Question About An Emergency!

[basketsuze]

One of the people in our group on an upcoming cruise has a family member at home who is elderly and ill. If the worst should happen while we're on the cruise, and the family member passes away, how quickly does an emergency call get through to the ship? (In the event we're out to sea and the cellphone doesn't work).

 

If she has to fly home from one of the ports, would Royal Caribbean help her make these arrangements or is she basically on her own? She was asking me about this today and I don't have a clue. Of course, she understands everything would be at her expense, although she did buy the travel insurance but I don't know if that would cover her or not.

 

Has anyone ever had to fly home early while on a cruise due to an emergency at home?

 

Thanks!

 

Suze!

[Stacylee]

Although this hasn't happened to me, I am pretty sure that is what the insurance is for, but read the policy carefully.

 

The call goes thru right away - just like at home. The only trouble may be .... will your friend be sitting in the cabin by the phone if it rings? Probably not, but I think there is a message indicator on the phone should she miss a call. You are in and out of the cabin all the time so the message should be received rather quickly. If you are at sea and something happens, she will have to wait until the next port to leave the ship.

 

She should just mentally think through the options, read the insurance carefully and then relax.

[luv2cruz64]

Sorry to hear that your friend has a family member so seriously ill. Hopefully she has cruise insurance. If not it might not be to late to get it. RC provides an emergency phone # where you can call directly to the ship. If I remember correctly it was with my cruise documents. If not, check the web site. ...oops didn't see the part stating that she already had insurance--never mind.

[It'sRC4ME]

As far as I know a call to the ship will go through right away. She should make sure the set up the voicemail on her stateroom phone so if she's not there and a call comes in the person calling will feel more confidant leaving her a message. They may even be able to dial her stateroom direct, as opposed to calling the ship and being connected. Info on calling the ship will be included in her cruise docs. She should not expect that if someone calls the ship that a ship staff person will be sent to find her, so she should keep an eye on that voicemail.

 

As for flying home, RC will most likely not help her. Hopping on the internet from the ship and booking a flight from the next port isn't too difficult. HOWEVER, if she does not have a passport, she may well have a huge hassle with the immigration department at the airport when she's flying home from a port - since she will have arrived by ship, they won't have a record that she's legally in the country (the record will be at the port and not on a computer somewhere), and because of that may have trouble leaving (wierd, I know).

 

Travel insurance may or may not cover this type of thing - best to read the policy VERY carefully and be clear on what's covered.