Mutany on the Mary

[nrdsb4]

Yes, it was an accident, but when accidents happen, say, in surgery or on a bus, litigation usually results in the party related to the accident to pay a rather hefty sum to the party affected.

 

Not necessarily true. In the medical field, it's known that "accidents" can happen. These are listed on the consent form as potential events and the patients sign off on them. In order for litigation to be successful in trial, the patient must prove that the "accident" was due to negligence and does not meet the standard of care.

 

A bad outcome does not mean the patient is entitled to damages. There is inherent risk in every medical procedure.

 

I'm a RN, so I have to defend my peers from time to time. Sorry.:p

[pmvogelalex]

Nyc to bermuda, 7 days, two hurricanes, disrupted itenerary { 6hrs in Nassau, and 8 hrs in canaveral fl}

all the new yorkers were really mad they could not golf in a bermuda hurricane!

It was UGLY!!!!!

 

I think that cunard needs to show the pax who makes the law on the high seas.

[LauraS]

Folks:

 

Just a reminder: please do not copy and post articles from elsewhere on the internet. Instead, paraphrase a bit or post the first sentence, and then LINK to the article!

 

Also, have you read our news on this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1497

[nodumblond]

What a soap opera!!!May I make a few suggestioins to all on board!! Especially the Brits!! #-1 I wish I was on board and had your problem!!!!!! #2 IF ALL ELSE FAILS READ THE CONTRACT YOU SIGNED AND AGREED TO!!!!!!!# 3 Stop your whining !!!!!! # 4 DRINK HEAVILY!!!!!!!!!! #5 enjoy your cruise!!!! BONVOYAGE!!!!!!!!

 

Hear, hear! ;-)

 

signed, a landlocked (but not Queen!) Mary

[travel-to-go]

Can you give any hard evidence that this is the case?

 

David.

 

David,

 

I believe I put in both posts that this came from our waiter, of whom I asked the question delicately, but specifically. So, he may have told me what he wanted me to hear, or what he thought I wanted to hear, or a softened version of the above. However, I have heard similar things from various sources in the past which seem to bear this out, including staements I have gotten from different cruise lines at different times. I have spoken to pursers and stewards on the same subject. While some may have had an agenda to their answer- after all, everyone puts some sort of spin on something that may directly affect their bottom line, I think my sources have been diverse enough that, though the answer may not be exact, or pertain to each line over time, I think the gist of it is probably reliable. You could try calling Cunard with the question- Not in a hostile manner, but as a concerned past and future passenger. I would ask it along the lines of something like this:

 

"I know that Cunard now charges the recommended tips to my on-board account. If I would like to especially thank a server who I feel has gone beyond the call, or wish to make sure that they know that I am giving them more than the recommended amount, should I take off the pre-paid amount and hand it all to them directly?" This will make Cunard come up with the answer that doing that causes the monies to be pooled and that you would be better off leaving the tips on your account and giving the extra personally. (Or not, if it is not the case)

 

I'm not trying to be evasive. I'm just telling you where I got that from, and let you judge for yourself whther you feel it is reliable information.

 

as they say, YMMV!

Karie, who ALWAYS tips extra!

[giustot]

I can't speak for Cunard but I do know the policy on Princess is that when passengers remove the tips from their accounts and tip individually the recipients must put the tips back into the pool. So it's usually better to leave the tips on your account and then individually tip a little extra. Tom.

[bobby1119]

Were there only an onboard webcam to bear withness to the amusing saga on the Queen Mary 2! According to a travel agent friend who has been in touch with one of the ship's officers, "No one has yet to tie themselves to the railings... Most are enjoying the lobster and foie gras..." Meanwhile, QE2 happily sails towards Hawaii.

[ocngypz]

Nah, the captain is still in charge and responsible also most local/state laws that create ship pilots limit their liability to .10 per ton, or something close to that, so the pilot would pay at most $17,700.00.

 

 

 

Hardly, pilots up here have been fined much, much more for their screw ups!

