My husband died on the breakaway

[NLH Arizona]

So $9800 strikes me as a bit over the top.

According to the OP, she signed for them to treat (I was asked to feign consent to treat I did), so I'm sure a lot went into trying to save his life and that is very expensive.

[myfuzzy]

Maybe the cruise lines should employ a specially trained "crisis services" staff member, who would be there to over see any incidents that may occur on the ship. Make sure phone calls are made, services rendered, be there to support that person, answer any questions, find lost items, escort person off ship to loved ones waiting. Then follow up with a phone call to make sure everything is OK and if there is anything else they can do.

[sfaaa]

Maybe the cruise lines should employ a specially trained "crisis services" staff member, who would be there to over see any incidents that may occur on the ship. Make sure phone calls are made, services rendered, be there to support that person, answer any questions, find lost items, escort person off ship to loved ones waiting. Then follow up with a phone call to make sure everything is OK and if there is anything else they can do.

 

Let's be realistic about this. Cruise lines are not social service and compassionate agency and never pretend to be one. They also don't provide medical service for free or at deep discount like a nonprofit clinic or Red Cross.

[pcakes122]

Let's be realistic about this. Cruise lines are not social service and compassionate agency and never pretend to be one.

I disagree that cruise lines can't be compassionate or have folks designated to provide social services. I am disabled and have had the pleasure of working with NCL's Access Office many times - both on land and with designated Access Officers onboard. Based upon my experience, they are well-trained in how to provide compassionate support and attention to those needing special services. I think having personnel trained to assist in passenger emergencies such as an onboard passing would be a great idea. I don't think it's unrealistic at all.

[sjbdtz]

What's really sad is the OP did not ask anyone for ANY advice NOR did she say she didn't believe NCL had a right to bill her for medical services. THAT is the problem, no one really read her post and understood what she was trying to say. She did not post "Do you think I should have taken the insurance?", "Does anyone want to pay my bills?", "How dare NCL for billing me!!" "Why didn't the other passengers chip in and pay my bill?!!" THIS is what I took from her post:

 

1) My husband tragically and suddenly passed away on our vacation. (Not sure about anyone else, but I would be shocked, extremely emotional and scared if this happened to me.)

2) I was not offered any OPTION of how to handle his remains (stay on the ship, return to Bermuda.) Regardless of the "better' choice, she wasn't given ANY choice.

3) The enormous bill was not delivered to her in person (with sensitivity), but instead was left outside her door (as if she just ran the bill up in the casino or gift shop and it was no biggie.)

4) Her things were packed with such disregard, that she is missing items.

4) She is posting this on a public forum because she is feeling powerless, and wants other people (including maybe NCL) to know what she experienced. And even if NCL doesn't acknowledge her, she'll perhaps have some satisfaction that she shared her story about the way this terrible tragedy was handled.

 

So based on what I took from her post, I am appalled at some of the responses to her in this thread and it is no wonder she hasn't been back!

 

 

So despite the fact that it is not irregular for somebody to pass away on a cruise (demographics, etc.), this one lady should have been given the "option" to dictate the plans of 3,000+ other people, and to decide whether to cause NCL to incur thousands of dollars in Pilot, Docking, Fuel fees, so that she could decide whether or not to stay in Bermuda?

 

No, they had already left Bermuda and were at sea. Next port, was the US.

 

Could NCL have gone over & above, and withheld the invoice until it could be presented to her.... yes. Would the medical center have likely given her a detailed chart of their costs, also yes (I had over $2000 in charges one sailing - yes, I have insurance - and the chart of expenses was laughably detailed: $54 for latex gloves, etc.).

 

I submit there was probably also more to the story. I'd wager that somebody was assigned to grief counselling / checking-in on her, that she had the attention of the HD for anything she might have needed (phone calls home, free internet, etc.) because that's the NCL behavior described by other people who have experienced something similar.

 

As for the lost items, why on earth would somebody 'steal' her deceased husband's D/L? It MAY have gotten attached to a file in the on-board morgue, for identification purposes - and perhaps she was told to collect it, but didn't recall that fact, in her disorientation.

 

There are many details absent, and I will not convict NCL without hearing their side.

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[AmazedByCruising]

According to the OP, she signed for them to treat (I was asked to feign consent to treat I did), so I'm sure a lot went into trying to save his life and that is very expensive.

 

That leaves me a bit puzzled, too. I'd expect that question to ask for the reverse, like "my husband does not want to be reanimated". IANAL, but there's a Dutch law about "leaving someone in a helpless state where you could have helped" with a pretty hefty penalty when you don't. A doctor doing nothing because nobody signed for the bill must be illegal even in the Bahamas. What would have happened if he was alone?

