Table Of Content
But what if we're flying into West Palm Beach, I asked? The rep assured me I could call to get the documents sent to the port where I could pick them up. It was unclear why they didn't have everyone's documents at the port or sent to their homes or email addresses. Unlike a normal cruise reservation, when you pay for your free cruise, you don't walk away with a cruise booking number. You get a Royal Seas booking number that you use when you're ready to confirm a sailing date. A month or so before my cruise, a Royal Seas rep called me to confirm my sailing.
Beware of giving your credit card to an unknown source.
My experience with Royal Seas Cruises was definitely sketchy and full of hassles. I expect I'll eventually get a refund, though I'm not sure about the reimbursement of my airline change fees. I fully expect that it will take several more phone calls before I see any money. The following day, the supervisor called me back to say that she felt so bad for my situation that she pulled some strings and got us back on the cruise. What about the charter, I ask, and she says there were a few rooms still available (likely because I stuck with the inside cabin).
The Free Cruise Offer: Scam or Legit?
My son booked a Celebrity cruise with them for September and they again matched the quote from another online discounter. Everyone has different experiences but ours have always been positive. Grand Celebration is, in fact, an old Carnival ship that was purchased by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. After its fall 2017 FEMA charter, the ship got a refresh in dry dock, including a new adults-only area, a larger casino and a coffee and juice bar.
Was It a Scam?
An amazing deal that is only available if you book right now likely has strings attached or a hidden agenda. Ask the name of the cruise ship and cruise line; if they won't tell you, hang up immediately. Ask the company if it can show you credentials or prove it's legit. Ask about additional fees you might be required to pay, restrictions on dates of travel or requirements like attending timeshare pitches (a common occurrence with free travel offers). Ask how and when you'll receive travel vouchers or be able to book your cruise. Ask about penalties for canceling, transferring the booking to another person, switching travel dates or extending the expiration date of your voucher.
Book through a reputable cruise line or travel agent.
But the sketchiest aspect of the phone call was that I had to decide that very instant; I could not hang up and call back. When I said I couldn't possibly make a vacation decision without checking with my husband, the rep offered to put me on hold, so I could call my husband and then re-connect. She also said if I booked, I could transfer the booking to someone else for a $9.95 fee. When I gave my credit card over the phone, I had no way of knowing if the rep was who she said she was, if I would get a cruise or if she would steal my credit card number. It was an uncomfortable leap of faith, especially when they charged my credit card before the official authorization portion of the call took place. However you encounter the free cruise offer, there a few things to consider.
Michael Oku Loved Being Part of This Year's Jericho Cruise - 411mania.com
Michael Oku Loved Being Part of This Year's Jericho Cruise.
Posted: Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
In mid-May 2017, I got the email confirming my interest in a free Royal Seas cruise, and just a day or two later, a representative called me about my free trip. The ensuing conversation was the epitome of a hard sell. When you see a free cruise offer from a company like Royal Seas, look them up online before you give them your money.
Booking the Free Cruise
Especially when dealing with customer service requests, they are often authorized to offer more than the first-line phone reps. This seemingly simple sales pitch began a yearlong journey of phone calls, complete with lightning-fast decisions, scheduling and hand-wringing, as I attempted to determine whether the free cruise offer was a scam, legit or something in between. I have used them for my last three cruises and find them to be excellent; they will match any quote (just got a $120 reduction last week on the Legend for December). Since we book category 11 suites, the price reduction is not an issue for us.
Was It a Scam?
This is especially easy if you sign up for the deal online and there's a few days' lag time before they call you. A quick look at Yelp and the BBB website can provide a ton of information. If you have a ship name, you can look it up on Cruise Critic to see which company actually owns and operates it.
I tried again a few weeks later, and was able to book myself and a friend on the January 20, 2018, Saturday-to-Monday cruise. Once again, they tried to upsell me to a pre-cruise package for $69 that included two nights' hotel stay at the Ramada Plaza in Fort Lauderdale with meals, and maybe with transportation to the cruise port or maybe they'd arrange it for $60 per person. (It was not clear -- despite the huge price difference with or without transport.) They reminded me about additional fees, such as gratuities, fuel surcharge (currently at $9 per person) and port parking (if needed, at $18 per day). I wouldn't receive an exact cabin number until three weeks before the cruise.
All of this is sketchy, but it's not necessarily a scam if you get a cruise in the end.
Even if I wanted to, the situation was impossible -- my friend's babysitters were no longer available, and I'd have to pay a second set of airline change fees plus a higher fare, turning a $100 ticket into a $400 ticket. So, I called back and canceled, guilt trip be damned. A few days before my cruise should have departed, I got a confirmation email from Royal Seas about picking up my cruise docs. I hope it was a clerical error because I did not have the energy to call back. Now I'm waiting to hear back from the compliance department, and watching my credit card for the refund.
Before you write off Royal Seas as a total scam, however, look at the company's Yelp reviews; some people actually do get a cruise out of the deal. There are many complaints -- about the high-pressure sales tactics I encountered, bait and switch with hotels, forced timeshare presentations, cruise cancellations and high fees when people don't book their cruise in the allotted 18 months and want to extend the offer. But at least with Royal Seas, no one is reporting their credit card number stolen or that they put down the deposit and never received the voucher to book. (Though there could be other scams out there that do these things.) For what it's worth, the Better Business Bureau rates the company as an F, says it's not BBB accredited and mentions the cruise scam at the top of the page. Be skeptical of hard sells and offers that sound too good to be true.
The rep told me that if I booked the outside cabin, I could upgrade at an undisclosed discounted rate later, but I couldn't do that if I booked the inside that day. Or I could choose an extended stay (saving over 75 percent!), with two nights pre-cruise in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando or two nights on Grand Bahama Island (in between sailings) at the Grand Lucayan Breakers Cay Resort. Total price for the cruise plus Bahamas resort was $998 for two passengers.
No comments:
Post a Comment