Carnival Splendor - scary for special needs

We're booked for a January 9th sailing on the Carnival Splendor. My H is a quadriplegic and uses a motorized wheelchair (requiring electricity to charge it each night), and an alternating air mattress at night. Our cabin is located on the 10th deck. While I realize that stuff can happen anywhere, anytime, it is unnerving to imagine what those with special needs had to endure during this "emergency" on the Splendor. No, it will not keep us away from our planned trip, nor will it keep us from future cruises. It does make me wonder what more he and I (and others with special needs) can do for ourselves should any of us be faced with something like this.

Any ideas?

I'm not sure that there is a good answer for you. It was an unexpected emergency situation. I've read some of the news stories about the happenings onboard. The elevators were out, but staff and other passengers carried food and water to those who were disabled and couldn't reach the dining areas. Staff members carried people who couldn't walk upstairs to the open decks so they didn't have to suffer in stuffy cabins. I also read that Carnival loaned manual wheelchairs to people with scooters. I don't know if they had enough manual wheelchairs for everyone (doubtful) so they must have some priority list. I assume there will be several reviews of the cruise as people get home.

I suppose the best advice would be to always travel with an able-bodied person who can climb stairs. That way you have someone at your beck-and-call rather than solely relying on staff. While I'm sure the staff did all they could for those unable to help themselves, there were probably times when a disabled person was hungry/thirsty and none of the staff were immediately available to provide assistance.

We're booked for a January 9th sailing on the Carnival Splendor. My H is a quadriplegic and uses a motorized wheelchair (requiring electricity to charge it each night), and an alternating air mattress at night. Our cabin is located on the 10th deck. While I realize that stuff can happen anywhere, anytime, it is unnerving to imagine what those with special needs had to endure during this "emergency" on the Splendor. No, it will not keep us away from our planned trip, nor will it keep us from future cruises. It does make me wonder what more he and I (and others with special needs) can do for ourselves should any of us be faced with something like this.

 

Any ideas?

I leave in 16 days on HAL's newest and largest ship in the fleet and let me tell ya, I am a bit concerned myself.

That said though, I am not going to let it deter me from going and having a good time. The ship is already aware that I am mobility challenged. That I cannot do stairs, that I am in a scooter and that I am on oxygen as needed.

This will be my 4th cruise with this line, in less than 2 years and they have always taken care of me. The stewards make sure that I am aware they will come to my stateroom for me in the case of an emergency and assist my husband and I.

The crew is aware when there is someone like your husband and I on board and bend over backwards in case we need them.

I must say that I am more reassured by how Carnival has handled the Splendor. Carnival Corporation owns both lines and, in my opinion has shown they will do well by us IF anything happens:)

Joanie

I do worry about this..but not enough to cancel my next cruise...

I travel with my able-bodied husband and am careful to make sure the cruise line knows exactly what I can..and cannot...do. I also travel with my manual wheelchair and rent a power chair to be delivered to the ship, so if the ship electricity fails, at least I have my manual chair to move around.

I wonder if there isn't an emergency elevator, though? I know that with some highrise buildings and hotels, even if the main power fails, there is a generator and battery backup for at least one elevator in the building. Even my elevator in my house has a battery back-up, so if the power fails here I can get up/down around 3-4 times..so can't get stranded on the least accessible floor.

I heard about people carrying food to disabled passengers. I know that the food lines were long, and lasted for hours. I don't know if they were taking food so the disabled people didn't have to wait in line, or if they were carrying food because the disabled people couldn't GET to the floor...

The events of what occurred on the Splendor this week was very unfortunate. But one needs to be put things in perpective. Those of us that are disabled live with the possiblity of this occuring in our daily lives. You don't have to be on a cruise ship to experience a power outage.

I live in an elevator building. Yes it has all the modern conveniences but those conveniences become inconveniences when the power goes out and it has happened several times in the past 5 years. That's why I always keep plenty of basic non-perishable pantry items on hand. That's just life.

