emergency calls?

[k8russ8]

My friend and I are on the 11/11 Odam cruise. She has not traveled very much. She needs to know how her son could get in touch with her in case of an emergency. Let me tell you that she has all but packed her bags for the trip. I on the other hand will pack at the last minute as usual. I truly think she will be prepared for the next ice age should it occur. I guess I should move my family closer to her home. LOL. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

K8

[sail7seas]

When you receive your documents, there will be a card enclosed indicating exact instructions on how you can be reached by telephone on a ship.

 

Also....there is internet service available (for a fee). She can set up with her son that they can e-mail together if they wish.

 

Hope you both have a great cruise.

 

 

 

[kakalina]

When you receive your documents there will be cards enclosed with the emergency numbers to give out to friends and family.

[noblepa]

If you don't want to wait for your docs, here is a link to HAL's website:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=communication

 

Also, in many ports, your cell phone will work. Check with your cell phone provider. Tell them where you're going, and they can tell you the availability and cost.

 

At least one HAL ship, the Volendam, even has a cell phone repeater onboard, so that your phone will work, even at sea. Its not cheap, but its cheaper than the ship-to-shore phone from your cabin.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Not only do we give our friends the ship's telephone number, we also mark on the card our stateroom number.

 

And our friends also have the name of our attorney just in case they need to get hold of him for any reason.

[k8russ8]

I should have remembered these pieces of info. Thanks for your kindness and consideration

K8

[Krazy Kruizers]

No Problem!!

[LHC]

Okay this could be slightly irreverant but here goes.

As a nurse (my vocation) and the caregiver to a 22 year old handicap son, plus caring for my aging parents this is my definition of an emergency to call me on a cruise.

 

One of my two children (I have three but the oldest travels with me) has died. Period end of subject do not call me for anything else and this is my reasoning why.

 

I am available for discussion, use, needs, whinning, etc all the other days of the year but when I have the chance to be away,,,,I mean far, far, away on the deep blue sea, I cannot prevent the death or accident of anyone else, as an aging blonde I look terrible in black anyway. Both my parents are ready for Heaven, we have arrangements already made, and they know I love and care for them and if they die it is God's timing and my being present will not change a thing.

My children are all 3 adults. If the two left behind did die, I might leave the cruise to return home or I might weep, say my prayers for them, and have them "held for burial" until my return, as their Dad is left in charge (we are divorced) with my youngest (he was in a car accident 3+ years ago and is in an electric wheelchair) and my traveling is the only time he has him overnight for any length of time (he has had him 4 nights this year, 2 of those were when my Dad was hospitalized and I had to be with Dad)....that said He deserves to make the arrangements, go through the process of sorting things out and being in Charge.

 

Now I do not have plans that the two boys (sons) left behind will die but you just never know, not really up to us. I remember when my children were smaller and stayed at home while I ran errands blood could be shed within 3 minutes of my leaving the driveway.

 

As a nurse I Know am EMERGENCY.

1. Not breathing

2. Missing Body Part (dripping blood on the carpet)

3. Shock (probably with children induced by the thought WOW my parents are going to just Kill me)

4. Coma

5. Emergency surgery because "something just aint right appendix death, gallbladder failure, kidney stone, C-sections"

 

I gave my emergency contact information last year to:

1. There Dad

2. My Pastor

 

I figure if either of them called it would at least be important. My Pastor is the nicest thing and would break any news very gently. There Dad knows that after all the years we were married, that if he called for anything less than Death, It would be his Death on my return (tongue in cheek, I really like him).

Define Emergency and Give the numbers to those who know your definition. A call to the Ship aint Cheap.

Linda

[sail7seas]

Perfect, perfect, perfect......... LHC: You deserve and need your cruise and have every right for it to be undisturbed.

 

My husband's secretary always has contact information. She and I had a conversation about what I considered a serious enough situation for her to disturb my DH during a cruise. I wanted no ambiguity.

 

She understands and we are both 'on the same page'. There are professionals who 'cover' for him when away. She knows our thoughts on what constitutes a family/personal emergency.

 

I asked that if she were considering calling him for an emergency, she pour a cup of coffee, sit down and think about it. If she still thinks she needs to call, leave her desk and go 'take a walk'. If she still thinks she needs to call, go to lunch........If she still thinks she needs to call, okay call........But remember, it is probably me who will answer the telephone. :D I rarely let DH pick it up when we are away.

 

DH works VERY hard when home. I like him to PLAY/relax hard when he is away.

 

 

 

 

[kryos]

My friend and I are on the 11/11 Odam cruise. She has not traveled very much. She needs to know how her son could get in touch with her in case of an emergency. Let me tell you that she has all but packed her bags for the trip. I on the other hand will pack at the last minute as usual. I truly think she will be prepared for the next ice age should it occur. I guess I should move my family closer to her home. LOL. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

K8

When she gets her documents, there will be a card enclosed with the shipboard phone numbers and instructions on how to reach the ship. These are handy perforated cards ... I think two of them ... and she can give one to her son. Be aware, though, ship to shore calls are very, very expensive (something like $18 a minute) and she should advise her son to use the number only in the most dire of emergencies.

 

Other than that, she can check in with him via cell phone at many ports. I called my father at all the Hawaii ports on my last cruise, using just my cell phone, and those calls were included in my monthly minute allotments. For those ports without cell service, one can always buy a relatively inexpensive international calling card and use a pay phone to call home.

 

Also, email is a very convenient, relatively cheap option. If he just has a question or wants to let her know about something, he can shoot her an email either to a regular email box, or to an email box HAL will set up for her during her cruise. There is information about HAL's email boxes on the website. I don't really know much about it, because I use my work email box on the ship (I can access it via the web), but I think the email address will be her last name, first initial, cabin number and ship name.

 

Believe me, many of us don't like to be out of touch while on a cruise. There are plenty of ways for her son to reach her should he need to.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Let me tell you that she has all but packed her bags for the trip. I on the other hand will pack at the last minute as usual.

At least I'm not the only one. :)

 

I work night shift. In an effort to conserve vacation days, I usually leave for a cruise directly after working my shift at some point early in the morning (assuming that cruise is leaving from an east coast port). So, I generally start packing around 5:00 p.m. the evening before so that the bags will be ready to take to work that night. :)

 

Miraculously, I've never once forgotten anything important. Oh, maybe a minor thing ... I will get in the cabin and say "Crap! I forgot to pack that book I wanted to read!" But, never have forgotten anything truly important.

 

I'm in the same situation as you and your friend. I have a cabin mate on this upcoming trip. She travels tons for work and is very organized. She is pretty much packed for the cruise. I haven't even begun to think about it. :)

 

Oh, well ... I guess the important thing is to have a good time, right? :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita