We were victims of this so called crusie and Florida vaction scam. Yes were duped! To start, I received a phone call stating that I had won a cruise vacation. Then, I was informed that I could enjoy an additional 2 nights hotel stay in each of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Then I was ask for my credit card which would be billed only $798 U.S. For this "incredible vacation".
I thought, this was too good to be true. Anyways, I gave the sale rep. My information, and after I hung up I had second thoughts.
Eight weeks later I received my information package in the mail outlining the details of this "incredible vacation".in small fine print there were the words that this offer was being made in conjunction with a time-share presentation.
This information made me feel even worse about the decision I had made. Reluctlanty, purchased airline tickets and decided to go ahead with this trip.
Then, I received in the mail a letter that I must pay the balance of $118 U.S. For this vacation. Obviously I had to pay, otherwise I would have been out what I had paid to date.
March 2 comes and we fly to Orlando. Waited 1.5 hrs.in line to get rental from Budget. Drove down to Fort Lauderdale (4 hrs.) and arrrived 10:45 P.M. Went to so called Welcome Centre to receive hotel vouchers and informed to go for timeshare presentation at 9 A.M.in Palm Beach Shore (1.5 hrs. Drive north) to receive our cruise? Details. Took over 2 hrs. With traffic to get there, then had to sit and watch sales rep. Eat breakfast for 1.5 hrs.
Then onto "sales presentation" where they kept grilling us on the benefits of time share ownership for 6.5 hrs. Even though we told them a number of times we were too young to commit to such a purchase. Finally, they signed for our vouchers and we thought we could begin our vaction. Boy were we wrong.
Got back to hotel in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 P.M. Missed lunch and had to wait in line another hour to be seated for dinner. Went to bed and in morning drove to port to embark on cruise. Waited in line for 3.5 hrs. To get on ship. Boy what a disappointment, have been on cruises before and this ship was a total dump... It should be scraped.
The ship was 1953s vintage and so was the decor and furniture within the very small cabins. Only good part of cruise was touring Nassau and the evening dinners. Thursday evening comes and told by ship staff to be out of cabins by 5 A.M. Friday morning. I don't know what the hell for, waited in the hallways until 8:30 A.M. Before they let us off ship.
On the way to Orlando (Kissimmee) (another 4 hrs. North) where we had to wait another 1.5 hrs. To check in to the hotel after Welcome Centre screwed up our reservations. And the nightmare continues... informed we would have to attend another "time share presentation" in the morning if we wanted to receive our hotel vouchers for Ramada Orlando.
Went to time share sales pitch which only ended after my wife started yelling at sales rep. That we were not interested, at which time sales manager informed us that they pay a fee of $475 per head to the Welcome Centre to make a sales pitch to us. So it appears we are not the only suckers out there. Ramada Plaza Resorts is scamming both the customers and the time share ownership companies.
The cruise and hotel were billed as first class posh resorts. They were anything but. Sunday morning we flew home, and the nightmare vacation??? Was over!
In addition to previously paid fees, we paid an extra $74 for rental car, $88 in hotel taxes and charitable donations, and $80 for fuel surcharges and port fees.
Please don't get caught in this scam like we did. If someone offers a FREE CRUISE turn it down, there is nothing free about it. These people have NO CONSCIENCE or SOUL, and will do anything to make a quick buck.
Anonymous
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Canada
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