NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — A North Olmsted man had no idea what he was in for after what he said he experienced on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Mohammad Hamza and his wife, Julia, each year would remember a special day in their lives. Unfortunately, Julia fell ill on the cruise, and Mohammad said the surprises kept coming as he tried to get her some help.
“I don’t believe she is gone,” said Hamza in tears.
It was Julia’s first cruise, but by the second day, Hamza said she felt nauseous, dizzy, and she fell to the floor. He said it was her first-ever heart attack.
“The doctor immediately said she’s going to have another episode of cardiac arrest. She needs to be transported now,” said Hamza.
He told us that’s when he was asked for $15,000 in cash to help Julia.
“I said, ‘I am here three days. How anybody on this cruise has $15,000 cash?' [Their response was] ‘The jets will only take cash,’” said Hamza.
HOURS WENT BY, MORE HEART ATTACKS HIT
He told us it took two hours, but eventually, he was able to pay with a credit card…all while time was of the essence.
“Now, where’s the jet? Coming in a half hour, coming in two hours, coming in three hours. They have some delay,” said Hamza.
While waiting for a smaller boat to take her to the jet, Hamza said Julia had a second heart attack.
“She wanted to say something,” said Hamza with tears in his eyes. “I told her to squeeze my hand. She squeezed my hand.”
He said hours went by. Then, finally, she was on a transport boat. Suddenly, though, a third heart attack ended her life right there on the vessel.
“Until the last minute, I have this feeling she’s coming back,” he said with more tears.
INTERNATIONAL CRUISE VICTIMS GROUP
“I thought, oh, no. Here’s another one,” said Jamie Barnett after hearing Hamza's story.
She’s the President of the group called the International Cruise Victims Association. She told us all major cruise lines sail under different countries’ flags. American ways of doing things may not be followed, and even some laws don’t apply more than 12 miles from the U.S. shore.
“And that’s one of the first and foremost things that I wish people knew,” said Barnett.
She told us, medically speaking, you’re at the will of those who are taking care of you or a loved one, as she found out personally. Her daughter needed help on a cruise in 2005. Barnett said medical staff called for a defibrillator, but it took 30 minutes to get there.
She told us she spoke with a paramedic on the ship.
“He said, ‘You know, Jamie, she was absolutely viable when I got to her, and by the time they did, she wasn’t. She was gone,'” said Barnett.
She said their victims' group has been fighting for years for better medical equipment and procedures on cruises.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE A CRUISE
“Typically, that medical center is not run by the cruise ship. It’s run third party, so we’re following their policy,” said Bill Coyle from KHM Travel Group out of Brunswick, who was not involved in the Hamza’s vacation.
He said agents will tell you when an injury or medical issue happens on a cruise, and get a copy of the incident report that tells everything that happened.
“Whatever the case is, we need documentation of all that. That’s the first thing that has to be done,” said Coyle.
He told us before you travel, make sure you’re healthy enough for the trip, bring any documents about your medications and medical past, be prepared for the unexpected and that serious issues can be pricey.
He suggested travel insurance.
“Is the emergency evacuation $25,000 or $100,000? Did I buy a policy that’s truly going to cover me?” said Coyle. “And don’t forget that most of our policies are based on age. So, the older we are, the more that coverage costs.”
ROYAL CARIBBEAN: 'WORKED CONTINUOUSLY...'
Royal Caribbean would not go on camera and answer questions but sent us a statement saying in part the “…medical team responded quickly…worked continuously to stabilize [Julia’s] condition in preparation for her transport… our thoughts continue to be with Mr. Hamza during this difficult time.”
For Hamza, he said the most valuable commodity that day wasn’t money. It was time for his wife.
“Why this woman cannot be transported immediately? There is no helicopter. There is no coast guard, somebody to come save her,” he told us.
It was time that ran out, even though Hamza had been holding on to hope.
“The whole time I know she’s going to Florida. I know she’s going to recover and come back home with me,” he told us with more tears.
He said after News 5 Investigators reached out to Royal Caribbean for answers, he finally started getting some information about what happened and medical records, but he’s still exploring his legal options based on his experience.
Full statement from Royal Caribbean Group Spokesperson:
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests is always a top priority. In Mrs. Hamza's situation, the shipboard medical team responded quickly to her medical needs and worked continuously to stabilize her condition in preparation for her transport to a shoreside hospital. Our thoughts continue to be with Mr. Hamza during this difficult time.”
