Less than satisfied

[Rogillio]

I really feel for you and the treatment you received from Disney. Sometimes people don't want to see realty as it is. They only want to see things through those rose colored glasses.

It's ok to like Disney or DCL and still acknowledge their mistakes- Everyone makes mistakes, it's how you handle them that counts.

I don't see all the details but how about a nod to the person who save the life of the OP? Was that a CM or another passenger? How did this happen in the first place? Who decided the HM was necessary?

 

[Gibraltarian]

seeing that clarification is neccesary as some of you are stooping really low I did have Holiday insurance actually I have holiday insurance all year round covering me for whatever trip i might decide to take. my country will pay for medical expenses in any Hospital in europe without me having to pay an execess amount.
I did go to the medical ctr on board the ship spoke to one of the nurses who suggested the services of the ships doctor which I refused for the above mentioned commodity. Once the diagnosis was made by the doctor in italy My wife contacted the nursing staff at the medical ctr explaining the problem and she aked if the on board doctor could take charge of my supervision so I could at least remain on the ship with my kids. She recieved the reply " I am sorry but the ship doe not have a doctor on board they are really Paramedics"
now this is what she was told and hence my comment of there not being a doctor on board.
Now people drift from the real issue which is the treatment not the fact of whether there was a doctor or not on board but it is like politics start a discussion on something petty within a story and ppl drift towards that and forget what it really is about.
thanks to all of tou kindhearted enough to be sending good wishes

 

[postalchick71]

In April I had to take my son to see one of the ships nurses. She was not pleasant, and told my son that he needed to be quiet since "there were people who were really sick, not needing a quick follow up". I told her he was 5 and very excited about being on the cruise. She walked away and another nurse helped us. I was not impressed with her at all.

 

[templed]

Wow... I'm shocked. I guess you learn something new every day.

I've always been under the impression that there was a Dr. aboard most / all ships.

Granted... I wouldn't expect Doctor capable of complex surgery aboard the ship... but I would at least expect that there would be a trauma doctor aboard.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I trust that you have mended and are feeling better?

 

[LovesToRun]

There is an ER on the ship. I know because I was in it (on the Magic) last year when I severely injured my ankle on the ship (not Disney's fault... just a freak accident). I was in the ER for about 1 1/2 hours... I also passed out because of the pain, and this is why I was in the ER because my blood pressure went too low, and they had everything in the ER to stabalize me. They have an xray machine and did xrays. They do not have an MRI machine or a CT scan machine, so if there is question about internal organs, I can see why they'd suggest a hospital on land because an xray only shows bones.

But, the doctor and nurses were so nice and caring toward me. I was supposed to go on a shore excursion that day (but never made it off the ship), and Disney fully refunded my shore excursion (the doctor sent a note to the Port Adventure desk saying I'm unable to do the shore excursion), and so that is what got me the full refund. I'm not sure I would have been refunded the shore excursion if the doctor had not sent a note, though.

The doctor called me that evening in my room to check on me, too. They gave me everything I needed to make the rest of our trip comfortable for me, and told me to come back at any time. I did get a big bill for the ER, but my medical insurance covered it once I got home.

That said, there is an ER on board and a doctor available at all times, but if it's something major (internal organs, heart, etc), I think the would recommend a hospital on land.

I'm glad it was not a blood clot, and so sorry about your experience and your broken rib, but I hope you are getting better. I know all about having an unexpected medical situation interruping your trip.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

3 Webpages that might be worth looking at:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faqs/health-safety/illness/

http://www.vanterventures.com/node/15

http://www.vanterventures.com/node/26

I can also confirm that the medical staff employed by Vanter can be incredibly rude, condescending and their bedside manner can sometime leave a lot to be desired.
Crew questionnaires alway's rated the service offered to crew as poor/bad.

However, there is a full time physician, and nurses that deal with heart attacks, broken bone's, on one end of the scale to sea sickness and dehydration at the other. The medical centre has all of the facilities to deal with a medical emergency at sea until the ship can get to land or get a medevac.

