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Try to change them back, she urged, stressing how she just went out on a limb for me. One day she told me she couldn't help; the next, she laid on the guilt when I balked at spending more time on the phone rejiggering travel plans. I called at the end of August to book an early November weekend cruise. The rep told me that my preferred sail date was only available if I upgraded to a package with a two-night pre-cruise stay at their hotel in Florida. There was no availability for my booking (inside cabin, cruise-only) until December when I was not free.
Beware of giving your credit card to an unknown source.
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.
Was It a Scam?
Paul Wight Set For Next Year's Jericho Cruise - 411mania.com
Paul Wight Set For Next Year's Jericho Cruise.
Posted: Tue, 28 Feb 2023 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.
Book through a reputable cruise line or travel agent.
To start searching for the perfect cruise at the lowest possible price, visit Cruise411. If you want to shop and compare, you can always check with the following booking search engines to ensure that you are getting the absolute lowest price. Booking through Bahamas Paradise is the legit way to go, but as you can see, you'll be paying a lot more. My weekend cruise in January cost nearly $250 less through Royal Seas Cruises than this weekday offer. The other surprise was that I would need to pick up my cruise documents at Royal Seas' Welcome Center at the Ramada in Fort Lauderdale, nearly 50 miles away from the cruise port.
However, I would hate to have to pay the cancelation fee every time that Canrival had an up-grade promotion for new bookings. I have only cruised one other time and that time I did not price shop or watch the prices. Didn't realize that was an option so I just settled for the TA that I had at the time. But now thanks to cc I know better than to just settle on one price. If anything sounds suspicious or if your questions are not being answered to your satisfaction, ask to speak to a supervisor or higher-up.
Booking the Free Cruise
There are so many great cruise deals out there from legitimate travel agents and cruise lines, you might be better off booking your vacation that way. A free cruise offer might be cheap, but you can waste hours of your life trying to put the package together, and might not end up with a cruise, or at least the vacation you imagined, in the end. Educate yourself on tips and tricks for getting the best cruise price, and then pick the trip you want. It's definitely better value for your time and money.
Speak to a supervisor.
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.
I spent a total of three hours on hold, including two at one stretch, and never reached anyone. On Tuesday, I found a different number and got through. This rep said I could switch to the two-night hotel stay (no mention of ferry) or rebook on another sail date. When pressed, he said I could cancel but wouldn't help with airline change fees. I could book an outside cabin for more money, or she could transfer me to the customer care team if I'd prefer a balcony.
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.
The cruises are popular enough that the line has purchased a second ship from Costa Cruises, to be named Grand Classica, scheduled to debut in April 2018. Cruise Critic readers rate Grand Celebration 3 out of 5 stars -- remember, it is a smaller, older ship -- and have reviewed it 299 times. I didn't know about the 10% fee for reductions but so far the cruises I have booked have not been reduced - so I guess I will have to wait and see. I have a great agent that I work with there who I think would work with me just so I wouldn't cancel the reservation. Cruise newbies are rightfully confused about companies like Royal Seas Cruises. While the line implies it's the cruise line for the Grand Celebration ship, it's not; its name often makes people think it's Royal Caribbean, and many of the positive BBB reviews are from folks posting in the wrong place.
It's a legitimate cruise ship -- but it's owned by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. You can ask for a number to call them back, but they might not give it. (Royal Seas would not, and would not honor their deal if I hung up and called later.) Know how your credit card company handles fraudulent charges, and document everything said to you on a call if you plan on taking the risk. Never give your credit card number for any purpose (such as verifying your identity) other than making a specific purchase.
You can also read both editor and reader reviews of ships to see if the experience is the dream cruise you're envisioning. Their spring break deal quoted prices starting at $149 per person. In this case, the actual scam seems to be the bait and switch tactics, unhelpful customer service, hidden fees and requirements and the difficulty of obtaining a refund for canceled cruises.
It's not a phishing scam, but you have a high probability of not getting the vacation you thought you were booking. She said she was very sorry, that there was nothing they could do as the ship had been chartered. When I pressed her, she ultimately gave me the contact information for her compliance department who would review and hopefully help refund airline change fees. (Look up reviews of the Balearia -- aka "the Vomit Comet" -- on our sister site TripAdvisor, and you'll see why.) When I got back home, I called Royal Seas on Monday to cancel.
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