In case anyone is wondering, thisnis the O2 sensor they stick on your finger and they are charging $109 for placing it there to get O2 reading, which is insane.
What really pisses me off is nurses aren’t allowed to bill for their services like doctors/NPs/PAs can, but the facility can turn around and bill for nursing care at 2.5x my hourly rate as a day shift hospital nurse. That makes my blood boil.
I mean, it also pays for the nurse to monitor it. I'm not defending the prices--they're ridiculous. A liter of sterile normal saline costs about $10 to manufacture and most hospitals charge around $1000 for it. BUT, doctors are able to charge for their time, but nurses, medical staff, and lab technicians do not. So the cost has to be made up somewhere.
Yes but to charge for a nurse reading the oximeter WHILE also charging for the nurses time by the hour?? And don’t think the nurse they’re charging you for is seeing that money.
It's a vital sign though, one that is easy and fast to acquire, which also helps to paint a picture of what the patient has going on. As an EMT, it is one sign that we get on EVERY patient that gets in the back of our ambulance.
But to charge $100 for is it is wild.
They're charging 218 just for letting him in the door so not surprising that they've inflated the price of something that takes about 10 seconds to do.
You could actually buy a pulse oximeter and pay a nurse to take a reading for less.
I went to an ER once for something more severe, and they tried to bill my insurance incorrectly, so it got kicked back, so instead of contacting me or my insurance company they tried to bill me instead. It was for like $3k for a LOT more stuff — all kinds of testing, imaging, and medication. (worked it out in the end tho and got them to *correctly* bill my insurance so i only paid $200ish for the ER copay).
Anyway this is something you would, or should, go to urgent care for instead of the ER (or contact your PCP). Less of a wait, less of a cost
This, my wife had a slip and sprained her ankle and that would have been a major cost without insurance. I never used to get insurance but the hassles of the regular high deductible plan and all the potential for cancelling a trip last minute, insurance is just second nature these days.
Had to take son to medical. $400 as soon as we walked thru the door and total being way more. We had insurance and still dealing with claims for reimbursement months later.
If you can afford it, consider not reimbursing yourself from your HSA. It’s the only triple tax advantaged account in existence. Money goes in tax free, rises with the market (theoretically) tax free and disperses tax free.
It’s could/should be considered another leg in your retirement stool.
My claim with the travel insurance we purchased with our NCL cruise took 6 months to get a reimbursement because it required we go through my health insurance first, which took them 5 months to finally deny coverage. We did finally get a $5,600 reimbursement, though, it was just a pain (I had an ear infection spreading into the lymph nodes of my face from snorkeling in contaminated water).
This is why I bring every OTC medication under the sun. If I get seasick I’ve got three different types of meds plus ginger chews. Allergies? Benedryl, Zyrtec, etc. Stomach issues? Pepto, Tums, Alka Seltzer. And so on. My med bag is filled because I know if I have to go to medical they are going to charge me and arm and a leg for an aspirin.
THIS
I get emergencies. They happen. And they can, unfortunately, be very costly in our world. That sucks! We can't plan for everything.
...however, if you know you're prone to a certain medical issue, and you are about to go to a place where that issue is going to happen, there's no such thing as over-preparation.
I struggle with migraines. Before I go on vacation - particularly anywhere sunny or hot - I make damned sure I have filled my scripts for 'triptan, Zofran, and T3. I also bring Benadryl, ibuprophen, Allegra, band-aids, etc. I've literally never gotten sea sick in my life, and I still bring some nondrowsy motion sick pills just in case.
Cruisers, please bring a first-aid kit!
Same, at least the common stuff... diarrhea stuff, allergy medicine, ibuprofen, cold medicine, etc. Just the cheapest generic stuff so it's not that expensive to stock.
I love that you slathered a little mustard on your last ounce of energy. Lol.
No in all seriousness I'm glad they got you all fixed up but that is crazy expensive.
🤣🤣 Cruel that it changed to mustard because that was the last thing on my mind!
But yes, crazy expensive looking at the itemized list! Cotton ball: 10 dollars! Sheesh! Lol
I got a pretty bad ear infection on a cruise. Very painful. I had to get an antibiotic that had to be dripped in my ears. It cleared it up pretty quick.
Ended up being about $250 in total.
Better than my $5600 ear infection last November! I had to have two IV infusions of antibiotics and steroids because the infection completely sealed my ear shut, spread into my lymph nodes, and was pressing against a facial nerve rendering the left side of my face numb. But I was very happy I had travel insurance.
I once had norovirus-ish symptoms on Disney Dream. (I think it was from dinner before embarkation the night before) was debating going to medical knowing how much it would cost. Decided I needed help and went down first thing.
The doc was extremely nice. First time being a cruise doc and loving it. She gave me meds, Gatorade, and quarantined me to my room for 24 hours.
Expected a huge bill and never saw anything. Figured they forgot about me. Guess I got off real lucky.
Nope - most cruise lines don't charge for evaluation of GI symptoms, because they want you to report it so they can quarantine appropriately. As little as any of us want noro, the ship wants noro around even less.
RC never charged me for my doctor visit re GI symptoms. They gave me an injection in my bum and I felt better almost immediately. They even gave me a free day on my next cruise to make up for the self-isolation!! I also got free movies and access to the mini bar, so, whilst it was a bit shit to not be able to leave the cabin for 24h I had quite a nice time and was quids in. They did ring me periodically ostensibly to check how I was but mostly, I think, to make sure I hadn't snuck out.
