Question about on board emergency medical response

[steverk]

I have a cruise coming up later this month with a group of friends.  Everyone except my wife and I are first time cruisers.

One of the group had a heart attack last night.  She'll be fine, but it has caused everyone in the group to become concerned.  Several are asking what would have happened if this had occurred on the cruise?  I think I know, but I'd appreciate confirmation from someone that really knows!

This is what I think would happen.

1. If the attack occurred while ashore, the person would be sent to a local hospital for treatment.  Then they would be medevac'd back to the United States. If possible, someone in the group should contact the port agent for assistance. (Port agent's contact information is in the cruise compass)
2. If the attack occurs on board,
   1. The medical team would respond and take the victim to the on board hospital.
   2. The hospital would stabilize the patient and inform the captain.
   3. The medical team and captain would decide how to best get the victim to a real hospital based on the urgency and ship's location.  This could include:
      1. Proceeding to the next scheduled port (possibly at a higher speed)
      2. Make an unscheduled emergency stop at a nearby port
      3. Call for a helicopter evacuation.
   4. Once ashore, the hospital would initiate treatment and a medevac back home.

Is this correct? 

I've also heard that if you are taken off by helicopter and then medevac'd back home from shore that it counts as 2 medevacs and only 1 will be covered by travel insurance.  Is this correct as well?

[Atlantix2000]

I would say the series of steps is correct.  But everyone should probably be aware in advance whether their medical and/or travel insurance will cover medivacs.  If not, depending on the seriousness, it could be a better choice (and FAR cheaper) to stay at the local hospital (with the rest of the party staying at a local hotel) until they are recovered enough to take a commercial flight home.  Medivacs are notoriously expensive.

[WAAAYTOOO]

It is my understanding that a helicopter evacuation from a cruise ship is extremely hazardous and only be undertaken in extremely critical situations.  I read, recently, that any ship's captain that allows a helicopter evac would be placing his/her ship in grave jeopardy and would almost certainly never allow it.

Aside from the helicopter ship evacuation, I think the rest of the scenario is pretty realistic

[smokeybandit]

CDC even advises against helicopter evac from a ship unless it's truly life or death

[Sharla]

This is exactly why we recommend travel protection! The small cost for peace of mind is huge!

[teddy]

I've shared this here before, but my wife and I had the epiphany about having solid travel insurance after watching someone get medvaced from the pier at Labadee.

 

 

[kadmgs]

51 minutes ago, Sharla said:

This is exactly why we recommend travel protection! The small cost for peace of mind is huge!

Sharla, who do you recommend for coverage?

[Pattycruise]

I was on this sailing.  The ship made no plans to find a port.  It was “full steam ahead” to get back to NY (last port was Nassau). They had called for blood donors first, then did the full steam ahead. I guess the patient went downhill because they did call in the Coast Guard for emergency pick up via helicopter.

https://www.thecoastlandtimes.com/2021/11/21/coast-guard-medevacs-passenger-from-cruise-ship-off-the-coast-of-north-carolina/

[MuttMutt]

Oddly enough I have seen the cruise ship step it up to drop someone off on 3 of my 4 sailings which one of the 4 was a B2B.  My very first one in October 2019 after leaving Falmouth we made an overnight stop at Grand Cayman to drop someone off.  That route was a 7 night from Galveston with Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and then Falmouth.  The second was the 2nd leg of our B2B while headed to Cozumel and they dropped off when we got there a few hours early.  And while on Adventure of the Seas last week we went up to full speed around 6:30 in the evening and made it in to Progresso around midnight due to a crew member's injury.  While on the water the last sea day on the same cruise we had a woman choking in the Windjammer at lunch and one of the other passengers ended up giving her the Heimlich Maneuver then after a bit a person from medical came up to check her out.  For a moment I actually thought there was a fight or something because I head glasses and plates being knocked off the table.  

[Sharla]

20 hours ago, kadmgs said:

Sharla, who do you recommend for coverage?

Royal Caribbean's is good, Allianz is my go-to for most guests though. If you live in NY then you can get Travel Guard insurance (Allianz isn't available for NY residents).

 

[kadmgs]

1 hour ago, Sharla said:

Royal Caribbean's is good, Allianz is my go-to for most guests though. If you live in NY then you can get Travel Guard insurance (Allianz isn't available for NY residents).

 

Thank you! I will look into Allianz. 

[GregD]

1 hour ago, Sharla said:

Royal Caribbean's is good, Allianz is my go-to for most guests though. If you live in NY then you can get Travel Guard insurance (Allianz isn't available for NY residents).

 

It's not? I live in NY and have had multiple plans with them.

[TXcruzer]

On 3/2/2022 at 1:06 PM, Sharla said:

This is exactly why we recommend travel protection! The small cost for peace of mind is huge!

 

On 3/2/2022 at 1:53 PM, kadmgs said:

Sharla, who do you recommend for coverage?

If you travel more than a couple times per year, an annual policy is something worth looking into.  My Trawick annual policy covers me anytime I am more than 150 miles from my home address (and it is one of the few that view Covid issues the same as any other health event)

[XtremeGK]

17 hours ago, MuttMutt said:

Oddly enough I have seen the cruise ship step it up to drop someone off on 3 of my 4 sailings which one of the 4 was a B2B.  My very first one in October 2019 after leaving Falmouth we made an overnight stop at Grand Cayman to drop someone off.  That route was a 7 night from Galveston with Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and then Falmouth.  The second was the 2nd leg of our B2B while headed to Cozumel and they dropped off when we got there a few hours early.  And while on Adventure of the Seas last week we went up to full speed around 6:30 in the evening and made it in to Progresso around midnight due to a crew member's injury.  While on the water the last sea day on the same cruise we had a woman choking in the Windjammer at lunch and one of the other passengers ended up giving her the Heimlich Maneuver then after a bit a person from medical came up to check her out.  For a moment I actually thought there was a fight or something because I head glasses and plates being knocked off the table.  

I feel like we've diverted or stepped it up for a medevac on more sailings than we haven't. I've had trips that have returned to Bermuda nearly 8 hours after we departed for a medevac via pilot boat, arrived in San Juan 3 hours early to offload a patient at the pier, even diverted to Gibraltar on Quantum's TA for a passenger medevac.

[Sharla]

5 hours ago, GregD said:

It's not? I live in NY and have had multiple plans with them.

It's not available to travel agents. I am not sure why, but there's something with that state that we aren't allowed to sell Allianz to NY residents. You also can't get Royal Caribbean's insurance as a NY resident- "The Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program and the Celebrity/Azamara CruiseCare Program no longer cover residents of the state of New York. Travel insurance for guests who are New York state residents may be purchased through Aon Affinity."