A Minnesota man is facing a staggering $47,000 medical bill after seeking flu treatment aboard Norwegian Encore, a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship, during a weeklong Caribbean cruise.
Mike Cameron and his girlfriend, Tamra Masterman, from Braham, Minnesota, had won a free cruise and set sail from Miami on 5th January 2025.
However, their dream cruise vacation took an unexpected turn when Cameron came down with the flu and needed medical care.
He spent three days recovering, only to later discover that his treatment had resulted in a whopping $47,000 bill.
The cruise line automatically charged two credit cards on file, maxing out both, leaving Cameron with an outstanding balance of $21,000 (and huge credit card debts that started immediately gathering interest).
The couple had purchased travel insurance through Norwegian Cruise Line, expecting it to cover up to $20,000 in medical expenses.
However, they have been struggling to get the insurance to pay out.
“The traveler’s (sic) 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,”
Tamra Masterman
This common insurance loophole has left them stuck in bureaucratic limbo, unsure how to resolve the debt.
And they are concerned about their ability to pay off the debt, including the now maxed-out credit cards, with the couple expressing that they’re worried they could lose their home.
Norwegian Cruise Line responds
In a letter to the couple, Norwegian Cruise Line defended its medical pricing, stating that its costs are “closely comparable to other cruise lines” and are “fair and reasonable” for medical services at sea.
However, when news outlets then reached out to the cruise line for comment, an NCL spokesperson said the cruise line is reviewing whether the charges are typical for flu treatment.
While cruise ship medical care is known to be expensive, a $47,000 bill for flu treatment is unusually high. Potential factors influencing the cost could include:
- Consultation fees
- Medication and IV fluids
- Laboratory tests
- Medical isolation protocols
- Overnight observation or monitoring
Cruise medical bills: a warning
This incident highlights the high cost of onboard medical care and the complexities of travel insurance.
Many passengers assume purchasing cruise insurance will cover emergencies, but insurers in countries such as the US often require health insurance claims to be processed first, which can be challenging when medical services are provided overseas.
Cruise passengers are advised to read the fine print on travel insurance policies, verify whether their health insurance covers international medical expenses, and consider purchasing additional medical coverage before sailing.
The best time to buy travel insurance is the day you book your cruise.
It’s typically best to use a comparison site too, as cruise lines’ recommended insurers may not give you the best prices or coverage.
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It is not fleecing their customers. Travel Medical insurance is ALWAYS secondary to your regular medical coverage. They could file the claim with medical insurance, get a denial as its out of country, and then turn the denial and receipts into insurance.
Not sure where he booked his cruise but he did not look over their policy which he should have: It states “reimbursement”. Many travel agents work with outside insurance companies that have Travel Support services that may be able to pre-arrange high medical costs to be paid to the medical facility directly.
Unfortunately, all cruise lines fleece their customers with medical charges, while cruising with Fred Olsen I lost some pills and had some more prescribed from the ships doctor, the pills cost about £4.50 the prescription cost £70, not life-changing but expensive, so if NCL are inflexible the young couple could go to the newspapers and tell their story, personally after reading about their extortionate bill I would not touch NCL insurance or the NCL cruise line with a barge pole!!