Carnival hands 90-year-old $12,600 medical bill after acute stomach pains

• A 90-year-old woman travelling with Carnival has been charged $12,600 in medical bills after 44 hours in the ship’s sick bay.
• She was unfortunately travelling without travel insurance. Cruises in Australia are not covered by Medicare.
• She and her family are now facing financial hardship, while other cruisers have shared stories of how they managed to get their elderly family members insured.

A 90-year-old sailing with Carnival Cruises has racked up $12,600 in medical bills after just two days of treatment. 

The elderly woman, who preferred not to have her name shared, was travelling with her husband, also 90 years old. The pair found it difficult to secure health insurance because of her age.

Her son-in-law explained how she came to face such a massive medical bill.

“This elderly woman presented to the onboard doctor with acute stomach pain. She spent two days in sick bay and had some medical tests done. The cost, just for being in sick bay for 44 hours, was $4620. With medical testing, medication and medical evacuation (within Australia by Australian services), the total bill was over $12,600.”

The woman was unable to leave the ship without signing a promissory note for payment, which included harsh penalties for late payment.

“Before being allowed to leave the ship to escort his wife, my father-in-law, also 90, was pressured to sign a “promissory note” for the cost of treatment and has since been told that if he does not pay on time there will be a $140 per day fee applied.

“They were not offered any partial refund on the part of the cruise they were unable to complete, nor any reduction in fees that took this into account.

“Carnival did not offer them the opportunity to make payment over time and this couple are pensioners. Had they waited overnight and gone ashore, they could have accessed free medical care within Australia.”

The elderly couple are now facing financial hardship to pay back the bill: “They are now facing significant financial hardship to pay the bill. Ironically, this couple are regular cruisers who would have spent more than the amount of this bill over the next few years on cruising, but who will now never cruise again.”

As a couple who regularly enjoyed cruising, the problem wasn’t that they weren’t aware of the need to have travel insurance, but rather that they didn’t realise medical treatment would be so expensive. 

The son-in-law of the elderly woman says he wants to warn others about cruising without insurance, even those who think they might know the risks.

“I completely agree that if people can’t obtain or afford the insurance, then they should not travel, which is the whole point of letting older people know that they might face this kind of bill if they don’t.”

Carnival’s statement and warnings

In a statement shared with Cruise Passenger, Carnival strongly urged all passengers to acquire travel insurance.

“The health and wellbeing of our guests is our top priority, and our highly trained medical team is always on hand to offer care to guests who fall ill.

“Carnival strongly recommends all guests have travel insurance, as cruise ships are not covered by Medicare, even on domestic sailings.

“This requirement is clearly outlined in our website information and pre-cruise communications.”

Carnival’s website does warn of extremely steep medical costs and the importance of travel insurance.

“Please note, International travel insurance is recommended on Australian coastal cruises, as your cruise is outside the scope of Australian Medicare.”

“Hospitalisation costs on board or outside of the country and medical evacuation costs are very expensive and are not covered by Medicare or private health insurance. Daily hospital bills can cost as much as AUD 5,000 per day. All consultations, treatments and medications are charged at private rates.

“Be aware when organising your insurance that uninsured travellers (or their families) are held personally liable for cancellation, medical and associated costs incurred at any time whether before the cruise, on board or overseas.”

Can the elderly get travel insurance?

Carnival recommends Cover-More as an option for insurance. Cover-More covers passengers up to 99 years-old, meaning that nearly every single passenger, even elderly ones, would be able to get coverage with Cover-More.

The issue for elderly people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions is that premiums can be extremely high. The clear message of this story is that if you can’t afford travel insurance, it’s simply too risky to travel without it. 

Natalie Ball, COO for 1Cover Travel Insurance, says that the story reinforced just how important it is to take travel insurance, particularly when cruising.

“This case is a timely reminder that deciding to travel without insurance means accepting the risk of paying significant medical costs yourself.”

Ball notes that the high cost of medical treatment onboard is often underestimated.

“Cruise ship medical treatment costs can come as a surprise to many Australians. Even on domestic cruises, Medicare and most private health insurance policies don’t cover medical treatment provided onboard. This means passengers can face significant out-of-pocket expenses if they’re uninsured.”

While some insurers have upper age limits, 1Cover’s Comprehensive policy has no age limit, making it possible for older Australians to access cover, subject to eligibility and policy terms.

Travel insurance for older travellers is often more expensive because, statistically, they are more likely to require medical treatment while overseas or on a cruise. However, rather than assuming cover isn’t available, Ball says it’s worth comparing policies carefully and choosing one that best suits your itinerary, medical circumstances and travel needs.

“While the cost of travel insurance can go up with age, there are still plenty of options available. We encourage travellers to compare policies and disclose any pre-existing medical conditions.”

“Depending on the policy purchased and the circumstances of the claim, comprehensive travel insurance not only covers emergency medical treatment onboard the ship, but also medical evacuation and overseas hospitalisation if required. These costs can quickly run into tens of thousands of dollars and usually significantly dwarf the price of a policy”.

While it can be debated whether cruise lines should charge so steeply for medical treatment, the current reality is that all cruise lines do this, and whatever kind of treatment you receive, it’s likely that costs will rack up extremely quickly. 

When the story was shared on social media, many other Aussies commented that they’d been able to get elderly family members insured for travel.

Roxanne Bagnell said: “In 2019, my 92 year old mum was hospitalised on a P&O cruise. Ran up a bill of $10,500 in the ship’s hospital. She went from the ship to St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, and wasn’t well enough to fly home to Melbourne for 2 weeks. As her carer, I stayed the 2 weeks in a budget Sydney hotel- ran up another bill of around $2000, taxis, meals etc.

“We got the entire $12,500 insurance claim refunded, because we were insured. Yes, the policy was expensive seven years ago, $1250. And yes we needed to provide medical documentation of pre-existing conditions in order to purchase insurance for a 92 year old. But it was worth it, and Mum still loved the cruise.”

Travel agent Melani McGregor added: “Firstly – I’m sorry this has happened, however Medicare is not a feature of domestic cruises because the ships doctors are not registered for doctors in Australia but to where the ship is registered instead.

“Also, there are most definitely insurance policies available for people of an advanced age. You may in some cases have to ring a broker and it may cost more than say cover more, or Tick etc, but it won’t be $12k.”

Jennifer Von Blackensee said: “We’ve taken the 7 day cruise from Brisbane to Airlie Beach and back in March this year. My 92 year old mum came with us, her first ever cruise, along with a son, daughter in law and granddaughter. Mum did in fact take out health insurance before she cruised. We had to phone around, but it is possible.

“When mum had an issue with her ankle, Carnival provided a wheelchair. So your folks also could have, and should have, done so.”

Michele Anne shared: “Hi sorry to hear this. My mother is over 90 and I was able to purchase her travel insurance. We did a 4 day trip to Airlie Beach and back and it cost around $500 for two of us. I am a travel agent and can confirm there are policies out there for our older Australian citizens.”