[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Nell57

My neighbor died while on a cruise . They were off the coast of Ireland. Her body was taken to a morgue where an autopsy was performed.
Her bereaved husband checked into a motel and made arrangements to have her body returned to the states. The authorities made him stay in the country for two weeks, until all of the results of the autopsy were in. At that time he flew home, with her body.
It seems it’s not uncommon for disgruntled husbands to “off” their spouse on a cruise ship.
So some countries won’t release the body or the spouse, until all questions are answered.
When you get past the emotional shock of such a tragedy, I’m sure there were big financial repercussions as well

Wow....that story took a weird twist.
CSI NCL

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by bowlingal

very expensive to be lifted by helicopter from a cruise ship....and that's on you, out of pocket

A travel insurance policy will cover that. We have friends, where the wife fell and broker her wrist in the Galapagos Islands. They had to re-route the ship, and fly her out on a helicopter.

The insurance paid for all of it (and yes, it was very expensive...)

[jmpalladino]

Originally Posted by Ponygirl

My husband had a medical emergency that could not be resolved on board

He was strapped onto a horizontal caged stretcher and pulled up to a helicopter. I had to hold onto a responder who was pulled on to the helicopter

We were dropped off in Puerto Rico and took the ambulance to the hospital. We were totally on our own to find food, get care, get to the airport and fly back to the US.

Sitting in the hallway of the emergency room and trying to find someone who spoke English and trying to get care was not for the faint of heart. Hospital care and staff and protocols certainly not what we encounter in the US

Insurance covered costs

Puerto Rico is the USA...Maybe you mean the mainland US.....

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

A travel insurance policy will cover that. We have friends, where the wife fell and broker her wrist in the Galapagos Islands. They had to re-route the ship, and fly her out on a helicopter.

The insurance paid for all of it (and yes, it was very expensive...)

I would have thought that the ships doctor would have been able to set the wrist but guess not.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

I would have thought that the ships doctor would have been able to set the wrist but guess not.

One would think that... But reality had a different plan...

[rjm1cc]

Fortunately no experience.
I would say make sure you take your passport so you can fly home.
The ship will probably pack up your belongs and store them at the port you were to land at so I would email the cruise line and ask.
If time permits you could pack up and leave the ship with the idea of flying home.

[oldtimes]

Has anyone used the travel insurance that comes with some credit cards?

[billethkid]

Thanks for all the info shared on this subject.

The whole process just has to be super frustrating, stressful and scary.

Once it has been decided to disembark the patient (where ever)..... where is the connectivity that assures the next steps to be taken/coordinated to get to the appropriate care location and ultimately to the point of cruise origination. I have this not so hidden fear, as stated in one of the posts of once leaving the ship you are pretty much on your own.
Then there is the side of me that wants to believe there is no way the cruise industry would allow the ship just to dump and wave goodbye.

There has to be a line of coordination/connectivity...some where.....right? If not one can imagine the vultures and predators lining up to get their share of the missFORTUNE.

[Escape Artist]

Originally Posted by billethkid

I have always wondered how the "system" works when one needs to be disembarked from a cruise ship for emergency treatment or evacuation back home.

We have been on cruises when a passenger has had to be disembarked, but have no idea how subsequent events are coordinated (by whom?).

Over the years we average a couple of cruises per year. We always get the vacation interruption insurance which we have had to use for medical cancellation prior to a cruise. And now that we are old(er) need to know more.

Have you had such an experience? Willing to share with us?

A good friend of mine was on a cruise ship returning to San Francisco from Hawaii. She had an emergency onboard as she had congestive heart failure. The ship took a detour to Mexico, it docked at a port and the ship was met by an ambulance. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and the next day an ambulance took her across the border to a hospital in San Diego where she remained until well enough to travel to her home in Northern California. There was a hefty bill but after she called and wrote to her insurance company they picked up most of it.

[biker1]

Yes. There were requests for additional documentation but they did eventually pay up.

Originally Posted by oldtimes

Has anyone used the travel insurance that comes with some credit cards?

[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by biker1

Yes. There were requests for additional documentation but they did eventually pay up.

Thank you, very good to know.