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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Good morning everyone:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Over the past 2 weeks I have had to educate many clients, who have called me to ask me about the phone calls and post cards they have been receiving about a free cruise to the Bahamas, some even booked, and thank god they were able to get their money back. 2 couples that are blind and 3 families that aren’t. They felt stupid and I said they shouldn’t be. That is what we are here for to educate you about these things.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Let me say right now, this is a scam. If it sounds too good to be true it is!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Please read the information below. This is also up on my blog, and I am posting it also to the <a href="http://www.nfbtravel.org">www.nfbtravel.org</a> website, if you have not registered on the website to get updates, please do so, it is a wordpress site and you will need to give your first & last name and e-mail.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Anyway, here is the article.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>If you are interested in cruising or any other type of vacation, remember I own Echevarria Travel phone number is 631-456-5394 or <a href="mailto:reservations@echevarriatravel.com">reservations@echevarriatravel.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Here is the article, it is very lengthy, and I also got most of the information from Cruisecritic.com which is one of the travel websites out there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Free Cruise Offer: Scam or Legit?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>You may have seen these postcards or gotten these calls to your home especially during the holiday season. I actually am working with a client who booked this last week, and thank god we were able to get her money back.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>There is a company out there calling and sending these postcards for a free cruise you only pay $59 per person for taxes and port fees. DON'T DO IT!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>This is not the legitimate cruise line called Royal Caribbean. In fact, last week, Nelson and I had told our clients who called us and asked us why we couldn't offer the same thing, we said because it isn't a legitimate offer. This time of year from November through the holidays, these scams come out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>They are trying to lure you with a sales pitch for a time share in FL, and then take you on a 1 day cruise to the Bahamas, and then you sail home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>My client was actually charged $1700. You know what we did for them when they cancelled their trip, we actually got them a cruise on "Royal Caribbean" for 2 people for $1700 in a Balcony for 5 days instead of 7 days.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>See below from a story from one of the travel agent websites Cruisecritic.com about this, that has been out there for years!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"Congratulations add your name here , Caribbean Cruise Line has identified you to receive a free two-night cruise for two on board the Bahamas Celebration to Grand Bahama Island." *<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Free Cruise<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We've seen spokesmodel Carmen Electra touting free cruises on TV, received the award booklet mailing (with its official-looking stamps of approval from The Islands of the Bahamas, Alamo and Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort) and discovered the offer while browsing the Web. We're told that collecting our free cruise is easy: Call an 800 number, or fill out a form, and it's time for two nights of zero-cost cruising.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Naturally, "scam" might be the first thing that comes to mind with such an offer. And it quickly becomes apparent that the * means it's not actually free. It'll cost you a minimum of $59 per person for government fees and port taxes. There's nothing necessarily untoward here; the government taxes and fees are clearly stated, and $59 per person for a two-night Bahamas cruise -- which includes accommodations, all meals, entertainment and a call at Grand Bahama Island -- still seems like a decent deal for a quick getaway.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Still, people have had serious complaints when trying to book the offer, ranging from confusion about which company is making the offer (Caribbean Cruise Lines, which sends the deal, or Celebration Cruise Line, which operates the ships) to forced timeshare pitches and misleading pricing. Many agents have done some research, including attempting to book a cruise, to help you determine whether the offer is a scam or a good deal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>First, a bit of background:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Who is Caribbean Cruise Line, Anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Let's clear up a key point of confusion right away. Celebration Cruise Line is the actual name of the line on which you'll be sailing. Caribbean Cruise Line is not a cruise line at all, but the name of a wholesaler that's touting the free cruise. But, the difference between line and wholesaler seems to be blurry at best, with many, many complaints on sites like Cruise Critic, complaintsboard.com and ripoffreport.com and the Better Business Bureau conflating line and seller. It doesn't help that each has a telegenic spokesmodel -- Daisy Fuentes for Celebration and Carmen Electra for Caribbean.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As a travel wholesaler, Caribbean Cruise Line is licensed and bonded in the State of Florida, "Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST-37425." (Though, there are timeshare marketing outposts in locations where the company is registered; for instance, in New Jersey, it's registered by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission.) Regardless of the official license, the charges against Caribbean Cruise Lines have been fast and furious -- consumers have had difficulties getting refunds, been subjected to aggressive sales tactics, discovered that salespeople had misrepresented cabin locations -- and many equate the two companies or confuse one for the other.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Angelina from Pennsylvania, who booked an extended-stay vacation after seeing Carmen Electra touting the cruise on TV, told us a horror story, which included more than five hours of timeshare presentations that they were not told they'd have to attend. "You have to go, or you will not be allowed to get on the cruise ship if you don't," said Angelina.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Florida's Division of Consumer Services has record of at least 40 complaints, the content of which we've yet to receive in the form of a public record request. Moreover, the Better Business Bureau gives Caribbean Cruise Line and "F" -- and the BBB has documented 459 complaints filed against business, 396 of which have been considered resolved. Still, according to a spokesperson at the Florida Attorney General's Office, the body responsible for responding in earnest to those consumer complaints, no official investigation has been opened or closed on Caribbean Cruise Line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Celebration Cruise Line, meanwhile, debuted in March 2009 as the newest player in the bustling South Florida cruise market. The line offers two-night budget cruises out of Palm Beach to the Bahamas aboard its recently converted ferry, Bahamas Celebration. It's the first cruise line to offer multiday sailings out of the Florida port since 1996, according to the port authority.