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Sick Child-Familythrown off ship (merged)

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DEIx15x8

DEIx15x8

Posted
Posted

ROyal Caribbean seems to be too nice to them. The victim here seems to be Royal Caribbean. They were poorly treated by the family in the news and all they seem to have done is try to help. They never should have given a full refund on the cruise and payed for the flight and hotel bills. The family put out no cash for this vacation and bad mouthed RCCL.

 

Family: Free trip to the Bahamas

RCCL: Lose money on ungrateful family and get slammed in the media

 

You decide, who is the victim?

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jmf123

jmf123

Posted
Posted
The family should look very closely at their conduct and although harsh, I think that they should be banned from all cruiselines unless they can prove they have sufficient insurance and passports.

 

Excellent idea Goldryder!!

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ilionite65

ilionite65

Posted
Posted

I have a problem with the fact that Royal paid for this family's air fare. If that's the case, why am I paying for insurance? All a person has to do is go to the media and they can "force" the cruise line to buckle under? It's situations like this that reinforce people's ideas that they don't have to be responsible for themselves and the decisions they make!

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glgolfer

glgolfer

Posted
Posted

The following are emails I sent to Channel 10 news in Tampa, Florida and the responses I received. I will be very curious to see if they do anything to follow-up.

Paul,

I have forwarded your note to special segment producers- Thanks for watching Tampa Bays 10News.

Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 4:21 AM

To: WTSP10News

Subject: Cortes Family Cruise

I did not see all of the story as reported by 10 news last night, but what I did see leads me to believe it was one sided against the cruise line. I did not see any attempt to get both sides of the story.

Here's a statement by RCI about the incident:

While Royal Caribbean strives to provide all guests with exceptional vacations, our first priority is always the health and well-being of those on our ships.

 

At 7:30 p.m., April 22, the parents of seven-month-old Zoe Cortes telephoned the Guest Relations Desk onboard Majesty of the Seas, to ask about bringing their daughter to the ship’s Medical Facility, because of their concerns regarding her health. The parents were urged to bring Zoe to the Medical Facility as soon as possible.

 

At 11:20 p.m. that evening, the parents brought the infant to the Medical Facility. Upon examining Zoe, the onboard medical team learned she was experiencing diarrhea and vomiting. Because of this, and her young age, the onboard medical team was concerned she might also be experiencing some level of dehydration. Again, because of her young age, the onboard medical team felt strongly that Zoe needed an additional medical evaluation by a pediatrician at a land-based hospital. The parents were also told that the ship would be at the company’s private island in the Bahamas the next day, where there is no land-based hospital. All of these issues were explained to Zoe’s parents, who agreed to her departure from the ship.

 

At approximately 11:45 p.m., an ambulance was ordered to take Zoe to Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau, where the ship was docked at that time. Because the ship was scheduled to depart Nassau shortly thereafter, the ship’s staff offered to assist Zoe’s parents if one of them would like to remain onboard and care for their two other children, while the other parent escorted Zoe to the hospital. The parents declined that offer and decided the entire family would escort Zoe to the hospital. The ship’s staff then asked the family to gather their belongings to go ashore.

 

Royal Caribbean assigned a Guest Care specialist to contact the Cortes family in Nassau, to offer support and assistance, which included complimentary hotel accommodations in Nassau. The parents were also instructed to contact Royal Caribbean’s Corporate Guest Relations staff to coordinate a resolution to the unused portion of their cruise.

 

Prior to going to the media on April 25, Mr. and Mrs. Cortes had not contacted the company’s Corporate Guest Relations staff. Instead, that day, the Guest Relations staff pro-actively contacted Mr. and Mrs. Cortes to explain the details of the credit they were to receive for the unused portion of their cruise.

 

Despite the company’s strong disagreement with the manner in which the Cortes family's situation has been recounted in the media, as a gesture of good will, Royal Caribbean is providing the Cortes family with a refund of its cruise fare and reimbursement for its flights home.

