Cruise was Cancelled AFTER we arived, no recourse?

We just got home from the most disappointing "vacation" ever. We bought a discount cruise, understood that part of the reason for the discount was that there would be a sales pitch for something or other, turns out it was for a vacation time share thing. Emailed, text messaged and phoned several times starting late August to make sure there would be no problems due to the storms, Irma and then Jose and even Maria. Was reassured each time that there would be no issues. Got to Florida, sat through the "2-hour" sales pitch that was really 8 hours. Got back to our hotel to learn that the cruise was cancelled because the ship we were to be on had been given to FEMA for humanitarian relief in the virgin islands. Now, the various cruise/travel company/companies involved with our package will not offer any compensation for the cost and inconvenience we have suffered due to their poor planning/communication/foresight whatever, other than offering us the option to reserve another cruise within 6 months. Anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to get a refund plus something for our troubles? Forgive me, but I don't want to have anything more to do with any of the companies involved. I will cruise again, just not with them. And I sure don't think it is fair of them to pull the ship out from under us AFTER we arrived and participated in the sales pitch part of the "experience".

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

What are the written terms in the cruise conrtact? Do you have any written adverrtisement from which you decided to buy that cruise? Did you have any insurance? DID they offer you the oppotunity to buy insurance3 from them to cover your costs? Did you book directly with them or use a TA?

I assume this was the Celebration or Grand Bahama something or other out of Palm Beach that got chartered by FEMA? Did you actually hand over any money to them or was it a "free" cruise? If you paid them directly and received nothing, seems like you should be able to charge back on your credit card.

I wouldn't count on getting "compensation" from a company that banks on time share presentations. They're not really all about customer service.

I assume this was the Celebration or Grand Bahama something or other out of Palm Beach that got chartered by FEMA? Did you actually hand over any money to them or was it a "free" cruise? If you paid them directly and received nothing, seems like you should be able to charge back on your credit card.

 

I wouldn't count on getting "compensation" from a company that banks on time share presentations. They're not really all about customer service.

I'd think you could go to small claims court---after all Celebration or Grand Bahama make the choice to chartered and is making money from Fema. But you get what you pay for-----------

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

If you paid for a cruise, even at a discounted rate, you should receive some compensation - read your cruise contract. At the very least, you should be given credit towards a future cruise. Exactly what did they say was the “discount”? Free cruise for sitting thru the timeshare and you only pay taxes and fees?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Unfortunately, these things are not cruises, they are sales pitches for timeshares. You can probably get back what you paid to them, but nothing you paid to anyone else.

Sounds like OP booked through a third party that discounts or gives away the cruise for the timeshare pitch. You can book regular rates direct w BPCL no timeshare pitch.

So it does come down to who you booked with and what you have paid for. In this case since you met your obligation but the sales company did not you have to see what they offer for cancelations

We just got home from the most disappointing "vacation" ever. We bought a discount cruise, understood that part of the reason for the discount was that there would be a sales pitch for something or other, turns out it was for a vacation time share thing. Emailed, text messaged and phoned several times starting late August to make sure there would be no problems due to the storms, Irma and then Jose and even Maria. Was reassured each time that there would be no issues. Got to Florida, sat through the "2-hour" sales pitch that was really 8 hours. Got back to our hotel to learn that the cruise was cancelled because the ship we were to be on had been given to FEMA for humanitarian relief in the virgin islands. Now, the various cruise/travel company/companies involved with our package will not offer any compensation for the cost and inconvenience we have suffered due to their poor planning/communication/foresight whatever, other than offering us the option to reserve another cruise within 6 months. Anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to get a refund plus something for our troubles? Forgive me, but I don't want to have anything more to do with any of the companies involved. I will cruise again, just not with them. And I sure don't think it is fair of them to pull the ship out from under us AFTER we arrived and participated in the sales pitch part of the "experience".

Book another cruise within six months. Cruise lines are not responsible for acts of God.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

If you paid for a cruise, even at a discounted rate, you should receive some compensation - read your cruise contract. At the very least, you should be given credit towards a future cruise. Exactly what did they say was the “discount”? Free cruise for sitting thru the timeshare and you only pay taxes and fees?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

OP says that they were offered a free cruise within six months. They want to be compensated for traveling to the embarkation board, and spending time in a sales pitch for their free cruise. Plus something for their "troubles".

I'd recommend filing a complaint with the Florida attorney general's office. You should get all your money back. Also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I think you will have to followup on this to see if you can get any of your costs back. I would start by reading the terms provided to you when you signed up.

Keith

I'd recommend filing a complaint with the Florida attorney general's office. You should get all your money back. Also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

If it is either of the "cruise lines" (I use that term loosely) mentioned in an above post, both have "F" ratings from the BBB in part due to not responding and not resolving numerous complaints.:(

OP says that they were offered a free cruise within six months. They want to be compensated for traveling to the embarkation board, and spending time in a sales pitch for their free cruise. Plus something for their "troubles".

