This was our second Disney cruise; we left May 11th, exactly a year from our last one which just happened to be our honeymoon. We're at Castaway Cay on a hot, humid Tuesday. The wife and I just get back to the ship after sitting on the sand bar all morning and then eating at Cookies 2. The minute we walk onto the forward gangway it's announced the forward and mid gangways were closing and the aft one would be used to both disembark and re-board the ship. Within 3 minutes there was a line going all the way back, past the tram stop; next thing you know a Miami Children's Hospital helicopter comes in, circles twice, and lands just outside the ship. Our verandah faced the dock so we watched as a stretcher was immediately taken out, but then quickly left our view as it got closer to the ship.
This caused a lengthy delay leaving Castaway Cay. No horn tolled to signal people to return and there was no parade of waving hands and horns galore. Instead, the helicopter and ship remained docked to at least 6 PM. It wasn't until around 6:45 / 7 PM that the engines finally trolled and the ship sailed away.
We were asking cast members, as we waited for our Palo reservation, if they knew what had happened. Most assumed it was a sick child due to the helicopter branding. It wasn't until the next day when we found out from several passengers that had witnessed more than we had. Thank god a child didn't need the medical attention, but none the less, an elderly man did pass of what people were saying was heart-related complications and many people were there to witness the stretcher go back to the helicopter for it's next destination.
One lady said she overheard the family talking to the ship staff about the old man and said it was pretty much old age. Surprisingly to me, the family did opt to stay on the cruise; but only after the long wait, which was for Bahamian authorities to figure out how or where the body was going in the Bahamas before it was released to the US.
I can't say the stories I heard were 100% truthful as people do stretch things, but I'm positive someone died on our cruise...
This caused a lengthy delay leaving Castaway Cay. No horn tolled to signal people to return and there was no parade of waving hands and horns galore. Instead, the helicopter and ship remained docked to at least 6 PM. It wasn't until around 6:45 / 7 PM that the engines finally trolled and the ship sailed away.
We were asking cast members, as we waited for our Palo reservation, if they knew what had happened. Most assumed it was a sick child due to the helicopter branding. It wasn't until the next day when we found out from several passengers that had witnessed more than we had. Thank god a child didn't need the medical attention, but none the less, an elderly man did pass of what people were saying was heart-related complications and many people were there to witness the stretcher go back to the helicopter for it's next destination.
One lady said she overheard the family talking to the ship staff about the old man and said it was pretty much old age. Surprisingly to me, the family did opt to stay on the cruise; but only after the long wait, which was for Bahamian authorities to figure out how or where the body was going in the Bahamas before it was released to the US.
I can't say the stories I heard were 100% truthful as people do stretch things, but I'm positive someone died on our cruise...
