Caribbean Princess Issues?

[CruisinFinsUp]

Anyone know what happened to Caribbean Princess today leaving St. Maarten?

PTZtv reported CB stopped and dropped a lifeboat. Marine Traffic shows sailing about in a circle before moving onwards.

See screenshots attached.

[kendon]

I'd love to know. Will be on this ship in three days!

[moki'smommy]

While it isn't typical, they might have deployed a lifeboat to pick up a late passenger. They were away from the dock, so wouldn't be incurring late stay fees at the dock. If this is the case, that's one nice captain!

[piescruises]

Yo you're not allowed to redistribute PTZtv video it's against their terms of use

[CruisinFinsUp]

Yo you're not allowed to redistribute PTZtv video it's against their terms of use

 

Thanks, but I believe what I show is within their terms. I took screenshots (unaltered) of their twitter feed and a screen shot of the Marine traffic feed.

http://www.ptztv.com/about-us/terms-conditions/

 

"Still image snapshotstaken from our Websites and Services may be posted to the following social networking forums provided there is no commercial motivation on the part of the Visitor and provided our copyright watermarks are not removed:

• Cruise Critic www.cruisecritic.com"
  

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The late passenger idea is interesting. I agree - very nice Captain!

 

I wonder if instead an ill passenger or a passenger with an emergency (they could fly somewhere from the island faster than the ship is returning to the US) may have been taken ashore?

[SSMEX]

 

Twitter says it was one of the tender boats and was due to a medical emergency.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[CruisinFinsUp]

Thanks SSMEX. I didn't think to look at the comments.

 

I hope all is well for the ill person and their family.

[goncruzn]

It was a medical emergency. I was actually watching it unfold live on the Port St. Maarten webcam. Caribbean Princess sailed out, then turned around, slowed and lowered a life boat. They opened a fairly large door on the side of the ship almost at water level and the lifeboat pulled up to that door. It blocked the view, but after waiting a bit, eventually there was a quick glimpse of someone on a stretcher and after a few more minutes, the pilot boat (which had been there the whole time) sped away with the life boat behind it. They pulled to the dock in St. Maarten where there was at least one person who looked to be in hospital scrubs and about three or four ladies in green shirts and khaki pants. When they took the person off the life boat, it looked like it may have been a gray-haired man. They had him in an incline position on the stretcher. He was wheeled up the dock to an emergency vehicle. There was also a lady who got off with luggage, so I will assume they were together. After that the life boat went back to the ship and in time they were on their way.

 

The camera was zoomed in the entire time so I just watched the entire situation as it was happening. I tune in to the webcams periodically during the week, but this is the first time I've ever caught something happening live like this.

 

I do hope the person taken off the ship is receiving treatment and doing well.

[paradiselivin1]

Me too. A blessing they were still close to port.

[satxdiver]

Great that the ship was close and able to get the man to shore and medical treatment so quickly. It takes a lot of time and effort (and perhaps $$$$) to return to the pier and put out the lines so that pax can walk off the ship. Depending on the medical emergency St Maarten is not a bad place to be in need of medical help as I imagine they have first class medical facilities.

[fishywood]

Great that the ship was close and able to get the man to shore and medical treatment so quickly. It takes a lot of time and effort (and perhaps $$$$) to return to the pier and put out the lines so that pax can walk off the ship.

 

$$$ were definitely a consideration. It is reasonable to assume that the possibility that this passenger would need to be medically disembarked was real and known prior to the lines being let. But it is far less expensive to pull away as scheduled and arrange for a small boat evacuation rather than stay alongside the pier beyond the scheduled departure time.

 

I watched this firsthand a few years ago on another line (story confirmed to me by the disembarking guest lecturers on the same bus to the airport a couple days later): at the final port stop a crew member was severely injured during the re-hoisting of the tenders. While the ship's doctor worked on stabilizing him sufficiently so that he could endure the tender ride back to shore followed by an ambulance ride to the hospital, the ship still raised anchor and pull out of the limits of the harbor. Not having to pay extra for staying in port longer, or delaying the pilot, was a higher priority than a crew member who suffered an amputation.

[moki'smommy]

Not having to pay extra for staying in port longer, or delaying the pilot, was a higher priority than a crew member who suffered an amputation.

