A former cruise ship doctor has warned Brits of a common mistake she saw being made by countless passengers.
Dr Ellen Welch, NHS GP, worked on cruises for over 10 years, and said there was a common misconception that often left holidaymakers she treated out of pocket.
The medical professional explained that she often treated passengers who mistakenly thought that their medical costs would be included within the price of their holiday.
Dr Welch, working with Total Travel Protection said: “During my 10 years at sea, we frequently treated guests travelling without travel insurance, who then had the stress of a medical bill to pay. Every consultation with a doctor costs a minimum fee, and then the costs of investigations, treatments, and medications are added on to this.
“For the severely unwell patients requiring admissions and specialist treatments, the bills can be thousands of pounds. I often found guests from the US were less ruffled about this, but UK-based guests used to the NHS were often very shocked.”
She added that although some cruise lines will provide complimentary treatment for passengers suffering from seasickness, “beyond that, any further medical care involves a consultation and charges apply”.
She also stressed that a cruise ship is a remote setting: “While the medical facilities on board are well stocked and able to deal with emergencies, they are not a hospital, and patients who are severely unwell may need to be disembarked from the ship for definitive care on land. Helicopter evacuations may be part of this, if safe to do so, but again this is not always possible. During a transatlantic crossing, for example, they cannot request a helicopter evacuation as the ship is too far out of their operating range.”
When it comes to cruise holidays, your safest bet is to check your policy. Travel insurers typically don’t include cruises on policies, but you can opt for one-off policies that do cover cruises or, if you’re a regular passenger, you can get this added into an annual policy.
It’s a warning echoed by plenty of the cruise lines who make it clear to passengers that medical expenses aren’t included within the cost of their cruise.
For example in an FAQs section on its website, Royal Caribbean explains: “Yes, you must have appropriate travel insurance – with healthcare cover – in place to cover your cruise holiday as well as any other destinations you may be visiting independently. Please ensure that it covers your circumstances – including any pre-existing medical conditions. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable for your individual needs.
“European Health Insurance Card: European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) issued before 31 December 2020 will continue to be valid until their expiration date when travelling to an EU country.”