The Cortes family set out on a five-day Royal Caribbean cruise. When their seven-month-old daughter became sick, throwing up and having diarrhea, the ship doctor told them she was dehydrated and needed to be seen at a hospital immediately, so they were all put off the boat . . . in a random Bahamas town, with no passports, reports WFTV Orlando. The family said a security guard gave them 10 minutes to pack their bags and get off the boat. It was 11 o'clock at night. "I asked if my wife could get out of their pajamas and there was no time for that. We had to leave," Luis Cortes said.
But the hospital said the baby only had a cold. By then, the ship had left and the family had to spend thousands to get home.
The cruise line has offered them a voucher for a future cruise, but no refund or reimbursement, because they didn't buy travel insurance. Here's one way they could recoup their losses: this trip would make a great advertisement for travel insurance.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINES! Everyone remember the name of that company. I cannot even think of punishment for that. It is so unbelievable to know that ANY COMPANY would do that to a person with a small child. There should deifnitely be a HUGE apology, nationally, and some type of money paid to those people. Anyone planning on a cruise, you know which lines NOT TO TAKE.
Maggie Denson at 12:00PM on Apr 28th 2008
2. Sorry about their vacation, but a cruise ship is not a place for a seven month-old child. Small children get mystery illnesses all the time, and can go from a seemingly minor ailment to a full-blown mess in a matter of hours.
The doctor and the cruise line were choosing to err on the side of caution, and rightfully so. They are not responsible for random illnesses that happens while on a cruise, which apparently this was.
isabel at 12:08PM on Apr 28th 2008
3. Insurance probably isn't a bad idea. Over the years, I've rented cars while on vacation. A few years back, I was picking up the keys at the airport and the agent asked me if I wanted "walk away insurance" added onto my car rental agreement.
I'd never heard of "walk away insurance" so I asked what it was. In a nut shell, for a few extra bucks, if I were in an accident (regardless of whose fault is was), all I had to do was fill out the police paper work, call the rental car people,they'd come and get me and at that point handle all the rest.
Sounded good, so I buy it each time I rent a car.
Willet at 12:13PM on Apr 28th 2008
4. A cold with diarrhea? Probably not. Can you imagine if they had stayed on the ship and the child had become fatally ill and the doctors on the ship didn't diagnose correctly. (LAWSUIT) Or another passenger contracted a sickness because the baby stayed on board. (MORE LAWSUITS) The cruise ship was right. They could have been a little more compassionate but unfortuately in this age we, businesses have to protect themselves from harm by sue happy individuals. We all share in lack of compassion and service brought on by needless lawsuits to extract money from companies.
alizawi at 12:20PM on Apr 28th 2008
5. People need to start suing these cruise lines for leaving them stranded in other countries. This happens a lot and only now is it coming to the publics attention. I guess their "ships doctor" cannot figure out if a child has a cold or something more serious.
Of course why would people take a baby on a cruise?
These cruises amount to a pack of people getting hammered and making out in the hot tubs in front of everyone on the ship. Been there and saw that movie. Last cruise they had a huge wedding and people were passing out and barfing and getting naked. People were taking their kids to their cabins until they could clean the deck and get these people under control. They were in the hot tubs feeling one another up until someone got an employee to break it up. Cruise ships unless they are for "families only" are no places for kids. Not to mention what diseases they can catch.
Judy at 12:20PM on Apr 28th 2008
6. Let's take a moment to think about this situation. First, no matter what your opinion about children and babies on cruise ships, the cruise lines are MARKETING for families with children. Or have you not paid attention to the ads on television lately?
Second, I understand the principle of good of the whole over good of the individual. However, putting someone off the ship in some remote island, WITHOUT their passports, is eggregious behavior for any company. And regardless if you get travel insurance or not, the cruise lines do not have the right to hold your identification when they make you leave the ship, for any reason.
