One woman’s first cruise turned into a nightmare when she was slapped with a $13,000 medical bill after she began throwing up blood and losing consciousness.
Khiali Baxter was two days into her first-ever Royal Caribbean cruise with her boyfriend when she started feeling unwell.
“So, I woke up. I started throwing up blood, unfortunately, and I had passed out on the ground,” Baxter told KHOU 11. “I could feel myself kind of going in and out of consciousness. I was very cold and terrified.”
She was taken to the ship’s medical facility and then transported to a hospital four hours away from the cruise port in Costa Maya. However, before being transported, she waited four hours onboard the ship, racking up a $4,000 medical bill.
Before treating her at the hospital, staff asked Baxter’s family for payment. Baxter’s father, Craig, recalled the conversation with a hospital employee during an interview with KHOU 11, saying they would provide care “as far as $2,500 would take them.”
“I’ve never heard this in my life,” he said.
The family had to book last-minute flights and accommodations to be by Khiali’s side—costs they couldn’t avoid but were willing to pay, as they refused to leave their daughter in a foreign hospital.
“It was a very, very scary experience, and my main thing that I do want to say is that I really wish I would’ve gotten travel insurance,” Baxter shared.
### The Importance of Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is often overlooked but can be a valuable safety net. Although it might seem like an avoidable expense, it’s one of those things you don’t want to use—but you’ll be thankful for when you need it.
In Baxter’s case, travel insurance could have helped cover some of the costly treatments she received, including an endoscopy, colonoscopy, and blood transfusion.
Even though Khiali didn’t have travel insurance, a family friend set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical expenses. Over 160 generous donors have contributed, raising $14,108—approximately 88% of the $16,000 goal.
Still, the family hopes sharing Khiali’s story will prepare others for the unexpected, especially when traveling far from home.
Travel insurance also helps cover lost luggage, travel delays, medical evacuations, and more. Given these protections, the small upfront cost is worth the peace of mind it provides during costly emergencies.
“It was an eye-opening experience that I hope prepares other young people,” Craig Baxter said.
### Not the Only Case: Another Royal Caribbean Passenger Faces Huge Medical Bills
Khiali Baxter isn’t the only cruiser to be hit with a hefty medical bill. Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, were cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas when Wasney began suffering from a series of seizures.
Before the couple was allowed to disembark, they were required to pay over $2,500 in medical bills.
As reported by KFF Health News and NPR, Eberlein heard Wasney make a pained noise before his first seizure. He bit his tongue during the episode, causing blood to spill from his mouth.
Wasney’s second seizure caused him to stop breathing, and the third seizure—a grand mal seizure—was even more severe.
The charges included $2,285.78 for general ward admission and observation, $97.99 for an i-STAT blood test, $104.55 for out-of-facility services, and $11.90 for medication.
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These harrowing stories highlight the importance of preparing for medical emergencies when traveling, especially on cruises far from home. Travel insurance can provide essential coverage and peace of mind, protecting travelers from unexpected, often exorbitant medical costs.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2025/09/26/what-to-know-about-cruise-travel-insurance