Man’s cruise experience a warning to other travellers

There’s nothing worse than falling ill on holiday, but it does happen and it pays to be prepared in case it does.

Preparing for the worst and securing your travel insurance before going away should be the number one priority before going on a holiday, but even when you think that you’re doing the right thing, things don’t always go to plan as one English couple recently found out.

After saving for their cruise for more than 18 months, David Ramsay fell ill during his Caribbean cruise and has since been asked to pay £19,000 in fees after being admitted into hospital.

Ramsay collapsed after suffering from double pneumonia and had to spend 10 days in hospital.

“It was then the doctors came out and told me that my husband was going to die and to get any family members over,” Ramsay’s wife, Liz, said.

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“It was horrible as I was on my own. Three days later they said they were going to try and take him off the ventilation.

“They said that if he didn’t start breathing on his own then they were going to have to let him go.”

Thankfully, Ramsay showed signs of recovery and was later transferred to another hospital before making his way back home, where he is still receiving treatment for his injuries.

Unable to work because of David’s illness, both Liz and David are now relying on benefits until they can find out if their insurance payment will come through. 

“Our insurance company is dealing with it but we have come home and have nothing,” Liz said. “We just don’t know where to turn.”

If you’re planning a holiday and want to make sure you’re adequately covered by insurance if you fall ill on holiday, here are some helpful things to look out for:

• Make sure you let your insurer know of any health conditions you have or medications you currently take. If you fail to correctly advise your insurer about these, then they might not allow your claim to be authorised.
• If your health and time allows for it, call your insurer and let them know you’re seeking medical attention, especially if it’s not an emergency. Call the 24-hour helpline to ask what your options are.
• Keep all your receipts, so that when you do need to make a claim, you can quickly and easily send them to your insurer.

Has something like this happened to you? Do you have any other travel insurance tips for people planning their next holiday? Let us know in the comments section below.