As we explained in a recent article about medical cruises, there are fundamentally two different types of medical cruises: there are cruises that focus on medical conferences, and there are cruises that focus on passenger health. In the present article we are concerned only with the former – medical cruise conferences. So, what exactly is a medical cruise conference? As implied, they are conferences that center on medical topics that take place on cruise ships. These cruise conferences are targeted at medical professionals, as opposed to, say, people who happen to have an interest in medicine. Medical cruise conferences are quite common, with about 20 or so leaving various ports around the world every month. What are some different types of medical cruise conferences, and how might you go about booking a medical cruise?
Taking a cruise that focuses on medical conferences is actually a lot like taking a regular cruise vacation. These medical cruises tend to last around seven to ten days, with the cruise ship departing from and travelling to common destinations in the cruise industry. For example, there is a seven-day cruise through the Eastern Caribbean that departs from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This sounds like any number of other standard cruise vacations, notwithstanding the fact that it is being promoted as a good way to learn about dental management and technology in the 21st Century. What’s more, this Eastern Caribbean cruise and other medical cruises are offered by major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Celebrity Cruises. So, a medical cruise is basically identical to a regular cruise, except that the passengers on medical cruises occupy their time on board in a particular way. Going to the spa is replaced by looking at PowerPoint presentations.
Although there are various medical cruises offered every month through a few different cruise lines, the options for any given medical professional are considerably more limited. For one, the cruises depart from different parts of the world (primarily the U.S. and Europe), so potential passengers would presumably want to wait for a cruise that departs from somewhere near their part of the world. And even if they didn’t have to, they would still need to pick a cruise with conferences that pertain to their area of medicine. Some of the topics covered by conferences are fairly broad – for example, in the next month there is a cruise with conferences on medical ethics – whereas others are quite narrow in scope and only pertain to a small percentage of the medical community. The conferences do range over an enormous amount of subjects, however, so most medical professionals could probably find an appropriate cruise to take.
If you are interested in attending some medical cruise conferences, how might you go about booking one? By far the most helpful source that we have found online is MediCruises.com. This site compiles listings for all the different medical cruises available, and then offers in-depth information about each. The site not only covers information about the conferences themselves, but also supplies ship itineraries and routes. Moreover, you can register for cruises directly through the site, and there is a toll-free number listed for customer support. This is probably the easiest and most straightforward way to book a medical cruise, unless the organization you work for is making arrangements for you.
Medical cruise conferences are a great way to mix work and play. You get to advance professionally while sailing around the world, and that sounds like a pretty good deal to us, especially as it means that you get to write at least part – if not all – of the cruise off as a business expense. Medical cruise conferences are definitely worth looking into.