Child Suffered Due to Lack of Passports

[ducklite]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/02/12/cruise-ship-returns-to-port-canaveral-after-florida-boy-gets-infection-during-trip/ 

[klfrodo]

Sounds like mom has opportunities to improve.

She decided to risk the health of her child, and almost came up craps.

 

Glad everything worked out.

[sparks1093]

From what I recall from the original story the child didn't need to be admitted to the hospital and was able to be treated on the ship. A change one takes any time one travels, really, with or without a passport.

[zqvol]

This is all on the mother. Read her Facebook posts, especially the one that talks about all of the donations that they received.

 

The link to her Facebook account is in this article:

 

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/nicole-roman-mejias-florida-cruise-ship-passport/67-5bbe7d14-829e-4b84-8208-90053161bd20

[RocketMan275]

Excellent example of why one should have a passport.

And, no, the cruise line shouldn't pay his medical bills.

[Mike981]

Interesting how quickly they started the ***** acount, I believe it was the next day.
No insurance, no passport and didn't listen to the medical advice given from the ship. 😕

[Cruiser_1977]

There is a thread discussing this ...maybe we could merge them? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2733828-passport-less-family-with-sick-child-stuck-aboard-norwegian-ship/

[akcruz]

12 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

There is a thread discussing this ...maybe we could merge them? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2733828-passport-less-family-with-sick-child-stuck-aboard-norwegian-ship/

 

That one is on the Norwegian boards, a place I don't normally look.  I thank the OPfor putting this in a more generic place as it really is not a line specific issue.  I don't see a problem with having both.

[Shmoo here]

4 hours ago, Mike981 said:

No insurance, no passport and didn't listen to the medical advice given from the ship.

They did have insurance.  The problem was they couldn't  be medically evacuated from Mexico because they didn't have passports.

 

And, if they got off the ship and took the child to the hospital the 3 days (best case scenario) necessary to receive passport to fly back home, would coincide with when the ship returned to the US.  Plus the US embassy (apparently) telling them "You don't want to put your child in a Mexican hospital".

 

 

[mayleeman]

And I just hope people on here who constantly tell newbie US cruisers "You don't need passports! Whst're the odds?" will think twice about the consequences of their advice for someone who, despite the odds against it, desperately needs one.

[ducklite]

47 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

They did have insurance.  The problem was they couldn't  be medically evacuated from Mexico because they didn't have passports.

 

And, if they got off the ship and took the child to the hospital the 3 days (best case scenario) necessary to receive passport to fly back home, would coincide with when the ship returned to the US.  Plus the US embassy (apparently) telling them "You don't want to put your child in a Mexican hospital".

 

 

If they had insurance, why did she need a Go Fund Me? 

[Shmoo here]

5 minutes ago, ducklite said:

If they had insurance, why did she need a Go Fund Me? 

They maxed out their credit card with the costs of the onboard medical care.  And they won't get reimbursed by the travel insurance until they submit for reimbursement.  Apparently the cruise line was telling them (according to the mom) that they would not be allowed to depart the ship until the onboard account was paid off (the 1 or 2 days onboard medical care that was above their credit card limit).  

 

 

[ducklite]

48 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

They maxed out their credit card with the costs of the onboard medical care.  And they won't get reimbursed by the travel insurance until they submit for reimbursement.  Apparently the cruise line was telling them (according to the mom) that they would not be allowed to depart the ship until the onboard account was paid off (the 1 or 2 days onboard medical care that was above their credit card limit).  

 

 

I highly doubt that.  Years ago a coworker went with her boyfriend on a cruise.  They put down a credit card with a fairly low limit, planning on using a Diners Club card to pay off the folio at the end of the cruise.  All was well until they presented the Diners Club card, only to find out that the cruise line didn't accept that card.  (This was before everything was processed by computers and they just created an imprint of the card without checking the credit line.)

 

Anyhow, the cruise line made them sign a legal debtors note which was notarized by a port employee before they got off.  It gave them a specific time--maybe a week or 10 days to pay the balance due in full or legal proceedings would begin against them.  They had the money in the bank, but didn't have a checkbook with them or they would have paid that way.  She said they were very polite about it, but it was quite embarrassing, and she sent a check via FedEx the next day.

The cruise lines have ways of collecting and really can't hold a person indefinitely until they pay up.  Also most credit cards will give an emergency extension on the credit line if they are asked to.  I remember someone on these boards getting an emergency $50K or so extension on their AmEx in a similar situation a few years back.

[Shmoo here]

9 minutes ago, ducklite said:

I highly doubt that.  Years ago a coworker went with her boyfriend on a cruise.  They put down a credit card with a fairly low limit, planning on using a Diners Club card to pay off the folio at the end of the cruise.  All was well until they presented the Diners Club card, only to find out that the cruise line didn't accept that card.  (This was before everything was processed by computers and they just created an imprint of the card without checking the credit line.)

 

Anyhow, the cruise line made them sign a legal debtors note which was notarized by a port employee before they got off.  It gave them a specific time--maybe a week or 10 days to pay the balance due in full or legal proceedings would begin against them.  They had the money in the bank, but didn't have a checkbook with them or they would have paid that way.  She said they were very polite about it, but it was quite embarrassing, and she sent a check via FedEx the next day.

The cruise lines have ways of collecting and really can't hold a person indefinitely until they pay up.  Also most credit cards will give an emergency extension on the credit line if they are asked to.  I remember someone on these boards getting an emergency $50K or so extension on their AmEx in a similar situation a few years back.