I always buy insurance with Medical Evacuation so if things really got bad for me regarding health concerns I would be able to be air lifted off the ship for medical reasons.

• Will what happened this week on the Splendor stop me from traveling ? No
  
• Will it alter how I how I travel? Maybe slightly ? I might bring some small food items such as power bars and little travel packets of cheese of crackers. At least I'd have something to eat if I was able to get anyone to assist me. Certainly wouldn't over do it. An would definitely pack a flashlight from now on since I book inside cabins.
  

Overall I think Carnival has done an outstanding job under the circumstances .

I do worry about this..but not enough to cancel my next cruise...

 

I travel with my able-bodied husband and am careful to make sure the cruise line knows exactly what I can..and cannot...do. I also travel with my manual wheelchair and rent a power chair to be delivered to the ship, so if the ship electricity fails, at least I have my manual chair to move around.

 

I wonder if there isn't an emergency elevator, though? I know that with some highrise buildings and hotels, even if the main power fails, there is a generator and battery backup for at least one elevator in the building. Even my elevator in my house has a battery back-up, so if the power fails here I can get up/down around 3-4 times..so can't get stranded on the least accessible floor.

 

I heard about people carrying food to disabled passengers. I know that the food lines were long, and lasted for hours. I don't know if they were taking food so the disabled people didn't have to wait in line, or if they were carrying food because the disabled people couldn't GET to the floor...

uppitycats, can you address the OP at the following thread's concerns?? I would, but feel I might just lose my temper...... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1307917

I post this request here, because of that thread.... AND you address these so very well:)

Joanie

I generally carry a couple of Balance Bars and a baggie full of pretzels if nothing else. Not much, but something. And since I like cold water I always have a couple of bottles in the cooler (although there will be a couple bottles in the room).

If you are going to carry a flashlight, see if you can get one of those " Shake" lights. I've carried one on cruises ever since my flashlight turned on in the suitcase and was dead when I wanted to light the way to the bathroom at night. All you have to do with a shake light is give it a half dozen good shakes and you have light. No batteries at all. I generally shake mine before bedtime and place it lens down on the night table.

I also use Portable Oxygen, and I have 4 batteries, or about 12-14 hours without being charged. I know it wouldn't last, but if I am sitting quiet, and don't panic, I can do without it some, so long as I don't walk around. I have a sister who travels with me, and we'd just have to figure it out best we could, wouldn't we?

M.

uppitycats, can you address the OP at the following thread's concerns?? I would, but feel I might just lose my temper...... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1307917

 

I post this request here, because of that thread.... AND you address these so very well:)

 

Joanie

I did address it...but now the thread's been zapped. Probably because I said it was maybe among the worst threads I'd seen on cruise critic. :)

Yes, those shake flashlights work well. I'm always careful to remove batteries from my flashlight, though and from my clock, battery toothbrush, and anything else that needs a battery, for that very reason: don't want them to be useless when I NEED them..

and I'm not sure how happy TSA would be with something going "tick tick tick"..or worse, an alarm going off!! :)

I'm going to consider the power bars thing for my next cruise, for sure. On the Hurtigruten there are only 3-4 handicap accessible cabins, all on deck 3, the deck which is used for loading/unloading passengers, so if I did have to get off the ship, the exit is right around the corner. But meals are several decks UP.... I can scoot on my butt DOWN stairs, but not UP... :o

I did address it...but now the thread's been zapped. Probably because I said it was maybe among the worst threads I'd seen on cruise critic. :)

It was not you that caused it to get pulled. It was everyone else telling the OP how rude it was..... Your post was to the point but very nice:)

Thanks for jumping on it though. I think you saw what had me upset...

Joanie

Yes, this was a scary situation for disabled. However, this can happen anywhere. My mom was stuck in her apartment for two days because the elevator broke down in her apartment building and there was no one to help her.

This is one emergency situation out of thousands of cruise ships that go out daily without any problems at all.

I'm sure Carnival took care of the disabled people that couldnt get to the food etc as best they could under the circumstances. Can't live your life in fear.