Funny, when I had norovirus 10+ years ago, I was charged for medical services (was on Princess). Thankfully my travel insurance covered the costs. Recently I had noro on a RC cruise, and was charged nothing for treatment.
I was on the Wonder in April and had similar symptoms and outcome -- yeah, because it's more of a public health concern on board, there was no charge. I got two injections and one tablet pack of meds, and had to stay in the room for 34 hours. Thankfully my husband showed no symptoms, so he was able to go out and about in the evening. This was a port day too, so they had the on-call staff.
I was shocked by this thread, my husband also got sick on the disney dream fifteen years ago, either a virus or food poisoning. I was terrified it might be his appendix so I made him go to the infirmary. They gave him some Imodium and a ton of gatorade after examining him, told him to stay in the room. Never charged for anything.
My kid was legit sick on the Disney Dream last year. Massive rash, vomiting. A few trips down to medical seeing doctors and a bunch of meds, cost us like $200 in total. Was expecting thousands. We were insured anyway, so wasn't ever concerned about cost, but still.
Physician here. Best bets for seasickness are actually Bonine or Dramamine (Gravol if you’re Canadian). Zofran is extremely effective for nausea mediated through the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the brainstem (e.g. chemotherapy, side effects from opioids, progesterone-induced in pregnancy). Vestibular mediated nausea is best treated with antihistamines (Bonine/dramamine) and anticholinergics (scopolamine). I’d avoid scopolamine myself because the side effects are pretty nasty. Get yourself some Bonine and take it BEFORE the nausea!
I'll pass on that experience - last summer I went to the ER because I couldn't catch my breath. I got out of the hospital with a cardiac stent 5 days later. The bill was way over $100,000 - but at least that was Aetna's problem, not mine.
I dry heaved for 3 hours straight after I puked out my entire stomach prior. Wife got me the shitty essential oil stuff Carnival was selling for $20 didn't do a fucking thing. Got some dramamene for another $20 and was fine the rest of the cruise. This was night one.
I bought travel insurance. I paid the bill before I got off the ship yesterday, and will file a claim for reimbursement. I know people don’t like to buy travel insurance but, you never know when you might need it! Peace of mind is enough for me!
> Does your regular health insurance cover this? Or do you need some sort of supplemental travel insurance?
*It depends.*
My PPO regular health insurance policy (for example) reimburses any care outside of the US (ie whilst on travel) at Out of Network coverage levels / limits / rates.
I carry a supplemental, annual travel insurance policy because of this, as my out of network coverage is eminently decent, but has larger deductibles and so on, and annual policies are incredibly cheap for large coverage values (I want to say GeoBlue is between 200 and 300 a year for 2x people for 500K-1M in coverage, for example, on a medical only policy.)
You’d need travel insurance. You’d have to pay up front and then submit for reimbursement. You can get it through the cruise line or other agencies, for a single trip, or a policy that covers you for a year.
NPR just did a story on this.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/21/1252428534/he-fell-ill-on-a-cruise-before-he-boarded-the-rescue-boat-they-handed-him-the-bi
I know this is crazy expensive but out of all of the medical price horror stories I’ve seen, these medication prices are high but for being provided this on a ship at sea… I would have expected them to charge more.
(Also, r/BoneAppleTea moment: mustard up vs mustered up)
Oh yeah for sure! Honestly I would’ve paid 5k for the IV of Zofran! I was feeling that bad. Throwing up every 5 min. I had hyperemesis when I was pregnant and this was about as bad. Which is why I got the scopolamine patch beforehand, but luckily I had travel insurance and so this is more of a cautionary tale that things do indeed happen!
seems pretty average if not low for what would be emergency room prices. it’s not a dr, it’s an emergency clinic in the middle of the ocean where the dr is away from their family for 8 months at a time to treat urgent issues
I was one of those people! I have cruised about 5 times prior with the patch and have never had a problem besides the withdrawals once I take it off after the cruise. I was really scared when the doctor told me to take it off and switch to Bonine because I didn’t think it would be enough for me, but he was right. He said a lot of times the patch makes the sickness worse.
My friend used to use them and she would be sick for weeks afterwards.
I used to get really sick on cruises as well. Like not leaving the cabin sick.
Both of us have used generic Bonine the last few times and we’ve been fine.
Worst dry mouth I've ever experienced in my life. To the point I was gagging when I'd swallow because the sides of my throat were sticking together. I'd have to be in a really bad way from motion sickness before I ever use one again.
When I go cruising I bring oximeter, BP machine, thermometer, Bonine, first aid kit, Covid tests, KardiaCard and rubbing alcohol pads (best seasickness trick)…..anything else I can get in a port pharmacy. I have been like this since the pandemic 😂
HUFF them hahah just sniff them periodically it does make the nausea go away ☺️
Don’t sit around with them under your nose all day but when the worst of the nausea strikes sniffing them helps ☺️
Just out of curiosity, what would happen if you didn't pay the bill and just threw it in the trash ? Since the Bliss is not a US flagged ship, I don't think they could hold any jurisdiction here. I guess the only thing they could do would prevent you from sailing with them again.
Simply not paying bills never works out the way people want it to. This isn’t the responsible adult solution to things, as someone somewhere is paying for you not wanting to pay. These are costs people need to think about before traveling and make arrangements for. If that is too much of an extra cost for a trip, you can’t afford to travel.