 

Unfortunately, on October 27, 2007, while booking their cruise, the Cortes family declined to purchase travel insurance, which would have compensated them for expenses related to this matter. Similarly, Royal Caribbean strongly recommends that all of its guests travel with passports.

I do not believe any of this information was included in your story. I have been a follower of 10 news since we moved to the area 11 years ago, but am seriously considering monitoring other news channels in the area that more accurately convey the news.

Please correct me if I'm wrong or update your story with accurate and truthful information.

I do not work for RCI or any other cruise line.

Thank you

Paul

Email I received

Paul-

Thanks for the email. This was a story out of the Orlando area. They did the story.

WTSP-TV

My response to that:

Hi ***:

Then you just ran the story without checking anything?

Might I suggest somebody at 10 news get both sides of the story. We've cruised for over 20 years on many different cruise lines and they all have about the same procedures for incidents like this. Maybe a follow-up about how getting passports and insurance is a good idea. Also that the cruise line paid for things they didn't have to even after the family blamed them for everything.

It just upsets me when people don't take responsibility for their own actions and the news programs blame the big bad cruise line (insert any business here).

Sorry for the rant. I just finally got tired of the biased news reporting and had to say something.

Thanks Paul

Their response

Paul-

I understand, not making excuses but unfortunately I was not here last night and involved in the process on this.

I will talk to those who were and share your thoughts because they are more than valid.

thank you for taking the time to email us.

WTSP-TV

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SomeBeach

SomeBeach

Posted
Posted
I'm confused. There was a time when shipping companies were touting the advanced medical equipment and excellent care available on board ship. I've read articles about how ship doctors can now interact real time via computer hook ups with some of the best hospitals in the U.S. Now, all of a sudden, ships can't get sick passengers off the ships fast enough.

 

I, for one, would much rather be treated on-board ship than forced into the health care system of some third-world country. One reason I've been attracted to cruising is that there is reasonably good care available on board ship, without having to resort to local hospitals, with all that implies.

 

We always buy cruise insurance, including ship evacuation that is primary, in the case of an emergency. But, I worry that the mere fact of insurance wouldn't change what happened -- RCCL wanted the sick baby off the ship. They didn't care what happened to it after that. We travel as a family and my parents are nearly 80 and do have some managable health problems. I'd be furious if they were forced into a local medical care system just so the shipping company could avoid liability.

 

We are Diamond cruisers but for a number of reasons, we're doing a family vacation on land this year. This story (not to mention all the comments from the posters -- who must be among the nastiest posters on the web) confirms we've made the right decision. We're staying in the U.S., and if my parents have a problem, a terrific hospital is close by. I can't imagine what I would do if my parents were forced off the ship and into a third-world health system because RCCL didn't want the liability of stabilizing them in the ship's infirmary.

 

If cruise companies have decided that the only way to deal with illness aboard ship is to get rid of the problem as quickly as possible, we may well have taken our last family cruise. I can't take the chance of having a sick parent forced off the ship late at night with no alternatives but an island hospital and a hope that they'll get home somehow.

 

 

You are wise to take into consideration the age of your parents when making travel plans. Any responsible person would do the same. One should not expect a ships infirmary to be a state of the art hospital and they certainly should not expect some of the islands visited to be the same either. As you yourself said, "reasonably good* care is available. But "reasonably good" is not state of the art care. It is not a specialist standing by ready to take on something that could prove to be a major problem.

I take exception to the people here being called nasty. What is nasty is people that do not tell the whole story and lie their way into getting reimbursed from a company because of not being properly prepared. Isn't it fortunate that RCI released a side the media didn't care to get. Unfortunately it will be a buried story because the truth garners no sensationalism.

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SomeBeach

SomeBeach

Posted
Posted

Very well done!

The way the news reports stories nowadays has gotten totally out of hand. It's long past time they start to be made accountable for what they present on their stations. Give me the good old days when they reported the news and not tried to create it.

