# Living on a cruise ship



## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

How viable would it be to live on a cruise ship year round when you retire?

I have found some articles which suggest it's becoming increasingly common.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/04/24/why-living-on-cruise-ship-is-cheaper-than-think.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/24/cruise-ships-are-the-new-snowbirding-paradise.html

Seems it would cost $3000/month (USD) which is not bad when you consider it includes lodging, food, and entertainment. And you don't even have to cook your own meals.

Anyone here ever consider this?


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

I've given living on a cruise ship full time a little bit of though for analysis purposes due to some articles I've read where people have done it. Don't see myself doing it though. However, my goal is to cruise about 4-6 weeks per year after retirement and maybe go on a 6 month around the world cruise. 

I only think $3000USD/month (~$100/day) is realistic from a very base level (older ship, inside cabin). I think it's more realistic to spec out the base price per day after tax and port fees at around $125-175USD/day. You also have to take into consideration factors like:
Which ship? Newer ship with better amenities cost more.
Cabin? For balcony rooms, you're likely looking at 1.25-1.5x more. 
Itinerary? Are you just going to do the same but cheaper back to back eastern & western Caribbean itinerary (which a lot of these retired cruisers living on a cruise ship seem to do) which gets hot and humid in the summer and will likely get boring. Or will you do more expensive itineraries?
Single or Double Occupancy? Some of the newer ships have cheaper single occupancy cabins now but otherwise you'll likely have to pay a surcharge for single occupancy.
Gratuities. You'll have to tack on another ~$10-15USD/day ~$5k/yr for gratuities.
Internet. Onship Internet is likely going to run around ~10-$20USD/day.
Medical insurance. A visit to the onship doctor can easily cost $2k+. My uncle had a pre-existing condition that acted up and he went to see the onship doctor and the bill was that high. 
Specialty dining. Are you ok eating the same 7-14 day rotation of food in the main dining room and/or mixing it up occasionally at the buffet or will you throw some dollars at some of the additional charge specialty restaurants to change it up occasionally?
Beverages. Pop and alcohol isn't usually included in the base price. If you don't buy a package, the per serving pricing is like hotel pricing. 
Ports of Call. Are you going to get off the ship at all?


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

i agree the suggested costs are misleading. There is a lot more to cruising costs than what the articles suggest. I have not done precise math but the cruises we have taken, mostly river and small ship cruises, typically run in the order of $1000/day for the 2 of us (all in) and that is not even the top level 'suites'. If you are going to actually live on a ship, a 25 sq metre stateroom isn't going to cut it on a long term basis. A long term deal with one cruise line might cut 30-40% off normal pricing, but you are still looking in excess of $100k/year.

Added: I read some materials a few years ago about budgeting circa $100k per year for full time cruising for two.


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## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

Great info guys, thanks. I have never taken a cruise before so a lot of that info is stuff I didn't know.

I think when we take a short vacation, we are more likely to splurge, hence your $1000/day cost.


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

I equate being on a cruise ship to being in a prison. You get better food but with a greater chance of drowning.
All joking aside, a cruise ship can feel very confining for an active person even with a gym and deck walks. One cruise was enough for me - but the better half loved it so no doubt I will have to do another.
Most cruise ships have a couple of weeks each year where they are in Port being refurbished etc and every 10 years or so, they undergo a rehaul which can be month or so long.You better have alternate arrangements for those times( great time to come back to visit family). 
Many ships reposition between the caribean and Alaska or Europe spring and fall, while it is a change of scenery, the repositionings can be long and boring.
Can you avoid the temptation of 24/7 food. Many people gain weight even on a 10- 14 day cruise.
May also be tough to make friends and socialize unless you are on a ship with other similiar people. 
Of course if you are a single senior man, you get a fresh load of lonely ladies every 2 weeks or so;-).


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

We usually pick a stateroom with veranda/balcony, usually mid-ship* if we can for minimal pitch (ocean going only), plus middle levels of decks or slightly above. Quality and cost of rooms generally increase as one goes higher. We typically pick cruise lines which offer more quality experiences, higher quality shore excursions and more included items. We hate the constant signing of chits, etc, etc. 

* river ships have no pitch or roll so being mid-ship is not necessary. But it is nicer to be on the top accomodation deck (of a 3 deck river ship) to take better advantage of the scenery as one cruises by.

But that is getting off-topic. We believe that if we are going to be spending some serious money, it pays to upgrade enough to be happy and comfortable. Otherwise, might as well stay closer to home. That would go doubly so for a long term cruise, or cruise ship living. It is supposed to be loads of fun after all.

