A word to the wise about going to the doctor on Oceania Riviera

[Noxequifans]

When posters complain about the cost of medical care on O I wonder if they would be more comfortable with no medical facility on board.

[LHT28]

Yes we are between the rock and the hard place. Because the prices on Oceania and most other cruise ships for medical care are so high(Total rip off) than the trip insurance pricing has to be very high. A very bad way to treat your guests when most other services on the ships are terrific.

lots of things in life are a rip off

 

Ever stay at a hotel ???

Ever eat in a restaurant ?

[RJB]

lots of things in life are a rip off

 

Ever stay at a hotel ???

Ever eat in a restaurant ?

Gee, I did not know that. I guess I will stop going to hotels and not eat in any restaurant. Maybe I should stop shopping at the supermarket. Is that a rip off also? Could you tell me what is not a rip off in your opinion so I can adjust my life to only those things.

[Noxequifans]

I believe it is time to close this thread.

[LHT28]

I believe it is time to close this thread.

That time had past many posts ago :rolleyes:

 

 

moving on :halo:

[RJB]

That time had past many posts ago :rolleyes:

 

 

moving on :halo:

Good Idea.. Nothing going to change so lets move on. :cool:

[nybabs]

We just returned from back to back cruises on the Riviera, 10 days in the Caribbean and 14 across the Atlantic to Barcelona. During the course of our trip, my wife felt under the weather and went to the Doctor. He diagnosed her problem as a simple sinus infection and treated her for such. For that, he charged us $1,109.50!

 

Oceania claimed no responsibility for the amount of this charge because it contended that it contracts out the medical services on the trip. So...

 

That is outrageous. We were on Royal Caribbean Ovation this past February and my husband had to see the ship doctor twice. They charge $135 including meds for first visit and $95 for the second. This should tell you something.

[RJB]

This issue was discussed extensively in another thread recently.

It sounds outrageous but one must think of this as a visit to an ER at home if you had no insurance - the cost would probably be very similar.. As you probably have insurance you will be reimbursed - just like you would be at home for a visit to the ER.

All cruiselines treat their medical facility as an independent contractor (like the spa) - so O does not dictate prices that are charged.

The cost of medical care in US is out of control. A 2 week hospital stay may be billed to your insurance company at million $ - especially if Intensive Care Unit was involved.

A sad state of affairs but not under O's control.

The true lesson here is - never travel without insurance and make sure you get all the documentation for your insurance company to be compensated.

That is just a cop out on Oceania's part. They could control costs if they want to. It is their ship and they pick the Doctors. They could set rates within reason. Do they get a cut of what these Doctors bill? Would not supprise me and that could be the reason that the charges are so high. Guess we will never know. :(:(:(

[The A Train]

The most typical remark when seeing an "O" doctor is "Just to be on the safe side, we'll need to do blood tests". So, with the visit charge and the blood tests, you're over $400. And, then, there's always the chance that you'll be on an "IV".....so, now you're in the $3000-$4000 and higher range.

[Rob the Cruiser]

$8,643.00 for DW during the Code Red on Marina Miami - Tahiti. (That was the "we don't know what it is but it isn't noro" cruise.)

 

65% reimbursed from our primary medical insurance. Still awaiting results from our annual travel insurance.

[njhorseman]

Nothing like reopening a long-inactive thread for no apparent reason and beating the old posts and issues to death once again. :rolleyes:

[RJB]

Nothing like reopening a long-inactive thread for no apparent reason and beating the old posts and issues to death once again. :rolleyes:

Good idea to re open a thread like this since this is an on going issue and that is the apparent reason. Not beating it to death but trying to make it live again. Would you like to cover this problem up? Sure hope not. :(:(:(

[ABoatNerd]

Essentially on a ship, it is a sole source contract that all cruise lines have to impose on their guests - can not have 2 medical facilities providing choice for the consumer.

 

I travel with 2 travel insurance companies that both cover cruises. My family doctor easily provides prescriptions for all my family meds and precautionary meds as well.