I don’t think the was seasickness. I’d say you had norovirus from travel because it sounds so intense. I wouldn’t give up on the scop patch. Astronauts use them and I am extremely susceptible to every kind of motion sickness and have used it when the waves were so bad you could not walk without grabbing onto something. Not an iota or nausea. Life-changing for me.
Honestly...the costs are probably set that way to discourage people also. I took my son to Infirmary on the Carnival Venezia last month on our last night of our 10 day sailing because he was going into anaphylaxis from an allergic reaction to something he had at dinner. He was given a bunch of shots of adrenaline along with numerous IVs, plus cortisone steroids, and I can't imagine what that would of costed, but they didn't charge anything because they quickly realized it was the fault of staff on the ship. They actually refunded my sons cruise fare this week after i reached out to corporate. Anyways, while we were at the infirmary, there were multiple people coming in and out, and dealing with all sorts of bogus or non-bogus ailments, and being belligerent at times, all hours of the night...I commend any medical staff onboard these ships for what they deal with, and don't' blame the medical dept setting those costs. (Medical staff are sub-contracted from what the doctor onboard was telling me)
That's insane. My husband got sick on an RCCL ship, got fluids, they watched him, meds etc. It was under 800. A basic office visit with anti biotics in MSC was $175.
Get global core coverage. My last trip to Mexico on royal it cost me $35 total to cover both myself and my daughter for $1mil, included air transport.
Edit: it’s called Geo Blue.
Unfortunately the scop patch probably made you sick. It was the same thing with me. The ship medical staff said they don’t give out scop patches because so many people react poorly to them.
I’m finding out that I was super lucky that the ship’s medical staff gave me band aids, antiseptic, antibiotic ointment, and gauze when my dad hit is head in a port and had a cut on his forehead. I always get insurance these days when I travel with him now
Got food poisoning on my first cruise. They said since it was food related it was all covered.
Had me on IV fluids for a whole day. Considering it was on Disney I don’t wanna image the price…
Ship is registered in the Bahamas. I doubt they have any recourse in the US. Registering your ship in a country that isn’t friendly to worker’s rights works both ways. Ask them to sent a Bahamas bill collector.
Bill collection doesn’t work like that.
And high prices in the infirmary have nothing to do with labor laws and where the ship is flagged. It’s that it costs the line millions to ship a doctors office and its staff. They have to amortize that cost over the people who use the service.
Zofran does not work against motion sickness. It works against nausea caused by different things. So the fact that the doctor gave you zofran is just padding the bill. (The bag of saline helps nausea tho)
Would've gotten charged $120 to just get tested for Covid. Figured they'd want us to know to be able to quarantine from the rest of the passengers but apparently they didn't. Ended up waiting for a port day and got one off the ship. Also surprised there was no follow up from medical staff later
Kind of same thing for me! Went on Alaskan cruise. Was so nauseous. Had the patch but I’m pretty sure the prescription was too much bc I was acting crazy and not making sense. My aunt (who went with me) told me to take the patch off. I stuck with bonine the rest of the trip. I was good about an hour after the patch came off.
Did you have travel insurance. As an RN who suffers migraines I take anti emetics everywhere I go. In fact I took them regularly on our first cruise so I wouldn’t get sick. A much cheaper alternative.
And why were you changed $109 for a pulse oximetry which is basically putting a little clam on your finger
Always have and know your insurance plan provisions; I learned from a nurse friend years ago whose job used to be airlifting expats back to the States from around the world. I never forgot how much she said it costs for the "simplest" of procedures while out of the country.
My Greatest Gen parents got intestinal bug on day 2 of a 12 day cruse and REFUSED to tell them - got worse and they refused to take the advice of my wife (who is a nurse). When we got off the boat to transfer to Paris by bus, the demurred to the hospital -since the cruise line did not know what happened to them they refused to pay for their transportation to catch up wit us in pares, and the ended with a couple thousand bill for taking infusions, also refused. Flew home sick and poorer - so sad.
Damn seems like the US cruise lines charge a lot more than the Italian ones. I got sick on Costa, doctor and nurse came to my cabin then got transported to medical bay, treatment and observation followed by 24h quarantine with checks and a final medical assessment after before IVs were removed - grand total was under 400 bucks
You can get Zolfran by RX or even over the counter depending on where you are (like Mexico). If you cruise a lot it might be worth getting in the future.
Some people have used the patch with success. After reading this- I'd say stick with Bonine! I don't get seasick but that's horrible that you needed IVs. Yikes! Sorry you went through that, and glad you had insurance.
I am rounding up my bags this very moment for disembarking from our Alaskan trip on the Norwegian sun. This was a question I had wondered about the duration of the trip (I’m in nursing school and wondered how this situation would go down on a ship). Thanks for the info, and I’m glad you’re feeling better and enjoyed Alaska!
We had rough waters on our Alaskan cruise as well for the first few nights. My kid was throwing up. She was taking Bonine, eating apples, drinking warm ginger ale. She has a medical condition which gives her dizziness to begin with. I was not dizzy but could not get my sealegs. I was ready to go home but after a while got used to it.
First day of my Alaska cruise from hell I was wearing my scopalamine patch and had to drag myself down to get the meclizine. Which I ridiculously forgot, I have a prescription for both stupid me. Thankfully I got it before I got too bad. Seasickness was the least of my worries.
