A brand new way to make the cruise industry look bad...

[Mach]

Stunningly bad treatment... stunningly bad...

http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/7196/20130823/royal-caribbean-abandons-man-broken-hip-turkey.htm

The industry as a whole doesn't deserve a black eye for this but you know that's what will happen if this gets any press at all...

One of my folks broke his hip on the Carnival Magic last March as we headed to Jamaica. The med staff onboard took fabulous care of him until we arrived in Montego Bay. They arranged and paid for an ambulance to meet the ship and transport him to Sangster International Airport for medical evacuation back to the US. He had trip protection and that covered the flight back to the US but the cruise line didn't charge him a dime for the treatment on board. That's typical of how such situations are handled by cruise lines but no one ever hears about those situations...

[DebbieandJerry]

I'm not sure that I believe that he was left behind. (Operative word is LEFT)

We have been on many cruises with many medical emergencies. Each time, we were told why we were slowing down or making a stop and the disposition that a cruise member has taken ill, fallen down, etc., etc. Many times we are also told that the person is okay (if that information was known while we were still cruising).

We have met many passengers who have tripped over the threshold, airlifted from the ship and then waiting for us at the next port.

I only remember one instance where a woman had an abscessed tooth. Went to the ship dr. Opted to WAIT until we returned to the US.

The "legal eagle" says that this article warrants further investigation ...

[Mach]

I'm not sure that I believe that he was left behind. (Operative word is LEFT)

We have been on many cruises with many medical emergencies. Each time, we were told why we were slowing down or making a stop and the disposition that a cruise member has taken ill, fallen down, etc., etc. Many times we are also told that the person is okay (if that information was known while we were still cruising).

We have met many passengers who have tripped over the threshold, airlifted from the ship and then waiting for us at the next port.

I only remember one instance where a woman had an abscessed tooth. Went to the ship dr. Opted to WAIT until we returned to the US.

The "legal eagle" says that this article warrants further investigation ...

They were left behind. The med staff on the ship determined that they could not treat him on the ship and put him off the ship in the first port with a hospital. The problem was that no one at that facility spoke English and Melkonian's only speak English.

In the situation regarding my friend that I mentioned the cruise line put him off them (the gentleman and his wife...) and left them but handled it much better, in my opinion.

If the med staff on the Azamara ship were aware that communication between the hospital staff and the Melkonian's they should have ensured that a translator was afforded them, as a minimum.

Mrs. Melkonian eventually contacted the travel agency that she booked the voyage through and they went above and beyond to get them help. You can read more here:

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/elderly-couple-left-turkey-royal-caribbean-cruise-/nZX32/