Freedom of the Seas, May 3, 2015 Not available for booking?

[bigque]

I hope the people who had booked this cruise can get their refunds in an expedtious manner. If they do,then maybe some can join us on the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage...We're going to have a great time!

 

That cruise is always priced high also because of all the acts and The Tom Joyner Foundation! I personally wouldn't go on any of them. I'll pay the regular price for a cruise and then go see some of these acts when they are traveling together in multi act concerts and pay 50 to a hundred bucks depending on where I want to sit. But that's just me! :cool:

[LadyMage]

...I'd like to know two things:

1. How could they possibly imagine anyone would want to do business with their events again after this?

 

2. How can they possibly put on another event, especially if RC drew on the letter of guaranteed credit?

 

Somehow I doubt they had separate incorporations for their events - usually, events have separate entities formed for just those events; it protects the promoters - and if that's so, then RC drawing on the letter of credit puts their entire concert franchise in jeopardy.

[Chyna3032]

That cruise is always priced high also because of all the acts and The Tom Joyner Foundation! I personally wouldn't go on any of them. I'll pay the regular price for a cruise and then go see some of these acts when they are traveling together in multi act concerts and pay 50 to a hundred bucks depending on where I want to sit. But that's just me! :cool:

 

Yes, it's expensive (but the majority is tax deductible) and I don't try to sell anyone one it if it's not your thing. However, we have a great time and I've never been on a regular price cruise and don't really see myself doing so anytime soon. That's actually how much fun I have. Everyone is different, though.

[Chyna3032]

I just received a call from Wendy at BTW. She said I can get a credit for another BTW event (HELL NO!), file a claim with Travel Guard or dispute the claim with my credit card company. I told her I just want my money back. I also told her I would like to receive a letter stating that the cruise was cancelled so I can file a claim. I asked her when the charter was cancelled, she told that BTW found out when Maxwell cancelled; which is a lie. Royal Caribbean cancelled the charter in November.

 

That's absolutely ridiculous! Royal Caribbean was not doing business with Maxwell directly. These people are crooks. I get it, they don't have you all's money, but to just continue to lie about the situation is horrible.

[hattack]

bigque....would invite you take the leap and try one and see why it's the best value if you are a fan of supporting live music & cruising...it's so much more then just buying 2 tickets, enjoying the performances then going home

[Chyna3032]

bigque....would invite you take the leap and try one and see why it's the best value if you are a fan of supporting live music & cruising...it's so much more then just buying 2 tickets, enjoying the performances then going home

 

 

You hit the nail on the head! It's definitely worth it for me. 2-3 concerts per night. Seminars/games and other fun activities during the day and not to mention the people you meet and relationships you build. We have an absolute ball...

[LadyMage]

You hit the nail on the head! It's definitely worth it for me. 2-3 concerts per night. Seminars/games and other fun activities during the day and not to mention the people you meet and relationships you build. We have an absolute ball...

 

Agreed. I am very serious when I say that a music cruise changed my life. Very first cruise was in January of 2009, Celebrity Century with an all-jazz lineup... I met my current clientele and mentors on that ship.

[Folk Singer]

You're not going to believe this. I have a friend that was going on the Maxwell at Sea cruise and she was told when she contacted the the promoter that they would not be giving refunds only credits to future events that BTW is having. She is livid as she should be!!!!

 

 

And She has every right to feel that way.

