Sick Child-Familythrown off ship (merged)

[aurelius180]

Some people like to travel with their children, don't get on them for that, come on!!!!!!! If your child is healthy there is no way to know something like that was/is going to happen.

 

Like I prefaced it I don't have kids but I'm of the understanding that a 7 month old is susceptible to sickness. I'm not trying to get on them for travelling with their child but I would think some consideration should be taken for the what if? I, personally, probably wouldn't take my 7 month old on a cruise. Maybe a land-based trip to Florida or something or like many others said, insurance.

 

I just think there's too many holes in their story anyway.

[cs]

Am I missing something? Since when does the common cold produce diarrhea and vomiting? I guess you could get vomiting from swallowing too much mucous - but diarrhea? I think the ER doctor was mistaken is his diagnosis.

 

I looked it up and they were on a 4 night cruise. They were in Nassau that day from 8 am till 11:59 pm.

 

The mother was in her PJs at 11 pm when they gave her 10 minutes to pack. It sounds to me like she must have went to the doctor in her PJs - so she knew how serious things were. Then the doctor must have called an ambulance and gave them 10 minutes to pack since the ambulance was on it's way.

 

So it seems like these people knew how serious it was. And they probably agreed with the ship's doctor to take the baby to the ER.

 

But - then the ER doctor comes along and tells them the baby only has a cold and they're like - WTH! RCL's doctor threw us off the ship and the baby only has a cold! Now we're really mad!!!

 

I think the ER doctor started this whole ugly ordeal by HIS misdiagnosis.

[hoop4321]

I think RCCL was right about sending them off the ship. They insisted that the child get better medical care than they were able to provide. GOOD doctors will err on the side of caution. Working in the medical field, you see some docs that overstep their specialty. I love a doc that will admit when they do not know, but lets get the answer for X problem. When we were on the Navigator, there was someone with a medical problem. We were supposed to leave at 5pm but left around 8pm. There were tenders going back and forth. We were impressed that they would inconvience everyone on the ship, spend more on fuel to get us back to port on time, etc. for this one family. Perhaps everyone on their ship was heartless and we got lucky, have no clue. I would wager however, that since this is a huge company, there is a standard policy in effect. Cruisinmama had a great experience, our ship left 3 hours later than it should with the capt. making annoucements every so often. I find it hard to believe that RCCL would let them toss them off the ship like that.

[fungirl28]

Why would someone bring such a young baby on a cruise? I'm only 27 with no kids and have enough sense to know their immune systems are weak and get sick at the drop of a hat. Go someplace that can accomodate them a little better.

 

Babies are not paper, they're more resilient than they get credit for. I think in this case ,most likely, the baby was showing some symptoms when they boarded the cruise. I also think they waited too long to see the ship doctor. I am sure there have been on plenty of cruises where there were small infants on board and they were fine. I also beleive that the ER doctor misdiagnosed it as a cold. I hope they took their baby to her pediatrican when they got home.

[aurelius180]

Babies are not paper, they're more resilient than they get credit for. I think in this case ,most likely, the baby was showing some symptoms when they boarded the cruise. I also think they waited too long to see the ship doctor. I am sure there have been on plenty of cruises where there were small infants on board and they were fine. It's all in the response time.

 

 

Without children I guess I'm a little ignorant about their care. My apologies.

 

In the bigger picture they still need to take responsibility for their own actions. Who really gets mad about someone rushing their sick child to the hospital anyway? And why would they assume the boat should wait for their return when their was nothing they could do in the first place, had no idea what the real problem was or the time it would take to recover? People are too quick to hold major corporations responsible for their own problems.

[land lover]

Didn't brother to read the article, just everyone's responses..

 

Your infant's life might be at stake and you are complaining about packing????????????????

[LOVETOTRAVELE]

What was told to the doctor ????

