Our 24 hour long cruise - not your typical review

[fpcruiser]

 

praying for a good outcome

[vacationlover_mn]

Oh no! I hope your mom is feeling better now!

[SG65CB]

It's nice to see how great the ship staff was, assisting them all along the way, and the medical staff sounds very competent too. 

 

I think the rest of the story is off the ship. I hope they had travel insurance to cover the medical costs and their travel expenses to get everyone home. 

[blueridgemama]

People do have lived besides posting on cruise critic. Patience is a virtue!

[BND]

It does seem to be a little unnecessarily drawn out.  I understand life happens, but it happens for everyone.  I read the first post yesterday thinking it would be the first half and we'd see the second today.  I was wrong.

[hazence]

Sometimes life presents situations more compelling than posting on a message board. None of us have any idea how this situation has progressed. Perhaps the OP is still dealing with a very sick Mother and the needs of the other parent. She may have begun to post her story in good faith and real life intervened.

 

Is it possible to show some kindness and generosity of spirit or is the temptation to anonymous ugliness on the Internet just too delicious to pass up? The OP is under no obligation of a certain timeline. We have no idea what pressures on her time might exist in her real life. This situation is not a TV storyline...it involves people she loves dearly and at the least, a very traumatic event and (less important) loss of a vacation. Too bad if the “entertainment” is delayed for some of you.

 

 

[BND]

3 minutes ago, hazence said:

Sometimes life presents situations more compelling than posting on a message board. None of us have any idea how this situation has progressed. Perhaps the OP is still dealing with a very sick Mother and the needs of the other parent. She may have begun to post her story in good faith and real life intervened.

 

Is it possible to show some kindness and generosity of spirit or is the temptation to anonymous ugliness on the Internet just too delicious to pass up? The OP is under no obligation of a certain timeline. We have no idea what pressures on her time might exist in her real life. This situation is not a TV storyline...it involves people she loves dearly and at the least, a very traumatic event and (less important) loss of a vacation. Too bad if the “entertainment” is delayed for some of you.

 

 

She said she was leaving work in a previous post so she's not spending all her time dealing with a sick mother.  It;s not about "entertainment".  Some posters feel the need to be the defender of someone they don't know.  Kindness and generosity is a two way street.

Edited April 21, 2019 by BND

[schmeed]

3 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Do you really think writing about getting cookies in the Royal Promenade before leaving the ship is a prelude to a bad outcome?

I'm not sure what to think...but clearly the mother had/has health issues.  Compassion is lost on so many people.

[schmeed]

1 minute ago, BND said:

She said she was leaving work in a previous post so she's not spending all her time dealing with a sick mother.  It;s not about "entertainment".  Some posters feel the need to be the defender of someone they don't know.

Not that it matters to you, but I was on the 3/31 sailing on Allure and I watched the ambulance come onto the dock and then leave.  It drove all the way to the ship.  So I do believe the OP is telling the truth.  But we will have to wait and see...

[retiredgram]

Patiently waiting for the rest of the story.

Edited April 21, 2019 by retiredgram

[hazence]

The point is...reading here is entertainment. Obviously, we all have the leisure time, myself included, at this moment, to have our time to sit and read or post on the Internet. Sometimes, dealing with stress, writing of a painful incident is a stress reliever....a way to handle anxiety. My sense was that she was reliving every detail. Maybe it was a diversion. But nothing is owed the rest of us, wiling away our free time on this or any other Board.

 

The OP May very well have many more important things to do than feed the impatient curiosity of those hanging around here looking for entertainment from her ruined vacation and  traumatic scare regarding her Mothers health. 

 

We are no ones priority. If I were the OP, reading some of the demanding, insulting posts from the Internet Leisure Class, I’d be done with this thread.

Edited April 21, 2019 by hazence

[Skittles912]

Lol i never get controversial on here but some people are so mean. no matter how long she takes to share the story, shes still sharing it. ITS HER STORY. you guys can flame me all you want but in all seriousness is this board all your life really is? Lol. sorry about that. were all here to learn more about cruises were going on but people really wonder why people that are new to these boards dont want to post. 

