"free" cruise for timeshare presentation tips?

[peabody99]

My spouse and I were at a street fair and agreed to a time share meeting to get a free 4 night carnival cruise and other goodies. I am not a time share person so there was no intent to buy, but agreed to go for the love of the cruise. It was pure hell, but we only did it to get the cruise.

 

As expected, the cabin is the lowest category and we have to pay taxes and "fees" total about $180.00 a piece-still not bad! Steerage no problem for us, we are happy to be on the boat. When we tried to book the company really gave us the run around regarding availability-pretty much saying there was nothing in the lowest category so we had to pay out of the nose for what was available. Long story short we found a sailing that worked in an entry level cabin-bunks! lol. The upgrades offered by this slip shot operation were outrageous.

 

My questions are: 1)has anyone ever "won" or gotten a "free" cruise as a result of some promotion, and upgraded through carnival either before or day of sail? I have only taken carnival once before but 2) do they do automatic upgrades if the ship is not full? We actually have another carnival cruise (we are paying for :D) coming up before this one so its not we are only sailing for the free cruise.

thanks!

[firefly333]

So, did they finally book you? for what cruise? how many days?

 

I went thru this but paid more than you did for my 4 day free cruise. they also would have let me pay $299 pp for a 7 day, but I sent in the 4 day money. It took me over a year to get booked .. but not out of the promised depature port etc.

 

so again.. did you actually get booked?

[Dive Master]

Probably too late for my tip but here it is anyway. When offered a free cruise for a timeshare presentation----Run Away as Fast as You Can !!!!

[golfadj]

Think of it as a life lesson and run away.

[peabody99]

ok to follow up. YES we did get booked for a 4 night Baja. We paid $183 each. Initially my spouse called and got the dog and pony show where they said none of the free cabins were available so we would need to upgrade. They were wanting MORE than what it would cost to book on our own...and for a "free" cruise! What ever date he gave them they said none of the "free" cabins were available. So when I called I said "tell me when the cabins for this certificate are available....or I call the attorney generals office" . Booked. As expected we had to pay taxes and such.

I agree people should run from time share presentations. It was horrific as it was a 2 of them on 2 of us deal. At the time I was not working, so I though working these grifters and getting a low cost vacation was kind of like "work". Poor hard working hubby had to go along for the ride. For what ever reason they targeted and verbally abused me for trying to scam them out of a cruise (busted)! But it was over in less than 2 hours. So low cost vacation for a couple hours of hell.

 

but back to original question-I don't want to deal with this scam agency to explore an upgrade. Ideas? In the end I don't care we enjoyed a cruise in a bunk room too!

[joeandaimeesmom]

Probably too late for my tip but here it is anyway. When offered a free cruise for a timeshare presentation----Run Away as Fast as You Can !!!!

 

 

 

And keep running!!!

[firefly333]

Oh I didnt know that was per person. I paid less after all. Iv booked groups for less than you paid.. so Im not so sure you got such a great deal, but its ok. Just go and enjoy the cruise now.

 

If you booked thru their TA, the TA owns the booking. The only way to upgrade is to deal with them. Thats true no matter which TA you use to book.

 

I had a pretty awful cabin, usually storage, sounded like next to the engine. I would never trust them again. no bunk beds though.

[peabody99]

i never thought it was a great deal (I said "not bad")- I am fine paying $180 pp for 4 nights. It a trip we would have booked anyway-and have (but longer duration) . mine is not next to the engine. The MDR is above-not the kitchen thankfully! I don't care too much about storage either. The bunk bed if kind of goofy but maybe we will get some laughs out of it.

[golfadj]

This comes up here pretty regularly. Suggest you tell others of your experiences so as to spare them dealing with a bunch of crooks.

[firefly333]

i never thought it was a great deal (I said "not bad")- I am fine paying $180 pp for 4 nights. It a trip we would have booked anyway-and have (but longer duration) . mine is not next to the engine. The MDR is above-not the kitchen thankfully! I don't care too much about storage either. The bunk bed if kind of goofy but maybe we will get some laughs out of it.

