From dream to nightmare: won a free cruise, but ended up $47,000 in debt for the flu

Sometimes, things can really be too good to be true, and the case of Mike Cameron is a prime example.

The Minnesota native won a free cruise. Fox 9, the local affiliate near where Cameron lives, reported that after winning the free Norwegian Cruise Line Encore, he and his girlfriend set sail on January 5. Sadly, during their time on the open ocean, Cameron got sick and was diagnosed with the flu by the onboard doctors. However, upon returning home, he found that the cruise company had charged him $47,000 for the medical care he received on board. The company charged two of his credit cards, and although the charges maxed out his credit limit, he was still informed he owed $21,000.

Fox also reported on a letter that had been sent by the company to the couple stating that their bill was “loosely comparable to other cruise lines and is what we believe to be fair and reasonable.” For the Camerons, who are at a loss of how they will overcome this financial challenge, the conclusion reached by the company is absurd.

The Cameron family is looking for support

Cameron’s daughter, Krystal, started a GoFundMe to support her father and his partner, providing more details on the ordeal the couple faced on board. He was admitted to the ship’s medical ICU after his “oxygen levels dropped significantly.” However, after treatment, Krystal argues that his condition improved, and he sought to be discharged so that he could “quarantine in his room from there on out.” The family says that his discharge was not approved, leading him to stay in the medical center for 63 hours. Though the couple purchased travel insurance, they were “reassured” by a company representative that they would be “covered for $20,000” and that they shouldn’t worry.

No further updates have been provided by the family, who said they were in the process of speaking with the cruise liner to see if there had been some sort of mistake in the billing. However, Krystal did say that the family had been in touch with other individuals who had been subjected to similar practices.

The more the story is spreading the more people who are coming forward with similar stories

Krystal Cameron

One reported example came from a woman who had been on the same cruise as the couple and was charged $6,000 for what appears to be a flu test and medication.

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