| Cruise Tip – Cruising Well

It is never fun getting sick on holidays, and
often the fear of “what will happen if” stops
many travellers from taking a cruise. Many
believe that they will not be able to access
the services of a doctor at sea, and that they
will be trapped onboard sick and unattended
until they manage to stumble back onto land.
This fear however is not founded in truth,
as almost every cruise ship in existence features
a medical facility and employs a doctor.
In fact, onboard many of the larger ships
there is often a full medical team as well as a
large medical centre.
As such, most vessels will be able to treat
minor complaints such as earaches,
seasickness scrapes and sunburn etc,
however it will depend on which ship you are
travelling on as to what more serious
conditions can be treated onboard.
For example NCL vessels can handle
medical maladies from thrombolyic therapy
to xrays, whilst selected Holland America
Line vessels carry defibrillators, EKG’s and
portable wheelchairs.
If you are concerned, it is best to have a
chat with your travel agent about what
medical facilities are available, and on which
ships they can be accessed.
Cruisers should also be aware that they will
be charged a fee for medical treatment
onboard, however this fee is may be covered
by travel insurance, so make sure you read
the fine print of any policies that you are
looking into, to ensure that you are covered.