"Once the diagnosis was made by the doctor in italy My wife contacted the nursing staff at the medical ctr explaining the problem and she aked if the on board doctor could take charge of my supervision so I could at least remain on the ship with my kids. She recieved the reply " I am sorry but the ship doe not have a doctor on board they are really Paramedics" "

Dealing with someone with a potential blood clot is not something to be treated by the medical staff onboard a ship, if it's possible to get the patient to a hospital. If the diagnosis had been made at sea, there is all likelihood that the ship would head to the nearest island to medically disembark you for treatment at a hospital, not carry on treating you in a medical centre.

Your argument seem's to be really about your wife being taken into an office to get your statement, and if they asked how you were.

Ex Techie

 

[Rogillio]

seeing that clarification is neccesary as some of you are stooping really low I did have Holiday insurance actually I have holiday insurance all year round covering me for whatever trip i might decide to take. my country will pay for medical expenses in any Hospital in europe without me having to pay an execess amount.
I did go to the medical ctr on board the ship spoke to one of the nurses who suggested the services of the ships doctor which I refused for the above mentioned commodity. Once the diagnosis was made by the doctor in italy My wife contacted the nursing staff at the medical ctr explaining the problem and she aked if the on board doctor could take charge of my supervision so I could at least remain on the ship with my kids. She recieved the reply " I am sorry but the ship doe not have a doctor on board they are really Paramedics"
now this is what she was told and hence my comment of there not being a doctor on board.
Now people drift from the real issue which is the treatment not the fact of whether there was a doctor or not on board but it is like politics start a discussion on something petty within a story and ppl drift towards that and forget what it really is about.
thanks to all of tou kindhearted enough to be sending good wishes

Something just doesn’t add up. Since you’d already seen a doctor on the ship and your wife explained the situation to the nurse, it seems unlikely that the nurse would blatantly lie to your wife that the ship did not have a 'doctor'. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding and the nurse was trying to state that they do not have adequate doctors or staff to take on patients from a hospital? Perhaps she was saying the type of doctor you needed was not an ER type doctor but a specialist in internal medicine doctor.

At any rate, if I were a ships’ doctor and someone asked me if they could transfer you from a hospital to the ship, I’d say NO. You would be better served in a hospital.

 

[Suz D]

I'm sorry your experience wasn't more positive. I understand what you're saying and also what your expectations (and I don't use that word in a judgemental way) were. It may well be that the cast member was a newer employee, they may have not been experienced in that type of situation, or they may have just been having a bad day.

I, too, have used the medical facilities on the Magic on our 7 night Western Caribbean in 2007. I got the flu (not the stomach kind but the cold/fever kind). I went to the medic and $100 later was told that there wasn't anything that they could do, just rest and hydrate. That was Wednesday on a cruise that went until Saturday morning. They contacted guest services so I didn't have to pay for snorkeling equipment that I had rented on CC and they contacted Palo so we didn't have to pay for a dinner that we weren't going to use that night.

I went back to the room and went to bed. About an hour later, room service came to the door with a big tray of hot water, assorted teas, and a small snack along with a very nice note from Guest Services hoping that I felt better soon and to let them know if I needed anything else.

It was awful to be sick but I told my husband, "If I have to feel this bad, it's certainly nice to be in a VERY comfy bed with 24 hour movies and free room service!". Honestly, I would have rather been healthy, but I got SO much more rest on the cruise than I would have gotten at home.

Anyway, my point to all of this is that Disney USUALLY gets it right. It's hard when you're the one that gets the wrong treatment. Hope you're feeling better!

 

[DisneyOHFan]

I'm sorry this happened to you and that you had such a bad experience. I can tell you from my experience, that is not the norm.

My father had a heart attack on the Western Carribean cruise a few years ago and it was a great experience (not the heart attack obviously, but the treatment he received from Disney). The onboard doctor quickly identified he was having a heart attack, gave him the appropriate medication, had him rushed to the local hospital with a Disney employee to act as an interpreter and make sure my mother had everything she needed. The employee was in constant contact with the ship so they could relay his status to us. They arranged for med flight to come from the US to Mexico to get him and fly him to the nearest US heart hospital where he had surgery. The doctors in the US said if he was on any other cruiseline, he may not be alive today. They said they have heard nothing but positive comments about the Disney doctors and the level of care that they provide.