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TPKeller Excellent Advice! Rare

TPKeller

Posted
Posted
Isn't it fortunate that RCI released a side the media didn't care to get. Unfortunately it will be a buried story because the truth garners no sensationalism.

Hmm... isn't it a tad bit ironic that FoxNews is the network that ran the RCCL side of the story... If one were to allow themselves to come to a thoughtful conclusion, it might even seem that they were the "fair and balanced" media outlet! :rolleyes:

 

(With "apologies" to all the FoxNews haters out there...)

 

Theron

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FL_Cruiser64

FL_Cruiser64

Posted
Posted
The following are emails I sent to Channel 10 news in Tampa, Florida and the responses I received. I will be very curious to see if they do anything to follow-up.

 

 

Paul,

 

I have forwarded your note to special segment producers- Thanks for watching Tampa Bays 10News.

Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 20084:21 AM

To: WTSP10News

Subject: Cortes Family Cruise

 

I did not see all of the story as reported by 10 news last night, but what I did see leads me to believe it was one sided against the cruise line. I did not see any attempt to get both sides of the story.

Here's a statement by RCI about the incident:

 

While Royal Caribbean strives to provide all guests with exceptional vacations, our first priority is always the health and well-being of those on our ships.

 

At 7:30 p.m., April 22, the parents of seven-month-old Zoe Cortes telephoned the Guest Relations Desk onboard Majesty of the Seas, to ask about bringing their daughter to the ship’s Medical Facility, because of their concerns regarding her health. The parents were urged to bring Zoe to the Medical Facility as soon as possible.

 

At 11:20 p.m. that evening, the parents brought the infant to the Medical Facility. Upon examining Zoe, the onboard medical team learned she was experiencing diarrhea and vomiting. Because of this, and her young age, the onboard medical team was concerned she might also be experiencing some level of dehydration. Again, because of her young age, the onboard medical team felt strongly that Zoe needed an additional medical evaluation by a pediatrician at a land-based hospital. The parents were also told that the ship would be at the company’s private island in the Bahamas the next day, where there is no land-based hospital. All of these issues were explained to Zoe’s parents, who agreed to her departure from the ship.

 

At approximately 11:45 p.m., an ambulance was ordered to take Zoe to Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau, where the ship was docked at that time. Because the ship was scheduled to depart Nassau shortly thereafter, the ship’s staff offered to assist Zoe’s parents if one of them would like to remain onboard and care for their two other children, while the other parent escorted Zoe to the hospital. The parents declined that offer and decided the entire family would escort Zoe to the hospital. The ship’s staff then asked the family to gather their belongings to go ashore.

 

Royal Caribbean assigned a Guest Care specialist to contact the Cortes family in Nassau, to offer support and assistance, which included complimentary hotel accommodations in Nassau. The parents were also instructed to contact Royal Caribbean’s Corporate Guest Relations staff to coordinate a resolution to the unused portion of their cruise.

 

Prior to going to the media on April 25, Mr. and Mrs. Cortes had not contacted the company’s Corporate Guest Relations staff. Instead, that day, the Guest Relations staff pro-actively contacted Mr. and Mrs. Cortes to explain the details of the credit they were to receive for the unused portion of their cruise.

 

Despite the company’s strong disagreement with the manner in which the Cortes family's situation has been recounted in the media, as a gesture of good will, Royal Caribbean is providing the Cortes family with a refund of its cruise fare and reimbursement for its flights home.

 

Unfortunately, on October 27, 2007, while booking their cruise, the Cortes family declined to purchase travel insurance, which would have compensated them for expenses related to this matter. Similarly, Royal Caribbean strongly recommends that all of its guests travel with passports.

 

I do not believe any of this information was included in your story. I have been a follower of 10 news since we moved to the area 11 years ago, but am seriously considering monitoring other news channels in the area that more accurately convey the news.

Please correct me if I'm wrong or update your story with accurate and truthful information.

I do not work for RCI or any other cruise line.

