My husband broke his hip 2 days into our Transatlantic cruise. He spent 8 days in the Medical unit. We had Allianz Travel Insurance. Royal Caribbean didn't once ask us for money. When we docked in the Canary Islands, he went straight to the hospital. Had surgery 2 days later. Hospital did not ask us for money. It is now 4 weeks later and we are FINALLY going home, Business Class. Allianz bought us the tickets. I do have to claim some out of pocket expenses when I get home. Several things that I had to cancel because of this disruption. We are just glad we bought Travel insurance.
I empathize with your husband. I just broke my legs a few weeks ago in Tenerife. Broken bones are not fun! Speedy recovery to your husband. So sorry about your trip.
My wife was airlifted off celebrity silhouette shortly leaving from leaving Southampton, treatment on the ship, some fluids etc, came in at around 2k, the airlift and hospital treatment was free because we were still in British waters, we now donate to the life guard and air ambulance to show our appreciation, fortunately we were insured, to cover the ship cost. Anyone travelling without insurance is taking a major risk, which in my view is not worth it
like the old adage: it is better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it..I always travel with travel insurance...you just never know..
Had to go to medical once due to a bad back spasm while on Anthem of the Seas. Had a fantastic medical team take of me. I showed them I had medical insurance, they charged my credit card and they made sure I had all the documents I needed to make a claim. Fully reimbursed. Never cruise without insurance with medical.
You *can* get a policy that only covers travel medical+evacuation. We are both near/above 60, and an 18-day policy we had recently cost only $160. The reason why we only get medical+evacuation is because those are the emergency costs that can easily bankrupt you - especially a helicopter evacuation. We don't insure airfare, missed ports, hotels, etc, because those are expenses already accounted for by travel time. If we lose those, it is inconvenient, but won't destroy us financially.
As the Chief Nurse for NCL for 8 years, I will tell you this about medical and evacuation insurance. We evacuated at least 1 pax every week, on every vessel in the fleet. If the pax purchased NCL's insurance it was so easy for us to arrange getting the pax to the nearest hospital, and/or arranging air ambulance repatriation to the USA, or other home country. NEVER any issues. ANY OTHER INSURANCE COVERAGE was a nightmare for us, trying to arrange it, and for the pax and family. In my first few months in that position, I lost count of the number of people who had to spend 10's of thousands of dollars to arrange to pay for an evacuation and repatriation. Even from the Caribbean back to USA or Canada is typically in excess of $40,000, and often much, much more. ALL of the air ambulances are private companies, and WILL NOT come without proof of payment up front. I have seen countless families charging $5000, $10,000 on each of several credit cards of several different people to arrange the payment. And all of that then takes the medical staff a really long time to coordinate, and ultimately delays evacuation by many hours, and in some cases 24 - 48 hrs. Sadly, in my time we had at least 6 individuals die because they could not come up with the money in time. And keep in mind it does not have to be life-threatening for the medical staff to order a medical debark. Anything that cannot be managed on board needs to be debarked. So it could be as simple as a fractured leg, to a seizure, severe asthma attact, etc. The cruise lines cannot take the risk of seemingly "minor" things becoming more complicated or recurring due to the litigious society of the USA. This is not as much of an issue while cruising in South America, Europe, and Asia where Americans are a minority on cruise ships. Buy the cruise lines medical insurance! Each and every time. You may have great travel medical insurance but if it takes a couple of days while the ships medical staff have to try to get approval, you could be dead by then. Reply
Wow, some of these medical professionals comments let me know I will NEVER cruise again, Thank God I went to Alaska for my first and last cruise and stayed healthy and without injury , a young mother fell and broke her leg on boarding day , they wouldn’t even loan her a wheel chair to get on/off with her family , how dare they not show this woman compassion and courtesy after she spent her money on this trip . I Don’t like the cruising industry
My husband fell on our first Princess cruise in Feb and our bill was $3400 and it was put right on our ship account and it went right on our credit card. Fortunately we had an Allianz annual plan and we were totally reimbursed.
I'm not one for ratting people out, but when it comes to smoking on a cruise, you better believe I'm going to be all over that one! We were on a cruise back in April and the people on the balcony next to my daughter and son in law were smoking. I am a previous smoker, so I get it, it's a powerful addiction. My grandson who is 2, and was staying in the cabin with me on the other side of my daughter's cabin, was spending time on both balconies, and so when we were on my daughter's balcony, the smoke was very strong, even for me. There's a lot of things I'll put up with, but smoking around my grandson is not one of them! So you better believe I called and reported it! There were enough smoking areas on the ship, hell the whole back section of the ship was a smoking area, so nope, no excuses! And then, as if that's not bad enough, the danger of smoking in non-designated areas! Come on people, if you're that lazy to walk to a smoking area, maybe you have bigger problems than needing a smoke. So yes, I will rat you out all day every day if I see you breaking THAT rule, no exceptions, no excuses!
I remember reading comments one day from a cruiser who seemed angry because all of the insurance they wasted money on and never had to use it. I pray i will never have to use my insurance!! But if i need it, i will be pretty happy i have it.
I am an ex-smoker and my wife smokes. We started cruising in the 90's and lived through the changes in the smoking policy. Embarkation day is an issue, but that time is limited. Otherwise, my wife doesn't find the rules to be a real issue. She just resigns herself to being in the casino and actually gambling while she smokes. She was going to do that anyway. If weather causes the closure of the outside decks, smokers are in a bind. One thing I learned in my short stint as a safety officer is this, if you don't have adequate smoking areas, your risk of fire goes up. Most smokers will follow the rules, but there's always those few that are determined to smoke. When they think they are about to be caught, they quickly discard the cigarette without making sure it was completely extinguished. (There's no smoking in hospitals, but go to the stairwells after a night shift and count the cigarette butts.)
We very rarely do get patients that smoke in the bathroom of their rooms. Of course we smell it immediately. Patients always deny they were smoking. Most just want to go out to smoke. By federal law there is NO smoking on hospital property. And I can not take anyone out in a wheelchair to smoke on our property as #1, I can't leave out property while on the clock. #2 Nope, not taking you out to smoke. Get there on your own. (our patients just had babies. They can walk)
That's a tough situation on both sides (that poor gentleman with the medical situation, and also for Royal needing to iron out the billing at a cruddy time). It's a good reminder that it's important to get trip insurance! While it wouldn't have solved the need here to settle up the bill onboard, it certainly would have helped to reimburse the passenger afterwards. A "good cautionary tale" as you always say, Tony! Thanks as always for the video and keeping us up to date on everything going on in ca-roozing!