Thanx - just didn't read thru the OP's entire post....

I'd recommend filing a complaint with the Florida attorney general's office. You should get all your money back. Also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Why?

The cruise line offered OP full restitution in the form of another cruise. The OP did not pay for this cruise and it was canceled due to weather. OP wants compensation for "incidentals". This time the cruise line is not at fault. If OP want's to go after a company it should be the company that offered them the promotion, which seems to be something other than the cruise line.

Geoherb didn't say who to file a complaint against.

You are correct that the only reasonable target for a complaint in this matter is the company that offered the promotion. The cruise line has nothing to do with this.

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

Book another cruise within six months. Cruise lines are not responsible for acts of God.

No they aren't but if they cancelled the cruise then the OP is entitled to a refund of what he paid for the cruise. He won't receive anything else, wouldn't even from a real cruise line, but if he did pay money for the cruise he should get that back.

No they aren't but if they cancelled the cruise then the OP is entitled to a refund of what he paid for the cruise. He won't receive anything else, wouldn't even from a real cruise line, but if he did pay money for the cruise he should get that back.

When did OP indicate that he paid the cruise line anything for the cruise?

He said "We bought a discount cruise" so whoever he bought it from owes him a refund at a bare minimum. (And I didn't say in my post that he did pay a cruise line anything, nor did I say that it was a cruise line that owed him a refund. I just said he was entitled to a refund of what he paid for the cruise.)

Certainly no recourse against the cruise line, these time share companies are all fly by night operations anytime we hear the word FREE used we run not walk the other way! Chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We just got home from the most disappointing "vacation" ever. We bought a discount cruise, understood that part of the reason for the discount was that there would be a sales pitch for something or other, turns out it was for a vacation time share thing. Emailed, text messaged and phoned several times starting late August to make sure there would be no problems due to the storms, Irma and then Jose and even Maria. Was reassured each time that there would be no issues. Got to Florida, sat through the "2-hour" sales pitch that was really 8 hours. Got back to our hotel to learn that the cruise was cancelled because the ship we were to be on had been given to FEMA for humanitarian relief in the virgin islands. Now, the various cruise/travel company/companies involved with our package will not offer any compensation for the cost and inconvenience we have suffered due to their poor planning/communication/foresight whatever, other than offering us the option to reserve another cruise within 6 months. Anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to get a refund plus something for our troubles? Forgive me, but I don't want to have anything more to do with any of the companies involved. I will cruise again, just not with them. And I sure don't think it is fair of them to pull the ship out from under us AFTER we arrived and participated in the sales pitch part of the "experience".

Chalk this one up and book a real cruise next time.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I'd recommend filing a complaint with the Florida attorney general's office. You should get all your money back. Also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Yes!! This has timeshare scam written all over it; it appears they did not deliver what was promised. Regardless of the weather.

Reporting it to the SAGs office will keep them aware that this that is going on, especially if money was paid.

If money was paid a refund should be paid. There are consumer laws for protection from these scams.

You could also contest it on the credit card you paid with and let them deal with it however you probably will not get anything for your 'inconvenience'.

Good luck! :)

OP

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Just let this be a lesson learned not to accept free cruises for attending a time share meeting -- they are a scam as far as I am concerned.

Book a regular cruise with one of the many reputable cruise lines.

We just got home from the most disappointing "vacation" ever. We bought a discount cruise, understood that part of the reason for the discount was that there would be a sales pitch for something or other, turns out it was for a vacation time share thing. Emailed, text messaged and phoned several times starting late August to make sure there would be no problems due to the storms, Irma and then Jose and even Maria. Was reassured each time that there would be no issues. Got to Florida, sat through the "2-hour" sales pitch that was really 8 hours. Got back to our hotel to learn that the cruise was cancelled because the ship we were to be on had been given to FEMA for humanitarian relief in the virgin islands. Now, the various cruise/travel company/companies involved with our package will not offer any compensation for the cost and inconvenience we have suffered due to their poor planning/communication/foresight whatever, other than offering us the option to reserve another cruise within 6 months. Anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to get a refund plus something for our troubles? Forgive me, but I don't want to have anything more to do with any of the companies involved. I will cruise again, just not with them. And I sure don't think it is fair of them to pull the ship out from under us AFTER we arrived and participated in the sales pitch part of the "experience".

...

bUU When did OP indicate that he paid the cruise line anything for the cruise?

My underline shows where Op said he paid money for the cruise.

Good rule of thumb: if a business has a Better Business Bureau rating of F, don't do business with them.

Corollary: always check out the businesses behind any kind of 'special deals'.

It is too bad OP had to learn it the hard way, but hopefully once bitten . . . .