While embarkation day can always be a bit hectic, one woman was left in tears on the first day of her cruise after an unfortunate incident in the elevator.
Wendi Fletcher, who hails from Manchester, England, was originally excited to embark on a Mediterranean voyage with her husband, Tony Fletcher, back in April of 2024 – although it’s not clear what cruise line she was sailing with.
The 54-year-old woman was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) in 2019, and suffers from symptoms like blurred vision, heaviness in her left arm, and facial numbness that can impact her mobility.
With her physical limitations in mind, Wendi and her family have found cruising to be one of the best ways for her to travel and see the world. She just remembers to pack her self-propelled wheelchair, walking stick, and an elbow crutch to use as aids depending on how she is feeling each day of the cruise.
But on the first day of this particular voyage, Wendi was using her wheelchair when she got into an elevator with an unidentified family that consisted of an elderly mother, daughter, and one of their husbands – and the daughter was ready to pick a fight.
“I think this woman was having a really bad day. She said straight away as I got into the lift, ‘You’ve just hit my 90-year-old mother’. She suggested that I’d wheeled my wheelchair in and pushed it into her mother, but I 100% knew that I hadn’t touched her mum,” Wendi told The Mirror, a British news outlet.
When Wendi explained that she did not hit her fellow cruiser, the daughter allegedly laughed and rammed Wendi’s wheelchair, throwing her off balance.
“I explained I have Multiple Sclerosis and struggle with my balance, but she said she didn’t care and that if she sees me around the ship again, she’ll push me again,” Wendi added.
“To me, that’s an assault on a disabled person. She knew full well about my disability, and I explained that to her. I consider that to be a disability hate crime. I was really upset about it and literally gobsmacked that she would be like that,” she continued.
Wendi was left in tears after the incident. She tried to enjoy her sailing, but spent the remainder of the cruise on edge and worried she would run into the hostile passenger again.
The other family’s identities have been kept private and they have not issued any public statements regarding the confrontation.
Elevator Etiquette is a Source of Contention
It’s unclear if the Fletchers reported the incident to the crew members, but if something like this ever happens to you, the guest services team, onboard medical center, and/or the security team should be able to help.
Unfortunately, Wendi’s story isn’t an isolated incident – with other cruise fans sharing stories of guests risking injuries to themselves and others by rushing into the elevators the moment the doors open.
“This lady ran over my 67 year old mother to get in elevator. We followed…. She then had the nerve to request me to press 1 for her…,” one woman shared in a cruise forum.
“People not waiting for others to exit elevators first…before stampede to get in one…Common sense will tell you they’re gonna have to get off and you…ugh. Nevermind,” another person added to the thread.
Read Also: 14 Cruise Etiquette Rules You Need to Know About
Just over a year ago in January 2024, Carnival Cruise Line had to issue a reminder for passengers to be courteous when it comes to using the elevators – including among disabled passengers.
Some guests were expressing concerns regarding wheelchairs and mobility scooters taking up all the space inside the elevators, as well as complaining about safety concerns associated with “aggressive driving” they had seen onboard.
Several guests reported incidents of being hit by mobility scooters in both elevators and common spaces to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald.
“Can I ask mobility scooter users to please drive carefully? Most of you do and are respectful to other road users, or deck users in this case. But a few do drive too quickly and this can result in a broken toe or as on a ship recently, three broken toes,” Heald wrote on his public Facebook page at the time.
In July of 2024, the use of mobility aids onboard once again caused controversy for Carnival – with cruisers calling for guests with scooters and wheelchairs to get their own reserved elevators onboard due to continued faux pas with elevator etiquette.