 

I wonder what kind of treatments are that expensive?

 

BTW, I wouldn't have been surprised at a 10k bill if I couldn't compare it to my own bill which is peanuts in comparison.

[sanger727]

That leaves me a bit puzzled, too. I'd expect that question to ask for the reverse, like "my husband does not want to be reanimated". IANAL, but there's a Dutch law about "leaving someone in a helpless state where you could have helped" with a pretty hefty penalty when you don't. A doctor doing nothing because nobody signed for the bill must be illegal even in the Bahamas. What would have happened if he was alone?

 

 

 

I wonder what kind of treatments are that expensive?

 

 

 

BTW, I wouldn't have been surprised at a 10k bill if I couldn't compare it to my own bill which is peanuts in comparison.

 

 

 

That exists in the US too. Yes, if there had been no one there to sign my guess is they would have still performed any life saving treatments. However, standard practice when one is incapacitated is to have the next if kin make medical decisions, even if the decisions are so obvious they would do them either way. If the spouse had provided proof that the deceased had signed the US version of what you guys have (called DNR - do not resuscitate), I imagine the cruise line would not have treated.

 

As far as the 10k bill, that doesn’t really surprise me. Just in comparison to US rates. I had a 1 hour outpatient surgery at a surgery center with another couple hours for pre and post surgery. The pre-insurance bill I got for that was over 10k, and that didn’t include any of my pre-surgery tests, pre or post surgery treatment or my surgeon’s fee. That was just for use of the facility with the nurses and anesthesiologist for a few hours.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[NLH Arizona]

That leaves me a bit puzzled, too. I'd expect that question to ask for the reverse, like "my husband does not want to be reanimated". IANAL, but there's a Dutch law about "leaving someone in a helpless state where you could have helped" with a pretty hefty penalty when you don't. A doctor doing nothing because nobody signed for the bill must be illegal even in the Bahamas. What would have happened if he was alone?

 

I wonder what kind of treatments are that expensive?

 

BTW, I wouldn't have been surprised at a 10k bill if I couldn't compare it to my own bill which is peanuts in comparison.

Since the doctor didn't know if the OP's husband had a DNR or not, they would ask if she would want life saving measures performed. I'm sure, if her husband would have been alone, they would have automatically performed any medical treatment needed to try and save his life.

 

If they also performed life saving measures on you, then you are correct in comparing your bill to the OP's, if not, it is like comparing apples to watermelons.

[AmazedByCruising]

We really don't know if the ship was nice or not. OP didn't give details to anything other than the bill really.

 

Sure someone slipped that large bill under the door. That could have been done in a better way but probably just normal procedures - Computer prints bills, person delivers. Said person should not be reading each one. Yes, someone should have been looking out for her best interest.

 

As this is not an uncommon occurrence on a ship, I'd expect someone to look after the guest following procedures, too. IMHO, those procedures should include making sure that such bills are sent after the cruise.

[tel2]

The amount of the medical bill surprises me a bit. My husband became very ill with a serious infection on an NCL cruise this fall - not life-threateningly ill - but requiring IV antibiotics, and a full day, part night stay in the on-board hospital with nursing care He had two visits with the doc, blood tests, oxygen, IV antibiotics, and IV pain killers, plus a bunch of oral meds. The doc called the next day to follow-up. The total bill was about 3000. most of which was covered by our insurance. Not quite sure why her bill was so high.

 

Terry

[AmazedByCruising]

If they also performed life saving measures on you, then you are correct in comparing your bill to the OP's, if not, it is like comparing apples to watermelons.

 

More people involved? More expensive machines used? More expensive medications? All in one hour?

What's the difference between the apple and the watermelon?

 

Maybe, just maybe, the X ship had a different rate for Europeans and Americans. One bill like the 10K bill and it would be probably be in our newspapers leading to many people reconsidering their cruise.

[AmazedByCruising]

As far as the 10k bill, that doesn’t really surprise me. Just in comparison to US rates. I had a 1 hour outpatient surgery at a surgery center with another couple hours for pre and post surgery. The pre-insurance bill I got for that was over 10k, and that didn’t include any of my pre-surgery tests, pre or post surgery treatment or my surgeon’s fee. That was just for use of the facility with the nurses and anesthesiologist for a few hours.

 

I'm thinking that Americans should visit Holland for planned treatments. You'll be laughing at the bill which is not even subsidized. Tipping is not expected.

