On February 15th 2008 I received an e-mail stating I “won a free cruise”. I called the number and was told that indeed I did win a complimentary cruise to the Bahamas.
A week or so later I received the “official reservation" with Reservation number and requirements. The letter indicated that I needed to pay them $118 port charges.
I paid them that day. They also charged to “upgraded me” to a better cabin. This cost me an additional $217.
Months and Months went by and I heard nothing from them.
I finally called them on August 7 to confirm my travel date of November 16th.
They confirmed by phone and said they would send me an itinerary.
They never did.
I called back on October 3rd 2008 and they verbally confirmed my sail date but told me that they do not “mail or ship out” my boarding passes, so I must be at their office at 7:00 am the day of departure to claim my passes for a 5:00pm sail time.
Obviously, I couldn't fly out the day of the sail departure, and be at their office at 7:00am, so they “offered to put me up” in the Ramada Plaza Resort for a special reduced fee of $149.00 which I paid.
On October 10th they confirmed my Hotel (with Ramada Plaza) and my cruise with Imperial Majesty.
On October 14, 2008 employee Fabian, Supervisor, informed me that my cruise was cancelled. He offered me a substitute cruise for an additional $227.50 per person. I declined.
On 10-15-08 I called again and got supervisor Schvon who informed me that they would not refund my money as they have a strict “no-refund” policy.
I explained that I am not canceling on them, they cancelled on me.
She said that there is nothing she can do for me except offer me a cruise at a later time, or I could pay them the $227.50 per person for the alternate cruise.
Either way, she said, I am not getting back my $484.00.
I have taken time off from work, applied for & paid for passports, rented a car, purchased plane tickets and paid them $484.00 all for nothing.
Rjpelly
Wantagh, New York