Never cruise without some kind of insurance. We always get travel insurance; glad we did because I got sick, it cost us $900.00 and trust me they contact you to come to guest services and pay your bill. They will hound you until it's paid. After we got back just submitted all the bills to the insurance company and was sent a check for that amount. We're trying a different cruise line in 2025. We are going to try Azamara. Smaller ships only 700 passengers they can go to places bigger ships can't have more overnights in ports and longer days in the ports they visit. Great itineraries in Europe, Caribbean. Worth trying out so we will see.
We are ones that always get insurance, just brought up that way. However, I do remember back when it was possible for a family to pay for medical care without bankruptcy of the family. To me not allowing the person to be medivac without confirming payment is akin to an ambulance coming to the site of a bad accident and before taking you to the hospital demand payment. The way things are going in this country, we will see that.
I don't understand. You give them a credit card number before you even get on the ship, or at least when you get on the ship. So why wouldn't it just go automatically on the credit card like any other charge.
I was shocked at how many people smoke on their balconies! We had an aft corner suite and the balcony next to ours on the port side had someone who was constantly out there smoking (which made our hot tub time a lot less pleasant). And when we were docked next to the Magic, I saw people smoking on their balconies.
I cancelled the O cruise we had booked. I'm going on a different kind of vacation instead. I look at real estate agents the way you look at travel agents. I might look at travel agents the same way, especially consiering how they act on some of the FB groups I belong to. Smokers have to get used to the idea that no one wants them around. It's a dirty, stinky habit. No one will listen to or care about the smoker's complaints. Let them eat cake. Love your vids. Keep 'em coming!
A smokers complaints are just as important as a non smoker. The fact you think being a non smoker trumps being a smoker you are severely wrong. Also to mention no one wants them around is WRONG too. And rude may I add.
@tinynrownin You’re right. She’s treating the smoker (no, I don’t smoke) like a non human. Someone with NO empathy would do that-someone that’s narcissistic. 😞 I wonder if that means that she’s unsympathetic to all that have an addiction.
As an agent, I don't want cruise lines stealing my customers so it goes without saying I won't be trying to steal theirs. Going on Oceania Vista in December for the second time. Biggest bang for the buck on the high seas. Superior food, service and drinks.
I am happy to hear your opinion of Oceania Vista. We are sailing on her in early October in the Mediterranean. First cruise to Med, first cruise on Oceania, 29th overall. Any tips for me?
I will never book a customer who refuses travel insurance. I will not be blamed for their problem should it arise. Too many people want to blame their travel agency for not pushing them to buy it.
I agree. I won't book folks who do not have a passport or won't apply for one; if they don't want travel insurance; and if they don't travel at least one day prior to the cruise. I also like them to pay gratuities in advance however that's optional as long as they understand that they will be billed for gratuities. Failure to get travel insurance is a must have or I'm not booking you.
We got travel insurance, thank God! $8,700- Husband went into AFIB and I had an asthma event and bacterial infection. Onboard Medical took care of us, but it was expensive. Husband's 33 hours in ICU on ship was more than $8,300. It took from January to mid-May to get Blue Cross to pay out. Had to wait until our insurance to pay, before the travel insurance would pick up the rest of the tab, but we are going to be 100% reimbursed, and thankfully we had savings to pay the Discover card off without paying interest.
Going through that right now. We'll definitely rethink our choice of travel insurance in the future. Right now, we are waiting for $8500 but have to jump through multiple hoops in order to be reimbursed.
Where were you that your personal insurance wasn’t secondary? If that’s everywhere it sounds like you can lower your medical coverage to cover co-pays and Evans.
@@Reed-2big Our travel insurance was through the CruiseLine. It requires that we submit medical receipts to our primary insurance (US). Submit explanation of benefits and they review everything and reimburse(hopefully). The medical receipts were submitted to them first. We then were required to submit them to our US insurer. We did not know that until AON contacted us with this requirement. We will change how we book travel insurance in the future.
We came back from Carnival Magic this week. Smokers commandeered entire 11th deck. Absolutely disgusting. We had to give up our yellow chairs that we enjoyed last December.😢
This is normal. That is the reason why you need insurance. My husband had a hernia on an Oceania cruise ship. And we had to be evacuated to the Bahamas. We were sent to a small boat to a medical plane until the hospital. And we had 20k bills in total. Cruise ship make sure you will survive but you have to a ton of space in your credit card even if you have insurance.
My wife and I were just on the Icon (our first ever cruise) where the power went out. It was 30 mins, I timed it. Didn’t bother us too much other than the AC not being on in our stateroom. Other seasoned cruisers we met on board said they have never been on a ship where the power went out.
We Always bought travel insurance for our cruises due to Mom's age and health. The only time we had to use it was when Mom got sick a day or so before we were supposed to leave. With proof from her doctor that she was unable to travel, we were able to rebook with no additional charges on Princess.
Thank you for sharing our story! It's a great cautionary tail, get the travel insurance! Mad I didn't. (For the record I did get health insurance earlier that year, but it didn't kick in until January 1st.)
For clarification - it’s not RC but an outside vender that runs their medical services. When you book/board any cruise you are also signing an agreement to pay before disembarkation any medical expenses due to that particular medical provider.
buy the travel insurance! booked on a Viking cruise and 2 weeks before, a medical emergency required cancellation. Submitted a couple of documents and got full refund.
I had nicotine patches for when I fly, visit my parents or siblings, and even when I cruise since there's only two places to smoke on most cruises. Tell your doctor you're trying to quit, and insurance will pay 100% for them. Heavy smoker? Double up on the 21mg patches. It's not too bad. I also just quit a couple month ago, nasty habit I've wanted to break for over a decade. Nicotine patches and Wellbutrin.
I love ZYNS!! I just started cruising 2 years ago but buy a roll to bring for my cruises every time I would strongly suggest the patch though. Zyns can make your stomach upset if you aren’t used to it
We are not as particular in the Caribbean as we are in other countries, and the airlifts are shorter. Dad always argued he could take the loss, at least to the Caribbean cruises.
