Florida couple fighting for refund after cancer cancels Norwegian cruise vacation

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Evelyn Montelbano and her husband, Jack, booked a 10-day cruise several months ago on Norwegian Cruise Line and made sure to buy trip insurance. However, after Jack's cancer came back forcing them to cancel their trip, they still haven't received their refund.

Where is the money? They contacted FOX 35's Marlisa Goldsmith.

"I have been through so much stress with these people," Evelyn said.

The couple booked a 10-day Caribbean cruise with standard travel protection, according to their Norwegian Cruise Line confirmation, which was shared with FOX 35.

Plans, unfortunately, changed a mere weeks before their trip.

"My husband woke up – and he had been complaining of his arm and his shoulder – and he woke up one morning and he had this lump on is shoulder. It was about the size of a handball. And I looked at it and I says, ‘uh uh, something’s not right,'" Evelyn said.

They would soon learn it was a tumor. Jack's cancer had come back.

The oncologist told them to cancel their trip because Jack would need to begin treatment immediately.

Evelyn said she collected various documents and canceled the cruise. She received a confirmation that the trip was canceled, but six months later, they have not received a refund – and have no idea where it is.

"Why do you get travel insurance and why did they say well, okay, it’s good unless you get a death in the family, or you get an illness. Is not cancer an illness?" she questioned.

In an email to FOX 35, Norwegian Cruise Line did not provide answers to our questions or offer a solution for the Montelbano's concerns. Instead, they directed us to the cruise line's website, which highlights its "Booksafe Travel Protection Plan."

"We have you covered" and "cancel for any reason" is written on the page. We were unable to find any specific details about pre-existing medical conditions.

But, we did find information about COVID-19-specific cancelation coverage, trip interruption, and medical care if something happens while on a vacation.

Stewart "The Cruise Guy" Chiron explained said there are different levels of insurance coverage, each with their own specific requirements and limitations.

"If this individual, the policy they got, didn’t cover a preexisting condition or if it was in remission, you know there’s different types of levels, and the insurance company could deny the claim all together," he said. 

The National Consumers League has been researching loopholes in travel plans for years. 

A spokesperson for the National Consumers League shared the following statement with FOX 35:

"Consumers should be sure to read the fine print before they purchase travel insurance policies. That is because, when we’ve reviewed these policies, they were littered with exceptions allowing insurance companies to deny claims. In some cases, like those involving pre-existing medical conditions, the exceptions were big enough to drive a truck through."

‘The Cruise Guy’ suggests you consider these three things before choosing to purchase travel protection:

1. Ask if the plan covers trip cancelation and interruption
2. Ask if pre-existing conditions are covered
3. And shop around.