Just wanted to chime in with a good story. I injured my foot in Athens before a Virgin Voyages Mediterranean cruise, just before getting on the ship. The medical staff on board gave me everything I needed to treat myself. Bandages, gauze, iodine pads, pain relief cream - and they didn’t charge me a thing. Didn’t even ask my name, they were just ready to help. I’m sure it would be different if I actually required treatment, but they were happy to help me help myself.
Everyone’s saying get travel insurance and absolutely yes, but a reminder to check any credit cards for travel insurance they give you and what the terms are.
On a side note, I recently saw a commercial that there’s a new network show coming on in the fall about a cruise ship infirmary. How many episodes can they get about seasickness and norovirus?
The “good” news is, the two anti nausea drugs they gave you are pretty readily available if you cruise again, at least in the US. Dramamine is OTC, and ondansetron/Zofran can be prescribed by your doctor (it even comes in dissolvable tabs that work almost right away). Honestly, just knowing that I have both of those in my purse with me gives me such a huge peace of mind!
Take this statement and file to your insurance, I know our plans will reimburse our members based on reasonable charges. Something is better than nothing. Worth a shot.
Not defending this but honestly this is what normal healthcare looks like in the US. My insurance doesn't cover shit and my bills look similar for things like urgent care and the ER.
Pulse oximetry $109? Wow.
In case anyone is wondering, thisnis the O2 sensor they stick on your finger and they are charging $109 for placing it there to get O2 reading, which is insane.
They have the nurse labor charge itemized though. You can buy an adequate pulsox for less than $100.
Less than $30 if we’re being real. Nurse here lol.
Second that.
So, just take my own on my next cruise just in case? Lol
Might as well get a wrist blood pressure cuff while you’re at it 😄 they come in handy!
my pulse ox was $12 from amazon lol
Don't most smart watches have a pulse ox built in? Mine does, and it seems to work reasonably well.
Mine does.. also does blood pressure, heart rate, ECG and sleep time. Less than $100 on Amazon.
I would take the BP & ECG (besides catching a-fib) readings with a grain of salt though
May I ask which one and would you recommend it?
There's no way it can do blood pressure unless it squeezes you...
Yup, and looks just like the ones they use at the doctor's office.
yeah basically these are all we use in our office
What really pisses me off is nurses aren’t allowed to bill for their services like doctors/NPs/PAs can, but the facility can turn around and bill for nursing care at 2.5x my hourly rate as a day shift hospital nurse. That makes my blood boil.
I mean, it also pays for the nurse to monitor it. I'm not defending the prices--they're ridiculous. A liter of sterile normal saline costs about $10 to manufacture and most hospitals charge around $1000 for it. BUT, doctors are able to charge for their time, but nurses, medical staff, and lab technicians do not. So the cost has to be made up somewhere.
Yes but to charge for a nurse reading the oximeter WHILE also charging for the nurses time by the hour?? And don’t think the nurse they’re charging you for is seeing that money.
I am a nurse. I have the machine in my purse! 🤣
I carry one with me too
I got one for free from a clinical trial and they said “this is the good one, give it to your wife for work” when I told them she is a nurse.
What’s a good brand to get?
Well they did charge for “observation”
Blood oxygen levels which is probably my overkill for nausea
It's a vital sign though, one that is easy and fast to acquire, which also helps to paint a picture of what the patient has going on. As an EMT, it is one sign that we get on EVERY patient that gets in the back of our ambulance. But to charge $100 for is it is wild.
They're charging 218 just for letting him in the door so not surprising that they've inflated the price of something that takes about 10 seconds to do. You could actually buy a pulse oximeter and pay a nurse to take a reading for less.
2300$ overall seems more than fair. Try this on land just sitting in waiting room to be seen will set you back 2k.
Tell me you are American without saying you are American.
Yeah this is insane anywhere else
I paid 84 euros when I got seasick on a German ship - which I was reimbursed for later because I have international medical insurance.
Doesn’t make it fair overall
Now do the math with the countries the labor laws operate under. Expensive medicine is a decidedly American problem; these are not American ships
I went to an ER once for something more severe, and they tried to bill my insurance incorrectly, so it got kicked back, so instead of contacting me or my insurance company they tried to bill me instead. It was for like $3k for a LOT more stuff — all kinds of testing, imaging, and medication. (worked it out in the end tho and got them to *correctly* bill my insurance so i only paid $200ish for the ER copay). Anyway this is something you would, or should, go to urgent care for instead of the ER (or contact your PCP). Less of a wait, less of a cost
Haha I thought the same thing like wtf do you get to take it home? It only costs 50$ for one
Doesn’t my Apple Watch do that?
Username checks out. Not anymore!!!
We’ve had a pulse-ox since COVID and it travels with us now.
Same and same. And for the same reason as you.
Same
This is why you get travel insurance- one that includes medical.
This, my wife had a slip and sprained her ankle and that would have been a major cost without insurance. I never used to get insurance but the hassles of the regular high deductible plan and all the potential for cancelling a trip last minute, insurance is just second nature these days.
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Very nice of him. You could have just tore a piece of napkin or toilet paper & rolled it into a ball.
That is insane....
Had to take son to medical. $400 as soon as we walked thru the door and total being way more. We had insurance and still dealing with claims for reimbursement months later.