[hattack]

There is a YouTube video with the Promoter posted in Nov 2013 announcing BTW's aggressive expansion plans of BTW promoted Jazz Festivals in additional cities plus the Maxwell Cruise....I would suspect that the Maxwell fiasco might put a crimpt in his plans

 

The YouTube video also puts a face and a name to BTW and the Maxwell situation which if I were one of the paid guests trying to get my full refund without having to go thru "extra hoops" I would want to make sure the Arizona AG's Office of Consumer Affairs were made aware of the video....if I were the guests impacted, I would secure a copy of that video, in case it is disabled or removed

 

My question is since Maxwell's name is associated with this situation...has his legal team insulated him from liability or will he wind up as a co defendant on the "People's Court"

 

Sadly, I suspect this situation will unravel even more in the next few weeks and may explode in the media (TMZ) unless the promoter makes good on refunding fully booked guests monies paid...this makes me appreciate how Capital Jazz does business

[Wendy&Grumpy]

So if these folks who made deposits file claims/disputes through their credit card companies, where do the reimbursement funds come from? I mean, if the promoter is broke, how can the credit card companies force refunds of money that's not available?!

Edited February 6, 2015 by Wendy&Grumpy

[hattack]

American Express IMHO is the best credit card to have in this situation,,,,they are relentless

[Cruzin-K]

So if these folks who made deposits file claims/disputes through their credit card companies, where do the reimbursement funds come from? I mean, if the promoter is broke, how can the credit card companies force refunds of money that's not available?!

 

From the credit card issuer.

 

I booked a hotel in Australia through 1800hotels.com and they went bankrupt, keeping my $800. Amex refunded the money to my credit card when the website never responded to Amex's request to prove the charge was legitimate. As far as I know, the bankruptcy filing is still working it's way through the system. I don't expect to see any money back from the company, but I was already fully reimbursed by Amex, so I don't think about it anymore. I do however, only book flights and hotels directly now - no third parties. I still use a TA for cruises because I'm paying the cruise line, not the TA.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Cruzin-K

[Wendy&Grumpy]

From the credit card issuer.

 

So that kinda fits with the idea that this whole thing was a scam, doesn't it? If BTW took all the money yet credit card issuers are left holding the bag? Wow.

[hattack]

If it were a group on a regular sailing organized by a not well known or long term established organization I could see the possibility

 

However a full charter requires some serious money and vetting process before a legacy cruise line would sign a contract and remove a vessel from revenue generating service

 

I wonder what the sponsors & attendees of the other BTWconcerts Festivals are thinking right now

[Lovenharmony]

I'm one of the customers that has to deal with this fiasco and me and my party that was cruising with me was told by BTWConcerts that they are now in litigation with RCCL and that we will get our funds back, but it will take some time. They stated that those of us who purchased travel insurance should file a claim with them and that they too will be contacting them to explain in full the reasons as to why they cannot presently give their customers refunds and to expedite the process of assisting us in receiving our refunds in a timely manner.

 

I've already opened up a claim with BTWConcerts' travel insurance partner Travel Guard, and am waiting to fill out a claim with my credit card company, and also informed the media of the impact that this celebrity cruise has had on thousands of Maxwell fans, and Maxwell himself!

 

I've written a lengthy letter which I will be sending to everyone involved in the mess, and won't stop untill all the funds that are due to me are paid in full! I don't care who gives me my money back, just as long as I get it, and get it promptly! I'm so glad that I informed myself about this cruise by joining this site, or else I'd be less prepared in trying to get back my funds ASAP!

 

It doesn't hurt that I work for the Department of Justice and have an abundance of lawyers willing to look over this particular case, just in case it gets up to the point that no one wants to give up funds I'm due!

[LadyMage]

I'm one of the customers that has to deal with this fiasco and me and my party that was cruising with me was told by BTWConcerts that they are now in litigation with RCCL and that we will get our funds back, but it will take some time. They stated that those of us who purchased travel insurance should file a claim with them and that they too will be contacting them to explain in full the reasons as to why they cannot presently give their customers refunds and to expedite the process of assisting us in receiving our refunds in a timely manner.

 

I've already opened up a claim with BTWConcerts' travel insurance partner Travel Guard, and am waiting to fill out a claim with my credit card company, and also informed the media of the impact that this celebrity cruise has had on thousands of Maxwell fans, and Maxwell himself!

