Credit cards charged to the limit Couple wins luxury cruise - then comes the big nightmare
A couple from the USA win a luxury Caribbean cruise - but end up with a bill of 47,000 dollars. Their attempt to settle the amount through the insurance company ends in a bureaucratic nightmare.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A US couple wins a Caribbean cruise, but Mike Cameron falls ill with the flu and has to be treated on board.
- The cruise line issues a bill for 47,000 dollars and charges two of the couple's credit cards to the limit.
- The travel insurance and health insurance refuse to cover the costs.
- It is unclear whether the couple will get their money back.
Mike Cameron and his girlfriend Tamra Masterman could hardly believe their luck when they won a free cruise with Norwegian Cruises. The trip departed from Miami in January 2025 and was supposed to be an unforgettable experience for the couple. But then Mike fell ill.
He was laid up for three days with a severe case of the flu and was treated at the cruise ship's medical center. After his recovery came the shock: a bill from the cruise line for 47,000 dollars for the treatment.
The cruise company had already charged two credit cards up to the limit - but there were still 21,000 dollars outstanding.
No insurance company wants to pay
"The travel insurance company does not want to pay the amount until we clarify this with our health insurance company. The health insurance company doesn't want to pay the amount because the trip took place abroad," Tamra Masterman told the US news channel Fox 9.
Before the trip, the couple had taken out insurance with Norwegian Cruises to cover medical costs of up to 20,000 dollars. However, the attempt to make a claim has so far failed.
The cruise line defended itself, stating in a letter that the prices "are comparable to those of other cruise lines and are, in our opinion, fair and reasonable".
However, Norwegian Cruises told Fox 9 that it is currently investigating whether the fees for flu treatment are actually customary. Whether the couple will get their money back remains uncertain.