[cruisinmeme]

For those of you who didn't bother to read the thread and the link to the her post made several months ago, the stolen items appear to be a pair of glasses and her husband's driver's license.

 

 

Sounds like lost items rather than stolen. Who can use a pair of glasses that is not their script and a DL that is from a random person.

[cruisinmeme]

Just curious how many people get their bill from the hospital hand delivered.why would a cruise ship be any different.

[myfuzzy]

Sounds like lost items rather than stolen. Who can use a pair of glasses that is not their script and a DL that is from a random person.

 

Just like I stated before, was the license in a wallet, that needed to be taken out? Was the wallet missing? I think very few men would just carry their license without a wallet. IF the license IS missing......from a wallet, someone had to have taken it out, maybe for ID purposes with the paperwork that had to be filled out and kept with him until debarkation. AND that permission for the license to be removed from the wallet had to come from the OP, or given verbal instruction to a designated person.

 

As for the glasses, I would bet the house they either got dropped in the cabin, maybe under the bed, or wrapped in the sheets and hit the laundry when he was moved out of the cabin.

[fshagan]

ONLY in common law state. When my husband passes, I am not responsible for any of his debt. Now if it is a joint account yes I am also responsible. We are in the process of closing joint accounts and refinancing our truck under his name only. This will include is medical bills as well. I am working closely now with our estate attorney so in the end. They don't rob me of the little life insurance he is leaving us.

 

So when the hospital comes to you and says you must sign to guarantee payment on the medical bills that could save your husband you will say something like "no way! You aren't going to take what little life insurance he is leaving me! Let him die!" You will sign, and you will be responsible, and it may be worth it if he pulls through. Maybe.

[fshagan]

I have been to Medical, spent more than 2 hours, outside office hours, a doctor and a nurse were there the whole time, had quite a few tests, and the total bill was less than $700. When reviewing the bill, I noticed an item "professional nursing fee" at 32.76/hour. The hairdresser probably costs more.

 

So $9800 strikes me as a bit over the top. And the ship could have been a lot nicer to the OP.

 

You have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, much better than the US, UK and Australia's system (based on actually living through the treatment). The ship's sick bay is sub contracted so charges are going to be more in line with the US than Holland. I had a series of blood tests recently that were over $3,000. So yeah, healthcare is expensive elsewhere.

 

I don't know if the Dutch system covers you while on a cruise ship out of the country. Most domestic insurance in the US, the NHS in the UK, and the Australian system don't pay when you are out of the country.

[acrn]

I am heartbroken for you at your husband's passing. Your experience must have been an absolute nightmare and I'm sure you are still in pain. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your husband's loved ones.

 

 

 

I can't even imagine how you must feel, but if I was in your shoes I would also be looking for some kind of acknowledgement from NCL (and others) about the way your husband's passing was handled. More than the medical bill, I'm shocked and saddened that NCL seemed to leave you on your own at such a tragic time. While I'm not privy to the details, just the fact that you FELT abandoned and alone means they didn't do enough (in my opinion.) I'm also amazed (but shouldn't be shocked) at how many people couldn't hold themselves back from telling you that "this is why you get insurance!" :eek: I'm not sure how that is comforting, but I guess it makes them feel smarter.

 

 

 

The only thing I can offer you besides my condolences is a suggestion to write to NCL's executive team, if you have not already done so. If I were in your position, I would just be looking for someone at NCL to say "we let you down."

 

 

 

And I get why you felt trapped on the ship back to NY vs. being taken back to Bermuda. At least in Bermuda you could have had family or friends fly in to be with you during those first critical hours after your husband's passing. Again, I am so sorry you went through this and I HEAR YOU. I will remember you in my prayers & wish you peace.

 

 

 

Truly a loving and compassionate response! Will add you to my prayer list. So sorry for your tragic loss.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mking8288]

OP, please accept our sincere prayers & thoughts for your recent and unexpected loss of a loved one - and, for sharing your side of the stories.

 

Holidays are always tough in coping with the loss & emptiness while almost everyone else are in a festival mood.

 

To the OP, if help is needed with financial resources - please reach out and explore on what's available and offer within your local community.

 

Perhaps NCL possibly did let her down this time, perhaps not - we don't know for sure - nobody like to play Monday morning quarterback. It does seemed, IMHO, they could've offer just a little more in helping her to cope with the initial grief, shock and chaos.

 

What's important is NOT what we or I feel about being in a similar situation, rather it's what she felt and her experience - did NCL really gone above & beyond ... attempted to render life saving medical interventions ?? Each of us, will reach our own conclusions about it.

 

Let's just try to stay on topic & not go off tangent with health care ...