Medical Repatriation from Cruise ship to Canada
From Cruise ship to Canada – within a few days
Disembarked from a cruise ship. Hospitalized in an unfamiliar port without an immediate plan to get home: it’s a common distress call and we understand the stressors:
- Insurance approvals take time.
- Standards of care are different.
- Medical conditions can quickly deteriorate.
As a private service, we can have a medical escort on the way within 24 hours. The patient can be back within 48 to 72 hours.
Call +1 780 870 2442 or message us at ops@jet-companion.com to connect with a repatriation coordinator and request immediate assistance.
From Medical Disembarkation to Medical Repatriation in 5 steps
- Step 1: You Call. We Assess and Make a Plan. No call centre. No queus.
- Step 2: We contact the Hospital to confirm Discharge Readiness and Care Needs.
- Step 3: We organize and book the transfer from bed-to-bed.
- Step 4: We find a receiving hospital and an accepting doctor in your home province
- Step 5: We keep you in the loop and guide you through the process step-by-step.
Repatriation after illness on an Alaska cruise
While many Alaska sailings depart from the port of Vancouver, Canadians might be disembarked at a port in Alaska following a medical emergency and repatriated back to Canada with a medical escort. Common ports where we pick up patients are:
- Alaska: Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka
- Vancouver
- Seattle
Medical transport options in Vancouver include a long-range ground ambulance transfer to Alberta or Saskatchewan, for bedridden patients who need a stretcher.
Medical disembarkation from a cruise ship in the Caribbean
Caribbean cruises account for the highest number of medical disembarkations year-round. Common ports where we pick up Canadian patients are:
- Florida: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral
- Nassau, Bahamas
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Phillipsburg, St Maarten
- Mexico: Cozumel, Cancun, Mazatlan, Ensenada
- Panama: Panama City, Colon
- Colombia: Cartagena, San Andres Island
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- St Thomas, USVI
- Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao
Medical transport options include commercial flights with a medical escort and equipment, or an air ambulance charter from the Caribbean to Canada. Commercial airline stretchers are not available on any Caribbean-Canada routes.
Medical Repatriation after disembarkation in Europe
We operate globally and respond to Canadians who have been offloaded from Atlantic, Scandinavian or European cruise itineraries. Ports where we pick up include:
- Barcelona, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Marseille, France
- Tenerife or Las Palmas, Canary Islands
- Porto or Lisbon, Portugal
Medical transport options include a stretcher on a commercial flight for patients who cannot sit up.
Disembarkation after a Mediterranean cruise
Mediterranean sailings
- Athens, Greece
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Istanbul, Türkiye
- Venice, Italy
Medical transport options include a stretcher on a commercial flight for patients who cannot sit up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take before a medical escort is at bedside?
After a passenger is offloaded from a cruise for medical reasons, every hour of delay adds cost, stress and medical risk. On average our medical escort can be enroute within 24 hours, and at bedside within 48 hours.
Do you pick up a cruise passenger directly from the cruise ship?
With some exceptions, most passengers suffering illness or injury are treated in the ship medical center, before being disembarked to a local hospital at the first suitable port of call. Our medical escort will pick up the patient at the hospital after the patient has been found to be fit to fly.
Who pays for medical repatriation from a cruise?
Even when the passenger has travel insurance that covers the cost of emergency medical care, disembarkation, medical treatment on the shore and medical repatriation to the country of origin, the first bills will be paid directly to providers, or charged through the patient’s onboard account. Reimbursement will follow later when all the receipts are submitted and the claim is handled. It is not uncommon for the travel insurance to kick in by the time that the patient is ready for repatriation. If repatriation is pre-approved for direct billing, the service may be activated at no cost to the patient.
How common are medical disembarkations from cruise ships?
Very common. Cruise ships act like densily populated communities, and typically carry anywhere between 1,000 and 4,000 people at any given time, with some sailings exceeding 8,000 people onboard. Also, the typical cruise passenger tends to be older, with all sorts of pre-existing medical conditions. Anything can happen at any time.
What happens to my luggage after a medical disembarkation from a cruise?
After a patient is medically disembarked, onboard staff of the cruise lines work in coordination with local ship agents to pack all personal items and offload the luggage at the port of call. The luggage will be cleared by local customs and brought to the patient on the shore, or in some cases shipped to the patient’s home as cargo.