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Celebrity dumps disabled man on island.


detroitcruiser

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Breaking news out of Detroit. Celebrity disembarked a disability rights leader on an island after he requested assistance from the cruise line.

 

http://theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/04/09/life/doc4da078e9400ea734339385.txt

 

Although I didn't read the ship mentioned by name in the article this apparently was on the Celebrity CENTURY.

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Breaking news out of Detroit. Celebrity disembarked a disability rights leader on an island after he requested assistance from the cruise line.

 

http://theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/04/09/life/doc4da078e9400ea734339385.txt

 

I think I am going to take this article with a large grain of salt until we know all of the facts. I almost wonder if this activist was going out of his way to make an issue so he could generate some bad press. I would think that if someone with a wheelchair were to book a cruise, their travel agent would encourage them to select an accessible room. Those rooms that are available on every ship except Xpedition do not have a barrier between the stateroom and the toilet. The toilet facility would also have needed handrails to assist these passengers.

 

I can understand from a liability perspective why a cabin steward or butler would not be in the best position to lift a passenger. The passenger or the employee could be injured. Further, I doubt that cabin stewards or butlers have received the training that one would receive if you were working at an assisted living facility.

 

It is unfortunate that this individual had to purchase return airfare from a foreign port of call, but again I would think that there would be much more to the story that would have prompted a disembarkation mid-cruise.

 

I wonder if there had been any accessible staterooms available on this ship and if guest relations had attempted to move this passenger. I know that often non-disabled passengers may be assigned these cabins near a sailing time (guarantee staterooms) but they could always be bumped for someone with the additional need.

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Well Detroit Cruiser looks like you may get a few responses to this story. It seems as though from the newspaper article I just read, which you provided, this cruiser probably should not have attempted this cruise alone. Dosn't this article seem a little slanted towards the passenger and a little against the big bad cruise line?Sounded like he wanted someone to put him in the bath and take him out of the bath, which is not the job of any staff, imagine the liability if the staff member dropped this man! This man could have brought a friend or relative or even hired someone for assistance as it seems money was not much of an object on this cruise. It also begs the question as to why wasn't his wife with him on this cruise. There is perhaps three sides to this story, the disabled man's side, the cruise lines side and what really happened. Until I know the facts of this case I find it hard to react strongly towards either side! I don't mean to sound cold or insensitive but that's the way I feel!

Ken

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The first thing that led me to believe that this professed "activist" wasn't stating all the facts is that he did not purchase travel insurance. If he has traveled as extensively with his medical conditions as he states, surely he knows about travel insurance? One call to the insurance company would have gotten him home faster.

 

I am not questioning his version of his experience, but when someone reporting a story like that is also a proclaimed "activist" one does wonder about "the rest of the story".

 

My husband became very ill on a Royal Caribbean cruise and I can state that my personal experience was far from what was reported by this gentleman. RCI went so far as to intercede with our insurance carrier to get us home faster when the airline the insurance company had chosen went on strike. Even though they were under no obligation to do so, RCI provided us with a surprisingly generous next-cruise certificate.

 

The care and consideration shown us by the RCI staff was so great and so reassuring that I hesitate to travel with any other cruise line.

 

I think we have to wait for "the rest of the story"

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I think everyone in this story is at fault.

 

RCL/Celebrity should have facilities that meet ADA requirements if they sail from a US port. If there is a non-ADA problem entering the bathroom, then RCL/Celebrity better figure out how to fix it to be compliant. This may be a basis for legal action, irrespective of Celebrity's contract, but I'm not a lawyer.

 

RCL/Celebrity on-board management apparently showed little "compassion" and understanding...but I am left wondering just how confrontational the passenger was vs asking nicely for help.

 

There is no reason given why they put the passenger off the ship...so can't comment on that issue.

 

The passenger should not expect a butler or staff member of the ship to provide routine assistance....if one needs that type of care, they should take a companion with them. There is a shady line between helping someone who stumbles once...and helping a passenger each time they want to go to the bathroom or if they fall off the toilet seat. Butler's are not for personal/touch the body type of assistance...that's really pushing.

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Whatever mistakes happened, this man should be entitled to his cruise fare back and given a handicapped cabin on a future cruise- with the clear understanding that if he requires more than one visit from the ship's doctor for being unable to function on his own- he will again be disembarked.

 

I had a grandmother in a wheelchair and always wanted to take her on a cruise. It is totally doable but I don't think that it is wise to sail without help. In fact, bringing a trained nurse along would have been wise.

 

My question would be: Who told him that his cabin would be ok for a wheelchair? Did he fill out the special needs form that is on the Celebrity website. For example: I have special needs, youth programs. I read everything on the website about this before I sail. Given his condition: a visit to the website would have made it clear what to expect onboard. A vulnerable person like himself should have done this. Not all cruise lines are alike. He had a positive cruise experience before but he depended on the kindness of strangers and he probably had a handi-capped stateroom. A Larger stateroom is not a wheelchair accessible stateroom... he should have known this.

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I can understand from a liability perspective why a cabin steward or butler would not be in the best position to lift a passenger. The passenger or the employee could be injured. Further, I doubt that cabin stewards or butlers have received the training that one would receive if you were working at an assisted living facility.

 

I work in an assisted living profession taking care of adults that are wheel-chair bound. We are trained that if anything weighs over 50lbs it requires a two-person lift. And you mentioned the liability issue. If he somehow injured himself in the fall and it was made worse by staff picking him up then they would have a huge lawsuit on their hands.

