A former cruise ship doctor has warned British holidaymakers about a common misconception that frequently leaves passengers facing unexpected medical bills. Dr Ellen Welch, an NHS GP who worked on cruise ships for more than 10 years, said many guests mistakenly believed their medical expenses would be covered by the price of their holiday.
Medical bills can reach thousands
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 while some cruise lines offer complimentary treatment for seasickness, "beyond that, any further medical care involves a consultation and charges apply".
Remote setting limits care options
Dr Welch 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."
Check your policy before sailing
Travel insurers typically do not include cruises on standard policies, but one-off cruise policies are available, or cruise cover can be added to an annual policy for regular passengers. Cruise lines also make it clear that medical expenses are not included in the cost of a cruise.
Royal Caribbean's website FAQs state: "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."
The cruise line adds: "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."
