Less than satisfied

[Gibraltarian]

I have recently been on Disney Magic cruising the med.
I agree that for magical moments Disney is second to none
I also feel that when problems arise they are simply guided by policies and do not understand the different perspectives different problems may have. After been subjected to the Heimlich manouvre to remove an obstruction from my throat i was left with a small degree of pain on my left side, this problem got worse during the next two days so icontacted the guest relations desk to ask for directions to a hospital in La Spezzia Italy. I was diagnosed with a broken rib and a life threatening blood cot on my spleen the words of the italian doctor were "or you stay in hospital or you die". I instructed my wife to get back on board and make arrangements for my two children to remain on board under care and control of her sister who was travelling with us. whilst still in shock and agitated she spoke to guest relations attendants where she was immediatly handed the bill of $178 for our expenses on board the cruise. I would have thought that a certain degree of humanity would have prompted any human being in their right sense to have firstl removed her from public eye leading her into an office where privacy and comfort would be felt. Then a simple how is your husband and how are you, assistance on finding a hotel for her and ideally an escort who could take her back to the hospital with a translator to fully understand what was going on as there was a massive language barrier between us and the hospital staff.
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

 

[bats]

A shame that you had a poor experience with DCL ... when I was mugged in Gibraltar last year on the Med cruise, they were excellent.

Hope you're on the mend now

 

[crafty91]

OP, sorry this happened to you on your cruise. I see that you have just joined the DIS board so welcome! I had hoped you would add some positive experiences on your recent cruise not just sign on to bash. Not flaming here. I'm just not sure what DCL could reasonably be expected to do in this case. Since your account is somewhat second hand I have to believe that customer service did inquire about your status and how they could help. Sending your wife back with an interpreter would have been shocking since I'm sure they don't keep them on stand by.

Scary account indeed! And kudos to whomever helped you while you were choking!

 

[MaleficentRN]

I'm sorry this happened to you. A vacation that involves a hospital trip is not fun!
May I ask why you did not go to the ship's doctor before heading to the hospital? It's been my understanding they are like a small ER.

 

[Gibraltarian]

OP, sorry this happened to you on your cruise. I see that you have just joined the DIS board so welcome! I had hoped you would add some positive experiences on your recent cruise not just sign on to bash. Not flaming here. I'm just not sure what DCL could reasonably be expected to do in this case. Since your account is somewhat second hand I have to believe that customer service did inquire about your status and how they could help. Sending your wife back with an interpreter would have been shocking since I'm sure they don't keep them on stand by.

Scary account indeed! And kudos to whomever helped you while you were choking!

dont get me wrong as i have mentioned that disney is the best for entertainment and all things good but i feel that with a ship full of different nationalities working there they would have someone who could translate italian plus given my wife respect by entertaining her problems in an office of some sort

 

[Gibraltarian]

I'm sorry this happened to you. A vacation that involves a hospital trip is not fun!
May I ask why you did not go to the ship's doctor before heading to the hospital? It's been my understanding they are like a small ER.

I did but they told me they only have paramedics there not doctors and most importantly I would be charged for everything when my country takes care of all medical costs if I attend a european hospital

 

[jilljill]

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

You said you got back onboard the next day. Where did you board the ship the next day?

 

[sabrecmc]

I'm so sorry this happened to you and hope you are doing much better. I'm sorry you didn't feel that DCL handled it as compassionately as possible. You can certainly contact Guest Relations with your concerns.

I will say I've not heard of a cruise ship providing an escort or making hotel arrangements for a guest in that situation. Maybe that is something they do and I am just totally unaware. I do think you would get a printout of your account before you depart b/c you would want a chance to dispute anything that wasn't correct. I'd imagine you'd get that if you left any resort or hotel early. I wouldn't take that as them only caring about getting paid. Also, having been through an emergency situation before, I realize that my impression of things tends to be skewed from the stress. I've had people tell me that they told me things afterwards that I completely don't recall b/c I was in such a state.

If you don't think they handled it properly, then let them know. That is the only way to improve service.

 

[mimmi]

I did but they told me they only have paramedics there not doctors and most importantly I would be charged for everything when my country takes care of all medical costs if I attend a european hospital

I'm shocked that they don't have doctors on board...
The boyfriend of a friend of mine is a doctor and works for NCL or Royal Caribbean, I forgot which one, but it was my understanding that every cruiseline has doctors on board .

And if you think about it they should at least be able to provide you with emergency contact numbers for translators etc. as I hope they esearch the ports of call beforehand.

I work for an airline and am part of the emergency response team- you wouldn't guess how much research about hospitals, doctors, translators even acmmodation in case of emergencies is done for every airport we fly to, nly because there could be an emergency some day. There are whole catalogues with information with our station managers everywhere around the world.
The same should be possible for a cruiseline with three ships and a handful of destinations.

