What is medical care like on cruises?

[Weez]

I was recently on the Grandeur, and heard a most disturbing story of a man whose wife was suffering from the benz after scuba diving. He took her to the ships doctor. Apparently, he knew little about the condition, considering he advised that they should fly home when they got off the ship in Miami. Instead of flying home, they went to a hospital in Miami. She was given hyperbaric chamber treatments and was hospitalized for a week. Had they flown home as advised by the ships doctor, she might have died.

Not knowing much about this condition, but after reading this topic and hearing this story, I wanted to share it with all of you.

When this couple got home, they contacted RCCL. to share their experience, not to recieve any compensation, but to educate their company of what happened, and possibly educate their doctors, for future divers.

 

That's pretty scary, especially taking into account that scuba diving is a very popular excursion on cruise ships. You would think an MD would know how to treat it. Or at the very least be familiar with what the benz is and know that flying is absolutely not something that should be done.

[gerif]

My only experience was on a Celebrity cruise several years ago - I started running a low grade fever several days into the cruise. When I went to the ship's doctor, he didn't do any tests but gave me Allegra (I don't have allergies and told him so) and prescribed nebulizer treatments twice a day. That pretty much messed up the rest of the cruise for me as I had to report to the infirmary at certain times. Every day when I went, I told them I wasn't feeling any better and actually had to beg for Tylenol for the fever - his response was that if I wasn't better in five days, he would do blood tests. Well, hello - in five days we would be home!

 

Went to a "real" doctor on our return and found in a matter of minutes that I had strep throat and probably infected most of the ship by that time - a couple of days on Zithromax and I was good as new. I believe the bill was nearly $400.

[webteach]

I was unbelievably seasick in Nov 04 on SOS ( Deck 4 waves!! all nurses sick , too). The care I got was wonderful even with waves hitting ship and making sounds like truck collisions. It was expensive but berkely insurance covered every penny - they were not too lovely on the phone but came through with the $$ right away. Good to know. Leaving next week and scared to death of a repeat.

[time4u2go]

Thanks everybody for your responses! It sounds like it is expensive, but that the care is great. When compared to the cost of an emergency room, some of the prices mentioned didn't seem that unreasonable.

[Host Jacquelyn]

I was recently on the Grandeur, and heard a most disturbing story of a man whose wife was suffering from the benz after scuba diving. He took her to the ships doctor. Apparently, he knew little about the condition, considering he advised that they should fly home when they got off the ship in Miami. Instead of flying home, they went to a hospital in Miami. She was given hyperbaric chamber treatments and was hospitalized for a week. Had they flown home as advised by the ships doctor, she might have died.

Not knowing much about this condition, but after reading this topic and hearing this story, I wanted to share it with all of you.

When this couple got home, they contacted RCCL. to share their experience, not to recieve any compensation, but to educate their company of what happened, and possibly educate their doctors, for future divers.

 

That is very scary, and similar to what happened to me. I was 24 weeks pregnant when I cruised, and unfortunately I experienced some pregnancy complications while onboard. The onboard doctor did not have the knowledge to deal with the situation, and he certainly did not have the equipment - not even a basic, hand-held fetal heartbeat Doppler. This happened on our last 2 sea days, so I could not go to a hospital in port. When I went to the emergency room back home, they were appalled and horrified by what the doctor onboard did, as it could have had dire and potentially life-threatening consequences - both to me and the baby. Don't want to get into it here as I am sure many people don't need the details, but suffice to say the dr made a serious mistake.

[ILoveScotland]

My experience is similar to others. I was on the NCL Majesty last November when I became very hot and faint, my face got red, and the palms of my hands were itching. I'd had an unexplained fainting episode several months earlier so immediately called the ship's medical center. I was seen immediately, given a shot of benedryl and monitored until I began to recover.

 

I had just missed the scheduled office hours so was charged a bit more than otherwise. The total was $110 or $120 which was charged to my on board account. I was given a form and told to contact the travel insurance company when I returned home. I did but had to first submit the information to my own insurance company--Blue Cross of NC. I did, and to my surprise BC paid $100.

[SUZCRUZ]

My husband had a heart attack 48 hours before the end of our cruise on the Serenade. We were in our cabin so I called 911 and a nurse came up with equipment, including oxygen and a wheelchair. The medical facility was great - doctors and nurses. He spent the 48 hours there being monitored after the initial tests and medication to stabilize him. The cost was $5405, charged to our Seapass. At the end of the cruise, the ship was met by an ambulance and we were whisked away to a San Diego hospital where he had two procedures to install 6 stents. It was over a week before he was well enough to fly back home. The travel insurance made our reservations to fly, paid for his ticket, I had to pay for mine, but mine was reimbursed. We were also reimbursed for two days of the cruise which we missed, my lodging costs and the $5405 that the medical facility charged. Basically it didn't cost us anything - financially!!!

 

I thought the doctors and nurses in the medical facility were very professional, caring people. They are not specialists though and to help diagnose my husband they used a consultation with a hospital in Cleveland, I believe. I was very impressed that they were able to do that from the middle of the Pacific Ocean!!! I hope it's never necessary for us to use the medical facility again, but I would be very confident in the care we would receive.

 

What insurance company did you use? The cruiselines?

How's Hubby doing?

[dexter]

What ruined the cruise for you? The attack itself? Sounds as though the treatment was pretty good...

 

Boo

The attack lasted two days before I finally gave in and visited the doc. Then when the bill came that made it worse. Yes, the treatment worked, but the charge shocked me.

[Croozin Soozin]

What insurance company did you use? The cruiselines?

How's Hubby doing?

 

We did use the cruiselines insurance company - we always have and never had a problem - had to use it twice, the first time when my mom was dying right before a cruise several years ago.

 

My husband is doing great - just had a stress test last month and the doctor told him he no longer needed to take blood pressure medication. He was very good the first few months about watching his diet and exercising - but now he's back to the same old same old - guess I need to remind him about how he felt when he had that heart attack!!!

 

Thank you for asking!!

[HappyFamilyNJ]

My experience was much less serious than many of yours; my son got his fingers stuck in the elevator doors as they were opening. His blood-curdling screams woke up the whole ship, that's for sure! We rushed him to the infirmary, they looked at his fingers & did an X Ray (not broken fortunately), gave him some kids' Tylenol, and we were out of there in 15 minutes flat. Much better than the typical ER experience, the doctors and nurses were very kind & professional. Again, not a major illness, but good, fast treatment for a minor situation. We were charged $110 but insurance covered it.