Oh, l know that they couldn't stop them from leaving the ship.  The mom was saying that's what she was told.  And that's why they needed the money - to cover the extra cost.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Shmoo here

[ducklite]

8 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Oh, l know that they couldn't stop them from leaving the ship.  The mom was saying that's what she was told.  And that's why they needed the money - to cover the extra cost.

Based on the mom's Facebook posts, I believe she was hearing what she wanted to hear.  

The US Consulate typically has a list of approved health care facilities that offer high standards of care and have English speaking staff.  It really seems like she just didn't want to spend the money getting her child the medical treatment he needed.  Shameful.

I don't understand why she is still trying to raise money when they are back home and it would seem they have more than enough to pay the ship's bill.

Edited February 13, 2020 by ducklite

[Shmoo here]

3 minutes ago, ducklite said:

The US Consulate typically has a list of approved health care facilities that offer high standards of care and have English speaking staff.  It really seems like she just didn't want to spend the money getting her child the medical treatment he needed.  Shameful.

Apparently, the mom is reporting that the Consulate told her "You don't want to put your child in a Mexican hospital".  

[ducklite]

22 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Apparently, the mom is reporting that the Consulate told her "You don't want to put your child in a Mexican hospital".  

That might be what she heard, which is probably quite different than what was said.

[Shmoo here]

3 minutes ago, ducklite said:

That might be what she heard, which is probably quite different than what was said.

Yep.

[K32682]

I hope the young lad is doing okay and makes a full recovery.  

 

I expect there are tens of thousands of dullards who make similar cruises without having passports and don't have enough room on their credit cards to cover an emergency.  Most of them make it through unscathed.  Every so often the wrong number comes up for one of them.  Any sympathy I might have is for the son. I have none for the mother. 

[NLH Arizona]

9 hours ago, zqvol said:

This is all on the mother. Read her Facebook posts, especially the one that talks about all of the donations that they received.

 

The link to her Facebook account is in this article:

 

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/nicole-roman-mejias-florida-cruise-ship-passport/67-5bbe7d14-829e-4b84-8208-90053161bd20

Funny, from other posts, the child fell out of bed prior to embarkation and it was just a scratch when they boarded.

 

Why do they need financial help when they have travel insurance?  When the travel insurance pays for the medical, are they going to refund the money people sent to help them?

 

The mother also reported that NCL cut them off from purchasing anything, so she couldn't purchase coffee or water.

Edited February 14, 2020 by NLH Arizona

[Bizmark'sMom]

6 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

 

The mother also reported that NCL cut them off from purchasing anything, so she couldn't purchase coffee or water.

???  Water runs out of the tap for free. And I have never been charged for coffee. 

 

Perhaps she's one of the delicate souls for whom regular brewed coffee is inadequate? And for whom water must come in disposable plastic bottles?

[Shmoo here]

14 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

Funny, from other posts, the child fell out of bed prior to embarkation and it was just a scratch when they boarded.

 

Why do they need financial help when they have travel insurance?  When the travel insurance pays for the medical, are they going to refund the money people sent to help them?

 

The mother also reported that NCL cut them off from purchasing anything, so she couldn't purchase coffee or water.

They have travel insurance.  It covers medical evacuation.  BUT, without passports, they cannot be medically evacuated.  

 

Medical care onboard the ship is charged to the onboard account.

 

The option if they stayed in Mexico, was to wait 3 days for a passport, so that the medical evacuation coverage would cover it.  And during that time the child is running up a bill in the Mexican hospital.  But their credit card is already maxed out.  Travel insurance (health coverage) isn't like health coverage in the US.  You pay up front for any charges, and then submit for reimbursement, once back home.  The report is foreign hospitals will not allow people to "check out" if they have an outstanding bill.  Since their credit card was maxed out, they had no way to pay any hospital bill (or hotel bill, either).

 

Since the ship would be returning back to the US at the same time that the 3 day wait for passports would get them back, they opted to remain onboard.  The ship continued medical care for (I forget) 1 or 2 days, there's now an outstanding amount they have to pay the cruise line.  Once the agreement to pay is legally covered, they are free to go.

 

 

I honestly doubt any "overages" in the amounts of money they receive will be repaid to anyone.

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Shmoo here

[clo]

5 hours ago, mayleeman said:

And I just hope people on here who constantly tell newbie US cruisers "You don't need passports! Whst're the odds?" will think twice about the consequences of their advice for someone who, despite the odds against it, desperately needs one.

Why DO people refuse to get passports? It's easy and costs little. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Edited February 14, 2020 by clo

[navybankerteacher]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

Why DO people refuse to get passports? It's easy and costs little. Just because you can, doesn't me you should.

Read some of the posts on these threads -  a cheap three day cruise might cost just a few hundred $ per - adding $100 or so for a passport they think they will never use makes the cruise not affordable.  With cruising being the bargain vacation it has become, it attracts people on very tight budgets who are not in a position to pay any additional $.

 

The cruise lines effectively lobbied Congress to permit the “closed loop” concept - knowing that the money people would save if they did not have to get passports would wind up being spent on cruises.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

a cheap three day cruise might cost just a few hundred $ per - adding $100 or so for a passport they think they will never use makes the cruise not affordable.

This relates to the now-locked thread about credit cards. I'll only speak for myself. Our family wasn't poor but it certainly wasn't rich. Our vacations reflected that. The most extravagant ones which were only every few years were to drive to Florida from Atlanta. Cook our meals etc. Not a cruise for sure.