Finally, whether the baby had a cold or not, the ships doctor, if he/she is an actual doctor, has a responsibility to every patient. Or does the Hipocratic oath not apply? Maybe it doesn't. But this would definitely be the number one reason why I do not book a cruise.
Megan at 1:22PM on Apr 28th 2008
7. Megan, not all cruise lines are marketing towards families with children. You may be more focused on Carnival and Disney.
Strados at 2:01PM on Apr 28th 2008
8. Well, it doesn't say what kind of cruise it was exactly, but most of the Royal Caribbean Cruises tend to be party boats. I agree - not a place for an infant. Hire a sitter or stay home.
Infants are especially suceptible to illnesses from other passengers - their immune systems are not fully developed.
David S. at 2:41PM on Apr 28th 2008
9. Cruises are no place for kids? since when? who makes these rules? people without kids? i agree it's a restful vacation, especially for someone like me who lives near a port and doesn't have to deal with flying with kids to go on vacation...there are baby-sitters on board and kids' camps for children 3 and up who are potty-trained, even teen camps....they make great family vacations, the point is about cruises, there is supposed to be something for everyone...they all market to different crowds, but royal carribbean, "party boat" or not, DOES market to families, watch t.v. and see the ads for yourself, if you don't believe me! This company treated these people atrociously! Doing what's in best interest of all and protecting a businessfrom liability or a doctor from a malpractice suit is one thing, but leaving people stranded in another country in the middle of the night sans passports is another thing entirely! The behavior of Royal Carribbean Cruise Lines was despicable! They owe a public apology and some kind of reimbursement, not a voucher these people will never use, because, really, when are they booking a cruise with this line again?
I'll pay extra to go Disney when we plan our next family cruise....
gm, Lake Worth, FL
Gina Marie at 5:14PM on Apr 28th 2008
10. Wow, these parents must be loaded if they can afford to take a 7-month old infant on an expensive cruise. I'm sure the 7-month old baby will remember everything about her vacation.
Joanie at 5:36PM on Apr 28th 2008
11. I think I can c boyh sides, but 2 take away their past ports and rushing them off the ship in the dead of the night? Thats bullshit. Not only should they b reibursed the cruise at the very least owe this family 1 hell of an apologie! Yea, Id b thinking SUE THEIR ASSES!!!
REGINA MARTIN at 5:54PM on Apr 28th 2008
12. i just returned from a 7 day princess cruise, and fortunately did not have to deal with any viral or bacterial outbreak like you hear about on the news from time to time. the crew took every precaution to see that surfaces were constantly wiped down and passengers sanitized their hands before going into any food areas. in the case of this family on royal carribean, i think it is appalling that they were pretty much dumped off of the ship. however i do understand the crew needing to make a decision to keep all of the other passengers from getting sick and protect the cruise line from countless lawsuits that could have resulted. but they definitely handled it wrong, and should pay back the family every cent. why in the world would they want a voucher for a later cruise? who will sail on royal carribean now? i keep telling people, GO PRINCESS!
daro at 6:05PM on Apr 28th 2008
13. Check out http://detentionslip.org for a story about a mom who was arrested for sending her child to school with lice. The story can be found at http://detentionslip.org/2008/04/woman-charged-for-sending-kids-with.html
sweetchuckd at 10:36PM on Apr 28th 2008
14. They did not take away their passports. The family did not have their passports on the ship to start with.
Passports are not YET required for travel by sea to the Caribbean. They are however required for travel by air to or from the Carribean.
If they were put off the boat, it is logical to assume the only way for them to get home would be by plane, so not having a passport would then become a problem.
Not defending the cruise line. Just clearing up the idea that their passports were taken from them.
Krissy at 4:40AM on Apr 29th 2008
15. Why wouldn't a couple or a family bring an infant on board, since when are children not welcome on family vacations?
The ships doctor should have been able to differentiate from dehydration and a stomach bug, the symptoms of dehydration should be evident to a licensed doctor.
Kathy at 4:15PM on May 1st 2008