@@annettehatzman8058 Allianz I believe has a yearly travel insurance. I use there per cruise policy when I’m someplace other than Caribbean or Alaska. For those I use the cruise policies which are often Aon. The cruise ones I’ve used are not based on age, Allianz is. And I’m not looking forward to 71!
@@annettehatzman8058 I use the same co as Tony. Allianz. It’s not cheap for older people but it’s reassuring to have it. I can’t remember how much but I think I bought enough to pay for cruise, airfare & hotels before & after the cruise. It also includes some reimbursement for lost baggage.
I have a booking on Oceania Allura Nov 2025. It was a 24 day cruise and it was recently reduced by 5 days due to inaugural activity changes. Maybe due to the early delivery of the ship. I am going to post a question to you Tony, with my issue. Curious if I am over reacting or not. Will let you decide.
WHAT?!? His bill was only $2,700?? My appendix ruptured on a cruise with Carnival. Basically, almost same situtation except I did have Medicare + Blue Cross although this will do no good on a ship. Ok that problem has been solved and we never cruise from that point foward without the medical insurance. BUT here's why I had the big question in the beginning...I was charged $6,000. + for being in the emergency medical unit for 3 days until I was flown (from last port) back to Florida for emergency surgery. OK word to wise never book a cruise without the insurance to cover the medical should anything happen. Yes the medical team and doctor was most caring kind and concerned but I never expected to pay $6,000.00 just for the medical rec'd while onboard.
HI! Thank you for sharing that! I am looking for medical travel insurance for our upcoming cruise. My husband will be 71, so he's on Medicare, but I haven't found a company that insures people over 70 yrs of age. (I no longer think of 70+ as "elderly" 😆and he's certainly healthy enough to cruise!) Would you mind telling me which insurance company you use? Thanks!
I was just on the Quantum of the Seas, and we also had a power outage Sunday night while we were preparing to depart Victoria, British Columbia. I was very thankful we were still in port. The power was out for about 30 minutes or more. Once we started sailing away, the tv snd lights flickered, but they stayed on. Thankfully we made it back to Seattle the next morning with no issues.
I snitched out the cabin next door to us on our last cruise on the Enchanted Princess. I called security because they were smoking on the balcony. They sent the floor supervisor to our cabin to peak around the divider to catch them actively smoking.
Here's the deal. To cruise you need to provide a credit card or source of payment for ANY purchases etc. WHY couldn't the line charge the bill for medical costs to this card on file? Why stall the evacuation for lack of payment?
Ive only been on 2 cruises, got travel health insurance both times..Was to be on cruise this past April, bought travel insurance however never made the cruise, got strep throat 2 days before cruise...go figure...Have a cruise schedule for September and will purchase travel insurance again...for sure..I'm 70 and I can't afford to take any chances...
I took "minimum" insurance, but made sure it had evac cover in case I was stuck in a hospital while the ship departed. At the end of my cruise, I had a leg infection which required an IV injection of antibiotics. Total bill for the visit to the cruise ship medical center was over $500. Happily, my insurance claim after the cruise was approved!
Glad to hear you will finally try and review Oceania in October! We are not party animals and appreciate impeccable service and food. Had a mior medical issue on Regent recently, but did not file the $700 claim with Allianz for fear that it would up my rate. Is this true?
T, I tried a patch to quit a 2+ pack habit, heck, I smoked while wearing a patch! Not until I got hypnotized did I finally rid myself of that awful habit
Definitely get the travel insurance. I worked in health insurance and talked to so many people who got sick traveling or had an accident and had to do emergency surgery in Europe or someplace. I talked to a man who got married on a Caribbean island. I believe it was his wedding night that he had a massive heart attack, and was in the hospital for over 2 months on that island. He didn't have repatriation insurance, so all of his treatment was done in that foreign country. Too many things can go wrong and you are not immortal.
I’d like to hear a review of some upscale lines like the Oceania. I’m curious if the lines invite you, or you have to pay for all your travel?? Probably none of my business. We do love Viking, but I know there are higher class ships above Viking. Try some if you can and cover all cruise
I broke my arm in 4 places in Sicily last year towards the end of my cruise with NCL. I went back to the ship rather than the hospital. They were brilliant , looking after me, stabilising my arm until I could visit the hospital in Livorno. They organised transport and an interpreter/ companion. Of course I had insurance - never travel without it. But I also carry an empty credit card. So I paid my £1700 bill onboard and paid the private transfer and companion. Then claimed it back with receipts and reports from the hospital and medical team. I see far too many people getting ill on holiday and then setting a go fund me to ask the public to help pay. JUST GET INSURANCE!!!
We used the medical bay on Norwegian. The nurse and doctor were great, but the whole thing was a nightmare and we had medical insurance and travel insurance. NCL handled the whole thing disastrously including reporting us to customs for a $3000 purchase **that was the medical bill** (and thus not something customs cares about). Treated awfully by Norwegian. Oh, NCL wouldn't wait for insurance, we had to out-of-pocket at time of use.
None of the cruise lines deal with insurance companies, unless you have purchased the cruise lines own medical & evacuation insurance. Any other insurance you need to pay up front, and deal with your insurance company after the fact.
I am a reformed smoker of 37 years I think they need a smokers longe and casino. Unless they make a lot more money from smoking gamblers, but understand some people just don’t want to stop. I like to gamble but if someone came up beside me smoking, I would have to leave. It literally makes sick.
We were booked on the Carnival Firenze inaugural cruise and they slipped another inaugural cruise ahead of us. We weren't notified to change our booking.
While refueling, it’s not just near the fuel barge , it’s the venting off the air the fuel is displacing that gets around the ship through exhaust vents
Re Medical Insurance - you needn’t buy the full vacation insurance to have the coverage. Ask your travel agent to price the insurance based on some fraction of the costs incurred for your vacation - while you won’t be covered for refund of all costs incurred if you must cancel your trip, you will have medical coverage.
I've never been on a cruise and my travel agent, who is awesome BTW, made sure we had what she considered her favorite insurance plan and to be honest it wasn't all that expensive and definitely worth the peace of mind.
