I have a question regarding medical care onboard

[Sunsailor]

We recently had a very nice week on the Regal Princess... I had some pain the day before the trip which I thought might be a kidney stone...

 

If I had a kidney stone attack at sea how much help and relief might have been available from the medical staff..can they administer serious pain relief? Can they administer a catheter if necessary...?

 

In general how effective is the available care?

 

Thanks

[dforeigner]

We recently had a very nice week on the Regal Princess... I had some pain the day before the trip which I thought might be a kidney stone...

 

If I had a kidney stone attack at sea how much help and relief might have been available from the medical staff..can they administer serious pain relief? Can they administer a catheter if necessary...?

 

In general how effective is the available care?

 

Thanks

 

They can provide the same type of care as a level 4 trauma center (no mayor trauma or heart cath). So, pertaining to your situation, yes they would be able to handle it.

 

Unfortunately, they also tend to get rid of patients as soon as possible. Why do I mean by rid? They will transfer you off the ship as soon as possible if deemed that you need to be admitted. They have been exceptions but usually, people get transferred off the ship at the first port of call or if a MEDEVAC is feasible and within range.

[moki'smommy]

Exactly as above. Most ships have excellent medical facilities. The problem is that they have a very limited staff and are not in a position to provide prolonged care for a patient. Thus, if they feel a person requires hospitalization, they will work with the captain to determine the most appropriate way to get you off the ship. The decision will be based on the condition of the patient, location of the ship, next planned port, available nearby ports, etc. You may be evacuated at the next scheduled port, there may be an unscheduled stop, or a helicopter evacuation may be arranged.

 

For more minor situations, if you can be treated in the medical center and returned to your cabin with appropriate follow up, you are typically permitted to remain on the ship.

 

The qualifications of the medical personnel are determined by each cruise line. The personnel are employees of an outside corporation, but the line can dictate to the company exactly what they require of their physician. Some cruise lines set standards for country of medical training or area of specialty, others will accept any licensed physician. The most common qualifications are specialty training in emergency medicine, internal medicine, or family practice or their equivalent based on the country of training. Some cruise lines say emergency medicine or internal medicine only and require training to be US or Western European based.

[VTX-AL]

We recently had a very nice week on the Regal Princess... I had some pain the day before the trip which I thought might be a kidney stone...

 

If I had a kidney stone attack at sea how much help and relief might have been available from the medical staff..can they administer serious pain relief? Can they administer a catheter if necessary...?

 

In general how effective is the available care?

 

Thanks

On our 15 day cruise on the Grand last March, I did the Ultimate Ships Tour. One of the stops on the tour was the medical center, which was very interesting and informative. They had at least two qualified MD's and nursing staff aboard, an operating theater and basic dental clinic plus a small ward for patients. A short briefing outlining the service capabilities and staff qualifications was given. I assume that this medical center is fairly typical of the Princess fleet.

 

...VTX-Al

[JF - retired RRT]

They will transfer you off the ship as soon as possible if deemed that you need to be admitted.

We called that "turfing".

[dforeigner]

We called that "turfing".

 

Yep. That is the unofficial term used. :D

[Kenswing]

We called that "turfing".

 

Treat'em and street'em.. :p

[fishywood]

"Serious pain relief" has a wide degree of variance between users. if you know of one specific medication that helps you best, try to get a prescription to bring a week's worth on board from your physician at home. Because if you present yourself to the medical center, are offered a Tylenol 4, but respond that only something as strong as, say, Percocet or Vicodin will help your pain--then "turfed" at the next port you almost certainly will be.

[Alicomp]

My husband developed an abscessed tooth and was in a lot of pain on the Regal Baltic cruise last year. He emailed his dentist to see what he recommended. My husband then went to the medical clinic and the doctor (they don't have dentists on board) saw the infection and prescribed an antibiotic and ibuprofen (the same drugs and dosages my husband's dentist recommended). He said if the pain wasn't much better in two days, he would try to get him into a dentist. Fortunately, he was better soon and waited until we got home for dental care. The doctor called the next day to see how my husband was feeling. We felt that Princess provided good medical care and were also very caring.

[what empty nest?]

Also on the UST, they told us that they will only transfer a patient/passenger to a hospital in port IF the care available is equal to or better than what can be provided on the ship.

[Colo Cruiser]

They do a good job.

[moki'smommy]

Also on the UST, they told us that they will only transfer a patient/passenger to a hospital in port IF the care available is equal to or better than what can be provided on the ship.

 

True that they won't dump a person somewhere inappropriate, but definition of "equal or better" can vary. The biggest thing the ship lacks is the personnel to do round the clock care, so any place that had adequate staffing could hypothetically meet the definition of "better." Also keep in mind that while the ship's medical staff can be caring for a seriously ill patient, they are still responsible for the remainder of the passengers and crew. Also, one must consider that there may be language issues between the patient and the proposed transfer hospital--the care may be good, but this could propose a serious difficulty. It's not as easy a situation as one might imagine, especially on those cruises that may be far from the patient's home country.

[Colo Cruiser]

True that they won't dump a person somewhere inappropriate' date=' but definition of "equal or better" can vary. The biggest thing the ship lacks is the personnel to do round the clock care, so any place that had adequate staffing could hypothetically meet the definition of "better." Also keep in mind that while the ship's medical staff can be caring for a seriously ill patient, they are still responsible for the remainder of the passengers and crew. Also, one must consider that there may be language issues between the patient and the proposed transfer hospital--the care may be good, but this could propose a serious difficulty. It's not as easy a situation as one might imagine, especially on those cruises that may be far from the patient's home country.[/quote']

 

 

Whats inappropriate? They debark people wherever they need too. On an island/on the mainland/Mexico/South America, anywhere.

