Summit passengers injured in excursion mishap. (Merged threads)

[Moeve]

On our local news this morning, they had some footage of pax disembarking the emergency planes in Miami. Some were in stretchers, others walking off on their own power. I hope this means the injuries weren't terribly severe and they were just moved to Miami because the medical facilities were better stateside.

 

 

I have seen this hospital on Domenica from the inside and believe me it didn't take much for the pax to feel moving them to Florida was the best choice. this little hospital is fine for the first care but then I too would prefer to be moved....

[snausman]

... that corporations can show their ethical backbones (or lack thereof).

 

Obviously, Celebrity's response in this kind of emergency shows that the people at the top believe in doing what is right, not just what is "legally" expected of them. I knew that Celebrity what a good company, now I *respect* it.

 

Hurricane Wilma, in 2005, was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. I was a guest of the Grand Melia in Cancun when it hit. The Sol Melia chain went so far above and beyond in its efforts to keep us (guests and staff) safe during its fury and the chaos in its aftermath, that I am forever impressed with yet another corporation that has this kind of ethical backbone. I can affirm, as a first-hand witness, that most hotel chains abandoned their guests to their own devices at some point during that long ordeal in Cancun.

 

There are some companys out there that their guest do come first. Glad you were at one of those companys hotels.

 

Laura

[snausman]

This was posted on the Royal Caribbean thread. By xeonpro...it is a picture of the accident

 

 

 

This was posted by xeonpro...

 

I took that tour last year on my twelve day cruise. It seemed like one of their first times doing the tour, not super organized. The people were all very nice and knowledgeable. The scariest thing was the freakin' bus/trucks they used, Rotting plywood seats, rotting roof supports, brakes that mostly worked. floor boards that were rotting, just painted over with bright colors to look good.

[phoenix_dream]

Do you know the name of the tour company they used for this tour?

[olds1937]

One look at this picture and it makes you wonder how safe the tour could be. Thanks for posting the picture. By the looks of the accident picture, it looked like a haywagon with seats. I hope everyone recovers from this tragic accident.

[xeonpro]

One look at this picture and it makes you wonder how safe the tour could be. Thanks for posting the picture. By the looks of the accident picture, it looked like a haywagon with seats. I hope everyone recovers from this tragic accident.

 

It was a scary ride when they drive to the top of the mountain to show you the scenery.....very narrow roads, no seat belts or any kind of restraints. I was 21 and even I was worried about going off the road!!

...thats a view from near the top of the mountain road

[xeonpro]

Do you know the name of the tour company they used for this tour?

"Flavor of the caribbean" was the name of the tour, dont know the legal name.

The lady with with the bright colored dress I believe is the owner, her brother and husband drove the 2 buses.

[snausman]

"Flavor of the caribbean" was the name of the tour, dont know the legal name.

The lady with with the bright colored dress I believe is the owner, her brother and husband drove the 2 buses.

 

 

Thank you xeonpro for coming over here to answer questions!

 

Laura

[jms2362]

I wonder if it was an open air type bus. It's hard to tell by the photos.

More like a wood paneled side with benches built in on a style of a dump truck, but not a dump truck. Carnival has an excursion with one there with a similar look of a truck

[richsea]

I sure hope that everyone has a successful recovery from that accident. The roads in some of the Caribbean islands, particularly the mountainous ones, can be pretty hairy. Dominica is unlike any island we've been to in the Caribbean; very mountainous & lush. We took an excursion through Princess last year & remarked to each other that it was a good thing the bus was kind of new & the driver drove very carefully on the twisting & turning roads!

[Minoushka]

When we were in St Lucia we took a cab to Anse ...something in the middle of nowhere .I was never so scared in my life .It was a roller coaster ride of the worse kind .I was sure we would lose the brakes

I swore I would Never go on one of these in St Lucia again

We did go back to the ship by boat

St Lucia is not a favorite place of mine

My heart goes out to the injured

[megr1125]

we took a different tour in Dominica and were in a mini bus that ws all closed in...we were scared "$#!rtless" [play on words] in that thing on the curvy roads that just dropped off....we wound up going back to the ship early as the tour was supposed to be accessible, but was not....

 

i hope everyone is OK and i am glad X is taking care of the pax involved...but i wouldn't do another tour on Dominica.....too scary:eek:

 

we were also stuck in hurricane wilma in Miami...at the Biscayne Bay Marriott after a cruise....long story short, none of the associates ever complained (at least not in front of us) they fed us 3 hot or semi hot meals..FOR FREE (and they fed residents of the condos next door too) with basically NO electricity...just gas for the stoves and some light from a generator....and when the whole city was ordered OUT the night after due to no power...shipped us via bus to the Orlando World Center Marriott...and PAID for it! That was unexpected...all I had to pay for (due to my marriott status) was a $4.00 upcharge for the full breakfast buffet, which the hotel adjusted off upon check out....SO......this is an example of another company doing the right thing!

