Travel Insurance - cost of emergency evacuation from ship to hospital

[welshfamily]

Bare in mind our case is slightly different as we have a son with a serious medical condition.

When we first started cruising as a way of showing our son as much of the world as possible on a 'floating hotel' we asked this question of ;

1. His hospital

2. The cruise line

3. Insurance companies

4. The charity which works solely with people suffering from his illness ( all young people who mostly want to travel whilst they can )

 

Please also bare in mind that we have letters in the language of each country we visit with the name of the closest hospital to the port which could provide reciprocal emergency treatment if necessary. We are therefore just looking for transport to this hospital in the first instance.

 

The replies we had varied from free to mega expense, all depending on circumstances, mainly where we were in the world. The worst of all was the States. There the costs were eye watering and the charity had actual examples of costs. All advised us to be insured ' up to the eyeballs' or 'over the top'. We only take out policies which talk in £100,000's when it comes to being airlifted of the ship. I had to get my last one out to get the amount to answer thus post and it was a million pounds.

 

I can see where the OP is coming from, am I letting my fear of this happening part me from my hard earned money. Yes, more than likely, but the alternative scares me more. Therefore I continue to pay out large sums for travel insurance simply for peace of mind.

[AppleApple]

Whilst medical evacuation may be free, don't forget that any treatment on board will be charged for. Whilst I was having treatment for a badly cut toe ($400!), I had an chance to see the 'price list', I might be wrong, but I think whilst in port, an escorted transfer to a local hospital would be in the region of $2000. I cannot believe that people would travel without insurance!

 

Just to add to your post, my brother was a doctor on one of the cruise ships and he often encountered people not buying travel insurance only then fell seriously ill at sea and had to be airlifted. The cost amounted to thousands. It's not worth the gamble. On the cruise they can do minor ops but if you had something more serious then you would need to be transferred to mainland and that is usually by helicopter = cost. And another thing is sometimes the captain is not happy to have to divert because the passengers would then complain that they lost time due to late arrival at the ports etc. But usually the doctor, although less senior than the captain, can overrule on medical matters.

[ghstudio]

Just to add to your post, my brother was a doctor on one of the cruise ships and he often encountered people not buying travel insurance only then fell seriously ill at sea and had to be airlifted. The cost amounted to thousands. It's not worth the gamble. On the cruise they can do minor ops but if you had something more serious then you would need to be transferred to mainland and that is usually by helicopter = cost. And another thing is sometimes the captain is not happy to have to divert because the passengers would then complain that they lost time due to late arrival at the ports etc. But usually the doctor, although less senior than the captain, can overrule on medical matters.

 

I am going to guess that you didn't read the original post...or my later clarification. This isn't a discussion of whether or not to buy travel insurance, it's a discussion of how much you need to insure for in order to get from the ship to a hospital that can treat your illness/accident.....and trying to get some numbers because I don't know if I am well covered with $50K or need more. I am focused on ship to hospital that can treat the illness/accident...not travel home because I cover that on a separate insurance policy.

[Clydesmom7865]

I am going to guess that you didn't read the original post...or my later clarification. This isn't a discussion of whether or not to buy travel insurance, it's a discussion of how much you need to insure for in order to get from the ship to a hospital that can treat your illness/accident.....and trying to get some numbers because I don't know if I am well covered with $50K or need more. I am focused on ship to hospital that can treat the illness/accident...not travel home because I cover that on a separate insurance policy.

 

So the question for everyone should be....do I need a policy with $250K evacuation coverage?

 

I added your similar question from another post because it ties into my answer.

 

Here is the problem with your question. You are wanting absolute numbers for a medical evacuation in order to make a decision on insurance and that cannot be predicted. It isn't as though there is a chart out there that says "medical flight from ship to Cartagena Hospital: $45,000" then has a comprehensive list for every possible evacuation scenario within radius of every country. Then all one has to do is access the table based on their ports and select a policy that will cover the most expensive evacuation on the trip.

 

There are many factors that affect how much a medical evacuation costs and they cannot be predicted ahead of time. Distance, weather, helicopter vs. ambulance, urgency, specialty care, critical care, number of medical personnel needed, support vessel(s) etc. ALL of those will affect the cost of an unplanned emergency evacuation.

 

Someone 350 miles off shore needing surgery for a broken limb who cannot wait until the ship makes port might spend $25,000 for a helicopter evacuation but someone 275 miles away from skilled medical help in emergency need of cardiac care requiring ICU support and a ventilator could spend $45,000 for a shorter trip with more resources.