I’ll tell you what Tony…..when my friend and I went on our 2 year delayed a/c Covid 15 day Hawaii cruise on the Ruby Princess….the smell of cigarette smoke coming from the casino was nauseating…..it was a horrific cruise all the way around, but that was a deciding factor that I will never take a Princess cruise again! Went on Carnival in March this year and never smelled that gross smell…..just sayin’…..and we are both ex-smokers….yuk, yuk, yukky!!
If you can't go a couple of hours without smoking just to get onboard, you have a problem. Buy your own patches or lozenges. Better than blowing up the ship.
The smoking issue on embarkation day is dumb, how do you fly to these destinations without lighting up? Can’t wait for a couple of hours? I am a cigar smoker, and cruise on Celebrity, no smoking in casinos and it doesn’t bother me a bit. They have 3 areas on which you can smoke, part of the Sunset bar, outside near the Eden, and then the best area above the Mast Grill near the pool there is a covered and sheltered area.
On the topic of insurance, if we have the cruise line insurance and a separate policy, with an outside company, which one pays first, or does one pay all??
If they don't let me off until I pay does that mean I get to go on the next cruise? If I don't pay to get on rescue ship do I get to sue for false imprisonment, and estate for cause of death?
My wife and I love Oceania. We were booked on the new Allure in 2025 and two of the stops were in Israel. Those plans have been cancelled. The ships, service, and food on Oceania is fantastic!
My sister, mother, and I were disembarked in Costa Rica because Mom got sick and the cruise doctors were afraid they couldn’t treat her. Princess gave me our final bill that included her care from the medical team. This was not a surprise. When it came time for all of us to come home, the hospital in Costa Rica required we pay her medical bill in full before she could leave. That was a surprise but thankfully with some high credit limit credit cards we could spring her. That bill was $22,000 dollars. But because of our cruise insurance we got it all back including the costs for my sister and I until she could come home 12 days later including airplane rides back to the U.S. with a private nurse accompanying Mom. As soon as I make the reservation I buy the cruise insurance. Buy the dang insurance and hope you don’t need it.
Very good points about travel insurance. I agree wholeheartedly. I am just curious, what if the couple could not pay or refused to pay, to what extent can a cruise line detain them?
I have an Allianz annual plan , and on my credit cards, and I buy the cruise insurance. Last cruise I splurged on first class flights, yes I bought the airline insurance. Not taking any chances . You never know what can happen.
I was on a Carnival Cruise last fall and so many people were smoking in the casino, I developed an uncontrolled cough. I wore a mask the remainder of the cruise as to not scare anyone into thinking I had Covid. The secondhand smoke inside is bad. I was in the nonsmoking area and still endured secondhand smoke because it traveled. From what I could see, there were many people smoking but not gambling, just sitting at a slot with their cigarette. Most of which were chain smokers.
Did he have epilepsy? My husband has had seizures on the cruise ship and he just stays in the room til he feels better. We also have emergency medication for multiple seizures. He does not need a hospital and would not need to be evacuated at all unless of course he broke a bone when falling.
Hi Tony. Happy hump day. Yes, the cruise line want's the money. Another case of GET TRAVEL INSURANCE! Oceana, new ship a week early. At least they are letting them have the choice to change. A friend of mine is on Icon now. Haven't talked to her yet. I hate when people approach other's to go with them instead when booking trips. Build your own business, don't jump on another person's site and try to get them to call you. Stuff does happen when cruising. That's pretty far out, the line just shouldn't book cruises when dry dock is coming up. I don't know how John deal's with those people every day. As always thank you for all you do ❤
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My husband broke his hip 2 days into our Transatlantic cruise. He spent 8 days in the Medical unit. We had Allianz Travel Insurance. Royal Caribbean didn't once ask us for money. When we docked in the Canary Islands, he went straight to the hospital. Had surgery 2 days later. Hospital did not ask us for money. It is now 4 weeks later and we are FINALLY going home, Business Class. Allianz bought us the tickets. I do have to claim some out of pocket expenses when I get home. Several things that I had to cancel because of this disruption. We are just glad we bought Travel insurance.
Wishing your husband a speedy recovery!
We also use Allianz. Fortunately, we have not had to use it.
I thought you where forced to have a credit card in the system?
I empathize with your husband. I just broke my legs a few weeks ago in Tenerife. Broken bones are not fun! Speedy recovery to your husband. So sorry about your trip.
Your lucky I fought the insurance co won’t pay “ we not in business to pay all claims “
My wife was airlifted off celebrity silhouette shortly leaving from leaving Southampton, treatment on the ship, some fluids etc, came in at around 2k, the airlift and hospital treatment was free because we were still in British waters, we now donate to the life guard and air ambulance to show our appreciation, fortunately we were insured, to cover the ship cost. Anyone travelling without insurance is taking a major risk, which in my view is not worth it
like the old adage: it is better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it..I always travel with travel insurance...you just never know..
I quit smoking in 1991. I started with the patch, which caused a reaction. Ended up quitting cold turkey. Best decision of My life
Had to go to medical once due to a bad back spasm while on Anthem of the Seas. Had a fantastic medical team take of me. I showed them I had medical insurance, they charged my credit card and they made sure I had all the documents I needed to make a claim. Fully reimbursed. Never cruise without insurance with medical.
Uugghhh. Back spasms are no joke.
Back spasms are not fun. Had them once. Agreed, if someone can't afford insurance, they can't afford to cruise.
You *can* get a policy that only covers travel medical+evacuation. We are both near/above 60, and an 18-day policy we had recently cost only $160. The reason why we only get medical+evacuation is because those are the emergency costs that can easily bankrupt you - especially a helicopter evacuation. We don't insure airfare, missed ports, hotels, etc, because those are expenses already accounted for by travel time. If we lose those, it is inconvenient, but won't destroy us financially.
Which company?
The insurance you have chosen makes the most sense. to me. Which company did you use?
also would like to know what company, that sounds really great
Good points! Which insurance company do you use?
What company do you use?
