Active trips ruined by people not up to it

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".

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

👍

Thankyou Oreo

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

.

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!!!
.

There's a guy would does terrific free walks in London every weekend. I went on a couple but got a DVT in 2023 and haven't been able to keep up with his 5 to 8 mile walks since. I still get his emails telling us what he's planning for the next week, read them with envy then delete.

Bluebelle totally agree. I think apalling of the group leader/ company as they are responsible I would have thought for coming back with same number that left? Yes irresponsible of passenger but regardless...to leave someone behind!

I don't understand how this could happen. I have been on many cruises, and was always given a card to clock in and out. There was usually someone standing by the card register to make sure you used it. If anyone was missing, there was usually an announcement asking them to report to the desk.

The lady was certainly mis-treated by those in charge of the shore trip and her family have my heartfelt sympathy.

DH and I are cruisers. DH has been deteriorating in his mobility for some time but particularly in the last few weeks/months. Not so long ago he was pretty fit and well for a 79-year-old. He has just been prescribed new medication which we hope will help (apparently it can be a "wonder drug" or a "nightmare drug") so right now we don't know which it will be.

We are going on a World Cruise in January and have been careful to choose shore trips that appear to be gentle, but you simply don't know for sure till you get there and find the paths are unmade, steps are non-standard height or the route is hilly. He will be taking a rollator but even that might not help him.

We toyed with hiring or buying a mobility scooter but even they don't cope with rough terrain - they can even struggle to get up a standard UK kerb.

We wouldn't want to hold others up, but we simply won't know till we get there and try.

We hope people won't be too critical if we get it wrong, but believe me we WILL be sensible enough to learn!