Brian and Loretta Shaw were sailing from New York to Barcelona on the Norwegian Epic when they caught covid on their cruise.
And after days of isolation and IV therapy they were handed a $21,000 medical bill. And asked to settle it before they disembarked.
When they refused, they were made to sign a deed agreeing they would pay.
“Norwegian Cruise Line’s Financial Officer made me sign a promissory note as I was not willing to settle the amount with them,” Mr Shaw told Cruise Passenger.
It was three days into the sailing, when the couple displayed symptoms and tested themselves with their own RAT kits.
“On day three at sea, we had tested positive for Covid and we notified the medical centre onboard. The medical staff came to our cabin and photographed our certificates and results,” said Mr Shaw.
The couple over the coming days, received treatment according to medical protocols.
“We had three days of treatment which included IV therapy, an antiviral drip, tablet medication and six days of cabin isolation.”
But during their quarantine period, the couple who are in their 80s, received a bill of $21,000. And, the cruise line demanded payment on the spot.
“The cruise line insisted we pay the outrageous account for three days of treatment. I refused to pay and informed them this is not the way insurance works.
“I believe in all honesty, that the medical report for the final bill for the $21,000.00 medical expense, was not fair. We spent three days attending the medical centre for around three-and-a-half to four hours each day. We were connected to an IV drip which comprised of antibiotics, blood pressure taken and recorded, and blood tests taken and recorded.”
The couple also complained about the food, saying the meals they received were not hot.
“The food was appalling, except for the cereals and fruit juices. Everything else that was ordered for either lunch or dinner was delivered cold. We didn’t bother ordering anything hot after the first day.
“But, NCL did supply us with free access to the movie channel and 500mins of free WiFi.”
What happened next?
Mr Shaw and his wife though, were lucky. And had purchased travel insurance prior to their trip.
“While we were in quarantine, our insurance company Zoom, kept in touch with us and asked whether we needed any financial assistance.
“NCL expected us to settle the bill before we left the ship.”
But Mr Shaw had put his foot down and refused to pay the claim without the help of his insurance company.
“NCL’s Financial Officer made me sign a promissory note, as I was not willing to settle the amount with them.
“When I returned home, I handed over all documentation to my insurance company. They handled everything and completed the claim with NCL. It was amazing how many people continue to travel without insurance.”
The Insurance Council of Australia said it is more important than ever, that travellers purchase travel insurance.
“Travel insurance remains essential for all the reasons it was pre-pandemic: to provide protection when the unexpected occurs far from home.
“Some insurers are now offering cover for a range of COVID-related situations. And they provide additional protection for travellers if they want or need this as part of their travel insurance.”
But despite the bill shock, Mr Shaw and his wife, who have cruised over 25 times say they weren’t unhappy with the experience. And it wouldn’t stop them from going again.
Cruise Passenger has contacted Norwegian Cruise Line for a statement. They have contacted their head office for comment.
Which lines pay for Covid-related medical expenses?
Prior to the lifting of the United States COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, a number of cruise lines offered complimentary medical assistance. Royal Caribbean covered the cost of COVID-19-related medical treatments if a passenger tested positive on the ship. This applied to bookings made on or after August 8, 2022.
The company also offered a pro-rated cruise fare refund if a cruise was cut short for reasons related to COVID-19. This applied to cruises departing on or before September 30, 2022.
Celebrity Cruises too, offered to cover medical assistance to COVID-19-related issues.
Virgin Voyages will also cover medical care and testing expenses onboard their ships and also offer complimentary ShipEats, on-demand entertainment and WiFi.
A Twitter user by the name of Scrub Jay earlier this year, shared a receipt of medical expenses his girlfriend had to pay while sailing on the Norwegian Getaway.
Mark from This is Cruise Life shared the receipt on his website, which showed an itemised bill the cruise line had given his reader’s girlfriend. She was charged USD$879 for one treatment, USD$1,685 for another treatment and USD$1,16.47 for medication. Her total bill amounted to USD$4,180.47.
The lesson learned? If you caught Covid-19 don’t tell anyone. Pretend it’s just a regular flu and still don’t tell anyone. Even if you have an insurance. As they will surely make your life harder just for you being honest and obeying safety policies. As someone has rightfully noticed in the comments, it’s all sounds counterintuitive and discouraging.
