Tahitian Princess' Chief Medical Officer offers advise for cruise passengers

[thesavvyoldlady]

During a recent cruise on the Tahitian Princess I had the opportunity to speak with the ship’s physician, Doctor Lana Strydom, and her staff and was invited to tour their medical facility.

 

Dr Strydom and I sat down and she gave me specific information that every cruiser should know about how modern day cruise lines are prepared to meet the medical needs of the passengers and what passengers should do to protect their health while traveling. This interview was full of information that I found fascinating and important so, I wanted to pass all of this on to you. My first impression of the medical facilities was that it is more like a modern day compact hospital emergency room. Complete with examining facilities, lab testing equipment, a rather impressively stocked pharmacy and medical supply center and treatment rooms. The ship’s medical officer is also armed with many books of protocols, infection and treatment tracking software and tons of rules and regulations to go by while at sea. Dr. Strydom told me that she really needs to be prepared to handle every sort of common medical situation, from coughs and colds and forgotten medicines, to minor crew or passenger injuries or heart attacks and even animal bites. She also needs to be prepared to track and handle cases of the dreaded Norovirus and to be ready for any onboard emergencies that may result in casualties.

 

1. Although they have a fully stocked Pharmacy onboard (with products that mostly come from England) they are not to be considered your personal Pharmacy. If you forget or run out of your medication you will be required to have a physical before the doctor will prescribe for you. Yes, even if you walk in with your empty prescription bottle Princess protocol requires that you be seen and checked by the doctor. They may not have every drug in every brand that a passenger may use at home but they have onboard a product that is a suitable equivalent for most all situations. As we all know that with all the legal issues today the ship’s Doctor must err on the side of caution. Since the ship’s Pharmacy can’t possibly carry all commercial drugs onboard an arrangement has been made to have a network of land based pharmacies at their disposal in most countries that they call on. This way the shipboard medical staff can email the port agent to legally obtain the needed medication for delivery at the next port of call. They even have a network of physicians at their disposal in the event a new prescription must be ordered in compliance with local laws or a complicated medication must be administered by a specialist.

 

2. If you have an existing medical condition, Doctor Strydom recommends that you bring with you as a precaution a letter from your personal physician listing your medical diagnosis, dosage of your prescriptions and any electrocardiogram readings (EKG/ECG) and or blood work that can be used to compare in the event that you get sick. If you have an electronic medical record, all the better, don’t forget to pack that along with your other travel necessities.

 

3. She strongly suggested that passengers taking multiple medications bring a list of the brand and generic name of these drugs and the dosage. When she or the medical staff ask patients what they are taking they all too often get the response, “Well, I take the pink ones twice a day and the blue ones once a day etc. and they are for my diabetes, heart condition and urinary tract infection”… that is just not all that helpful. If you are not sure of all these cryptic sounding names, just ask your pharmacist to get these for you from your pharmacy records. Dr Strydom told me she has had to spend countless hours looking up the various brand names of meds from different countries when a patient comes in with a vial filled with capsules and tablets. Having the generic (non-branded) name makes that so much of a quicker process.

 

4. Medical Travel Insurance. Many people try to save the cost of purchasing insurance and I have to admit I have been one of them. In fact, some travel agents suggest that you can cut costs by not getting this; this is not a good idea! After seeing a passenger being airlifted by helicopter from our cruise ship one windy and foggy morning I began to rethink my reasoning. Dr. Strydom said that a private helicopter company can charge as much as $30,000. Sometimes, as in the case of the incident on our Top of The World voyage when the British Royal Navy came to the rescue, a governmental agency can help transport and the passenger may not be charged but that is not frequently the case. Even if a medivac is not needed there are some potential significant costs for treatments and in some cases you may need to cut your trip short-without a refund! For example, a simple broken bone can cost as much as $8,000. If you need to get off to have it set, as may be the case, or to have another type of surgery the cost can be astronomical and not all insurances are taken in all countries. We all have to make the call about medical and trip insurance but if we decide not to take it we can’t really complain about the charges.