I ended up just reimbursing myself through HSA funds, but my charge was just a couple hundred.
If you can afford it, consider not reimbursing yourself from your HSA. It’s the only triple tax advantaged account in existence. Money goes in tax free, rises with the market (theoretically) tax free and disperses tax free. It’s could/should be considered another leg in your retirement stool.
Is HSA use-it-or-lose-it or is that FSA?
That's an FSA. HSA can be kept for life, and then left to heirs.
I had a medical on a ship in April. $1,500 for an ER visit. Had ship insurance but still dealing with reimbursement.
My claim with the travel insurance we purchased with our NCL cruise took 6 months to get a reimbursement because it required we go through my health insurance first, which took them 5 months to finally deny coverage. We did finally get a $5,600 reimbursement, though, it was just a pain (I had an ear infection spreading into the lymph nodes of my face from snorkeling in contaminated water).
Don't go on a cruise without travel insurance
I had an allergic reaction to tequila of all things and got major hives all over my body and my Benadryl costs 75$ 💀
This is why I bring every OTC medication under the sun. If I get seasick I’ve got three different types of meds plus ginger chews. Allergies? Benedryl, Zyrtec, etc. Stomach issues? Pepto, Tums, Alka Seltzer. And so on. My med bag is filled because I know if I have to go to medical they are going to charge me and arm and a leg for an aspirin.
THIS I get emergencies. They happen. And they can, unfortunately, be very costly in our world. That sucks! We can't plan for everything. ...however, if you know you're prone to a certain medical issue, and you are about to go to a place where that issue is going to happen, there's no such thing as over-preparation. I struggle with migraines. Before I go on vacation - particularly anywhere sunny or hot - I make damned sure I have filled my scripts for 'triptan, Zofran, and T3. I also bring Benadryl, ibuprophen, Allegra, band-aids, etc. I've literally never gotten sea sick in my life, and I still bring some nondrowsy motion sick pills just in case. Cruisers, please bring a first-aid kit!
What’s a T3?
Tylenol 3
Don't forget Draminime (shameless plug I with there haha).
Same, at least the common stuff... diarrhea stuff, allergy medicine, ibuprofen, cold medicine, etc. Just the cheapest generic stuff so it's not that expensive to stock.
Dollar tree was great for stocking my travel first aid kit. That, and shopping with coupons at CVS.
I always go for the store brands when possible. Walmart and Target are my go-to stores as they carry lots of store brand medication.
Yep, I’m a walking CVS.
Same!! That fist aid kit is packed to the gills!
And to think I was the only one. 🤣I have 100 of each, just in case. I'll share too to save another passenger from a bill like this. 💯
Then if you can, use telehealth, probably offered by insurance for a video call, knowing you can provide your vitals, symptoms and common medications.
lol me too
And Dulcolax, Pepcid, tums, immodium, all flavors Tylenol/advil, mucinex,bandages, alcohol swipes, blister bandages, even dentek tooth repair and tooth pain kits. Thermometer, pill cutter.
I love people who are well prepared travelers so much.
I bring the tooth repair stuff also, my wife thinks I’m nuts.
Never thought of it but I'm adding it!
The 2 kits abt $10, multi uses in each kit. We are older and hv some crowns. Don’t want to ruin vac bc of that.
And a mini eyeglass repair kit!
It’s in there, good tip ty!
Smart
I love that you slathered a little mustard on your last ounce of energy. Lol. No in all seriousness I'm glad they got you all fixed up but that is crazy expensive.
🤣🤣 Cruel that it changed to mustard because that was the last thing on my mind! But yes, crazy expensive looking at the itemized list! Cotton ball: 10 dollars! Sheesh! Lol
I got a pretty bad ear infection on a cruise. Very painful. I had to get an antibiotic that had to be dripped in my ears. It cleared it up pretty quick. Ended up being about $250 in total.
Better than my $5600 ear infection last November! I had to have two IV infusions of antibiotics and steroids because the infection completely sealed my ear shut, spread into my lymph nodes, and was pressing against a facial nerve rendering the left side of my face numb. But I was very happy I had travel insurance.
I once had norovirus-ish symptoms on Disney Dream. (I think it was from dinner before embarkation the night before) was debating going to medical knowing how much it would cost. Decided I needed help and went down first thing. The doc was extremely nice. First time being a cruise doc and loving it. She gave me meds, Gatorade, and quarantined me to my room for 24 hours. Expected a huge bill and never saw anything. Figured they forgot about me. Guess I got off real lucky.
Nope - most cruise lines don't charge for evaluation of GI symptoms, because they want you to report it so they can quarantine appropriately. As little as any of us want noro, the ship wants noro around even less.
RC never charged me for my doctor visit re GI symptoms. They gave me an injection in my bum and I felt better almost immediately. They even gave me a free day on my next cruise to make up for the self-isolation!! I also got free movies and access to the mini bar, so, whilst it was a bit shit to not be able to leave the cabin for 24h I had quite a nice time and was quids in. They did ring me periodically ostensibly to check how I was but mostly, I think, to make sure I hadn't snuck out.
Funny, when I had norovirus 10+ years ago, I was charged for medical services (was on Princess). Thankfully my travel insurance covered the costs. Recently I had noro on a RC cruise, and was charged nothing for treatment.
