- Cruise ships have well-equipped medical centres for emergencies.
- Doctors are trained in emergency medicine for diverse cases.
- Common issues include respiratory problems and heart attacks.
Cruise ships offer travellers a mix of relaxation and luxury, but for onboard medical professionals, life is far from leisurely. A cruise doctor’s role is an intense combination of emergency care and general practice, requiring resourcefulness, empathy, and quick thinking, reports CNN Travel.
A High-Stakes Medical Role
Dr. Aleksandar Durovic, a veteran cruise doctor of 20 years, highlights the challenges of the job. “Watching The Love Boat, you think it’s just going around having dinner and drinks with guests, but it’s really not like that,” he says. “Most of what we do on big cruise ships is emergency services, like in an ER, but we are also general practitioners for the crew.”
Amy White, medical operations director for Vikand, explains why emergency expertise is critical. “You can have any and all types of medical emergencies onboard,” she says. Doctors must be able to work independently, often without backup other than shoreside support.
Medical Facilities at Sea
Cruise ships also operate under the ACEP. Huge ships are well-equipped with one doctor, a number of nurses, and have an ICU set up with a ventilator, cardiac monitors, and defibrillators. Some ships also do blood tests and X-rays, and perform small surgeries.
From 2026, cruise lines that belong to CLIA will also need to have equipment for ultrasound tests. “You’d be amazed what kind of things we can do,” Durovic says. “But you don’t have CT scans. You stabilize patients until they can be evacuated.”
The Most Common Medical Issues
Doctors on board deal with most emergencies, such as cardiac arrests, strokes, and fractures. Respiratory illnesses, stomach flu, and chronic conditions like heart disease are also common. “Heart attacks are one of the most common incidents, but we can administer clot-busting drugs to mitigate further damage,” says White.
The crew often requires medical treatment for workplace-related conditions like chemical rashes, and chronic diseases, and support for mental health. “Being at sea is very lonely,” White says.
Logistics of Evacuation
If a patient needs surgery or more serious medical care, the medical team consults with the ship’s captain and the coastguard for evacuation. They arrange a helicopter or boat transfer depending on the patient’s need and the weather conditions. But if one is not covered under travel insurance, evacuation can be pretty costly. “I can’t explain how many people who need a helivac don’t have medical insurance,” says White.
Death in Shipboard
Death aboard is infrequent but inexorable, particularly during cruises that include seniors. LNGs have their morgues. “Before they had morgues, they put bodies in the ice-cream fridge,” White recounts, referring to ancient procedures.
Current procedures involve informing the captain, the proper authorities, and the family, dressing the deceased in an appropriate manner, and finding a way to get them off the ship. “Any incident like this is extremely stressful for everyone,” says Durovic.
Medical staff often encounter emotional moments. White recalls a passenger who died during his 40th wedding anniversary cruise. “It was just a few minutes before New Year’s Eve. We resuscitated him, but we didn’t get him back,” she says.
For the crew, there is also psychological support, including online counselling and port evaluations. White notes that long periods at sea can be isolating, with limited opportunities to return home in emergencies.
A Life Unlike Any Other
Despite the challenges, many cruise doctors find the work fulfilling. “The fast pace, the distance from friends and family — it’s not for everyone,” White admits, “but the experience is rewarding.”
For Durovic, working at sea remains an adventure. “There’s always something to take with you,” he says. Currently serving on a three-year world cruise, he’s in no rush to return to land. “People say it’s time to come home, and I eventually will, but I learn a lot about what people are doing around the world.” Doctors on cruise ships face difficult situations, but they never compromise on their dedication to treating passengers and crew.
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Source: CNN Travel
