My mother broke her wrist on this cruise and the way we were treated was horrific.

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 24

Review summary

On our second full day on the cruise, and our first day in port in Alaska, my mom fell down the stairs of the Eurodam. The stairway was crowded with children and other people going up and down the stairs, which were very narrow - due to the congestion my mother was forced to momentarily let go of the handrail and fell down almost the full set of stairs from the 3rd to the second floor. The nurse who came to gather us was quick, and the doctor was nice, and determined the wrist was broken. Because my mother is almost 80 years old, I wanted to take her to an actual hospital and have and MRI and other scans dome to make sure she was okay. She had a nasty gash on her face, and her glasses were broken in the fall. I was told that she just had the broken wrist, and was fine to stay on board the ship, though she shouldn't get off for any excursions or walk around too much. So....you want me keep her a prisoner in our tiny cabin?! I'm sorry, but that was an unacceptable suggestion. I was told by the gentlemen at the customer service desk that it's an issue with the Coast Guard if we disembark early - since this wasn't a "medical discharge." I'm sorry, but a 77-year-old woman just fell down the stairs. How in the world is this not a medical discharge. He called down to the ship clinic and was told by a nurse that "I didn't mention leaving the ship" so he didn't think this was medically necessary. First of all, I did talk to the doctor about wanting to leave the ship, and second of all, how the heck is that up to him?? Since it wasn't officially a "medical discharge" he told me the Coast Guard was going to fine me $1,000 per person for us leaving the cruise early. Let me be clear - the Coast Guard was going to fine Holland America $1k per person, which they were then going to pass along to us because someone at the customer service desk who spoke to someone in the medical clinic, who I'm not sure had even seen my mother, and between them they decided this wasn't medically necessary. Eventually I was put in touch with someone higher up who said she needed to escalate this - and then she called our room and basically told me that I wouldn't have to pay the $2,000 but I did need to be off the ship in the next 20 minutes. What a mess. Worst experience ever. I will never take another cruise as long as I live, and I will make sure to discourage everyone I come across to do the same.

Embarkation

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Food and Dining

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Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

Cruise Puget Sound

Juneau, Alaska

Disembarkation