 

In order to decide what coverage YOU need you should do an assessment of your health, financial, and travel circumstances. Do you have any health condition that if a crisis happened the chances of an evacuation being expensive increase by 50% or more? Have you had recent surgery within 90 days of sailing where a complication might arise? What time of year are you cruising, is bad weather a concern? What amount of money out of pocket can you financially absorb after insurance?

 

Your argument is that purchasing $250,000 in evacuation insurance is over kill and merely marketing by the insurance company. It could be. It could also be they have paid claims that high as well for an evac. You seem to think that purchasing an amount of coverage that allows someone to travel with peace of mind that should the unplanned emergency happen is a waste of money if they don't use it. However, you pay auto insurance every year and most people never file a claim. It isn't a waste of money to have auto or homeowners insurance even if you never have a claim. The same can be said for travel medical insurance.

 

All anyone can tell you is that should the emergency arise and you are fortunate enough that the US Coast Guard is called you will not be charged no matter what the cost. However, once you are outside the USCG response area there is NO guarantee as to who will respond or what the charge will be and it COULD be as expensive as six figures. It is a risk reward ratio and there is no absolute answer.

[ghstudio]

I started this to see if there was a range of costs in the more or less civilized areas that most of us cruise in. I still don't really have a handle on whether $50,000 would cover me 98% of the time...or if the cost often goes over $100k. It appears that no one else knows...all they've done is throw out kind of what the insurance companies sell.

 

I can assure you I know how much coverage I need and am willing to pay for for homeowners, auto and other insurances. Like everyone else, I self insure over a certain point....everyone does...you do...it doesn't matter how much insurance you have.

 

I'm trying to do what everyone should do which is to understand the risk. We're probably not talking a whole lot of dollars here, but this thread has illustrated to me that most everyone has no clue as to what the costs might be so an insurance agent could sell them anything. That's just not good money management....and the folks here are much smarter than that, they just haven't thought about it. Most don't even know if they have medical coverage that covers them outside the us and if it's anything or only an emergency.

 

My goal is to sensitize folks to being intelligent buyers...not just drink the cool aid....not to buy when they book the cruise because they think they have a pre-existing condition (most don't by the way from the travel insurance definition).

 

So I'll keep plugging away at this....maybe I'll even get some real nunbers rather than rumors....and maybe I'll wind up paying for $250,000 coverage but then with medjet, I can't imagine needing that much.

[waterbug123]

And another thing is sometimes the captain is not happy to have to divert because the passengers would then complain that they lost time due to late arrival at the ports etc. But usually the doctor, although less senior than the captain, can overrule on medical matters.

 

That has absolutely nothing to do with the question at hand. If a pax needs to be transferred from the ship due to a medical emergency, it doesn't matter whether or not that person has travel insurance or medical evacuation coverage or what the cost is to get to a particular hospital or whatever; if they need to be airlifted they need to be airlifted. That the captain is "not happy" about it because "the passengers would then complain" is irrelevant.:rolleyes:

 

Having this coverage or that coverage doesn't in any way prevent you from having a medical emergency; it only determines how the expenses will be paid.

Edited April 4, 2014 by waterbug123

[rnrcruzin]

As stated before, there are so many variables I’d suspect the average person could only speculate.

I know of two instances that required an evacuation and medical support in a foreign country – one involving a heart attack and the other an auto crash.

In the case of the heart attack the individual was in China. Medical support and evacuation topped out at $300K.

The auto crash happened to a foreign national here in the US. That came in around $230K after all was said.

[geospyder]

We had to cancel the second cruise of a B2B in February because of a fractured wrist. It needed an operation so we opted to fly home from Australia to have the operation and recovery. We did NOT have travel insurance. The basic out of pocket expenses (lost cruise, non refundable return flight, copay medical, etc) was roughly between $8000 and $9000. Luckily we are financially comfortable so it didn't impact us "food on the table" wise. BUT we are now starting to consider travel insurance for future trips. Still not 100% convinced but leaning toward purchasing it.

[ghstudio]

Let me go through this one more time :)

 

We cruise and travel internationally quite a bit each year. We take MedJet insurance to assure that if something were to happen, we can be flown to the hospital (or home) or our choice. That policy costs about $400 annually and covers all trips more than 150 miles from home. The policy is somewhat unique as I've explained many times before...although I might be able to get similar policies at quite high prices for each of our cruises.

