Day 615: June 7, 2026 – Manila, Philippines

People considering life on the ship often have questions and concerns about medical care abroad. We do have a medical center on the Odyssey, with a doctor and nurses, that is equipped for some routine care as well as for emergencies.

But mostly, many of us catch medical care where we can around the world. For me, that means teeth cleaning in Puerto Vallarta and crown repair in the Philippines. Prescription refills in Belfast, inhalers in Mexico. Thyroid testing in Brazil and American Samoa. Prescription eyeglasses in Indonesia. A week-long hospital stay for pneumonia in Japan.

While in Manila, a dozen of us trooped over to St. Luke’s Medical Center for preventive care and to take care of other medical needs. The center is massive and state-of-the-art. I signed up for the Golden Health Screening, especially designed for seniors, with a whole battery of tests, including mammogram, 4-organ ultrasound, stress test, echocardiogram, chest x-ray, eye exam, hearing exam, and full blood panel. The cost of which came to $1,090 USD. I pay into Medicare in the U.S. but cannot use it abroad, so that was out-of-pocket. But it’s still less than the deductible plus 20% coinsurance it would have cost me with Medicare. The screening was part of a Wellness Center package, which is set up so you can do all those tests in one location on the same day (a Sunday, no less). Some tests required fasting, others no caffeine, still others a full bladder, so coordinating your dietary intake was made easier with a free buffet that you could take part in any time throughout the day, in between your tests.

Test results were available the next day, and it appears that I am in good health. At the risk of sounding like the orange lunatic, “I aced all my tests!” Though the echocardiogram technician did struggle a bit with finding my heart; she had to call in a supervisor for help with that. (Yes, I am sure there is a metaphor in there somewhere, and some would say, that tracks 😂.) The directive from the doc was to lay off the sweets and get more muscle. I celebrated my good health report card by immediately heading to a Dunkin’ directly across the street from the hospital.

The more I travel the less I worry about getting good medical care around the world. But I recognize that my medical issues are relatively minor; for someone requiring more complex care it may not be as easy.