Again, I am sorry for your experience.

 

[K8T]

What a shame you feel let down by DCL, It would appear that they are usually very good.

I have to say, that all ships do have a Dr. and whilst they can do X rays etc., (even scanning and sending through to specialists if necessary), they wouldn't be in a position to perform surgery, unless they seriously had to!

I know that the usual protocol is to get the person stablised and then off the ship to a hospital as soon as possible and I am really surprised that DCL didn't make better arrangements for you.

On another cruise line a few years ago, a friend I was travelling with around the Baltics, had a threatened miscarriage - early stages. The cruise line put in an IV line straight away and arranged for a car to pick her up the next morning and take her to a hospital in Norway for scans and bring her back to the ship. They offered to send a nurse with her, but she was happy to go with her husband, luckily everything was fine and they brought her back to the ship straight after.

She claimed everything on her Insurance.

I think any cruise line, DCL or not, should at least make sure you are 'looked after' and your family receive the relevant support. I know it has happend and there is not a lot you can do now, but it may be a good idea to write and express your concerns, as this shouldn't happen again.

I am fascinated as to know the circumstances of how this came about and who peformed the Heimlich, something I learned, but would hate to have to do!

Kate

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

The OP refused to see the Doc on the ship, and chose to use the European Medical Treatment ability in Italy rather than use the ship's facilities?
The ship refused to take the OP back onboard after being diagnosed with a possible blood clot as I've read the post?

The only poor treatment IMO was the lack of discretion in producing the onboard charges and not asking how the OP was?

Ex Techie

 

[TLSnell1981]

OP, really glad, all is well and you were able to rejoin your family on the cruise. It's a shame, the situation wasn't handled with a bit more compassion.

 

[Blanche_Neige]

The OP refused to see the Doc on the ship, and chose to use the European Medical Treatment ability in Italy rather than use the ship's facilities?
The ship refused to take the OP back onboard after being diagnosed with a possible blood clot as I've read the post?

The only poor treatment IMO was the lack of discretion in producing the onboard charges and not asking how the OP was?

Ex Techie

Fortunatly Further investigation the next day established that what had seemed like a blood clot was in fact bruise on the spleen and i was out of danger. Treatment when I got back on board the next day did not get much better.
thanks i needed to get it off my chest

The OP went back onboard the next day.

Also this is from DCL website:
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faqs/health-safety/illness/

Question
What if someone gets sick?
Answer
"For your convenience, a physician and nurse are on call 24 hours a day to provide basic medical services on every cruise. The physician and nurse are employed by a company independent from Disney Cruise Line. Standard prevailing fees will be charged for all physician and nurse services." "For your peace of mind in case of unexpected medical emergencies, we recommend the purchase of the Disney Cruise Vacation Insurance for costs incurred for treatment and medical evaluation/repatriation."

 

[Inkmahm]

From first hand experience, YES....DCL does have an actual doctor onboard at all times. Not only does he take care of any problems passengers might have, but also the crew. There's also a couple of nurses.

I agree. My husband had to see the doctor when we were on the Magic last December. There was definitely a doctor onboard. One who treated my husband very well. I wouldn't hesitate going to the onboard doctor if I ever needed one while cruising DCL.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Blanche_Neige

I posted the same link back in post #26.

So as I understand it, the OP refused treatment onboard by the ship's Doc, then left the ship, went of to a local hospital in a foreign country, knowing they might not speak English, for free treatment, was then diagnosed with a possible blood clot, his wife then made her own way back to the ship to make arrangement's to to disembark and spoke to the ship's Medical Center, to ask that they supervise his treatment and they told her they can't deal that type of condition onboard.

Some people have said they are sorry about his treatment by DCL and that the cruise line should make sure your looked after and supported, hence my comment:
"The only poor treatment IMO was the lack of discretion in producing the onboard charges and not asking how the OP was?"