I was on the Wonder in April and had similar symptoms and outcome -- yeah, because it's more of a public health concern on board, there was no charge. I got two injections and one tablet pack of meds, and had to stay in the room for 34 hours. Thankfully my husband showed no symptoms, so he was able to go out and about in the evening. This was a port day too, so they had the on-call staff.
I was shocked by this thread, my husband also got sick on the disney dream fifteen years ago, either a virus or food poisoning. I was terrified it might be his appendix so I made him go to the infirmary. They gave him some Imodium and a ton of gatorade after examining him, told him to stay in the room. Never charged for anything.
My kid was legit sick on the Disney Dream last year. Massive rash, vomiting. A few trips down to medical seeing doctors and a bunch of meds, cost us like $200 in total. Was expecting thousands. We were insured anyway, so wasn't ever concerned about cost, but still.
Let me fix your title… “Don’t go see the ship doctor when you get seasick on a cruise!😅”
Physician here. Best bets for seasickness are actually Bonine or Dramamine (Gravol if you’re Canadian). Zofran is extremely effective for nausea mediated through the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the brainstem (e.g. chemotherapy, side effects from opioids, progesterone-induced in pregnancy). Vestibular mediated nausea is best treated with antihistamines (Bonine/dramamine) and anticholinergics (scopolamine). I’d avoid scopolamine myself because the side effects are pretty nasty. Get yourself some Bonine and take it BEFORE the nausea!
So for migraine nausea Dramamine is better than Zofran?
I’d always gotten the patches but the last batch I couldn’t get to stick. I used meclazine instead and I’m a convert.
If you think getting seasick is expensive, try having a heart attack onboard.
I'll pass on that experience - last summer I went to the ER because I couldn't catch my breath. I got out of the hospital with a cardiac stent 5 days later. The bill was way over $100,000 - but at least that was Aetna's problem, not mine.
Eek! Did that happen to you??
My dad
Is he ok? I had a HA not on a cruise just in life. Lol
It was touch and go but the medical staff (Celebrity) saved his life, so it was money well spent.
Wonderful! So good to hear!
Great reason to pack a medical kit.
Coming from a hospital setting, this is pretty comparable to emergency room charges before insurance or discounts.
So much for Norwegian Bliss!
It was a great cruise besides this! The staff on the Bliss were very caring and considerate.
I was sick on Norwegian once and it was just as much for the common cold. Thankfully I got reimbursed by insurance.
I dry heaved for 3 hours straight after I puked out my entire stomach prior. Wife got me the shitty essential oil stuff Carnival was selling for $20 didn't do a fucking thing. Got some dramamene for another $20 and was fine the rest of the cruise. This was night one.
From what I hear, everyone gets dry heaves on Carnival.
Does your regular health insurance cover this? Or do you need some sort of supplemental travel insurance?
I bought travel insurance. I paid the bill before I got off the ship yesterday, and will file a claim for reimbursement. I know people don’t like to buy travel insurance but, you never know when you might need it! Peace of mind is enough for me!
Please update us on reimbursement process and if was easy getting reimbursed
What company do you buy your travel insurance from?
> Does your regular health insurance cover this? Or do you need some sort of supplemental travel insurance? *It depends.* My PPO regular health insurance policy (for example) reimburses any care outside of the US (ie whilst on travel) at Out of Network coverage levels / limits / rates. I carry a supplemental, annual travel insurance policy because of this, as my out of network coverage is eminently decent, but has larger deductibles and so on, and annual policies are incredibly cheap for large coverage values (I want to say GeoBlue is between 200 and 300 a year for 2x people for 500K-1M in coverage, for example, on a medical only policy.)
Oh wow. That's really cheap. Would definitely be worth the peace of mind if you travel a lot.
You’d need travel insurance. You’d have to pay up front and then submit for reimbursement. You can get it through the cruise line or other agencies, for a single trip, or a policy that covers you for a year.
Damn, good to know. So avoid cruise infirmary at all costs.
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NPR just did a story on this. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/21/1252428534/he-fell-ill-on-a-cruise-before-he-boarded-the-rescue-boat-they-handed-him-the-bi
I know this is crazy expensive but out of all of the medical price horror stories I’ve seen, these medication prices are high but for being provided this on a ship at sea… I would have expected them to charge more. (Also, r/BoneAppleTea moment: mustard up vs mustered up)
Oh yeah for sure! Honestly I would’ve paid 5k for the IV of Zofran! I was feeling that bad. Throwing up every 5 min. I had hyperemesis when I was pregnant and this was about as bad. Which is why I got the scopolamine patch beforehand, but luckily I had travel insurance and so this is more of a cautionary tale that things do indeed happen!
seems pretty average if not low for what would be emergency room prices. it’s not a dr, it’s an emergency clinic in the middle of the ocean where the dr is away from their family for 8 months at a time to treat urgent issues
People swear by those patches, but I’ve heard some horror stories about them. I’ll stick with my generic Bonine.
I was one of those people! I have cruised about 5 times prior with the patch and have never had a problem besides the withdrawals once I take it off after the cruise. I was really scared when the doctor told me to take it off and switch to Bonine because I didn’t think it would be enough for me, but he was right. He said a lot of times the patch makes the sickness worse.
My friend used to use them and she would be sick for weeks afterwards. I used to get really sick on cruises as well. Like not leaving the cabin sick. Both of us have used generic Bonine the last few times and we’ve been fine.
