Dream vacation turns into financial nightmare
A Minnesota man’s luck took a turn for the worse after winning a free weeklong cruise to the Caribbean—only to contract the flu onboard and be saddled with a staggering $47,000 medical bill.
A lucky start, but an unexpected twist
Mike Cameron and his girlfriend, Tamra Masterman, won a complimentary Norwegian cruise that departed from Miami on January 5, Fox 9 reported. However, their dream getaway quickly turned into a nightmare when Cameron, from Braham, Minnesota, fell ill during the trip.
Seeking medical treatment at the onboard medical center of the Norwegian Encore, Cameron recovered after three days. But as their Caribbean adventure ended, he was stunned to learn he owed nearly $50,000 in medical expenses.
A shocking bill and financial worries
“To turn around the day we are leaving and get handed a $47,000 bill, I just didn’t even know what to do,” Cameron told Fox 9.
He was particularly shocked because crew members had reassured him that his treatment would be covered. “Everyone in the medical ward kept saying, ‘Don’t worry, you have $20,000 coverage, you’ll be just fine,’” he recalled.
Despite having travel insurance through the cruise line, which covered up to $20,000 in expenses, and his own health insurance, Cameron remains stuck in a financial deadlock. The cruise line maxed out two credit cards he had on file, yet he still owes $21,000.
“You start thinking, ‘Are you going to lose your house, are you going to lose your cars?’” Masterman added.
Insurance dispute leaves Cameron in limbo
The Minnesota couple has struggled to resolve the bill, with their travel insurance and health insurance companies each insisting the other is responsible.
“The traveler’s insurance doesn’t want to pay it until we run it by our health insurance. The health insurance doesn’t want to pay it because it’s abroad,” Masterman explained.
Uncertain of how he’ll cover the outstanding amount, Cameron said, “I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay them off, I’m going to have to, but, I don’t know how.”
Cruise line defends pricing
Along with the bill, Norwegian Cruise Line provided a letter stating that its medical pricing is “closely comparable to other cruise lines and is what we believe to be fair and reasonable.”
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line did not immediately respond to requests for comment.