TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

[MVP2024]

We were so excited to set sail on our first ever cruise with a great social group we are affiliated with. We set sail out of Tampa, FL on 2/8. 24 hours into our trip my husband fractured his leg on the sports court. We were “treated” ( I use that term loosely because they just did an xray and splinted his leg) and were charged almost $1,200 for this. They “treated” us down in medical and sent us back up to our room for the night, we were then forced off the ship the next morning on 2/10 (19 hours after the accident) where we were taken by ambulance to the local Cozumel hospital and were told by the cruise line that the doctor had to clear us in order to get back on the ship. Long story short the doctor did not clear us to get back on the ship because my husband needed surgery on his leg. Royal Caribbean took it upon themselves to pack all of our belongings up without getting permission from us (this alone was very violating). We were stuck in Cozumel by ourselves with zero support from Royal Caribbean and we had to find transport back to the states in order for my husband to get surgery. We were stuck in Cozumel for 3 days prior to having to pay out of pocket for an air ambulance back to Tampa. Hard lesson learned from our end to ALWAYS buy travel insurance. But also shame on Royal Caribbean for zero support to their customers. I am now having to fight to get some money back since we only were on the ship for 2 days. Also side note the ship returned to port a full day before we were able to get back. My question is, how bad does an injury have to be for Royal to medivac someone off their ship. Thankfully my husband and I had the support of friends and family and were able to return to the states but I know there are people in this world that would have been stuck for much longer. Not sure I will ever cruise with Royal ever again

[RogueMonk]

This is why you buy travel insurance. They would be the ones to guide you through the process.

[wreckem2013]

20 minutes ago, MVP2024 said:

We were so excited to set sail on our first ever cruise with a great social group we are affiliated with. We set sail out of Tampa, FL on 2/8. 24 hours into our trip my husband fractured his leg on the sports court. We were “treated” ( I use that term loosely because they just did an xray and splinted his leg) and were charged almost $1,200 for this. They “treated” us down in medical and sent us back up to our room for the night, we were then forced off the ship the next morning on 2/10 (19 hours after the accident) where we were taken by ambulance to the local Cozumel hospital and were told by the cruise line that the doctor had to clear us in order to get back on the ship. Long story short the doctor did not clear us to get back on the ship because my husband needed surgery on his leg. Royal Caribbean took it upon themselves to pack all of our belongings up without getting permission from us (this alone was very violating). We were stuck in Cozumel by ourselves with zero support from Royal Caribbean and we had to find transport back to the states in order for my husband to get surgery. We were stuck in Cozumel for 3 days prior to having to pay out of pocket for an air ambulance back to Tampa. Hard lesson learned from our end to ALWAYS buy travel insurance. But also shame on Royal Caribbean for zero support to their customers. I am now having to fight to get some money back since we only were on the ship for 2 days. Also side note the ship returned to port a full day before we were able to get back. My question is, how bad does an injury have to be for Royal to medivac someone off their ship. Thankfully my husband and I had the support of friends and family and were able to return to the states but I know there are people in this world that would have been stuck for much longer. Not sure I will ever cruise with Royal ever again

Be thankful they didn’t do a medivac because without cruise insurance you would have owed tens of thousands of dollars for it. Medivacs are rare, generally when they are far from a port or life threatening emergencies. I’ve only ever seen one and it was in Europe but I’ve seen plenty of people disembarked at the next stop. 

Edited February 16 by wreckem2013

[Galveston Cruiser]

Read your cruise documents.  RCL did what they were supposed to do.  This is the very reason travel insurance is important.  Not that expensive and so worth it.

[Charles4515]

21 minutes ago, MVP2024 said:

Hard lesson learned from our end to ALWAYS buy travel insurance.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. You didn't buy trave; insurance but you want to blame Royal Carribean? From your account you got fgood customer service. You were the one who messed up.

[moposh]

Not sure why you're complaining.  Yes, it sucks you couldn't continue your cruise.  Would you have preferred the cruise line did not pack up your belongings so you wouldn't have them?  Would you have preferred you continued on the cruise even though your husband needed surgery?  Also don't know why you think you should get money from the cruise back.  It's not like the cruise line could resell the room.

 

As someone else said, medevac is expensive and would only be if someone is on death's door.  That wasn't the case here.  

 

Yes, people should buy travel insurance.  You learned a valuable lesson.

Edited February 16 by moposh

[bonsai3s]

 

How's your husband? Genuinely hoping he is ok.

 

There's a lot to unpack and a few lessons to be learned from your incident. 

 

How did he fracture his leg on the sports court?...playing basketball, soccer, volleyball? Was it an accident? Was Royal Caribbean negligent?

 

Medical bill of $1,200. I was charged $1,702.17 for an allergy reaction.

 

Yes, travel insurance...there has been many discussions and a forum on this topic.

 

Happy to know you had support from your family and friends. Hope you get some of your money back.

 

@chengkp75...perhaps he can respond to your medivac question.