 

5. Norovirus and other GI Disorders. We all have had to fill out the health screening forms prior to boarding. Hopefully we fill them out honestly but many passengers fear that if they say they have been feeling poorly prior to embarkation they will be turned away at the pier. According to Dr. Strydom, that is not the case. If you report symptoms at embarkation Princess permits you to board unless you are actively vomiting in the embarkation area. If you had been sick that morning or the day before they may require you to visit the ship’s physician once you are onboard and you will be examined and possibly quarantined for a short time, but you will be able to sail. The first 48 hours after departure every Princess Cruise Ship is on yellow alert for the Norovirus, just to be sure. If no cases are found it is lowered to green. On our cruise we did have the “nasty” bug rear its ugly head, or whatever it has, and we were immediately raised to red alert. Some passengers complained that we remained on red alert too long and it annoyed them, but the most annoying thing that happened was that they couldn’t serve themselves at the buffet…so, what’s wrong with being served? The Captain and ship’s Medical Officer do not make decisions about when to and for how long to quarantine by themselves, it is Princess corporate policy which is guided by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that sets the standards. They have no discretion in the matter and must follow the protocols based on the number and percent of infections over time. The CDC has determined that you may not lower the red alert status until you have gone 72 hours with no more than one or two cases. The total number of cases on our cruise was 38 which included 5 crew members.

 

6. If you have a chronic medical condition and you want to go on a cruise don’t let it stop you, consult your own physician before booking and use common sense. If you inform the cruise lines in advance of any special needs they can relay the information to the physician onboard and your needs will be met as reasonably as possible. Dr Strydom said she had a passenger on the World Cruise who required a blood transfusion once a month. It was arranged at a hospital at a given destination and the passenger was able to go to the land based clinic when they reached port, receive her treatment do a little sightseeing and shopping and get back on the ship in time to sail.

 

I was amazed to see the compact treatment area and the ability to do x-rays, blood work, liver and kidney functions and all of the screenings (especially since on the world cruise they visit so many different countries) for malaria, rabies, and strep throat etc.

 

Dr Strydom is assisted by two nurses and has the ability to contact other physicians for second opinions. When asked how she liked her work on board, she smiled and said it is not always an easy job, particularly when the Norovirus hitches a ride or she has to take x-rays when the ship is rocking and the patient is moving, but she very much enjoys the work.

 

Pictures of the medical department can be seen at http://thesavvyoldlady.com. Click on Cruise Reviews.

Thank you to Dr Strydom and her clinic staff for taking the time to answer all my questions and get a great tour of their impressive medical facilities. Indeed, as Captain Ravera told the passengers during one of our receptions, Medical may be one of the smallest departments onboard but it is one with very important responsibilities.

[CaribbeanCruisers]

This post is loaded with VALUABLE information!

Thank you for not only taking the time to do the interview, but to also share it with all of us.

Everyone can learn from this post...

Happy Sails,

CC

[hillslife]

Great post - I had the honor of meeting and being treated by Dr. Strydom on the World Cruise this year (for personal medical problems and also the Noro virus) She is fabulous!! A very sincere and kind person; very comforting; very through and a real pleasure to work with.

 

Glad to see she is back on the TP. She took her required vacation part way through our cruise and she was truly missed.

[NorcalGuy]

Great post and very well written.

I learned a lot.

I have had occasion to bring travel companions to the Princess doctor and have always been pleased with the service.

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks for writing that post. I have printed it out and will use it as reference when we are on the Ocean Princess next May. Hopefully we won't need to visit the Medical Centre but one never knows when on a long voyage.

 

Jennie

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

Thanks for posting,

 

While on the Sea the ships doctor produced a short video, never seen this done before,

 

it played all day on the TV.

 

It warned us a bout Noro, told us what to do, what to look out for etc,

 

It also went on to give good advise about being in the sun, not drinking water ashore etc.

 

Pity other ships do not do the same.