 

Since we have MedJet, I can buy less expensive travel insurance policies and not worry about being flown home...and I suspect that the biggest cost of medical evacuation is not from the ship to the initial hospital where you are treated...it's in the cost getting your from that hospital to a home hospital or just home. Medjet covers that piece...I already have that covered.

 

My question remains what's a realistic $ amount to have in a travel insurance policy to cover only the ship to that first hospital.

 

Everyone keeps giving total costs which while interesting, don't really help my question. Alternatively...just take as much as you can afford begs the question...and is something an insurance salesman would say. I can assure you I don't take "as much as I can afford" insurance on my car, etc (nor do you).....like everyone else, I have what I think/hope is enough insurance.

 

So once again...anyone have some real cost numbers on a ship evacuation to that first hospital?

Edited April 4, 2014 by ghstudio

[Clydesmom7865]

Let me go through this one more time :)

 

Lets not because you keep ignoring the obvious because no one can tell you what you want to hear.

 

So once again...anyone have some real cost numbers on a ship evacuation to that first hospital?

 

The number of passengers air evacuated off a cruise ship in an emergency is SO small that the odds of you finding someone on cruise critic that has an actual bill is slim to none.

 

Even if you DO find someone (and so far you have rejected the real world numbers given to you) it doesn't mean that YOUR situation should you need the service will cost the same or less than what they paid.

 

I gave you a link to a service out of Panama which is but one country and it could be anywhere from $4500 or more depending on what services you need.

 

I have what I think/hope is enough insurance.

 

Then let it go already. NO answer is going to satisfy you.

 

I'm trying to do what everyone should do which is to understand the risk. We're probably not talking a whole lot of dollars here, but this thread has illustrated to me that most everyone has no clue as to what the costs might be so an insurance agent could sell them anything. That's just not good money management....and the folks here are much smarter than that, they just haven't thought about it.

 

Myself and several others have explained the risk to you several times but it isn't what you want to hear. I think you are insulting those who have responded and many of those who post on CC insinuating we don't understand. We DO understand. The rates are not published and because the charges depend on MULTIPLE variables there is NO WAY to give you a finite number that says you should never need more than X amount of money for an emergency evacuation. Buy the amount of coverage you believe you need to insure your health and your assets are protected. That is ALL anyone can tell you.

 

 

FYI for everyone else: I remember this poster from my very first cruise and he argues EVERYTHING to death. It may be time to ask the thread be locked because the question has been asked and answered multiple times over an NO answer is going to satisfy ghstudio.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Clydesmom7865

[daisy-mae]

Either you are really looking for an answer to your question or you are simply attempting to demonstrate your knowledge.

 

Would it not be preferable to address your question to professionals who can hopefully respond in a manner that will match your intellect?

[varoo]

...I'm trying to do what everyone should do which is to understand the risk. We're probably not talking a whole lot of dollars here, but this thread has illustrated to me that most everyone has no clue as to what the costs might be so an insurance agent could sell them anything. That's just not good money management....and the folks here are much smarter than that, they just haven't thought about it. Most don't even know if they have medical coverage that covers them outside the us and if it's anything or only an emergency.

Sadly, I believe that you are correct.

 

We really have no clue as to what an emergency evacuation will cost us and can only guess based on a combination of the numbers provided about people who needed emergency evacuations in the past and the numbers posted by companies that make money selling insurance.

 

But the odds are very slim that we would be in the same location under the same circumstances and encounter the same costs as those previously cited, so I don't know that those figures would even be relevant.

 

 

Consumer Reports ran an article about buying travel insurance in 2012

 

Do you need travel insurance?

 

 

and there was the controversial LA Times article last year

 

Travel insurance offers 'very little real value,' consumer group says - Los Angeles Times

 

 

but neither of them included any figures about emergency evacuation costs.

 

For starters, we can and should at least check our own policies to find out how much (if any) coverage we already have for international travel, both for emergency medical treatment and for emergency evacuation.

 

An interesting comment heard on a recent cruise was that most people who travel abroad independently don't even think about buying additional travel insurance.

That is because the people who sell you airline or train tickets or hotel rooms do not try to sell you insurance the way that those who sell cruises do, so the subject usually doesn't even come up.