[smeyer418]

They may be fined more they may lose their license but their liability is also limited. I want to be a pilot :)

[travel-to-go]

I saw a copy of a crew contract on the internet a few months ago. I think it was from Carnival or RCCL.

 

It said the crew member involved was entitled to a minimum (low) wage, to be augmented by tips. In the event of those tips not being forthcoming (and I can think of many reasons why that might be, including the present brouhaha on QM2) the Cruise line would make up the wages to a certain (reasonable) level.

 

Of course, I can't find the exact article to reproduce here right now, but it was a report of legal proceedings brought by a crew member in respect of an injury sustained on board. This is why the minutiae of the crew contract was laid bare. .

I don't see a copy of the contract, but here is the article (or a similar one about the same lawsuit and determination)

 

http://www.lipcon.com/news_article18.shtml

 

Karie

[curlyQ]

I have a question...

 

Is it too late to go back to the start and change the spelling to "MUTINY"?

[travel-to-go]

I have a question...

 

Is it too late to go back to the start and change the spelling to "MUTINY"?

<LOL>!!!

It's been bugging me, too! But I didn't want to seem petty!

I guess in the great scheme of things I can live with it! <G>

(compared to being held hostage on the QM2, of course!)

 

Karie

Who has typed her own name incorrectly a couple of times! (Thank God for the EIDT function! <LOL>) I mean EDIT

[sailorbill]

A most amusing CC thread.

 

It shouldn't be too long before we find out how many of these terribly abused passengers decide to "sit in" and not disembark in Rio. I wonder just how many of them have any hint of what will happen to them if they do try that foolish action. It is my understanding that once the ship is in port the laws of the host country govern and the local authorities have jurisdiction. Any passengers forcibly removed from the ship may be turned over to the tender mercies of the Rio police. And from what I have read about the Rio police they can on occasion be neither tender nor merciful. And a little time in a Rio jail may cause the passengers to recall their simply awful time aboard the QM2 to have actually been paradise by comparison.

 

I really think that they will all leave as booked, probably noisily with as much bluff and bluster as they can make and as long as there is an audience to listen. But in the end they will leave.

[chasetf]

Coming through the channel the pilot is at the helm. If the pilot was off course, he will be held accountable and he (in the guise of his insurance company) sued. It is also entirely possible there was something in the channel which should not have been there, which is a great possibility considering Port Everglades was closed to marine traffic several times this fall due to hurricanes. We will just have to wait for the final report.

I agree one will have to wait for the final report.

 

I have never ever seen a pilot with his hand on the ship's joystick control. The captain always "captains" the ship. I doubt there was some "unknown" obstacle under water. There may have been a built up sandbar created by the storms you referenced. But those ships have sonar. I think it will come down to someone was not paying attention or misjudged the clearance.

 

I would believe the pilots are not private employees but public port employees. I would really doubt there is an insurance company will to indemnify someone of the cost this will finally turn out to be. (Drydock repairs / missed cruise revenue just to start the list)

[Bollinge]

The lady at the Daily Telegraph seems to have missed the point with this piece:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/26/nmary26.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/26/ixhome.html

 

She is suggesting that passengers may miss their flights home, "because the ship is 22 hours late" The point of this cruise is that there was an overnight planned stay Thursday in port in Rio, and no-one was scheduled to leave until Friday anyway.

[guernseyguy]

She is suggesting that passengers may miss their flights home, "because the ship is 22 hours late" The point of this cruise is that there was an overnight planned stay Thursday in port in Rio, and no-one was scheduled to leave until Friday anyway.

 

I wonder......I'm pretty sure the regular Cunard fare includes return flights home, so these people will be covered. HOWEVER, if people booked heavily discounted tickets at the last minute, (which I have done in the past) then Air is not included, so perhaps its THESE people who have booked their own flights who have flight problems......And of course, a 50% refund of a heavily discounted ticket will not be anything like as much as someone who paid full, or 'sailaway' fares.....

 

Peter

[jimneycrkit]

Pter, That is one of the biggest complaints that they are on a charter flight through Cunard home and won't have any time to spend in Rio as most are on a 5 pm flight home. They want their money back on that or free hotels for a few days so they can spend time in Rio. If they had booked on their own then they could have stayed or made other arrangements. They want to have Cunard change the charter days and times.