 

I've written a lengthy letter which I will be sending to everyone involved in the mess, and won't stop untill all the funds that are due to me are paid in full! I don't care who gives me my money back, just as long as I get it, and get it promptly! I'm so glad that I informed myself about this cruise by joining this site, or else I'd be less prepared in trying to get back my funds ASAP!

 

It doesn't hurt that I work for the Department of Justice and have an abundance of lawyers willing to look over this particular case, just in case it gets up to the point that no one wants to give up funds I'm due!

 

You go, Lovenharmony!

 

I have a cache of screencaps from their pages, most of them of posts they had removed to sanitize, but among them is that one from Jan. about "their payment system being down".

 

Also...not sure if this might be considered "outing" myself outside cruisecritic (still a newbie) but...I have written a long blog post on the entire thing that has made the rounds at the speed of light, mostly within the music community. If there's anything that you may be able to find there that is useful, I'm only glad to help.

 

And if he's in litigation with RCI, then he's definitely screwed. It also highlights why people are told that "there's no money" - if RCI is drawing on the letter of credit, then I would bet you that the bank affiliated with the credit line is freezing/seizing whatever assets are in the BTW accounts just based on the total amount owed, and if it's a single-member LLC, I don't think that the owner's personal assets are exempt either. RCI I'm certain isn't pleased with having its name attached to this fiasco.

 

This guy has burned a lot of people prior to this. If this will be what ends his franchise, I will consider it karma. It grinds slow but exceeding small.

Edited February 7, 2015 by LadyMage

[LetsGetWet!]

I'm one of the customers that has to deal with this fiasco and me and my party that was cruising with me was told by BTWConcerts that they are now in litigation with RCCL and that we will get our funds back, but it will take some time. They stated that those of us who purchased travel insurance should file a claim with them and that they too will be contacting them to explain in full the reasons as to why they cannot presently give their customers refunds and to expedite the process of assisting us in receiving our refunds in a timely manner.

 

I've already opened up a claim with BTWConcerts' travel insurance partner Travel Guard, and am waiting to fill out a claim with my credit card company, and also informed the media of the impact that this celebrity cruise has had on thousands of Maxwell fans, and Maxwell himself!

 

I've written a lengthy letter which I will be sending to everyone involved in the mess, and won't stop untill all the funds that are due to me are paid in full! I don't care who gives me my money back, just as long as I get it, and get it promptly! I'm so glad that I informed myself about this cruise by joining this site, or else I'd be less prepared in trying to get back my funds ASAP!

 

It doesn't hurt that I work for the Department of Justice and have an abundance of lawyers willing to look over this particular case, just in case it gets up to the point that no one wants to give up funds I'm due!

Sorry you're having to deal with this, hope you get your money back soon.

 

FWIW, although anything is possible, I'm not sure I'm inclined to believe that they're "in litigation with RCCL." Sounds more like an excuse to not pay and an attempt to shift blame to RCCL, and they've already been lying through their teeth to customers for the last 3 months.

[LadyMage]

There is a YouTube video with the Promoter posted in Nov 2013 announcing BTW's aggressive expansion plans of BTW promoted Jazz Festivals in additional cities plus the Maxwell Cruise....I would suspect that the Maxwell fiasco might put a crimpt in his plans

 

The YouTube video also puts a face and a name to BTW and the Maxwell situation which if I were one of the paid guests trying to get my full refund without having to go thru "extra hoops" I would want to make sure the Arizona AG's Office of Consumer Affairs were made aware of the video....if I were the guests impacted, I would secure a copy of that video, in case it is disabled or removed

 

My question is since Maxwell's name is associated with this situation...has his legal team insulated him from liability or will he wind up as a co defendant on the "People's Court"

 

Sadly, I suspect this situation will unravel even more in the next few weeks and may explode in the media (TMZ) unless the promoter makes good on refunding fully booked guests monies paid...this makes me appreciate how Capital Jazz does business

 

His corporate registration is also public record.