I'd be careful with this statement. No question, the cost of over-staying the booked time in port is an issue. But you have no idea how long it was going to take to stabilize the injured crew member. Frankly, in the midst of the emergency, the ship's doctor would not have been able to say how long it would take. They walk a fine line between getting an ill or injured passenger/crew member off the ship as soon as possible and having that person in the best possible condition to make the transfer, whether by air, boat, or ground. I've been on the receiving end of many transfers from hospitals on land. While we knew what the flight time would be, we never knew how long it would take to stabilize the patient prior to the transfer.

[chicgotgame]

Thanks, but I believe what I show is within their terms. I took screenshots (unaltered) of their twitter feed and a screen shot of the Marine traffic feed.

http://www.ptztv.com/about-us/terms-conditions/

 

"Still image snapshotstaken from our Websites and Services may be posted to the following social networking forums provided there is no commercial motivation on the part of the Visitor and provided our copyright watermarks are not removed:

• Cruise Critic www.cruisecritic.com"
  

------

 

The late passenger idea is interesting. I agree - very nice Captain!

 

I wonder if instead an ill passenger or a passenger with an emergency (they could fly somewhere from the island faster than the ship is returning to the US) may have been taken ashore?

There was a medical emergency and someone had to be taken off the ship. That’s all I know.

[chengkp75]

I would take anything said by a guest lecturer about the cost or operational considerations of a ship with a grain of salt. Contrary to what most believe on here, port fees are really not time dependent, certainly not "by the hour", if anything it is by the full day. And, when there is no ship coming into the dock immediately after the ship leaves the dock, there is no reason to charge extra. Further, declaring an emergency would negate any port fees involved with redocking.

 

And given that the island pilots are not real busy, like the Houston/Galveston pilots are, delaying a pilot would not cost extra. To say that cost is weighed against the medical treatment of someone is pure rubbish.

 

As for "putting out lines" again, in these cases, unless there is a serious weather consideration, the Captain will simply hold the ship against the pier with propulsion and thrusters, no lines needed.

 

The "large door almost at water level" was the tender port, which would be the normal place to disembark an injured person from to a tender boat if in sheltered waters.

[satxdiver]

I'd be careful with this statement. No question' date=' the cost of over-staying the booked time in port is an issue. But you have no idea how long it was going to take to stabilize the injured crew member. Frankly, in the midst of the emergency, the ship's doctor would not have been able to say how long it would take. They walk a fine line between getting an ill or injured passenger/crew member off the ship as soon as possible and having that person in the best possible condition to make the transfer, whether by air, boat, or ground. I've been on the receiving end of many transfers from hospitals on land. While we knew what the flight time would be, we never knew how long it would take to stabilize the patient prior to the transfer.[/quote']

 

The patient certainly has to be stabilized before being transported to a medical facility. It would be catastrophic if the patient was transported too soon and suffered further medical damage in a very limited location (ambulance etc).

[Ella2]

I was on this sailing. It was a medical emergency as described above. The Captain notified passengers shortly after leaving St. Maarten that it was a medical evacuation, and what would happen. He kept everyone informed of the progress and assured us it would not affect the sailing time back to Port Everglades (it did not). My prayers are with the family as well. I'm just glad we were very close to shore and hope the passenger has been treated and is doing well.

[Luvmyrotti]

I would take anything said by a guest lecturer about the cost or operational considerations of a ship with a grain of salt. Contrary to what most believe on here, port fees are really not time dependent, certainly not "by the hour", if anything it is by the full day. And, when there is no ship coming into the dock immediately after the ship leaves the dock, there is no reason to charge extra. Further, declaring an emergency would negate any port fees involved with redocking.

 

And given that the island pilots are not real busy, like the Houston/Galveston pilots are, delaying a pilot would not cost extra. To say that cost is weighed against the medical treatment of someone is pure rubbish.

 

As for "putting out lines" again, in these cases, unless there is a serious weather consideration, the Captain will simply hold the ship against the pier with propulsion and thrusters, no lines needed.

 

The "large door almost at water level" was the tender port, which would be the normal place to disembark an injured person from to a tender boat if in sheltered waters.

Thank you for your, as-always, educated and thoughtful posts.

 

The idea that the captain and cruise line would put a life ahead of money is, even to the casual observer, absurd.