Do Viking Ocean ships have a doctor on board?

[The Other Tom]

My wife got sick once on a mass market cruise line, and there was a doctor on board for treatment.  He prescribed some medicine which they had on board and everything turned out ok.  What would happen on a Viking ship?

[Heidi13]

Every ship with a compliment of over 100 is required to have a medical doctor on board.

 

Viking has a very modern medical centre with a couple of ICU rooms, the usual equipment included in most modern trauma centres and an extensive pharmacy. While mega ships will have 2 or 3 doctors, Viking had 1 on the Sun with 2 nurses.

 

The doctor on Viking Sun, was a retired trauma specialist with extensive experience in UK, US. Italy & France.

[deec]

Our friend received excellent care for a "gallbladder" infection during a cruise.  He spent the day in the hospital in Copenhagen ruling out heart etc issues and fortunately was allowed to return to ship and received daily IV antibiotics.  The ship provided very good almost seamless transition to hospital evaluation and return to the ship.  He was told upon discharge that since they had socialized medicine they had NO billing department and would not be billing him.  Travel Insurance covered the Ship's fees.

 

On our WC all medical clinic visits were FREE.  That and free laundry were eliminated on subsequent cruises....our group must have taxed each!!!

[eylarson]

Our experience was also excellent, with the ships doctor and medical staff consulting with our stateside physician, before prescribing meds from the onboard pharmacy.  TripMate insurance reimbursed all costs.     

[The Other Tom]

Thanks for the replies.  Very comforting.

[Cienfuegos]

Our Viking Sky cruise featured a doctor who had been an instructor at a Ukrainian medical school. Very interesting, and well traveled gentleman

[molymoo]

We had a great experience on the Star when my daughter sprained her ankle on one of the more rigorous excursions.  They took xrays, provided a shot for pain and some medication to go ... they wrapped her ankle and arranged to have a bag of crushed ice delivered to our cabin.  It was all free as the injury occurred on a Viking excursion.  The staff was friendly, helpful and professional.

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

I appreciate those who have posted about their experiences with the medical services on Viking.  I'd like to hear more responses from those who have used the services as we have always wondered how they are.  Also molymoo 

3 hours ago, molymoo said:

We had a great experience on the Star when my daughter sprained her ankle on one of the more rigorous excursions.  They took xrays, provided a shot for pain and some medication to go ... they wrapped her ankle and arranged to have a bag of crushed ice delivered to our cabin.  It was all free as the injury occurred on a Viking excursion.  The staff was friendly, helpful and professional.

is interesting .....is this typically the case that if you are injured on a Viking excursion you can receive free treatment onboard, if the injury is consistent with the care given there? 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Be aware that no ships carry TPA, the very effective anti-clot drug used to treat strokes.  TPA requires a brain CAT scan to confirm the stroke is not caused by a hemorrhage Before it can be administered.  TPA must be administered no longer than four hours from the stroke event to prevent brain damage.
 

So, if you are at risk of stroke, never be more than three hours from a hospital that has TPA (can include a helicopter ride).  And just being, ehhhem, a well-experienced person, in the prime cruising demographic, puts one at risk of stroke.

 

Though I’m not a doctor, I’d like to remind everyone that if you or a loved one suddenly experiences any odd symptoms, from numbness to slurred speech to confusion, etc., do not hesitate to call 911 (or your emergency services) or get to a hospital immediately.  TPA is almost a miracle drug, but it has to be administered within 3-4 hours to prevent permanent brain damage and disability.  Don’t “wait to see if it gets better”!  A false alarm is no big deal, the medical professionals much prefer that than having to try to save someone that waits too long.

[molymoo]

2 hours ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

I appreciate those who have posted about their experiences with the medical services on Viking.  I'd like to hear more responses from those who have used the services as we have always wondered how they are.  Also molymoo 

is interesting .....is this typically the case that if you are injured on a Viking excursion you can receive free treatment onboard, if the injury is consistent with the care given there? 

That was my understanding ... there were a number of sprains, strains, bumps and bruises coming from the same excursion and while I waited I heard then tell everyone that the services were free of charge if the injury occurred on a Viking excursion.  I am guessing that the excursion operators insurance received a rather large bill but we were well taken care of at no charge to us.

[molymoo]

2 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Be aware that no ships carry TPA, the very effective anti-clot drug used to treat strokes.  TPA requires a brain CAT scan to confirm the stroke is not caused by a hemorrhage Before it can be administered.  TPA must be administered no longer than four hours from the stroke event to prevent brain damage.
 

