01/30/2026
EA+ is here to assist no matter what type of vacation or adventure you are on. Generally, cruises will transport an onboard member to the closest port, where they can be immediately transferred to a local hospital or facility and properly evaluated. EA+ will need to be notified of your medical emergency and will be standing by ready to assist and evacuate the patient from there, should it be medically necessary, or, if it has been predetermined by the onboard medical staff and EA+ medical team that there is no appropriate care at the port, and it is imminent that the patient will need to be admitted to a hospital, EA+ will coordinate with the cruise ship to provide emergency transportation when it arrives at port to take the patient to the closest appropriate facility.
It is incredibly rare for a traveler to be directly airlifted off a cruise ship for safety reasons, and in those extreme circumstances, it would likely be the Coast Guard performing this specific type of transfer. This is not a service provided by EA+. Cruise ship evacuations directly from the boat are very dangerous for several different reasons (the small window of opportunity to grab the patient, weather-related concerns, boat rocking, and no specific landing pad on most occasions). The best and safest option in almost all cases is for the ship to port at the next closest location and disembark the member at that time.