 

Medical care is a high cost nightmare everywhere in the world, let alone cruise ships. I am in Canada, and our out of control taxes on everything pay for the so called "free" health care which is fondly referred to here as "waiting in line to die". So we go to the US for much of our health care.

 

A cruise is in essence an isolating travel experience which puts cruisers in a limited choice situation.

 

Sometimes you can not control everything despite insurance and best of intentions.

 

Blessings to all who sail the seven seas.

[njhorseman]

Good idea to re open a thread like this since this is an on going issue and that is the apparent reason. Not beating it to death but trying to make it live again. Would you like to cover this problem up? Sure hope not. :(:(:(

Why reopen an old thread when there have been recent threads where this issue was discussed? Look at the post that reopened the thread . What of substance does does it add to the discussion ?

 

Even better look at your post, which was the last one made when the thread became inactive last year:" Good Idea.. Nothing going to change so lets move on. :cool:"

 

Last year you wanted to move on, but all of a sudden you're hot to reopen it when absolutely nothing has changed? And you obviously took no notice of the fact that today you started arguing with Paulchili about a post made over a year ago. That's really useful.

Edited April 26, 2018 by njhorseman

[RJB]

Why reopen an old thread when there have been recent threads where this issue was discussed? Look at the post that reopened the thread . What of substance does does it add to the discussion ?

 

Even better look at your post, which was the last one made when the thread became inactive last year:" Good Idea.. Nothing going to change so lets move on. :cool:"

 

Last year you wanted to move on, but all of a sudden you're hot to reopen it when absolutely nothing has changed? And you obviously took no notice of the fact that today you started arguing with Paulchili about a post made over a year ago. That's really useful.

new year, new set of eyes, new opinions, new people reading these boards. Sometimes good to re visit important issues that could affect us all. Not trying to argue, just discuss.

[The A Train]

Horseman.....why did you bother perusing the reopening of a long inactive thread, and, then make a meaningless post. Ride on!

[pinotlover]

Has anything really changed in:

 

1. Dress Codes for Dinner;

 

2. Can I bring wine and Liqour aboard;

 

3. Medical Services cost aboard Oceania?

 

People obviously desire not to do a simple search and learn about any of the three. I’ve even seen 3 threads on #2 running at the same time on the main page. All these get beaten to death. It’s easier to just ignore the threads altogether. A promise: I’ll never make another posting on any of the three above items again, even from newbies. Let them learn to search. The threads will die quicker that way, if we all encompass it!

[Trekker954]

I was on the Honolulu to Miami sailing with multiple medavacs, my cabin was near the medical which was ALWAYS busy. Two passengers I spoke with had brochotis and i was told one bill $6,000 and another $9,000. One passenger I made friend with on board fainted during the Panama Canal transit of dehydration and received an $1100 bill. One in particular must have been costly, but I understand she had insurance. However, I am curious if she was charged additional fees. It is my understanding she spent a day in medical. We had already started our crossing the Pacific by a day, when the Captain announced we had to return to Hawaii waters so Coast guard could airlift her to a hospital. I don't think the Coast Guard passes a bill along, but wondering if the cruise line sends a bill for the extra gasoline it costs to return to Hawaii (we also missed two ports, delayed at three and had shortened port days at two due to this emergency. Oceania does not return port charges like other lines do.

[Sea42]

Has anything really changed in:

 

1. Dress Codes for Dinner;

 

2. Can I bring wine and Liqour aboard;

 

3. Medical Services cost aboard Oceania?

 

People obviously desire not to do a simple search and learn about any of the three. I’ve even seen 3 threads on #2 running at the same time on the main page. All these get beaten to death. It’s easier to just ignore the threads altogether. A promise: I’ll never make another posting on any of the three above items again, even from newbies. Let them learn to search. The threads will die quicker that way, if we all encompass it!

That is probably for the best!:rolleyes:

[njhorseman]

Horseman.....why did you bother perusing the reopening of a long inactive thread, and, then make a meaningless post. Ride on!