Its can be at any port that they visit.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[Lucky TGO]

We recently had a very nice week on the Regal Princess... I had some pain the day before the trip which I thought might be a kidney stone...

 

If I had a kidney stone attack at sea how much help and relief might have been available from the medical staff..can they administer serious pain relief? Can they administer a catheter if necessary...?

 

In general how effective is the available care?

 

Thanks

 

In Jan. 2014 my wife was very sick on the Emerald Princess. The medical staff saved her life!!! To the medical staff thank you again.

Tony

[JVilleGal]

We recently had a very nice week on the Regal Princess... I had some pain the day before the trip which I thought might be a kidney stone...

 

 

 

If I had a kidney stone attack at sea how much help and relief might have been available from the medical staff..can they administer serious pain relief? Can they administer a catheter if necessary...?

 

 

 

In general how effective is the available care?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Zero and they would put you off that ship faster than you can say "boo". They can give basics for sea sickness or ban you to your cabin... Pretty much useless after that!

[chengkp75]

We recently had a very nice week on the Regal Princess... I had some pain the day before the trip which I thought might be a kidney stone...

 

If I had a kidney stone attack at sea how much help and relief might have been available from the medical staff..can they administer serious pain relief? Can they administer a catheter if necessary...?

 

In general how effective is the available care?

 

Thanks

 

I actually developed my first, and thankfully only to date, kidney stone while working on a cruise ship. It was brought on by dehydration in the engine room, and when I went to medical, they administered a couple of bags of saline (actually squeezing the bags to get it in faster), and then some pain meds (don't remember what). As an engineering officer, I can't work when under meds like that, I was taken off duty, and we let things go to see if I could pass the stone. I did, a couple days later, and was then sent to the hospital for follow up and lab work on the stone.

 

I also developed a sty that I didn't report in time, and required surgical draining, and they did this very painful procedure very well.

 

As with all doctors, you will get the good and the bad, but in general their services are good. As a PP stated, they are similar to a level 4 trauma center, which means evaluation/diagnosis, stabilization, and transfer to another facility. Limited surgical work can be done. I've seen stitching and casting.

[MommaBear55]

Zero and they would put you off that ship faster than you can say "boo". They can give basics for sea sickness or ban you to your cabin... Pretty much useless after that!

 

Can you give us specific instances that you have experienced? I have no direct experience but here on CC the reports tend to be much more positive.

[Sunsailor]

This is the first time that I have used this portion of the CC board and I appreciate the responses... I have a much better idea of the medical situation....

 

Thanks again,

 

Mark

[RDC1]

I have found the services to be pretty good in general. However, keep in mind that the charges are similar to what you would pay in an emergency room in the US. Can be rather pricey if you don;t have insurance that will cover it. They will also tend to err on the cautious side and if they cannot be certain about the stability of the patient they will move them off ship. Does not matter if the patient thinks they are stable or not. Once medical is involved their opinion is all that matters in the decision.

[floridalover5623]

On Carnival they'll dump you as fast as they can although I think Princess is a little more tolerant.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/can-you-get-kicked-off-a-cruise-for-getting-hurt-182415336.html

[chengkp75]

On Carnival they'll dump you as fast as they can although I think Princess is a little more tolerant.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/can-you-get-kicked-off-a-cruise-for-getting-hurt-182415336.html

 

Reading that article, I was siding with the woman, and thinking you were correct about them dumping her, right up until the point where it said her injury was severe enough to require shoulder replacement. Anyone who has had an orthopedic injury will know that getting treatment as soon as possible will generally lessen the severity of the injury, so I think the doctor acted responsibly. I won't touch the question of shoreside support, that is a customer service problem, not a medical one.

[Coral]

We have had a cruise where we visited the medical facilities many times over a 3 week cruise. I know every doctor is different but I was very impressed with the doctor we had. I also expected to be put off at the next port and we were not. He asked my Mom to come down daily so he could check to see if she was getting worse and we routinely went down before dinner each night. I actually thought he cared more for my Mom than her regular doctor. My Mom's doctors were impressed with his records and her care when we returned.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Coral

[Ethel5]

Zero and they would put you off that ship faster than you can say "boo". They can give basics for sea sickness or ban you to your cabin... Pretty much useless after that!

 

After reading many reports of excellent medical care in some pretty dire circumstances, I feel your assessment is very harsh and unfounded.

[Coral]

I actually developed my first, and thankfully only to date, kidney stone while working on a cruise ship. It was brought on by dehydration in the engine room, and when I went to medical, they administered a couple of bags of saline (actually squeezing the bags to get it in faster), and then some pain meds (don't remember what). As an engineering officer, I can't work when under meds like that, I was taken off duty, and we let things go to see if I could pass the stone. I did, a couple days later, and was then sent to the hospital for follow up and lab work on the stone.

 

 

I am curious if you are still with Princess? I have read some of your posts and have enjoyed reading them. You definitely have a unique insight into parts of cruising that many of us never have seen.

[Coral]

After reading many reports of excellent medical care in some pretty dire circumstances, I feel your assessment is very harsh and unfounded.

 

The doctor we had was South African and was previously an Emergency Room doctor. Again, I was impressed - he could easily have put us off as my Mom was having chest pain and shortness of breath. He did an EKG and blood work and it turned out she was just overly tired from the day's activities. I thought he was thorough but with her history he could easily have said "pack your bags". That would have been the easier thing to do.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Coral