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Most people take a cruise in order to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit, and the need for health services never comes up.
Emergency Care
While cruise ships are not comprehensive medical facilities, the cruise lines understand that some people may have health needs during a cruise. Thus, they are committed to providing excellent first response and emergency care to passengers until they can be transferred to a shore-side medical facility.
Most of the cruise lines operating in the North American market have voluntarily worked to create standards for medical facilities onboard their vessels, even though neither international law nor U.S. law requires them to do so. The medical standards were put in place to provide:
- reasonable emergency medical care for passengers and crew;
- the capability to stabilize patients and/or initiate reasonable diagnostic and therapeutic intervention; and
- evacuate seriously ill or injured patients when deemed necessary by a shipboard physician.
The medical facilities standards were developed in conjunction with American College of Emergency Physicians (AECP) requirements. Included in the policies and procedures are 24-hour medical services and staff.
Personnel Certifications
Personnel are board certified or hold equivalent international certification or have general practice and emergency or critical care experience. Personnel must also be conversant in English, must possess a current valid medical license, and must have three years of clinical experience, including minor surgical skills.
Medical Standards
The cruise industry medical standards specify the type and quantity of equipment that must be available onboard, such as x-ray, defibrillators, EKG, wheelchairs, portable oxygen, to name a few, as well as medicines that must be maintained onboard.
A number of cruise lines have established links with shore-side medical institutions, which provide professional medical consultation, including in some cases, Internet or satellite based communication.
Cruise lines and travel agents encourage cruise vacationers to obtain travel medical insurance, to travel with extra supplies of prescription medications and devices and to fully disclose pre-existing medical conditions before sailing. They point out that many regular health insurance plans do not provide coverage when travelers are outside the United States. |