[BND]

11 hours ago, schmeed said:

Not that it matters to you, but I was on the 3/31 sailing on Allure and I watched the ambulance come onto the dock and then leave.  It drove all the way to the ship.  So I do believe the OP is telling the truth.  But we will have to wait and see...

Where did I say she wasn't telling the truth?

[MrsK]

I hope the poster does come back and finish this story at some point.

 

You never know what is going to happen in the future and the experience that they had might be useful information for me someday. 

 

Thank you ravensfan52 for sharing your story.

[ShillyShally]

Oh wow ravensfan, I look forward to the end of the story and hope it all turned out as well as it could!

[phabric]

Following along.

[EmmasNana]

People, it is Easter. She is probably cooking up a storm and spending the day with her family. Give her a break!

[udivegirl]

20 hours ago, Skittles912 said:

Lol i never get controversial on here but some people are so mean. no matter how long she takes to share the story, shes still sharing it. ITS HER STORY. you guys can flame me all you want but in all seriousness is this board all your life really is? Lol. sorry about that. were all here to learn more about cruises were going on but people really wonder why people that are new to these boards dont want to post. 

 

Couldn't agree more!  I hope she finishes as well. 

 

Unfortunately, there are a lot of "trolls" who have nothing better to do than hang out in forums and "troll" posts and make derogatory comments to make themselves feel better.  All forums have them. We can only hope we never meet those people on a cruise :) 

 

Again, if you don't like a topic, move on!

[vacationlover_mn]

Sending the family positive thoughts and prayers !

[travelplus]

OMG I feel so bad for the OP and hope his Mother is making a speedy recovery wherever she may be. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.  Its comforting to know that Royal Caribbean has the resources to coordinate an off ship Medical Emergency Evacuation. They practice this and when if god forbid the time comes everyone knows their part and does it while maintaining a shipload of thousands.

 

Also the OP is under no obligation to come back here right away. The OP's Mother is first priority especially with  a  cancer diagnoses one does not know the true outcome as some goes into remission and others are grim.

 

I feel for the OP as a few of my relatives  died from Caner. I can only hope your Mother is resting and is comfortable and not in any pain or stress. 

 

It  can be very scary to come into a stateroom and find your Mother is gasping for air. The OP did the right thing and Call 911. I even think the Father could have called 911 but either way a "Code Alpha" was activated and quick.

OP How long did it take from the 911 call to the Medical Team arriving at your stateroom? 

 

A great tidbit is to book a stateroom as near to the Medical Center and even on the same floor in the event a loved one has a medical condition that may require their expertise. Sadly its hard to know if a medical condition would interfere with a cruise or not. 

 

Nitroglyceren is a tough drug as some people react differently to it. On a Rescue 911 a Son was traveling with his Mother on a US Airways flight and had a bad reaction to it and the plane diverted and luckily there were Doctors onboard who happened to have a background in Heart Medicine. 

 

Just imagine if you had left Nassau you would have to be Medivaced off the ship. Lucky you were still in port. I am assuming you were taken to the Nassau hospital due to the severity of the incident but will let the OP tell the story.

 

I am interested how they flew you back to Miami and if you had Travelers Insurance to cover the costs. 

 

Sending you all healing thoughts on this Easter Sunday. For us all if your Parents or loved ones  are still here  give them a big hug and tell your loved ones how much you love them and care for them. You never know what can happen as even a healthy person can get very sick and die or get into an accident and die.