[LadyMage]

So if these folks who made deposits file claims/disputes through their credit card companies, where do the reimbursement funds come from? I mean, if the promoter is broke, how can the credit card companies force refunds of money that's not available?!

 

I would think that credit card issuers have fraud insurance of some kind for those things... The money comes from the issuer directly.

 

And American Express really is the royalty of credit cards for this sort of a thing. You give them documents, next thing you know the money shows up.

[hattack]

:rolleyes:one does not mess with American Express :rolleyes:

 

On a positive note, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 & Blue Note Records have teamed up for :cool:Blue Note Jazz at Sea" 10/29 :cool:Trans Atlantic Crossing featuring an AllStar line up of the record labels popular Jazz artists

 

This appears to be an example of a Cruise Line working in a collaberative fashion with a record label (or promoter) to offer a unique entertainment option for guests on a select sailing

 

If successful, maybe we will see more of these types of efforts...

[SherriZ366]

I'm one of the customers that has to deal with this fiasco and me and my party that was cruising with me was told by BTWConcerts that they are now in litigation with RCCL and that we will get our funds back, but it will take some time. They stated that those of us who purchased travel insurance should file a claim with them and that they too will be contacting them to explain in full the reasons as to why they cannot presently give their customers refunds and to expedite the process of assisting us in receiving our refunds in a timely manner.

 

I've already opened up a claim with BTWConcerts' travel insurance partner Travel Guard, and am waiting to fill out a claim with my credit card company, and also informed the media of the impact that this celebrity cruise has had on thousands of Maxwell fans, and Maxwell himself!

 

I've written a lengthy letter which I will be sending to everyone involved in the mess, and won't stop untill all the funds that are due to me are paid in full! I don't care who gives me my money back, just as long as I get it, and get it promptly! I'm so glad that I informed myself about this cruise by joining this site, or else I'd be less prepared in trying to get back my funds ASAP!

 

It doesn't hurt that I work for the Department of Justice and have an abundance of lawyers willing to look over this particular case, just in case it gets up to the point that no one wants to give up funds I'm due!

Sorry you have to go through this mess. Hope you get your money back promptly.

 

I agree with "Let's Get Wet" re: litigation with RCCL and their attempt to shift blame to RCCL --their website statement also tried to make it look like it was RCCL's fault.

 

It would be great if you could please post your letter on CC if you feel comfortable doing so.

[SherriZ366]

Sorry you're having to deal with this, hope you get your money back soon.

 

FWIW, although anything is possible, I'm not sure I'm inclined to believe that they're "in litigation with RCCL." Sounds more like an excuse to not pay and an attempt to shift blame to RCCL, and they've already been lying through their teeth to customers for the last 3 months.

Totally agree.

[Lovenharmony]

Sorry you have to go through this mess. Hope you get your money back promptly.

 

I agree with "Let's Get Wet" re: litigation with RCCL and their attempt to shift blame to RCCL --their website statement also tried to make it look like it was RCCL's fault.

 

It would be great if you could please post your letter on CC if you feel comfortable doing so.

 

Sure! I'm no lawyer, but I tried to explain the issue as detailed as I could.

 

It's a lengthy letter, but this is what I've dealt with and want to let my frustration be heard!

 

===============================================

 

Back in December 2014, I joined a forum entitled Cruise Critic to find out more information regarding cruises since this Maxwell cruise would be my first cruise ever, and I was ecstatic to see Maxwell in concert along with other major celebrities at the same time.

