A couple says that a cruise ship abandoned them in Mexico in the midst of a medical emergency

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  • A couple says they were told to get off the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas in the midst of a medical emergency.
  • Carol and Bertram Palk of Whippany, New Jersey, say that they were told to get off the ship when Carol went to the vessel’s doctor, complaining of internal bleeding.
  • The couple says they were kicked off the ship in Costa Maya, Mexico.
  • They claim it took them 24 hours and thousands of dollars to get home.
  • The couple was given $157 each from the cruise line, but they say they still are waiting on an apology.

It’s anyone’s worst vacation nightmare.

A New Jersey couple claims that they were kicked off a Royal Caribbean cruise line in the midst of a medical emergency, effectively leaving them stranded in Mexico, CBS News reported.

In January, Carol and Bertram Palk, both 79, of New Jersey were on the Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, which had left from Miami, according to the outlet.

During the ship’s journey, Carol began to feel sick. After undergoing two days of tests, the couple was told that her illness — which included internal bleeding — was beyond the scope of what the ship’s doctors were capable of treating and they were told to get off the ship to seek treatment elsewhere, reported CBS.

“He told me I could have a heart attack or I could bleed out … and I needed a blood transfusion and they had no facilities to do a blood transfusion, so he wanted me to get to a hospital,” Carol said. “The doctor said, ‘We’re kicking you off the ship.’ Those were his words.”

The couple says they were told to get off of the boat in Costa Maya, Mexico. The Palks said the cruise helped them schedule the first leg of their journey home: It started with a five-hour taxi ride to Cancun, which was followed by a flight to Mexico City. The couple then opted to fly back home to New Jersey, where Carol was ultimately treated for the internal bleeding, which was caused by ulcers, per CBS.

All told, the couple said it cost them $4,000 and took them 24 hours to get home. The Palks said Royal Caribbean provided them each with a $157 reimbursement and a 20% off coupon for future cruises. But Carol and Bertram are still waiting on an apology, they told CBS.

In a statement to INSIDER, the cruise line stood by its decision, saying it had Carol’s best interests mind.

“Our onboard medical team initially treated the guest in our medical facility, then determined that, for the guest’s health and safety, additional medical attention was needed that could best be provided by a hospital in the area,” a spokesperson for the cruise line said in a statement. “The guest declined our professional medical recommendation to seek immediate local care and decided instead to return home.”

Source: thisinsider

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