So, if you are at risk of stroke, never be more than three hours from a hospital that has TPA (can include a helicopter ride).  And just being, ehhhem, a well-experienced person, in the prime cruising demographic, puts one at risk of stroke.

 

Though I’m not a doctor, I’d like to remind everyone that if you or a loved one suddenly experiences any odd symptoms, from numbness to slurred speech to confusion, etc., do not hesitate to call 911 (or your emergency services) or get to a hospital immediately.  TPA is almost a miracle drug, but it has to be administered within 3-4 hours to prevent permanent brain damage and disability.  Don’t “wait to see if it gets better”!  A false alarm is no big deal, the medical professionals much prefer that than having to try to save someone that waits too long.

 

So very true.  We had personal experience when my husband took me to the emergency room for a kidney stone and had a stroke while they were treating me.   Needless to say they were able to administer the TPA almost immediately and he walked out in great shape.  Sadly he had another stroke two weeks later and TPA couldn't be used again so soon ... he's okay but it took a lot of time and rehab.  

[Pyroforyou]

We were on a tour that includes Eze, with many steps up and down. A fellow Viking tourist fell and hurt her ankle and could not walk. The Viking guides (there were two Viking tours at Eze at the time) helped her to a chair and called the ship which sent a taxi for her. Our groups stayed with her till the taxi arrived and no one complained that we had to wait around. Later on the ship we saw the lady again and she said she had broken her ankle and the ships doctor set it for her. Later in the cruise, in Rome on a tour, Viking provided a wheel chair and staff to push her around so she could still enjoy her cruise. There are pictures online of the medical area on Viking ships.

Also on that cruise a person passed away at night (in the cabin down the hall) and the medical team was very quick to respond and try to help but it was too late. 

Just one last note on Viking mecical, on our Rhine river cruise a lady became unresponsive during dinner, Viking staff immediately started cpr as needed and within about 5 mins the ship had pulled to the river bank to a waiting ambulance. The lady was fine the next day, she happened to be a Dr herself, and returned to the ship.

Edited August 21, 2020 by Pyroforyou
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[mhb1757]

My husband took a rather spectacular tumble down the forward stairs on the Star in June, 2018. It was the first day of the cruise and he jumped right up thinking he had only hurt his pride but the staff that watched him do the triple flip insisted he be seen and sent the nurse to our cabin to “escort” him to the clinic. He did have quite a large hematoma on his leg (he is on an anticoagulant). The doctor was from Bulgaria and was quite nice. He told him to stop taking his anticoagulant so the hematoma wouldn’t get bigger. But his nurse practitioner wife and his pharmacist daughter quickly vetoed that suggestion (I didn’t care if his leg boo boo got bigger but I did care if his heart stents clotted off from stopping his anticoagulant cold turkey). The nurse was also from Bulgaria and she rubbed his leg down with some type of a herbal gel that she swore would make it better over night (don’t think it did much and massaging that calf made me a little nervous, but no harm was done). There was no charge for the visit and they apparently asked the cabin steward to bring ice packs because they had one in the room when we got back from the clinic and kept showing up with them for several days until we told them they weren’t needed anymore. The nurse called the cabin for several days to follow up and make sure he was ok. 
so we felt like they were very kind and appreciated their concern. But we’re a bit dubious about the quality of the care provided. 

[SM77]

I was not impressed with my experience on Jupiter in Dec 2019.  I fell as I stepped off the gangway w/ a cane onto the dock (it was wet out and a puddle was hiding a hole that I fell into) and fell hard on my shoulder.  Though the security staff wanted me to go to the sick bay.  I opted to change my wet pants and went out on our walking excursion.  On the way back, I was feeling pretty sore so we stopped at the medical office and it was closed - not opening until 4 PM.  So I went back down later to see the doctor.  She checked me over and just said that I bruised myself pretty hard and gave me some topical muscle cream to ease the soreness & suggested ice.  No x-ray which I was pretty surprised that they didn't do (On a Crystal cruise in 2017, I fell in the hallway on my hand, it was rocky that day & the doctor immediately x-rayed my hand).  At least this was towards the end of the cruise so I took it easy, applying ice & the muscle cream, taking Tylenol for the pain(I cannot take aspirin or Nasids for other reasons).  I went to see her again a couple of days later and she just said it would take a long time to get over the issue.   She didn't suggest anything else.   Granted I never did anything further once I got home, it took over six weeks for me to be able raise my arm straight up w/o hurting.  Of course I wasn't charged for anything.  At least on our return to the ship, staff put a caution sign on the spot where I fell.  Given that I was in a lot of discomfort, I would have thought that she would have x-rayed my shoulder.  

