boone2

Unless things have changed in the couple of years since I retired as an ED nurse, N95 masks had to be properly fitted. We had to have a mask fitting test every year. Also not comfortable at all to wear.  I’m not sure why HAL should provide masks to all. For the last 18 months we have supplied our own masks 

We booked a transpacific cruise for next September about 6 months ago. Within a month the price had dropped by $500 pp so we got straight onto the Princess rep and she refared it dropping final price by 1000.  I now check everyday just in case.  The fare returned to the original price within a couple of days. 

1 minute ago, Copper10-8 said:

 Correctamento 😉 plus a Dutch lunch incl. a "broodje kroket" on a semi-regular basis 

mmmm  I could pass on that 😬 and did frequently 

29 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

On Vista Class ships, there is a space known as the "Dirty Officers Mess" (caddy corner from the P.O. Mess) where, primarily, engineering officers can consume a meal while dressed in their work overalls, hence the name "Dirty Officer Mess" 

and they get the best “full english” on a Sunday morning .  I think it was the zuiderdam that allowed the medical stuff eat in that mess and we could order dinner from the main dining room menu  also on the EUDM 

We’ve booked a transpacific from Vancouver to Auckland in sept 22. Hoping NZ is open by then and the cruise lines will have settled down to a new normality whatever it looks like. 

We booked a 28day Vancouver to Auckland cruise for 2022 at the beginning of last month. The price has fallen 800pp since so I guess it’s swings and roundabouts.  And I check every day😜

Terry

Being supplied and then back out to sea off the Bahamas?

One if my crew friends on-board has just posted they are on their way to the Philippines/Indonesia to disembark crew

terry

I feel her pain. My experience was on the MADM too. 

8 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

All HAL, as well as Princess,  passenger physicians (every ship has a crew doc also) as well as the majority of the nurses, are E.R.-qualified, and most work in E.R.'s at their respective home-based hospitals. Up until about four years ago on HAL, the majority of the pax docs were U.S. and/or Canadian nationals (the majority of the crew physicians have always been from the Philippines). Since that time, HAL had Princess take over the medical department onboard their ships. Dr. Grant Tarling, a South African then with Princess, became the chief medical officer for the Holland America group and the nationalities of the pax docs consequently changed to South African for the most part. 

 

I have worked with many of them, including in medical emergencies involving pax as well as crew onboard and, without exception, they are top notch in their field!

 

As was mentioned earlier, the medical centers onboard are able to function as emergency rooms with the main purpose of stabilizing the patient. As was also mentioned correctly earlier in this thread, it is in cases where a patient needs further medical care over a longer period of time, when the senior doc (the passenger physician) will recommend to the captain that a medevac (medical evacuation) of the patient take place. This will frequently involve course changes by the ship and, at times, a change in itinerary

 

When the captain agrees, and that is almost always the case, the nearest rescue coordination center is contacted via sat phone on the bridge. If the ship is close to land, a port will be selected and the ship will either dock in order to medically disembark the patient to a waiting ambulance, or will stop off-shore where a rescue (or police) boat will come out alongside one of the ship's tender platforms to conduct the medevac. If such a boat is not available, the patient will be loaded in one of the ship's tenders and brought ashore.

 

If a medevac via helicopter is the only fast option, in the U.S., this usually, but not always, will involve the U.S. Coast Guard. Before the helo will come out, a USCG flight surgeon based at the selected air station will have to sign off on this type of medevac. Once on station, the aircraft commander will always select the location (usually the bow or stern) of the ship from where the medevac will be performed and will lower a crew member (called a rescue swimmer in the USCG, the Canucks call them SAR techs) from the helo to the ship. When such a medevac via helicopter takes place, one of the ship's nurses will accompany the patient into the helo to the land-based hospital, no luggage and no family member(s) onboard! Some services, i.e. the French Navy will send one of their doctors with the helo in which case the ship's nurse will stay onboard. 

 

My hat goes off to all these individuals, be it the ship's medical staff or the crew of the responding rescue boat or helicopter, for the outstanding work they perform, at times under very difficult circumstances, in order to get these patients the medical care they deserve and need. Having been involved in several of these from Puerto Rico, to Alaska, Vancouver Island, to Tahiti, I'm always amazed how routine they make it look. They are life savers in my book! Bravo Zulu  

And as one of the nurses involved in a medivac and winched up on to a helo I was more than happy with the professionalism of the USGC. scariest thing I’ve ever done but it cured me of my fear of heights !!

