Amsterdam plans to start cutting the number of ships that can stop at its main port terminal over the coming years, its municipal government said Wednesday.
25.06.2024 - 18:39 / travelpulse.com / Rich Thomaselli
It’s a fact of life that some people are just not ready for a cruise and suffer from seasickness.
Hey, you can only take so much Dramamine.
So imagine the surprise of one woman who became sick on a cruise on her first day and went to the infirmary and was presented with a $2,000 bill. That’s a heck of an expensive treatment for motion sickness.
And it just gets worse.
One national news telecast recently did a story in which a passenger had a $56,000 medical bill while onboard. Sorry, but sticker shock should not be part of the cruise experience. It’s one thing to overindulge in alcohol, for instance, and do it to yourself. It’s quite another to be seasick.
I’m all for the free enterprise system. And you should have to pay a fee to use the hospital on a cruise ship, just as you would when you are in your brick and mortar home. They are offering a service, and you should have to pay for that service.
But not this much.
Frankly, a large portion should be included in your cruise fare. It shouldn’t be piece-meal or a la carte. For instance, I live in an apartment complex where things such as valet, trash service, the swimming pool and a workout facility are all included in the rent. It’s my fault if I don’t utilize those things because I am already paying for them.
Now I am not saying to be a hypochondriac and run to the onboard hospital every time you have an ache or a pain, but it is comforting to know that it’s part of your fare and it’s there. And yes, there is an expectation of some sort of charge to use the facilities, just like it cost you to use the emergency room.
But $2,000 is ridiculous for seasickness.
It’s a cruise ship. Of course some people are going to get sick. There has to be some sort of realistic expectation on the part of the cruise companies. Or perhaps your own medical insurance should be extended to a cruise ship.
But with the state of the healthcare industry these days, that’s a topic for a whole other story.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Amsterdam plans to start cutting the number of ships that can stop at its main port terminal over the coming years, its municipal government said Wednesday.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will launch a new flight between Portland, Oregon, and Amsterdam in October, replacing a flight from partner Delta Air Lines between the two cities.
It's been only a few weeks since The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection shared images of Ilma, the second ship in its fleet. Now, the luxury sailing arm of Marriott Bonvoy is back with news on the collection's third ship: the Luminara.
The best part of summer cruising is that there are more cruising options than in any other season. Cruises to destinations like Alaska and Scandinavia are highly seasonal; go in the summer, or you can't cruise there at all. Even the Mediterranean is somewhat seasonal, with most cruise lines leaning heavily into summer and moving ships to warmer destinations during the cooler months.
The islands of the Aegean are the jewels of Greece, but that doesn’t mean getting to them is a breeze. Until now, Greek island hopping — glamorous as it is — has required lengthy ferry rides, inconvenient flight schedules, cruises, or, if you're lucky, your own private yacht.
It has been nearly eight years since my three Welsh children have visited my family in the United States. Even though I would have loved to make the eight-hour plane trip with them more often, logistics, the pandemic, and cost have kept us away.
Nothing is more instructive than being wrong, and there’s no quicker way to be wrong than to have expectations. My arrival to Aktau, in Kazakhstan's Mangystau region, was by cargo ship, and over that 24-hour voyage, spent with long-haul truckers drinking duty-free whisky, I had plenty of time to imagine what awaited me on shore: a port city that was rough, brutalist, suspicious. At first sight, Aktau was brutalist, if only architecturally, but it was far from rough or suspicious. And while not beautiful, or even very pretty, there was something alluring about the place from the get-go.
Do you have an extra $2.2 million lying around? Then you, too, can take one of the world’s most expensive vacations.
A Margaritaville at Sea passenger is suing its parent company, Classica Cruise Operator, claiming she was raped by an employee of a hotel booked by the company.
Jun 24, 2024 • 7 min read
On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Brandon White, owner of Share the Magic Travel, to talk about his recent visit to the Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Barcelona plans to end short-term rentals after complaints that tourism has priced locals out of the housing market.