I still weep when I remember the World Trade Center collapse and the story about the worker on one of the high floors who used a wheelchair..and his co-worker who stayed with him -- both dying -- because he wouldn't leave him behind...

but then there are a lot of things that happened that awful day that cause me to weep....

<<<This is one emergency situation out of thousands of cruise ships that go out daily without any problems at all.

I'm sure Carnival took care of the disabled people that couldnt get to the food etc as best they could under the circumstances. Can't live your life in fear.

Well, it wasn't my question on this board. But I'm interested in how Carnival

assisted passengers using mobility devices. Was anyone (abled or disabled)

stuck in an elevator ? How did someone using a scooter or power wheelchair

get the batteries charged ? How did someone confined to their cabin

in this situation get food delivered to them? What kind of help was available

to passengers who needed a refrigerator in their cabin for medications?

These are not unreasonable questions for numerous passengers who cruise -

but require a variety of mobility and/or other medical situations. I've already

read suggestions to bring a variety of packaged munchies which is a good idea.

If for no other reason they could be available for a flight home ! And a small

flashlight is another good idea.

Hopefully someone on this cruise - after they are safely home - will share

their experiences and/or recommendations. Thank you.

<<<This is one emergency situation out of thousands of cruise ships that go out daily without any problems at all.

 

I'm sure Carnival took care of the disabled people that couldnt get to the food etc as best they could under the circumstances. Can't live your life in fear.

Well, it wasn't my question on this board. But I'm interested in how Carnival

assisted passengers using mobility devices. Was anyone (abled or disabled)

stuck in an elevator ? How did someone using a scooter or power wheelchair

get the batteries charged ? How did someone confined to their cabin

in this situation get food delivered to them? What kind of help was available

to passengers who needed a refrigerator in their cabin for medications?

These are not unreasonable questions for numerous passengers who cruise -

but require a variety of mobility and/or other medical situations. I've already

read suggestions to bring a variety of packaged munchies which is a good idea.

If for no other reason they could be available for a flight home ! And a small

flashlight is another good idea.

Hopefully someone on this cruise - after they are safely home - will share

their experiences and/or recommendations. Thank you.

I wasn't the least bit concerned about food, but more how my H (and I - able bodied) would be able to cope without electricity to charge his chair, and his air mattress pump. Also, in this situation the event happened before most people were up (which would be try for my H & I as well). The cabin, therefore, and the deck we have our cabin on, would be his "home" until we arrived back at land.

Again, we're not making any changes to our plans, and I do hope that we hear from the disabled contingency about how this aspect was handled. This was the main reason for my post, with the subject hopefully catching someone's attention who was there, and can shed light.

I never thought of a flashlight, but that's a really good idea. Honnnneeeyyyy.............

[quote name=Starr Mtn;26840588

Well' date=' it wasn't my question on this board. But I'm interested in how Carnival

assisted passengers using mobility devices. Was anyone (abled or disabled)

stuck in an elevator ? How did someone using a scooter or power wheelchair

get the batteries charged ? How did someone confined to their cabin

in this situation get food delivered to them? What kind of help was available

to passengers who needed a refrigerator in their cabin for medications?

[/quote]

Sorry, didnt mean to offend by my comment.

Since there was no power on the ship I don't see how any thing could be charged or refridgerated. They wouldnt even have ice. I know ships have limited wheelchairs. Perhaps they were carried upstairs by crew and given a manual chair. Or perhaps the crew delivered food to them. I wonder if the in ship phones still worked to call for help. They would have had to receive extra help from crew.

I would like to know how disabled pax really coped with this situation and how Carnival assisited them. Now that people are off the ship hopefully someone will post.

I found a post on Carnival.....

