Delayed NCL Escape Review - Cruise PTSD easing...

[L1211]

I will be checking back with you to see what insurance you bought when you take your next cruise because I know you will get the right insurance that covers everything. Then I will know which insurance to buy in the future. We always buy NCL hopefully we won't need it on our cruise.

 

 

 

Ha! Already searching the board for PRIMARY insurance coverage. Here's to NEVER needing it!!!yet, you just never know...

 

 

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[L1211]

Yes we find NCL best for us too with our kids being 23 and 19. In August we sailed on Breakaway and my 23 year old and her boyfriend were with us most nights, at least until about 11 pm or so and then they would go their own way. My ds found a group and hung with them. Sailing with my dh in July for my 50th on Escape and cant wait although leaving the kids at home is a little nervewracking lol.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

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LOVED our last two family cruises, i would be lying if I didn't say I was just a bit jealous of your planned no kid version!!! Keep thinking we will do a TA or Europe, just us. Yet, we keep getting "when is our next cruise!" From the girls. Do you bring them till they don't want to Come?? Or ditch them! You may be my vacation hero!!

 

 

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[Gershep]

Ha! Already searching the board for PRIMARY insurance coverage. Here's to NEVER needing it!!!yet, you just never know...

 

 

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Your story is giving me nightmares. You had the kind of luck that usually follows us. I said to DH that next trip we get better insurance.

[Gershep]

LOVED our last two family cruises, i would be lying if I didn't say I was just a bit jealous of your planned no kid version!!! Keep thinking we will do a TA or Europe, just us. Yet, we keep getting "when is our next cruise!" From the girls. Do you bring them till they don't want to Come?? Or ditch them! You may be my vacation hero!!

 

 

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I keep saying next cruise is with just the hubby but my boys are still going with us, 22 and 27. They get their own cabin and it is nice to still be able to take time to make memories. Hubby is still waiting for just the two of us to go,lol.

[js]

LOVED our last two family cruises, i would be lying if I didn't say I was just a bit jealous of your planned no kid version!!! Keep thinking we will do a TA or Europe, just us. Yet, we keep getting "when is our next cruise!" From the girls. Do you bring them till they don't want to Come?? Or ditch them! You may be my vacation hero!!

 

 

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Yes, I will keep bringing my kids, adult or not, married or not, they are always welcome on my vacations, well, not in July LOL But yes, I will keep brining until they don't want to come but I can never see my kids turning down a vacation and they both LOVE to cruise. I did keep looking to see if my cruise was free for 3-4 passengers, I would have squeezed them on, even if the Haven prices were just a tad lower but I really wanted to stay in the Haven and have been married for 27 years and the last time we took a vacation was a 5 day RCCL cruise for our 20th Anniversary so it has been a while LOL so I think I can justify this one LOL We will be on other vacations with them this year (HHI and Disney) but they just won't cruise with us this year.

 

 

But, as a previous poster said, please come back when you book your next cruise and let us know what secondary trip insurance you purchase. Thanks so much and enjoy your weekend!

[cookie*]

You are so right! We were on Western Caribbean in July. Honestly, no matter how bad it got, I kept thinking "this could be Central America! I could be seeking surgery in Belize!" I feel so lucky that St Thomas was our first stop. Could have been much worse.

 

 

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St Thomas also has nice long port hours which helped you out. Plus if you had missed the ship it would have been just a little ferry ride to Tortola.

 

 

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[L1211]

Your story is giving me nightmares. You had the kind of luck that usually follows us. I said to DH that next trip we get better insurance.

 

 

 

I think the trick is finding primary travel insurance so you don't have to pay upfront. That and location support would have been nice. NCL just didn't provide any. If I'd been med-vaced our card wouldn't have handled it. Not sure where that would have left us...

 

 

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[L1211]

St Thomas also has nice long port hours which helped you out. Plus if you had missed the ship it would have been just a little ferry ride to Tortola.