 

You can't tell if it's an old thread until you open it, and I didn't argue with anyone's old post, I argued with useless repetitive new posts that just rehash the same garbage over and over.

 

My post isn't meaningless...it's an attempt to slap the hands of people who are too lazy to read the dates of the posts. It's not the reopening by some newbie that's the big problem (although I find it more than a bit odd that this thread was reopened by someone who has never posted on the Oceania board before)...I'll assume they don't know any better...it's the regular posters who don't bother to read dates and start arguing with posts made ages ago that are the problem.

Edited April 27, 2018 by njhorseman

[njhorseman]

Has anything really changed in:

 

1. Dress Codes for Dinner;

 

2. Can I bring wine and Liqour aboard;

 

3. Medical Services cost aboard Oceania?

 

People obviously desire not to do a simple search and learn about any of the three. I’ve even seen 3 threads on #2 running at the same time on the main page. All these get beaten to death. It’s easier to just ignore the threads altogether. A promise: I’ll never make another posting on any of the three above items again, even from newbies. Let them learn to search. The threads will die quicker that way, if we all encompass it!

 

I agree. I'm just going to stay away from this stuff in the future.

[Rob the Cruiser]

It's best not continue discussions about the same topics. There are no new clients. Policies never change. Terms and Conditions never change. ;p

[Sea42]

You can't tell if it's an old thread until you open it, and I didn't argue with anyone's old post, I argued with useless repetitive new posts that just rehash the same garbage over and over.

 

My post isn't meaningless...it's an attempt to slap the hands of people who are too lazy to read the dates of the posts. It's not the reopening by some newbie that's the big problem (although I find it more than a bit odd that this thread was reopened by someone who has never posted on the Oceania board before)...I'll assume they don't know any better...it's the regular posters who don't bother to read dates and start arguing with posts made ages ago that are the problem.

Wow, who do you think you are to slap the hands of anyone? No one is clamoring for your input. If a question is bothersome to you, how about just ignoring it? There is no reason to be so rude.

 

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Hawaiidan]

Last word....that no one has brought up how prices are set..

 

The medical staff doctors nurses etc, are not O employees, they are contract workers and services. THEY set their own prices as they see fit. O has no influence or does not set their prices...they can charge you any thing they like.

 

There is an Agency that supplies medical staff to the ship on a contract. That agency might set prices but I don't think O has any involvement The same medical contract staff also provides medical services for the crew too. Here O may have a contract pricing for their employees.

[ORV]

Why reopen an old thread when there have been recent threads where this issue was discussed? Look at the post that reopened the thread . What of substance does does it add to the discussion ?

 

Even better look at your post, which was the last one made when the thread became inactive last year:" Good Idea.. Nothing going to change so lets move on. :cool:"

 

Last year you wanted to move on, but all of a sudden you're hot to reopen it when absolutely nothing has changed? And you obviously took no notice of the fact that today you started arguing with Paulchili about a post made over a year ago. That's really useful.

 

You can't tell if it's an old thread until you open it, and I didn't argue with anyone's old post, I argued with useless repetitive new posts that just rehash the same garbage over and over.

 

My post isn't meaningless...it's an attempt to slap the hands of people who are too lazy to read the dates of the posts. It's not the reopening by some newbie that's the big problem (although I find it more than a bit odd that this thread was reopened by someone who has never posted on the Oceania board before)...I'll assume they don't know any better...it's the regular posters who don't bother to read dates and start arguing with posts made ages ago that are the problem.

 

So here's the deal, regulars complain when someone asks the same questions that have been asked repeatedly on all the boards, and tell them to do a search. Then when someone actually does a search and has an old thread that they either comment on or ask an additional question people like you complain about it.

 

They can't win for losing. Everyone should just lighten up a little and quit trying to impose their ideas of the way a forum should run on everyone else. I don't think there is anything in the CC rules about bringing up an old thread as long as it's for a valid reason.