A woman from Georgia in the US has undergone quite the ordeal after falling ill during her Carnival cruise to the Caribbean.
Loretta Cox, 54, from Georgia in the US, was on a cruise that departed on 19th May 2024, but she took ill while onboard and, by the time the ship arrived in the Dominican Republic on 22nd May, things were more serious.
Loretta was transferred to a local hospital with fluid in her lungs, where she had to be placed on life support. She was of course kept in the hospital, with the cruise ship carrying on its itinerary without her.
However, Loretta did not have proper travel insurance cover for her medical bills, meaning that she had racked up significant charges of $28,000 for the transfer to hospital, and an extra $4,000 each day she spent there.
The costs to evacuate Loretta back to the US, where she could continue treatment under her regular health insurance, were over $25,000 with upfront payment required.
The family were unable to afford this alone but quickly started a fundraising campaign, raising $18,000. The family paid the remaining amount and on Friday 24th May, Loretta was flown to a hospital in Florida, just two days after being admitted in the Dominican Republic.
The latest updates at the time of writing have Loretta in a stable condition, although she remains on life support.
This story shows the importance of getting appropriate travel insurance for any cruise you take – you never know when you might need medical help, and the financial support to pay for it.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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