Do Cruise Ships Have A Dentist On Board?

Cruise ships do not have dentists or dental facilities onboard, although they may have a range of medical personnel and a fully stocked medical center. While it is possible that a large cruise ship could have a dentist on board, it is not assumed that there will be one. If you encounter a dental emergency while on a cruise ship, the most important thing to consider is whether you are part of a community of people of all.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships offer limited professional medical services, with a minimum of one fully licensed doctor on board. They also have a Medical Centre offering primary and emergency care, with a doctor on board. Some cruise lines bring on a dentist from time to time for crew appointments, but it is likely for the crew, not passengers.

While dentistry is not provided onboard, the medical team can assist you with in-port locations for services. Globally recognized cruise companies contract only licensed, experienced, and practicing dentists with clean disciplinary backgrounds.

In summary, cruise ships do not have dentists or dental facilities onboard, but they do have a range of medical personnel and a fully stocked medical center. However, they do have dentists onboard for crew appointments and some cruise lines offer free trips to dentists for working holidays. The medical team can assist passengers with in-port locations for dental services.

Does Carnival have a dentist?

However, each ship has doctors and nurses, depending on the size of the ship depends on how many doctors and nurses are on board.

What happens if you get seriously ill on a cruise ship?

Usually, the decision is made to disembark the patient at a location where the relevant medical facilities are available. If the necessary facilities are not available at this location or if the patient wants to get back home, an air ambulance is usually needed for medical evacuation or for medical repatriation.

An air ambulance for medical evacuation / medical repatriation after an emergency on a cruise. The air ambulances of Medical Air Service are often required for the transport of patients who have had a medical emergency on a cruise. In most cases, the ship disembarked the passenger at a location where quality care is not available or is too expensive. In other cases, the traveler requires medical repatriation back home to rest and recuperate.

In these situations, ourair ambulances offer travelers with a medical emergency on a cruise ship a safe and quick way of getting back home. Our planes are fitted with the latest medical equipment and have doctors and paramedics on board to offer treatment and care to the patient during the transfer. Our planes are ICU-equipped and are able to transport even those requiring intensive care after their medical emergency on the cruise.

Is there a jail on Royal Caribbean?

…and a jail. There are no police officers on cruise ships, but most vessels have small jails known as the brig, and unruly passengers could find themselves locked up if the ship’s security team determines that they have violated the cruise line’s code of conduct.

The brig, usually a bare-bones room with a bed and bathroom facilities, does not have iron bars like a traditional jail cell. It is used to detain guests who commit serious crimes like assault or possession of illegal substances. Drunk and disorderly passengers may be put under “cabin arrest,” meaning they cannot leave their cabin without a security escort.

Depending on the circumstances, most passengers put in the brig will stay there until they can be handed over to law enforcement officials.

What happens if you need a dentist on a cruise?

However, the same is not true if you have dental problems. Cruise lines do not have dentists and dental facilities on board. If you suffer from tooth ache or other problems, like a crown or filling coming out, the most you should expect is some help with the pain and assistance on trying to locate a dentist in the next port. Many lines used to try to help patch up and deal with simple problems, but the increased insurance risk and chance of being sued if things go wrong meant that they no longer are prepared to provide this.

Before you cruise make sure your teeth are in good condition, ideally by having a check-up. Take a simple tooth repair kit that you can buy from most large pharmacies and drugstores. This will enable you to temporarily fill fillings or stick back crowns if they fall out until you can see a land-based dentist.

I grew up in Zimbabwe, but I have been based in London since 1987. My travel life spans more than three decades and that includes more than 95 cruises. In 2005, I launched Tips for Travellers to make it easy and fun for people to discover, plan and enjoy incredible cruise vacations. And the rest, as they say, is history. I have the largest cruise vlogger channel currently on YouTube, with more than 3 million video views per month.

What is the most common illness on cruise ships?

Respiratory Illnesses. Respiratory illnesses are the most common medical complaint on cruise ships.

• Cruise Ship Medical Capabilities
• Illness & Injury
• Infectious Disease Health Risks

Cruise ship travel presents a unique combination of health concerns. Travelers from diverse regions brought together in the often crowded, semi-enclosed shipboard environment can facilitate the spread of person-to-person, foodborne, and waterborne diseases. Outbreaks on ships can be sustained over multiple voyages by crewmembers who remain onboard, or by persistent environmental contamination. Port visits can expose travelers to local diseases and, conversely, be a conduit for disease introduction into shoreside communities.

Some people (e.g., those with chronic health conditions or who are immunocompromised, older people, pregnant people) merit additional considerations when preparing for a cruise. Because travelers at sea might need to rely on a ship’s medical capabilities for an extended period, potential cruise passengers with preexisting medical needs should prepare accordingly by calling the cruise line’s customer service center to learn what type and level of health care services are (and are not) available on specific ships.

What is the common infection on cruise ships?

Other Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Although most cruise ship passengers come from countries with routine vaccination programs (e.g., Canada, the United States), many of the crew are from low- or middle-income countries where immunization rates can be low. Outbreaks of hepatitis A, measles, meningococcal disease, mumps, pertussis, rubella, and varicella have all been reported on cruise ships. The majority (82%) of these outbreaks occur among crewmembers; prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, varicella was the most frequently reported VPD. Other VPDs (e.g., pertussis) occur more often among passengers.