 

I was very excited to be going on the cruise, until I discovered upon reading through Cruise Critic forum posts regarding the Maxwell & The Seven Seas cruise, that back in October 2014, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line had released the May 3 – 10, 2015 Freedom of The Seas cruise ship to the public. This cruise was supposed to be a full ship charter for Maxwell & The Seven Seas cruise customers, which was chartered by BTWconcerts / BTWatsea. As soon as I heard that it was released from its charter, I knew that there was going to be major event problems to transpire. In our contract for purchasing this unique cruise, we were promised a “full Maxwell & The Seven Seas experience”, which means that it was supposed to be a full ship charter, but no longer was one due to financial issues between BTWconcerts, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

 

I was hoping to hear an update to the status of our Maxwell & The Seven Seas cruise from BTWconcerts since being notified of this issue on Cruise Critic, but no BTW representative contacted myself or my party that was cruising with me. Also, as per other non-Maxwell & The Seven Seas cruise customers that had booked cabins on the Freedom of The Seas Royal Caribbean cruise ship for May 3-10, 2015, they inquired about the ship being a full ship charter to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and they stated to them that it was no longer a full ship charter. However, when they contacted BTWconcerts, and asked if the cruise was a full ship charter, they were stating that it still was! There was a lot of confusion, passing the buck between the 2 companies, and misinformation between cruise customers, that I didn’t know who to believe. I quickly started to realize that the experience I was expecting from this cruise was exponentially turning into chaos.

 

It was then on February 2nd 2015 that I went on BTWatsea.com, and discovered that the entire website regarding the Maxwell & The Seven Seas Cruise was completely shut down with no explanation as to the status of our cruise! I panicked and went to Maxwell’s Facebook page to find out what was going on, and he finally explained the situation;

“The “Maxwell + The 7 Seas” cruise, previously scheduled for May 3-10, 2015 has unfortunately been cancelled due to unforeseen events and circumstances between the cruise line and promoter.”

“I’m so sorry that the 7 Seas cruise has been cancelled. I’ve been planning it for months, but the experience I had in mind for the fans just wasn’t turning out as I had envisioned” – Maxwell

Please contact BTWatsea.com for details. Phone: (602) 244-8444”

Then finally, many hours after reading Maxwell’s Facebook message, BTWatsea.com updated their website with the above message and the following;

“For current customers, BTWatsea.com will be contacting you for further details. If you wish, you may also fill out the form below and a representative from BTWatsea.com will contact you.”

I took the initiative and filled out my contact information so one of the BTW representatives would contact me. The next day, one of the representatives called me and finally explained the situation to me in full regarding the cancellation of the entire cruise, the breach of contract as to what the Maxwell & The Seven Seas promised to customers (full ship charter), the dispute between BTWconcerts and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and the disapproval of what Maxwell himself had envisioned for his fans.

 

The BTW representative then explained the options I had as to the funds I used for payment for the cruise ($3,045.00). Option 1 was 20% off the cost to one of the other BTWconcerts cruises that was still available, and option 2 was a full refund of the purchase price for the Maxwell & The Seven Seas cruise that was cancelled by them. I chose option 2 since the only reason I wanted to go on this cruise was for the experience of cruising with Maxwell, and being entertained by a wonderful array of musicians that I was already fans of.

 

I asked the BTW representative to send me an email clarifying the cancellation of the cruise on their end, which nullified their previous contract with customers that the cruise was “100% non-refundable.” The representative told me that it would take a few days to receive the email from them since they had to contact many other customers regarding the funds they used to purchase a cruise that was now cancelled.

 

On February 6 2015, I finally received the official email from BTWatsea.com regarding the cancellation. I was also informed by another BTW representative that their company BTWconcerts was now in litigation, and even though all customers who took option 2 for a full refund are guaranteed to get one, it will take a long time for refunds to be processed. So, the BTW representative advised that we contact Travel Guard insurance to file a claim so we could recoup funds that most likely will be tied up for months in litigation.

 

As per your Travel Guard policy, if we purchased travel insurance within 15 days of our initial trip deposit, we’re covered for trip cancellation / interruption due to bankruptcy and/or default coverage, and are entitled to 100% refund of the insured trip cost. Attached to this letter is my credit card bank statement with the correct dates of purchase for my Maxwell & The Seven Seas cabin on 8/22/2014 and my purchase of travel insurance from Travel Guard on 8/21/2014; purchased only one day earlier from paying for the cruise cabin in full.

