Widow whose husband died on American Cruise trip says company is still taunting her a month on
A widow whose husband died on their ‘dream holiday’ said she is being bombarded with requests for reviews from the cruise line they booked through.
Barbara and Rick Smith of Versailles, Kentucky, left in May for an eight-day trip with American Cruise Lines, something they said they had always wanted to do.
After leaving Idaho, the couple of 33 years had to cut their trip short after Rick, 78, woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t breathe.
He was rushed to a hospital where doctors determined he had a leaking heart valve. After open heart surgery, Rick died on June 5, just 24 hours after they started their holiday.
While Rick fought to stay alive, Barbra told the cruise line about her late husband’s medical nightmare, but they only sent her promotional mail.
‘I still get questionnaires about how our trip was. I still get brochures from them in the mail for future trips,ā Barbara said WKYT.
Rick Smith, 78, died on June 5, just 24 hours after he and his wife Barbara left for their “dream vacation” on an American Cruise Lines voyage
After leaving Idaho, the 33-year-old couples had to cut their trip short after Rick woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t breathe.
‘It’s as if everything I wrote to them about Rick went into a black hole. I can’t be mad at anyone because Rick is dead.’
Barbara explained that Rick was initially taken to a hospital in Washington after having trouble breathing during the cruise.
There the doctors realized that he had a leaking heart valve. Once he was strong enough, Rick was taken closer to home to the University of Kentucky Hospital, where he later died.
āI said my husband is in the hospital, his health is deteriorating. I don’t know how to get home. Please regard us with sympathy and sympathy and respondā¦but they didn’t,ā Barbara said.
The grieving woman said she is angry about the lack of care and support American Cruise Lines showed her when she asked for help rebooking flights and hotels. She added that she never received condolences from the company.
She admitted that she and her husband did not take out traveler’s insurance for their trip.
“That’s a bad thing, but we were always healthy, we never thought we needed it,” Barbara said.
DailyMail.com contacted American Cruise Lines for comment.
Rick was born in Toledo, Ohio and attended Baldwin Wallace University in Berea. According to him, he previously worked as a high school teacher and sports coach obituary.
While Rick fought to stay alive, Barbra told the cruise line about her late husband’s medical nightmare, but they only sent her promotional email.
Not only was Rick a ābest friendā to his wife, whom he called Bobbie, but he was the father of two sons, a grandfather and a great-grandfather. (photo: Rick with family members in 2011)
He later moved into human resources, working as a manager at Long John Silver’s. Rick went on to work for other restaurants, including Rally’s Hamburgers and Golden Corral.
He retired as Executive VP of HR and Training at Piccadilly Restaurants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Not only was Rick a ābest friendā to his wife, whom he called Bobbie, but he was also the father of two sons, a grandfather and a great-grandfather.
‘My husband was the absolute best. A sweet, kind, caring man,ā Barbara said.
‘People ask us how long we’ve been married. I say: not long enough. It could have lasted much longer.’
Visitation was held for Rick on Wednesday at Blackburn and Ward Funeral Home and a funeral service was held the following day at Historic St. Paul Catholic Church in Lexington.