Each cruise line sets its own policies regarding vaccinations for its crew; some have limited or no requirements. Thus, all passengers should be up to date with routine vaccinations before travel, as well as any required or recommended vaccinations specific for their destinations. People of childbearing age should have documented immunity to measles, rubella, and varicella (either by vaccination or titer) before cruise ship travel.

Vectorborne Diseases. Some cruise ship ports of call include destinations where vectorborne diseases (e.g., dengue, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever, Zika) are known to be endemic. In addition, new diseases can surface in unexpected locations; chikungunya was reported for the first time in the Caribbean in late 2013, with subsequent spread throughout the region and numerous other North, Central, and South American countries and territories. Zika was first reported in Brazil in 2015, and subsequently spread across the Caribbean and Latin America, sparking concern because of its association with microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the fetus. For disease-specific information, see the relevant chapters of Section 5.

Is there a doctor on board a cruise ship?

Depending on the size of the ship and number of passengers and Crew members, each RCL ship has one to three doctors and three-to-five Nurses, available to passengers and Crew members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Our medical facilities are stocked with a variety of equipment, including cardiac monitors, automated external defibrillators, ventilators, x-ray machines and processors, laboratory equipment, a formulary of acute care medications and a variety of minor surgical and orthopedic supplies. Our doctors also have access to online informational sources and 24-hour support from shore side medical professionals for additional assistance. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. also requires all doctors and nurses to maintain Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training. In responding to medical emergencies, our goal is to first stabilize emergency patients and, where indicated, evacuate the patient to an appropriately equipped and staffed shore side medical facility as soon as practical.

Guests treated on board may request copies of their medical records by faxing a completed request form to 786-264-9682.

What happens if you get ill on a cruise?

Seek Medical Help. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, you should seek medical help immediately. Most ships have a medical centre on board where you can get treatment from qualified doctors and nurses. They can perform tests, diagnose your condition, prescribe medication, and refer you to a hospital if necessary.

You should always carry your Travel Insurance details when visiting the medical centre. Cruise Travel Insurance covers the cost of medical care and repatriation costs in case you need to be flown home for further treatment.

If your policy includes Cruise Cover, being confined to your cabin by the medical staff on board means, you’ll be able to claim for cabin confinement and unused excursions.

If you need help in a medical emergency, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance line on +44 203 467 4122.

What happens if you need a doctor on a cruise?

Should a guest require medical attention while aboard one of our vessels, the Medical Center staff is available to assist 24 hours a day. The on board medical centers are staffed and equipped to treat routine medical conditions as well as to initiate stabilization of more serious conditions. Physicians are available to render services at a customary fee. While at sea or in port, the availability of medical care may be limited.

Medical Center HoursThe Medical Center has daily office hours which are listed in the HUB App. The medical staff is on call 24 hours a day for emergencies. Routine hours are subject to temporary change due to extenuating circumstances:

• Embarkation day: 8:00am-9:00am and 3:00pm-5:00pm
• Sea days: 9:00am-12:00pm and 3:00pm-6:00pm
• Port days: 8:00am-10:00am and 4:00pm-6:00pm

Do cruise ship doctors have antibiotics?

Onboard Pharmacies. Pharmacy stocks are available onboard, which means you will be able to get basic medicines. The size of the inventory varies by ship, but staff will be able to provide you with antibiotics, seasickness pills (often complimentary), aspirin and other common medicines. The pharmacy stocks typically will include medications for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues; respiratory problems; infectious diseases; eyes; ears, noses and throats; and urinary tract, as well as vaccines.

The cost of these meds will be more than if you shopped at your home pharmacy but about the same as getting off the ship and buying them in port.

Quarantine Procedures. Cruise ship policies dictate that if you feel like you might be getting sick or have signs of a serious ailment, such as vomiting or diarrhea, you must tell the ship’s medical staff immediately. Passengers can be restricted to their staterooms if the ship’s physician decides their illness poses a risk of outbreak. Cruise lines are especially wary of influenza or the highly contagious norovirus, which can quickly spread.

Can cruise ships do emergency surgery?

What happens in a case of a medical emergency on a cruise?. In case of a medical emergency on a cruise, the first step is to visit the ship’s medical center. All major cruise lines have a medical center offering travelers with a sickness or an injury treatment and care from doctors and nurses. Depending on the cruise line, the type and range of medical equipment available on the cruise will vary.

In general cases, cruise medical centers can prescribe and administer medications, perform minor surgeries and stabilize patients with more serious medical conditions. If your medical condition is treatable on board the ship, you will be given the relevant treatment or condition. Cases of infectious disease often require quarantine in your cabin.

What if you cannot get treated onboard the cruise?. If you have a serious medical emergency that cannot be treated onboard or which requires severe treatment and care, then medical evacuation from the ship is required. This is the case for medical conditions that require hospitalizations/surgery or conditions that are life-threatening.

Some of the conditions that are considered as a medical emergency on a cruise are:

Do any cruise ships have dentists?

No, there aren’t any dentists on the cruise, unless they happen to be passengers, who aren’t going to be polled as to whether they’re dentists or not. If you have a sore tooth, the medical center will give you some non-narcotic pain killers, and expect you to survive until debarkation day.