Lessons Learned from Getting Sick on a Cruise Ship: A $950 Wake-Up Call

My wife, Patty, and I are passionate cruisers, often sailing at least once a year. While she enjoys sunbathing, I prefer engaging in trivia games and soaking in the ocean views. I’ve experienced 16 cruises without a hitch—until our recent voyage on the Regal Princess.

This was our third time sailing with Princess, a company we generally appreciate but typically favor Celebrity Cruises. The Regal Princess was nicely equipped with various amenities for our seven-day Caribbean trip. We traveled alongside dear friends, Vida Boone and her husband, Allen Elijah, the former University of Dayton basketball player.

After setting sail from Fort Lauderdale on April 11, we relished excellent dinners for the next couple of nights. However, on April 13, an unexpected incident occurred when the server brought me shrimp cocktail without my ordering it. Despite my initial hesitation—due to the shrimp being at room temperature—I consumed it.

By late evening, fatigue overwhelmed me, prompting an early return to our cabin. The situation deteriorated overnight, leading to severe abdominal distress. I found myself repeatedly rushing to the bathroom and ultimately could barely move.

Lesson No. 1: The ship’s medical facility operates at limited hours but does have 24/7 emergency services. Unfortunately, my miserable symptoms did not warrant emergency status in their eyes. Patty managed to call the facility at 9 a.m., and they sent a wheelchair to transport me to the medical office on the fourth floor.

Inside the medical room, I was quickly assessed and treated. Lesson No. 2: Contrary to my expectations based on experiences in the U.S., there weren’t a series of tests immediately. The nurse inquired if I wanted to see a doctor or just receive medication. A wise Patty insisted on consultation, leading to necessary tests that revealed I had gastroenteritis and colitis.

Once diagnosed, Lesson No. 3 came into play: I was required to quarantine in our cabin for 24 hours. During that time, I noticed that cruise ships take potential health issues very seriously. Despite my wooziness, sanitation crews repeatedly disinfected my cabin thoroughly.

On April 15, I felt a bit better but still fatigued. Asking for a bill after treatment, I was impressed: the medical services cost $950, fairly reasonable considering I received excellent care compared to the potential thousands such treatment could cost back home.

After recovering enough to interact with guest services, I made a surprising discovery: when reporting my gastroenteritis, the agent swiftly shifted gears, taking notes to file an incident report. She asked whether I wanted to dispute the medical charges to seek reimbursement from Princess. I opted to do so.

In an unexpected turn of events, my charges were removed before our cruise ended, demonstrating Princess’s commitment to customer care.

With two days remaining, I managed to regain about 80% of my strength, allowing me to finally enjoy dinners and participate in the Voice of the Ocean singing competition with Allen, although we didn’t win. Yet, sharing the stage was a joy, but feeling better was even more gratifying.

Overall, this experience taught me invaluable lessons about health care on cruises, responsiveness to medical issues, and the importance of not hesitating to seek help.

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