How good is emergency medical care on ship?

[makentake]

Anyone have experience with the MDs on the Zuierdam? Almost had to cancel our 10/29 Zuiderdam cruise. Husband had emergency abdominal surgery a week ago for a twisted, flipped colon (rare condition for an adult). Surgeons and his MD have cleared him for the trip saying it would be a great way to recover, he's doing great now. I, however, tend to worry and wonder how good medical care on board would be in case of an emergency. I checked the quality of medical care in the ports and ports all seem fine. We will have evacuation insurance too. We are so looking forward to this trip but I'm still nervous. I know life has no guarantees but hope I'm not pushing our luck by going.

[sail7seas]

HAL has U.S. or Canadian licensed MD's and RN's working in Guests' Infirmary. They are competent and have basic emergency equipment and medications/supplies.

 

They can usually keep us alive to get more advanced care as soon as they can get us off the ship.

 

Of course, they are going to lose some guests who would have not made it no matter what emergency facility was available for their care.

 

If your DH's doctor cleared him to travel, he should be safe.

 

I know the surgery about which you speak and it is actually very common and a quick, normally very easy recovery. It is not all that rare for 'adults'. Scar tissue from previous surgeries is often the 'cause' of the situation which is serious and requires immediate care but is not complicated or difficult surgery........ IF, IF we are speaking of the same surgery.

 

Happy he is well enough to cruise.

Hope you have a great cruise and he has a bump free recovery.

[RuthC]

Of course you are nervous. Your DH and you just went through a stressful medical situation.

But it's kind of hard to answer how good the medical service aboard is under an emergency without getting specific about what kind of emergency. They are not all created equal. Some things will be more easily treated than others.

I have had to see the doctor on a few cruises, and was pleased with the treatment. One was a very long time ago, perhaps too long to be of value as a reference, but I was having heart attack symptoms about 10:00 PM. The nurse was in my cabin quickly, I was transported to the medical center, and the doctor did come.

They ran some tests, started making preliminary plans about evacuating me from the ship, then diagnosed that I was not having a heart attack, but something else (whew!). They were correct---which is an important point.

A few years ago, off the southern coast of South America, I had a bad fall. They medical center was able to treat me, took x-rays that were read by a hospital in Texas (:eek:), and again, I was pleased with the service.

All you can do is chin up, trust what your DH's doctor says, and try to relax and have a good time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The medical staff on ships can only do so much. They can not perform surgeries.

It is good that you have medical evacuation and have checked out the ports on your cruise.

Since your doctor and surgeons have given the go ahead, then they must feel that your DH is in good shape to go on the cruise.

You still have several days for him to heel.

Have a great cruise.

[PathfinderEss]

Talking from expierence the ships medical staff is top notch. If they feel they can't handle what ever is going on with you, they will get you off the ship to a facility that can.

If your doctors have cleared your husband to travel on a cruise ship, you will be fine. So go have a wonderful cruise.

[makentake]

Thanks everyone, I feel better and will try to relax a little and start my packing with a lot less fear. Sail7Seas the condition he had was Caecal volvulus and they told us that it was "an infrequently encountered clinical condition and an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction." The fix was a right hemicolectomy, which is a pretty common surgery for cancer. His condition was strictly "mechanical." They at first thought scar tissue too until they found out he has never had any kind of surgery. So I don't know if it is the same condition you know of. After the first five days and the disconnection from the tubes and monitors the recovery is speeding up a lot. I hope you are right about quick and easy. Thanks

[tangerinebunny]

We used the NA medical services last December. Both doctor and nurse were ER certified; one from Seattle and one from Montreal.

 

Service is FAST in an emergency.

 

Go and relax.

[sail7seas]

Thanks everyone, I feel better and will try to relax a little and start my packing with a lot less fear. Sail7Seas the condition he had was Caecal volvulus and they told us that it was "an infrequently encountered clinical condition and an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction." The fix was a right hemicolectomy, which is a pretty common surgery for cancer. His condition was strictly "mechanical." They at first thought scar tissue too until they found out he has never had any kind of surgery. So I don't know if it is the same condition you know of. After the first five days and the disconnection from the tubes and monitors the recovery is speeding up a lot. I hope you are right about quick and easy. Thanks

 

 

Good to hear his recovery is speeding up and, if he is otherwise, healthy, hopefully it will continue at that rate. :)

 

Wishing you safe travel, a good healing and wonderful cruise. :)

 

[whogo]

They can usually keep us alive to get more advanced care as soon as they can get us off the ship.

