A woman claimed she was on a Royal Caribbean cruise and had an allergic reaction to something she ate, but then refused to pay the high price for medication onboard.
The woman posted a video on TikTok of her swollen face and disdain for the price the cruise ship's medical facility wanted to charge her.
"I've been on the boat for ... not even the full 24 hours and my face is swollen," she said as she took her sunglasses.
She did not say what she ate the triggered the reaction. She said she said she went to the medical center on her vessel and was told it would cost $390 for Benadryl.
"They do have it, but it costs $390 for them to give me Benadryl," she said.
Cruise ship medical bays have doctors and nurses onboard, and it's effectively a mini urgent care location to treat and triage minor issues. For major medical issues, the passenger will be taken off the ship to get treatment back on land.
For medical care onboard, they don't accept any insurance. You have to pay out of pocket and then be reimbursed after the cruise by either your own medical insurance or a travel insurance policy.
Unfortunately, most medical insurance plans don't cover cruise ships because they're outside of their country.
Luckily for this woman, she said at the end of the video she managed to get Benadryl from another passenger on the ship.
Fierce opinions
The comments for this woman's video exploded with opinions on the matter, as many had differing thoughts of what she should have done in this situation.
Many cruisers talked about how they bring all sorts of over-the-counter medications on vacation with them.
"I take the whole medicine cabinet with me on a cruise because I refuse!," said Deneanne Nicole.
Others recommended asking other passengers, who may have done just that.
"Girl. Go ask folks on the boat. Especially veteran cruisers. They have everything," said Baezivy.
Txfynest recommended, "Go on the Facebook travel group for your boat and ask the group hopefully you’ll be ok till yall port and get something."
Some viewers realized the need to plan ahead as a result of the video, "this is a learning experience for all of us. I need to take meds on my next cruise" gabrielabutcallmegaby commented.
Most of the comments centered around being prepared and bringing the right medications with you, just in case.
In fact, one of the top things cruisers shared they regretted not packing was over-the-counter medication.
No one wants to get sick on vacation, but it happens.
Whether you simply catch a head cold or you have a mild allergic reaction to a bug bite, having a variety of over-the-counter medication can make all the difference.
The importance of travel insurance
The real debate topic was the importance of travel insurance and how they would have handled the situation.
Toneee22 shared their experience when something similar happened, "I fainted on a cruise was taken 2 the infirmary & my bill came 2 $600. I paid the bill before I left & sent it 2 my insurance company. They reimbursed me $570, so my out of pocket was only the co-pay."
Christina Sanford Hamilton added, "I have travel insurance. Buy it annually and I always take two bags of meds and bathroom stuff."
Travel insurance is technically optional, but it ought to be a must-buy for travelers going on a cruise vacation.
A basic policy from Allianz costs $37 per plan and covers:
- Flight, hotel, and vacation-rental cancellations
- Meal and transportation expenses during delays
- Rental-car insurance
- Medical expenses, including evacuations
The exact cost will depend on how long the trip is, the age of the cruisers, add-on coverages, and other considerations.
Travel insurance also covers you for a last-minute need to cancel a cruise, such as a death in the family or loss of a job.
The best way to compare insurance plans is to go through a travel insurance aggregator.
My two favorite options are InsureMyTrip.com and TravelInsurance.com.
Both charge you nothing extra to use their services, so it's free to browse. Plus, they offer ways to compare specific plans from different travel insurance companies against each other.
You probably won't actually need the travel insurance, but if you do, you never want to be in a situation where you're debating getting the health care you need versus the out of pocket costs.
