Topic starter
21/10/2006 2:45 pm
The Mississippi Queen per Cincinnati local TV and radio stations made an emergency stop in Henderson, KY to take at least 20 passengers to the hospital with flu like symptoms. The MQ was already scheduled to stop in Henderson today from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
21/10/2006 3:00 pm
Here´s an article
http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20061021/NEWS0103/310210011
Carmen
22/10/2006 2:31 pm
Wow, every room must be housing 3 pax this cruise - 525 passengers, according to that article! I suspect its supposed to be pax and crew, which would make the pax count about 375. Now I can handle taking a crew member to the hospital, or taking a couple of passengers to dialysis, but I don't think River 3 would have been able to cover all the needy on this shore stop. When you think of the MQ's setup, with so little outside space, its pretty easy to see how something could spread quickly on there.
23/10/2006 2:52 am
I did the same math but the news article did not say 525 pax- it just said 525 people were aboard which makes crew and pax combined.
Problem is that incidents like this really hurt the industry generally. That is sad. Add to the problem that people who fly are no longer permitted to carry those personal sanitizers. I imagine crew members were caught in a real bind when the airlines changed regulations. I remember having a regular pharmacy with me just in case.
This is one instance where I don't see benefits to anyone- the people who are ill, the tourism industry, the boats. I appreciate the media telling me this stuff but I see it as bad news all around.
23/10/2006 6:33 am
23/10/2006 11:02 am
Elaine, both articles I saw said 525 PASSENGERS. In fact, here's the line from the first article Carmen linked: " She said 20 people out of the 525 passengers on board have shown signs of the flu." And this was from a PR person from Majestic America Lines. So when they can't even get the passenger count right, or close, or legal, you know the rest of the article's info is questionable too. It is unfortunate that the boat makes the news in this manner, but Betty Blake used to say that even bad news is better than no news, it gets the name out there. The company certainly did use the AQ's grounding in Indiana on her first Ohio River cruise to their advantage PR wise. Hopefully this incident will do the same - look at it this way, on a river cruise these people were able to get off the boat for care and could even make travel arrangements back home if they desired. Compare that to being out at sea, not near any airports!
23/10/2006 12:16 pm
A similiar bug hit the boat in 2001 while I was on her and it took months to get rid of it. Some of the crew got it several times.
23/10/2006 3:41 pm
Does this mean the crew won't be able to accept my cookies this Saturday???? I'm sure they're ready for something a lot stronger than cookies by now anyway!
23/10/2006 6:09 pm
I'm sure while helping sick passengers get the care they needed, passenger count was not the most important issue. Please read my posting in River Cruises from a couple on the boat that could not speak high enough for the Captain, Staff and Crew of the Mississippi Queen. Everyone pitched in to lend a helping hand where needed.
Marian Nusekabel
23/10/2006 11:12 pm
The passenger count had nothing to do with the crew helping the passengers - it came from the company's PR person in Seattle, who has probably never even seen the boat. The point about the number of pax being so wrong in the articles is that if that is inflated, so are the numbers of sick also, in other words, exaggeration which reflects a more serious situation than it was. Now don't say I said it wasn't serious - more serious than it was. Considering the last two times I've met the MQ, I've taken a crew member to the hospital and two passengers for dialysis, I'm well aware of the care the crew gives to both their passengers and crew!
24/10/2006 4:42 am
St. Louis TV report
Here's a news report from KSDK-TV in St. Louis. The sick were left in Cape Girardeau and the well were bussed to St. Louis to journey home, after a stay in a local hotel. It looks like the MQ may arrive almost empty.
25/10/2006 10:42 am
And another article about the incident
http://www.modernagent.com/x/modernagent/visitor/resources/editorial.cds?n=18196
Carmen
26/10/2006 9:35 am
MQ is back running again
The MQ is on her way on the Upper Mississippi River
http://www.modernagent.com/x/modernagent/visitor/resources/editorial.cds?n=18248
and AI is reporting a growth in income
http://www.modernagent.com/x/modernagent/visitor/resources/editorial.cds?n=18252
Carmen
PS: The MQ is currently listed in Mel Price Pool, see
http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/NIC2/Reports/lockm99
26/10/2006 12:46 pm
MQ progress
...which means she's right on schedule. She'll cruise today, be in Hannibal tomorrow, and come through here Saturday evening. Webcam watchers: L&D 15, probably about 6-8PM Saturday. I'll be there with the usual supplies. Hopefully this time I can just wave as she leaves and she won't have anyone in need of medical attention to be taken somewhere!