As the Chief Nurse for NCL for 8 years, I will tell you this about medical and evacuation insurance. We evacuated at least 1 pax every week, on every vessel in the fleet. If the pax purchased NCL's insurance it was so easy for us to arrange getting the pax to the nearest hospital, and/or arranging air ambulance repatriation to the USA, or other home country. NEVER any issues. ANY OTHER INSURANCE COVERAGE was a nightmare for us, trying to arrange it, and for the pax and family. In my first few months in that position, I lost count of the number of people who had to spend 10's of thousands of dollars to arrange to pay for an evacuation and repatriation. Even from the Caribbean back to USA or Canada is typically in excess of $40,000, and often much, much more. ALL of the air ambulances are private companies, and WILL NOT come without proof of payment up front. I have seen countless families charging $5000, $10,000 on each of several credit cards of several different people to arrange the payment. And all of that then takes the medical staff a really long time to coordinate, and ultimately delays evacuation by many hours, and in some cases 24 - 48 hrs. Sadly, in my time we had at least 6 individuals die because they could not come up with the money in time.
And keep in mind it does not have to be life-threatening for the medical staff to order a medical debark. Anything that cannot be managed on board needs to be debarked. So it could be as simple as a fractured leg, to a seizure, severe asthma attact, etc. The cruise lines cannot take the risk of seemingly "minor" things becoming more complicated or recurring due to the litigious society of the USA. This is not as much of an issue while cruising in South America, Europe, and Asia where Americans are a minority on cruise ships.
Buy the cruise lines medical insurance! Each and every time.
You may have great travel medical insurance but if it takes a couple of days while the ships medical staff have to try to get approval, you could be dead by then.
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Wow, some of these medical professionals comments let me know I will NEVER cruise again, Thank God I went to Alaska for my first and last cruise and stayed healthy and without injury , a young mother fell and broke her leg on boarding day , they wouldn’t even loan her a wheel chair to get on/off with her family , how dare they not show this woman compassion and courtesy after she spent her money on this trip . I Don’t like the cruising industry
Scam!
My husband fell on our first Princess cruise in Feb and our bill was $3400 and it was put right on our ship account and it went right on our credit card. Fortunately we had an Allianz annual plan and we were totally reimbursed.
I'm not one for ratting people out, but when it comes to smoking on a cruise, you better believe I'm going to be all over that one!
We were on a cruise back in April and the people on the balcony next to my daughter and son in law were smoking. I am a previous smoker, so I get it, it's a powerful addiction. My grandson who is 2, and was staying in the cabin with me on the other side of my daughter's cabin, was spending time on both balconies, and so when we were on my daughter's balcony, the smoke was very strong, even for me. There's a lot of things I'll put up with, but smoking around my grandson is not one of them!
So you better believe I called and reported it! There were enough smoking areas on the ship, hell the whole back section of the ship was a smoking area, so nope, no excuses!
And then, as if that's not bad enough, the danger of smoking in non-designated areas! Come on people, if you're that lazy to walk to a smoking area, maybe you have bigger problems than needing a smoke.
So yes, I will rat you out all day every day if I see you breaking THAT rule, no exceptions, no excuses!
I remember reading comments one day from a cruiser who seemed angry because all of the insurance they wasted money on and never had to use it. I pray i will never have to use my insurance!! But if i need it, i will be pretty happy i have it.
I always get travel insurance.
I am an ex-smoker and my wife smokes. We started cruising in the 90's and lived through the changes in the smoking policy. Embarkation day is an issue, but that time is limited. Otherwise, my wife doesn't find the rules to be a real issue. She just resigns herself to being in the casino and actually gambling while she smokes. She was going to do that anyway. If weather causes the closure of the outside decks, smokers are in a bind. One thing I learned in my short stint as a safety officer is this, if you don't have adequate smoking areas, your risk of fire goes up. Most smokers will follow the rules, but there's always those few that are determined to smoke. When they think they are about to be caught, they quickly discard the cigarette without making sure it was completely extinguished. (There's no smoking in hospitals, but go to the stairwells after a night shift and count the cigarette butts.)
We very rarely do get patients that smoke in the bathroom of their rooms. Of course we smell it immediately. Patients always deny they were smoking. Most just want to go out to smoke. By federal law there is NO smoking on hospital property. And I can not take anyone out in a wheelchair to smoke on our property as #1, I can't leave out property while on the clock. #2 Nope, not taking you out to smoke. Get there on your own. (our patients just had babies. They can walk)
Our balcony was 2 decks above the smoking section on the Carnival Breeze which just added to an already not very pleasant cruise.
That would be my nightmare. I hate the smell of cigarettes and sometimes get sea sick, so the mix of 2 would be disaster
More research before booking next time. Smokers get to have their space too.
Thanks for the cruise news and your views
Thanks Shane!
That's a tough situation on both sides (that poor gentleman with the medical situation, and also for Royal needing to iron out the billing at a cruddy time). It's a good reminder that it's important to get trip insurance! While it wouldn't have solved the need here to settle up the bill onboard, it certainly would have helped to reimburse the passenger afterwards. A "good cautionary tale" as you always say, Tony! Thanks as always for the video and keeping us up to date on everything going on in ca-roozing!
Never cruise without some kind of insurance. We always get travel insurance; glad we did because I got sick, it cost us $900.00 and trust me they contact you to come to guest services and pay your bill. They will hound you until it's paid. After we got back just submitted all the bills to the insurance company and was sent a check for that amount. We're trying a different cruise line in 2025. We are going to try Azamara. Smaller ships only 700 passengers they can go to places bigger ships can't have more overnights in ports and longer days in the ports they visit. Great itineraries in Europe, Caribbean. Worth trying out so we will see.
We are ones that always get insurance, just brought up that way. However, I do remember back when it was possible for a family to pay for medical care without bankruptcy of the family. To me not allowing the person to be medivac without confirming payment is akin to an ambulance coming to the site of a bad accident and before taking you to the hospital demand payment. The way things are going in this country, we will see that.
I don't understand. You give them a credit card number before you even get on the ship, or at least when you get on the ship. So why wouldn't it just go automatically on the credit card like any other charge.
Good question!
Could have been over the limit on their credit card. Most do have limits.
Most ships allow a cash account. This might have been the case here.
I read somewhere they didn't have that much available credit on the cards.
I was shocked at how many people smoke on their balconies! We had an aft corner suite and the balcony next to ours on the port side had someone who was constantly out there smoking (which made our hot tub time a lot less pleasant). And when we were docked next to the Magic, I saw people smoking on their balconies.
