phichi asked:
I am a cook and am planning on working on a cruise ship. However i have medication i need to take daily and I can’t afford to purchase 6 months worth. Is there any allowance for this? I understand there is limited health care but i think that they probably don’t cover preexisting conditions. Can i purchase it on the ship monthly like a normal pharmacy? Thank you for any replies.
I am a cook and am planning on working on a cruise ship. However i have medication i need to take daily and I can’t afford to purchase 6 months worth. Is there any allowance for this? I understand there is limited health care but i think that they probably don’t cover preexisting conditions. Can i purchase it on the ship monthly like a normal pharmacy? Thank you for any replies.
They won’t necessarily be able to sell you the medication on the ship. They usually keep sort of a limited supply of the most common medicines that they would need.
You might be able to purchase it in a pharmacy in one of the ports, depending on where your ship travels. But this way may be really expensive, depending on which country you are in. And it might also take awhile to fulfill prescriptions. Do you really want to spend your time off in a port waiting for your medicine?
If there’s any way that you can borrow money or something to get it filled beforehand, it’s probably your best bet. Otherwise once you have a ship assignment, your recruiter might be able to figure out if they do carry the medication onboard. You can also look at the ports you’ll be visiting, and see what the restrictions are on the medicine, and how easy it will be to fill it. Just make sure you have the written prescription with you, may not be an easy undertaking.
you have to have a seafarers medical which costs £80 [UK] that’s after you have passed your interview and been offered a position, maybe you could ask at that point just how staff go on about prescriptions.
I work on a cruise ship and in a similar situation. Yes you do have to take enough with you to last your full contract, but have a word with your doctor as mine when he knew I was a Merchant Seaman, puts the whole lot on one Prescription, so you only pay one prescription charge.