Added: Just saw Twa2w's post. Words of wisdom there. I couldn't imagine long term cruise ship living for all the reasons noted.


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

AltaRed said:


> A long term deal with one cruise line might cut 30-40% off normal pricing, but you are still looking in excess of $100k/year.


Although the CNBC article references long term discounts on Princess, of the few articles I've read, the cruisers indicated that they didn't get any additional discount than the average person. However, some of the top tiers of status seem to get you a bit a discount though.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

Good info guys. In just under 3.5 years since retirement we've done a total of 91 days cruising (8 cruises) and have a 31 night cruise booked coming up soon, and did 3 cruises during our working years. I would say $3K/mth USD would be very difficult (if not impossible) to achieve especially for a single person. As millhouse said you'd be doing some serious compromising on ship/cabin/itinerary quality, and spend a lot of time bargain hunting etc. if you can even get there. $6K/mth for couple= ok but you're still doing it on a very tight budget. Earl, if you're at all serious after reading our input I would suggest doing a couple of cruises to see what it's all about and if it any way suits you. Typical lower end inside cabins on cruise ships are about 14-16 sq meters in size and slightly bigger for balcony rooms. 

We have done other traveling in addition to cruising and generally I find our costs run $300-400 CDN /day all in, depending on many factors- we are value driven but far from cheap.

I also just saw Twa2w's post. Everyone is going to react to cruising differently and those comments aren't unusual for those who don't enjoy the experience. I agree food is plentiful and for someone that enjoys it and without a very strong will may find weight gain easy. One persons long and boring is another persons enjoyable journey, adventure and change of scenery etc. Most repositioning cruises have excellent additional guest speakers on a range of interesting subjects, and typically have 3-5 extra sea days. As a very active person I have no issue staying fit, staying busy, being entertained or relaxing as I wish on any of the cruises we've been on. Having said all that there is no way I would truly retire on a cruise ship(s) at least at my age. There is way too much else to do in life. 

For someone seriously considering living on a cruise ship I can't see staying on one ship. There's no need. The itinerary will repeat frequently at each of several region home ports it will sail from. Staying with one line and transitioning to other ships periodically would seem to be more enjoyable.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

If one is truly loaded, Crystal Cruises does not repeat itineraries that much and does a world cruise every year. There is a woman living on board each of their ocean ships at the moment. Also, all beverages (including alcohol) are included. Of course it will cost you like 5k per person per 10 days! So 175k (USD) a year per person and you're all set. Although I imagine you might be able to negotiate a good deal if you're buying a year at a time.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> Added: I read some materials a few years ago about budgeting circa $100k per year for full time cruising for two.


 So, won't be cheaper to go to different AI resorts in Carribean?! Just checled out of curiosity , 1 months at different resorts (4 stars and better) in Cuba would cost 5-10K per months per couple include everything (alcohol too)


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Round the world cruising is a lot different than essentially being hunkered down for months on end in AI resorts in places like Cuba, Punta Cuna, etc. FWIW, none of those latter ones appeal to me, nor do resorts in Mexico and thus we don't go. We go where we feel free to wander pretty much anywhere without fear of being mugged or losing a kidney.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

I don't think, I'd like too much both, AI resorts or cruises .
btw, if you gonna get sick on the cruise, what you gonna do?! It's too complicated... and if you more than 6 months out of Canada, you loose your provincial medical insurance.... how are you going to refiil you prescription?

For me appeal more , renting for long term (1-3 months) apparments around the world: Spain, Portugal, Crovatia, Slovenia, Colombia etc... 6 months per year in order not to loose OHIP


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

I love cruising but it can be too much of a good thing and there are obviously limitations to it from a travel aspect. Besides limitations around destinations, too often you're only visiting the ports of call during the day and you miss out on so much of the interesting stuff that happens from dinner time into the evening. I'm seeing more overnights though on longer cruises. My goal would be to cruise for 1.5 months, Asia for 1.5 months, Europe for 1.5 months, Canada/US/Miscellaneous for 1.5 months, and stay in Vancouver for most of the great summers we've been having. 

The higher end cruise lines are way more all inclusive than the mainstream lines. One item to consider though is demographics if you're retiring relatively early. Funny story where an acquaintance was making a decent sum of money in his late 20's playing poker. He wanted to treat his gf to a luxurious trip so what could be more luxurious than a cruise on a high end line? Anyways, all the pax were like 30+ years older than them and there weren't a lot of onboard activities that interested them.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Our last family cruise about 6 years ago, I met a lovely lady who was 87 at the time. She had been cruising for over 4 years, and had been on hundreds of cruises. She was the sweetest thing, fit as a fiddle, and mentally sharp as a whip, and had all it all figured out. 

