A cruise ship passenger was airlifted to hospital 800 miles from home against his wishes when he pulled a muscle. Stephen Cassidy, 60, was airlifted off a cruise he was enjoying with his wife, Carol, 61, after the ship’s doctor suspected he had an infection in his hip, he said.
He was later told by medics in the hospital there was "no sign" of an infection – and that he had most likely pulled a muscle, he claims. Stephen says he was left in Shetland, 800 miles from home, and "felt like a prisoner" when he was not allowed to leave the ship’s medical centre before being airlifted.
Now, Stephen says that the experience left him feeling panicked and angry – and he missed out on celebrating his wife’s birthday. Stephen, a music teacher and former army reservist and police dog handler, said: “I just can't understand it - I was feeling totally panicked and angry.
“I asked if I could leave the medical centre to pack my own bag – they said no and I felt like a prisoner. The ship’s doctor told me that something in one of the blood tests he carried out suggested I had infection in my hip.
“I never should have been medically disembarked from the ship – I was absolutely fuming.”
Stephen and Carol, from Poole, Dorset, paid £3,598 for a two-week cruise to Norway with Princess Cruises for her 60th birthday and their 40th wedding anniversary. Halfway through the trip, Stephen began to experience pain in his left thigh.
He had previously had a hip replacement on that side, so visited the ship’s doctor. After a physical examination and an x-ray, the doctor determined there were signs to suggest Stephen had contracted an infection in his hip.
He was placed on an IV drip twice a day - then three times per day. Initially, it was planned that the ship would dock in Iceland and Stephen could visit a doctor on land before re-joining the cruise, however the boat was unable to stop.
Instead, the ship’s doctor consulted with an orthopaedic surgeon online and sent the x-rays to be analysed. On May 24, Stephen says he was asked his weight by nurses and claims his wife was told to go and pack his bag.
And when he asked if he could pack his own bag, Stephen says he was told he could not leave the medical centre. He was then placed in a wheelchair and wheeled onto the deck, where he was airlifted into a helicopter along with two other unwell passengers.
The trio were flown to Lerwick where they were delivered to Gilbert Bain hospital and assessed. To Stephen’s frustration, he was told there were no signs of infection, and he was most likely suffering from a pulled muscle.
Stephen paid £870 for flights home and a night in a hotel. He says he believes Princess Cruises should cover the costs.
Stephen said: “The travel insurers confirmed they are covering this. I feel Princess should be paying this because I’m now 60 and I’ve got pre-existing conditions.
"It’s only matter of time before premiums go up or companies stop covering me."
Princess Cruises has been contacted for comment.
A spokesperson for the company said the allegations were "without merit", according to the Mail on Sunday.
