Medical emergency at home while cruising

[BigBlueWho]

Good evening all!
We are looking to go on a cruise this summer; tjis will be our second one!
What is the procedure/ what are options if we need to leave while on a cruise?
My in laws are elderly and not in the best health and I want to plan as best as I can.
I apologize if this has already been discussed, but I couldn’t find anything.

 

[Girl of the South]

I guess you would get off at the next port and fly home? Maybe trip insurance would cover that under Trip Interruption but you’d have to read the fine print. There’s no commercial airport at Castaway so it might take a couple days to get home, depending on which cruise you are on.

 

[auntlynne]

Per the Disney cruise website:

“Q: What happens if I decide to disembark at a port of call and not return to the ship?

A: Guests choosing to disembark in a foreign port and not return to the ship should make sure that they meet all of the documentation and entry requirements of that country. In some instances, Guests may be assessed a fine or penalty according to local or national regulations.

U.S. citizens should consult the U.S. State Department’s Travel page for details relating to the requirements for entering specific countries and territories.
Except as stipulated in the Disney Cruise Line contract, no adjustments to the price of a cruise will be made for Guests not completing the full itinerary.”

 

[Traveling on cc points]

If you think there is a real possibility that you will have to get home immediately, I would save the cruise for a few years down the road and do a land trip this summer.

depending on where you are when you make the call to leave, it will cost you thousands of dollars between not getting a refund in the remainder of your cruise, getting to an airport (possibly in another country) last minute flight prices ect… not to mention it could take days to get home despite all your efforts depending on your next port day.

I am really not trying to put a damper on your plans but if you decide to go through with it, make sure you have a few thousand extra dollars budgeted. Just in case.

 

[auntlynne]

If you decide to cruise, look at flight schedules from all the ports you are visiting. Also, check for any visas or entry requirements so that you can exit. That way you aren’t scrambling in a foreign country while worried.

Besides the easy answer - put if off if you think something is going to happen - thus situation brings up a bunch of questions.

Without knowledge of whether there is someone else in the family who could be responsible,

I’ll go with “Can you put off booking until really close to the cruise?” Can you just do a short cruise, so that you can complete the cruise and then come home? And have a travel insurance policy that covers cancel for no reason?

 

[Flcruising]

1.You might actually get home quicker by staying on board and finishing the cruise. You may not find an flight with available seats. Or it could take a day or so to charter a flight. You may have to even hire a boat to get from one island to another.
2. Is there anyone else who could assist with in laws during an emergency?
3. Take in laws with you. Get them their own cabin. Hire a nurse or assistant to go along if needed. If they decline after the cruise you will be glad you brought that joy to them
4. If there is an emergency on board a helicopter can land on ship and take a person to get treatment.

 

[rainbowredpanda]

Good evening all!
We are looking to go on a cruise this summer; tjis will be our second one!
What is the procedure/ what are options if we need to leave while on a cruise?
My in laws are elderly and not in the best health and I want to plan as best as I can.
I apologize if this has already been discussed, but I couldn’t find anything.

Unless it's a really long cruise, you're likely better to remain on board and travel onto your original port or where you were already disembarking.

As others have said, if you think you might have to leave, check all the requirements for each port about what you need to enter that country including visas, passport/ID requirements and potential flights. Insurance might not pay and even if they do, you'll have cover all costs before you apply for cover.

Make sure you bring all your emergency contact phone numbers with you. Your in-laws details, their doctors/GPs/specialists/nursing homes ect. Make sure they have your phone numbers. Not just your mobile/cell but also the emergency contact phone number for the ship. - you can be contacted in an emergency while on board and Disney will assist you in the event of an emergency.

Do you have a back up plan? If you can't get back - who do they call? Is that person/people able to do what you would do? Do they have the legal capacity to do so (guardianship/power of attorney ect). Are you in-laws comfortable enough with that person?

