Sailing the seven seas: carefully crafted crisis management
Munich, December 2011. A trip on a cruise liner is certainly a wonderful way to spend a holiday. But unforeseen things can happen when you're away. In collaboration with almeda, AIDA Cruises has set up a medical crisis management program which ensures excellent preparation for any worst-case scenario: it is now going into its second year. "We can look back over a successful first year and look forward to ongoing collaboration," says André Mahr, Director Fleet Management AIDA Cruises, reviewing the first twelve months of the program.
almeda provides the medical emergency call centre for AIDA, available to guests and crew round the clock, 365 days a year. The international team in the emergency call centre can speak 25 languages and is supported by a worldwide network of 120,000 doctors, 450 correspondents and 85,000 hospitals. This means that help can be provided instantly if guests suddenly fall severely ill during a trip and require an emergency disembarkation.
"almeda has adopted a new service approach here. We cooperate with all insurance companies, regardless of the guest's travel insurance, and handle settlement through the company concerned. AIDA and almeda collaborate closely throughout the entire process of case handling," says Key Account Manager Nicole van der Mey.
Here is an overview of some of the services provided:
- Ambulance transport in the destination area
- Organisation of medical repatriation
- Doctor-to-doctor talks
- Cost coverage guarantees
- Deployment of almeda doctors at the scene of the accident
- Notification of family members
- Telephone support for patients in the destination area
As a special service, AIDA offers disembarked guests an assistant on site if required who provides care and support from the time of admission to the local hospital. If desired, the latter can take care of translation, run personal errands and help with visa issues or short-term hotel reservations. The assistant is organised by almeda and is in permanent contact with the emergency call centre in Munich so as to ensure that information is passed on quickly to all those involved.
The 24-hour full-service in-house travel agency MARS almeda Reise Service is able to swiftly organise medical transfers or repatriation. Close cooperation with professional ambulance flight companies guarantees a safe trip home with qualified medical care.
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