This happens often, and it’s something that cruisers need to plan for! My wife and I developed acute bronchitis (scary cough, very high white blood cell count), and hers turned into pneumonia, during a repositioning cruise last winter while we were somewhere between Australia and New Caledonia. We had good travel medical insurance, but Norwegian Star’s staff only bills the patient, and patient gets reimbursed (weeks later after insurance OK’s everything). The ship can’t trust everybody that swears they have insurance really does have valid coverage, so we all have to pay the cruise line’s medical care up front. Our own bills ($8K + $12K) seemed to be about the same as we would expect to pay for several days of unassisted pay-as-you-go medical care (or even major veterinary care for a pet), so we ain’t complaining. They have to focus on best quality treatment instead of trying to keep the billing down, because they’d be sued for zillions by the deceased’s family if things ever went worse than expected due to cutting corners. Or maybe quiet little Joe Patient might actually be an MD himself, so they won’t try hosing patients either!
Luckily, our bank offered us a huge-limit cash-back credit card a few months before the cruise. I thought it was just a ridiculous lure to spring a debt trap on us, but my wife accepted the card offer. We maxed it to pay the medical bill, and the cash-back covered a lot of the interest incurred while waiting for the insurance adjusters to approve payout on our 70 pages of itemized medical bills (mailed as soon as our ship reached Hawaii).
Celebrity gave us free antivirals and excellent food for the 5 days I was confined to my cabin. They moved me to the cabin next door as my travel buddy was ill 3 days before me and then had to leave the ship with heart problems. I was so well looked after I thought if I’m going to get covid this is the best place to be!! They also refunded fares prorata. Recommend Celebrity cruises.
1 year ago I contracted covid whilst on a Princess cruise and they were wonderful to me. I just had to pick up the phone to order food and drinks everything arrived relatively quickly and hot. I was given wifi and because I was positive on returning so my friend could not come to Brisbane to collect me Princess organised a taxi for me to my home on the Gold Coast.
I also received credits for the nights I was in isolation. One day they sent a gift from the Port we had visited where we with covid had been unable to get off.
So I found Princess very thoughtful.
This seems a counterintuitive policy to me, of people know to expect such a large bill should they catch COVID surely it would only serve to discourage them reporting it and therefore increasing the risk of transmission…
Yes great comment Michael Gurry. We too had a similar experience on Princess. My husband tested positive (albeit with zero symptoms) on a back to back Princess cruise (only tested because it was back to back). Not only were we upgraded to a balcony cabin, we could order anything from the specialist menu including wine. In addition we got a credit (which we’ve since used on another Princess cruise). Given their amazing choice of movies you can watch at anytime, cabin upgrade, room service and the choice of food, the extra credit on our account, Princess were more than fair! They were in fact quite apologetic about the whole thing. Because of that experience (and others) Princess is now top of our list for cruise companies.
We used to like NCL but from what I’ve learnt here, hmmmmm…not so much.
Do we know the whole story? Did the couple indicate they had the necessary Covid shots but never did
This says to me “don’t test, or day you have when you haven’t” what a sh!tty cruise company!
I would agree with Michael. My wife and I contracted covid on day 7 of our Panama cruuse. Princess went out of their way to take care if us and we are very thankful for their excellent service during our yome on the emerald princess. I hVe mentioedthys service to others that are contemplating a cruise. Hats off to princess cruuses
We can’t fault Princess Cruises. We contracted Covid on our cruise in February this year. We received daily anti viral tablets also Medical staff checked on us each day.
We could order any food or drinks at any time day or night all delivered to our cabin. Also we were given $250 each as a pro rata refund for lost days.
NCL should look at the other cruise lines and learn about customer service.
Puts me and probably many others off cruising..I know that medically we are very well looked after,but surely the insurance company did not pay up on that account without querying how that amount was arrived at by Norwegiann Cruise Lines.These people had paid their fares which I had thought meals were included, as part of the fare.Did the cruise line test all on board for covid,for the safety of passengers and staff,and make that part of the account? At $3,750 AUD each, a day I do hope they had a balcony and sea view as well as the best of food,and entertainment, as that price makes me think they were travelling deluxe class. Is this a practice on all cruise lines???
I believe I was on the same Trans Atlantic cruise and I came aboard the Epic with two vaccinations and three boosters and I caught Covid.
I went to the medical clinic and saw the doctor for a short time (45 minutes) the nurse took my blood pressure and the doctor wanted to do a number of procedures which if I can remember correctly came to $7,000. to $10,000. and I totally refused. I was prescribed an antibiotic and a throat drop for my sore throat.
I only saw the doctor once. My bill came to close to $800. Canadian but that is because I refused all the treatments they offered. I feel Norwegian is partly to blame for me getting sick.
Their ship was over crowded, large groups of people waiting outside the dining rooms, there was a major lack of organization with the passengers and the crew and the public areas could have been sanitized more often.
It was a terrible trip and that was due mainly to the unorganized passengers.
I was travelling on my own, I ate alone and did not socialize with anyone and I got sick. No regulations regarding vaccinations anymore. It was a free for all atmosphere.
I paid my bill with my Visa and have decided I will not sail with Norwegian again.