While you're away - write down what to do in the event of an emergency. Lists of medications, emergency contacts should be placed on the fridge so paramedics will find it (they always look here), do you in laws have a list of wishes on what they'd like to have happen in the event of an emergency or turn in their health? It's also best to place this on the fridge.

Do you in laws require a welfare check? If so, who will stop by or call them each day to make sure they're okay? Neighbours? Family? Friends? A local service? Have this in place and let the in laws know someone will be dropping by. Ensure that person knows what to do in the event of an emergency, including having you phone numbers and emergency cruise phone number on hand.

I'm fairly sure the number is 1-888-322-8732. It's for emergencies only. They'll need to know the ship you're on and ideally your cabin number and name on the booking.

I hope all this helps!

 

[mousefan73]

4. If there is an emergency on board a helicopter can land on ship and take a person to get treatment.

Depends. I sure would never suggest to anyone to take a cruise when there’s a high risk of a med Evec needed because “a helicopter can just come and get you.”

1. Not all itineraries can you just have a helicopter come ( they arent ubers)
2. As horrible as it sounds, It will ruin everyone else’s vacation. Because in many cases ports will be skipped or missed because a ship will literally then turn around to go back to land so I helicopter can come up and get them. I’ve been on a cruise where we’ve lost one day because of this. Not that I’m complaining everyone was grateful that the person was able to get the help they need it because it was an emergency that was not forseen.
3. You better have a great travel insurance.

 

[BigBlueWho]

Thank you all for the responses. Putting it off a few years is definitely on the table at this point.

 

[hrhdhd]

4. If there is an emergency on board a helicopter can land on ship and take a person to get treatment.

Helicopters generally don't land on cruise ships. The patient is airlifted in a rescue basket, which is not ideal for several reasons.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Totally understand where you are coming from. We booked our cruise a year ago. At this point, with developments in just the last few months of health of both my in-laws and my mom, I am not as comfortable as I was back when I booked. It is too late to cancel. We will go. We sort of subscribe to life is for the living mentality. No one really knows. No one is in hospice or anything like that in my situation. We have hired care for the week that we are gone. i have printed meds and contacts for the refrigerators. I will get an internet package. This trip has long been delayed due to covid... A bit worrisome, but we understand the risk and know that we will probably need to complete the cruise to come home. Everyone's comfort level is different.

 

[TooBoyz4us]

Thank you all for the responses. Putting it off a few years is definitely on the table at this point.

I know it is disheartening to make that decision. We have been in your position, and put off longer, big vacations for many years as our parent's health situations were delicate.
But, when the time comes to cruise for you, it will be grand! ((((hugs))))

 

[Alicatt]

Ask yourself though how many years is few years? I only say this because my parents kept putting off trips because my grandmother was very old. They missed a lot of good times with us and their grandchildren. Eventually they took a chance and went with us to WDW and did it again a few years later. It was really difficult to arrange and they felt really guilty but they did it. That second trip was in January. That February my mom suddenly passed away from a heart attack at 68. My grandmother lived to 104.

---

 

[sheilafri]

I am a bit of a heathen so here is my two cents worth. You must also take care of yourselves. If you are primary caretakers, find alternate care for when you are away. If you aren’t, a visit beforehand may mean more than spending thousands to come back to sit by a bedside or attend a funeral. Are there other people who can handle an emergency until you get back? It might not be the way you want it handled. You will have to accept that loss of control if you want to make the trip.

FWIW, I have elderly parents and fortunately also have siblings. We don’t all go away at once but we also haven’t put our Iives on hold. Some of us go south for months at a time. Others take frequent shorter trips. We each do what we are comfortable with, recognizing that death will come for our parents someday. I think we recognize that we, none of us, know how long we have to live and aren’t willing to put off living our own lives.