 

I'm glad to see Celebrity stepping up....hope to hear more in the future and I hope everyone heals!

[woodofpine]

Hope the injured recover quick.

 

X is helping out - maybe to be nice - DEFINATELY to minimize the risk of claims and litigation which it will inevitably face as the sponsor of the excursion regardless of the 'fine print' on the excursion ticket. Generally, you can't disclaim negligence... in selecting, monitoring, or periodically reviewing the safety components of the excursion providers you offer, select, charge for, and place your customers with.

 

Otherwise, you might as well blame the pax and posit that its fine for X to keep its 20-30% profit on the 'hayride'...

[melissa@cruisecritic]

Hi everyone,

 

We, too, are wishing for a speedy recovery for everyone who was involved in this accident. We're covering the situation in Cruise Critic News, so please check back often for updates. In fact, we're working on an evening update now, and I'll post a link here once it's live on the site.

 

Best,

Melissa

[FinelyCruising]

The kind of open vehicles pictured with the bench seats are common in St Thomas/St John as well.

[melissa@cruisecritic]

Hi everyone,

As promised, here's a link to our most recent update: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3082

[FinelyCruising]

Thanks Melissa. I will leave it to Celebrity to account for the degree of failure of the vehicle. From the reports it was caught into a ditch. I don't think the paint color of the tram had anything to do with the incident.

[RodPat]

we took a different tour in Dominica and were in a mini bus that ws all closed in...we were scared "$#!rtless" [play on words] in that thing on the curvy roads that just dropped off....we wound up going back to the ship early as the tour was supposed to be accessible, but was not....

 

i hope everyone is OK and i am glad X is taking care of the pax involved...but i wouldn't do another tour on Dominica.....too scary:eek:

 

Was in Dominica a year and a half ago. Went on a tour in a small bus and was also so scared. The roads are so skinny and no guard rails. The driver could see by my face how I felt. He told me he knew how to drive. All I could say to him was what about the other guys that are coming at us. Warned my friends who went there last year not to take a tour and they didn't. Lost alot of good friends in a bus accident in Quito a few years ago and that is all I could think of was if their trip was like this one. I don't doubt Celebrity will do their best for all the people involved.

 

Pat

[snausman]

Hi everyone,

As promised, here's a link to our most recent update: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3082

 

 

Melissa thank you for the link.

 

Laura

[Conelectric]

I just read these posts and would like to chime in. My wife and I took a shore excursion in Saint Thomas ship sponsored. It was a large catamaran which would go to an island for snorkling. After we went around the island, the 30 foot mast cracked and snapped and the cabling hit my wife and 16 yr old son in the ribs. Another ship picked us up and my wife was escorted to the ships hospital. (This was the first stop of the trip.) It was determined my wife suffered damage to her ribs, we didn't know if they were broken, and every breath hurt her. She spent the week going to hospitals on the various islands.

Royal Carib picked up our excursions and that was it.They would comp her if she wanted a massage!

We went after the boat owner and settled for the price of the cruise two years later. After all the red tape we felt fortunate to get anything. My wife and son could easily have been killed. Did Royal Carib do enough for us? I think they could have been more understanding since it was a sponsored excursion. Remember they do make money on these so why not take some responsibility for them.

[shipshape sam]

16 Passengers Hurt During Shore Excursion Bus Accident

 

Passengers Were From Celebrity Summit

 

Injured Passengers To Be Treated At JMH

 

http://cbs4.com/local/cruise.ship.celebrity.2.942688.html

 

Good reason to get trip insurance with medical evacuation coverage on each trip and HOPE you never need it.

[Putterdude]

Good reason to get trip insurance with medical evacuation coverage on each trip and HOPE you never need it.

 

If nothing else is learned from this unfortunate incident....I couldn't agree with you more.

[Host Anne]

Medical evacuation is a primary reason we secure trip insurance for every cruise.

 

We hope everyone recovers from this accident quickly.

[flagger]

I don't think this is why you should take ship sponsored shore excursions versus independent. An ACCIDENT can happen anywhere. They are not called PURPOSES.

[STUR]

Most inportant is that everyone is ok

 

Also thankgoodness the was a sponsered Celeprity Tour not privet

 

STUR DAYTON,OHIO