We've cruised Oceania 3 times. Best food we've had at see. Pricey but very good service. Their small ships are pretty old, but sparkly..
I cancelled the O cruise we had booked. I'm going on a different kind of vacation instead. I look at real estate agents the way you look at travel agents. I might look at travel agents the same way, especially consiering how they act on some of the FB groups I belong to. Smokers have to get used to the idea that no one wants them around. It's a dirty, stinky habit. No one will listen to or care about the smoker's complaints. Let them eat cake. Love your vids. Keep 'em coming!
It's stinky, plus it's expensive. I stopped around 40 years ago, and cannot believe the cost now.
A smokers complaints are just as important as a non smoker. The fact you think being a non smoker trumps being a smoker you are severely wrong. Also to mention no one wants them around is WRONG too. And rude may I add.
@tinynrownin
You’re right. She’s treating the smoker (no, I don’t smoke) like a non human. Someone with NO empathy would do that-someone that’s narcissistic. 😞
I wonder if that means that she’s unsympathetic to all that have an addiction.
As an agent, I don't want cruise lines stealing my customers so it goes without saying I won't be trying to steal theirs. Going on Oceania Vista in December for the second time. Biggest bang for the buck on the high seas. Superior food, service and drinks.
I am happy to hear your opinion of Oceania Vista. We are sailing on her in early October in the Mediterranean. First cruise to Med, first cruise on Oceania, 29th overall. Any tips for me?
@@jackiebyers3424 You can take up to six bottles of wine on board.
I will never book a customer who refuses travel insurance. I will not be blamed for their problem should it arise. Too many people want to blame their travel agency for not pushing them to buy it.
Brilliant!
Good for you. If they can’t or don’t purchase travel insurance (it’s not that expensive) they should stay home.
TA here...we get customers to sign a Travel Insurance Liability Release Form. Must be submitted prior to final payment.
I agree. I won't book folks who do not have a passport or won't apply for one; if they don't want travel insurance; and if they don't travel at least one day prior to the cruise. I also like them to pay gratuities in advance however that's optional as long as they understand that they will be billed for gratuities. Failure to get travel insurance is a must have or I'm not booking you.
I make them sign a form if the don't want to get insurance. I also started adding it in the cost.
We're on Don's Alaskan Princess cruise having a blast! We never leave home without insurance because of your stories! Thanks bunches
My travel insurance was only $248. Why not get it? You have already paid for a pricey cruise.
We got travel insurance, thank God! $8,700- Husband went into AFIB and I had an asthma event and bacterial infection. Onboard Medical took care of us, but it was expensive. Husband's 33 hours in ICU on ship was more than $8,300. It took from January to mid-May to get Blue Cross to pay out. Had to wait until our insurance to pay, before the travel insurance would pick up the rest of the tab, but we are going to be 100% reimbursed, and thankfully we had savings to pay the Discover card off without paying interest.
Going through that right now. We'll definitely rethink our choice of travel insurance in the future. Right now, we are waiting for $8500 but have to jump through multiple hoops in order to be reimbursed.
Where were you that your personal insurance wasn’t secondary? If that’s everywhere it sounds like you can lower your medical coverage to cover co-pays and Evans.
@@Reed-2big Our travel insurance was through the CruiseLine. It requires that we submit medical receipts to our primary insurance (US). Submit explanation of benefits and they review everything and reimburse(hopefully). The medical receipts were submitted to them first. We then were required to submit them to our US insurer. We did not know that until AON contacted us with this requirement. We will change how we book travel insurance in the future.
Oceania is really nice and the food is amazing.Been on over 35 cruises and Oceania was best one.
We’re kids on board?
Good! RC is not wrong! It's simple -- self responsibility!
Great comments as usual Tony keep them coming!! Very important get travel insurance like you said you just never know!!!
We came back from Carnival Magic this week. Smokers commandeered entire 11th deck. Absolutely disgusting. We had to give up our yellow chairs that we enjoyed last December.😢
This is normal. That is the reason why you need insurance. My husband had a hernia on an Oceania cruise ship. And we had to be evacuated to the Bahamas. We were sent to a small boat to a medical plane until the hospital. And we had 20k bills in total. Cruise ship make sure you will survive but you have to a ton of space in your credit card even if you have insurance.
My wife and I were just on the Icon (our first ever cruise) where the power went out. It was 30 mins, I timed it. Didn’t bother us too much other than the AC not being on in our stateroom. Other seasoned cruisers we met on board said they have never been on a ship where the power went out.
I am shocked! Poaching from the Loca Fam!😮 Shadey!
We Always bought travel insurance for our cruises due to Mom's age and health. The only time we had to use it was when Mom got sick a day or so before we were supposed to leave. With proof from her doctor that she was unable to travel, we were able to rebook with no additional charges on Princess.
Tony, love your channel and your sense of humor is spot on. Love it
Thank you for sharing our story! It's a great cautionary tail, get the travel insurance! Mad I didn't. (For the record I did get health insurance earlier that year, but it didn't kick in until January 1st.)
For clarification - it’s not RC but an outside vender that runs their medical services. When you book/board any cruise you are also signing an agreement to pay before disembarkation any medical expenses due to that particular medical provider.
buy the travel insurance! booked on a Viking cruise and 2 weeks before, a medical emergency required cancellation. Submitted a couple of documents and got full refund.
I had nicotine patches for when I fly, visit my parents or siblings, and even when I cruise since there's only two places to smoke on most cruises. Tell your doctor you're trying to quit, and insurance will pay 100% for them. Heavy smoker? Double up on the 21mg patches. It's not too bad. I also just quit a couple month ago, nasty habit I've wanted to break for over a decade. Nicotine patches and Wellbutrin.
I love ZYNS!! I just started cruising 2 years ago but buy a roll to bring for my cruises every time I would strongly suggest the patch though. Zyns can make your stomach upset if you aren’t used to it
When I was younger I never got the insurance but now as a senior citizen, as is my SO, we get it.
We are not as particular in the Caribbean as we are in other countries, and the airlifts are shorter.
Dad always argued he could take the loss, at least to the Caribbean cruises.