Very disappointing as to how I was treated and no compensation considering I missed the best part of the trip.
I have had many wonderful trips but this one was terrible…never again.
I contracted covid on day 9 of a 16-day cruise on the Norwegian Spirit (Hawaii to Alaska) in June 2022. I was moved to a cabin in an isolation wing of the ship they set aside for other ill passengers (while my adult daughter remained in our original cabin). Was terribly bored the 5 days in isolation (missed all of the Alaska portion of the cruise), but fortunately was not terribly ill so really only had medical staff come to my cabin several times a day to check on me and take my blood pressure and oxygen levels. Biggest complaint was the horrible (often cold) Room Service menu I had to choose from for most meals. I still had two Specialty Dinner vouchers, though, which I was able to use in isolation. Room Service brought those meals to my cabin.
I had insurance, but NCL never asked me for it and did NOT submit me with a bill for medical services at the end of the cruise. NCL absorbed all costs and did provide me with a partial refund for the 5 days I was in isolation. That was a pleasant surprise.
My daughter was able to continue all cruise activities and excursions., although she did have to report to the medical unit several times each day for covid testing. Fortunately, she tested negative the rest of the cruise. She was not charged for the testing.
My wife and I tested positive on our Princess Majestic transpacific cruise in late September 2022. They moved us to quarantine for six nights and upgraded us to a balcony suite.
They treated us well and with respect. They also gave us a 6-night future cruise credit. We could not have wished to be treated better.
Thanks for reporting this. This is now one cruise line I will NEVER be travelling with.
No wonder travel insurance costs keeps creeping upwards. Blatant ripoff.
Iam very disappointed to here this from Norwegian my wife has done four cruises with them we were planning one in 2024 but now I wonder Holland America, Holland American was the last one we went on this past February,we always take insurance
What they went overseas without taking out insurance??
I agree with Michael Gurry, my partner and I have recently completed a five week cruise with Princess, and unfortunately, we both came down with Covid The food was great Complimentary WIFI and all the available TV channels and Movies. There is a refund for time spent in isolation. I inquired about the amount of Covid onboard the ship and was informed that it worked to be around 0.8%. I was very impressed by the way Princess handled the matter. There was no bill and we were not out of pocket in any way. In my opinion, anybody who travels without appropriate insurance is crazy.
Why not mention all the cruise lines that provide similar benefits as Royal Caribbean? Princess Cruises for one, offer complementary Covid antivirals for over 70’s, excellent meals and complimentary wifi during isolation and a pro-rata refund for days spent in isolation. They did this for me last December which was fantastic service.
Celebrity cruises were just fantastic when my wife and I caught Covid on an 17 night cruise from Sydney to Hawaii. They treated us like VIP’S, had a Covid concierge who was amazing. Great food and lots of water. No cost to us for medical expenses and refunded us for the days we we were in isolation. A credit to their handling of this pandemic.
And you wonder why we will never ever cruise again we are fully vaccinated and up to date with all boosters but will never cruise or leave Australia. Just not worth all that worry.
$US32,000 for three treatments in medical centre for my wife and I over three days and 24 hours in ICU for me then offloaded in Panama for 14 days in hospital with pneumonia and covid. Norwegian Encore. That’s why you take out insurance.
I always take out travel insurance,but seeing the ridiculous price Norwegian charged for treatment,I will never cruise with them.
Late last year my husband & I travelled on a Princess ship up the coast of Australia, we both caught Covid on the last couple of days, thought it was a cold , my husband got very sick on the way home in the train, another couple who were on the ship had it & new a lot of people were going down with it & not saying anything, we did meet people who had it on the way from North America. Princess were not taking enough care to prevent people catching it I could see so much going on for people to not be safe. Because the ships are getting so large with a lot of elderly people lifts have to be used a lot of the time & are very crowded , wash stations were available , however if someone did not wan to wash they could still enter the dining room, too many crowds. We do not want to cruise again particularly on these huge ships. Princess do not want to know us & have never contacted us when I let them know what happened also not getting the phone calls re another cruise when I told them what I thought of Princess
Norwegian Cruise ,should be liable for, damages for not protecting their passengers from covid, when they had joined the cruise virus-free.
In March we were onboard Carnival Luminosa and hubby picked up Covid on embarking. We attended the medical centre and tested positive. We spent the cruise locked in our Balcony Cabin. Carnival staff looked after us, free Wi-Fi for the cruise, 7 day anti viral tablets to suit both of us. Food coming from everywhere. Medical personnel made contact every day to check we were ok. Were given a pro-rata credit to sail again within 12 months. Only payment we had to make was for any alcohol purchased. As we had travelled to the islands many times previously, it was no big issue being locked up, just missed our friends we were sailing with.