 

An alternative view of the off ship care is offered by Christopher Elliott in Are Cruise Ships 'Dumping' Their Sick Passengers? http://www.frommers.com/articles/7749.html

[lcand1923]

We've had to use the Medical Centers on five different cruises on different lines and vessels. We know of several people have also used them. We were quite impressed with the quality of the care. Keep in mind, that the Medical Center is also there for the use of the crew and ship board personnel, so they are quite prepared to handle an emergency, stabilize the patient and arrange for evacuation as necessary. As long as your husband's doctor says that it is OK for him to travel, go and enjoy. You both need a relaxing cruise after your stressful medical emergency.

[sail7seas]

An alternative view of the off ship care is offered by Christopher Elliott in Are Cruise Ships 'Dumping' Their Sick Passengers? http://www.frommers.com/articles/7749.html

 

 

There are two ways of looking at that.

If in Europe, close to fine medical centers, I'm happy to be 'dumped off the ship'.

 

If in some undeveloped, poor region with horrid healthcare, that is what evacuation coverage is for. :eek:

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks everyone, I feel better and will try to relax a little and start my packing with a lot less fear. Sail7Seas the condition he had was Caecal volvulus and they told us that it was "an infrequently encountered clinical condition and an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction." The fix was a right hemicolectomy, which is a pretty common surgery for cancer. His condition was strictly "mechanical." They at first thought scar tissue too until they found out he has never had any kind of surgery. So I don't know if it is the same condition you know of. After the first five days and the disconnection from the tubes and monitors the recovery is speeding up a lot. I hope you are right about quick and easy. Thanks

 

That is great news that your DH is heeling and recovering quickly.

[mamaofami]

There are two ways of looking at that.

If in Europe, close to fine medical centers, I'm happy to be 'dumped off the ship'.

 

If in some undeveloped, poor region with horrid healthcare, that is what evacuation coverage is for. :eek:

 

 

I could not agree more.

[makentake]

Thank you everyone. I love all the encouraging words. I really feel better now. I am getting very excited as I am starting to make my packing list. We have the cabin with the extra large balcony 4166, hopefully they can put a chaise out there for him to relax, read, and recoup!

[2ptu/000]

Anyone with transatlantic experience? With 7 sea days I'm a little concerned about an emergency that would require surgery. No evacuations after a certain point.

[sail7seas]

Anyone with transatlantic experience? With 7 sea days I'm a little concerned about an emergency that would require surgery. No evacuations after a certain point.

 

 

If you or your doctors suspect you could be facing a possible emergency, you might want to reconsider doing that voyage.

 

If you are at no more risk than anyone else, you can't worry about every 'what if' in life IMO Living is a risk.

 

[tangerinebunny]

That is great news that your DH is heeling and recovering quickly.

 

 

I'd even settle for a slow heel.

 

How did you train him?

[RuthC]

Anyone with transatlantic experience? With 7 sea days I'm a little concerned about an emergency that would require surgery. No evacuations after a certain point.

Since my heart attack, that's been a greater concern of mine than it was before the attack. It was especially a concern when I was doing two crossings, via remote areas, shortly after that attack.

I've done another crossing since then, and have another booked.

 

As Sail says, you have to go on living your life and face what happens. After all, you could stay home and be killed when the roof caved in.

[Crew News]

Two years ago in the Caribbean Joanie had the middle finger of her left hand slammed in a rapidly closing balcony door. The ship's doctor was an ER Trauma Surgeon from South Africa. The six stitches were expertly sewn and then checked by the doctor every remaining day of the cruise. Pain and antibiotics were prescribed. Total cost $0.

 

Doctors serve three to six-month tours and are required to have at least seven years as an Emergency Room Trauma Surgeon.

 

HAL Passengers are definitely in good hands when it comes to medical treatment and especially stitching.

[Typhoon1]

HAL physicians are all licensed in the US or Canada. There are full time and part time on the HAL medical staff.

 

We had a chance to chat with the physician on a recent cruise. He was on the part time staff. As a part timer, he is required to serve six weeks per year on a ship.

 

In his full time job, he is an Emergency Room physician in Montreal. Obviously, highly qualified for ship board duty. However, he is limited by the lack of equipment on a ship as to what he can do.

 

Asked what was the worst thing he ever dealt with on a ship, he replied "death".

[Copper10-8]

....................

Doctors serve three to six-month tours and are required to have at least seven years as an Emergency Room Trauma Surgeon.

 

..................

