medical facilities on Crown Princess

[cmacf1]

Our long-awaited holiday cruise is around the corner and wouldn't you know it, one of my two kids has come down with pink eye. She is being treated, but chances are my other daughter will get it soon. THe medication works quickly, so they both will be fine by the time we leave. My worry is that DH and I will then come down with it on the ship. Does the medical facility have prescription drugs? I know my doctor will not prescribe the necessary medication unless I actually go in to see her with the disease. I don't have it now, but I'm afraid I will get it. Should I try harder to convince my doctor to call in a prescription? Or just hope for the best? I feel like isolating my entire family for the next 10 days so we'll be totally healthy!

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes they do, very well stocked and excellent medical care onboard. :)

[spyro1952]

Sorry about your pink eye but all the ships have state of the art infirmerys and can handle anything from a cold to an MI. Keep washing your hands as much as possible and make sure your children keep their hands away from their face as much as possible. Hopefully the pink eye is bacterial rather viral as it is much easier to treat. Have a great cruise.

 

Marcia (ER nurse for 20 years)

[Umbarger]

Unfortunately, I had to visit the medical center on my Crown Cruise. Just a flu. I received excellent care and they were all so nice. I was given prescription medication. Put a hamper on my cruise a bit but was still able to enjoy myself a little. This flu didn't affect my stomach so I fed, fed and fed my fever. :D

[askworldtraveler]

Our long-awaited holiday cruise is around the corner and wouldn't you know it, one of my two kids has come down with pink eye. She is being treated, but chances are my other daughter will get it soon. THe medication works quickly, so they both will be fine by the time we leave. My worry is that DH and I will then come down with it on the ship. Does the medical facility have prescription drugs? I know my doctor will not prescribe the necessary medication unless I actually go in to see her with the disease. I don't have it now, but I'm afraid I will get it. Should I try harder to convince my doctor to call in a prescription? Or just hope for the best? I feel like isolating my entire family for the next 10 days so we'll be totally healthy!

 

I'm not second guessing your doc...but a phone call to YOUR Doc (not the kids ped) with the circumstances of a cruise should be enough to get a perscription - it might be because of your drug plan - in which case I would pay out of plan...and let the doc know. It's a reasonable request given the nature of pink eye...

[Redsgj]

Try to think positively! :)

 

My DH had pink eye years ago and I gave him his drops and didn't get it from him (LOTS of hand washing!). My niece and nephew had it a couple of months ago and didn't get it from either of them and I spent quite a bit of time with them when they had it.

 

In any case, I see you still have 10 days to go until your cruise.... my (completely uneducated) guess would be that if you and DH are going to get it, you will get it before you leave! ;)

[brunosr]

On another note, how are you charged if you require medial treatment on board? Is this a cash only or do they bill your regular insurance company?

[Marge106]

Isn't pink eye extremely contagious.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Pinkeye is contagious, but by contact only (not airborne). Just another reason to be very attentive to handwashing on board.

 

As for insurance...any medical care rendered on board will be billed as part of your shipboard account, and you will be expected to settle that bill before you disembark. Make sure you get an itemized bill of services from the infirmary before you leave it. This bill can them be submitted to your own health insurance company. If you have travel insurance with medical coverage, you will then send the Explanation of Benefits from your health insurance company to the travel insurance company for payment of any remaining cost you incurred.

[cruzwkids]

Can't you just get Polysporin for pink eye from any drug store? Maybe that's just in Canada, but you don't need a prescription. Both of my kids just got over pink eye, and neither I nor my husband got it. We just made a point of never touching our eyes.

 

Good luck.

[Colo Cruiser]

On another note, how are you charged if you require medial treatment on board? Is this a cash only or do they bill your regular insurance company?

 

Goes on your shipboard account, they will not bill any insurance. So get all the necessary copies of bills etc to send to your own insurance company. :)

[clotheshorse11]

I would strongly recommend that you ask your dr. for a prescription. I also have two kids and we cruise frequently. I always come prepared with antibotics just in case.

[iamtrustworthy]

Goes on your shipboard account, they will not bill any insurance. So get all the necessary copies of bills etc to send to your own insurance company. :)

 

I suggest you review the bills & documentation the medical facility gives you when you get them.

 

I just got back on 12-10-06 from The Mariner of the Seas and while on this cruise my son got sick with a severe sore throat. I took him to the medical facility because our friends' daughter got strep throat a day earlier. Thankfully my son didn't have that.

 

A day later I got the bills & documentation from the medical facility. They hadn't filled in the diagnosis (that's important) plus they said they gave him 2 medications (they didn't). Had I waited until I got home & used those forms to file the claim, it would've been turned down. Plus, I doubt I would have been able to get the doctor on The Mariner of the Seas to correct the bills after what would have been a month since being treated.

[threecats]

Even if they don't have the necessary medication, they can get it at the next stop. My mom "lost" her blood pressure medication on day one of our Coral Princess cruise last week. The ship's medical facility didn't have her exact medication, but got it for her at the first stop in Montego Bay. It was quite expensive, but well worth the peace of mind.

 

(Our steward found the original tablets when changing the sheets a few days later.:o)

[cmacf1]

Pink eye daughter is on the mend (after 24 hours on meds, she's a whole lot better.) Non-pink eye daughter still doesn't have it. And DH and I basically keep our hands under water to avoid it! I'm going to call my ophthamologist tomorrow and I know she'll call in a prescription for both DH and me just in case. I've never seen such an awful case of pink eye as my daughter's last night (and I'm a teacher so I've seen it a lot,) but today, her eyes are clear, though we have many more days of meds to go. Thanks to all of you for your insight and advice! Now I can get back to packing!:)