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Name: Mr. Joshua D. Haugh
Email: jhaugh@unaalpha.una.edu
Age: 21
Occupation: student
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 1/2/98
Itinerary: 3 Day - Nassau & Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 87
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 87
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 70
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Jan 1998
Time: 19:26:29
Remote Name: 204.29.100.15
Remote User:
Comments
We left Miami on board the Norwegian Majesty on January 2, 1998, to start the new year off
on a relaxing and exciting note.
In general, we weren't disappointed. The cruise staff was very personable, enthusiastic
and entertaining, and the activities
on board played to the staff's strengths. As expected, the food was great and our cabin
couldn't have been kept any
cleaner or hospitable.
However, we did experience an incident that deserves to be publicized. As we were
attempting to leave Key West on Sunday
evening, one of the docking ropes crashed into a the dining room window near the end of
early seating dinner. Passengers
screamed as they were pelted with broken glass, and the situation could easily be compared
to that of a small bomb
exploding. One passenger yelled "GUN!" and others yelled "BOMB!" Fear
gripped everyone who witnessed the event, and
instinct assumed control as most startled passengers dove to the floor for cover. Chaos
and panic soon reigned as reality
set in and casualties were noticed. The scene was eventually secured by an official(s)
from the Treasury Department.
Emergency medical personel from Key West arrived on board some time later. One man was
knocked unconscious and
severely cut by the accident, and numerous others were cut by the flying glass. The
unconscious victim was the only one
necesitating evacuation to a local hospital. Fortunately, those at my table escaped
basically unscathed, even though we did
have to brush glass out of our hair and off our clothes. (One lady at my table didn't know
she had a minute piece of glass in
her cheek until the next day.) The rope, after destroying the window, fell back into the
water and was sucked up by the
propellers. Divers from Key West had to untangle the mess underneath the ship. We were
delayed nearly three hours in
leaving Key West for Miami.
This incident on board was an accident. It could have been the result of negligence,
however. Regardless, the point that I'd
like to make is that the reaction by the ship's crew was unprofessional and made a bad
situation even worse. Dining room
staff simply stood around and stared at the damage and the wounded. Waiters were told by
frightened passengers to call
for the ship's medical personel to treat the injured and they simply stood around.
Passengers pleaded with the asst.
maitre'd to call for help. Finally, someone picked up the phone and dialed the ship's
equivalent of 9-1-1. No attempt was
made to calm passengers and no staff members asked people if they were alright. Not one
member of the crew asked me
if I was OK, even though I wasn't able to hold a glass steady for an hour. Communication
out of the dining room to medical
staff on board was ridiculously slow. It was quite obvious by the damage and passengers'
wounds that help was needed
immediately. Women and children were crying, the injured were bleeding, and help was too
slow in arriving. Once we left
port that evening, it was as if the accident eerily never took place. Anyone who believes
that I am overreacting was not in
the dining room at 7pm on January 4, 1998.
I'm not blaming NCL for the accident. But I am terribly upset over the way it was handled.
The reaction and attitude by the
crew was far from what was required by passengers on board the Norwegian Majesty that
evening. I'm sure that the crew
was concerned with their passenger's safety and well-being, but it was not evident at that
time. When I boarded Friday
afternoon I assumed that the crew was competent and trained to properly handle emergency
situations. I guess I was
wrong.
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