It is the responsibility of all doctors to be aware of the risks of sea cruises and to advise individual patients about such hazards. It is wrong to send patients with fatal illnesses for a last ‘happy fling’ as the result is often far from that intended.
Shipping lines have the responsibility of maintaining adequate medical staff and improving equipment.
A supervised air flight to a stable environment may be better advice and enable the patient's life to be richer and happier in this final period. In spite of these reservations, sea travel can be a rewarding experience for elderly but healthy people.
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References
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