 

[sponica]

I guess it depends on your level of comfort with stuff. I had a family member who was on a cruise when her mother died. But her mom was pretty old as it was, and the consensus at the time was it wasn't worth interrupting her cruise to let her know something awful that she couldn't fix, plus it was bonkers expensive to do so, it was back before cell phones were everywhere. It just meant the services and everything were delayed until after her return.

 

[Girl of the South]

I have one passport, valid for 10 years, that didn't get to take any trips at all. Because I was caring for my parents. 15 years altogether although at the start it was just getting groceries, although I did have to move back to the States from Australia. Anyway, it went on far too long and I regret not living more of my own life WHILE being semi responsible for my folks If I could live those days over, I would not do it in the same way. So, my advice to the OP is that it's only a week or two. Caregiving only gets harder and more isolating as it goes on.

GO GO GO!!!

I wish I had.

 

[OpieDoodle]

This IMO is a loaded question and really depends on a lot of factors. First I'd be looking at how elderly are we talking and what do you mean not in the best health.

Something can happen to any family member regardless of age at any time. So not traveling just because something could happen is hard because thats really pandoras box. If you're worried like that you'll NEVER want to go anywhere.

Now if they're stable/healthy for their age I'd consider traveling. If my grandmother was actively REALLY sick like not knowing if she'll make it another 6 months I'd probably put it off. Unless its a situation like that I'd probably still consider going, especially if you have other family around that can help while you're away.
If the unthinkable happens while you're gone then you'll have to make some pretty quick decisions and I'm sure it'll depend on what itinerary you're on for what is best. Short cruises or something happening at the end it's likely best to stay on until you can get back to the original port. Longer cruises you'll want to consider leaving the ship and finding an alternate way home. Which is VERY costly.

Make sure you have actual passports, not just BC, and make sure you have a couple thousand extra saved up for last minute flights

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have one passport, valid for 10 years, that didn't get to take any trips at all. Because I was caring for my parents. 15 years altogether although at the start it was just getting groceries, although I did have to move back to the States from Australia. Anyway, it went on far too long and I regret not living more of my own life WHILE being semi responsible for my folks If I could live those days over, I would not do it in the same way. So, my advice to the OP is that it's only a week or two. Caregiving only gets harder and more isolating as it goes on.

GO GO GO!!!

I wish I had.

With respects to your points I think this greatly depends on the situation of the people involved.

It sounds like for you it was a long-term care of parents in which case the end date was quite opened ended. I would agree more on a "carpe diem" approach for a vacation with the prospect of this.

But someone making the determination to cruise or not cruise in the next several months could be more related to the very real possibility of end of life of the people they are concerned about. I could be wrong that the OP was thinking more along those lines though.

If the OP is just thinking "well a heart attack could happen" for their parents (just using heart attack as an example) well I'd go with that could happen at home too and might be hard to really shelve a cruise just for that possibility. Although someone's advice on a land trip for now is a good alternative. But if the question was more about an illness such that it may be more imminent death could occur (or a grave medical episode at the very least) then it might be easier to say "maybe go in a few years instead".

 

[soniam]

We are not primary care givers or helpers for our parents. None of them have anything that immediately concerns us, but they are older and don’t have the best health. Unless there was something imminent, ie cancer, etc, I think I would go. I also turn my cell phone off while I sleep. Someone asked me what happens if there’s an emergency. I am not a doctor and probably couldn’t get a flight for a day or 2 anyway, so there isn’t a lot I can do for someone in an emergency. My husband and son excluded, so the phone stays on until they are home.

 

[Dznypal]

we had the Hawaii cruise booked for 2020 we had just gotten the airfare booked when my mom went into hospice--it would have been 5 days just to get to Hawaii and I was afraid something would happen while we were at sea --we just cancelled everything--our CC had great trip insurance that covered immidate family so we could use it for my mom--there was paperwork that had to be gotten but everything worked great
unfortunalty a less then a month later covid hit so everything was cancelled anyways

like others have said you just have to feel comfortable with your gut feelings

hope everything goes good for you