 

 

Not always! I worked with several pax doctors who sailed for two weeks, then went home to pick up their regular ER job. It totally, "totally dude", depends on how long they can be away from that primary job. Yes, some work longer stints on the ship (as do some of the nurses), others not so

[Crew News]

Not always! I worked with several pax doctors who sailed for two weeks, then went home to pick up their regular ER job. It totally, "totally dude", depends on how long they can be away from that primary job. Yes, some work longer stints on the ship (as do some of the nurses), others not so

 

I totally, "totally dude," defer to your expansion of the time frame that pax doctors spend aboard ship.

[semlohah]

I was on a cruise when my 41 year old brother in law was dumped by Celebrity. I have never posted about it as it was very traumatic. The ship's doctor was not experienced at all. The ship was not diverted and we were stuck at sea for two days before being dumped in an ambulance with 30 minutes notice we were to leave the ship. The ambulance had no medical attendants. It just had a driver and rancid jar of peein the back with no medical equipment. No one spoke English (it was Mexico) in Huatulco. We were taken to the maternity clinic where they refused to let my brother out of the ambulance ( women only). You pay cash on the spot to the ambulance and the doctors. The nearest hospital was a 7 hour ambulance ride. The nearest medical flight was from Houstonand would take 18 hours to pick us up at the cost of $30,000 which were willing to pay. Our doctor in the us advised to get medical care in 7 hours so we drove to a hospital in the ambulance with the pee jar through at least four military check points. at the hospital there was no English. You buy your own medicine leaving the hospital to fetch it and bring it back to the doctor. You buy your own toilet paper. You are extorted to pay cash, no credit, before you can leave.

The horror stories are true. The ships doctor thought my brother in law had meningitis. He had a stroke. It was awful. When we got off the ship, we left family on board that the ship moved other passengers into our aft suite which was more annoying. No help or followup from Celebrity.

[kazu]

I was on a cruise when my 41 year old brother in law was dumped by Celebrity. I have never posted about it as it was very traumatic. The ship's doctor was not experienced at all. The ship was not diverted and we were stuck at sea for two days before being dumped in an ambulance with 30 minutes notice we were to leave the ship. The ambulance had no medical attendants. It just had a driver and rancid jar of peein the back with no medical equipment. No one spoke English (it was Mexico) in Huatulco. We were taken to the maternity clinic where they refused to let my brother out of the ambulance ( women only). You pay cash on the spot to the ambulance and the doctors. The nearest hospital was a 7 hour ambulance ride. The nearest medical flight was from Houstonand would take 18 hours to pick us up at the cost of $30,000 which were willing to pay. Our doctor in the us advised to get medical care in 7 hours so we drove to a hospital in the ambulance with the pee jar through at least four military check points. at the hospital there was no English. You buy your own medicine leaving the hospital to fetch it and bring it back to the doctor. You buy your own toilet paper. You are extorted to pay cash, no credit, before you can leave.

The horror stories are true. The ships doctor thought my brother in law had meningitis. He had a stroke. It was awful. When we got off the ship, we left family on board that the ship moved other passengers into our aft suite which was more annoying. No help or followup from Celebrity.

 

Wow - what a difference - on our HAL cruise one of our roll call members became very ill. HAL tended to her well. They were escorted by HAL to the hospital - the doctor was there and went over everything. The stewards packed up all their belongings and HAL delivered them to the hospital and hotel. They helped the husband get a hotel room. HAL kept in contact with them during the entire cruise - they gave us updates (had the husband's permission), never gave away their cabin and their spot at their table was saved in the hopes they would be able to return to the cruise.

 

I heard from them both afterwards and they were both very impressed. Not only that, they have sailed HAL again and HAL get them a free upgrade to deluxe verandah suites because of their experience and loss of their other cruise (which really was no fault of HAL's).

 

Everyone on our roll call was impressed and relieved as we got our reports on how she was doing.:D They never considered themselves 'dumped'

 

One more reason why I like HAL!!!

[whogo]

Wow - what a difference - on our HAL cruise one of our roll call members became very ill. HAL tended to her well. They were escorted by HAL to the hospital - the doctor was there and went over everything. The stewards packed up all their belongings and HAL delivered them to the hospital and hotel. They helped the husband get a hotel room. HAL kept in contact with them during the entire cruise - they gave us updates (had the husband's permission), never gave away their cabin and their spot at their table was saved in the hopes they would be able to return to the cruise.

 

I heard from them both afterwards and they were both very impressed. Not only that, they have sailed HAL again and HAL get them a free upgrade to deluxe verandah suites because of their experience and loss of their other cruise (which really was no fault of HAL's).

 

Everyone on our roll call was impressed and relieved as we got our reports on how she was doing.:D They never considered themselves 'dumped'

 

One more reason why I like HAL!!!

 

What was the port?