Couple who live on a cruise ship explain what happens if you call 911 and can't get help

Every year, millions of people embark on cruise ship vacations. Some enjoy them so much that they give up their homes to live on them permanently - but what happens if they need emergency help?

Couple Johan and Lanette Canen bought a cabin on a cruise ship, and have since set up their YouTube channel, Living Life on a Cruise, documenting their day to day lives.

In their latest video, the couple answered there most asked question: 'What happens when you get sick or injured?'

Of course, ambulances can't drive over water to get to people on cruise ships, which is why they all have medical rooms and facilities onboard. But what happens if someone calls 911?

Lanette Canen told UNILAD: “When we dial 911 from one of the ship’s phones, it goes directly to the bridge as an onboard emergency call.

"The bridge then coordinates the response and contacts the medical team or sends the appropriate crew members depending on the emergency.”

During their latest video, the couple took their subscribers on a tour around the medical centre, which had a medical storage room, a nurses office, a first aid triage room, and a ward/emergency room, which looked exactly like a hospital.

The doctor explained and showed that they even had a monitor defibrillator, which also acts as a pacemaker, in their facilities.

They also have a ventilator onboard, for anyone who is in a serious condition. However, there are some things they just can't treat fully. So then what happens?

However, the doctor revealed that if a patient still needs to be sent to a 'center of excellence,' or requires 'higher care,' they can be stabilized onboard, and the medical team will then inform the captain.

"If we can send the patient by boat, or by chopper, we can decide on that," Dr. Pradeep told the couple. "We are fully equipped here and we have everything," he told them, as he pointed to the X-Ray machine they also have onboard the ship.

The doctor said his medical team can handle most of the cases onboard, which is why the passengers feel so confident - but of course, there may be times where they require more care.

The cruise ship has a ward just like a hospital (YouTube/Living Life on a Cruise)

What are the most common health issues on cruise ships?

For Yohan and Lanette's ship in particular, the most common health issues are upper respiratory issues, Dr. Pradeep told them.

These include 'colds and coughs' due to the fact that they spread extremely fast, with thousands of people in close proximity to each other.

"If it is a hot humid area we're traveling in, we get these cases more frequently," he explained.

Another illness which is particularly common on cruise ship is the very unpleasant norovirus.

As per Cleveland Clinic, this is a 'common and very contagious virus' which causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, similar to the stomach flu.

It spreads easily through close contact or on contaminated food or surfaces, and is most common during the winter months.

Infectious disease physician Jose Lucar, M.D. told AARP that cruise ships are 'the perfect scenario for transmission of highly contagious GI [gastrointestinal] pathogens,' with things such as 'populated pools' and 'busy buffet lines'.