She started cruising after her husband of many years died. She originally went to a retirement facility or home of some sort. She said when factored in all her other costs, it was less than a $1000 a month more to live on a cruise ship. She had arranged a deal with the cruise line, and for most of the time she stay on the same ship for a few months at a time. They let her have the same room, so she didn’t have to move or disembark each trip. Her daughter lived in Florida and I think that’s where she started from too, so would make her trips to the dentists and other specialists all within the same week. She would plan these appointments around the time ships were repositioning, and stay with her daughter.

Her reasons for living on a cruise ship:
Better activities. The home also stopped doing things after 730pm, she had a life to live later (I laughed hard at this one)
She didn’t have to arrange to go out for outings, the boat was always going to somewhere new. 
Even though her room was small. She didn’t mind, she said she needed very little space, and the boat itself was much larger and better maintained than the home she was in. A big plus was if she got bored with the boat, she couldn’t easily find another, not so much a home.
She felt the sea air was really good for her and there was less pollution/
Health care and medical were covered, she didn’t something special, but said that most people on a cruise don’t want to see the ships dr unless it’s an emergency because they are on vacation. She knew the dr well, and he would even check up on her, and there was no wait. She felt the ‘seniors home always had old people wanted to see the dr’
Food was much better. She could eat whatever she wanted, and she knew it was always there so she didn’t really over eat. I didn’t ask her about alcohol.
More people visited her on the cruise than in the home. She have family all around the US, but it would be considered a chore to visit her in a home, but on a cruise ship, it was not only a way for them to visit her, but a way to vacation.
She always found really interesting people to talk to. The staff treated her well, and other tourists like us found her really amazing. She also said if she met someone she didn’t like, she knew she wouldn’t see them again after the week. 

She had many others reasons. I thought she was a really charming lady and had it all together. She seemed to know how to live life. I like cruising, and I would consider it for retirement


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

What about access to hospitals? If you're spending nearly 365 days on a cruise ship, your probability of having a medical emergency at sea go up.

My dad (who's a little over 70 and in very good health) has been going through a medical struggle. Due to this acute emergency he ended up in a hospital ER. It could have been very dangerous without timely care, and he needed the resources of a hospital with specialists & blood lab. I'm thankful that he was in a city.

What happens if you're cruising around the Caribbean and something like that happens? Maybe you end up in a hospital in Nicaragua or something. How fast can a cruise ship get you to a hospital? Do you get air lifted to a proper facility in US or Canada?


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Good question about the hospital, I asked her about that. The lady I met did have answer and it was a good one, but I can't totally remember what she said. Essentially she wasn't on board the full 365, there was a few days she was on land for her appointments, and if she stuck to certain us locations. I believe she said depending on how far you are, and what the emergency is, they can airlift you. She said they she had minor personaly had it done, but had had a few emergencies, that the medial staff on board were able to diagnose.

I imagined that cruise ships have deal with this more often than we think as some cruises cater to a much older demographic.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Remote areas, cruise ships, small Caribbean islands all sound good but are better suited for the young than the elderly.

Most seniors choose to live in urban areas close to medical facilities.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

gibor365 said:


> 6 months per year in order not to loose OHIP


In Ontario you can be out 7 months/year and still have health care coverage. 
If you want to stay gone longer than that tell OHIP you are a Mormon going on a mission & you'll maintain coverage for years. 
Should you ever get disqualified from your Canadian health care you just need wait 3 months before coverage again begins once you return to your province...


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

If one is going to spend serious time living on cruise ships, I'd suggest one google a lot for information on sickness, medical airlifts and deaths. The cruise lines are NOT going to be very forthcoming about any such information but there are always those out there who will compile such data. Curise ships are NOT that well equipped albeit the bigger the ship, the more likely it will have some triage or urgent care facilities pending an airlift. I'd suggest having a heart attack or stroke or a burst appendix in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is not a good thing. Course if it is time for one to go... it might as well be when one is having a good time.


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

Eder said:


> In Ontario you can be out 7 months/year and still have health care coverage.
> If you want to stay gone longer than that tell OHIP you are a Mormon going on a mission & you'll maintain coverage for years.
> Should you ever get disqualified from your Canadian health care you just need wait 3 months before coverage again begins once you return to your province...


seriously ? is that verified ? mormons get an exemption and are allowed to keep health insurance uninterrupted ? can you give me a reference ?