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Celebration Cruise Line is filling the void left by Imperial Majesty Cruise Line, a similarly budget-minded, first-timer offering -- and one that also relied on the free cruise timeshare pitch to help fill its only ship. IMCL ceased operations in March 2009. (In fact, Celebration's parent company is Fort Lauderdale-based Celebration Cruise Holdings, which previously owned Regal Empress and chartered it out to Imperial Majesty Cruise Line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Collecting Our Free Cruise: What Happened When We Called?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I grabbed the awards booklet that came in the mail from Caribbean Cruise Line and called to go through the process. Here's what I found:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I reached Jerry Porter, who told me the conversation was being recorded to make sure he didn't "promise me a trip around the world on the Queen Mary." Jerry went on to clearly state that I would be responsible for the payment upfront at the time of the call and that I'd have to book now or lose out on this exceptional offer. He asked me if I had my credit card handy. Expecting my total to be $118, port and government fees for two people, it was actually $217 -- Jerry had, by default, tried to sell me an upgraded oceanview cabin instead of the cheapest cabin available. Jerry didn't tell me until I asked, but there is also a $10 per person, per day, fee for gratuities, which is automatically added to your onboard bill. It's a standard practice for cruise lines, but it's not something that first-timers would necessarily know.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>After my second question, I was transferred to the supervisor. No one was particularly rude, but the sales people stayed strictly on script. I had additional questions and was given the number for the corporate office -- or, rather, "Travel Services," a fulfillment center.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>A woman who answered the phone and identified herself as Tanesha provided informationabout Celebration Cruise Line and Caribbean Cruise Line, stating that the companies were one and the same. She said that the promotional department, Caribbean Cruise Line, handles the free cruise giveaways and the extended-stay vacation packages, and the cruise line, Celebration Cruise Line, sells cruises and cruise-stay packages.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Again, according to Celebration Cruise Line spokesman Glenn Ryserson, there is no connection; they are two separate businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I tried calling a different free cruise 800 number I found on the Internet. The drill was the same. On the second attempt, additional questions were met with a curt, "We're instructed to send you to the Web site," and then they hung up on me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For the next week, I received at least three phone calls a day from the wholesalers. When I picked up, I heard a recorded message touting Caribbean Cruise Line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Booking Directly Through the Line: A Different Tune<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Attempting to book directly through the line was a different story. I was quoted $199 per person for an oceanview cabin. With port and government fees and auto-gratuities, which are collected onboard, the total came to $269.92 per person. (A number of readers from various travel message boards have noted that they've had to pay the fuel surcharge as recently as April. It's $9 per person, per day. I asked the sales woman directly, but was told there were no fuel surcharges. Ryerson confirmed that the company's policy was currently not to charge surcharges.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>That's $540 total -- quite a bit more than the $217 I was quoted by the wholesaler.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>More Hidden Costs from the Free Cruise Offer? The Timeshare Pitch<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>OK, so there's a savings potential, to be sure. But, there's yet another potential catch. On the back of the mailing, we spotted this statement: "Promotion requires the attendance at a presentation on the sale of independent vacation ownership resorts." The fine print continues, clarifying the company's intent: "The advertising material is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of a vacation ownership plan." In other words, the "free cruise" is the lure to get you to buy a timeshare.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>And yet, on the two separate calls made to two different 800 numbers -- one received in the mail and one found online -- I was told that, in booking the cruise-only portion, I would not have to attend a timeshare presentation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>At least a few Cruise Critic members have posted slightly different stories. "I received my cruise confirmation from Celebration in the mail yesterday for our April 24 sailing. Of course it says we must go to Fort Lauderdale to pick up our vouchers prior to boarding in Palm Beach," writes memberTracyESQ on the message boards. Others have confirmed that the post-payment booking packet that arrives in the mail directs passengers to a "welcome center," rather than to the Palm Beach pier (or an online location) to pick up their boarding passes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>To confuse matters, some readers have noted that, after calling the cruise line directly, they were told to proceed right to the pier and bypass the "welcome center." Definitely follow the instructions of the wholesaler, says Celebration's Vice President-Marketing Glenn Ryerson, an official spokesman for the line -- again, the real name of which is Celebration Cruise Line, not Caribbean Cruise Line. "We wouldn't want you to come to the pier and be unable to board."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In a telephone conversation, Ryerson aimed to distinguish Celebration Cruise Line from Caribbean Cruise Line. Ryerson tells Cruise Critic, "There is no free cruise offer from Celebration Cruise Line and never has been. A few wholesale companies may be promoting it as part of a package, the same as with most other cruise lines."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>So what does the line say about how Caribbean conducts business? "I know that they do go up there with a taxes-only cruise with the goal of selling a bigger package."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>And those wholesalers are very important to Celebration. Ryerson mentions that that some 30 percent of passengers get onboard by way of wholesalers like Caribbean Cruise Line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"What we do with every customer on the ship, whether they come through a wholesaler or directly through us -- we don't care how they get on the ship -- we only care once they get onboard that the experience is a very positive one, and 98 percent of the comments are positive. We haven't had the need to talk to any business partners. From what I understand, these people are getting on the ship for taxes only, and they would have never experienced a cruise otherwise. The salespeople are earning commissions, and some of the people might be a little more aggressive, but I definitely don't think they're disreputable in any way."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>