Mike Cameron, Braham, Minnesota man wins free Norwegian cruise only to be stuck with $47K medical bill and bankruptcy after getting the flu on board as neither the health insurance or travel insurance wants to pay up.
A Minnesota man who won a weeklong cruise vacation to the Caribbean for him and his girlfriend has told of being stuck with a $47,000 medical bill after soon after becoming ill on the ‘free trip’.
Mike Cameron of Braham, Minn., and his girlfriend Tamra Masterman won a free Norwegian cruise trip that set sail out of Miami on Jan. 5, according to Fox 9.
What ought to have been a dream trip, soon became a nightmare disaster when Cameron came down with the flu.
The sick passenger went for treatment at the medical center onboard the Norwegian Encore ship and recovered three days later.
As the couple’s tour of the Caribbean came to an end, Cameron was shocked to find himself being presented with a nearly $50,000 medical bill.
‘To turn around the day we are leaving and get handed a $47,000 bill, I just didn’t even know what to do,’ he told the outlet.
Cameron said the bill came as a shock as crew members assured him not to worry as he received treatment.
“Everyone in the medical ward kept saying, ‘Don’t worry, you have $20,000 coverage, you’ll be just fine.’’
The cruise line maxed out two credit cards Cameron had on file and he still owes $21,000, the hapless traveler said.
‘You start thinking, ‘Are you going to lose your house, are you going to lose your cars?’’ Masterman mused.
The couple had purchased travel insurance from the cruise line that covered expenses of up to $20,000 along with having health insurance — but Cameron is stuck in a holding pattern, with neither vendor willing to pay the sum, each claiming the other is responsible for the bill.
‘The traveler’s 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,’ Masterman explained.
Stuck in limbo, Cameron isn’t sure how he’ll afford the steep bill.
‘I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay them off, I’m going to have to, but, I don’t know how,’ the Minnesota man said.
The couple said the bill accompanied a letter from Norwegian stating that its pricing was ‘closely comparable to other cruise lines and is what we believe to be fair and reasonable.’ Do you suppose?
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line issued the following statement in part to PEOPLE: ‘On January 9, 2025, Mr. Cameron was admitted to the onboard medical center and received appropriate treatment for his condition, followed by 62 hours of critical care.’
The couple who had both the credit cards maxed out at $26K and who are paying close to 30% interest now fear going into bankruptcy as a result of the high ‘medical bill,’ and now compounding interest rate.
Cameron’s daughter, Krystal has since launched a GoFundme to assist in her dad’s medical bills. To date the fundraiser has raised $3K of a $10,000 goal.