 

 

Sorry that none of us have been able to provide definitive answers to your question about evacuation costs. It was a very worthwhile question to raise and I think it gave us all something to think about.

 

 

[ghstudio]

Believe it or not, I am not trying to be argumentative or demonstrate my knowledge...in fact I'm demonstrating my lack of knowledge.

 

If I go to squaremouth (or insuremytrip) I find policies that offer $25000 of evacuation insurance, $50,000 of insurance and up....and the price increases if I want a policy with more evacuation coverage....it may be an extra $300 more to get $100K vs $25K.

 

I am trying to figure out if I shouldn't even bother to look at policies that offer only $25-$50K or if maybe the $50K policy might be enough so there's no need to look at more expensive policies that offer more. I really don't know...and I understand there is no fixed price list...it varies quite a bit which is why I started this thread.

 

You are right...this doesn't happen all that often...and when folks talk about evacuation costs they always talk about total evacuation costs. I'm trying to parse that down...and maybe I can't do it. I tried to find info on the web but failed. But I hate to buy insurance for $100k and pay $300 more if realistically (but not in all cases) the cost is generally less than $50K. I have asked a few insurance agents and they don't know either...they also deal with the total cost.

 

I've gotten some helpful input here, but still don't have a feel for whether I (and perhaps others) really need $25K, $100K, $250K of coverage. Three or four trips a year at $300 extra a trip starts to add up...

[waterbug123]

I suspect that the biggest cost of medical evacuation is not from the ship to the initial hospital where you are treated...it's in the cost getting your from that hospital to a home hospital or just home. Medjet covers that piece...I already have that covered.

 

Sometimes that will be true; sometimes not.

Example 1: You are on board but "reasonably" near a port. The ship turns back, and a regular ambulance meets the ship at the port and transports you to the local hospital. The charge is minimal, but you need to be flown home for the necessary surgery. Your condition requires a private plane with medical escort. In this case, yes, the biggest cost is probably transfer #2- getting you from that first hospital to a hospital of your choosing at home.

 

Example 2: You are on board in the middle of the ocean somewhere. A private medically equipped helicopter must be dispatched to pick you up and rush you to the nearest hospital. Once there, they are able to stabilize you to the point that you can actually be flown home on a regular commercial flight to have surgery. Despite the last minute cost of the ticket, there's a good chance that it will be MUCH cheaper than transfer #1- that initial helicopter flight off the ship.

 

Since you have absolutely no way of predicting which type of situation you might find yourself in, this hopefully shows you once and for all that there is NO WAY to determine with certainty EXACTLY how much coverage would be considered ENOUGH.

[ghstudio]

Meg..thank you for the explanation of the two cases.

 

I carry an annual policy that covers the second flight in both cases. I only need to cover the first flight/transport in both cases with my travel insurance policy.

 

I agree with everyone who says the total cost of both flights with doctors, nurses, medical equipment can be tremendous...but I have no limit on the covered expense for flight 2, I'm covered no matter what it costs.

 

So I am trying to get a handle on just the cost of the first flight in both you cases. Would $25k cover the cost of that helicopter from the ship to the hospital...or does something like that cost $50k or $100k? If I had a reasonable guess at that, I'd know what to look for when buying a travel insurance policy since flight 2 is already covered.

Edited April 5, 2014 by ghstudio

[chisoxfan]

As many have stated I think it would be close to impossible to define what med evac costs could be. They could change dramatically during one cruise based upon location and medical condition. This is the most important insurance for me. While a missed cruise or lost luggage would be disappointing, a 100,000 med evac would be painful indeed. That said I am not sure why the close scrutiny. I checked my last several cruise insurance policies and had coverage of 100k to 500k for med evac (one week cruise I am in mid 50's) and the premiums were well under 100 bucks (one 49 one 79 )for my wife and I. These were for full plans but my primary focus was on med evac. I found that often the "full" travel policies often offer generous med vac coverage ie. the travel cancellation, lost luggage etc. coverages are almost free when compared with medical only policies.

 

So my point is you can find large coverages 100-500k very cheaply that should protect you under any situation. The amount of money you would save trying to nail down a 25.000 med evac policy against a 100,000 or more is negligible. During my last cruise (fortunately not literally) I had some heartburn and there were a few moments the thought of a heart attack entered my thought process. At that point I did not want to be wondering if I had 'guessed' the correct minimal amount of med evac coverage particulary since you have zero control of the med evac procedure if required.

