Regent Seven Seas Mariner Turns Around

Thursday, April 20, 2006, 9 AM Ship's Time

During the night, Regent's Seven Seas Mariner bound for Honolulu turned around to return to San Francisco due to a medical emergency.

The Cruise Director announced that the Coast Guard required the ship to return. ETA in SF is expected to be 7 AM Friday, April 21.

Anyone with additional information please post.

Last night at dinner in the La Veranda a lady sitting a couple tables away started to feel ill and was being escorted out of the restaurant when she collapsed into a chair. Two nurses arrived within minutes with a wheelchair and attempted to move the lady to the chair when she collapsed and had a stroke.

Code blue was called while the nurses began CPR. Within several minutes a doctor arrived and they revived the lady. A stretcher team was brought in and the lady was taken away.

She is currently stable but needs immediate evacuation.

5:45PM PST

Friday Morning, April 21

At about 6 AM we were awakened by the sound of a helicopter circling overhead as we arrived about five miles off the Golden Gate. Thankfully, the crew successfully transferred our very ill passenger to a Coast Guard helicopter. First a C.G. crewman was lowered aboard our ship's top deck, and then a gurney/cradle was lowered. She was hoisted aboard the helicopter on the gurney/cradle -- keep in mind is was very windy and quite cold -- and then the crewman was hoisted up, and they were flown to a hospital in San Francisco. Her traveling companion-daughter was put aboard an auxiliary vessel and sailed ashore. The Mariner's crew has promised to keep us apprised of the patient's condition. We have heard that she choked at dinner two nights ago and then had a heart attack. The table was cleared and she was revived twice.

We are now sailing west again toward Honolulu. The Regent cruise line has yet to inform us of our revised itinerary but with the loss of 72 hours there will no doubt be changes.

From somewhere beyond the Farallon Islands west of the Golden Gate

Given the average age (elderly) and frail appearing condition of many of the passengers on our last Mariner cruise, I would guess that this will be occuring more and more frequently on cruises with several days at sea. What a difficult problem for the cruise line- On top of the expenses incurred by Regent for an episode like this, I am sure many passengers will expect a refund of some kind.

I am sure some will want some sort of refund, and Regent may give something, but missing ports is generally not grounds for requesting a refund; especially when it was not caused by Regent.

I hope that woman recovers, had travel cruise insurance, and can thank Regent for doing all that it did for her.

Our new itinerary was announced last night.

We will be omitting Kauai, Hawai'i (The Big Island) and Fanning Island.

The guests that I have spoken with aren't discussing compensation but rather concern over the stricken guest's condition.

Well the emergency is over. Our sick passenger is at Stanford Medical Center. The Cruise Director has promised to keep us informed of her condition.

Now we have 3 extra days at sea -- 7 days to get to Hawaii, instead of 4. Regent Seven Seas cancelled the one day at Hilo, one day on Kauai and one day at Fanning Island. With those changes our days and times in Tahiti remain the same, as do our six days at sea returning to Los Angeles, and then San Francisco. Now our 26 day cruise has 18 days at sea instead of 15.

We arrive at Honolulu on Wednesday, April 26.

There, of course, are lots of jokes about our many days at sea. The Cruise Director referred to our cruise as the "cruise to nowhere" (there are cruises that actually do go "nowhere" as they go to sea, gamble in their casinos, and return). He explained how they are trying to fill the extra evenings at sea with the entertainers already on board. When the singer performed last evening he said, "I've got 12 shows planned over the next 4 days." All in all everyone is in good spirits.

Unfortunately the first day out of San Francisco for the second time the seas were very rough. They have calmed down a bit. And the temps are too cool to enjoy the pool -- only in the mid-50's.

Mountainsailors, thank you for restoring my faith in mankind, by advising us the passengers on board are generally not complaining or demanding reimbursement for their inconvenience, but rather, are concerned about the health and well being of your fellow passenger. I was delighted to read that, it warmed my heart.

Everybody on board, have a fantastic cruise!

Charlene

Regent Seven Seas Mariner guests have been given as compensation $ 1,000 per cabin credit against a future Regent cruise and $ 300 per cabin on-board credit.

Wow, that is very generous of RSSC to do. I think because of the situation, they did not need to do much of anything. If I were the injured party, I would be very appreciative that not only did they do their best for me, but that they also 'went overboard" to make sure their other guests were well cared for too.

Wow, that is very generous of RSSC to do. I think because of the situation, they did not need to do much of anything. If I were the injured party, I would be very appreciative that not only did they do their best for me, but that they also 'went overboard" to make sure their other guests were well cared for too.

Amen!

Fantastic response by RSSC.....I agree with Kathy, they did go "overboard" with that compensation to the passengers. They have been extremely generous and have done a great job in letting people see that RSSC is a wonderful cruiseline!

Cheers, Pam

Bravo to RSSC!!!

I heard today that the lady is recovering well. She is now able to sit up. So a rather nice outcome.

I have always found Radisson, er, Regent to be more than generous when these things occur. It has happened to me twice, once a drydock, another a missed port, and they gave good future credits, and on-board credits. They know what to do in these situations. Most important thing is doing what they need to do for the sick passenger. It could be any of us, after all.

And finally....

Last night at the Farewell Party... the Captain announced that lady has recovered and is not resting at home.

My personal opinion is that Regent handled this matter wonderfully. Sure I'm disappointed that we missed two ports... but Regent's actions speak volumes. The $500 future cruise credit plus $150 shipboard are generous.

A friend's dad is a doctor who often works on a major cruise line's ships and he was surprised that the ship turned around. He said had it been the ship he was on it would have continued sailing and he would have made the patient as comfortable as possible. So again... Bravo regent!