What level of medical care should you expect if you are a guest or crew member?

Are there any differences in how the ill passengers will be treated compared to the crew members?

This is a complicated topic, indeed. Let me answer this question by stating my experience when I was working as a bartender. It was a hot and humid afternoon. The ship was just about to set sail from the port of Cozumel. My afternoon shift was about to start at 16h. I felt small chest pain that afternoon, but I was not really worried. The medical center on the ship was working from 15-17h, which were the infirmary working hours while we were docked in the port. Before my shift started, I was unsure if I should visit the medical center; I thought I might not feel well because of the lack of sleep. Yet, I went to the medical center to follow up on my chest pain to be safe. I called my manager and told him I might be a little late on my afternoon shift, and he replied that it was perfectly fine. So I went downstairs to Deck 0, where the infirmary was located. Upon opening the heavy metal door of the medical center, I saw a big mess. Around 7 or 8 guests were waiting to see the doctor, and I was the only crew member in the line. I kindly excused myself to the nurse on duty, and I explained to her that I had some shortness of breast and chest pain that I could not even explain. That pain would come and go, so I was not really concerned about it, but still, my inner instinct was telling me that I should check on it. I sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area; it was 1520h the afternoon. I understood that passengers are a priority for several reasons because I am a crew member on board.

On top of that, passengers pay the visit to the ship doctor for around $100, and for me, as a crew member, the visit to the medical center was free of charge. I was very patient, understanding the life circumstances on board the ship. Nearly 90 minutes passed since I came to the medical center, some new passengers kept coming, and they were all coming to see the doctor before me. I sat there for a while; it was 17 h, and the medical center was about to close for the afternoon working hours. The nurse approached me and told me," We are kind of very busy this afternoon. What are the reasons you wanted to see the doctor?'

"Well, I had some chest pain, nothing major, but I still wanted to check with the doctor. But it's okay; I see you guys are busy; I do understand that. I might stop tomorrow morning; that's fine.'

The nurse replied," Okay, are you sure you are not trying to get a day off from work? Well, some crew members do that when coming here to the medical center; I am not saying you want to do that, but..."

"No, that is all wrong; I m not trying to get a day off. I love my work, and I am proud of what I do; I am not trying to escape from working. I was just going to check, but that's okay. I will be fine,"-I replied to her and left the medical center. It was 1715 when I came back to work. My manager asked me what happened in the medical center, and I explained to him that I was not even medically assessed because they were too busy with the passengers; a lot of passengers came back on the ship with a lot of small accidents during their visit to the port of Cozumel. However, I kept working, the ship was about to set sail, and we were really busy in the bar. At one moment, I just collapsed down on the floor. My colleagues brought me to the medical center in an emergency. I don't remember anything from that point on; I fell unconscious due to high fatigue levels and high blood pressure. The level of calcium in my blood was dangerously low. I spent the night in the medical center, they gave me an infusion, and for three days after that, I was medical off, just staying in my cabin, and I was going once a day to follow up on the condition with the doctor. I am not saying this could all be prevented, but sometimes if you are a crew member, the medical staff on the cruise ship could have a biased approach. On some ships, the medical center team will associate your visit to a medical center with the attempt to get the day off from work to trick them into thinking that you don't feel well, so you can skip your work for a day or two. Sometimes that perspective could be horribly wrong, as it almost ended tragically in my own case. Indeed, some of the medical staff are really compassionate professional, and nice regardless of if they are dealing with the guest or crew member, but that is a rarity in the cruise ship industry. Regarding my case, I recovered after a few days and returned to work with some maintenance pills for high blood pressure. 

Medical emergencies can happen at any given time on the ship; nobody can predict what will happen and when. 

You're walking back to your cabin after a sumptuous meal when you start feeling short of breath, with pain in your abdomen and chest. Is it just indigestion? Or something more serious, like a heart attack?

If you were at home, you wouldn't hesitate to call your doctor. But you're on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, many miles from shore. Now you're wondering what to do — and if something's seriously wrong, what happens next?

What to Do When You Have a Medical Emergency on a Cruise Ship if you are a Guest on Board?

Don't panic; first, visit the ship's medical center. All major cruise lines have onboard medical facilities staffed by experienced, credentialed doctors and nurses. While the equipment and services available may vary, cruise medical centers can perform minor surgeries, prescribe medications and stabilize patients with more serious medical conditions.

Sometimes, cruise passengers hesitate to visit the shipboard doctor because of the cost. Don't expect the medical center to accept your U.S. health insurance; typically, the cost of any services and medication you receive will be billed to your room. If you have travel insurance with emergency medical/dental benefits, you may be reimbursed for losses due to covered medical and dental emergencies during your cruise.