If the OP had used the Medical Center in the first place, and the initial diagnosis been made by the ship's Doc, then arrangement's to medically disembark him and her, transport both of them to the hospital, with someone fluent in both English and Italian would have been provided by DCL via the port agent, from the outset.
Accommodation for his wife could also have been arranged if needed.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but the OP decided to do seek treatment elsewhere on his own, but expect's DCL to then fill in the blanks and work out what's then needed to make the situation more comfortable/easier for them afterwards.

The OP didn't say whether his wife asked if DCL could provide a translator if they were having language problems - the diagnosis seemed to be translated well enough though?
Given that they have sought medical treatment themselves, had a diagnosis given and were making the all of the arrangements regarding child care, their own transportation to and from the hospital already and that his wife was "agitated".....

I can't help but think if the OP had used the ship board Medical facilities from the outset, there would have been a different outcome to this story and this thread would have been about how great DCL are handling situations like this.

The fact the next day OP found out it's a bruised spleen, not a blood clot, get's the train and get's back onboard, happened after the complaint about lack of humanity from the GS CM/s.
And yes GS could have been more sensitive about it, but maybe they weren't made fully aware of the whole situation, or the same CM spoken to each time?

It's a mess and a horrible experience, but it's only one side of the story.


Ex Techie

 

[Rogillio]

Blanche_Neige

I posted the same link back in post #26.

So as I understand it, the OP refused treatment onboard by the ship's Doc, then left the ship, went of to a local hospital in a foreign country, knowing they might not speak English, for free treatment, was then diagnosed with a possible blood clot, his wife then made her own way back to the ship to make arrangement's to to disembark and spoke to the ship's Medical Center, to ask that they supervise his treatment and they told her they can't deal that type of condition onboard.

Some people have said they are sorry about his treatment by DCL and that the cruise line should make sure your looked after and supported, hence my comment:
"The only poor treatment IMO was the lack of discretion in producing the onboard charges and not asking how the OP was?"

If the OP had used the Medical Center in the first place, and the initial diagnosis been made by the ship's Doc, then arrangement's to medically disembark him and her, transport both of them to the hospital, with someone fluent in both English and Italian would have been provided by DCL via the port agent, from the outset.
Accommodation for his wife could also have been arranged if needed.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but the OP decided to do seek treatment elsewhere on his own, but expect's DCL to then fill in the blanks and work out what's then needed to make the situation more comfortable/easier for them afterwards.

The OP didn't say whether his wife asked if DCL could provide a translator if they were having language problems - the diagnosis seemed to be translated well enough though?
Given that they have sought medical treatment themselves, had a diagnosis given and were making the all of the arrangements regarding child care, their own transportation to and from the hospital already and that his wife was "agitated".....

I can't help but think if the OP had used the ship board Medical facilities from the outset, there would have been a different outcome to this story and this thread would have been about how great DCL are handling situations like this.

The fact the next day OP found out it's a bruised spleen, not a blood clot, get's the train and get's back onboard, happened after the complaint about lack of humanity from the GS CM/s.
And yes GS could have been more sensitive about it, but maybe they weren't made fully aware of the whole situation, or the same CM spoken to each time?

It's a mess and a horrible experience, but it's only one side of the story.


Ex Techie

Well said!

 

[KS929]

Blanche_Neige

I posted the same link back in post #26.

So as I understand it, the OP refused treatment onboard by the ship's Doc, then left the ship, went of to a local hospital in a foreign country, knowing they might not speak English, for free treatment, was then diagnosed with a possible blood clot, his wife then made her own way back to the ship to make arrangement's to to disembark and spoke to the ship's Medical Center, to ask that they supervise his treatment and they told her they can't deal that type of condition onboard.

Some people have said they are sorry about his treatment by DCL and that the cruise line should make sure your looked after and supported, hence my comment:
"The only poor treatment IMO was the lack of discretion in producing the onboard charges and not asking how the OP was?"

If the OP had used the Medical Center in the first place, and the initial diagnosis been made by the ship's Doc, then arrangement's to medically disembark him and her, transport both of them to the hospital, with someone fluent in both English and Italian would have been provided by DCL via the port agent, from the outset.
Accommodation for his wife could also have been arranged if needed.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but the OP decided to do seek treatment elsewhere on his own, but expect's DCL to then fill in the blanks and work out what's then needed to make the situation more comfortable/easier for them afterwards.