 

baby cannot speak for it self :rolleyes:

[fungirl28]

In the bigger picture they still need to take responsibility for their own actions. Who really gets mad about someone rushing their sick child to the hospital anyway? And why would they assume the boat should wait for their return when their was nothing they could do in the first place, had no idea what the real problem was or the time it would take to recover? People are too quick to hold major corporations responsible for their own problems.

 

I agree with you on that. I was on a cruise with my 7 month old goddaughter when she started running a fever. My first thought was to pack up and get ready to get back home because our only concern was to make sure she was okay. Luckily, she was teething(first timer dealing with teething child:D ) and with baby tylenol she was fine. But if it was worse, and we had to leave early, it wouldn't have bothered me. When she got sick, nothing else mattered and when we realized it wasn't serious there was just relief that she was okay. I don't completely understand that their major concern was that they lost out on a cruise. I feel that RCI made the right decision.

[cs]

Who really gets mad about someone rushing their sick child to the hospital anyway? And why would they assume the boat should wait for their return when their was nothing they could do in the first place, had no idea what the real problem was or the time it would take to recover? People are too quick to hold major corporations responsible for their own problems.

 

Just a guess but I bet they went along with what the doctor was saying and agreed that the baby should go to the hospital - no questions asked.

 

Then they get to the hospital and they are told the baby is fine to travel and only has a cold. First thing that goes through their mind is - that darn RCL doctor didn't know what he was talking about. Because he didn't recognize a cold when he saw one, now we can't finish our vacation and we're going to have to pay for passports and plane tickets to get home.

 

Point is that if they believed the ER doctor, then they are certainly mad at the ships doctor for not recognizing it as a cold.

[land lover]

Without children I guess I'm a little ignorant about their care. My apologies.

 

 

 

Personally, I think you are most perceptive....

I have always posted of medical care on the ship when people talk about bringing their infants.........

 

Infants and toddlers cannot tell us what is wrong....... I never wanted to deal with this situation so our 2 older children didn't start traveling until they were 4 and 6 and #3 got left .......but we had relatives to watch him.

 

Resorts and cruises offer so much more today for children even infants then they did 10 years ago, so bringing an infant certainly makes it more tempting for parents today...but for me I say leave them at the grandparents with a medical release.

[fungirl28]

I don't think that I would completely believe the ER doctor. I've don't think the common cold includes vomiting and diarrhea, especially in a seven month old baby.

[petesweet]

Has anyone read this article yet

 

Family Says Cruise Ship Kicked Them Off Boat Because Child Was Sick

 

 

http://www.wftv.com/news/15998021/detail.html

 

 

 

 

I love RCCL but if this happened as the family told it... that's not good:mad:

 

CuriousCat

 

The article says the ship "kicked them off" (sensationalism!) because the baby had symptoms of norovirus. I can tell you from experience that you are not removed from a cruise even if you have full-blown noro. They just quarantine you. Now, if the family was removed for that reason, it would be because it involved a little baby and that made it dangerous for the child, not for the cruise passengers.

 

Bottom line: RCCL did the right thing and acted in the best interests of the baby.

[Goldryder]

I don't think that I would completely believe the ER doctor. I've don't think the common cold includes vomiting and diarrhea, especially in a seven month old baby.

 

Sometimes a bad tummy upset is referred to as a stomach/tummy chill/cold. Now if that is what they were told in the ER, then it would have been an easy misunderstanding on the part of the parents...they will have heard 'cold' and thought the ship's doctor had misdiagnosed their baby.

 

However, to me it does not matter what someone calls an illness, the bottom line is that the ship's doctor was dealing with a very unwell baby and basic medical training/knowledge (call it what you will) tells you that when faced with a poorly baby who is being severely sick and who is having runny and nasty deposits in the nappy, and you happen to have limited medical facilities (as per a ship), you get that baby off the ship asap in order to facilitate better medical facilities incase the baby deteriorates and/or starts to have convulsions due in part to dehydration or anything else that the child might be harbouring...such as meningitis.

