"Under the cruise operator’s terms and conditions, guests are required to pay in full the expenses they incurred on their trip, and Royal Caribbean doesn’t accept “land-based health insurance plans.” The company advises guests to consider travel insurance before setting sail.
Mr Wasney and Ms Eberlein had neither health insurance nor travel insurance before they boarded their Caribbean cruise."
No, it means you already know that you have a chronic medical condition and it shouldn't be surprising you might need medical care on vacation and plan appropriately including buying travel medical insurance. This is just part of adulting.
You'd have to have your priorities seriously out of touch with reality to pay thousands of dollars to go on a cruise instead of buying health insurance.
Even if he HAD health insurance, it sounds like the cruise would have rejected it. They needed supplemental travel insurance, which I don't think most people would consider for health related costs, more like "If I get sick and have to cancel..."
I don't like travel insurance because those fuckers weaseled out on Covid on me. No idea how that didn't qualify, but our travel insurance told us to get bent when there was a strong travel advisory. I guess it wasn't strictly banned, but we weren't taking the chance.
My (dutch) health insurance covers healthcare everywhere, except in areas with negative travel advisory, international waters, or the USA. So this seems pretty common.
You can practically get on a cruise for free if you live near the port and find special off season offers or subject yourself to half a day going through a timeshare sales pitch. Me and my SO did the timeshare pitch for two tickets to Disney world (all 4 parks) about 8 years ago plus a nughts stay at a hotel. Would cost us like $500 otherwise. A room for two on a cruise ship can go for peanuts. If the room is empty, it can't make money. Even if you went on a cruise and never tried to spend a dime you didn't have to, you're still going to end up spending cash one way or another.
Sure, it’s really bad and risky not to have health insurance here, but also even if you have it, you’re mostly paying a premium to be denied care and coverage when you’re at your most vulnerable. It’s a truly cruel system and I don’t judge anyone who refuses to pay for health insurance here.