Key Aspects:
- One recent Carnival guest demanded compensation due to a medical emergency that closed the ship’s casino.
- No compensation was provided, but John Heald explained why different types of evacuations may be necessary.
- A guest’s health and safety always takes a higher priority than convenience, fun, or profit onboard.
What is the cost of getting critical medical care? Not health insurance, hospital bills, or medication, but what about the convenience or inconvenience of emergency responses?
For one recent Carnival guest, receiving the care has undoubtedly been priceless, but for another, the inconvenience of their cruise experience was frustrating.
Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, shared the second guest’s concerns and what appears to be a very inconsiderate reaction and demands to the emergency situation.
“Long story short, the guest was complaining that they didn’t receive any compensation, that they did not get anything because of what happened,” Heald explained.
“Now, this was a medical emergency onboard one of the ships. In this particular case, the captain returned the ship to the homeport, arriving around 11:30, midnight, somewhere around then. Now that of course meant that they had to close the shops and the casino early.”
Cruise guests are well aware that a ship’s gift shops and onboard casinos are not open unless the vessel is in international waters. This is part of how a cruise line abides by the restrictions and laws of the countries it visits, including where a vessel homeports.
Heald struggled to describe the guest’s, shall we say, less-than-polite reaction to the unexpected closure.
“The demands for compensation and the demands that they weren’t even able to get off the ship in Miami because customs hadn’t cleared the ship,” he explained, “there was absolutely no sympathy for the guest.”
The guest claims to have been on a previous cruise during which a medical helicopter evacuation had been necessary. When that type of situation occurs, the ship remains at sea and no closure is necessary.
There are many reasons why a helicopter rescue may not have been possible. A helicopter transport or appropriate flight crew may not have been immediately available, or poor weather could have meant such an operation was too great a risk.
It’s also possible that simply returning the ship to Miami was a faster option, depending on the overall situation.
Many times when ship diversions are necessary, it is because the guest is not medically stable enough for a sometimes harrowing helicopter evacuation.
Guests with extreme needs, such as a very delicate condition or of an exceptional size, may also not be able to use a helicopter evacuation.
When evacuations are necessary, the ship’s doctor consults with emergency personnel ashore to determine what is best to get the fastest, most necessary care for the guest.
“In this case, this lady is demanding compensation,” Heald said.
“I had to really hold myself back. … I did write to her and say we’re not allowed to open the casino and we have to close the gift shops when we’re back into Florida waters, legally, and you can’t get off the ship in Miami because the ship hasn’t been cleared by US Customs and Border Protection. We don’t give compensation for this.”
The ship in question was not identified, nor was the sailing date. Carnival Cruise Line currently has five ships homeported from Miami: Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Magic, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Horizon.
How Long Is Such an Inconvenience, and What Is It Worth?
Heald estimates it was no more than 4-5 hours that the onboard retail operations were impacted. This would include the time the ship was sailing back to the cruise terminal, docking, debarking the guest needing treatment, and returning to international waters.
“It’s four or five hours’ time in the casino and spending money in the gift shop,” he confirmed. “Is that too big a price to pay to save a human life?”
The guest did not appear to appreciate the answer and claimed they would not be sailing with Carnival Cruise Line again because no compensation was provided.
Read Also: 15 Most Annoying Things People Do on Cruises
“Do you really want to cruise with someone like that?” Heald asked his followers after describing the situation. “Whose value of human life is based on whether she gets a couple of hours extra in the casino?”
Many replies noted that the guest would certainly feel differently if it were herself or a friend or family member who required the emergency medical attention.
It’s true that the late hours, especially after the evening’s shows have ended, can be a very popular time in the casino.
Undoubtedly, Carnival Cruise Line values a single guest’s life above the income the line would have derived from those hours of gambling.