 

yours shogun

[Druke I]

Lots of good valuable information in your posting.

 

Thank you.

[thesavvyoldlady]

Thank you all for your kind words. Dr. Strydom's advice is important to all of us. She said if passengers just took a few minutes and made a list of their meds and dosages when preparing for their cruise it would be so helpful to all ship board doctors. Often when we are sick or in pain we can't concentrate and remember all of our medications. If time is critical this information is vital to the physician.

 

Anyone who has met or been treated by Dr Strydom knows she is a warm, compassionate physician who takes that extra step for her patients. I met her last year on our Alaskan cruise and was very impressed.

 

She also told me that her parents were cruising on the TP for the last two months and when time permitted she was enjoying their company. However, with the dreaded norovirus onboard Dr Strydom's hours were extended considerably.

 

Hugs,

 

The Savvy Old Lady

[laughing husky]

Thanks for posting....It is nice to change a change to the better medical care that used to go along with cruising. That said, (as a medical provider) I wonder why some people choose to go on a cruise when they just broke their neck, had a fusions of some sort, or just had major cardiac/other surgery and they go against medical advice (so soon) and expect the ship's doc to take care of them if there is a problem.

[jagsfan]

thank you for the very valuable info. I never thought about bringing the generic name

of my scripts, but that would sure help.

Mimi

[breezyb45]

Thanks so much for this informative post. It should be highlighted on CC plus printed in all cruise booklets. It would make all our lives easier if we would follow this simple advice.

I really appreciated that you took your time to do this and post it.

Have a wonderful trip and stay healthy.

Kathy

[uppitycats]

A great post! thanks for doing it! I hope the board "owners" see this and put it up there as a "sticky"!

[thesavvyoldlady]

I just wish someone could tell me how to change the word advise in the title to advice. LOL I knew I shouldn't have posted so late at night...now I'm sitting here with a red face. If anyone from CC reads this I really would appreciate it if you could correct it.

 

Hugs,

 

The Savvy Old Lady

[Druke I]

Moderators can change the word in the title for you.

 

Send them an e-mail with your request.

[thesavvyoldlady]

Thank you so much Michael. I just sent them an email. Unfortunately, I'm part of the etch-a-sketch generation not the computer generation.

 

Hugs

[Pachutabelle]

Thanks so much for this information. It had not crossed my mind to take a written list of meds but now I will do so. I can see how this would be so very helpful.

[thesavvyoldlady]

Thanks so much for this information. It had not crossed my mind to take a written list of meds but now I will do so. I can see how this would be so very helpful.

I think I will make a list and leave it in my luggage. That way it will be a reminder to always take it with me and I can just update it whenever necessary.

[thesavvyoldlady]

Thanks for posting....It is nice to change a change to the better medical care that used to go along with cruising. That said, (as a medical provider) I wonder why some people choose to go on a cruise when they just broke their neck, had a fusions of some sort, or just had major cardiac/other surgery and they go against medical advice (so soon) and expect the ship's doc to take care of them if there is a problem.

 

Unfortunately, some people have the “nothing will happen to me” mentality and no one can convince them differently. Several years ago a friend of our son’s went on a family reunion cruise to the Western Caribbean. One in their group (person in mid 40’s) went against his doctor’s advice not to cruise. Once onboard his health started to deteriorate and by the time they reached Cozumel he had to be hospitalized. Sadly, he died but the nightmare continued when the family that stayed with him had their passports confiscated. The Mexican government refused to let them leave or release the body until the medical bill was paid. The bill was over $100,000 and his parents and 2 siblings had to max out their credit cards in order to pay the bill and leave the country. He apparently thought his private health insurance would cover any medical bills he might have on the cruise…it didn’t.

[nathan2]

Thanks for the post. Some friends told me about it and I thought it would be great to print out and give it to my parents. My parents and several other couples are going on their first cruise this year.

[Pam in CA]

Excellent post! Thank you. I keep a list of my medications (generic name) on my iPhone for "just in case." Even when not on a cruise, I've had to know the names of my medications several times.