 

[Wadekind]

You said you got back onboard the next day. Where did you board the ship the next day?

I was wondering this myself.

 

[giftcard]

I suspect there is a troll on the loose but just needed to respond to this claim....

I did but they told me they only have paramedics there not doctors

We learned on our "behind the scenes" tour on CCL that a ship can sail without the captain b/c there are several other officers who are qualified to step in but will never set sail without an MD. I believe DCL would have a similar policy.

 

[justmestace]

I suspect there is a troll on the loose but just needed to respond to this claim....



We learned on our "behind the scenes" tour on CCL that a ship can sail without the captain b/c there are several other officers who are qualified to step in but will never set sail without an MD. I believe DCL would have a similar policy.

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.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We used the medical center on our Med cruise last year. They do have a doctor onboard and 3 nurses. We were pleased with the interaction in the Medical Center.

 

[Blanche_Neige]

First let me say that I am sorry to hear of your misfortune on your vacation and glad to hear that your are now ok.

But I have to ask why you did not seek medical care after, especially since you had some pain. Broken ribs are very common after receiving the Heimlich maneuver, I would be very surprise they did not follow up with you after the incident.

I did but they told me they only have paramedics there not doctors and most importantly I would be charged for everything when my country takes care of all medical costs if I attend a european hospital

I know that they have doctors onboard, it sounds like you did not have vacation insurance that cover medical expenses while on the cruise. You saw the medic and it sounds like you may refuse medical care because of cost.

I'm shocked that they don't have doctors on board...
The boyfriend of a friend of mine is a doctor and works for NCL or Royal Caribbean, I forgot which one, but it was my understanding that every cruiseline has doctors on board .

And if you think about it they should at least be able to provide you with emergency contact numbers for translators etc. as I hope they esearch the ports of call beforehand.

I work for an airline and am part of the emergency response team- you wouldn't guess how much research about hospitals, doctors, translators even acmmodation in case of emergencies is done for every airport we fly to, nly because there could be an emergency some day. There are whole catalogues with information with our station managers everywhere around the world.
The same should be possible for a cruiseline with three ships and a handful of destinations.

DCL does have Doctors, nurses, medics and well equip medical facilities onboard.

 

[justmestace]

Found this as part of a medical article:


"As with most trauma, blunt abdominal trauma is often the cause of further injury, depending upon the severity of the accident. In the majority of cases, the liver and spleen (see Blunt splenic trauma) are most severely affected, followed by damage to the small intestine. Recent studies utilizing CT scanning have suggested that hepatic and other concomitant injuries may develop from blunt abdominal trauma.[2]
In rare cases, BAT has been attributed to several medical techniques such as the Heimlich Maneuver, attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and manual thrusts to clear an airway. Although these are rare causes of blunt abdominal trauma, it is often thought that they are caused by applying unnecessary pressure when administering such techniques.[3]"

Apparently, whoever did the Heimlich in the first place, did it wrong.
One reason that medical professionals are now recommending the Heimlich, as opposed to a "slap on the back" in the case of a person choking, is that other methods, besides the Heimlich, were causing trauma to internal organs. Done properly, the Heimlich will not cause internal injuries.

In other words, I'm having trouble believing the whole story.

 

[Rogillio]

I'm sorry but someone saved your life using the Heimlich removal and you complain that the medical treatment was not perfect?

Glad you survived the ordeal and did not choke to death.

 

[templed]

Not to make light of the incident... I'm sure it was scary, and I'm sure that a broken rib would definately hurt.

BUT...

I have to agree with the other folks here... I've not been on one ship that didn't have a fully licensed MD. It's a matter of liability. They HAVE to have one.

Are you sure that's what they told you?

 

[Gibraltarian]

You said you got back onboard the next day. Where did you board the ship the next day?

I boarded the ship in cittevechia about 3 hrs away on train

 

[Gibraltarian]

I'm so sorry this happened to you and hope you are doing much better.

I do think you would get a printout of your account before you depart b/c you would want a chance to dispute anything that wasn't correct. I'd imagine you'd get that if you left any resort or hotel early. I wouldn't take that as them only caring about getting paid.things tends to be skewed from the stress. I've had people tell me that they told me things afterwards that I completely don't recall b/c I was in such a state.

If you don't think they handled it properly, then let them know. That is the only way to improve service.

Thanks for your good wishes
remember that DCl have my account details and they get paid regardless what i am complaining about is the fact that the first thing mentioned or done was the printout of the statement when a simple question of how are you coping with the situation preferablly in a room not over a desk would feel more appropiate.
yes i do agree with your comment that things cn be skewed from the stress but thats what other ppl have to try reduce the stress on the affected person.

 

[dreaming4disney]

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.