we were disembarking due to a medical situation.

 

3. Someone in authority knew of our situation because the Guest Relations staff member made a phone call to someone (a supervisor I believe) while I was at the desk to ask a question.

 

4. Someone in authority sent us a letter with instructions on when and where to go for immigration when we docked in Bermuda.

 

So the fact that my husband was ill was well documented.

 

I said I was disappointed and that I expected more from Celebrity. I never said I wasn't capable of handling the situation without their assistance, as obviously I did just that. I made sure my husband was fed and had plenty of fluids. I monitored his blood pressure and blood levels and made sure he was as comfortable as possible. I asked the Room Steward to assist us in getting off the ship, and he did so to the best of his ability.

 

Clearly, I didn't NEED to demand anything other than a wheelchair which was absolutely necessary. Beyond that, with some help from our steward, I managed.

 

Again, I said I was disappointed. I don't think that is a very strong word, and I think it conveys what I feel. I just wanted to share what happened, and get some perspective.

 

I do want to thank WrenB for the great visual of me (ala Kathy Bates in Misery) with my husband chained to the bed while I ran back and forth to the buffet slowly but surely losing my grip on reality :D

You did the best you could do given the situation you faced.

[NLH Arizona]

 

Clearly, I didn't NEED to demand anything other than a wheelchair which was absolutely necessary. Beyond that, with some help from our steward, I managed.

Possibly there is a confusion because, you said you managed, but complained that someone should have offered to bring you meals from the MDR and helped you with your luggage, after the Room Steward left, and haggle with taxi drivers. Both of these items are things that Celebrity would have been more that willing to help you with, if you just would have asked.

 

I think your situation is very eye opening to folks like me who have a hard time asking for help and tells us that sometimes instead of complaining that someone is not willing to step up and help, we have to ask them for help, because maybe they thought you either had help from someone else or were able to do everything ourselves.

[Hydrokitty]

For those of you who have never had to deal with a kidney stone, think about going 15 rounds with Ali and every blow landed right there in that one spot......and it just never stops.

 

That is such an accurate description! I can personally attest to the fact that a kidney stone can just happen in an instant. The stone can be there for months but once it becomes lodged in the narrow ureters the pain is indescribable! I was very lucky mine hit in the middle of the night at home, but the pain was so bad I told DH he better call an ambulance. When EMT asked me how bad the pain was on a scale of 1 to 10, I said something unbelievably rude! I was also lucky that after a shot of morphine and a couple of hours in the ER, the stone passed by itself and the pain all but disappeared.

 

To the OP...I've also had food poisoning (on another line) and received absolutely nothing from anyone. True it was disembarkation day but all they did was hand me a bucket and demand that I "tell no one you're sick". The only help I got was from Immigration in Vancouver and I will never cruise that line again. I am surprised X was not more sympathetic to your situation I have always found them to be just the opposite, although I've never needed emergency care from them.

[RNCheryl]

Our experience on Reflection was very different. Husband has a history of low back pain, but does not bother him too much. Right before our cruise, he carried lots of heavy stuff that he should not have. The first day on board was fine, back pain managed by ibuprofen. However, the next day he was in spasms and pain. The clinic gave him muscle relaxers; he stayed in the cabin with ice packs, etc. But he was miserable and we were missing all the cruise activities. We decided to go home from Jamaica (we live in Florida). The concierge could not have been more helpful. She booked flights, arranged for assistance disembarking and even accompanied us to the cab, carrying luggage for us. Above and beyond. I didn't expect a get well note from the captain. We got good customer service.

[Hydrokitty]

Our experience on Reflection was very different. Husband has a history of low back pain, but does not bother him too much. Right before our cruise, he carried lots of heavy stuff that he should not have. The first day on board was fine, back pain managed by ibuprofen. However, the next day he was in spasms and pain. The clinic gave him muscle relaxers; he stayed in the cabin with ice packs, etc. But he was miserable and we were missing all the cruise activities. We decided to go home from Jamaica (we live in Florida). The concierge could not have been more helpful. She booked flights, arranged for assistance disembarking and even accompanied us to the cab, carrying luggage for us. Above and beyond. I didn't expect a get well note from the captain. We got good customer service.

 

This is what I would expect from X....and why I won't sail with anyone else.