Ensuring your cruise clients are prepared for potential medical emergencies is something of which agents should be mindful. MSC Cruises and Cruise Vacations shared their insights on cruise ship medical cover for regional and international cruises, highlighting the need for comprehensive cruise travel insurance and contingency plans for extreme cases.
Mandatory cruise insurance
MSC Cruises has a mandatory insurance charge for its regional and international itineraries.
“This charge, which is very reasonable, is for all passengers travelling on an MSC cruise and is not optional, as the company is required to pay the policy for all passengers travelling,” explains MSC Cruises.
While passengers on MSC’s international itineraries are also charged this fee, the insurance can be removed by request. However, if passengers opt out of the mandatory insurance, they are required to purchase comprehensive insurance through their preferred provider as no passenger will be permitted to embark the ship without the required insurance cover.
Additional travel insurance
Cruise lines differ in their approach to insurance. Some include mandatory cover, either through the cruise line or another provider, while others offer optional insurance or a limited medical budget.
According to Gaynor Galbraith Neill, CEO of Cruise Vacations, ships in their portfolio are equipped with sophisticated medical centres staffed by qualified teams of doctors and nurses. However, medical care is an additional charge.
“Our South African guests are always encouraged to take out travel insurance to cover the duration of their stay, so that any medical bills for treatment required on board a vessel can be claimed in line with the terms and conditions of their policy,” says Neill.
While standard medical cover should be sufficient for minor accidents or illnesses, it is the responsibility of the client to ensure that the cover they are purchasing is adequate for any unforeseen illness or injury, she explains. This is particularly important for international expedition cruises, which may present unique medical risks.
Extreme cases
Neill notes that when passengers are cruising to remote locations like Antarctica, they should research the destination and ensure contingencies are in place, as leaving an expedition cruise mid-voyage for a medical emergency could be extremely costly.
“While the ship hospital can provide basic care, it has to be considered that a passenger may need to leave a voyage part-way through and, if so, then does the policy they are selecting cover such eventuality,” says Neill.
To account for these situations, many international cruises will survey their passengers for comorbidities.
“Guests taking part in voyages to remote destinations have to complete a thorough medical questionnaire prior to travel. Due to the nature of these voyages, the ship does reserve the right not to carry guests who may pose a high risk or have serious pre-existing conditions or illnesses.”
While these extreme emergencies are exceptionally rare, claims for minor injuries, flu-like symptoms, cardiac issues, medical evaluations, and gastrointestinal illness are more common.