I am trying to find a company that will insure someone 71 yrs old. Would you mind telling me the company that you use? Thanks!
@@annettehatzman8058 Allianz I believe has a yearly travel insurance. I use there per cruise policy when I’m someplace other than Caribbean or Alaska. For those I use the cruise policies which are often Aon. The cruise ones I’ve used are not based on age, Allianz is. And I’m not looking forward to 71!
@@annettehatzman8058 I use the same co as Tony. Allianz. It’s not cheap for older people but it’s reassuring to have it. I can’t remember how much but I think I bought enough to pay for cruise, airfare & hotels before & after the cruise. It also includes some reimbursement for lost baggage.
I'm enjoying the post thyroid era. Great videos and great energy.
I have a booking on Oceania Allura Nov 2025. It was a 24 day cruise and it was recently reduced by 5 days due to inaugural activity changes. Maybe due to the early delivery of the ship. I am going to post a question to you Tony, with my issue. Curious if I am over reacting or not. Will let you decide.
WHAT?!? His bill was only $2,700?? My appendix ruptured on a cruise with Carnival. Basically, almost same situtation except I did have Medicare + Blue Cross although this will do no good on a ship. Ok that problem has been solved and we never cruise from that point foward without the medical insurance. BUT here's why I had the big question in the beginning...I was charged $6,000. + for being in the emergency medical unit for 3 days until I was flown (from last port) back to Florida for emergency surgery. OK word to wise never book a cruise without the insurance to cover the medical should anything happen. Yes the medical team and doctor was most caring kind and concerned but I never expected to pay $6,000.00 just for the medical rec'd while onboard.
HI! Thank you for sharing that! I am looking for medical travel insurance for our upcoming cruise. My husband will be 71, so he's on Medicare, but I haven't found a company that insures people over 70 yrs of age. (I no longer think of 70+ as "elderly" 😆and he's certainly healthy enough to cruise!) Would you mind telling me which insurance company you use? Thanks!
Thanks Tony for the updates news and your views. ❤
❤me breaking my ankle on a Disney cruise!!😳🙏🙏I had the travel insurance for the first time ever & will NEVER cruise without it again!!!🙏
I was just on the Quantum of the Seas, and we also had a power outage Sunday night while we were preparing to depart Victoria, British Columbia. I was very thankful we were still in port.
The power was out for about 30 minutes or more. Once we started sailing away, the tv snd lights flickered, but they stayed on. Thankfully we made it back to Seattle the next morning with no issues.
I snitched out the cabin next door to us on our last cruise on the Enchanted Princess. I called security because they were smoking on the balcony. They sent the floor supervisor to our cabin to peak around the divider to catch them actively smoking.
I love Scentbird! Pocket-sized, too, so I can reapply later if needed.
Here's the deal. To cruise you need to provide a credit card or source of payment for ANY purchases etc. WHY couldn't the line charge the bill for medical costs to this card on file? Why stall the evacuation for lack of payment?
Ive only been on 2 cruises, got travel health insurance both times..Was to be on cruise this past April, bought travel insurance however never made the cruise, got strep throat 2 days before cruise...go figure...Have a cruise schedule for September and will purchase travel insurance again...for sure..I'm 70 and I can't afford to take any chances...
The crepeary sounds amazing! We would love to try Oceania, we are platinum on NCL but have not tried it yet.
😮I love Norwegian Bliss for there humidor on deck 8 as a cigar smoker this is great.
You have a very good singing voice.
I took "minimum" insurance, but made sure it had evac cover in case I was stuck in a hospital while the ship departed. At the end of my cruise, I had a leg infection which required an IV injection of antibiotics. Total bill for the visit to the cruise ship medical center was over $500. Happily, my insurance claim after the cruise was approved!
Glad to hear you will finally try and review Oceania in October! We are not party animals and appreciate impeccable service and food. Had a mior medical issue on Regent recently, but did not file the $700 claim with Allianz for fear that it would up my rate. Is this true?
T, I tried a patch to quit a 2+ pack habit, heck, I smoked while wearing a patch! Not until I got hypnotized did I finally rid myself of that awful habit
Definitely get the travel insurance. I worked in health insurance and talked to so many people who got sick traveling or had an accident and had to do emergency surgery in Europe or someplace. I talked to a man who got married on a Caribbean island. I believe it was his wedding night that he had a massive heart attack, and was in the hospital for over 2 months on that island. He didn't have repatriation insurance, so all of his treatment was done in that foreign country. Too many things can go wrong and you are not immortal.
I’d like to hear a review of some upscale lines like the Oceania. I’m curious if the lines invite you, or you have to pay for all your travel?? Probably none of my business. We do love Viking, but I know there are higher class ships above Viking. Try some if you can and cover all cruise
Great show & energy today. You rocked it! Shout out Luda.
I broke my arm in 4 places in Sicily last year towards the end of my cruise with NCL. I went back to the ship rather than the hospital. They were brilliant , looking after me, stabilising my arm until I could visit the hospital in Livorno. They organised transport and an interpreter/ companion. Of course I had insurance - never travel without it. But I also carry an empty credit card. So I paid my £1700 bill onboard and paid the private transfer and companion. Then claimed it back with receipts and reports from the hospital and medical team. I see far too many people getting ill on holiday and then setting a go fund me to ask the public to help pay. JUST GET INSURANCE!!!
We used the medical bay on Norwegian. The nurse and doctor were great, but the whole thing was a nightmare and we had medical insurance and travel insurance. NCL handled the whole thing disastrously including reporting us to customs for a $3000 purchase **that was the medical bill** (and thus not something customs cares about). Treated awfully by Norwegian. Oh, NCL wouldn't wait for insurance, we had to out-of-pocket at time of use.
None of the cruise lines deal with insurance companies, unless you have purchased the cruise lines own medical & evacuation insurance. Any other insurance you need to pay up front, and deal with your insurance company after the fact.
I am a reformed smoker of 37 years I think they need a smokers longe and casino. Unless they make a lot more money from smoking gamblers, but understand some people just don’t want to stop. I like to gamble but if someone came up beside me smoking, I would have to leave. It literally makes sick.
How about smokers board in last group so the embarkation process is very quick and the bunkering should be nearing completion?
We were booked on the Carnival Firenze inaugural cruise and they slipped another inaugural cruise ahead of us. We weren't notified to change our booking.
