Active trips ruined by people not up to it

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On British cruise lines booking excursions onboard the ship offer safety.

A headcount is always double checked when returning to a coach or boat. The ship will wait if said coach or boat is delayed returning.

This has always been the case in our experience with Cunard and P&O.

There's some hysterically funny videos of late comers in the Caribbean running along the dock shouting at the already departed ship to 'Stop'. Some are shown jumping into the ocean and swimming after the ship. One can only presume that those in the latter scenarios had had too many rum punches - and, if they hadn't done so then they mightn't have been late!!!
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A lady on a Royal Caribbean cruise we were on fainted in the heat in a shop in the town where we docked. Her friend rang the cruise emergency number and 2 nurses with a wheelchair from the ship came to the shop and transferred her back to the ship. The on board Dr assessed her and she was wheeled back to her cabin and told to rest for 24 hours. Staff checked regularly that she was OK bringing her bottles of water, and meals.
It was about 20 years ago and the cost was 800$ then, which she complained about to us at dinner a few days later.
You get what you pay for and private medical care is very expensive.
I think there should be 2 members of staff on these excursions in case anyone is taken ill.

I have serious health issues and always check beforehand the level of fitness required. Insurance fully covered. The only thing I objected to was watching animals slaughtered in a Vietnamese market. A separate group was taken to the fruit market. Quite a few objected like me in going to the animal market. I’d never hold up a group, I can’t walk fast or climb.

We went on a trip to see New England in the fall. There was a blind man on the trip. His wife insisted they sat at the front of the coach in the best seat for the view. The courier said she'd normally give everyone a chance to have that seat. It really annoyed the other passengers as a blind man didn't need a view.

For a strange reason that just reminded me of an older lady years ago who complained at people splashing getting her hair wet and the music being to loud at an aqua aerobics class.

I recently dropped out of going on what sounded like a strenuous trip with DH and friends. I knew I'd struggle and would be damper on things for the others.

My late husband and I went on several rail holidays where we had to help fellow travellers snd their luggage on and off the trains. We were fit enough to be able to do it. Some of the local guides didn’t adjust their speed of walking so the group became very spread out and those at the back couldn’t see the guide several hundred yards in front. We were in the middle of the group, and kept the guide and the “tail Enders” in sight so nobody got left behind!

It’s very difficult we often overestimate our fitness at any age, particularly at altitude, Peru or the Himalayas in particular. 3 yrs ago we went to Peru, I developed a chest cold the first day and really struggled the whole trip, what you an do normally you can’t at 12000ft, it didnt hold the rest up thankfully.
Not the most enjoyable trip I have done.

Sudden illness can happen to anyone. It's awful what happened to that lady, it beggars belief.
I research the itinerary to be sure I am up to it. I know my limitation and would be upset to hold any one up, if I think I would I don't go. Had to drop out of my walking group as I was getting behind and it wasn't fair on the others. I very much miss them all but we have to adapt.

Thankyou Oreo

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nanna8

I have been on many cruises and the ones we have been on are very,very careful to check people on and off the ship at all the ports. That ship was definitely negligent and should pay compensation to the family. So sad.

Yes, they do, don't they.

I was thinking that the catamarans going out to the Reef count you before they leave to come back, (it's really rather spooky) but yes, you do on cruise liners too and this was a particularly small ship so there are no excuses at all.

I have been on many cruises and the ones we have been on are very,very careful to check people on and off the ship at all the ports. That ship was definitely negligent and should pay compensation to the family. So sad.

Grammaretto

Perhaps she branched out on her own which was why her absence wasn't immediately noticed. Do we know the full facts?

she didnt

You’re sensible PinkPrincess and if more people were, there would be less deaths and distress.

I am 81 and have COPD also a form of blood cancer(which makes me very tired) also a history of a bi lateral pulmonary embolism.
Because of all these I have abandoned all thoughts of overseas travel . The insurance alone would probably cost more than the trip!.My history of PE would cause all long haul flights to be a Nono.
I have a granddaughter living and working in the US.She intends to get married next year, but unless she marries at home in the UK I will have to miss her wedding
My local paper frequently has ''Go Fund Me'' appeals from relatives of people who have taken seriously ill on foreign holidays but have not bothered to take out insurance.Also being seriously injured in accidents while abroad.The latest was a lady in her fifties who had been drinking , then one riding on a quad bike and crashed it.Her family were asking for money to bring her home so she could have care for serious head injuries in an NHS hospital.
I am sorry to be a killjoy but I am not going to risk it.

It's a very small island and does have a tiny population.

So sad that no-one found her and I hope she didn't suffer.

I can’t imagine what that poor woman went through, overcome by heat and simply left to die, it’s awful.

That was kind of you, silverlining.
Her family didn't sound very responsible.

How sad to hear this shocking story about a reasonably fit but older woman left on her own, and sadly died alone.
Some years ago we were on a 15 night cruise of Canada with a passenger who clearly had fairly severe dementia, travelling alone. She was not able to manage anything for herself and woukd give her purse when she paid fir anything to the staff worker.
When we realised my dh and I kept an eye on her and kept her her with us because clearly she should never have been travelling on her own. On the flight home she got lost in the airport, but luckily w as found by staff in time to catch the plane. The long flight back was difficult for her and for all of us seated nearby.
It was difficult looking after her and it did affect our ‘dream’ holiday but my mum had dementia and I woukd not have done anything else.
She was met by family when we got back to the uk and I spoke to one quietly to let them know that she was at risk and should not travel alone in future. The relative didn’t seem too bothered. She was a nice woman and it was very sad.

Allira

Purplepixie

Please don’t let me get old and doddery. Poor woman was said to be quite active yet she was left behind. The downside was the amount of people who kept saying she was 80. So what? She could have been 60 and left behind. Heartbreaking.

She wasn't left behind on the walking tour. According to her daughter, who must have been told by someone who was there, that she had felt unwell and was told, presumably by the tour guide, to make her own way back down to the ship.

That is negligence.

I remember thinking myself that there's more than one person responsible for that woman having died. Think I must have read too that another tourist knew - and the tour guide knew. So that makes two people responsible - one of whom can be sacked (ie the tour guide).

For the company to have cut short the cruise because of this incident = they are clearly not going to be happy bunnies for sure (ie because they now have a moral responsibility, at least, to hand back the money they've charged and then the customers got less of a product than they've paid for).

I do get the impression "a backside or two will be kicked".

Purplepixie

Please don’t let me get old and doddery. Poor woman was said to be quite active yet she was left behind. The downside was the amount of people who kept saying she was 80. So what? She could have been 60 and left behind. Heartbreaking.

She wasn't left behind on the walking tour. According to her daughter, who must have been told by someone who was there, that she had felt unwell and was told, presumably by the tour guide, to make her own way back down to the ship.

That is negligence.

Post made at 1540.

sparkle1234

If I was on that trip , I don't care how much it cost me , I would not have left an any man or woman, regardless of age behind if they were struggling ..I hope I would be observant to notice that someone hadn't returned and raise the alarm. The selfishness of some people astounds me .
It doesn't matter how old or fit you are , illness can come on suddenly and can be unexpected . Young athletes, fit as a fiddle have dropped dead suddenly . Perfectly well before they started .
As you were!!!!

Quite! re the fit young athletes.

Could have sworn I put up a post commenting on how many fit young athletes have come over ill or dead suddebnly since 2021......!which coincided with....what I've refused to have myself that started then....

Please don’t let me get old and doddery. Poor woman was said to be quite active yet she was left behind. The downside was the amount of people who kept saying she was 80. So what? She could have been 60 and left behind. Heartbreaking.