 

 

[kitkat343]

I’m so sorry this happened to you.  You can try to claim your medical expenses through your regular health insurance and you might get something back (at least I’ve read some people have sometimes had success with this).  Rc normally packs up your stuff if they don’t expect you to return - that’s what they do when people miss the ship and return home on their own. It was your first cruise so you didn’t know that if you wanted to go back to the ship to pack up yourself you needed to contact the port agent who would have relayed your wishes to the ship.  Otherwise the ship assumes they are helping you during a stressful time by packing do you don’t need to worry about that.  

Edited February 16 by kitkat343

[GTO-Girl]

Not sure how many cruises you have been on, but the procedure you described is exactly what happens to EVERYONE when there is an accident of this nature.  You were not treated badly and had this occurred on any other cruise line the protocol would have been exactly the same.

 

Royal did everything correctly……you however, not having trip insurance, created this burden.   

[Starry Eyes]

The OP has written a good reminder of why cruisers, even healthy, active ones, should buy travel insurance.  Though an unhappy poster may want to blame a cruiseline, the problem, of course, was the lack of insurance and the lack of understanding of the process.  This was bad enough with a broken leg.  It could be even worse with other severe or complex medical issues.

 

Medivacs off the ship seem relatively rare compared to the number ambulances meeting the ships at the docks.  I would think the OP might have ended up paying a steep Medivac bill if the ship was near Mexico.  

 

 

Edited February 16 by Starry Eyes

[klfrodo]

58 minutes ago, wreckem2013 said:

Be thankful they didn’t do a medivac because without cruise insurance you would have owed tens of thousands of dollars for it. . 

Just as a side note, medivac from a ship costs the patient nothing. This is done by Search & Rescue under an international treaty usually by a military Coast Guard or Navy. Just as when you get lost in the back country or find yourself injured on a mountain top and need helicopter evacuation. (Evac back to the States after the patient is stable and able to be moved is at their expense though)

 

Having said all that, the OP is venting their frustration at the wrong people. They need to take a look at themselves and re-evaluate their expectations.

Edited February 16 by klfrodo

[Another_Critic]

36 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

Not sure how many cruises you have been on, ...  

OP's first sentence:  "We were so excited to set sail on our first ever cruise with a great social group we are affiliated with."

 

I understood that to be the first ever cruise on any ship.  But perhaps it was the first cruise with the social group.

[MommaBear55]

As someone who was an ED provider, your husband got exactly the care that was needed. Surgery after fracture is often delayed and is not deleterious, the surgery was actually not a medical emergency. In a US ED, that bill could easily have been $5,000.

Who was supposed to pack up all the stuff in your stateroom? The staff does it under supervision from security. Once you are off the ship, you are actually not Royal's responsibility. 

The fact that you didn't buy trip insurance is on you. You've learned a very hard and expensive lesson. Royal doesn't need to refund you anything for your lost days. 

But I am truly sorry for the whole situation. It must have been very scary to be in a foreign country and trying to navigate all this while worried about your husband. Hopefully he will recover quickly.

[shipgeeks]

MVP, I'm sorry this happened to you, but I have to agree with the others who said that RC did all the right (standard) things.

I'm curious about the group you were cruising with. Did it contain some experienced cruisers? Have they been of any assistance to you? I would have thought that they would be able to set your mind at ease regarding the procedures you experienced, the costs, etc.

I hope you are keeping all the receipts from medical care on the ship and off, so you can submit a claim for reimbursement.

 

[SoloAlaska]

It sounds like RCI did everything right in this situation. This is why people should always have travel insurance and passports. Your husband had a fracture, it’s reasonable to wait till the next port to get him to the hospital. It wasn’t like he had broken his femur with the extreme pain and potential of cutting his artery which may warrant a flight.

 

When you booked RCI recommended travel insurance and you choose not to get it. I never use the cruise lines insurance but if you travel outside the US more than once a year you should look into annual coverage. This will give you peace of mind for future travel wether it be a second cruise or any other types of trips you take.

[Mum2Mercury]

2 hours ago, MVP2024 said:

We were “treated” ( I use that term loosely because they just did an xray and splinted his leg) and were charged almost $1,200 for this. They “treated” us down in medical and sent us back up to our room for the night,

My daughter broke her arm skating, and this is much the same as the treatment we received in our local emergency room:  They x-rayed her arm, verified the break, and sent her home for a couple days with a removable splint.  

I thought this was wrong /thought she should have been given a cast -- but the doctor we went to a few days later /the doctor who did give her a cast said that they have to wait a few days for the swelling to go down.  

I remember how miserable she was for those few days -- nauseated, just generally icky.  I didn't know that's what broken bones do to you.  

Regardless, I'm sorry you went through a hard time.  

2 hours ago, MVP2024 said:

Royal Caribbean took it upon themselves to pack all of our belongings up without getting permission from us (this alone was very violating).

I wouldn't like it either, but what were your choices?  Leave your husband alone in a foreign hospital while you returned to the ship to pack up?  

