We had decided to go on a family vaction and did some internet searches for our trip. Our daughter is graduating this year and decided to do a little over the top trip. A few days after our internet search, Imperial Majesty called to inform us we had won a "FREE" trip with just paying the "SMALL" fees for taxes. They whole trip would be less than $200 per person with luxury accomadations, all meals provided. This was a once in a life time opportunity. We fell for it right then and there. We booked the cruise and the Ft. Lauderdale - Orlando trip. This was to include the cruise, deluxe accomodations for a hanidcap individual, 2 adjoining rooms, a trip to Sea World and Disney World, all meals included, a free rental car the whole works. As I am clausterfobic, we upgraded our rooms on the cruise to be in the Admiral's quaters and have 2 adjoining rooms for a "small" upcharge. I finally got time off from work and confirmed our travel date. I was assured our travel packet would be in the mail and confirm as soon as we recieved the packet. We were also told you have to have passports as no one would be allowed on the cruise without the passports due to federal requirements. That was the first $500 that we needlessly spent. The first travel packet did not arrive and we called a few days after we were told it would arriving. They sent out another packet. It also did not arrive as promised and took a third phone call. We called and they sarted telling us about all the "EXTRAS" that we would know have to pay. A deposit of $200 for our "FREE" car rental had to be billed to our credit card today or we would not have a car. We also needed to pay the port taxes today or our cruise trip would be given away to those that would pay. We had originally been told that we would pay on arrival. We secured our trip and paid the fees via the phone and got packed. This was our younger kids first flying trip. They were nervous yet excited, who could wait to see Mickey Mouse??? It took 2 plane trips to arrive, as the booking agent told us there were not direct flights available (LIE). The lay over between flights would be short and only just barely be able to get us to the next gate before our flights left (lie) We waited hours. We arrived in Florida and went to get our "FREE" rental. We spent several hunderd dollars getting our free car as they had not received our reservation. Our trailblazer was nice however the Garmin we had to pay extra for did not work for the first. We called and they told us they would remove the charges from our bill. (They took only a part off as it was working when we left the parking garage even though we could not rely on it to get to our first destination) We arrived at our Check in point to discover we would be required to take a tour. We had not ever been told of any tour. We were told the tour would be less than 1 hour. (LIES, LIES, and more LIES) We were also told that we had been upgraded to a better accomodations and given a less than accurate or detailed map to get us to our final spot for the night. We were told we could get lunch there as we had been traveling all day and it was late. We had planned on getting luch at the first hotel at check in. 2 hours later we found our hotel/dump. We were informed that the restraunt was closed and would open for dinner in a few hours - go and enjoy the beach. We then were told they only had the one room and only 4 people could stay in the room due to state law. We told them we had booked two rooms and that is what we needed as there were five of us. They were also overbooked and could not be held accountable for what the booking agent had promised. (We did pay extra for the extra rooms) We went back to the check in center and were told that the only extra room we had booked was for the cruise. They did not have any vacancy at this location and that is why we had been upgraded. We continued to discuss how this was not possible as we had 5 in our trip and needed the 2 rooms. We had paid for the rooms and expected to get 2 rooms. "Sorry, no can do - NEXT." We went back to the hotel and lied that we had gotten another room for part of us at another location. We then had to pay for parking, more taxes and meal taxes-gratuities. Whatever, we were tired and hungry. However the restraunt was no longer available to us because we had minors. It was a bar at night. Once in the room, our luxury accomadations we had been upgraded to made us feel lucky. If this was an upgrade, what was the dump like at the other location. The towels were thread bare, the sheets looked like they had not been washed, the burn wholes in our smokefree rooms bedspread were almost unnoticed because they were dirty, smelly and wrinkled. We went to Wal-Mart and bought blankets to sleep on. The tour lasted the whole day. They kept telling us just act interested or you won't be able to get your vouchers approved for the cruise. We ate breakfast with our guide, coffee and bagels. She went on and on about everything in so much detail. The room they showed for their sales room was dirty, the tub was cracked, and in general a mess. They told us we could use the facilities for the day, at the end of our tour. We were drug all across the isle and shown the fish in the water, just imagine that, in Florida in the ocean they have fish!!! This was one of the selling points. They pointed out building in the distance and named famous people who "might" live in them. They took us back to the room, now tidy up a bit to give us a good looksy. We had decided before the trip, a condo time share would be a good option for future travel. The guide told us if we purchased this large network time share, we would not have to "ENDURE" and further tours. It was late afternoon, no lunch, and we wanted to enjoy the trip, we said yes. More or less just to get out. They gave us the "BEST" price they had ever given anyone. Wanna bet, they offered the people next to us less. At that point that they noticed we were talking to another table, we were taken to a private office to finalize the deal. They gushed with compliments over stupid stuff, like my handbag, my daughters outfit, etc. While we were waiting for final approval. Finally we were free to go. We decided to go swimming in the pool and check out the beach. We were having a good time until we were told to leave. We were not checked in as guests at this time and needed to go back to our other accomodations. Thank goodness they had a snack bar for