Edited April 21, 2019 by travelplus

[ravensfan52]

Hello all, my apologies for the delay. I do appreciate the folks who cut me a break in posting. I will speed it up big time as yes, at this point. My parents are now being escorted off the ship via ambulance and I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to my mom. Once my dad is out of sight, we head back to our room where both our bags, my parents bags and her wheelchair are waiting for us to take off the ship. My SIL and BIL help us as well as a senior RCCL member from Guest Services all helped up schlep the bags to an open gangway. We literally chased staff member as he raced us through areas of he ship meant only for crew, trying to find an open exit. We finally got to the one open gangway and of course it’s awkward to be the ones getting off while the stragglers are making their way back. At any rate, RCCL has an exclusive arrangement with the port agents there in which they are dedicated to helping in any way possible. The port agent met us with his golf cart, loaded all the bags with collapsible wheelchair, and took us to customs at the end of the dock. He helped us fill out the forms, and called ahead to the Courtyard Marriott to get us a room for the night. He helped us get a taxi, and told us he would come to the hospital to get my parents passports and customs forms. 

 

Our taxi driver, Albert, a sweet Bahamian man, prayed with us and just gave me a sense of peace when he drove us to the hotel. I have to say every single person we came in contact with during this ordeal were so compassionate and kind, it really stood out to me.  We got to the hotel, checked in with a discount thanks to the port agent, brought the bags to third floor, and asked the front desk lady for a cab. She calls her friend to pick us up, who also prays with us and gives us her cell phone number for any other help. 

 

We we finally get to the hospital and I see my mom in the emergency room. She has done a total 180, she is smiling and talking normally, and I am overwhelmed at how much better she is from a mere 2 hours ago. It is amazing at how medicine can practically kill you then save you in the same day. Cue the happy tears....

 

[Gwensel]

So glad your mother is recovering. God bless her and keep her strong.

[ravensfan52]

Fast forward to 11:30 pm and the doctors at the emergency room at Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau determine that she has liquid in her left lung but would rather she have it drained at home, so they verify that her blood O2 level is acceptable to fly commercial and release her to us for the night. The port agent came to the hospital and took their passports and customs forms and processed them, then brought them back to the hospital before we were released. Another port agent took us from the hospital to the hotel.

 

We hadn’t eaten anything since 1 pm so we ordered pizza from Pizza Hut to be delivered to the hotel. Fifty dollars for 2 one topping mediums. Not a misspelling... It is what it is.

 

We were able to rearrange our flight home to be from Bahamas as opposed to the original Miami plans, many thanks to the understanding folks at Southwest. I got a flight for my parents into Charleston SC. The doctor said she should go from the CHS airport to the hospital in Charleston upon arrival. 

 

The next day, we all made it to our respective airports, my mom got checked into the hospital in Charleston around midnight on Tues 4/2, and we got home around 2 am on 4/3. Since then, mom had her lung drained successfully in Charleston, removing a liter of fluid. She is breathing a lot better now, continuing with her myeloma treatment, and trying to gain back the 8 lbs she lost during the ordeal. 

 

A few few days later, my dad had to fly to Miami to retrieve their car from Port of Miami where it was still waiting. 

 

For the folks on on our cruise who responded to this thread, I want to thank you for your grace and compassion, I really appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers. I also thank everyone else who expressed concern for my mother and prayed for her. My purpose in describing this to you all is that someday you may find yourself in a similar situation with a family member and i hope it is helpful to hear about a firsthand experience. My parents had trip insurance through RCCL and I am going through the process of submitting the paperwork to both medicare and the insurance company on their behalf now.

 

The unwavering kindness of strangers helped restore some of my faith in humanity and reminded me to give others the benefit of the doubt, treat them with kindness first, and remember that you never know what someone else is going through. 

 

Thanks for reading, for reacting, commenting, and if you have any questions, I am happy to answer what I can. Have a good night!

 

 

[schmeed]

18 minutes ago, ravensfan52 said:

Thanks for reading, for reacting, commenting, and if you have any questions, I am happy to answer what I can. Have a good night!

 

 

 

Thank you for taking time to explain what happened.  I'm glad that your mom is doing better.  Hopefully you can book a cruise in the future to make up for what you lost this time.  But things certainly could have been worse.

 

Take care!

[maryjaden]

So sorry your trip was cut short but so glad this had a happy ending for your family.  Thank you for the information you provided to us.