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I am longtime Celebrity cruiser and Mother of disabled adult. This situation does not sound plausible. If he is a world traveler and activist he should know about handicap access cabins which are on all ships. He should also know a disabled person needs to travel with a helper/companion on ships to foreign ports. I have a feeling he was doing a test case; how does X treat the disabled? Why was he not in handicapped stateroom? Was Celebrity made aware of his condition when he booked? Bet not. HC cabins are not usually full.

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The Century wasn't doing 10 day itineraries.

 

The February 14th departure from Miami was a 10-nt that spent two days at sea, then visited St. Barts, Guadaloupe, Martinique, St. Maarten, two days at sea, CoCoCay, then back to Miami.

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Not quite sure why this man attempted this trip on his own and in a nonhandicapped room. Obviously $$ was not a factor. There were a lot more options open to him even if he wanted to be in a cabin alone. I'm not quite sure why his spouse did not go along or someone else to help him out. There is indeed more to this story.

 

I wonder how the other passengers were aware of his plight of falling off the toliet???

 

Sue

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While I do have sympathy towards the OP (assuming he's the same person described in the article) regarding his disability. I think his expectations were unrealistic. What is described as a failure of duties/concern/responsibilities of RCCL/Celebrity are actually something required of rehabilitation or nursing homes, not cruise ships or cruise lines.

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I think this sailing was the nude charter cruise...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1254993

 

Mebbe explains why spouse did not go along......:eek:

 

I s'pose if he is unhappy with service, he would need to pursue it with the tour operator instead of X.

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All I can say is the cruise lines must be desparate for money to have a nude cruise for heaven sake. That's revolting. If this guy chose this cruise its no wonder no one wanted to sail with him. In fact, was he nude in his cabin? That might be why the cabin steward refused to help. What a picture this paints!

 

Do your own search of Nude cruise on Celebrity Century and there it is in black and white. This was a nude cruise that was chartered by a group. The only way this man could have known about it was thru this group. If he dealt with this group and not the ship directly then its the charter that he needs to go after. Not the cruise line. I am ashamed of Celebrity for this behavior. How they can allow their crew to be treated this way is astonishing. This is so uncivilized and I don't know who these people are that want to prance around in the nude. Its gross.

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While I do have sympathy towards the OP (assuming he's the same person described in the article) regarding his disability. I think his expectations were unrealistic. What is described as a failure of duties/concern/responsibilities of RCCL/Celebrity are actually something required of rehabilitation or nursing homes, not cruise ships or cruise lines.

 

For the record I am NOT the person in the story, and if you look at my history on CruiseCritic, or even my signature that would be obvious. I noticed the story in the local paper and thought it would be of interest to the board.

 

First, putting aside the reasonable vs. unreasonable expectations of the passenger, it still seems patently unreasonable to take his money, let him board in Miami, and then dump him off half way through the cruise. The cruise line has the power to deny boarding if they think there is a safety problem. They knew this passenger was by himself and yet they permitted him to board. They could have given him back his money, apologized to him, and helped him make alternative plans for ten days in Miami. Instead they led him, on then put him at great risk by disembarking him half way through the cruise.

 

It seems from the article that he did book an accessible room, he must have, or I don't think he would have been able to even get in the door to the stateroom. This again shows that the cruise line had notice of his condition and needs. The time to say no was in Miami, not half way through the cruise in a foreign port.

 

Lastly, as far as him not being credible because of his "activist" title, I would not jump to conclusions. The MS Society is a highly regarded group that performs important work around the world.

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When we sailed with my father who was also wheelchair bound we never thought for one minute that a cruise ship employee or employer would be responsible for his daily care. We were 100% responsible for his care and needs to be met.

 

Although the cruiselines did not have to assist us in any way they really bent over backwards to assist (us) my DF by just pushing his chair into the dining room, helping us manuever when going on tours, etc....

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There must be more to this story for sure. HC gentleman with no attendant? Non HC room? I agree with above posters that this fellow had a mission on his own and set this all up to make some more retirement money....?? The whole story does not make sense at all and maybe one day we will get the full story

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There must be more to this story for sure. HC gentleman with no attendant? Non HC room? I agree with above posters that this fellow had a mission on his own and set this all up to make some more retirement money....?? The whole story does not make sense at all and maybe one day we will get the full story

 

That is quite an accusation. There is nothing in the story that shows he did not get a HC room.

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There was a thread some time ago from a 'relative' asking about assistance for HC, and saying their father or other relative would need assistance for various activities of daily living (ADL), and was expecting the butler to do this. I think they were told that it was not in the job description of the butler. I don't remember what cruise line board it was on...But since I only read a few, it might have been here. EM

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Celebrity very clearly states in their brochures that "Guests with special needs should be self-sufficient, and Celebrity recommends that they travel with a companion to provide any required assistance." Butlers have to serve guests in a number of suites and it is doubtful that they would be contracted out, so to speak, to be a companion for someone of needs. This sounds like another failure to read all of the fine print and assuming that a butler "at your service" would be there to give assistance in personal hygiene type areas. On my most recent cruise I did see some Celebrity people pushing wheel chairs for guests but mostly I also saw guests being pushed by companions.

 

Celebrity also clearly states "All guests must ensure that they are medically and physically fir for travel and that such traveling will not endanger themselves or others." It sounds like this individual, after being examined, was deemed not fit to travel and Celebrity acted under its rights of refusing to transport. And if someone is taken off the ship it becomes their responsibility to get home. This is also clearly stated. When in doubt, read the contract.

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