 

Interestingly, many of the cruise line policies while generous with some benefits have very limited med evac amounts (I have seen several with 25,000 limits).

 

Personally, I would only feel comfortable with a med evac of 100,000 or more because there are so many variables that one cannot control and because of the relative low cost for this protection. JMHO

[ghstudio]

jMHO, I agree with you on needing adequate travel coverage, especially evacuation expenses which can be horrific if you need a private med-vac plane with a doctor and nurse on the flight. I would not feel covered with less than $250k of coverage.

 

That's why I have an annual policy from medjet (there are a couple of others that provide similar service). That policy which costs around $400 annually for my DW and I provides the plane, doctor, nurse at no cost to us...it's fully covered by the insurance...no limit. However they cover the cost from that remote hospital in the Cook Islands (just an example) to the mayo clinic (or wherever I choose), they don't cover getting me from the ship to that first hospital in the Cook Islands....so that's the piece I need to cover with my travel insurance.

 

Being over 70, it would be cheaper to take a cruise line policy which isn't age rated...or perhaps an independent policy with only $25k coverage....which might be enough because I only need coverage for that first piece. Or maybe I need $50k coverage? At this point I guess a number but I was hoping to get some factual basis so it wasn't as much of a guess in this thread.

Edited April 5, 2014 by ghstudio

[Project_gal]

Let me go through this one more time :)

 

We cruise and travel internationally quite a bit each year. We take MedJet insurance to assure that if something were to happen, we can be flown to the hospital (or home) or our choice. That policy costs about $400 annually and covers all trips more than 150 miles from home. The policy is somewhat unique as I've explained many times before...although I might be able to get similar policies at quite high prices for each of our cruises.

 

Since we have MedJet, I can buy less expensive travel insurance policies and not worry about being flown home...and I suspect that the biggest cost of medical evacuation is not from the ship to the initial hospital where you are treated...it's in the cost getting your from that hospital to a home hospital or just home. Medjet covers that piece...I already have that covered.

 

My question remains what's a realistic $ amount to have in a travel insurance policy to cover only the ship to that first hospital.

 

Everyone keeps giving total costs which while interesting, don't really help my question. Alternatively...just take as much as you can afford begs the question...and is something an insurance salesman would say. I can assure you I don't take "as much as I can afford" insurance on my car, etc (nor do you).....like everyone else, I have what I think/hope is enough insurance.

 

So once again...anyone have some real cost numbers on a ship evacuation to that first hospital?

 

If you are asking for more specific sums that should be insured, surely you should be giving more specific itinerary information. A previous post of yours mentioned "the more or less civilized areas that most of us cruise in". That really does not help. Different "civilized" countries have different systems in place. I previously posted the complex situation in the UK. The area the UK covers overlaps with that of other countries. Even on a British Isles cruise, you could find yourself airlifted of a ship by many different countries' rescue services. To find a definitive risk for a British Isles cruise would take a huge amount of research. To give a figure for all the "civilized areas" to the world is impossible. However, it may be possible or someone to give a suitable sum insured for a specific itinerary but for any cruise you choose to take in the future - not really on is it?

[ghstudio]

If you are asking for more specific sums that should be insured, surely you should be giving more specific itinerary information. A previous post of yours mentioned "the more or less civilized areas that most of us cruise in". That really does not help. Different "civilized" countries have different systems in place. I previously posted the complex situation in the UK. The area the UK covers overlaps with that of other countries. Even on a British Isles cruise, you could find yourself airlifted of a ship by many different countries' rescue services. To find a definitive risk for a British Isles cruise would take a huge amount of research. To give a figure for all the "civilized areas" to the world is impossible. However, it may be possible or someone to give a suitable sum insured for a specific itinerary but for any cruise you choose to take in the future - not really on is it?

 

I intentionally left the "where" open. I know there's little data so it would be helpful to know even a few countries/locations. They might not be places I'm going to on a current cruise, but even a few examples would help get in the right general Bucket. How about in the UK where apparently there are many services that could be called.......what might a typical or even a high cost be if one of those services was called....is it 5000UKP, 40,000UKP or more?

 

My sense is that $50K would be enough for most if not all cruises....but you know if someone comes back and says they know it cost $80,000 to get to a hospital from a ship off Iceland or in Costa Rica...at least I'd know there's a reason to get more than $25K of insurance offered on the Celebrity policy (given that I have another policy that covers emergency travel from a remote hospital to my home (in the US) hospital.