 

Thank you

 

Paul

 

Email I received

 

Paul-

Thanks for the email. This was a story out of the Orlando area. They did the story.

WTSP-TV

My response to that:

 

Hi ***:

Then you just ran the story without checking anything?

Might I suggest somebody at 10 news get both sides of the story. We've cruised for over 20 years on many different cruise lines and they all have about the same procedures for incidents like this. Maybe a follow-up about how getting passports and insurance is a good idea. Also that the cruise line paid for things they didn't have to even after the family blamed them for everything.

It just upsets me when people don't take responsibility for their own actions and the news programs blame the big bad cruise line (insert any business here).

Sorry for the rant. I just finally got tired of the biased news reporting and had to say something.

 

Thanks Paul

Their response

 

Paul-

I understand, not making excuses but unfortunately I was not here last night and involved in the process on this.

I will talk to those who were and share your thoughts because they are more than valid.

thank you for taking the time to email us.

 

 

WTSP-TV

 

 

You found that out from RCI?

 

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!!!!!!!!!icon14.gif

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cruisemamma99

cruisemamma99

Posted
Posted
ROyal Caribbean seems to be too nice to them. The victim here seems to be Royal Caribbean. They were poorly treated by the family in the news and all they seem to have done is try to help. They never should have given a full refund on the cruise and payed for the flight and hotel bills. The family put out no cash for this vacation and bad mouthed RCCL.

 

Family: Free trip to the Bahamas

RCCL: Lose money on ungrateful family and get slammed in the media

 

You decide, who is the victim?

 

 

I thought they were too nice also. I remember the George Smith case, and his widow got a lot of money for basically being unruly irresponsible drunks on a cruise. There will always be those that are quick to take advantage of a bad situation.

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glgolfer

glgolfer

Posted
Posted

The information from RCI was posted elsewhere on the internet, I didn't get it directly from them. It was an update to one that said they would not pay for the flight, etc. because the family didn't have insurance.

I'm sorry RCI caved in, I wish they had held firm on not paying the family anything.

I can see family's bringing a baby on, inducing vomiting, etc., screaming how they were mistreated and trying to sue everybody they can.

Hey, at 66 I'm entitled to be cynical.

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Lyncruiser

Lyncruiser

Posted
Posted

Since there are always two sides to every story, why does everyone assume that RCCL's story is accurate? It looks like an expensive P.R. firm came up with it. Who knows if it's true? It certainly has the "air" of truth, what with timelines and all. But, that could be a cheap P.R. device. Who really knows what happened? And, no one is testifying under oath and under penalty of perjury. So, I give equal credence (or lack of credence) to both sides. And, if RCCL's version is correct, why are they bending over backwards to appease this family? Perhaps because things aren't quite as black and white as RCCL's version suggests?

 

The story Moeve tells of Celebrity (sister company to RCCL and under the same ultimate management) insisting that Moeve's client remain in a third-world unsanitary hospital on shore when the client's condition could easily have been (and in fact was) addressed in the ship's infirmary is horrifying. Perhaps the hospital at Nassau is decent -- but there are no doubt plenty of hospitals on plenty of Caribbean Islands where neither I nor anyone else posting here would want to be a patient. And, I'm not an ugly American saying that. It's just the facts, ma'am.

 

I'm so glad I'm keeping my parents on shore for our family vacation. We actually did it because my niece is four and my sister lives in dread of my niece accidentally going overboard. Looks like a land vaction is a good decision all the way around. As for getting on a ship and stopping at impoverished islands all over the Caribbean with nothing but our own resources if my elderly parents fall ill, this has no appeal for me. A cruise has always seemed like a better option than simply going to a foreign place on our own since, in some respects, it seemed like we were taking decent medical care along with us. That's been one of the positives of cruising, IMO.

 

Apparently, I was misguided. We're Diamond cruisers but I'll think long and hard before we cruise again, given what I've read in this thread.

 

RCI stockholders take note!

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