 

Clear today. Supposed to be 33 C or in the 90's today. Seas as smooth as glass. The captain has already explained how and when he puts the stabilizers out and he said he only uses them when its rough. It really hasn't been rough at all and I should know I get horribly sea sick and haven't so far on this cruise.

 

Long lines at the pursers desk yesterday as the bills came out. Tons of I refuse to pay for this etc. I overheard several people that are now bascially giving up their dream of millions from Cunard they realize that it will never happen once they leave the ship. Should be fun tomorrow with people going on tours, some getting off and some getting on. 1500 are getting off total maybe more if some decide not to go on with the cruise as some have indicated they would be doing. They don't trust the commodore to get them to the next port so they say.

 

We are less than 500 miles from Rio so we should be getting in on time. Saw lots of small sail boats yesterday as we passed Salvador de Bahia.

 

Sorry I misspelled the original post but I am typing fast and have no time to re read everything even though internet is half price.

 

Will check in after the day is over tomorrow as we have an all day tour scheduled.

 

Melissa

[mufi]

I have a question...

 

Is it too late to go back to the start and change the spelling to "MUTINY"?

 

We are getting wonderful live reports from the ship. Who's bothered about one typo?

 

David.

[guernseyguy]

Pter, That is one of the biggest complaints that they are on a charter flight through Cunard home and won't have any time to spend in Rio as most are on a 5 pm flight home. They want their money back on that or free hotels for a few days so they can spend time in Rio. If they had booked on their own then they could have stayed or made other arrangements. They want to have Cunard change the charter days and times.

 

Melissa,

 

Thanks for continuing to post, and thanks for clarifying. It is unfortunate that Cunard can't change the flights, but I guess if there are 1500 getting off thats at least 4 747s, pity they can't fix that, but I guess it would also involve finding hotel rooms for 1500 - and the way some of this lot have carried on I'm not sure even then they would be happy. I hope those who 'Don't trust the Commodore to get them to the next port' DO get off so the rest of you can enjoy the rest of your voyage. Looking forward to calmer waters!

 

Peter

[jckvpa0]

Has Jackatsea not updated his site since Jan 23 or am I missing something?

[Sea-hawk]

"but I guess if there are 1500 getting off thats at least 4 747s"

 

That is of course assuming that all of them are on the charter flights, and all going to the same place. Many will be on extended days in Rio, visiting other places, or returning to different countries/cities.

 

Sea-hawk

[Bollinge]

Has Jackatsea not updated his site since Jan 23 or am I missing something?

 

Yes - http://www.jackatsea.com/24jansummary.htm

[guernseyguy]

Many will be on extended days in Rio, visiting other places, or returning to different countries/cities.

 

The alleged complainers are the Brits who have to go directly to the airport for a 5pm flight - similarly anyone else on a Cunard transfer will be missing their day in Rio - they were due to dock today and leave the ship tomorrow - if people are staying on in Rio, they presumably have more flexibility & hence less reason to complain.

 

Peter

[Sea-hawk]

Right, but these Brits are just one part of the 1500 number getting off. Not all of the 1500 are just the complaining Brits who may or may not be on a charter flight.

Sea-hawk

[guernseyguy]

Right, but these Brits are just one part of the 1500 number getting off. Not all of the 1500 are just the complaining Brits who may or may not be on a charter flight.

Sea-hawk

Sea-hawk,

 

Not sure what your point is. If 1500 are getting off, many (neither of us know how many - lets say two thirds) will be on an inclusive package involving flights. Are you saying Cunard should have rearranged flights/organised hotels for these people, at a week's notice? If they could have done that I'm sure it would have been much appreciated, but then screw ups over hastily booked hotels/security/flights might have made things worse. No doubt we'll hear all about it from Rio docks tomorrow. Interestingly the BBC is now starting to post comments from people praising Ron Warwick and criticising the complainers, in addition to the 'Cruise from Hell' group:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4645316.stm

 

Peter