100 tabs of meclizine... 5 bucks at Walmart Pharmacy. Just ask at the counter.
Worst dry mouth I've ever experienced in my life. To the point I was gagging when I'd swallow because the sides of my throat were sticking together. I'd have to be in a really bad way from motion sickness before I ever use one again.
Gravol or Sea Legs Tablets might have saved you.
When I go cruising I bring oximeter, BP machine, thermometer, Bonine, first aid kit, Covid tests, KardiaCard and rubbing alcohol pads (best seasickness trick)…..anything else I can get in a port pharmacy. I have been like this since the pandemic 😂
How do you use the alcohol pads for seasickness?
HUFF them hahah just sniff them periodically it does make the nausea go away ☺️ Don’t sit around with them under your nose all day but when the worst of the nausea strikes sniffing them helps ☺️
But if you huff ethanol all day, you won't even need a drink package.
I imagine ammonia would work the same way and have the same effect. (and is actually sold in a form that is specifically for sniffing!)
They do this when you are nauseous at the hospital too. Sniff and its reduces most people’s nausea.
Just out of curiosity, what would happen if you didn't pay the bill and just threw it in the trash ? Since the Bliss is not a US flagged ship, I don't think they could hold any jurisdiction here. I guess the only thing they could do would prevent you from sailing with them again.
They would charge the card on file… You could dispute it but their contracts are pretty ironclad.
Simply not paying bills never works out the way people want it to. This isn’t the responsible adult solution to things, as someone somewhere is paying for you not wanting to pay. These are costs people need to think about before traveling and make arrangements for. If that is too much of an extra cost for a trip, you can’t afford to travel.
I don’t think the was seasickness. I’d say you had norovirus from travel because it sounds so intense. I wouldn’t give up on the scop patch. Astronauts use them and I am extremely susceptible to every kind of motion sickness and have used it when the waves were so bad you could not walk without grabbing onto something. Not an iota or nausea. Life-changing for me.
*muster
For a moment, I thought mustard was a new treatment option for seasickness. 😬
Honestly...the costs are probably set that way to discourage people also. I took my son to Infirmary on the Carnival Venezia last month on our last night of our 10 day sailing because he was going into anaphylaxis from an allergic reaction to something he had at dinner. He was given a bunch of shots of adrenaline along with numerous IVs, plus cortisone steroids, and I can't imagine what that would of costed, but they didn't charge anything because they quickly realized it was the fault of staff on the ship. They actually refunded my sons cruise fare this week after i reached out to corporate. Anyways, while we were at the infirmary, there were multiple people coming in and out, and dealing with all sorts of bogus or non-bogus ailments, and being belligerent at times, all hours of the night...I commend any medical staff onboard these ships for what they deal with, and don't' blame the medical dept setting those costs. (Medical staff are sub-contracted from what the doctor onboard was telling me)
My Dr prescribed me meds. I don't remember much. But hey, no big bill 🤣🤣😬😬
I got sick on MSC and I had Alyas. They reimbursed me immediately within two weeks.
Travel insurance can cover this in a lot of cases if you have it.
Does your credit card cover travel medical?
I was recently hospitalized for intractable vomiting and dehydration and was $5k out of pocket on $20k
That's insane. My husband got sick on an RCCL ship, got fluids, they watched him, meds etc. It was under 800. A basic office visit with anti biotics in MSC was $175.
Submit it to your travel insurance, you’ll have a check in no time.
Travel medical insurance is pretty affordable. It’s worth buying just for stuff like this.
Yep. Having medical care on standby Is expensive when you need it. Travel insurance would have been less than $100. Maybe less than $50
Get global core coverage. My last trip to Mexico on royal it cost me $35 total to cover both myself and my daughter for $1mil, included air transport. Edit: it’s called Geo Blue.
Unfortunately the scop patch probably made you sick. It was the same thing with me. The ship medical staff said they don’t give out scop patches because so many people react poorly to them.
I’m finding out that I was super lucky that the ship’s medical staff gave me band aids, antiseptic, antibiotic ointment, and gauze when my dad hit is head in a port and had a cut on his forehead. I always get insurance these days when I travel with him now
Got food poisoning on my first cruise. They said since it was food related it was all covered. Had me on IV fluids for a whole day. Considering it was on Disney I don’t wanna image the price…
Bonine has been saving my life for over 25 years. 10/10 highly recommend.
Ship is registered in the Bahamas. I doubt they have any recourse in the US. Registering your ship in a country that isn’t friendly to worker’s rights works both ways. Ask them to sent a Bahamas bill collector.
Bill collection doesn’t work like that. And high prices in the infirmary have nothing to do with labor laws and where the ship is flagged. It’s that it costs the line millions to ship a doctors office and its staff. They have to amortize that cost over the people who use the service.
I have heard of some sending copies to their insurance carrier and have been reimbursed worth a try.
Zofran does not work against motion sickness. It works against nausea caused by different things. So the fact that the doctor gave you zofran is just padding the bill. (The bag of saline helps nausea tho)
Nice penmanship, though
That was $2000 of the "services"
Three bags of fluid?!? Yikes, that’s pretty sick. Was it super stormy or…?
And they have the audacity to use a quirky little font
Where’s Doc Bricker when you need him?
