Fitness to travel by sea certificate.

Has anyone come across a cruise line asking for A FITNESS TO TRAVEL BY SEA CERTIFICATE for a pre-existing condition ?

I had 2 of the conditions on the list provided.

One 'condition' is 40years old and requires 2 small, identical pieces of equipment

, The other 17years since hospitalisation (meds taken)

.

I will share my story regarding this issue with a Cruise line but would like to know if other cruise companies are asking for such or similar ''certificates''

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What cruise line is asking?

just curious

pretty standard once you list a condition. ultimately it may be that should anything go catastrophically wrong, the ship must know in advance what your needs would be and to determine whether or not they can meet them until such times you can be medevac'd off.

C ruise insurance could possibly ask about pre-exisitng conditions you may wish to b e co v ered.

Not on cruise lines I have sailed.

I have something pretty serious, which requires IV meds if I become sick onboard....never been asked for a fitness certificate. Good luck.

Never heard of a formal certificate by that name but yes, cruise companies will want a medical professional to verify that a passenger is fit to travel in some circumstances. Or depending on what it is they may deny travel. Cunard for example won't accept hemodialysis patients. Too risky that a port call where dialysis was scheduled would have to be missed. (Peritoneal dialysis they will accept.)

If a passenger needs assistance with personal care the cruise line may also require that they travel with a companion.

The cruise line has to know what the requested special needs are. They have to know if the two small pieces of medical equipment that you mention are compatible with the ship electrical system. Imagine if somebody brings medical equipment with a continental European plug but the ship outlets are 110V American or 3-pin 220V British? Now that's a problem.

I have not been asked about medical conditions by a cruise line but, of course, have to declare everything when buying insurance. It could be that the 'special needs' form would trigger such a request I guess.

I assume that many cruise lines require a letter. Holland America's cruise contract states:

"Carrier reserves the right to request a letter from Your physician attesting to Your fitness to travel, but by requesting such letter does not waive its right to disembark or refuse to embark You..."

I assume they would ask for such a letter after you notify them of your condition:

"Due to the risks inherent in travel by sea, as described in Section 3 of this Cruise Contract, if You have any special medical, physical or other requirements, You, Your travel agent, or any person booking on Your behalf is requested to inform Carrier in writing at the time of booking of any special need or other condition..."

https://www.hollandamerica.com/legalAndPrivacy/Main.action

Thank you for this. Our story. Note the cruise is from UK to Scotland and Scottish Islands plus one Danish Island , no flights, only one stop outside UK, lasting one week.

I have 2 conditions of the 5 condition types listed in CRUISE AND MARITIME booklet.

But there are some oddities about this

1 We have cruised and travelled from Russia in North to South Africa, south . Turkey N East to Barbados SW. War zone , troublesome regimes, been 12 days at sea far from land, But had never come across or had this clause brought to our attention before.

The other is 25yrs old with no occurrence for 17yrs so stable with medication

3 I rang my NHS GP (UK). She rang back. We talked for 15 mins. She'd not heard of a CERTIFICATE of fitness to travel by sea. My notes ( back to 1996) showed everything was fine.Blood tests in order. She said ''no doctor would ever declare anyone fit to travel ''these days. As we talked I gathered she meant in regard to litigation.

4 On my 4th phone call to C and M the customer services lass I'd suggested a private GP or consultant . As we talked I mentioned, as in all 4 phone calls. that I had full travel insurance for every condition. This lass had a friend with my 2nd condition. When I said I'd had no bother for 17 YEARS. She asked if she could speak to her manager. The response on her return was that a letter was NOT required but could the Co have a copy of the insurance cover.!!!

lots of incidents and dramas happen aboard ship, heart attacks , strokes , broken femurs, aneurysms, air lifts, desperate sea sickness needing injections/treatment. All these things can & have happened to people who were seemingly quite well before traveling. The logic would be for every passenger to have fitness to travel. Doctors wouldn't give these and discovering this would clog up the NHS to bursting point.

Thanks for your reply I 'd intended to boycott C and M but instead we will look more carefully at a cruise lines conditions and send a copy of insurance doc. early on.

This was humiliating, time consuming , probably wasting about 60.00 of my GPs budget for calls , notes , reception duties.The call from the GP came at 19.00 when she could have been at home

what cruise line is asking?

Just curious

cruiseandmaritime uk

pretty standard once you list a condition. ultimately it may be that should anything go catastrophically wrong, the ship must know in advance what your needs would be and to determine whether or not they can meet them until such times you can be medevac'd off.

See my story if time and see what you think. Thanks for replying.