 

Basically the parents appear to have left the baby too long before seeking medical care (the mother being in pj's is testament to that), they panicked, went to the doctor on the ship and he/she recognised that the baby was in trouble and did the appropriate thing, ie he ordered that the child be taken to a hospital as soon as possible for further evaluation and diagnoses. The parents may well have had a short time to pack, but it was an emergency and the decision had to be made quickly as at the time the ship's doctor did not know exactly what was wrong with the baby other than he knew it needed more care than his facility could give.

 

Upshot of this is that the parents acted too slowly, they did not take the baby to the doctor early in the day (I absolutely agree that chances are this baby was showing symptoms for some hours beforehand cos they usually do), the parents did not carry travel insurance and they had no passports either.

 

In effect they put the baby at risk, not the ships doctor.

[Keri's Cruisin']

I have over 10 years as a Pediatric nurse. This baby did not have a "cold"

This baby had Gastroenteritis, severe enough to need hospital care. Babies can dehydrate within 12 hours of vomiting and diarrhea and if not treated with IV fluids can die. This was a very serious situation that appears the parents did not fully understand. The staff at RCL did their job. Travel insurance people!:)

[aurelius180]

The article says the ship "kicked them off" (sensationalism!) because the baby had symptoms of norovirus. I can tell you from experience that you are not removed from a cruise even if you have full-blown noro. They just quarantine you. Now, if the family was removed for that reason, it would be because it involved a little baby and that made it dangerous for the child, not for the cruise passengers.

 

Bottom line: RCCL did the right thing and acted in the best interests of the baby.

 

 

Now what would have happened if it were a seriously contagious virus and the cruiseline did nothing? It would be all over the national media rather than local news. The cruiseline would not have done enough then. Either way in some people's eyes the cruiseline would have been at fault. I would rather the doctor err on the side of caution...for everyone's safety especially the child.

[LoneStarJeffe]

I believe the shipboard doctor made the best decision he or she could based upon the symptoms and decided the child needed a hospital due to possible dehydration. However, the child was released from the hospital and was not found to be dehydrated.

 

"A doctor at the emergency room diagnosed Zoie with a cold, not dehydration."

 

That sure doesn't sound like Zoie had a lengthy treatment and treated with an IV which is what happened with my baby when he was dehydrated. If the child had been dehydrated, then I would have no issue with the family paying the price for failing to have trip insurance and believe Royal Caribbean's response was reasonable. But the child was not found to be dehydrated. Given that, I simply think Royal Caribbean could try to do a little more for this family. Even if the ship's doctor made the best possible diagnosis at the time, it certainly appears the child as not that sick and did not require treatment. Yes, it is a judgement call by the doctor and i do not second guess that decision. What I do believe is a company can and should go a little further when the judgement call is wrong.

 

If additional facts show the child was treated before being released, and the article does not indicate that, then the judgement call made by the ship's doctor was correct and I agree with Royal Caribbean's response.

[Loves_Dogs]

I don't want to argue with anyone about this, and I know there are advocates here of cruising with babies, but I just couldn't imagine doing it.

I just don't think a cruise ship is a smart place to vacation with very young children. And yes, I have two of my own, but the youngest was 8 when we went on our first cruise. Sorry if I insult anyone, but I know babies can get sick very quickly and without any really apparent reason, and a cruise ship would be the last place I would want to be if that happened.

Plus the fact that cruises are expensive, and how much enjoyment is an 8 month old going to get out of a cruise, let alone the mother and father that have to care for him/her. But thats just my two cents worth.

 

My thoughts EXACTLY! Couldnt have said it better (and yes I have kids).

[katiel53]

I also think the mis-diagnosis was made in Nassau. If a baby were vomiting and had diarrhea, that doesn't sound like a cold to me. The ship doctor took the right step by telling the parents to go to a hospital. I think the ER doctor made a hurried diagnosis so the parents could get back on the ship, albeit they didn't make it.

