Recently went on a cruise with family, and had booked a snorkeling excursion a few weeks in advance. The description sounded great and it didn't have any details about requirements or limitations. I "signed" the online waiver and didn't think twice about it.
We get to the port and I walk over to the meeting area. The guide greets me and asks "Do you have any medications with you?"
I've done excursions and guided trips like this many times and have never been asked that question. I assumed he was just asking because perhaps they had some special locker or storage they would hold it in the event it needs to stay dry. I immediately respond "Yes, I have insulin with me but it's fine in my bag."
He says "You take insulin?"
I say "Yes, why?"
"You aren't allowed on the excursion. You can get a refund or exchange your ticket at the booth over there."
...
Apparently buried in the pages of "Fine Print" was a medical note that their insurance policy won't allow people with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, or Heart Disease to go on the excursion because it is a "remote location" and has "strong tides".
I tried to reverse the whole thing and say oh no sorry that was a big misunderstanding, I don't actually take insulin anymore. But yeah, way too late for that.
They still let me go on the boat (so what's this about a "remote location" again?), but I couldn't get in the water. The actual crew was super nice and apologetic, and I made it clear to them that I understood it was an insurance thing and that their hands were tied. They pumped me full of beer and let me feed fishes from the side of the boat while everyone snorkeled.
I'm sure more seasoned veterans already knew this, but I've only been diagnosed about a year and a half. I definitely learned to keep my mouth shut and never answer that question truthfully again unless I think it is medically necessary. It's shitty, and some might say morally ambiguous (does not apply to insurance), but I refuse to let insurance define what I can and can't do based on a blanket policy treatment of my "disease". I am a very healthy and well-controlled person. In fact, I'd argue I'm far healthier post-diagnosis than I was before. Yeah, I understand the whole "insulin overdose in the ocean" bullshit, but you can apply that to anything. I could go low and crash my car on the freeway just as easily as I could go low in the ocean and become too weak or incoherent to swim against the current.
Primarily, I've learned to Ctrl+F the fine print for medical keywords to avoid situations like that in the future.
Still had a blast, but thought I'd share my experience with others. :)
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