 

In this circumstance, BTWconcerts is in default – has a material failure, or inability to provide contracted services due to financial insolvency – because of their breach of contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. In laymen’s terms, BTWconcerts is now in default with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, which means they will not be able to refund our due monies promptly since all of their finances are now tied up in litigation, and will be for the foreseeable future.

 

Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of being able to wait months to recoup thousands of dollars that was previously used to treat myself to a vacation of my dreams, which has now turned into a nightmare of litigation, frustration, and disappointment. BTWconcerts understands the need for a speedy refund process to appease customers, and has also informed me that they will be contacting your company to explain further the details regarding assisting customers in recouping funds in a timely manner.

 

Therefore, I’m putting in a claim with Travel Guard to recoup funds owed to me, which in no way am I responsible for a breach in contract with Travel Guard, or BTWconcerts’ policy, to be denied.

Thank you for your time, and I await your rapid response.

[hattack]

Thank you for sharing your well organized and articulate letter....the fact that this would have been your very first cruise with the added excitement of experiencing a private music charter with Maxwell and an awesome line up of Smooth Jazz musicians, only compounded your frustration and disappointment....rest assured the Maxwell situation is an exception to the norm and there are many well established private music charters that many of us that post on Cruise Critics can attest to their ethical business practices and guests satisfaction which has resulted in our loyal repeat business...plus a better value for your hard earned incremental vacation dollar

 

I would suggest from a timing perspective, it might behove you to reach out to the good folks at Capital Jazz SuperCruise 9 this week and I am sure they are monitoring the Maxwell situation closely and can work with you to ensure that you can still experience your 1st cruise and full music charter vacation of a lifetime this year...by timing I mean, we cruise in late October, which will allow for a successful resolution of your Maxwell refund situation, gives you and your roommate enough time to reschedule your vacation at work....our cruise is almost sold out but cabins in all categories open up (folks plans change) all the time and the staff will work with you...plus many of us that have posted on this thread are on the cruise, so we will make sure you will have the time of your life....save part of your Maxwell refund to deposit onboard for SuperCruise 10 (which will really be special).......

 

Sometimes when one door is blocked, another door is open, which in your case will be a much better match...your 1st cruise is very special and one you will never forget...that's why Capital Jazz is called the SuperCruise

 

Good luck with your efforts to recoup your funds

[Lovenharmony]

Thank you for sharing your well organized and articulate letter....the fact that this would have been your very first cruise with the added excitement of experiencing a private music charter with Maxwell and an awesome line up of Smooth Jazz musicians, only compounded your frustration and disappointment....rest assured the Maxwell situation is an exception to the norm and there are many well established private music charters that many of us that post on Cruise Critics can attest to their ethical business practices and guests satisfaction which has resulted in our loyal repeat business...plus a better value for your hard earned incremental vacation dollar

 

I would suggest from a timing perspective, it might behove you to reach out to the good folks at Capital Jazz SuperCruise 9 this week and I am sure they are monitoring the Maxwell situation closely and can work with you to ensure that you can still experience your 1st cruise and full music charter vacation of a lifetime this year...by timing I mean, we cruise in late October, which will allow for a successful resolution of your Maxwell refund situation, gives you and your roommate enough time to reschedule your vacation at work....our cruise is almost sold out but cabins in all categories open up (folks plans change) all the time and the staff will work with you...plus many of us that have posted on this thread are on the cruise, so we will make sure you will have the time of your life....save part of your Maxwell refund to deposit onboard for SuperCruise 10 (which will really be special).......

 

Sometimes when one door is blocked, another door is open, which in your case will be a much better match...your 1st cruise is very special and one you will never forget...that's why Capital Jazz is called the SuperCruise

 

Good luck with your efforts to recoup your funds

 

Thanks for giving me such great advice!