If you are thinking about taking a Carnival cruise more than likely the last thought is about illness or injury while sailing. No person taking a cruise wants to become sick or injured but life on ships continue as on land so these situations do arise. Chances are you are thinking more about the wonderful destinations, warm sunshine, sandy beaches, and tons of on-ship excitement like everyone else is so it makes perfect sense to overlook one of the most important things you should know about.
The great thing is that all of Carnival Cruise Line’s ships have a medical center to include doctor and nurses. These medical professionals have all the latest required licensing and certification. Because of this, they are highly qualified to draw blood, take blood pressure, take x-rays, and perform a number of other diagnostic tests. Although the on-ship and medical staff is qualified to deal with a number of illnesses and injuries if something were to happen outside of their capability medical services are available at different ports of call.
The goal of the ship’s personnel is to allow a person who has become ill or injured to keep sailing so the vacation could be enjoyed but in some situations, it would be necessary for the person to remain on shore for more advanced medical treatment. In fact, in serious situations, even those pertaining to life and death, Carnival cruise medical personnel would arrange for emergency transportation to a hospital in the United States.
Interestingly, the medical facility and doctors aboard Carnival cruise ships can handle numerous situations. For instance, they can take care of broken bones, deal with someone becoming seasick, and even stitch up wounds. The facility is also designed to handle more serious problems to include respiratory ailments such as asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia. In addition, thrombolyic therapy is available and on some ships digital radiology is provided. The benefit here is that if necessary, the ship’s doctor can easily send x-rays to a US hospital for doctors there to review and make a diagnosis.
Although Carnival Cruise Line has always taken pride in the medical care provided to passengers, today these ships are designed with state-of-art equipment and some of the finest medical professionals available. After all, Carnival Cruise Line is in competition with other cruise lines so it is imperative that they provide only the best of the best. Of course, before sailing you could certainly ask specific information about the type of facility on the ship you plan to sail, as well as background information on the doctor and nurses aboard.
Sailing with Carnival provides peace of mind that if something were to happen, you would receive excellent medical care. Because Carnival Cruise Line is associated with Cruise Lines International Association, they are required to follow very specific and strict guidelines pertaining to healthcare and emergency medicine. That way, if you did need treatment of some kind, you would know the care being provided is closely governed.
One final note about becoming ill or being injured while on a Carnival cruise is that you should look into travel insurance that includes medical coverage. Unfortunately, many people believe that a standard travel policy would suffice but in truth, unless the policy is designed to deal with medical issues, many of the treatments or even on-land care or evacuation would not be covered. Therefore, before going on a cruise with Carnival, talk to your insurance agent about medical coverage while sailing.
