Royal Caribbean passenger reveals the huge bill he received after suffering a seizure on board cruise ship

What was meant to be a relaxing first time cruise trip for a Michigan couple soon turned into a nightmare after they were hit with an enormous medical bill. 

Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, were enjoying their gifted Royal Caribbean cruise in December 2022 and had just reached CocoCay when Wasney started feeling off. 

The next day, he had a seizure and was left crying out in pain with blood flowing from his mouth from biting his tongue. 

Wasney, who was previously diagnosed as epileptic, was quickly taken to the ship’s medical facility in a wheelchair and given anticonvulsants, fluids and monitored before being released. 

But hours after returning back to his cabin, he was hit with a second seizure and stopped breathing. 

The couple were forced to drain their bank accounts and max out his credit card to pay for the bill

Eberlein said his lips had turned so purple that they looked black. By the time she could find help and contact the medical team, her fiancé had begun to breathe again but had broken blood vessels along his chest and neck. 

Wasney then suffered a third grand mal seizure while he was in the medical bay – causing him to lose consciousness and experience violent muscle contractions. 

The ship soon reached port and he was evacuated by a rescue boat. 

But minutes before he could be taken off the cruise – he was hit with a pricey 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 couldn’t get off until they coughed up the money. Eberlein told CBS he recalls asking: ‘Are we being held hostage at this point? Because, obviously, if he’s had three seizures in 10 hours, it’s an issue.’ 

 To cover their medical expenses, the duo launched a GoFundMe page that has been able to raise $7,391 out of its $10,000 goal

While lying down, Wasney informed the crew he couldn’t pay that much, and was asked by a cruise employee, ‘How much can you pay?’

The couple were forced to drain their bank accounts and max out his credit card to pay for the bill. 

Despite this, they still had another $1000 to pay which was overdrafted from the credit card as soon as they got off. 

According to the Royal Caribbean’s guest terms, cruise passengers ‘agree to pay in full’ all expenses incurred on board by the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care. 

On its FAQ page, the Royal Caribbean states that it does not accept ‘land-based’ health insurance plans. 

The couple neither had health insurance nor travel insurance before they boarded 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 worth of charges. 

To cover their medical expenses, the duo launched a GoFundMe page that has been able to raise $7,391 out of its $10,000 goal. 

He ended up being charged $2,500 for the medical care he received on board, including a blood test and medications

According to the Royal Caribbean’s guest terms , cruise passengers ‘agree to pay in full’ all expenses incurred on board by the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care

After they were able to pay off 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 off the other doctor bill, the ambulance bill and the small bit remaining from the cruise medical bill on our credit cards,’ they wrote. 

‘All we have left is the Hospital bill now, and even some of that will be covered by the recent donations. 

‘We greatly appreciate it, and this has been such a blessing to me and Sarah. Praise whatever higher power you may believe in, and if you don’t believe just know me and Sarah appreciate this more than anything.

‘We didn’t expect this, even with the article. Thank you all again!’