10 mins is way quicker than the community  response time would be   The recommended response time on the ship is 8 minutes. So 10 mins is reasonable 

1 hour ago, kevingastreich said:

On our recent N/A cruise, we were still in port in Ft. Lauderdale and I observed a male passenger in the 6th deck passageway by the main elevators receiving CPR from a crew member while his poor wife was watching and crying. I do not know how long it had been going on. It was a FULL 10 minutes after that before the "Medical Response Team TO Deck 6" call was sounded. Unfortunately, the poor man didn't make it. Moral of the story is, that if you have a medical emergency on board, help might not come as quick as you think it would.

They do have ventilators. Usually a couple. The issue is the amount of oxygen on board needed to run the ventilators. For a TA crossing with no hope of medivac the oxygen may only last 5-6 days for one ventilator

On 1/26/2020 at 1:53 PM, sansterre said:

So it seems that it is like the Medical staff on board the ships.  It puzzles me that the Protestant, Jewish, and other faiths don't have something similar.

The medical staff are part of the crew.  Not a concession staff

Just to clarify. I worked for Princess medical department  which covers the medical departments of the carnival group I.e. Princess,Hal, Seabourn and P&O.   My main focus was in one of these fleets although I have also worked on one of the other The policies and procedures are across the carnival fleet and staff are often interchangeable in the medical departments.  I wanted  to answer a question and gave the same reply as the OP obtained from Princess. I was just trying to helpful and don’t understand the tone of two of the replies -   ah well  what can you do when someone  chooses takes offence - behind the keyboard 

5 hours ago, winnifer said:

Gotta love when someone who has actual working knowledge of a subject from firsthand experience is poo-pooed for providing a direct, clear, and informative answer to a query posed by someone wanting access to the information that someone with actual working knowledge would possess... 😛 

 

Thanks for answering the question, @boone2! 🙂 Working in the medical field myself, I now find myself curious what equipment they have in their medical area. Do they only have x-ray, or do they have CT, ULT, or MRI as well? We've learned they can do certain labs onboard, can they perform any other outpatient (or, I suppose, inpatient as well) testing or procedures?

 

Thanks in advance! 🙂 

Thank you for your comments 

there is an ICU on board and most basic lab tests can be performed. In fact some more than the ER I worked in here at home 

most ICU drugs are supplied and patients can be intubated if needed. Surgery is not done on board.  There is basic X-ray but any further diagnostic imaging is sent to medical facility ashore as are urgent consultations 

 Of course you don’t need to believe any of this because it’s on the internet😜

10 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

There is no way I would ask, rely on, nor would I take medical advice from someone on cruise critic.

No one should dispense it either. This is flat out wrong.

Didn’t dispense advice and nor would I. Some asked if the test could be done and I told them it could -  end of

9 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

How do you know this? Have you worked onboard a Princess ship in the medical clinic?

  I worked for princess medical in the clinics  on another cruise line of the carnival group till last year.  The same medical policies are across all the carnival group fleets 

Yes they do have the equipment and you can have the test done. You will have to see the doctor first for the initial order. Your own doctors order will not be used on board. So there will be an initial consultation fee and then the cost of the test each time.  All billed to the on-board account.  Not sure if insurance will pay as it is a chronic condition but as some one has said the clinic is not involved in insurance claims 

Fly transat to the UK at least once a year from YYZ to MAN or LGW. This year had to do the trip twice.   I have no issues.  When I can afford it I fly club which is very comfy.  I have to say I flew AC to LHR this year and did prefer it but only because There was a seat sale. Whether Transat’s  pricing will remain so competitive after the takeover by AC remains to be seen

Another vote for hotel jazz. Stayed here at least 3 times an never disappointed

We have  neighbours who are snowbirds  to South Carolina.  The condo they own doesn’t allow pets so off they went to the Internet and got their emotional support dog certificate. I was disgusted and told them so. 

I have worked for a few years for a cruise line and did a 49 day amazon cruise. A passenger did the 49 day and then decided to extend for another 2 weeks. All of a sudden she needed her emotional support dog for the last 2 weeks. How did she manage the previous 49 days. She also managed to go ashore without it  and expected guest relations to look after it - which surprisingly they did   It was a horrible thing. Not trained and pooped where it wanted. I was disgusted 

Have so enjoyed your blog.  Well written and lots of interesting adventures. Wished I had found it at the beginning. 

Regarding being isolated for diarrhea. You will be asked if this is normal for you. If it is a normal reaction to certain food allergies, or you have other bowel conditions you will likely not be isolated.

OK, strap in for a bumpy ride. There is nothing in writing on this matter. First is the doctor: great,OK, so-so, retired from practice, can't get work in the U.S., or unable to work in U.S. but can on foreign flagged ship

 

Why does the doctor have to be from the US.