2 hours ago, MVP2024 said:

We were stuck in Cozumel by ourselves with zero support from Royal Caribbean and we had to find transport back to the states in order for my husband to get surgery.

What did you expect Royal to do for you?  Sounds like it's the hospital's job to help you return to the states.  They have Social Workers to manage things just like this.  

2 hours ago, wreckem2013 said:

Be thankful they didn’t do a medivac because without cruise insurance you would have owed tens of thousands of dollars for it. Medivacs are rare, generally when they are far from a port or life threatening emergencies. I’ve only ever seen one and it was in Europe but I’ve seen plenty of people disembarked at the next stop. 

So true, so true.  We don't get full-coverages -- since we drive, we aren't concerned about losing our luggage, and we have medical insurance that'd pay -- but anyone can have an accident, and a Medivac could be life-alteringly expensive.  Medivac is the one thing we really need.  

 

 

Edited February 16 by Mum2Mercury

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, MVP2024 said:

We were so excited to set sail on our first ever cruise with a great social group we are affiliated with. We set sail out of Tampa, FL on 2/8. 24 hours into our trip my husband fractured his leg on the sports court. We were “treated” ( I use that term loosely because they just did an xray and splinted his leg) and were charged almost $1,200 for this. They “treated” us down in medical and sent us back up to our room for the night, we were then forced off the ship the next morning on 2/10 (19 hours after the accident) where we were taken by ambulance to the local Cozumel hospital and were told by the cruise line that the doctor had to clear us in order to get back on the ship. Long story short the doctor did not clear us to get back on the ship because my husband needed surgery on his leg. Royal Caribbean took it upon themselves to pack all of our belongings up without getting permission from us (this alone was very violating). We were stuck in Cozumel by ourselves with zero support from Royal Caribbean and we had to find transport back to the states in order for my husband to get surgery. We were stuck in Cozumel for 3 days prior to having to pay out of pocket for an air ambulance back to Tampa. Hard lesson learned from our end to ALWAYS buy travel insurance. But also shame on Royal Caribbean for zero support to their customers. I am now having to fight to get some money back since we only were on the ship for 2 days. Also side note the ship returned to port a full day before we were able to get back. My question is, how bad does an injury have to be for Royal to medivac someone off their ship. Thankfully my husband and I had the support of friends and family and were able to return to the states but I know there are people in this world that would have been stuck for much longer. Not sure I will ever cruise with Royal ever again

Sounds like you received excellent treatment. If you broke your leg at home, all they would do initially is split it until the initial swelling goes down. 
 

And, your husband could not receive treatment that he needed on the ship, so they immediately got him to a medical facility that could. You are lucky you were on Royal and not another cruise line. 
 

Beyond that, you should be on your own. It was your decision whether to fly commercial or charter an air ambulance. 

[mjkacmom]

If your husband broke his leg at home 3 weeks before the cruise and was told he couldn’t travel for medical reasons, he still wouldn’t get his fare back. For that you need insurance, and especially for medical emergencies out of the country, lots of US health insurance won’t reimburse you (mine won’t). No other cruise line would’ve handled this situation any differently.

[crazyfrazee]

I see it's your first post. Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

[Another_Critic]

3 hours ago, MVP2024 said:

Hard lesson learned from our end to ALWAYS buy travel insurance. 

Check your credit card (that you used for payment of the cruise) to see if it has travel insurance coverage.

[smokeybandit]

Sounds like terrible omission in not getting travel insurance and terrible review of RC rules and regs.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I am surprised you were charged for the medical visit. That's the only surprising thing to me in the entire post.

 

We've gone to medical twice... DD cut her head open doing back flips into the pool (yes, she shouldn't have been), she ended up getting stitches.  No charge.

 

Another cruise I was playing in the volleyball "tournament" and fell my knee give in one game.  Sat out the rest of that game, took a break, then played in the championship.  This time my knee totally gave out, and I went down.  They ended up getting a wheelchair for me and took me to medical.  I had just sprained my knee.  Crutches until the next morning, then a cane to get off the ship.  No charge.  Don't know if it was because I was doing an RCI "sponsored" activity or not.  Not complaining. 

[toxicfairy]

Just wondering how bad his leg was fractured. I wouldn't think for a fracture they would medivac even on land. I had a car accident obviously on land and when the ambulance came and saw my condition they called for a medivac. But I must have looked pretty bad I was conscious but my femur was broke and you could see it was right under the skin. I also broke my hip and shattered my heel, so I think my leg looked pretty bad lol. I couldn't see it because of the broken ball of my hip I couldn't sit up.

But I don't think for a simple break they would have medivac me.

I hope your husband is healing. Broken bones are no fun. 

Edited February 16 by toxicfairy

[Tree_skier]

Under $1200 !  You got off cheap. On my last cruise in December my daughter had a medical emergency and Royal billed us $2700. 
 

Thankfully, insurance covered 2629 of it.
 

we were very impressed with Royals medical team.  

[Cigar King]

Shame on you for blaming RCI because you chose not to buy insurance.