My wife and I have been watching Love Boat and the doctor has a lobby, an examination room, and his own bedroom seems to be attached. On Columbo the cruise ship has a multi bed room that looks just like a hospital room. In both shows there's a doctor, nurse, and medicine cabinet. So what is the real situation for medical offices on a cruise ship?

Btw, on Columbo the nurse is smoking and I'm not talking about her looks.

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Ukulele music I couldn't find anywhere else.
[colquhoun.info]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2022 09:08PM by davemchine.

From the 1st page in a Google search...

[www.hupla.co]

[www.beyondships2.com]

[cruiseline.com]

[thebiomedicalscientist.net]

Note that they probably won't take your insurance:
[profcruise.com]

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My advice... don't get sick.

Funny you should ask!
I’m currently returning on an expedition cruise ship from Antarctica.
Since I recently had Covid, but had fully recovered long before the trip, I still tested positive with their required saliva test.
I’ve been cleared by my doctor, and I knew I was fine, so I got them to do the nasal swab, and yes, I am negative and have been for a while.
The reason I mentioned this is Because I have had to go to the medical clinic on board every morning to have my nose swab to make sure I’m still negative. There’s a small counter, it has a computer, and actually spots for two people. There’s a small office for the doctor, and it seems like there’s a couple other exam rooms. This is a large over 600 foot long vessel, that has 375 passengers and 265 crew. The doctor seems to do only that, while the nurse, and other people that have been in the office, have multiple jobs they do on the boat.
It got interesting. When through a very freak accident, one of the passengers broke a leg in a zodiac incident. Zodiac being a type of inflatable boat.
I’m writing to you now, because it got more interesting, because we’re returning early, so that the person can get their leg treated, and we were crossing drakes passage in the southern ocean, with gale, force winds and over 25 foot swells.
Just hours ago, a rogue wave hit this large ship, it rocked the ship, not side to side, but actually like it was impacted, and moved over. A few cabins had the windows, broken, and water rushed in. There was no chance of a sinking or anything like that, but at 10 PM, when everything is dark, things get a little crazy.
Everything is stable now, no other people seem to be injured, and other than some of the cabins being destroyed, and actually most things gone, I mean, soaked, everything will be fine. Luckily, they had a few extra, empty rooms, and I got moved up to a nicer room while my room dries out.
Luckily, I was smart enough to put all of my charging devices for my iPad, my iPhone, and my laptop in my backpack, as I’m exiting the room, of course, it wasn’t super urgent, because the water wasn’t coming in. It was just sloshing around in the hallway and slowly coming into the rooms, but not anything that would cause the ship to sink.
So, this has been a memorable cruise in many regards.
The company, and the crew have been very good, and the company is stepping up to the plate, and doing the right thing by giving full credit to the passengers, and this was actually before the latest incident with the Zodiac. It was simply because we were cutting the cruise short, so the injured person could get to medical aid.
I will give everyone an update when the dust has settled or, as the water has dried out, on how it has been handled.
So far, I’d say the cruise company has been very good, and their response and care, for everyone has been exemplary.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2022 02:10PM by Ken Sp..

Wow-what a trip. We had considered Antarctica on one of the Viking ships. A rogue wave that breaks cabin windows gives me pause.

I'm glad you're ok and I hope for a uneventful continuation of your trip!

.....in one of Al Pacino's movies......he went cruising too.....

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Dave,

I've been to the medical center on a cruise ship - Norwegian - and it is just like a doctor's office. It has a lobby/seating area and separate examining rooms. There is a doctor, nurses, medicine, equipment for emergency care. Cruise ships even have a morgue.

They didn't take my health insurance but the cost wasn't atrocious. I was able to get some of the expense reimbursed upon returning to NY by contacting my health insurance provider and submitting the bills. The care was top-notch.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2022 08:13AM by Robert M.

Talked to the ship’s doctor once on a cruise when I saw him up on deck. I liked cruising, so I was like “What a great job!”

He replied, dead serious, “Why on earth would you think that?”

Oookay, then.

I've been to the medical section on a cruise ship twice.

It must have been unremarkable, because I don't really remember anything specific.

Once was to get some Pepto type thing for the spousal unit because she didn't feel good. You can't buy stuff like that in the ship's regular store (where you can get toothpaste for $10 a tube, or something), because if you're having GI issues, they want to know about it. Seems that some cruises have had bad experiences with GI viruses.

The second time was when my son puked while in the kid's club. Again, if that happens, they get concerned. It was just sea-sickness. Poor kid was green most of the cruise, but he had a great time. Anyway, before they would let him back in the kid's club, he had to see the doc. Doc kept saying, "He's fine. Why are you here?" He didn't seem to understand that the kid needed his clearance to return.

What an adventure! I’m envious. Although a Gulf of Mexico winter cruise might be more relaxing.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Once upon a time, my son had a gum infection arise while we were on a Carnival ship (he was still healing from recent wisdom tooth surgery). The medical office we visited in the late afternoon looked pretty much like any other — not exactly as in the picture below, but similar in the compact size and obstructed views. We heard a door open near the receptionist, and then a booming voice with South African accent rang out, "No one here? Great — you'll find me at the bar!" I still recall how crestfallen the poor man was as he rounded the corner and saw us and the 2 other people waiting to see him.

That said, the doctor took good care of my son, so he was able to enjoy the rest of the trip. And I don't remember paying extra; there was probably a charge but it must not have been significant enough to stick in my brain.

I am not sure how much the cruise Ken is on costs, but let's speculate and say it is $3000 per person, so at 375 passengers we are talking about what, 1 million and change. Can they organize a flight to evacuate the sick passenger, instead of cutting the trip short and giving everyone a credit?

Quote
pdq
Talked to the ship’s doctor once on a cruise when I saw him up on deck. I liked cruising, so I was like “What a great job!”

He replied, dead serious, “Why on earth would you think that?”

Oookay, then.

I get it. His job is do deal with cruisers when they are at their worst. Not much fun.

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It is what it is.

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N-OS X-tasy
Quote
pdq
Talked to the ship’s doctor once on a cruise when I saw him up on deck. I liked cruising, so I was like “What a great job!”

He replied, dead serious, “Why on earth would you think that?”

Oookay, then.

I get it. His job is do deal with cruisers when they are at their worst. Not much fun.

I get it too. In the Navy, we had a saying - "Being aboard a ship is like being in prison with the chance of drowning."

I've never been on a cruise except one provided by the Navy.

.....last time went cruising was in the 80s....back alleys.....ended up catching a case of the crabs.....

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

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flareslow
I get it too. In the Navy, we had a saying - "Being aboard a ship is like being in prison with the chance of drowning."

I've never been on a cruise except one provided by the Navy.

I spent many sunless days/nights on a submarine.

A fellow nuke (surface puke) felt the same way about cruise ships (would never go on one).

I love cruising.

FTN.

A few years ago my younger son rolled out of his bed in the middle of the night when the waves got rough

Gashed his eyebrow on the adjacent nightstand

Came knocking on our cabin door (we were next door) crying and face covered in blood

I took him down to the ship's 'ER' in the lower decks

One doctor, one nurse

Doc cleaned the wound and stitched him up and sent us on our way

Next day some cruise personnel and I think maybe Coast Guard (I'm not sure) contacted me b/c they needed to investigate the accident

I had to show them his cabin, the location of his bed, nightstand and explain exactly what happened - something about US citizen being injured in international waters requires an investigation

Also got a bill for the ER visit (I don't remember how much) but we got the cruiseline to waive it before disembarking at the end of the trip

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My music blog: [www.auditorymusings.net]


The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado