Medical Emergency Without Insurance: Article about Independence of the Seas

[ReneeFLL]

On 5/22/2024 at 11:07 AM, JustinandMaria said:

They could have handled it better by not presenting the bill to someone who is being emergency evacuated off the ship. Poor taste IMO. What would they have done if they didn’t have funds?  Frankly any approval of amounts I would think would be in duress.  They wouldn’t be in the right mind. 

Doesn’t matter if in duress or not, they still owe it. I sure Royal wants to get what they can when they can, because they might not be able to later.

 

Edited May 25 by ReneeFLL

[ReneeFLL]

On 5/22/2024 at 5:38 PM, JustinandMaria said:

You got me curious so I see they sometimes hold on to luggage as well as the IOU.  And that would be more reasonable to me to have them sign something acknowledging they are leaving before final bill is settled than asking a man who stopped breathing (?) to settle his account.  I hate to see how they presented a bill to the family whose daughter fell off the ship.  Some compassion is all Im saying while still retaining the right to collect.  

The daughter that fell off or the daughter that was dropped?

[JustinandMaria]

9 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

I've had experience with this with a family member who became ill on a cruise and was taken off, with travel insurance. You are somewhat at the mercy of your travel insurance provider regarding evacuation back to the US. Insurance would much prefer you recover enough to fly home commercial. So you may spend a period of time in a foreign hospital. And they will want to be paid. I would not recommend being cash poor in this situation. Travel insurance did eventually reimburse for all those on the ground expenses but you have to have the space on a credit card up front. I don't care how healthy someone is, always get the insurance. This would have been well over $100K without insurance. Royal's shore side support was very helpful through this by the way. Perhaps because we had the insurance they did not ask for payment for the onboard care prior to evacuation. I believe that part was handled directly from the insurance company.

Do you know the insurance company they used? I expect not all insurance companies are the same. Thanks

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

I've had experience with this with a family member who became ill on a cruise and was taken off, with travel insurance. You are somewhat at the mercy of your travel insurance provider regarding evacuation back to the US. Insurance would much prefer you recover enough to fly home commercial. So you may spend a period of time in a foreign hospital. And they will want to be paid. I would not recommend being cash poor in this situation. Travel insurance did eventually reimburse for all those on the ground expenses but you have to have the space on a credit card up front. I don't care how healthy someone is, always get the insurance. This would have been well over $100K without insurance. Royal's shore side support was very helpful through this by the way. Perhaps because we had the insurance they did not ask for payment for the onboard care prior to evacuation. I believe that part was handled directly from the insurance company.

How familiar are you with the exact compensation provided by the insurance company?

 

Most travel insurance "evacuation" coverage will get you to the nearest medical facility capable of providing support. It does not fly you anywhere you want to go. Trip interruption insurance will get you a flight home. But travel interruption insurance has a very small limit which may/may not cover commercial coach travel and will not provide a private air charter or first class travel because "you want to be comfortable". 

[Mum2Mercury]

13 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

The daughter that fell off or the daughter that was dropped?

I don't know about the daughter who fell. 

 

By the daughter who was dropped, I think you mean the grandfather who dropped his toddler granddaughter out a window -- they were in a bit of a different situation; the child died, and they hadn't yet sailed.  That family had big needs, but they didn't need medical care or transportation. 

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Most travel insurance "evacuation" coverage will get you to the nearest medical facility capable of providing support. It does not fly you anywhere you want to go. Trip interruption insurance will get you a flight home. But travel interruption insurance has a very small limit which may/may not cover commercial coach travel and will not provide a private air charter or first class travel because "you want to be comfortable". 

Yes, it's absolutely important to know what your insurance covers.  

[Jasukkie]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

How familiar are you with the exact compensation provided by the insurance company?

 

Most travel insurance "evacuation" coverage will get you to the nearest medical facility capable of providing support. It does not fly you anywhere you want to go. Trip interruption insurance will get you a flight home. But travel interruption insurance has a very small limit which may/may not cover commercial coach travel and will not provide a private air charter or first class travel because "you want to be comfortable". 

I've only had the one experience but I have to say I was impressed with how much they did cover when all was said and done. Two of us accompanied our family member off the ship. I was reimbursed for the unused portion of my cruise, and my hotel and meals. I have flight benefits so I was able to get home using them but they would have paid my airfare. 

 

After about a week in hospital, my relative and his wife were transported home by medical jet to continue recovery in a hospital close to their home. That part took pressure from the medical staff that commercial flying would not have been appropriate. In the end, it all worked out. One word of advice I would give is to save every receipt, make copies, and save digital copies. Communicate by email so you have a record as well. It can complicated keeping track of things to be reimbursed.

[meandralph]

We sailed Quantum last month doing the Hawaii to Vancouver cruise.   It was a 10 day.  My husband had a major medical issue and spent the last 3 days in the hospital on the ship.  We were told during check in that the charges would be applied to cabin charges.   It was a significant amount due to everything that was going on with him, right at $19,000.  He received excellent care for those 3 days.  We were able to fly home after where he was immediately admitted  that same night and spent another 10 days in the local hospital.  I say all of this to say, we had to look past the negative of $$$ at that time and focus on his health.  He is home and still not 100% and probably will not be for a period of time.   We feel as though RCL did everything they should have and kept me informed daily on the charges. We do not feel as though anything could have been done different.  

We had trip insurance and have  two medical insurances.  Have filed and hope for the best possible outcome.   

[KuffMUp]

Our very first cruise 2 people (not traveling together) taken off the ship for medical emergencies. After that we always get insurance. It also helps if you have medical problems at home and can’t go on the cruise. Unfortunately we have had to use it twice on cruises we booked. But we got our money back that enabled us to go at a later time. But I don’t think $2,500 is so bad for three visits to the infirmary. 

[JustinandMaria]

I thought this was an interesting article buying insurance in pieces, ie counting credit card insurance, then medical, then medjet, etc. https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-complete-guide-to-buying-cruise-travel-insurance

[ONECRUISER]

On 5/26/2024 at 10:41 PM, KuffMUp said:

Our very first cruise 2 people (not traveling together) taken off the ship for medical emergencies. After that we always get insurance. It also helps if you have medical problems at home and can’t go on the cruise. Unfortunately we have had to use it twice on cruises we booked. But we got our money back that enabled us to go at a later time. But I don’t think $2,500 is so bad for three visits to the infirmary. 

Agree. Imagine if the cost if was a Hospital ER. My Daughter was Lucky Financially getting sick on 2 Different Cruises during post Covid startup 2021 & 2022. Bad Virus and other one was a Sinus Infection. Each time Quarantined for couple days of Neg CV tests, Initial Infirmary Visits, Meds inc Antibiotic and Daily Cabin Visits by Nurse, was no Charge for anything. Plus Free Room Service, though we Brought her Dinner from Main Dinning after we ate, plus she and her Family was issued 2 days and 3 Days refund from their Cruise even though was just her staying put in the Cabin

Edited May 31 by ONECRUISER

[FamilyCruiserUK]

I think most people in the UK and Europe look at the costs of American healthcare visits and are shocked TBH.

Irrespective if the care is better or not it still eye watering amounts for what should be basic human right of medical intervention when required without the patient worrying about if and how they can afford it. 

 

Granted the UK Health service is going through some difficult times but i know if i need an ambulance or urgent medical care i will get it right away and will NOT have any bill. Granted there is a wait time for non urgent medical requirements. 

 

I think as we see these huge sums in the US makes us more encouraged to get travel insurance and its second nature for us. 

 

[JustinandMaria]

4 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Agree. Imagine if the cost if was a Hospital ER. My Daughter was Lucky Financially getting sick on 2 Different Cruises during post Covid startup 2021 & 2022. Bad Virus and other one was a Sinus Infection. Each time Quarantined for couple days of Neg CV tests, Initial Infirmary Visits, Meds inc Antibiotic and Daily Cabin Visits by Nurse, was no Charge for anything. Plus Free Room Service, though we Brought her Dinner from Main Dinning after we ate, plus she and her Family was issued 2 days and 3 Days refund from their Cruise even though was just her staying put in the Cabin

Did travel insurance cover it?  My niece the same on NCL and they charged. Not just the cruise but quarantine on land.  Luckily the insurance reimbursed. 

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, JustinandMaria said:

Did travel insurance cover it?  My niece the same on NCL and they charged. Not just the cruise but quarantine on land.  Luckily the insurance reimbursed. 

No, during CV and startup Cruise Line was doing this long as Symptoms were similar to or were CV. 

[MommaBear55]

On 5/25/2024 at 9:37 AM, BirdTravels said:

How familiar are you with the exact compensation provided by the insurance company?

 

Most travel insurance "evacuation" coverage will get you to the nearest medical facility capable of providing support. It does not fly you anywhere you want to go. Trip interruption insurance will get you a flight home. But travel interruption insurance has a very small limit which may/may not cover commercial coach travel and will not provide a private air charter or first class travel because "you want to be comfortable". 

You need to have insurance that also covers repatriation, which is return to home whether alive or dead. It's extremely expensive to return a body. 

[Ocean Boy]

14 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

You need to have insurance that also covers repatriation, which is return to home whether alive or dead. It's extremely expensive to return a body. 

Yeah, it is probably better to become just a body once you are already sitting in a seat on the plane.😉😊

[DragonOfTheSeas]

MY DH fell last fall while our ship was docked in Portland, ME. He broke several ribs and one of them nicked his lung.  After surgery and 14 days in the hospital our cruise insurance [purchased through RCL] paid upfront to send us back to VA via ambulance. He was not able to fly home due to the injured lung.  It was a grim 12+ hour trip.  I cannot even imagine the cost of that trip.  We figure it was more than we have paid for insurance on all the cruises we have taken.  

[MommaBear55]

21 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

MY DH fell last fall while our ship was docked in Portland, ME. He broke several ribs and one of them nicked his lung.  After surgery and 14 days in the hospital our cruise insurance [purchased through RCL] paid upfront to send us back to VA via ambulance. He was not able to fly home due to the injured lung.  It was a grim 12+ hour trip.  I cannot even imagine the cost of that trip.  We figure it was more than we have paid for insurance on all the cruises we have taken.  

I hope my colleagues at Maine Med took good care of him. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

22 hours ago, MommaBear55 said:

I hope my colleagues at Maine Med took good care of him. 

They took very good care of both of us. 

 

His surgery was the late afternoon of the shooting in Lewiston. So, I was "locked into" the hospital until police discovered his body of the shooter two days later. [I could have gotten security to let me leave--but, could not return] We felt like we were part of the community.