Edited April 5, 2014 by ghstudio

[waterbug123]

Meg..thank you for the explanation of the two cases.

 

I carry an annual policy that covers the second flight in both cases. I only need to cover the first flight/transport in both cases with my travel insurance policy.

 

Yes, I understand that. But you stated that you assumed that one would be the costly one. I gave you two examples to show you that might not be the case.

 

So I am trying to get a handle on just the cost of the first flight in both you cases. Would $25k cover the cost of that helicopter from the ship to the hospital...or does something like that cost $50k or $100k?

 

And that is what numerous people have tried to tell you no one knows. You can ask it a hundred different ways but the answer is the same- no one knows! So few people have had experience with it, and of those, only a tiny portion are likely to be on cruise critic, that the odds of getting good answers is practically nil. Furthermore, when someone DOES have an example, it's likely to be for a case that's irrelevant to you, i.e. a case where the costly part was equivalent to the part you have covered with Med Jet.

[waterbug123]

That's why I have an annual policy from medjet (there are a couple of others that provide similar service).

 

Just me being picky here, but MedJet makes it very clear that they are NOT an "insurance policy;" what you buy from them is a "membership." Someone may say "what's the difference?" but it goes to the heart of how differently they function, and the somewhat greater say you have in how things are handled with MedJet than with an insurance policy.

 

I intentionally left the "where" open. I know there's little data so it would be helpful to know even a few countries/locations.

 

My sense is that $50K would be enough for most if not all cruises....but you know if someone comes back and says they know it cost $80,000 to get to a hospital from a ship off Iceland or in Costa Rica...at least I'd know there's a reason to get more than $25K of insurance offered on the Celebrity policy (given that I have another policy that covers emergency travel from a remote hospital to my home (in the US) hospital.

 

Please give it up already. You said yourself that data is limited, and you already have a sense of what you'd be comfortable with. I doubt you are going to get a better answer, despite having asked a zillion times. No matter what you do, there will be risk. That's life. :)

[ghstudio]

Please give it up already.

 

Okay...done.

[cle-guy]

I was on a Connie sailing in January. We left Cozumel, 5 hours later captain (during dinner) announced we were turning back to go back to port for a medical emergency.

 

We could still see the coast line as we sailed and wondered why not just send a chopper out to get the passenger....

 

As we approached COZ a few hours later, we were met by a pilot boat and a water taxi, who came aboard (we were close, but not in port) and took the passenger off on a gurney.

 

We then turned about (the 'Donut Maneuver' as the captain called it) and sailed on back towards Key West Again.

 

So my question is, will the evacuated passenger have to cover the costs of turning the ship around (like the extra 10 hours of fuel for example....) since hey didn't have the expense of a helicopter evac?

 

We were sailing quite slow as we had a sea day, so there was no concern for missing or a delay to Keywest.

[Project_gal]

I intentionally left the "where" open. I know there's little data so it would be helpful to know even a few countries/locations. They might not be places I'm going to on a current cruise, but even a few examples would help get in the right general Bucket. How about in the UK where apparently there are many services that could be called.......what might a typical or even a high cost be if one of those services was called....is it 5000UKP, 40,000UKP or more?

 

My sense is that $50K would be enough for most if not all cruises....but you know if someone comes back and says they know it cost $80,000 to get to a hospital from a ship off Iceland or in Costa Rica...at least I'd know there's a reason to get more than $25K of insurance offered on the Celebrity policy (given that I have another policy that covers emergency travel from a remote hospital to my home (in the US) hospital.

 

I could find no figures on the MCA website but both my husband and I recall sums in the region of £90,000 [around US$147,000 on current exchange rates] being quoted for the rescue of ill-prepared sailors. This would be for a helicopter with a winchman. Presumably the costs could be higher for a medical evacuation from a cruise ship but, in such a case, it is probably less likely that a charge would be made - at least for an EU national. There may well be the assumption that an American would have high insurance ...

 

In reality, I doubt there would be a charge if the RAF carried out the airlift or the RNLI. However, if it a private company had to be used and there was a cost to the public purse, there may well be attempts to pass on costs to non-EU nationals. What I am certain about is that the rescue would be carried out and any discussion of charges would follow later.

 

The cost of being airlifted from a ship really does not affect our insurance premiums when we have to have a large enough sum insured to cover US medical bills. For this we carry a sum insured of £5M [over US$8M].