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## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

AltaRed said:


> . I'd suggest having a heart attack or stroke or a burst appendix in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is not a good thing. Course if it is time for one to go... it might as well be when one is having a good time.


One can live what I call the Mordecai Richler way. Seems to me he did what he wanted in the smoking, drinking, eating, and perhaps (lack of) exercise departments, and died at age 72. I think this philosophy has merit. If I find myself one day in my 70s on a cruise ship, I don't think I'll worry much about dying aboard on my way to the second serving of bacon.

Hboy54


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

fatcat said:


> seriously ? is that verified ? mormons get an exemption and are allowed to keep health insurance uninterrupted ? can you give me a reference ?


That is just 1 example of extending provincial health care benefits...1 time exemptions that need to be pre approved... Missionaries, convalescent care for a family member out of country, etc. 
http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/absence-from-Alberta.html


ie:Extended absence from Alberta

If you leave Alberta for another part of Canada and intend to return within 12 months, or leave for another country and intend to return within 6 months, you must maintain your AHCIP coverage. If you are leaving for a longer period and intend to return to Alberta, you may be considered for one of the following extensions of coverage:

4 years (48 months) for absence due to work, business, or missionary service;
2 years (24 months) for travel, personal visits, or educational leave (sabbatical); or
the time period you are a full-time student at an accredited educational institution.

If you are physically present in Alberta for at least 183 days in a 12-month period, you remain eligible for continued AHCIP coverage. If you are away longer, contact us.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

I continued to keep my AHCIP coverage while an ex-pat in the USA for almost 4 years. My employer made the appliication and paid the premiums (while I also had US group health insurance in the USA). That said, I did get a notice of the 4 year 'end date' and would have fallen off the system had I not returned within the 4 year period.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

james4beach said:


> What about access to hospitals? If you're spending nearly 365 days on a cruise ship, your probability of having a medical emergency at sea go up.
> 
> My dad (who's a little over 70 and in very good health) has been going through a medical struggle. Due to this acute emergency he ended up in a hospital ER. It could have been very dangerous without timely care, and he needed the resources of a hospital with specialists & blood lab. I'm thankful that he was in a city.
> 
> What happens if you're cruising around the Caribbean and something like that happens? Maybe you end up in a hospital in Nicaragua or something. How fast can a cruise ship get you to a hospital? Do you get air lifted to a proper facility in US or Canada?


We were on a cruise LA -Hawaii /return last winter that had 3 medical emergencies. 2 of them happened (1 passenger and 1 employee) when we were in Hawaii at different ports. They were taken off the ship to be cared for. Not sure what the issues were. The 3rd issue was between Hawaii and LA. We had an accouncement by the captain that in about 15 hours at 7am there would be a helicopter land on the ship and take a female passenger to hospital. Passengers were not allowed to observe this. We were far out at sea -maybe 2/3 of the way from Hawaii and needed to get closer to meet the return range of the helicopter. We were headed for Ensanada, Mexico for a port stop and then on the LA after that. I think helicopter came from LA and that's where passenger went to the hospital. We didn't find out what the issue was but did have an announcement that she was fine after getting hospital medical help. It seemed to be a very professional operation and lucky we weren't further out at sea.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We cruise and we do AI's from time to time.  We don't cruise as often. Could not live on a cruise ship. All the food starts to taste the same to us. We do last minute AI's once in a while if the destination, the resort, and the price is right. Last ones have been on short notice-two-three days in advance. We much prefer independent land travel and will sometimes score a last minute cruise to break up the land travel.


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

Eder said:


> That is just 1 example of extending provincial health care benefits...1 time exemptions that need to be pre approved... Missionaries, convalescent care for a family member out of country, etc.
> http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/absence-from-Alberta.html
> 
> 
> ...


hmmm .... missionary work ... so if i want to go to london and hang out in hyde park on a soapbox screaming about why atheism is the only true path, does that count ? 

looks like a collision of the secular and the sacred to me with the province having to decide what is and what isn’t missionary work ... i wonder if this has been taken to court by someone ?

thanks eder, i checked and bc had virtually identical wording to alberta’s ... i think occasionally about going on an extended trip and health care of course (at 68) is an issue

i agree about the cruiseship thing for older people, healthcare is the deal killer ... even if you could do it on a $100 a day which i seriously doubt $200 maybe

though, if you are an older man like me and know how to dance, you can travel free and even get paid working as a dancing partner in the evenings for the many single older ladies that like to cruise ... and like to dance


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Don't forget only the USA & the ****** hospitals in Mexico are outrageous costs compared to health care costs in Canada.