 

I am constantly amazed at how people take no responsibility for anything anymore. The parents felt they had no responsibility or they wouldn't be going to the paper saying they were thrown off the ship. It's no wonder that crime etc. is the way it is today. It's always someone else's fault.

[sunlover12]

I'd also like to chime in to say that I agree with all the posters who think that RCCL made the right decision. They had a short amount of time to determine what was the right thing to do. The doctor felt it was something that he was not able to treat and that it was best for the child to be in a hospital.

 

I also do not understand people who leave the country without a passport. It is very irresponsible!! If you can spend thousands to take your family on a cruise, you can certainly spend a little extra to obtain passports. RCCL is not responsible for what the family encountered and they should not have to reimburse this family for the extra cost.

[fungirl28]

I don't want to argue with anyone about this, and I know there are advocates here of cruising with babies, but I just couldn't imagine doing it.

I just don't think a cruise ship is a smart place to vacation with very young children. And yes, I have two of my own, but the youngest was 8 when we went on our first cruise. Sorry if I insult anyone, but I know babies can get sick very quickly and without any really apparent reason, and a cruise ship would be the last place I would want to be if that happened.

 

I posted earlier about a situation regarding my infant goddaughter and after I've read this thread, I doubt that I would take my infant on a cruise due to the fact that I also would hate to be on a cruise with my baby should something like this happen. I know she won't be cruisin until she older due to this. However it's up to the parents and I like seeing the little ones when I'm cruising.

[dkal95]

I think RCCL did the right thing. I don't know what the baby had... but as a passanger on that ship, I'd rather RCCL be safe than sorry for the best interest of myself AND for the best interest of the baby.

 

And yes, I'm a mom... of 3. :)

[luvscruising2007]

Please, don't anyone take this the wrong way, but I did notice the last name of the family is Cortes. That may be a Spanish surname. From the grammar of the husband's comments, I believe there could be a language problem here. I believe RCL did the right thing based on the info we have been given. However, I think there is alot of information missing. Anyway just someone else's two cents.

[101Jus]

Am I missing something? Since when does the common cold produce diarrhea and vomiting? I guess you could get vomiting from swallowing too much mucous - but diarrhea? I think the ER doctor was mistaken is his diagnosis.

 

I looked it up and they were on a 4 night cruise. They were in Nassau that day from 8 am till 11:59 pm.

 

The mother was in her PJs at 11 pm when they gave her 10 minutes to pack. It sounds to me like she must have went to the doctor in her PJs - so she knew how serious things were. Then the doctor must have called an ambulance and gave them 10 minutes to pack since the ambulance was on it's way.

 

So it seems like these people knew how serious it was. And they probably agreed with the ship's doctor to take the baby to the ER.

 

But - then the ER doctor comes along and tells them the baby only has a cold and they're like - WTH! RCL's doctor threw us off the ship and the baby only has a cold! Now we're really mad!!!

 

I think the ER doctor started this whole ugly ordeal by HIS misdiagnosis.

I beg to differ. Our youngest daughter had both diarrhea and vomiting with a common cold. The excess mucus caused both. However you could see the mucus in both (sorry for the detail!), it irritates the stomach and can cause one or both of the symptoms to appear.

 

Nevertheless the ship's doctor could not be sure of the diagnosis and with such a young child it was better to err on the side of caution. It COULD have been something more serious in which case they would have been praising the cruiseline instead of criticizing them. Hey-ho! :rolleyes:

[bplazo]

I never took vacations when my daughter was a baby because I always worried about something happening to her (also cheap because she didnt care if we stayed home)

[Mark_K]

I have over 10 years as a Pediatric nurse. This baby did not have a "cold"

This baby had Gastroenteritis' date=' severe enough to need hospital care. Babies can dehydrate within 12 hours of vomiting and diarrhea and if not treated with IV fluids can die. This was a very serious situation that appears the parents did not fully understand. The staff at RCL did their job. Travel insurance people!:)[/quote']And add to this the fact that the ship was about to leave Nassau for Coco Cay - not for a port where hospital facilities would be available.