son going for first time

[iiiisx349]

my son is going on a 9 day cruise i believe to the carribean the last of july this month YIKES!!! he takes daily meds for epilepsy . he is going with friends from school 3 or 4 of them.is there a dr onboard around the clock?i am very nervous about him going.also does he need a dr note saying this is why he is carrying meds with him ? meds are in bottle from pharmacy his name on them everything like that.he is 19 he leaves in 2 weeks

[VaBeachCruisers897]

There are doctors on-board no doubt... They do have both regular business hours and 24 hour emergency availability...

 

Meds with your sons name should not be a problem.. I would however contact the cruisline directly as this is a serious concern of yours..

[JanineM]

You don't say what ship he is sailing on. It has been my experience that there is a fully stocked medical clinic with doctor and nurse onboard. They stay onboard all the time (they don't get on a helicopter or anything and leave if they are off duty). If he is concerned then he could probably contact the cruiseline and ask for more details on the care available. Does he have any travel insurance in case he needs care on one of the islands?

 

I have been advised by my pharmacy to bring prescriptions in their original packaging with the label intact.

 

My father had epilepsy and we did a lot of traveling without many worries. Certainly your son knows when to take his medication, etc., and I would hope that he has informed his travel companions of when he may need assistance.

[celbercrz333]

Not only do they have doctors on board, but they even have operating rooms. Now I'm not saying your son will need anything like that. I just wanted to let you know exactly what's on board. They have medicines too.

[eh2zed]

on all major name brand lines there will be a qualified medical team on board including a physician and nurses. They also will have a satellite hook up to a base hospital available 24/7.

[clackey]

my son is going on a 9 day cruise i believe to the carribean the last of july this month YIKES!!! he takes daily meds for epilepsy . he is going with friends from school 3 or 4 of them.is there a dr onboard around the clock?i am very nervous about him going.also does he need a dr note saying this is why he is carrying meds with him ? meds are in bottle from pharmacy his name on them everything like that.he is 19 he leaves in 2 weeks

I hope that he is aware that most cruiselines won't let him cruise without someone over 21-25 in his room, depending on the line. I would hate for him to be turned away because of this.

[JerseyGem]

Here's some more advice that may ease your mind a little: Type up a one page outline of his medical issues. Include a brief explanation (of his type of epilepsy), list his meds (name, generic name, dosing info), his current doctors (and their phone numbers), your names and contact info, his health insurance info (include acct numbers and phone numbers), any other medical issues or meds or allergies, etc. Also include his Travel Insurance info (I'll discuss this too). So this should all be on one sheet (put his name, address, ship, cabin number, DOB, etc on this too). Print out several copies and give to each of his traveling companions. He may want to put each letter into a sealed envelope with the statement on the outside- "Give to health care professionals if I become ill or injured." In a medical crisis, everyone is so upset and flustered that they can't really give quick and accurate info- just show the letter!

 

Meds- he'll be fine with his meds in the original bottles. I suggest giving him something to keep them all together (we use a Tupperware container). Put one of the above letters in with his meds. In a medical crisis, his friends can easily grab this container of meds to show the doctors.

 

Travel Insurance: buy it!!!!!! You'll have to pay a little more for a policy that allows pre-existing conditions. However, this will be money well spent! (Hopefully just for your peace of mind!)

 

Now- sit back and relax (yes, I know that's hard for parents to do!) He'll probably have a wonderful time- and maybe he'll convince you to start cruising too!

[cruisead]

If your son isn't going with someone older than 21, neither he nor his friends will be going on that cruise. Unless he's going on Disney, cruise lines have a minimum age rule that you have to be 21 to cruise without a parent or guardian, or have someone 21 or 25 (the "adult" age rule is different for each cruise line), in the cabin with the underage passengers. As a matter of fact, Princess used to have the rule that you only needed to be 18 to cruise without a parent, but they too now have changed that to 21.

 

As for the medical center, it varies. Some have decent medical services and some have bare bones services. Most doctors on ships are not from the US. I hope your son has independent travel/trip interruption/medical insurance. If not, there could be a world of trouble if he has a seizure and needs to be evacuated off the ship. Medical evacuation can cost upwards of $25,000, depending on how far he needs to be taken. And, most private insurances that you might have him covered under, don't cover expenses once you leave the country.

[Happy ks]

I'd just like to add that perhaps you should make some of his travel companions aware of his condition and his meds, if they aren't already.

 

My worry would be that he forget his meds, so another person watching out for him would be a great idea.

 

There is also a special needs desk through the cruise line, I'd contact them before he boards the ship, so they are aware of his epilepsy. I'm not implying your son is special needs, I have no attitude or opinion about it at all. I work with students who take seizure meds and just know they are time sensitive. The advance information could be helpful to the medical staff onboard the ship should there be any incidents.

 

I hope your son has a great cruise and that Mom (or Dad ;) :confused: ) can relax and not worry too much :)