 

Their TA UPGRADED me, oh joy, to a 4A, no bunk beds..in the back of the ship, bottom deck. Thats how we got in a cabin usually not used for guests. Thats also how I confirmed first hand how much of a vibration in the back of Triumph.

[golfadj]

The new local ripoff is you get invited to dinner in local restaurant where they do presentation on how to cut heating cost in half.

 

They make sure all people are senior citizens and than ask for no questions during presentation to save time for later.

 

Than they say no questions after the presentation so we can "leave on time" but they are happy to answer all questions when they come to your home for the survey.

 

Guess enough people fall for this so as to allow them to pay for our steak dinner.

[Melismass]

My DH and I went to listen to a "travel talk" 2 weeks ago for 2 free airline tickets through Delta. It turned out to be a type of travel agency that wanted us to pay 8,000 for a lifetime membership to some type a travel club! Of course, we didn't buy! We were give a brochure to take home! I had to fill out some paperwork and send it in with self addressed envelopes and 2 stamps! Really? They can't afford stamps? Can't wait to see what kind of nonsense they send me back. I bet it's not airline tickets though!

[Texaslandshark]

An old saying, "You can't cheat an honest man.".

[Kokopelli2]

We sat through a vacation club presentation recently that promised a free cruise through Global Travel. We got the hard sell at the end, but kept saying no. We got our certificate in the mail a couple weeks ago.

 

Here's where they get you (after reading the fine print). First, you send in this certificate with your deposit ($100 pp). Then, they have 90 days to send you a "planning form" where you choose three dates. Your three dates must be a minimum of 90 days out from when you send the form back. That takes you about six months (April) from now.

 

Reading the fine print, the offer is only good on select sailing from September through February. The rest of the months, you can book a rate at 50% off the published brochure rates (not ES or any other discount rate). Our offer (that we just got) expires August 31, 2012. Travel has to take place by that date. So, because of their restricted dates, there would be no way for us to get the "free" cruise. We would have to book one at 50% off the published brochure rates.

 

Oh, and the "free" cabin is the lowest cabin (the bunk bed cabin on the bottom deck). Of course you can pay more to upgrade to a cabin where you could sleep with your spouse. :D

 

Well, we learned our lesson. But they did give us $20 cash for gas money and a $50 restaurant card. So, no big deal. But definitely no free cruise!

[peabody99]

yeah these things are a joke...we knew it going in but decided to give it a whirl. after we sat through the hard sale, by gosh we were going on the cruise. It was a real hassle though to get through the BS to get what we did which as indicated was not "free". $45.00 a day (each) is not bad, and we have been wanting to see Catalina Island anyway so in the end it was OK. That all said I won't waste our time again like that.

[nutley chick]

We sat through a vacation club presentation recently that promised a free cruise through Global Travel. We got the hard sell at the end, but kept saying no. We got our certificate in the mail a couple weeks ago.

 

Here's where they get you (after reading the fine print). First, you send in this certificate with your deposit ($100 pp). Then, they have 90 days to send you a "planning form" where you choose three dates. Your three dates must be a minimum of 90 days out from when you send the form back. That takes you about six months (April) from now.

 

Reading the fine print, the offer is only good on select sailing from September through February. The rest of the months, you can book a rate at 50% off the published brochure rates (not ES or any other discount rate). Our offer (that we just got) expires August 31, 2012. Travel has to take place by that date. So, because of their restricted dates, there would be no way for us to get the "free" cruise. We would have to book one at 50% off the published brochure rates.

 

Oh, and the "free" cabin is the lowest cabin (the bunk bed cabin on the bottom deck). Of course you can pay more to upgrade to a cabin where you could sleep with your spouse. :D

 

Well, we learned our lesson. But they did give us $20 cash for gas money and a $50 restaurant card. So, no big deal. But definitely no free cruise!

 

I was supposed to go to this too but blow it off the last minute. Glad I did now.