Expensive cruise trip

Couple ordered to pay 45,000 euros for flu treatment

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship(Bild: Trevor Benbrook)

A married couple from the USA have been ordered to pay the equivalent of 45,000 euros for flu treatment on a cruise ship. Originally, they had even won the trip through the Caribbean ...

First a free cruise, then a bill: a couple from the USA had certainly imagined their trip with Norwegian Cruise Line to be different. As US media reported, the trip started at the beginning of January and lasted several weeks.

The man fell ill with the flu on board and was treated by the cruise ship's medical staff for three days. He was charged 47,000 US dollars (equivalent to 45,000 euros) for this. The company had charged the couple's credit cards and used up the limit. After that, 21,000 US dollars (around 20,505 euros) were still outstanding.

Problems with travel insurance
According to reports, the couple had even taken out insurance with Norwegian Cruise Line before the trip. However, this covers medical expenses up to a maximum of 20,000 US dollars. This would still leave the US couple sitting on 27,000 dollars. 

"The travel insurance company only wants to pay out the amount once we have clarified this with our health insurance company. The health insurance company does not want to pay the amount because the stay was abroad," said the woman concerned to the Fox9 channel. In a letter, the shipping company described the prices as "reasonable" and "fair", saying they were "comparable to those of other cruise lines".

However, the company then told "Fox9" that it would review the charges. Whether the couple will get their money back and how much is still unclear.