Hi Tony
I believe the insurance is worth it because you never know what can happen. Better to be safe than sorry.
While refueling, it’s not just near the fuel barge , it’s the venting off the air the fuel is displacing that gets around the ship through exhaust vents
Re Medical Insurance - you needn’t buy the full vacation insurance to have the coverage. Ask your travel agent to price the insurance based on some fraction of the costs incurred for your vacation - while you won’t be covered for refund of all costs incurred if you must cancel your trip, you will have medical coverage.
Love Oceania but havent been on Vista yet. Going on 7th Oceania cruise in July! Ready to go
P&O won't let you board unless you have travel insurance specific to cruising
I've never been on a cruise and my travel agent, who is awesome BTW, made sure we had what she considered her favorite insurance plan and to be honest it wasn't all that expensive and definitely worth the peace of mind.
Can I ask what company your travel agent uses? I'm looking to get travel insurance and am overwhelmed by all the different companies!
I was going to ask the same 😄
I have used them before and I have suffered a Type 2 heart attack and an TIA, p plus seizures and they can cover me for my first cruise next year
Nicotine gum might work better than patches IMO, I quit with the gum, the patches made me sick. That might be a good idea for the clinic to stock.
I’ll tell you what Tony…..when my friend and I went on our 2 year delayed a/c Covid 15 day Hawaii cruise on the Ruby Princess….the smell of cigarette smoke coming from the casino was nauseating…..it was a horrific cruise all the way around, but that was a deciding factor that I will never take a Princess cruise again! Went on Carnival in March this year and never smelled that gross smell…..just sayin’…..and we are both ex-smokers….yuk, yuk, yukky!!
I love the finish and I would put it I my house.
Loyalty works both ways
Not on a cruise but sister broke her elbow in Australia and her hip in Egypt. Yes. She had insurance and was treated well
If you can't go a couple of hours without smoking just to get onboard, you have a problem. Buy your own patches or lozenges. Better than blowing up the ship.
The smoking issue on embarkation day is dumb, how do you fly to these destinations without lighting up? Can’t wait for a couple of hours? I am a cigar smoker, and cruise on Celebrity, no smoking in casinos and it doesn’t bother me a bit. They have 3 areas on which you can smoke, part of the Sunset bar, outside near the Eden, and then the best area above the Mast Grill near the pool there is a covered and sheltered area.
Always get the travel insurance because you never know what can happen
On the topic of insurance, if we have the cruise line insurance and a separate policy, with an outside company, which one pays first, or does one pay all??
If they don't let me off until I pay does that mean I get to go on the next cruise? If I don't pay to get on rescue ship do I get to sue for false imprisonment, and estate for cause of death?
This is a perfect example of why you should never travel without insurance. I feel bad for them but this is what happens when you roll the dice.
Great reporting…. As always ❤❤❤
My wife and I love Oceania. We were booked on the new Allure in 2025 and two of the stops were in Israel. Those plans have been cancelled. The ships, service, and food on Oceania is fantastic!
My sister, mother, and I were disembarked in Costa Rica because Mom got sick and the cruise doctors were afraid they couldn’t treat her. Princess gave me our final bill that included her care from the medical team. This was not a surprise. When it came time for all of us to come home, the hospital in Costa Rica required we pay her medical bill in full before she could leave. That was a surprise but thankfully with some high credit limit credit cards we could spring her. That bill was $22,000 dollars. But because of our cruise insurance we got it all back including the costs for my sister and I until she could come home 12 days later including airplane rides back to the U.S. with a private nurse accompanying Mom. As soon as I make the reservation I buy the cruise insurance. Buy the dang insurance and hope you don’t need it.
Very good points about travel insurance. I agree wholeheartedly. I am just curious, what if the couple could not pay or refused to pay, to what extent can a cruise line detain them?
We cruise 5-6 times a year.... Medjet + Allianz.....are a great annual combo!
Lots of great vocabulary on this episode Tony.
Hey Tony and Jenny B love the voice Tony keep singing
I have an Allianz annual plan , and on my credit cards, and I buy the cruise insurance. Last cruise I splurged on first class flights, yes I bought the airline insurance. Not taking any chances . You never know what can happen.
On a side note I'd recommend Hollister colognes and Abercrombie.. it's worth the cost.
I was on a Carnival Cruise last fall and so many people were smoking in the casino, I developed an uncontrolled cough. I wore a mask the remainder of the cruise as to not scare anyone into thinking I had Covid. The secondhand smoke inside is bad. I was in the nonsmoking area and still endured secondhand smoke because it traveled. From what I could see, there were many people smoking but not gambling, just sitting at a slot with their cigarette. Most of which were chain smokers.
No smoking during bunkering how bogus is that diesel fuel does not ignite unless it’s under pressure
Back in the saddle again. Good show content today Tony
Did he have epilepsy? My husband has had seizures on the cruise ship and he just stays in the room til he feels better. We also have emergency medication for multiple seizures. He does not need a hospital and would not need to be evacuated at all unless of course he broke a bone when falling.
Hey Tony, if you had that cologne on when you wake up, is that called morning wood? Lol!😅
Hi Tony. Happy hump day. Yes, the cruise line want's the money. Another case of GET TRAVEL INSURANCE! Oceana, new ship a week early. At least they are letting them have the choice to change. A friend of mine is on Icon now. Haven't talked to her yet. I hate when people approach other's to go with them instead when booking trips. Build your own business, don't jump on another person's site and try to get them to call you. Stuff does happen when cruising. That's pretty far out, the line just shouldn't book cruises when dry dock is coming up. I don't know how John deal's with those people every day. As always thank you for all you do ❤
Any recommendations for obtaining Travelers Ins?
Do you have a good recommended Travel Insurance company for medical if needed?
Royal should have taken care of the bill before they started the transport, but they had an absolute right to require money. Get insurance!
He had money a cruise but not the cruise insurance,? Cruise insurance is much cheaper than the cruise or a medical bill.
@@jdavis7613 unfortunately some people think they're 10 foot tall and bullet proof.
The cruise lines do not have a right to delay medical treatment and leaving the ship. That's extortion and kidnapping.
@TerryKeever They can and will. So will most foreign hospitals.