A passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship posted a video of her scary allergic reaction, but said she didn't pay for medicine because the price was too high.
She decided to post a video on TikTok to share how much her swollen face and tell her story.
"So, I've been on the boat for ... not even the full 24 hours and my face is swollen," she said in the video as she remove her sunglasses to reveal the swelling in her face.
The woman said she went to get medicine from the medical center on her cruise ship. She did not disclose what she ate or touched that caused the allergic reaction.
In the comment section of her video, she said she doesn't have allergies, so it sounds like it was a one-time occurrence.
She says she wanted to get Benaydryl, which is a common over-the-counter medication to treat the swelling.
According to her, the cost would have been hundreds of dollars for it.
"They do have it, but it costs $390 for them to give me Benadryl," she said.
She did not say if that cost included a consultation with the doctor onboard, or just the medicine itself. Royal Caribbean ships sell a few kinds of over-the-counter medication at its onboard shops, such as Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, and more.
Someone in the video comments said to check the store, but she responded, "no they do not."
A box of Benadryl on Amazon is as low as $15, and even cheaper for generic version of the drug. (Note: these links contain affiliate links, which cost you nothing extra but I make a small commission)
Her video generated hundreds of comments instantly, with many people pointing out the importance of being prepared.
"Always bring an emergency kit when traveling," Ivy Martinez recommend in her comment.
KateLyn wrote, "always bring an epipen & benadryl on long trips or cruises!!!! even if you don't think you have an allergy to anything it's good to have one for you or others!!! allergies can pop up as adults!!"
Nicole LaMont added, "I never travel without my own BOX of benadryl (zyrtec is preferred by allergist these days though)."
The hack cruisers recommended to this woman
Dozens of people that commented on the video recommended asking around for the drug, rather than buying it.
Specifically, many said to join the Facebook group for her sailing and ask if someone has some Benadryl to give to her.
Rachelrenee830 posted, "get in one of those cruise groups on Facebook and ask they be having everything."
Zayla also had this tip, "Always join your sailings Facebook group. Just in case something like this happens somebody in the group will help you out."
There are Facebook groups for most individual sailings created by people on the same cruise as you.
It's a great way to meet other passengers and see what they have planned, as well as discuss ports of call, onboard dining and entertainment options, as well as other topics that you might benefit from.
Plus, you may even make some friends that you end up meeting up with once onboard.
Travel insurance takes the sting out of medical bills
Veteran cruisers recommend first-timers to invest in travel insurance.
While no future cruiser wants to think about the worst-case scenario occurring during their highly-anticipated vacation, unexpected events, such as the sudden onset of an illness, delayed flight, or death in the family, can result in trip cancellations and interruptions.
Travel insurance helps provide financial protection, covering expenses incurred due to medical emergencies, lost luggage, and other unforeseen (and covered) circumstances.
In the case of this TikTok video, this woman could have paid the $390 for the medicine and then submitted the claim to her travel insurance provided to be reimbursed for it.
Medicare will occasionally cover necessary services only if the ship is within six hours of a United States port. This means that if you're an American citizen on a European cruise or sailing to the Southern Caribbean, you're outside of the coverage zone.
Matt Hochberg
Matt loves to cruise, and started Cruise.Blog as a place to share different cruise experiences, advice, and what to know before going on a cruise.
He lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters, where he can be found on any given day trying to convince his wife they "need" to book another cruise.