lunch, which we had to pay for. We left to go for dinner at the dump location. We decided to get the meals to go. They told us that would be fine, accepted our vouchers and then brought the food to the cashier and charged us for it. The vouchers do not cover meals to go. We finally got up the next day for the cruise. The nightmare just got worse. We arrived early to make sure we could get comfortable and maybe a nap, a decent shower, and enjoy the cruise. We waited and waited and went from line to line. Several hours in, we discovered it would cost more money for everything we had been promised. The gourmet meals, Extra, wine with dinner, extra and had to be purchased on shore without any idea of the menu, pose for photos, go aboard and oh, by the way, overbooked, the fee you paid extra for and the adjoining quarters are not even available. Your family is being split into 2 cabins on 2 different levels at oppositite ends of the ship. No amount of trying to get things worked out paid off. They were telling us the booking agent lied and they were sorry but this was the only thing that they had. We now need n=more money for room deposits, fuel surcharges, taxes and fees, gratuities, and on and on. We told them we had already paid. NO, we paid for the pass on baord but not these other fees. We paid and got on board. The rooms were so small. My disabled husband could barely manage to get around. The room smelled of urine. The bed looked like a projects dumpster find but did not smell that good. The other room was just as bad. The extra sized room had a fouton pull out. Uhmm, it was a padded seat that came with a small blanket that made air line blankets seem a grand affair. The bathroom was an all in one toilet, sink, and shower. You could use all three at once or risk breaking your neck. The handle did not work either. We told our steward and he promised to have it fixed. They stopped using the facillities in that room after my son was stuck in the bathroom for 3 hours and no assistance from the crew. The big cruise ship on the brochures and videos, not this one. We were told once aboard the ship was over 60 years old and scheduled to be destroyed. We could not expect quality or luxury in modern standards on such an old ship, however this was luxury back in the day. The food was lacking. The afternoon hors - dorves cheese setting out in the heat, stale yet soggy crackers, and ketchup drenched hot dog bites. For three days. They evening meals were nice however rushed. The morning buffet, get there early, once they run out, they closed down. We were told that the served until 10. We were there at 9 and they had run out of food and stopped serving. No coffee or juice either. The shore excursion that were to be part of the trip were extra extra and extra. A waste of time and money. We arrived on a Sunday and everything was closed. Our Two days in the Bahamas - We arrived Saturday night and left Sunday afternoon. It cost extra to get off the ship and your can't stay on board. The swimming pool is about the size of two bath tubs and cold salt water filled. The cruise was just an excuse to get more money, you want a drink, you pay, and pay and pay, for water and all. My oldest daughter ordered soda, she was a minor and it was noted she was a minor, however, they still served her alcohol. "All the soda comes with rum unless you asked not to have it" She pledged sobriety and signed a contract with us when she was 14. She goes on a family cruise vacation and was drunk within hours of departing. The big horn you hear shortly after departing mean open waters and all ages are served. Your cards stating the ages and minors can't drink, a lie. The childrens room is rarely open and even then, you might not want to leave your children. My 10 year old was asked to keep an eye on everyone while the attendant left. I am not sure how long she was gone but over an hour. The crew did not seem to care. They did however solicit tips. Our stewards always told us a cash tip could get the problems solved. The cruise was a nightmare. We disembarked and just looked forward to Disney World, and Sea World. We drove to the check in center and were told we had to go on the tour. Just because we had purchased in Ft. Lauderdale did not exclude us from the tour in Orlando. We went along to be nice and figured we could drop them short. They wasted yet another day touring what we had purchased. They were willing to sell us for less than half of what we had paid in Ft. Lauderdale. We were taken. Then they let us check into our hotel. It was going under renovations. The big luxury pool, the restraunt, the amenities, comming in 2009. Our rooms were again the dirty filthy dumps. The air vent stayed closed only as long as the air was on. The left over shampoo from the prior guests was still dried up in the shower. The holes in the walls were huge. The smoke free room stank of smoke and cause asthma attacks in myself as well as my son. The gaming system in the room, extra, the meals, extra, phone use, extra, alarm clocks, extra. If you want it, it is extra. The trip to Sea World and Disney, well you can only get one or the other and they never have Disney. However, if you stop up front you can purchase the Disney tickets. Buy today for tomorrow and they are at a big discount. We bought the tickets before going to Sea World. GREAT time at Sea world. We spent the whole day having the first fun of the trip. Exhausted, we returned for the free entertainment. Karoke. You might as well go as you can hear the noise reguardless. The wake up call never came, the maids never came. We woke up to Texas time, 10 in Florida. Our discount tickets had been given to someone else as they only have some many to sell each day. We could get ours the next. The day we were leaving at 7:30 am we could have tickets to go to the park. Tickets we had already paid for were given to someone else. We had to buy ours in advance, but they could pick ours up because we did not pick them up before the 8 am pick up time. No Refunds.
Numerous calls have gotten us no where. The trip and cruise was a scam to take you for all they can get out of you. The condo purchase is a waste. The time is all booked, that date is not available, that hotel is not part of our group anymore. However, the sales call still come in to sign up for the sale and rental of your condo time. You guessed it, you have to pay for that service too!
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