If I need emergency care out of country my Alberta health care will reimburse me for the cost of similar procedure in Alberta if the procedure is covered by our health care. The balance not reimbursed can be claimed on your income tax form. 

http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/coverage-outside-Canada.html


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

Eder said:


> Don't forget only the USA & the ****** hospitals in Mexico are outrageous costs compared to health care costs in Canada.
> 
> If I need emergency care out of country my Alberta health care will reimburse me for the cost of similar procedure in Alberta if the procedure is covered by our health care. The balance not reimbursed can be claimed on your income tax form.
> 
> http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/coverage-outside-Canada.html


right, so an injury or illness in say thailand might offer a good chance to get reimbursed much of the cost of the hospital care


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> What happens if you're cruising around the Caribbean and something like that happens? Maybe you end up in a hospital in Nicaragua or something.


 At least you can get to hospital and ones , esp in Cuba, Aruba, Grenada, St Maarten etc not worse than in Canada, but what if you got medical issues in the middle of nowhere , somwhere in Indian Ocean? 
I'm still far from 70's, but every 3 months I need to refill blood pressure and cholesterol medications, how to it on around the world cruise ship?


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

gibor365 said:


> At least you can get to hospital and ones , esp in Cuba, Aruba, Grenada, St Maarten etc not worse than in Canada, but what if you got medical issues in the middle of nowhere , somwhere in Indian Ocean?


A friend had an emergency a day out of Buenos Aries and they flew him and his wife to the Argentine coast. After a couple of days, they made their way to BA and stayed in the remaining hotel days then flew home. I asked him if it happened earlier, what would he have done and he said that it was up to him to return to the ship. Usually meeting them at the next port of call.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

fatcat said:


> right, so an injury or illness in say thailand might offer a good chance to get reimbursed much of the cost of the hospital care


Just keep the receipt & write the days exchange rate on it and ,ya, it will be reimbursed.

fwiw helicopter evac is possible up to 800 miles off shore...further than that is not possible...US coast guard patrols Mexico's coast line as well & will do rescue's there to assist the Mexican navy. 

I think many of us ancient ones are pretty worried about croaking if we get too far away from the meat wagon,but I think its important to get the bucket lists done in our remaining years even if we may gamble a bit with health care here & there. We're gonna be dead a long time!


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

RBull said:


> The 3rd issue was between Hawaii and LA. We had an accouncement by the captain that in about 15 hours at 7am there would be a helicopter land on the ship and take a female passenger to hospital. Passengers were not allowed to observe this. *We were far out at sea* -maybe 2/3 of the way from Hawaii and needed to get closer to meet the return range of the helicopter.


Wow, that's probably a 500K bill right there. Assuming they went to a US hospital and had to stay for a few days, could well be over a 750K experience.

Though one thing I've learned is that the American hospitals and clinics inflate all costs by at least 100% (insured rich patient effect), but negotiate them down if someone can't pay.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> Though one thing I've learned is that the American hospitals and clinics inflate all costs by at least 100% (insured rich patient effect), but negotiate them down if someone can't pay.


 Excatly same here in dental offices. Our office has one price if you are 100% covered, another price if you are 70-80% covered and the cheapest one if you are not covered at all


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

The US and Canadian coast guard does not charge for rescues at sea.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

Is a medical evac from a cruise ship considered a rescue at sea?


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

olivaw said:


> Is a medical evac from a cruise ship considered a rescue at sea?


Neither coast guard charges for Medevac at sea.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

james4beach said:


> Wow, that's probably a 500K bill right there. Assuming they went to a US hospital and had to stay for a few days, could well be over a 750K experience.
> 
> Though one thing I've learned is that the American hospitals and clinics inflate all costs by at least 100% (insured rich patient effect), but negotiate them down if someone can't pay.


I can imagine it would have been a lot. 

I've had some care done in the US. Medicare only covered about 1/3 of it and my private insurance the rest. So my experience is their cost was 3X what our province would have allowed for the same thing.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Eder said:


> Neither coast guard charges for Medevac at sea.


This article says that the Coast Guard is in play when in US waters, but when it's further from the US it's other organizations (for a cost).
http://www.oceannavigator.com/November-December-2015/Medical-emergency-at-sea/
http://cruisesafely.com/medical-evacuation-from-a-cruise-ship/

By the way, I agree with what Eder wrote -- of course there is concern about health care, but a bit of a gamble is worth it. You've got to have fun while you still can, absolutely agree.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

And why should we expect people to be responsible for themselves (as in buying insurance). 
if the goverernment won't bail us out, we can always panhandle- oh I mean start a gofundme page. There seems no end to the people willing to help us pay for our own negligence.


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