[Squawkman]

SM77 -  I agree that an X-ray was in order, but I can’t understand why you immediately didn’t see an orthopedist when you came home given the level of pain you describe. In my wife’s case, the ship’s doctor strongly advised seeing an orthopedist ASAP. She made the appointment for the day after we arrived from the ship. Injury was much less serious than it could have been, but the Viking doctor wantEd to be 100% sure.

[rbslos18]

SM77--I am so glad you are healed and feeling better. I can only imagine how frightening it was to fall and need care....and the unknown.

It seems the doctor made the right decision after-all. Had you returned home and learned that there was a break, the doctor's judgement would have been incorrect. On the positive side, you were spared unneeded radiation!

RB

Edited August 30, 2020 by rbslos18

[Heidi13]

May I suggest that when discussing medical care, we need to consider that medical care expectations and experiences vary significantly throughout the world and this includes being aboard a cruise ship. When we travel, we should be aware that medical care may be different from what we receive at home, but the expectation should be that we get cured. 

 

When on mega ships operating out of US ports you are probably going to experience more of a US type medical care system, but when we met with the doctor on the Sun for a tour of the Medical Centre, I definitely got the impression it was operated on more of a European & Canadian model. Not receiving a bill after service would tend to confirm the model. Note - this may even vary based on where the doctor was trained and worked prior to going to sea.

 

Personally, with the system I have experienced in both UK & Canada, our family doctors and Emerg Physicians don't have the same risks of being sued, so focus on and trust their diagnostic skills, most often not requiring additional tests. If the doctor thinks they are required, we get them. Although I have experienced numerous injuries, in over 60 yrs, I have only received 1 x-ray. With a soft tissue issue, my expectation for referral would be to a physiotherapist to expedite re-gaining full range of motion. We would only be referred to an Orthopedist for a complex fracture that required pins. plates, etc. Both systems will no doubt have the same outcome, we just have different expectations from our experiences at home.

 

At least back in my days on the ships, the docs were aware of the expectations of different nationalities and did take those into account. Normally, if a specific test or treatment was requested by the patient they would comply, even if they knew it wasn't required.

[Jim Avery]

On my cargo ships I got to play a Doctor.  At crew change I was required to inventory the medical stores with the off going  Captain (morphine, etc.).  At sea I had a large medical volume for info and a radio telephone number for a real Doctor if I needed to be talked through some procedures.  Thankfully it never got past antiseptic and butterfly bandages as I can't watch surgeries on TV.😱  I don't think it is reasonable to expect ship's doctors to be like your GP at home.  If you are like me, you got the chance to work through a number of them and settled on the ones you liked best.  I am just happy they are onboard.  Not that I want to discover the joys of hospitals ashore in strange places.  Accurate self evaluation will go a long way to avoiding the Medical Center.  🍸

[SM77]

9 hours ago, Squawkman said:

SM77 -  I agree that an X-ray was in order, but I can’t understand why you immediately didn’t see an orthopedist when you came home given the level of pain you describe. In my wife’s case, the ship’s doctor strongly advised seeing an orthopedist ASAP. She made the appointment for the day after we arrived from the ship. Injury was much less serious than it could have been, but the Viking doctor wantEd to be 100% sure.

You are correct that I should have seen an orthopedist when I came home but I was definitely given the impression that I was just really bruised and the ship's doctor gave no indication that I should follow up w/ anyone.   I understand that different doctors from countries other than the US may not feel the need to order unnecessary tests - I didn't think I broke anything but felt that maybe I might have torn something.  I did not insist on getting an x-ray.  In hindsight, perhaps I should have been more assertive.  I am just relaying my experience on this last Viking cruise w/ this particular medical doctor.  When I fell in the hallway on a Crystal cruise, the doctor was very thorough, x-rayed both hands to compare the injured one to the non-injured - came to the conclusion that nothing was broken & I was badly bruised & suggested ice, muscle cream, & Tylenol.  Not that I would pick Crystal over Viking based on the medical staff but both experiences were very different.  Also, thinking that I would need to make a claim for the medical visit, I was surprised to find out that Crystal covered the expense.  I realized then that if you are injured on a ship or while on a ship sponsored excursion, at least Crystal & Viking will pay for any medical expenses.  I am very careful when I walk to avoid situations like this but stuff happens.