 

 

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Right? Bad luck but travel logistics were on my side!! Not sure where else I could have pulled it off.

 

 

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[alreadypacked]

How kind of you - yes, I guess I'm the "wine" glass half full kind of mom! I did have trip insurance purchased through NCL - how crazy is that? That seemed to play no part in the "we can't call the coast guard, you are not sick enough yet need emergency surgery" medical declaration, But, oddly at the med center, they really don't care if you have trip insurance, provider insurance, honestly, all charges just go to your bill and it it your problem from there. I'm literally thousands in the hole from the medical center that I'm still trying to get reimbursed from my own health insurance. The emergency surgery in St Thomas also required cash payment in full. So, the trip insurance seems to be only a "hope" at reimbursement although who thinks of that when purchasing? - they expect you to settle fully with your primary health insurance before even filing with the trip insurer, We found you need plenty of room on the credit card to get medical care are sea...

 

Enjoying your review! So sorry about your medical emergency. Glad you pulled through okay in the end.

 

Wow the emergency surgery in St Thomas required cash payment in full?

 

Yikes!

 

I always get trip insurance (not through the cruise line), but if one has to pay in full upfront for an expensive procedure and can't, I wonder what happens. Do they just refuse to treat you?

 

This is scary.

 

In 2014, 12 days before our cruise I came down with appendicitis and needed an emergency appendectomy at our local hospital in Fort Lauderdale. It cost $34,000! Insurance paid everything except about $500.

 

$34,000 cash would be a bit rough for me (and many folks) to come up with had it happened on the cruise!

Edited May 28, 2017 by alreadypacked
typo

[oncruisecontrol]

It's a great place! Lovely cove kind of beach great for walking and vistas are breathtaking. The covers peppered with little beach restaurants. Drinks about $8 and tasty. Chair rentals readily available at the different places $10 anywhere. And an umbrella for just $5 more. Water sports rentals readily available too. The taxi ride is a bit daunting. Typical island ride I imagine. Up and over, opposite the ship I believe. The ship photo comes from the top. It's maybe 15 minutes each way? Taxi maybe $12 pp each way? Not cheap but worth it. Here's a menu from Myett's. food was "fine" but girls not adventurous eaters.

 

 

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Thank you very much for the info.

[LeesaB]

Wow - what a vacation! This could have easily been your nightmare worst vacation ever. Love that you're able to look at all the positives and say it was great.

 

And that you had surgery, then immediately went back on the ship and went on the slides and drank wine. Hero!

[Faulkh]

And the final installment and the final "no way" of the fateful trip - I was not feeling well in Christmas day. Tired I expected, or the flu the family had on the ship? By the next day, I was pretty sick, but it wasn't till later that my IV site from the Med Center on the cruise started to turn red. Once it started getting bad, it went fast. Off to the doctor and they sent me to the ER. I'm an optimistic person so I went to ER alone, parked in valet - only planned to be there a couple of hours. FIVE DAYS LATER, the security guard was gracious and pulled my car out of valet for me. Yep, spent five days in the hospital with MRSA infection and a vein thrombosis both in the IV site. I have to think - hmmm, an IV in your arm, lightly wrapped, and walking about a mega ship with 5000 new friends - who could have seen that happening??? Also, the hospital in St Thomas used the same IV so it was open and in my arm for over two days. And, as soon as removed, I was on waterslides - within about an hour, So, maybe it was inevitable, but what a terrible way to end that vacation! Yep, I'm recovered now, but it has taken quite some time. I don't wish that on anyone. But, the misery has faded and considering my next cruise. I thank those of you who went on this fateful trip revisit with me!

 

 

Just catching back up with your posts! Holy cow! 5 days in the hospital. I can't imagine the worry for your family and the pain you must have been in. So very glad that you pulled through. You are one incredible women. That's for sharing your story. I hope it was healing for you and your next cruise is pure enjoyment with none of the medical excitement. Do share whatever insurance you find for your next cruise for I am certain it will be the one to get :D