Here is my cruise medical emergency / passport story.
My family and the in-laws spent half a week in Los Angeles prior to getting on a DCL Mexican Riviera cruise back in 2008.
During our time in LA my mother in law was apparently sick but didn't want to be a bother so she just powered on. Keep in mind there are thousands of doctors in LA, dozens of hospitals, and hundreds of after hour clinics.
I think it was day 4 of the cruise in Acapulco Mexico when she woke up unable to easily swallow. She ended up in a hospital that catered to tourists, with a recommendation of surgery to clear an infection in her salivary glands that had progressed to a life threatening point because she did not want to be a bother back in LA.
We were not sure what was going to happen in the morning so I went with the kids to do the planned shore excursion while my wife and father in law went with my mother in law to the hospital arranged by DCL.
I came back to the ship after the shore excursion to find my wife packing up our cabin. We were all getting off in Acapulco. The mother in law was in surgery and expected to spend 2-3 days in recovery.
DCL had come and collected our passports and given them to the port agent who was getting us admitted to Mexico. I have never gone through customs and immigration before without going through customs and immigration personally but that is what happened that day. The process was much less stressful since we all had passports.
DCL helped us find a hotel, we ended up at an all inclusive, and I remember walking to the ocean at the resort to watch the Disney Magic sailaway. It was pirate night.
We ended up flying home the same day we would have arrived home from the cruise.
Not only should have have passports but you should also have trip insurance.
In my case I did not so I was out the cost of the resort, the airline change fees, and missed out on the last 3 nights of the cruise.
My in laws were out many of thousands. The hospital required payment up front of $7,000. They of course also spent another $2000 or so on the resort and airline change fees.
When they got back home they filed a claim with the health insurance. Kaiser Permanente told them they should have negotiated better and would only pay what they believe they would have been able to negotiate which was $500.
My mother in law has not learned her lesson and continues to try to not be a bother which most times ends up being a much bigger problem.