The OP didn't say whether his wife asked if DCL could provide a translator if they were having language problems - the diagnosis seemed to be translated well enough though?
Given that they have sought medical treatment themselves, had a diagnosis given and were making the all of the arrangements regarding child care, their own transportation to and from the hospital already and that his wife was "agitated".....

I can't help but think if the OP had used the ship board Medical facilities from the outset, there would have been a different outcome to this story and this thread would have been about how great DCL are handling situations like this.

The fact the next day OP found out it's a bruised spleen, not a blood clot, get's the train and get's back onboard, happened after the complaint about lack of humanity from the GS CM/s.
And yes GS could have been more sensitive about it, but maybe they weren't made fully aware of the whole situation, or the same CM spoken to each time?

It's a mess and a horrible experience, but it's only one side of the story.


Ex Techie

 

[lmhall2000]

seeing that clarification is neccesary as some of you are stooping really low I did have Holiday insurance actually I have holiday insurance all year round covering me for whatever trip i might decide to take. my country will pay for medical expenses in any Hospital in europe without me having to pay an execess amount.
I did go to the medical ctr on board the ship spoke to one of the nurses who suggested the services of the ships doctor which I refused for the above mentioned commodity. Once the diagnosis was made by the doctor in italy My wife contacted the nursing staff at the medical ctr explaining the problem and she aked if the on board doctor could take charge of my supervision so I could at least remain on the ship with my kids. She recieved the reply " I am sorry but the ship doe not have a doctor on board they are really Paramedics"
now this is what she was told and hence my comment of there not being a doctor on board.
Now people drift from the real issue which is the treatment not the fact of whether there was a doctor or not on board but it is like politics start a discussion on something petty within a story and ppl drift towards that and forget what it really is about.
thanks to all of tou kindhearted enough to be sending good wishes

Wow! Do not be bothered by those who just want to poke holes in other's experiences...I would be so distraught facing that kind of pain on a ship meant for leisure and family getaway...I hope your wife and kids were not too worried and able to recoup some joy while they were there. I am so happy your spleen is healing and so sorry you had to endure the fright of being in another country's medical care...that can be unnerving in itself, I am sure they have wonderful practitioners but like you said, not being fluent in the language only heightens the anxiety!! Thanks for sharing, and if I were you I would write a letter to Disney explaining how you feel they could have improved their responses to your family...just showing some care/consideration would go a long way, and I know the majority of Disney workers do!

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

lmhall2000,

I would totally agree with you under normal circumstances, but if the OP hadn't chosen not to be examined by the ship's Doctor, but chose to go ashore alone with his wife to be examined at a local hospital in a foreign country that speak a different language.

Disney and DCL's CM's do care! A lot!
And when they can help, they do, but when a guest take's their health and care into their own hands, and choses other options, how much can DCL really be expected to do in such a situation?
(as said before, GS could have been more sensitive about it, but maybe they weren't made fully aware of the whole situation, or the same CM spoken to each time?)

Ex Techie

 

[Makayna]

Wow! Do not be bothered by those who just want to poke holes in other's experiences...I would be so distraught facing that kind of pain on a ship meant for leisure and family getaway...I hope your wife and kids were not too worried and able to recoup some joy while they were there. I am so happy your spleen is healing and so sorry you had to endure the fright of being in another country's medical care...that can be unnerving in itself, I am sure they have wonderful practitioners but like you said, not being fluent in the language only heightens the anxiety!! Thanks for sharing, and if I were you I would write a letter to Disney explaining how you feel they could have improved their responses to your family...just showing some care/consideration would go a long way, and I know the majority of Disney workers do!

How do we know that the Guest Services CMs that the OP's wife talked to even knew about the situation?

From reading this entire thread, it sounds like the OP's major complaint is that the CMs didn't pull his wife into a private room to give her the charges. But how do we know that they knew the situation?! Even if they'd talked to Guest Services before, there's no guarantee that the same CMs were there this time?!

OP, I do hope that you fully recover from your injury, and that you do consider possibly traveling with DCL again despite the problems you incurred. Best wishes to you!