Cruise couple shocked by $4100 bill for medical evacuation

A cruise passenger's costly health emergency when he did not have medical or travel insurance is a cautionary tale for others. Photo / Getty Images

A hefty bill hurts, especially when you’re already being evacuated for medical reasons.

One of the allures of cruising is the all-expenses-paid nature of many of these trips. Much of the cost is covered up front, while incidentals and things like alcoholic drinks are billed at the end of the trip.

However, Michigan couple Vincent Wasney and Sarah Eberlin have issued a cautionary tale for fellow travellers and anyone who might not be savvy about the nuances of cruising and travel insurance, sharing their story with US news publishers NPR and KFF Health News.

The pair were undertaking a four-night Royal Caribbean cruise in December 2022 (a gift from their real estate agent after they purchased their first home) and were travelling aboard the Independence of the Seas liner.

Departing from Port Canaveral in Florida, they were to cruise the Carribbean to the Bahamas. The itinerary included a visit to a private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean bills it as “unlike any private island the world has ever seen”.

CocoCay is one of the Bahama’s Berry Islands and has been extensively developed and renovated by Royal Caribbean to the tune of US$250 million ($410m). It features a water park with wave pools, slides and the region’s largest freshwater pool.

After visiting CocoCay, however, Wasney fell ill. He experienced three seizures and was treated at the Independence of the Seas medical centre – where the medical team thought his condition may have been due to dehydration – and made the decision to evacuate Wasney, as the ship was close to Fort Lauderdale and he could be transported ashore by boat.

As the couple prepared to disembark for evacuation, they were handed a mid-cruise guest statement bill while waiting for the rescue boat. It outlined standard sundries – drinks from the pool bar and an on-board establishment called Wacky Seagull, gratuities and internet access.

Independence of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship. Picture / Supplied

There were also charges that surprised the couple: US$2500 ($4100) in fees for medical treatment on the boat, which itemised things like anticonvulsant medication, blood tests and medical services.

According to Royal Carribean’s terms, the cruise fare does not include “medical insurance, baggage insurance, medical services, shoreside expenses or transfers”.

Wasney did not have health insurance at the time of their voyage. His employer plan was due to start in January 2023, after they would return from their trip.

The couple did not purchase travel insurance, which they have said they understood was for cancellations or lost luggage, and as inexperienced travellers they were unaware it also covered medical treatment.

Royal Carribean’s terms and conditions also state that guests who “retain the services of medical personnel or independent contractors on or off the vessel” do so “at their sole risk” and that the carrier “is not a medical provider”.

NPR and KFF Health News reported on the incident – including publishing the bill in question – and spoke to the couple about their memories of the event. Eberlein said she felt like they were being held hostage. Wasney said he had little memory of the event and his multiple seizures.

He did remember receiving the bill, he told them, and a cruise employee asking “How much can you pay?” and being surprised that they were expected to pay this bill before they could evacuate.

Wasney told NPR and KFF that they maxed out his credit card and withdrew everything they had in their bank accounts, including money saved for their next house payment, but fell US$1000 short of the total amount on the bill.

Royal Carribbean’s terms say a “guest shall pay for all medical care or other personal services requested or required, whether onboard or ashore, including the cost of any emergency medical care or transportation incurred by Carrier and any costs associated with the provision of medical services”. In the case that the bill can’t be paid or covered in full, it states “if Guest is unable to pay and the Carrier pays for such expenses, then Guest shall reimburse Carrier for those expenses”.

The stress didn’t end after Eberlein and Wasney left the cruise.

The couple racked up even more bills once they made it from the ship to dry land, where they were met by an ambulance in Fort Lauderdale. After being treated at Boward Health Medical Centre, Wasney was faced with thousands more dollars in medical bills.

Since returning home to Saginaw, Michigan, the couple arranged payment plans to cover their bills and medical debts.

The couple’s case highlights how critical it is to arrange insurance for any kind of travel.

You never know when you might have a health issue or an accident, as one Australian tourist in Bali discovered; he eschewed travel insurance, had a moped accident, and ended up with a $400,000 medical bill.

Kiwis are pretty good. A survey released by Southern Cross Insurance in 2023 found that 81 per cent of travellers intended to buy travel insurance. And it comes in handy. Last year the company paid out $1.3 million for a single claim made by a New Zealander visiting the US, who required emergency medical care.

And Southern Cross Travel Insurance CEO Jo McCauley told the New Zealand Herald’s Sarah Pollock that during the first half of that year, injury or illness was the second most common reason travellers claimed insurance overseas.

“Thirty-nine per cent of our international claims relate to situations where customers have been hurt or have fallen ill outside New Zealand and require support in their holiday location, or even transfers back home,” she said, adding that the “substantial” cost of overseas medical treatment was on the rise, and “air ambulance and related costs have risen significantly compared to pre-pandemic”.

Make sure to read the fine print. Travel insurance, while comprehensive, doesn’t cover everything. And if your holiday falls through you may not be able to get a refund for your policy.

The risks of cruising are well known, with regular news headlines about norovirus outbreaks – there have been 150 in April alone – and mishaps.

When boarding a cruise, guests acknowledge they may be exposed to diseases or risk injury. A Royal Caribbean passenger “knowingly and voluntarily accepts these risks” as part of their ticket contract, “including the risk of serious illness or death”.

Holidaymakers interested in cruising should study up on everything they need to know, and research is essential whether you’re a well-seasoned traveller or new to cruising.