What was going to be a relaxing first cruise trip for a Michigan couple soon turned into a nightmare after they had to pay a huge medical bill.
Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, were enjoying their luxury Royal Caribbean cruise in December 2022 and had just arrived at CocoCay when Wasney began to feel unwell.
The next day, he had a seizure and was left crying in pain and with blood coming out of his mouth from biting his tongue.
Wasney, who had previously been diagnosed with epilepsy, was rushed to the ship’s medical center in a wheelchair and was given anticonvulsants and fluids and monitored before being released.
But hours after returning to his cabin, he suffered a second seizure and stopped breathing.
Vincent Wasney, pictured with his wife, suffered three seizures while on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in December 2022.
The couple was forced to empty their bank accounts and max out their credit card to pay the bill.
Eberlein said his lips had turned so purple they looked black. By the time he was able to find help and contact the medical team, his fiancé had started breathing again, but had broken blood vessels in her chest and neck.
Wasney then suffered a third grand mal seizure while in the infirmary, causing him to lose consciousness and experience violent muscle contractions.
The ship soon reached port and was evacuated by a rescue ship.
But minutes before he could be taken off the cruise, he was hit with a very expensive bill.
Wasney has been charged $2,500 for the medical treatment he received, which included a blood test and medication.
The couple were told they could not leave until they handed over the money. Eberlein he told CBS He remembers asking: ‘Are we being held hostage right now? Because obviously if she’s had three seizures in 10 hours, it’s a problem.”
To cover their medical expenses, the duo launched a GoFundMe page that has been able to raise $7,391 of their $10,000 goal.
While lying down, Wasney informed the crew that he could not pay that much and a cruise ship employee asked him, “How much can you pay?”
The couple was forced to empty their bank accounts and max out their credit card to pay the bill.
Despite this, they still had another $1000 to pay, which was overdrawn from the credit card as soon as they left.
According to the Royal Caribbean Guest ConditionsCruisers ‘agree to pay in full’ all expenses incurred on board at the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care.
In their Frequently asked questions On the page, Royal Caribbean states that it does not accept “land-based” health insurance plans.
The couple did not have medical or travel insurance before boarding their Caribbean cruise.
Wasney was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he incurred another $4,100 in charges.
To cover their medical expenses, the duo launched a GoFundMe page that has been able to raise $7,391 of its $10,000 goal.
They ended up charging him $2,500 for the medical care he received on board, including a blood test and medication.
Under Royal Caribbean’s guest terms, cruise passengers ‘agree to pay in full’ for all expenses incurred on board at the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care.
After being able to pay some of the bills, the couple wrote a thank you note on the crowdfunding page.
“With the donations so far we will be able to pay the other doctor’s bill, the ambulance bill and the rest of the cruise medical bill on our credit cards,” they wrote.
‘The only thing we have left now is the hospital bill, and even part of it will be covered by recent donations.
‘We appreciate it very much and it has been a great blessing to Sarah and me. Praise any higher power you believe in, and if you don’t, know that Sarah and I appreciate it more than anything.
‘We didn’t expect this, not even with the article. Thanks all again!’