I just got off the Splendor a few hours ago. I'm in San Diego now from my iPhone. It was very bad. A lot has not come out yet. The bilge pumps were out so the crews quarters were taking on water making the ship list. The sewage backed up down there too, can you imagine the nightmare this was for the crew who were heroic. They were sleeping 6 or more in any available cabin but mostly they were sleeping in the Spectacular theater. It is true that some people were okay but the elderly, those that needed there meds kept cold, those that got injured and could get no help from the doctors who had no ice, electricity, no x-rays; those who missed their own weddings in Mexico, those who had power scooters that could not be recharged, those who did not understand English and were confused and scared, - they suffered. It was very, very bad. Rotting food and garbage and full toilets. A CDC worst case scenario. The crew was unbelievably amazing. I get emotional thinking about what they went through. I know they were served much worse food then us. Many people tipped them cash too. In short- don't make statements about the conditions unless you were there and even then you must understand that everyone's experience was different depending on their health, age, stateroom level, inner or outer cabin, and toilet situation- to name a few. I know for me it will take a while to forget the morning I out of my 2nd floor room and saw the hallway full of smoke and was told to evacuate. Or the 2 hour lines only to find pickled beet and mayo sandwiches for my four kids.

And may I say, GOD BLESS THE US MILITARY!!!! God bless the USA!

Sorry, didnt mean to offend by my comment.

 

Since there was no power on the ship I don't see how any thing could be charged or refridgerated.

 

USS Ronald Reagan provided Ice for emergency needs, I believe on a limited basis. One woman reported her father is a diabetic on insulin and according to her mother, they were provided and Ice chest and their steward kept them supplied with ice.

 

They wouldnt even have ice. I know ships have limited wheelchairs. Perhaps they were carried upstairs by crew and given a manual chair. Or perhaps the crew delivered food to them.

 

Per one passenger, interviewed via cell phone, that is exactly what happened. Disabled were either carried by crew or fellow passengers to the upper decks (even read where they carried one woman's scooter to the upper deck from Deck 2. Passengers and crew also took food to those that were unable/?unwilling? to leave the lower decks.

 

I wonder if the in ship phones still worked to call for help.

 

Not from the reports that I've seen/read.

 

They would have had to receive extra help from crew.

 

I would like to know how disabled pax really coped with this situation and how Carnival assisited them. Now that people are off the ship hopefully someone will post.

Agreed, would like to read/hear first hand handicapped reports.

Joanie

Does any one know of a small portable generator, possibly solar powered? I always identify myself as needing assistance when I am on a cruise ship but with no electric to charge my assistance devices I would be scared. I'd be on borrowed time for when the electric charge runs out. I can't imagine how scary it would be if you needed oxygen. We have a natural gas generator at home so I am good there but this makes me think about other possibilities.

Does any one know of a small portable generator, possibly solar powered? I always identify myself as needing assistance when I am on a cruise ship but with no electric to charge my assistance devices I would be scared. I'd be on borrowed time for when the electric charge runs out. I can't imagine how scary it would be if you needed oxygen. We have a natural gas generator at home so I am good there but this makes me think about other possibilities.

Good thought... Here is one to consider if for nothing else, for our homes. Not sure if the cruise lines would like it, but... the $379.00 version sounds like a good deal to me. http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-devices.html

Joanie

Here it is from the horses mouth so to speak.....

http://johnhealdsblog.com/

sounds like they had things about as under control as possible, given the circumstances.

It does bring up one point: we with "special needs" do have to be a bit assertive..we can't just sit back and wait for a response. I was reading about one woman who had diabetes and couldn't get to the dining room for food...seems like all she would have had to do is go to the stairwell, find the crew member there and explain the situation and her needs would have been addressed.

We have to do at least that much for ourselves, in an emergency!

Just a snippet from a Review wrotten by CC Member Trash Queen who was aboard the Splendor.

AWESOME, and very detailed!!!

".........The crew took care of handicapped passengers, as well. I saw room stewards carrying hospital-type potties to cabins of people in wheel chairs and they also delivered meals to their cabins. If they desired, stewards would bring wheelchair bound passengers up to the Lido deck, and they also assisted those with walkers up the stairwells. Other passengers pitched in, and I saw many offering help to those who needed it. ......"

All of her review can be read here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=26858045&postcount=260

Joanie