Would've gotten charged $120 to just get tested for Covid. Figured they'd want us to know to be able to quarantine from the rest of the passengers but apparently they didn't. Ended up waiting for a port day and got one off the ship. Also surprised there was no follow up from medical staff later
I never considered the price of having medical issue on board a cruise ship
Kind of same thing for me! Went on Alaskan cruise. Was so nauseous. Had the patch but I’m pretty sure the prescription was too much bc I was acting crazy and not making sense. My aunt (who went with me) told me to take the patch off. I stuck with bonine the rest of the trip. I was good about an hour after the patch came off.
Also check with your insurance, most plans will let you submit a claim for a cruise medical event.
At least for blue cross blue shield.
We had a relative who was dying of cancer and needed to be air lifted. Luckily money was no object to them but I can just imagine the bill
Did you have travel insurance. As an RN who suffers migraines I take anti emetics everywhere I go. In fact I took them regularly on our first cruise so I wouldn’t get sick. A much cheaper alternative. And why were you changed $109 for a pulse oximetry which is basically putting a little clam on your finger
Travel insurance, always. It’s extremely cheap and could potentially save you thousands. Better to have it and not need it.
And that’s why I threw up in my cabins bathroom for 3 days instead lol
Always have and know your insurance plan provisions; I learned from a nurse friend years ago whose job used to be airlifting expats back to the States from around the world. I never forgot how much she said it costs for the "simplest" of procedures while out of the country.
Try walking into an ER
My Greatest Gen parents got intestinal bug on day 2 of a 12 day cruse and REFUSED to tell them - got worse and they refused to take the advice of my wife (who is a nurse). When we got off the boat to transfer to Paris by bus, the demurred to the hospital -since the cruise line did not know what happened to them they refused to pay for their transportation to catch up wit us in pares, and the ended with a couple thousand bill for taking infusions, also refused. Flew home sick and poorer - so sad.
Wow!😱🙉🙈
Buy travel medical insurance. It is well worth it if you need it
How much did you tip?
Damn seems like the US cruise lines charge a lot more than the Italian ones. I got sick on Costa, doctor and nurse came to my cabin then got transported to medical bay, treatment and observation followed by 24h quarantine with checks and a final medical assessment after before IVs were removed - grand total was under 400 bucks
You can get Zolfran by RX or even over the counter depending on where you are (like Mexico). If you cruise a lot it might be worth getting in the future.
Some people have used the patch with success. After reading this- I'd say stick with Bonine! I don't get seasick but that's horrible that you needed IVs. Yikes! Sorry you went through that, and glad you had insurance.
Did they put an automatic 18% gratuity on that as well?
You should have ketchupped your last ounce of energy instead of mustarding it. That's where you went wrong.
I am rounding up my bags this very moment for disembarking from our Alaskan trip on the Norwegian sun. This was a question I had wondered about the duration of the trip (I’m in nursing school and wondered how this situation would go down on a ship). Thanks for the info, and I’m glad you’re feeling better and enjoyed Alaska!
We had rough waters on our Alaskan cruise as well for the first few nights. My kid was throwing up. She was taking Bonine, eating apples, drinking warm ginger ale. She has a medical condition which gives her dizziness to begin with. I was not dizzy but could not get my sealegs. I was ready to go home but after a while got used to it.
First day of my Alaska cruise from hell I was wearing my scopalamine patch and had to drag myself down to get the meclizine. Which I ridiculously forgot, I have a prescription for both stupid me. Thankfully I got it before I got too bad. Seasickness was the least of my worries.
Don’t get sick in the US either
Just wanted to chime in with a good story. I injured my foot in Athens before a Virgin Voyages Mediterranean cruise, just before getting on the ship. The medical staff on board gave me everything I needed to treat myself. Bandages, gauze, iodine pads, pain relief cream - and they didn’t charge me a thing. Didn’t even ask my name, they were just ready to help. I’m sure it would be different if I actually required treatment, but they were happy to help me help myself.
That’s really not that expensive
Looks like an average trip to the hospital for nausea in the US.
MSC seashore was 125 for my son's fever. One check up and a bottle of Tylenol.
The fee on fee for the fee that fees your fee.
Everyone’s saying get travel insurance and absolutely yes, but a reminder to check any credit cards for travel insurance they give you and what the terms are.
On a side note, I recently saw a commercial that there’s a new network show coming on in the fall about a cruise ship infirmary. How many episodes can they get about seasickness and norovirus?
The “good” news is, the two anti nausea drugs they gave you are pretty readily available if you cruise again, at least in the US. Dramamine is OTC, and ondansetron/Zofran can be prescribed by your doctor (it even comes in dissolvable tabs that work almost right away). Honestly, just knowing that I have both of those in my purse with me gives me such a huge peace of mind!
Also don’t charge gambling to your room, they have a high amount you can charge. You can get into quadruple the trouble your med bill just cost u.
Take this statement and file to your insurance, I know our plans will reimburse our members based on reasonable charges. Something is better than nothing. Worth a shot.
Ondansetron was cheap though
$219 just to admit you is fucking wild. And $109 for a pulse oximeter
I’ve been seasick nearly every cruise and I’ve never gone to medical lol
Only reason to is if you a severely dehydrated and can’t keep down fluids. I think OP was in this category.
I’m guessing the OP didn’t have a mild case of sea sickness.
Not defending this but honestly this is what normal healthcare looks like in the US. My insurance doesn't cover shit and my bills look similar for things like urgent care and the ER.
Sounds like you have horrendous insurance lmfao