 

When I took the Ultimate Ship's Tour, the medical facility was included. The doctor talked to us with some of the points you've listed. He also said, "I can't understand why Americans don't get insurance when they cruise. They're about the only ones who don't and some countries require you to have insurance. I don't get it." He's probably right in that I bet it's mostly Americans who don't buy travel insurance.

 

If you travel often, I would suggest getting Medjet Assist (http://www.medjetassist.com/) insurance. It's relatively inexpensive and should you need evacuation or transportation 150 miles or more from your home, anywhere in the world, they will send a medical team and transport you.

[California Native]

Great post and I love your website

Many of us over the years have said much of what you just did and at times really been accosted by other cruisecritic members.

As being overly prepared or cautious (worse insults were hurled)

Now that you are repeating this as coming from the ships doctor they will begin to believe what was said.

When I was injured on Pacific Princess and super glued back together because the seas were too rough ...the doctor onboard refused to put neosporin on the wound, because he said the it was overrated and only doctors in the states use it.

Also on the Pacific Princess, When my body was covered in mosquito bites, the ship pharmacy didn't carry 2% benadryl cream, but only 1% hydrocortisone cream that cost me 12.00 after a 60.00 doctor visit

The USA and the rest of the world don't name the same prescription with same names I learned that trying to order Cipro in Bulgaria and Vicodin isn't known as Vicodin throughout the rest of the world. It's by the proper name.

Be prepared folks, when you take these extra steps with your health...

it's like carrying around the umbrella, when you do that ...it will rarely rain

[thesavvyoldlady]

Thanks for the kind words. I will definitely check out that website. I never thought of putting the generic names on my phone. Great idea!!!

 

Hugs,

The Savvy old Lady

[Putterdude]

Thanks for the great post. As Canadians we are very aware how little we are protected by our medical plan once we leave Canada and the purchase of health coverage is always top of mind when we travel. This coverage can be expensive as we do live in AZ for 5 or so months each year but the winter before last I racked up a bill in excess of $35,000 for a 2.5 day stay in an AZ hospital....all covered by insurance, thank heavens.

[Woobstr112G]

Just saw this thread. Thanks to the OP for posting.....:):):)

 

Bob

[thesavvyoldlady]

Great post and I love your website

 

Many of us over the years have said much of what you just did and at times really been accosted by other cruisecritic members.

 

As being overly prepared or cautious (worse insults were hurled)

 

Now that you are repeating this as coming from the ships doctor they will begin to believe what was said.

 

When I was injured on Pacific Princess and super glued back together because the seas were too rough ...the doctor onboard refused to put neosporin on the wound, because he said the it was overrated and only doctors in the states use it.

 

Also on the Pacific Princess, When my body was covered in mosquito bites, the ship pharmacy didn't carry 2% benadryl cream, but only 1% hydrocortisone cream that cost me 12.00 after a 60.00 doctor visit

 

The USA and the rest of the world don't name the same prescription with same names I learned that trying to order Cipro in Bulgaria and Vicodin isn't known as Vicodin throughout the rest of the world. It's by the proper name.

 

Be prepared folks, when you take these extra steps with your health...

 

it's like carrying around the umbrella, when you do that ...it will rarely rain

 

I'm so glad you liked my posting. You brought up a great point. Since the Pharmacy "world" all recognize the generic name of a drug instead of the brand name it's a wise choice for us all to stop off at our pharmacy and get a list of the generic drug names and dosages we take. In many countries many of our drugs are sold over the counter (in Mexico almost all antibiotics are sold over the counter.) This could possibly give you the option to purchase your prescription cheaper on land than you can onboard.

 

Sadly, it's a known fact that the corporate headquarters of all cruise lines make policy and consider the Medical Department as a revenue center. However, passengers must remember that the ship's doctors must follow corporate policy and being angry with the Medical Staff is really not fair.

 

Hugs,

The Savvy Old Lady